Delhi defeated Rajasthan by six wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday.&nbsp;Rishabh Pant played an exciting and unbeaten knock of 78 runs to help his side chase 192-run target set by the hosts.&nbsp;

Pant smashed four sixes and six fours in his 36-ball innings as Delhi equalled defending champions Chennai's tally of 14 points to top the Indian Premier League table.

By playing a heroic knock for his franchise, wicketkeeper-batsman Pant will have made a statement after being surprisingly left out of India's Cricket World Cup squad.&nbsp;

The left-hander missed a spot in the team after the selectors opted for experience over potential by picking Dinesh Karthik.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan also slammed a half-century to set the foundation of Delhi’s chase while Prithvi Shaw played a slow knock of 43 runs off 39 balls.

Put in to bat first, the hosts put up 191/6 in their 20 overs.&nbsp;

Ajinkya Rahane’s unbeaten century went in vain and so did new captain Steve Smith’s half-century as Rajasthan lost a flurry of wickets towards the end.

Rahane, the Indian Test team vice-captain but who has been out of the limited-overs sides for the past year, hit three sixes and 11 fours as his unbeaten hundred came from just 63 balls.

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by six wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday. Rishabh Pant played an exciting and unbeaten knock of 78 runs to help his side chase 192-run target set by the hosts.

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by six wickets at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Monday. Rishabh Pant played an exciting and unbeaten knock of 78 runs to help his side chase 192-run target set by the hosts. Pant smashed four sixes and six fours in his 36-ball innings as Delhi equalled defending champions Chennai's tally of 14 points to top the Indian Premier League table. By playing a heroic knock for his franchise, wicketkeeper-batsman Pant will have made a statement after being surprisingly left out of India's Cricket World Cup squad. The left-hander missed a spot in the team after the selectors opted for experience over potential by picking Dinesh Karthik. Opener Shikhar Dhawan also slammed a half-century to set the foundation of Delhi’s chase while Prithvi Shaw played a slow knock of 43 runs off 39 balls. Put in to bat first, the hosts put up 191/6 in their 20 overs. Ajinkya Rahane’s unbeaten century went in vain and so did new captain Steve Smith’s half-century as Rajasthan lost a flurry of wickets towards the end. Rahane, the Indian Test team vice-captain but who has been out of the limited-overs sides for the past year, hit three sixes and 11 fours as his unbeaten hundred came from just 63 balls.

Rishabh Pant steals Ajinkya Rahane's limelight as Delhi beat Rajasthan to top IPL table

Australia all-rounder Ashton Turner became the first batsman to register five straight ducks in Twenty20 cricket after another tame dismissal for Rajasthan in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday.

Turner was dismissed in the first ball that he faced, caught off the bowling of Ishant Sharma, for his third straight "golden duck" in the tournament as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rishabh-pant-steals-ajinkya-rahanes-limelight-as-delhi-beat-rajasthan-to-top-ipl-table-212713">Delhi defeated Rajasthan by six wickets</a>.

The 26-year-old's three scoreless IPL innings follow another first-ball duck for Perth Scorchers in a Big Bash League loss to Adelaide Strikers and a five-ball nought for Australia against India during their two-match T20 series in February.&nbsp;

Turner, who was left out of Australia's squad for the World Cup beginning in England and Wales on May 30, has fared better in the 50-over format scoring an unbeaten 43-ball 84 against India in a one-day international match last month.&nbsp;

Delhi, with 14 points from 11 games, leapfrogged Chennai to top the standings on net run rate while Rajasthan remained in seventh place in the eight-team league.&nbsp;

Australia all-rounder Ashton Turner became the first batsman to register five straight ducks in Twenty20 cricket after another tame dismissal for Rajasthan in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday.

Australia all-rounder Ashton Turner became the first batsman to register five straight ducks in Twenty20 cricket after another tame dismissal for Rajasthan in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Monday. Turner was dismissed in the first ball that he faced, caught off the bowling of Ishant Sharma, for his third straight "golden duck" in the tournament as Delhi defeated Rajasthan by six wickets. The 26-year-old's three scoreless IPL innings follow another first-ball duck for Perth Scorchers in a Big Bash League loss to Adelaide Strikers and a five-ball nought for Australia against India during their two-match T20 series in February. Turner, who was left out of Australia's squad for the World Cup beginning in England and Wales on May 30, has fared better in the 50-over format scoring an unbeaten 43-ball 84 against India in a one-day international match last month. Delhi, with 14 points from 11 games, leapfrogged Chennai to top the standings on net run rate while Rajasthan remained in seventh place in the eight-team league.

Australia's Ashton Turner creates record of five straight ducks in Twenty20

#IPL2019 #IPL #RCBvsKXIP #Virat Kohli #MS Dhoni #R Ashwin Bangalore would be high on confidence, especially after their nail-biting victory against MS Dhoni-led Chennai. Punjab, however, lost their last game to Delhi at Feroz Shah Kotla.

IPL 2019: Bangalore look to post third successive win when they host Punjab

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead the Hyderabad team <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-41-chennai-super-kings-vs-sunrisers-hyderabad-at-chidambaram-stadium-212979">against MS Dhoni-led Chennai</a> on Wednesday as their regular captain Kane Williamson has returned home due to personal tragedy.&nbsp;

As per the reports, he is likely to return to the squad ahead of the team's next match against Rajasthan on April 21.&nbsp;

Earlier in the season, Kumar had led the team earlier also when Williamson was unavailable due to a shoulder injury.&nbsp;

Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has replaced Williamson for the match against Chennai.&nbsp;

Also, Manish Pandey has been added to the playing XI at the place of Shahbaz Nadeem.&nbsp;

Chennai have lost two matches in a row and they would be slightly under pressure when they clash with in-form Hyderabad at their home turf.&nbsp;

Despite two consecutive losses, Chennai still sit pretty at the top of the points table with 14 points from 10 games.&nbsp;

But it will be a tough ask for them against Hyderabad, who would be riding high on confidence after their comprehensive victory against Kolkata.&nbsp;

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead the Hyderabad team against MS Dhoni-led Chennai on Wednesday as their regular captain Kane Williamson has returned home due to personal tragedy.

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar will lead the Hyderabad team against MS Dhoni-led Chennai on Wednesday as their regular captain Kane Williamson has returned home due to personal tragedy. As per the reports, he is likely to return to the squad ahead of the team's next match against Rajasthan on April 21. Earlier in the season, Kumar had led the team earlier also when Williamson was unavailable due to a shoulder injury. Bangladeshi cricketer Shakib Al Hasan has replaced Williamson for the match against Chennai. Also, Manish Pandey has been added to the playing XI at the place of Shahbaz Nadeem. Chennai have lost two matches in a row and they would be slightly under pressure when they clash with in-form Hyderabad at their home turf. Despite two consecutive losses, Chennai still sit pretty at the top of the points table with 14 points from 10 games. But it will be a tough ask for them against Hyderabad, who would be riding high on confidence after their comprehensive victory against Kolkata.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar leads Hyderabad team against Chennai as Kane Williamson returns home

The twelfth edition of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/ipl-2019">Indian Premier League</a> will be remembered for the love-hate relations of the bails and balls and there have been so many incidents when a full pace delivery failed to wipe off the bails. &nbsp;

From Dhawal Kulkarni to Jofra Archer, bowlers have been denied a clean wicket just because the stubborn bails refused to come off the stumps.&nbsp;

Rajasthan team, which have had a disappointing run so far this season, has been shadowed by the poor luck as they have been denied wickets three times just because the bails did not remove.&nbsp;

Talking about the poor luck, then not just the 'bail saga', the Rajasthan team also fell prey to 'Mankad' controversy earlier this season when their batsman Jos Buttler was run out by Punjab's skipper Ravichandran Ashwin at the non-striker's end.&nbsp;

Here's a list of all incidents when bails played the real game&nbsp;in the IPL 2019.&nbsp;

1 Jofra Archer to MS Dhoni

In Match 12, MS Dhoni survived a scare when bails proved lucky for the batsman.&nbsp;

It was the first-leg match between Chennai and Rajasthan, Jofra Archer was denied a clean wicket of MS Dhoni.&nbsp;

In the first innings, when Chennai were batting, even Archer's 142.7kph ball failed to wipe off the bails in the 6th over.&nbsp;

Dhoni defended the ball but it ended up going through his legs and touched the stumps but even the lights did not light up.&nbsp;

The commentators were shocked as how come a speedy ball failed to blow the stumps.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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WATCH: Thala Dhoni effect? When even bails refused to fall 
 
📹📹<a href="https://t.co/ccTyMBLToc">https://t.co/ccTyMBLToc</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvRR</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1112377416997961728?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2019</a></blockquote>
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2 MS Dhoni to KL Rahul

The incident happened when Punjab's batsman KL Rahul made the luckiest escape when MS Dhoni failed to run him out in a match between Chennai and Punjab (Match 18).&nbsp;

In the 13th over of Punjab innings, Rahul's missed sweep saw Dhoni flick the ball on to the stumps but the bails didn't come off, though, the LED lights lit up, ensuring the batsman survived despite being short of his crease. &nbsp;

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MS Dhoni Gets Unlucky With No-Look Throw, KL Rahul Survives –&nbsp;Watch <a href="https://t.co/EFRPYTZZQc">https://t.co/EFRPYTZZQc</a> <a href="https://t.co/1xBeUnfb9u">pic.twitter.com/1xBeUnfb9u</a>
— Top Trending (@TopTrending18) <a href="https://twitter.com/TopTrending18/status/1114803959204597760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 7, 2019</a></blockquote>
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3 Dhawal Kulkarni to Chris Lynn

Another incident happened in the match between Kolkata and Rajasthan (Match 21) in the second innings, when Kolkata were chasing a 140-run target.&nbsp;

when he inside-edged a delivery from paceman Dhawan Kulkarni onto his stumps and started walking off without bothering to look behind.&nbsp;

Kulkarni was celebrating too but it was soon cut short when the bowler realised that the ball had lit up the zing bail but failed to dislodge it, ricocheting off the leg stump to the fine-leg boundary for a four instead.

Lynn went on to make 50 runs off 32 balls and Kolkata won the match by eight wickets.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKRvsRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKRvsRR</a> Chris Lynn may have been lucky during that match, but clearly, whether or not the bails fell off, the ball did hit the stumps and thus it should've been an out. <a href="https://t.co/q89PVeiZ0q">pic.twitter.com/q89PVeiZ0q</a>
— SR_Guy (@SR_Guy_1164) <a href="https://twitter.com/SR_Guy_1164/status/1115143554102251521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 8, 2019</a></blockquote>
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4 Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant

In the Match 41, which was between Delhi and Rajasthan the bail saga continued when Jofra Archer experienced a similar fate as his super speedy delivery failed to remove the bails.&nbsp;

The pacer was proved unlucky when the bails refused to come off on Archer's full toss delivery that saved Rishabh Pant's wicket in the 16th over.&nbsp;

The bails though lifted for a microsecond but did not leave the stumps.&nbsp;

It was a full-toss and it hit the stumps on full, bail lifted for a wee bit but then it came back in his position. Jofra Archer can't believe it.

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It has become a trend in IPL 12 where bails have denied bowlers a clear wicket and Archer has been the most unlucky pacer in that regard. 
Firstly it was MS Dhoni <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/match12?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#match12</a> 
Now it's Prithvi Shaw <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/match40?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#match40</a> <a href="https://t.co/Rh2nKPhOWZ">pic.twitter.com/Rh2nKPhOWZ</a>
— sugyan nayak (@sugyanrocks) <a href="https://twitter.com/sugyanrocks/status/1120626617934438400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 23, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Archer suffered the poor fate twice in the IPL 2019.&nbsp;

The twelfth edition of Indian Premier League will be remembered for the love-hate relations of the bails and balls and there have been so many incidents when a full pace delivery failed to wipe off the bails.

The twelfth edition of Indian Premier League will be remembered for the love-hate relations of the bails and balls and there have been so many incidents when a full pace delivery failed to wipe off the bails. From Dhawal Kulkarni to Jofra Archer, bowlers have been denied a clean wicket just because the stubborn bails refused to come off the stumps. Rajasthan team, which have had a disappointing run so far this season, has been shadowed by the poor luck as they have been denied wickets three times just because the bails did not remove. Talking about the poor luck, then not just the 'bail saga', the Rajasthan team also fell prey to 'Mankad' controversy earlier this season when their batsman Jos Buttler was run out by Punjab's skipper Ravichandran Ashwin at the non-striker's end. Here's a list of all incidents when bails played the real game in the IPL 2019. 1 Jofra Archer to MS Dhoni In Match 12, MS Dhoni survived a scare when bails proved lucky for the batsman. It was the first-leg match between Chennai and Rajasthan, Jofra Archer was denied a clean wicket of MS Dhoni. In the first innings, when Chennai were batting, even Archer's 142.7kph ball failed to wipe off the bails in the 6th over. Dhoni defended the ball but it ended up going through his legs and touched the stumps but even the lights did not light up. The commentators were shocked as how come a speedy ball failed to blow the stumps. WATCH: Thala Dhoni effect? When even bails refused to fall 📹📹https://t.co/ccTyMBLToc #CSKvRR — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 31, 2019 × 2 MS Dhoni to KL Rahul The incident happened when Punjab's batsman KL Rahul made the luckiest escape when MS Dhoni failed to run him out in a match between Chennai and Punjab (Match 18). In the 13th over of Punjab innings, Rahul's missed sweep saw Dhoni flick the ball on to the stumps but the bails didn't come off, though, the LED lights lit up, ensuring the batsman survived despite being short of his crease. MS Dhoni Gets Unlucky With No-Look Throw, KL Rahul Survives – Watch https://t.co/EFRPYTZZQc pic.twitter.com/1xBeUnfb9u — Top Trending (@TopTrending18) April 7, 2019 × 3 Dhawal Kulkarni to Chris Lynn Another incident happened in the match between Kolkata and Rajasthan (Match 21) in the second innings, when Kolkata were chasing a 140-run target. when he inside-edged a delivery from paceman Dhawan Kulkarni onto his stumps and started walking off without bothering to look behind. Kulkarni was celebrating too but it was soon cut short when the bowler realised that the ball had lit up the zing bail but failed to dislodge it, ricocheting off the leg stump to the fine-leg boundary for a four instead. Lynn went on to make 50 runs off 32 balls and Kolkata won the match by eight wickets. #KKRvsRR Chris Lynn may have been lucky during that match, but clearly, whether or not the bails fell off, the ball did hit the stumps and thus it should've been an out. pic.twitter.com/q89PVeiZ0q — SR_Guy (@SR_Guy_1164) April 8, 2019 × 4 Jofra Archer to Rishabh Pant In the Match 41, which was between Delhi and Rajasthan the bail saga continued when Jofra Archer experienced a similar fate as his super speedy delivery failed to remove the bails. The pacer was proved unlucky when the bails refused to come off on Archer's full toss delivery that saved Rishabh Pant's wicket in the 16th over. The bails though lifted for a microsecond but did not leave the stumps. It was a full-toss and it hit the stumps on full, bail lifted for a wee bit but then it came back in his position. Jofra Archer can't believe it. It has become a trend in IPL 12 where bails have denied bowlers a clear wicket and Archer has been the most unlucky pacer in that regard. Firstly it was MS Dhoni #match12 Now it's Prithvi Shaw #match40 pic.twitter.com/Rh2nKPhOWZ — sugyan nayak (@sugyanrocks) April 23, 2019 × Archer suffered the poor fate twice in the IPL 2019.

Shadowed by poor luck as 'bail saga' hit Rajasthan in IPL 2019

Rishabh Pant said it 'felt special' when <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-ganguly-says-wow-ponting-feels-pant-is-on-different-planet-212873">Sourav Ganguly lifted him to celebrate</a> the youngster’s blistering 78 that steered Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket win over Rajasthan and the pole position in the IPL.

Just as <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-selection-thing-was-running-in-my-mind-says-rishabh-pant-212715">Pant hit the winning runs, finishing it off with a six </a>here on Monday night, former India skipper entered the ground and lifted him up.

“After I finished off the match and coming out, everyone was showering so much love. It felt special when Sourav sir lifted me, it was a different experience,” said Pant, during a post-match interaction with teammate Prithvi Shaw.

“We talk about finishing these big games for the team, and when we do it, feels really special,” he added.

When asked how he felt about his innings, Pant replied, “It’s a great feeling, especially the fact that I was with you (Shaw) in the middle, I knew we would finish it.”

Opener Shaw (42) and Pant added 84 runs for the third wicket in quick time to help Delhi Capitals cross the line in a steep chase of 192.

Rishabh Pant said it 'felt special' when Sourav Ganguly lifted him to celebrate the youngster’s blistering 78 that steered Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket win over Rajasthan and the pole position in the IPL.

Rishabh Pant said it 'felt special' when Sourav Ganguly lifted him to celebrate the youngster’s blistering 78 that steered Delhi Capitals to a six-wicket win over Rajasthan and the pole position in the IPL. Just as Pant hit the winning runs, finishing it off with a six here on Monday night, former India skipper entered the ground and lifted him up. “After I finished off the match and coming out, everyone was showering so much love. It felt special when Sourav sir lifted me, it was a different experience,” said Pant, during a post-match interaction with teammate Prithvi Shaw. “We talk about finishing these big games for the team, and when we do it, feels really special,” he added. When asked how he felt about his innings, Pant replied, “It’s a great feeling, especially the fact that I was with you (Shaw) in the middle, I knew we would finish it.” Opener Shaw (42) and Pant added 84 runs for the third wicket in quick time to help Delhi Capitals cross the line in a steep chase of 192.

It felt special when Sourav sir lifted me', says ecstatic Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant has attracted the attention of two legends at once -- Ricky Ponting calling him a cricketer "on a different planet" and Sourav Ganguly summing up his ultra-aggressive batting with a "wow".

Days after being <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-selection-thing-was-running-in-my-mind-says-rishabh-pant-212715">left out of India's World Cup squad</a> at the expense of Dinesh Karthik, Pant made a statement by guiding Delhi Capitals to a win over Rajasthan with a 36-ball 78 Monday night.

Mesmerised by the young batsman's range of strokes, former India captain and Delhi advisor Ganguly ran into the field and lifted Pant. Then, Ganguly tweeted, "Rishabh pant @RishabPant777@ParthJindal11 u deserve this .. U r wow."

Pant was in rampaging form as he smashed six boundaries and four sixes to help his team chase down a target of 192 with four balls to spare, the win has pushed Delhi to the top of the IPL standings.

Delhi head coach and former Australia captain Ponting was unshakeable in his belief that India erred in not picking him for the World Cup.

"I know how disappointed he was to miss out on the World Cup. In my opinion as well, I think India made the wrong choice there. I think he would have been absolutely devastating in English conditions through those middle over against spinners," Ponting said while speaking to the official broadcasters.

The two-time World Cup winning captain added, "Would have loved to see what he could have done in the World Cup. As I said at the time he was left out, he's got the potential to play three or four more World Cups if he keeps himself fit and healthy."

After the dismissal of senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Shreyas Iyer, Pant played one of his most responsible innings in the ongoing IPL.

Ponting said, "Someone as explosive as Rishabh likes a bit more pace on the ball. And we saw that tonight. Once he gets those sort of wickets he's lethal. He got a wicket like that in Mumbai and he hit 70-odd off 20-odd balls.

"Rishabh himself, he is on a different planet. He is an ultra-talented guy. He is a real competitor and a winner. He loves these conditions. Some really good signs there going forward in the tournament."

Team mentor Ganguly also lavished rich praise on Pant, saying talented players like him should not be asked to change their game.

"Players like Rishabh Pant are genuine match winners. You don't want to tell them to change much. They might fail in four or five matches but on their day they can single-handedly win you matches, that is why they are important," Ganguly said during a post-match chat.&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant has attracted the attention of two legends at once -- Ricky Ponting calling him a cricketer "on a different planet" and Sourav Ganguly summing up his ultra-aggressive batting with a "wow".

Rishabh Pant has attracted the attention of two legends at once -- Ricky Ponting calling him a cricketer "on a different planet" and Sourav Ganguly summing up his ultra-aggressive batting with a "wow". Days after being left out of India's World Cup squad at the expense of Dinesh Karthik, Pant made a statement by guiding Delhi Capitals to a win over Rajasthan with a 36-ball 78 Monday night. Mesmerised by the young batsman's range of strokes, former India captain and Delhi advisor Ganguly ran into the field and lifted Pant. Then, Ganguly tweeted, "Rishabh pant @RishabPant777@ParthJindal11 u deserve this .. U r wow." Pant was in rampaging form as he smashed six boundaries and four sixes to help his team chase down a target of 192 with four balls to spare, the win has pushed Delhi to the top of the IPL standings. Delhi head coach and former Australia captain Ponting was unshakeable in his belief that India erred in not picking him for the World Cup. "I know how disappointed he was to miss out on the World Cup. In my opinion as well, I think India made the wrong choice there. I think he would have been absolutely devastating in English conditions through those middle over against spinners," Ponting said while speaking to the official broadcasters. The two-time World Cup winning captain added, "Would have loved to see what he could have done in the World Cup. As I said at the time he was left out, he's got the potential to play three or four more World Cups if he keeps himself fit and healthy." After the dismissal of senior opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Shreyas Iyer, Pant played one of his most responsible innings in the ongoing IPL. Ponting said, "Someone as explosive as Rishabh likes a bit more pace on the ball. And we saw that tonight. Once he gets those sort of wickets he's lethal. He got a wicket like that in Mumbai and he hit 70-odd off 20-odd balls. "Rishabh himself, he is on a different planet. He is an ultra-talented guy. He is a real competitor and a winner. He loves these conditions. Some really good signs there going forward in the tournament." Team mentor Ganguly also lavished rich praise on Pant, saying talented players like him should not be asked to change their game. "Players like Rishabh Pant are genuine match winners. You don't want to tell them to change much. They might fail in four or five matches but on their day they can single-handedly win you matches, that is why they are important," Ganguly said during a post-match chat.

IPL 2019: Ganguly says wow, Ponting feels Pant is on different planet

Chennai skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=ms+dhoni">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> became the first Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes in India's domestic cricket league, i.e. Indian Premier League.&nbsp;

The overall tally of most sixes is led by Windies cricketer Chris Gayle, who plays for Punjab franchise, with a total of 323 sixes.&nbsp;

Gayle is followed by former South African AB de Villiers with 204 sixes. De Villiers plays for Bangalore team in India's cash-rich league.&nbsp;

Dhoni is at number three in overall tally with a total of 203 sixes. He achieved this feat during his sensational 84-run knock in Sunday's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-bangalore-just-about-manage-to-beat-ms-dhoni-led-team-in-a-last-ball-thriller-212453">game against Bangalore</a> which Chennai lost by only one run.&nbsp;

In the ongoing edition of IPL, Dhoni also became the first captain in history to register 100 wins in the tournament.&nbsp;

Chasing a target of 162, Chennai needed a near-impossible 26 off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav and Dhoni with 84 off 48 balls that had seven sixes.&nbsp;

Dhoni was at the crease and having consumed dot balls off the previous over, he had to go for the jugular and boy he did it with three sixes and a four.&nbsp;

With two needed off the last ball and Umesh looking increasingly helpless, he managed to bowl a slower delivery and Dhoni missed it only for Parthiv Patel to effect a run-out as non-striker Shardul Thakur inches out of his crease.&nbsp;

In the end it was Dhoni who lost to Bangalore, who eked out their third win of the tournament.&nbsp;

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes in India's domestic cricket league, i.e. Indian Premier League. The overall tally of most sixes is led by Windies cricketer Chris Gayle, who plays for Punjab franchise, with a total of 323 sixes.

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni became the first Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes in India's domestic cricket league, i.e. Indian Premier League. The overall tally of most sixes is led by Windies cricketer Chris Gayle, who plays for Punjab franchise, with a total of 323 sixes. Gayle is followed by former South African AB de Villiers with 204 sixes. De Villiers plays for Bangalore team in India's cash-rich league. Dhoni is at number three in overall tally with a total of 203 sixes. He achieved this feat during his sensational 84-run knock in Sunday's game against Bangalore which Chennai lost by only one run. In the ongoing edition of IPL, Dhoni also became the first captain in history to register 100 wins in the tournament. Chasing a target of 162, Chennai needed a near-impossible 26 off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav and Dhoni with 84 off 48 balls that had seven sixes. Dhoni was at the crease and having consumed dot balls off the previous over, he had to go for the jugular and boy he did it with three sixes and a four. With two needed off the last ball and Umesh looking increasingly helpless, he managed to bowl a slower delivery and Dhoni missed it only for Parthiv Patel to effect a run-out as non-striker Shardul Thakur inches out of his crease. In the end it was Dhoni who lost to Bangalore, who eked out their third win of the tournament.

IPL 2019: MS Dhoni becomes first Indian to hit 200 sixes in IPL

He is expected to play a vital role in India's World Cup campaign in England but chinaman <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=kuldeep+yadav">Kuldeep Yadav</a>'s slump prompted Kolkata's team management to drop him from the playing XI against Hyderabad barely six weeks before the big event.&nbsp;

The wrist spinner has only got four wickets in nine IPL games at an economy rate of 8.66 and Kolkata dropped him in their 10th game even though his replacement, KC Cariappa, fared worse, giving away 34 runs in two overs.

When asked about Kuldeep's absence from the playing XI, Kolkata skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=dinesh+karthik">Dinesh Karthik</a> made it clear that he was dropped owing to poor form.

"A form issue with (Kuldeep) - as he couldn't stand up for us in the last game. We had to give him a break and get him back fresh."

However, despite his poor form, Kolkata's other spinners went for plenty and gave away a cumulative 106 runs in nine overs.

"Our bowling has been off colour in the tournament. Our fielding needs a lot of improvement too," said skipper Karthik, who is also under scanner due to his poor form and a controversial berth in the World Cup-bound squad.&nbsp;

"I think 160 was a par score on this wicket if we'd bowled well. I think they (Warner and Bairstow) batted really well but our fielding cost us. And after that dropped catch (off Prithviraj), he (Bairstow) came at us all guns blazing. A wicket of Bairstow would have felt better, feel for the guy (Yarra Prithviraj). We have been outplayed in this game," Karthik said.&nbsp;

He is expected to play a vital role in India's World Cup campaign in England but chinaman Kuldeep Yadav's slump prompted Kolkata's team management to drop him from the playing XI against Hyderabad barely six weeks before the big event.

He is expected to play a vital role in India's World Cup campaign in England but chinaman Kuldeep Yadav's slump prompted Kolkata's team management to drop him from the playing XI against Hyderabad barely six weeks before the big event. The wrist spinner has only got four wickets in nine IPL games at an economy rate of 8.66 and Kolkata dropped him in their 10th game even though his replacement, KC Cariappa, fared worse, giving away 34 runs in two overs. When asked about Kuldeep's absence from the playing XI, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik made it clear that he was dropped owing to poor form. "A form issue with (Kuldeep) - as he couldn't stand up for us in the last game. We had to give him a break and get him back fresh." However, despite his poor form, Kolkata's other spinners went for plenty and gave away a cumulative 106 runs in nine overs. "Our bowling has been off colour in the tournament. Our fielding needs a lot of improvement too," said skipper Karthik, who is also under scanner due to his poor form and a controversial berth in the World Cup-bound squad. "I think 160 was a par score on this wicket if we'd bowled well. I think they (Warner and Bairstow) batted really well but our fielding cost us. And after that dropped catch (off Prithviraj), he (Bairstow) came at us all guns blazing. A wicket of Bairstow would have felt better, feel for the guy (Yarra Prithviraj). We have been outplayed in this game," Karthik said.

Kuldeep Yadav dropped from playing XI due to 'poor form': Dinesh Karthik

MS Dhoni had almost done it but fell just one run short as Chennai lost to Bangalore by a margin of one run, when the skipper had already hit 24 in the first five balls of the last over.

Dhoni smashed several boundaries in the last over of Bangalore's Umesh Yadav to almost win the game but failed to touch the last ball and lost.&nbsp;

Dhoni scored 84 off 48 balls as he took the contest to the very last ball as Chennai needed 26 runs in the final over.

With two runs needed off the final ball, Dhoni was beaten by Umesh Yadav and Parthiv Patel struck the stumps before Shardul Thakur could complete the single to win it for Bangalore.

Twitter was also full of praise for MS Dhoni's super effort and criticised Umesh Yadav's bowling.

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There was never and will never again be a cricketing phenomenon like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DHONI?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DHONI</a>. The result doesn't matter, the points don't matter, that was a major win for <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSD</a>. His calm is a super power. I salute you superman. You have changed cricket forever. ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvCSK</a>
— Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) <a href="https://twitter.com/Actor_Siddharth/status/1120030791302385664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Uff! Some game! Cricket needs Dhoni to write its scripts.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha/status/1120030195136598016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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It's ok. MSD. Take a bow. When everyone wrote it's too far, we saw Mahi magic. It's never over till MS Dhoni is at the crease. Sure you will be gutted than anyone else not to have connected it. Well played.
— Prabhu (@Cricprabhu) <a href="https://twitter.com/Cricprabhu/status/1120030443787567104?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The Twitter users also criticised Umesh Yadav for his poor bowling and how Kohli would have reacted after he delivered a dot ball.

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Umesh Yadav right now <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/aU1n6TWaaW">pic.twitter.com/aU1n6TWaaW</a>
— Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRai) <a href="https://twitter.com/RoshanKrRai/status/1120030935699689473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Totally in socked after seeing Umesh Yadav's performance in today's match. This is black day for my academy. This is insult. I officially fire him today - A.Dinda (Head of Dinda Academy)<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/tVEOfM1DwQ">pic.twitter.com/tVEOfM1DwQ</a>
— Pranjal Jani (@pranjal_97) <a href="https://twitter.com/pranjal_97/status/1120010813702434817?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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1: Umesh Yadav first 3 overs 
2: Unesh Yadav final over<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/t09TPoq4CO">pic.twitter.com/t09TPoq4CO</a>
— Ixhtiyaque (@Ixhtiyaque) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ixhtiyaque/status/1120030182205562880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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There are two players in India who can completely change the course of the match within six balls and both of them are out there. Dhoni and Umesh Yadav..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvCSK</a>
— The-Lying-Lama 2.0 (@KyaUkhaadLega) <a href="https://twitter.com/KyaUkhaadLega/status/1120028896013873152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Despite losing this game, Chennai are the table toppers while Kohli-led team still sit at the bottom of the points table.&nbsp;

MS Dhoni had almost done it but fell just one run short as Chennai lost to Bangalore by a margin of one run, when the skipper had already hit 24 in the first five balls of the last over.

MS Dhoni had almost done it but fell just one run short as Chennai lost to Bangalore by a margin of one run, when the skipper had already hit 24 in the first five balls of the last over. Dhoni smashed several boundaries in the last over of Bangalore's Umesh Yadav to almost win the game but failed to touch the last ball and lost. Dhoni scored 84 off 48 balls as he took the contest to the very last ball as Chennai needed 26 runs in the final over. With two runs needed off the final ball, Dhoni was beaten by Umesh Yadav and Parthiv Patel struck the stumps before Shardul Thakur could complete the single to win it for Bangalore. Twitter was also full of praise for MS Dhoni's super effort and criticised Umesh Yadav's bowling. There was never and will never again be a cricketing phenomenon like #DHONI. The result doesn't matter, the points don't matter, that was a major win for #MSD. His calm is a super power. I salute you superman. You have changed cricket forever. ❤️ #RCBvCSK — Siddharth (@Actor_Siddharth) April 21, 2019 × Uff! Some game! Cricket needs Dhoni to write its scripts. — Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 21, 2019 × It's ok. MSD. Take a bow. When everyone wrote it's too far, we saw Mahi magic. It's never over till MS Dhoni is at the crease. Sure you will be gutted than anyone else not to have connected it. Well played. — Prabhu (@Cricprabhu) April 21, 2019 × The Twitter users also criticised Umesh Yadav for his poor bowling and how Kohli would have reacted after he delivered a dot ball. Umesh Yadav right now #RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/aU1n6TWaaW — Roshan Rai (@RoshanKrRai) April 21, 2019 × Totally in socked after seeing Umesh Yadav's performance in today's match. This is black day for my academy. This is insult. I officially fire him today - A.Dinda (Head of Dinda Academy)#RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/tVEOfM1DwQ — Pranjal Jani (@pranjal_97) April 21, 2019 × 1: Umesh Yadav first 3 overs 2: Unesh Yadav final over#RCBvCSK pic.twitter.com/t09TPoq4CO — Ixhtiyaque (@Ixhtiyaque) April 21, 2019 × There are two players in India who can completely change the course of the match within six balls and both of them are out there. Dhoni and Umesh Yadav..#RCBvCSK — The-Lying-Lama 2.0 (@KyaUkhaadLega) April 21, 2019 × Despite losing this game, Chennai are the table toppers while Kohli-led team still sit at the bottom of the points table.

IPL 2019: Twitter full praise for MS Dhoni as he nearly does the impossible; criticise Umesh Yadav with funny memes

Parthiv Patel, the man whose direct hit gave Bangalore an improbable one-run win over Chennai, said he was left quite surprised when Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed hitting the last ball of the cliffhanger.&nbsp;

Patel wasn't expecting a marauding Dhoni to miss Umesh Yadav's slower delivery before his direct throw <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-bangalore-just-about-manage-to-beat-ms-dhoni-led-team-in-a-last-ball-thriller-212453">sealed it for the home team</a> on Sunday night.&nbsp;

Dhoni scored 24 off the first five balls of the final over before missing the last ball. A scramble for one run ended in Parthiv's direct throw leaving Shardul Thakur short of his crease.&nbsp;

"We honestly wanted him (Dhoni) to hit through the off-side on the shorter side of the ground. If he had hit it on the leg-side, there were two runs because I don't think the way he runs, there was any chance of stopping those two," an elated Patel said at the post-match press conference.&nbsp;

"So we wanted (Umesh) to bowl slower and outside the off-stump and surprisingly he missed it. I wasn't expecting him to miss it but surprisingly he missed it," he said.&nbsp;

Patel said if Dhoni is around then 70 to 80 runs in the last five overs is always gettable at the Chinnaswamy.&nbsp;

"Playing in Bangalore or Mumbai, you know that 70 runs in the last five overs is gettable. You need at least have 80-90 runs to get in last five overs to defend. So, we wanted to squeeze him.&nbsp;

"We wanted to bowl as many dot balls to him as possible, and put pressure on other batsmen because everybody knows how MS is. He wanted the game to go down to last three-four overs and he almost won the game," said Patel.&nbsp;

The wicketkeeper-batsman scored his second half-century of the season and said that coach Gary Kirsten's advice of choosing the correct bowlers was key to his success.&nbsp;

"Before the game started, I was talking to Gary and he said 'you don't have worry of anything you need to choose your bowlers' and that is exactly what I did," said Patel.&nbsp;

He is happy to open the batting as he can use the Powerplay overs to his advantage.&nbsp;

"Honestly, it is great to be playing in the opening slot with Virat and AB coming in at number three. Actually, I don't have to do much. I try to make sure that I hit couple of boundaries and try and rotate the strike.&nbsp;

"You know, I have been working hard on my game. I have been there in Australia for a couple of months...I have been working hard and I am quite happy with the way I am batting," he said.

Parthiv Patel, the man whose direct hit gave Bangalore an improbable one-run win over Chennai, said he was left quite surprised when Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed hitting the last ball of the cliffhanger.

Parthiv Patel, the man whose direct hit gave Bangalore an improbable one-run win over Chennai, said he was left quite surprised when Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed hitting the last ball of the cliffhanger. Patel wasn't expecting a marauding Dhoni to miss Umesh Yadav's slower delivery before his direct throw sealed it for the home team on Sunday night. Dhoni scored 24 off the first five balls of the final over before missing the last ball. A scramble for one run ended in Parthiv's direct throw leaving Shardul Thakur short of his crease. "We honestly wanted him (Dhoni) to hit through the off-side on the shorter side of the ground. If he had hit it on the leg-side, there were two runs because I don't think the way he runs, there was any chance of stopping those two," an elated Patel said at the post-match press conference. "So we wanted (Umesh) to bowl slower and outside the off-stump and surprisingly he missed it. I wasn't expecting him to miss it but surprisingly he missed it," he said. Patel said if Dhoni is around then 70 to 80 runs in the last five overs is always gettable at the Chinnaswamy. "Playing in Bangalore or Mumbai, you know that 70 runs in the last five overs is gettable. You need at least have 80-90 runs to get in last five overs to defend. So, we wanted to squeeze him. "We wanted to bowl as many dot balls to him as possible, and put pressure on other batsmen because everybody knows how MS is. He wanted the game to go down to last three-four overs and he almost won the game," said Patel. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored his second half-century of the season and said that coach Gary Kirsten's advice of choosing the correct bowlers was key to his success. "Before the game started, I was talking to Gary and he said 'you don't have worry of anything you need to choose your bowlers' and that is exactly what I did," said Patel. He is happy to open the batting as he can use the Powerplay overs to his advantage. "Honestly, it is great to be playing in the opening slot with Virat and AB coming in at number three. Actually, I don't have to do much. I try to make sure that I hit couple of boundaries and try and rotate the strike. "You know, I have been working hard on my game. I have been there in Australia for a couple of months...I have been working hard and I am quite happy with the way I am batting," he said.

Never expected MS Dhoni to miss that last ball: Parthiv Patel

Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the umpteenth time was in line to pull off another incredible chase but finally ran out of luck as Bangalore managed to beat Chennai by one run in another last-ball IPL thriller on Sunday.

Chasing a target of 162, Chennai needed a near-impossible 26 off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav and Dhoni with 84 off 48 balls that had seven sixes showed that nothing is indeed impossible until the Cricketing Gods intervened.

Only that Dhoni was at the crease and having consumed dot balls off the previous over, he had to go for the jugular and boy he did it with three sixes and a four.

With two needed off the last ball and Umesh looking increasingly helpless, he maneged to bowl a slower delivery and Dhomi missed it only for Parthiv Patel to effect a run-out as non-striker Shardul Thakur inches out of his crease.

In the end, it was Dhoni who lost to Bangalore, who eked out their third win of the tournament.

It could have been an easy win in the manner Dale Steyn (2/29) has brought the necessary zing that was lacking in Bangalore's bowling effort as he bowled perfect outswinger to get rid of Shane Watson caught by Marcus Stoinis at the slips.&nbsp;

He followed it up with a perfect yorker against an out-of-form Suresh Raina (0), who has always been found wanting against quality fast bowling.&nbsp;

Umesh Yadav despite the odd loose delivery produced extra pace and bounce to get rid of Faf du Plessis (5) and Kedar Jadhav (9) as Chennai were left tottering at 28 for 4.

The trusted pair of Ambati Rayudu (29 off 29 balls) and Dhoni started resurrecting the innings.&nbsp;

Dhoni hit Stoinis for a six and Rayudu having struggled for long finally found some touch as he pulled Umesh over deep mid-wicket for a six and then hit a one-bounce for over extra cover.

They had a 55-run stand before Rayudu got one from Yuzvendra Chahal (1/24 in 4 overs) angled into his pads. He missed the line and the ball hit the pads and then onto the stumps leaving Dhoni with an onerous task.

Once Jadeja was run-out for 11, Chennai were in deep trouble at 108 for 6 but Dhoni carried the fight till the end.

Earlier, Parthiv Patel's attacking half-century and Moeen Ali's final flourish wasn't enough as Bangalore put up a sub-par 161 for 7 after being put into bat.

Parthiv smashed 53 off 37 balls but didn't get a lot of support from the other end until Moeen Ali used the long handle to hit 26 off 16 balls even as AB de Villiers (25 off 19 balls) and Akshdeep Nath (24 off 20 balls) delivered little after promising a lot.

Deepak Chahar (2/25 in 4 overs) was impressive as usual while Ravindra Jadeja's (2/29 in 4 overs) twin breakthrough during partnership was also important in the context of the innings.

Dwayne Bravo (2/34 in 4 overs) also chipped in with a couple of wickets in the end.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli (9) hit a couple of boundaries before a thickish edge off a Chahar outswinger brought about his downfall. Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a nice catch behind the stumps.

However, Parthiv and AB de Villiers (25 off 19 balls) added 47 runs in only 4.2 overs with the former South African skipper looking in fine touch.&nbsp;

De Villiers smashed Chahar over square leg while Parthiv also flicked Shardul Thakur (0/40 in 4 overs) for a couple of sixes.&nbsp;

Having picked 16 runs off the final Powerplay over, RCB looked in control before Jadeja induced De Villiers to go for a big shot only to be holed by Faf du Plessis at Long-off.

Parthiv was joined by the burly Akshdeep Nath (24, 20 balls), who hit a six off Jadeja, added 41 runs with his senior partner before being caught by Du Plessis at long-off Jadeja's bowling at the stroke of team's 100-run mark.

The baby-faced Parthiv, whose form has been inconsistent during the tournament so far, was ready to punish the loose balls on the day as he sent a Jadeja half-tracker soaring into the stands for his third six and hit Imran Tahir for a fourth one.

He reached his half-century by pulling Bravo in-front of square but was out off the very next ball. Parthiv's innings had two fours and four sixes. 
Just when 150 was looking a bit dicey, Moeen hit five boundaries to take Bangalore past 160-run mark.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the umpteenth time was in line to pull off another incredible chase but finally ran out of luck as Bangalore managed to beat Chennai by one run in another last-ball IPL thriller on Sunday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the umpteenth time was in line to pull off another incredible chase but finally ran out of luck as Bangalore managed to beat Chennai by one run in another last-ball IPL thriller on Sunday. Chasing a target of 162, Chennai needed a near-impossible 26 off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav and Dhoni with 84 off 48 balls that had seven sixes showed that nothing is indeed impossible until the Cricketing Gods intervened. Only that Dhoni was at the crease and having consumed dot balls off the previous over, he had to go for the jugular and boy he did it with three sixes and a four. With two needed off the last ball and Umesh looking increasingly helpless, he maneged to bowl a slower delivery and Dhomi missed it only for Parthiv Patel to effect a run-out as non-striker Shardul Thakur inches out of his crease. In the end, it was Dhoni who lost to Bangalore, who eked out their third win of the tournament. It could have been an easy win in the manner Dale Steyn (2/29) has brought the necessary zing that was lacking in Bangalore's bowling effort as he bowled perfect outswinger to get rid of Shane Watson caught by Marcus Stoinis at the slips. He followed it up with a perfect yorker against an out-of-form Suresh Raina (0), who has always been found wanting against quality fast bowling. Umesh Yadav despite the odd loose delivery produced extra pace and bounce to get rid of Faf du Plessis (5) and Kedar Jadhav (9) as Chennai were left tottering at 28 for 4. The trusted pair of Ambati Rayudu (29 off 29 balls) and Dhoni started resurrecting the innings. Dhoni hit Stoinis for a six and Rayudu having struggled for long finally found some touch as he pulled Umesh over deep mid-wicket for a six and then hit a one-bounce for over extra cover. They had a 55-run stand before Rayudu got one from Yuzvendra Chahal (1/24 in 4 overs) angled into his pads. He missed the line and the ball hit the pads and then onto the stumps leaving Dhoni with an onerous task. Once Jadeja was run-out for 11, Chennai were in deep trouble at 108 for 6 but Dhoni carried the fight till the end. Earlier, Parthiv Patel's attacking half-century and Moeen Ali's final flourish wasn't enough as Bangalore put up a sub-par 161 for 7 after being put into bat. Parthiv smashed 53 off 37 balls but didn't get a lot of support from the other end until Moeen Ali used the long handle to hit 26 off 16 balls even as AB de Villiers (25 off 19 balls) and Akshdeep Nath (24 off 20 balls) delivered little after promising a lot. Deepak Chahar (2/25 in 4 overs) was impressive as usual while Ravindra Jadeja's (2/29 in 4 overs) twin breakthrough during partnership was also important in the context of the innings. Dwayne Bravo (2/34 in 4 overs) also chipped in with a couple of wickets in the end. Virat Kohli (9) hit a couple of boundaries before a thickish edge off a Chahar outswinger brought about his downfall. Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a nice catch behind the stumps. However, Parthiv and AB de Villiers (25 off 19 balls) added 47 runs in only 4.2 overs with the former South African skipper looking in fine touch. De Villiers smashed Chahar over square leg while Parthiv also flicked Shardul Thakur (0/40 in 4 overs) for a couple of sixes. Having picked 16 runs off the final Powerplay over, RCB looked in control before Jadeja induced De Villiers to go for a big shot only to be holed by Faf du Plessis at Long-off. Parthiv was joined by the burly Akshdeep Nath (24, 20 balls), who hit a six off Jadeja, added 41 runs with his senior partner before being caught by Du Plessis at long-off Jadeja's bowling at the stroke of team's 100-run mark. The baby-faced Parthiv, whose form has been inconsistent during the tournament so far, was ready to punish the loose balls on the day as he sent a Jadeja half-tracker soaring into the stands for his third six and hit Imran Tahir for a fourth one. He reached his half-century by pulling Bravo in-front of square but was out off the very next ball. Parthiv's innings had two fours and four sixes. Just when 150 was looking a bit dicey, Moeen hit five boundaries to take Bangalore past 160-run mark.

IPL 2019: Bangalore just about manage to beat MS Dhoni-led team in a last-ball thriller

Rajasthan Ajinkya Rahane struck his first IPL century in seven years in a match against Delhi in Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

In total, this is Rahane's second IPL hundred and first of this season.&nbsp;

Rahane reached the three digit mark in just 58 balls with a double off Ishant Sharma.&nbsp;

He has hit 11 fours and three sixes during his innings so far. the opener ended being not out fo 105 runs in 63 balls.&nbsp;

Rahane's knock came close on the heels of him being replaced by Steve Smith as Rajasthan skipper.&nbsp;

The Australian batsman had in fact been made the skipper last year but he had to make way for Rahane in the wake of Australia’s ball-tampering scandal.

Rahane's lone 100 for Rajasthan before this game came against the Bangalore in 2012 when he racked up 103 off 60 balls including 12 fours and five sixes.&nbsp;

Rajasthan Ajinkya Rahane struck his first IPL century in seven years in a match against Delhi in Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium. In total, this is Rahane's second IPL hundred and first of this season.

Rajasthan Ajinkya Rahane struck his first IPL century in seven years in a match against Delhi in Jaipur's Sawai Mansingh Stadium. In total, this is Rahane's second IPL hundred and first of this season. Rahane reached the three digit mark in just 58 balls with a double off Ishant Sharma. He has hit 11 fours and three sixes during his innings so far. the opener ended being not out fo 105 runs in 63 balls. Rahane's knock came close on the heels of him being replaced by Steve Smith as Rajasthan skipper. The Australian batsman had in fact been made the skipper last year but he had to make way for Rahane in the wake of Australia’s ball-tampering scandal. Rahane's lone 100 for Rajasthan before this game came against the Bangalore in 2012 when he racked up 103 off 60 balls including 12 fours and five sixes.

IPL 2019: Ajinkya Rahane hits first IPL hundred in seven years

Chennai will clash with Hyderabad at MA Chidambaram Stadium. A win will almost ensure a playoff berth for the defending champions, who lost back-to-back away matches against Sunrisers Hyderabad and Bangalore respectively.

IPL 2019: MS Dhoni-led Chennai to clash with Hyderabad at home turf

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's refusal to take three singles in the penultimate over with big-hitting Dwayne Bravo at the other end raised a few eyebrows but Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming says he will "never question" his skipper's game-plan at the death.

With 36 runs needed in the last two overs, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-ms-dhoni-becomes-first-indian-to-hit-200-sixes-in-ipl-212519">Dhoni refused three singles i</a>n the 19th over bowled by Navdeep Saini getting just 10 off it including a six off a no-ball.

In the last over, 26 runs were needed and Dhoni nearly pulled it off with a<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/never-expected-ms-dhoni-to-miss-that-last-ball-parthiv-patel-212511"> 24 off the first five balls before Parthiv Patel ran Shardul Thakur</a> out to win the match for RCB by one run.&nbsp;

"He is so calculative that I would never question the last part of an innings with MS Dhoni. Yes, Bravo's got power but if MS has a feeling that he's going to win it this way, I'm going to back him every time," Fleming said at the media conference.

"He's done this so many times and look, tonight he got us so close to the game so I'll never question that," he added.

When asked why Dhoni refused those singles, Fleming said the veteran always believes in calculating the difference between runs and balls to check how many sixes he needs to hit.

"I think the reason was Dhoni felt he was best equipped to hit those sixes. The way he calculates the last few overs based on his power.

"He would have looked at it saying 'I need four-five sixes' to win the game. And as it panned out, it was pretty close," said Fleming.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's refusal to take three singles in the penultimate over with big-hitting Dwayne Bravo at the other end raised a few eyebrows but Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming says he will "never question" his skipper's game-plan at the death.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's refusal to take three singles in the penultimate over with big-hitting Dwayne Bravo at the other end raised a few eyebrows but Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming says he will "never question" his skipper's game-plan at the death. With 36 runs needed in the last two overs, Dhoni refused three singles in the 19th over bowled by Navdeep Saini getting just 10 off it including a six off a no-ball. In the last over, 26 runs were needed and Dhoni nearly pulled it off with a 24 off the first five balls before Parthiv Patel ran Shardul Thakur out to win the match for RCB by one run. "He is so calculative that I would never question the last part of an innings with MS Dhoni. Yes, Bravo's got power but if MS has a feeling that he's going to win it this way, I'm going to back him every time," Fleming said at the media conference. "He's done this so many times and look, tonight he got us so close to the game so I'll never question that," he added. When asked why Dhoni refused those singles, Fleming said the veteran always believes in calculating the difference between runs and balls to check how many sixes he needs to hit. "I think the reason was Dhoni felt he was best equipped to hit those sixes. The way he calculates the last few overs based on his power. "He would have looked at it saying 'I need four-five sixes' to win the game. And as it panned out, it was pretty close," said Fleming.

I will never question MS Dhoni's final-over calculations: Chennai coach Stephen Fleming

Delhi have been doing better at away games rather than at their home ground but they managed to reverse that at the Feroz Shah Kotla with a five-wicket win over Punjab

IPL 2019: Confident Delhi look to continue momentum against rejuvenated Rajasthan

Chennai skipper <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-scared-us-says-bangalore-skipper-virat-kohli-212531">MS Dhoni</a> has created yet another record during his unbeaten 48-ball 84 knock against Bangalore team on Sunday at Chinnaswamy Stadium.&nbsp;

First, he became the first <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-ms-dhoni-becomes-first-indian-to-hit-200-sixes-in-ipl-212519">Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes</a> in Indian Premier League, besides he&nbsp;also hit the biggest six in the history of IPL.&nbsp;

In his 84-run knock, Dhoni hit five fours and seven sixes, including the record-breaking giant 111-metre long sixer over wide long-on. He broke Hardik Pandya's record of 104-metre long six.&nbsp;

In the last over, when Chennai needed 26 runs to win, Dhoni launched his assault by hitting a four to deep square leg. He hit three sixes and a four to bring his side closer to victory.&nbsp;

One of those last-over sixers&nbsp;landed on the stadium roof (maybe crossed the stadium) and created the record.&nbsp;

Watch the video:

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Out of the Park SIX 💪💪💪 
 
Biggest Six(111m) of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2019</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> the Powerhouse 💥💥💥 <a href="https://t.co/trRqoUc6kM">pic.twitter.com/trRqoUc6kM</a>
— Serendipity ❤ (@PoornaPradeep4) <a href="https://twitter.com/PoornaPradeep4/status/1120043493512994816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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111m six by dhoni..<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvsCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvsCSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Chinnaswamy?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Chinnaswamy</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> <a href="https://t.co/xixg8zkzJL">pic.twitter.com/xixg8zkzJL</a>
— Ravikumar (@Ravikumarceg) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ravikumarceg/status/1120045185348423680?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Although Dhoni's swashbuckling knock went in vain as Bangalore edged past Chennai in a last-ball thriller to keep their playoff hopes alive.&nbsp;

Dhoni almost pulled off Chennai's chase of 161 but his side lose by one run in Bangalore.&nbsp;

Despite losing the match, Dhoni earned praises for his marvellous performance, even Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli said that "MS did what he does best".

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni has created yet another record during his unbeaten 48-ball 84 knock against Bangalore team on Sunday at Chinnaswamy Stadium. First, he became the first Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes in Indian Premier League, besides he also hit the biggest six in the history of IPL.

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni has created yet another record during his unbeaten 48-ball 84 knock against Bangalore team on Sunday at Chinnaswamy Stadium. First, he became the first Indian batsman to hit 200 sixes in Indian Premier League, besides he also hit the biggest six in the history of IPL. In his 84-run knock, Dhoni hit five fours and seven sixes, including the record-breaking giant 111-metre long sixer over wide long-on. He broke Hardik Pandya's record of 104-metre long six. In the last over, when Chennai needed 26 runs to win, Dhoni launched his assault by hitting a four to deep square leg. He hit three sixes and a four to bring his side closer to victory. One of those last-over sixers landed on the stadium roof (maybe crossed the stadium) and created the record. Watch the video: Out of the Park SIX 💪💪💪 Biggest Six(111m) of #IPL2019 #Dhoni the Powerhouse 💥💥💥 pic.twitter.com/trRqoUc6kM — Serendipity ❤ (@PoornaPradeep4) April 21, 2019 × 111m six by dhoni..#RCBvsCSK #Chinnaswamy #Dhoni pic.twitter.com/xixg8zkzJL — Ravikumar (@Ravikumarceg) April 21, 2019 × Although Dhoni's swashbuckling knock went in vain as Bangalore edged past Chennai in a last-ball thriller to keep their playoff hopes alive. Dhoni almost pulled off Chennai's chase of 161 but his side lose by one run in Bangalore. Despite losing the match, Dhoni earned praises for his marvellous performance, even Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli said that "MS did what he does best".

Watch: MS Dhoni's record 111-metre long sixer that crossed the stadium

Virat Kohli said that <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-ms-dhoni-becomes-first-indian-to-hit-200-sixes-in-ipl-212519">MS Dhoni</a> had "scared" him during the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-bangalore-just-about-manage-to-beat-ms-dhoni-led-team-in-a-last-ball-thriller-212453">Sunday's game between Bangalore and Chennai</a> as Dhoni's nearly won the match for Chennai with an unbeaten 84 off 48 balls.&nbsp;

Chasing a target of 162, Chennai needed a near-impossible 26 off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav.&nbsp;

But Dhoni three sixes and a four to bring his side closer to victory, however, in the end, it was Dhoni who lost to Bangalore, who eked out their third win of the tournament.&nbsp;

During the post-match presentation, Virat said, "MS did what he does best and he gave us all a massive scare."

"A whole lot of emotions. Feels good to win a game by a small margin," said Kohli when asked about what he was going through after yet another last-ball thriller. &nbsp;

"We were outstanding with the ball until the 19th over mark. On the last ball, that (run-out) was the last thing I would have expected to happen."&nbsp;

"A lot of boundaries were needed, right now you can calculate, one run there, and two runs there and we just lost by one run. But you can also say we missed some boundaries," Dhoni said.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli said that MS Dhoni had "scared" him during the Sunday's game between Bangalore and Chennai as Dhoni's nearly won the match for Chennai with an unbeaten 84 off 48 balls.

Virat Kohli said that MS Dhoni had "scared" him during the Sunday's game between Bangalore and Chennai as Dhoni's nearly won the match for Chennai with an unbeaten 84 off 48 balls. Chasing a target of 162, Chennai needed a near-impossible 26 off the last over bowled by Umesh Yadav. But Dhoni three sixes and a four to bring his side closer to victory, however, in the end, it was Dhoni who lost to Bangalore, who eked out their third win of the tournament. During the post-match presentation, Virat said, "MS did what he does best and he gave us all a massive scare." "A whole lot of emotions. Feels good to win a game by a small margin," said Kohli when asked about what he was going through after yet another last-ball thriller. "We were outstanding with the ball until the 19th over mark. On the last ball, that (run-out) was the last thing I would have expected to happen." "A lot of boundaries were needed, right now you can calculate, one run there, and two runs there and we just lost by one run. But you can also say we missed some boundaries," Dhoni said.

MS Dhoni 'scared' us, says Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-27-delhi-capitals-vs-kings-xi-punjab-at-feroz-shah-kotla-212048">Delhi defeated Punjab</a> by five&nbsp;wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday.

Chasing a target of 164, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, provided their side a steady start but because of lack of coordination Shaw gave away his wicket when he got run out in the fourth over.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer then came out to bat and both the on-field batters smashed some scintillating shots and formed a 92-run partnership before Dhawan gave a simple catch to R Ashwin off Hardus Viljoen's delivery and brought his 56-run inning to an end.

Rishabh Pant too was sent back to the pavilion immediately which brought Colin Ingram to the field.

Ingram stitched a 27-run partnership with skipper Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 58 runs off 49 balls which helped his side chase down the target set by the visitors.

With this knock, Iyer also completed his 1500 runs in IPL.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shikhar-dhawan-reacts-derisively-when-ashwin-tries-to-mankad-him-212168">Shikhar Dhawan reacts derisively when Ashwin tries to 'Mankad' him</a>

Earlier, Punjab were sent to bat first. Punjab faced a quick blow as KL Rahul lost his wicket in the second over of the inning.

Mayank Aggarwal then joined Chris Gayle on the field but Aggarwal too was sent back to the pavilion by Kagiso Rabada and later Axar Patel got hold of David Miller.

Thereafter, Mandeep Singh came out to bat and formed a crucial 45-run partnership with Gayle. Gayle scored 69 runs off just 37 balls before Sandeep Lamichhane put an end to his inning.

This was Gayle's fourth half-century in this season of IPL.

R Ashwin formed a partnership with Mandeep Singh and Harpreet Brar of 23 and 22 runs respectively which helped Punjab set a respectable target of 164 runs for the hosts.

Punjab will now visit Bangalore to face Bangalore on April 24 while Delhi will visit Jaipur to compete with Rajasthan on April 22.&nbsp;

Delhi defeated Punjab by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday. Chasing a target of 164, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, provided their side a steady start but because of lack of coordination Shaw gave away his wicket when he got run out in the fourth over.

Delhi defeated Punjab by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday. Chasing a target of 164, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, provided their side a steady start but because of lack of coordination Shaw gave away his wicket when he got run out in the fourth over. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer then came out to bat and both the on-field batters smashed some scintillating shots and formed a 92-run partnership before Dhawan gave a simple catch to R Ashwin off Hardus Viljoen's delivery and brought his 56-run inning to an end. Rishabh Pant too was sent back to the pavilion immediately which brought Colin Ingram to the field. Ingram stitched a 27-run partnership with skipper Iyer, who scored an unbeaten 58 runs off 49 balls which helped his side chase down the target set by the visitors. With this knock, Iyer also completed his 1500 runs in IPL. Also Read: Shikhar Dhawan reacts derisively when Ashwin tries to 'Mankad' him Earlier, Punjab were sent to bat first. Punjab faced a quick blow as KL Rahul lost his wicket in the second over of the inning. Mayank Aggarwal then joined Chris Gayle on the field but Aggarwal too was sent back to the pavilion by Kagiso Rabada and later Axar Patel got hold of David Miller. Thereafter, Mandeep Singh came out to bat and formed a crucial 45-run partnership with Gayle. Gayle scored 69 runs off just 37 balls before Sandeep Lamichhane put an end to his inning. This was Gayle's fourth half-century in this season of IPL. R Ashwin formed a partnership with Mandeep Singh and Harpreet Brar of 23 and 22 runs respectively which helped Punjab set a respectable target of 164 runs for the hosts. Punjab will now visit Bangalore to face Bangalore on April 24 while Delhi will visit Jaipur to compete with Rajasthan on April 22.

IPL 2019: Delhi vanquish Punjab by five wickets

Shikhar Dhawan, who plays for Delhi franchise in the Indian Premier League, mocked Ravichandran Ashwin after the spinner warned him to stay inside the crease at non-strikers' end&nbsp;during a match between Delhi and Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday.&nbsp;

Punjab skipper Ashwin has remained in the headlines lately for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=mankad">'Mankading' controversy</a> when he ran out Rajasthan's Jos Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, without giving him any warning.&nbsp;

Buttler's dismissal during a match between Rajasthan and Punjab triggered a spirit of game debate and left the cricket world divided.&nbsp;

Now, Shikhar has taken a jibe at the incident after Ashwin threatened him of 'Mankad' run out in the 13th over.&nbsp;

The incident happened when Ashwin aborted his delivery while bowling the fourth ball of the over to give a warning to Dhawan.&nbsp;

Shikhar, who can be seen inside the crease in the TV replays, sat on one knee facing the bowler as his immediate reaction on the incident.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He even danced being inside the crease at the non-strikers' end when Ashwin was about to release the ball.&nbsp;

Watch the video:

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Shikhar Dhawan is extremely cautious against Ravi Ashwin 😂 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvKXIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvKXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/WNuZhSkwxe">pic.twitter.com/WNuZhSkwxe</a>
— Deepak Raj Verma (@DeVeDeTr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DeVeDeTr/status/1119658984372363264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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That's How you troll Mankad-Man Ashwin 😂 <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SDhawan25</a> 👌🏼 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvKXIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvKXIP</a> <a href="https://t.co/suCwYzj1sI">pic.twitter.com/suCwYzj1sI</a>
— ਸਤਨਾਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੋਹਲ #MI (@imSatnam_) <a href="https://twitter.com/imSatnam_/status/1119662132302315520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Presenting, the troll king Shikhar Dhawan, trolling our mankad king Ravi Ashwin.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2019</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvKXIP?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvKXIP</a> <a href="https://t.co/w7hredT2a9">pic.twitter.com/w7hredT2a9</a>
— Ryuk (@dodginghumans) <a href="https://twitter.com/dodginghumans/status/1119660430685691904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Recently,&nbsp;Bangalore's skipper Virat Kohli was spotted <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-virat-kohlis-hilarious-reaction-after-avoiding-mankad-run-out-against-kolkata-211920">making fun of the "Mankad" run out</a> during an IPL match against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team on Friday.&nbsp;

The incident happened in the 18th over when spinner Sunil Narine aborted his delivery to Marcus Stoinis after taking the run-up.&nbsp;

Kohli, who was on the non-strikers' end, immediately grounded his bat and started laughing. In a way, he avoided the most popular the controversy of IPL 2019, "Mankading".&nbsp;

Kohli, in a funny gesture, even signalled Narine that his bat was inside the crease.&nbsp;

Shikhar Dhawan, who plays for Delhi franchise in the Indian Premier League, mocked Ravichandran Ashwin after the spinner warned him to stay inside the crease at non-strikers' end during a match between Delhi and Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday.

Shikhar Dhawan, who plays for Delhi franchise in the Indian Premier League, mocked Ravichandran Ashwin after the spinner warned him to stay inside the crease at non-strikers' end during a match between Delhi and Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Saturday. Punjab skipper Ashwin has remained in the headlines lately for 'Mankading' controversy when he ran out Rajasthan's Jos Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, without giving him any warning. Buttler's dismissal during a match between Rajasthan and Punjab triggered a spirit of game debate and left the cricket world divided. Now, Shikhar has taken a jibe at the incident after Ashwin threatened him of 'Mankad' run out in the 13th over. The incident happened when Ashwin aborted his delivery while bowling the fourth ball of the over to give a warning to Dhawan. Shikhar, who can be seen inside the crease in the TV replays, sat on one knee facing the bowler as his immediate reaction on the incident. He even danced being inside the crease at the non-strikers' end when Ashwin was about to release the ball. Watch the video: Shikhar Dhawan is extremely cautious against Ravi Ashwin 😂 #DCvKXIP #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/WNuZhSkwxe — Deepak Raj Verma (@DeVeDeTr) April 20, 2019 × That's How you troll Mankad-Man Ashwin 😂 @SDhawan25 👌🏼 #DCvKXIP pic.twitter.com/suCwYzj1sI — ਸਤਨਾਮ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੋਹਲ #MI (@imSatnam_) April 20, 2019 × Presenting, the troll king Shikhar Dhawan, trolling our mankad king Ravi Ashwin.#IPL2019 #DCvKXIP pic.twitter.com/w7hredT2a9 — Ryuk (@dodginghumans) April 20, 2019 × Recently, Bangalore's skipper Virat Kohli was spotted making fun of the "Mankad" run out during an IPL match against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team on Friday. The incident happened in the 18th over when spinner Sunil Narine aborted his delivery to Marcus Stoinis after taking the run-up. Kohli, who was on the non-strikers' end, immediately grounded his bat and started laughing. In a way, he avoided the most popular the controversy of IPL 2019, "Mankading". Kohli, in a funny gesture, even signalled Narine that his bat was inside the crease.

Shikhar Dhawan reacts derisively when Ashwin tries to 'Mankad' him

After Jonny Bairstow's and David Warner's scintillating performance, Hyderabad <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-38-sunrisers-hyderabad-vs-kolkata-knight-riders-212276">defeated Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata by nine wickets</a> with five overs remaining in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday.&nbsp;

With the win, Hyderabad are now at number fourth position on the points table with 10 points in nine games they have played so far.&nbsp;

The openers Warner and Bairstow gave a steady start to the team in their 160-run chase at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.&nbsp;

Bairstow scored and unbeaten 80 runs off 43 balls and his innings included seven 4s and four 6s. His strike was 186.05.&nbsp;

On the other hand, David Warner scored 67 runs off 38 balls before losing his wicket to Kolkata's Harry Gurney.&nbsp;

Earlier, young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed grabbed three wickets in an impressive spell to help Hyderabad restrict Kolkata 159 for 8.&nbsp;

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A look at the Points Table after Match 38 of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a>. <a href="https://t.co/T4nTWEgV09">pic.twitter.com/T4nTWEgV09</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1119968849401507840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2019</a></blockquote>
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For his outstanding performance, he was awarded with the man of the match award.&nbsp;

The 21-year-old speedster removed Sunil Narine (25 off 7 balls), who was looking dangerous in his first spell and then came back to dismiss Shubman Gill (3) and Chris Lynn (51) in his corresponding spells to keep Kolkata in check.&nbsp;

Senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with the figures of 2/35 while leg-spinner Rashid Khan (1/23) and seamer Sandeep Sharma (1/37) took a wicket apiece with the Hyderabad's bowlers making life difficult for the Kolkata batsmen.&nbsp;

For Kolkata, Lynn was the top-scored with a dogged 47-ball 51. Rinku Singh was the other notable contributor with a 25-ball 30.

Put in to bat, Lynn and Sunil Narine took the opposition to the cleaners. Both openers hitting boundaries of their first balls. The duo quickly stitched a 42-run partnership before Ahmed dismissed Narine in the third over. &nbsp;

Narine's blistering innings of 24 runs off eight balls was laced with three boundaries and two maximums.&nbsp;

With the wicket of Narine, the momentum shifted in Hyderabad's favour. In Khaleel's next over, he dismissed Gill (3). Nitish Rana (11) and captain Dinesh Karthik (6) also returned to the dressing room in quick succession.&nbsp;

Rinku and Lynn shared a 51-run stand for the fifth wicket to stabilise the innings before Sandeep Sharma dismissed the 21-year-old Indian. Big-hitter Andre Russel scored 15 off 9 balls. &nbsp;

He hit two sixes off Kumar before the right-arm seamer dismissed the Jamaican in the penultimate over.

After Jonny Bairstow's and David Warner's scintillating performance, Hyderabad defeated Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata by nine wickets with five overs remaining in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

After Jonny Bairstow's and David Warner's scintillating performance, Hyderabad defeated Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata by nine wickets with five overs remaining in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday. With the win, Hyderabad are now at number fourth position on the points table with 10 points in nine games they have played so far. The openers Warner and Bairstow gave a steady start to the team in their 160-run chase at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. Bairstow scored and unbeaten 80 runs off 43 balls and his innings included seven 4s and four 6s. His strike was 186.05. On the other hand, David Warner scored 67 runs off 38 balls before losing his wicket to Kolkata's Harry Gurney. Earlier, young left-arm pacer Khaleel Ahmed grabbed three wickets in an impressive spell to help Hyderabad restrict Kolkata 159 for 8. A look at the Points Table after Match 38 of the #VIVOIPL. pic.twitter.com/T4nTWEgV09 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 21, 2019 × For his outstanding performance, he was awarded with the man of the match award. The 21-year-old speedster removed Sunil Narine (25 off 7 balls), who was looking dangerous in his first spell and then came back to dismiss Shubman Gill (3) and Chris Lynn (51) in his corresponding spells to keep Kolkata in check. Senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with the figures of 2/35 while leg-spinner Rashid Khan (1/23) and seamer Sandeep Sharma (1/37) took a wicket apiece with the Hyderabad's bowlers making life difficult for the Kolkata batsmen. For Kolkata, Lynn was the top-scored with a dogged 47-ball 51. Rinku Singh was the other notable contributor with a 25-ball 30. Put in to bat, Lynn and Sunil Narine took the opposition to the cleaners. Both openers hitting boundaries of their first balls. The duo quickly stitched a 42-run partnership before Ahmed dismissed Narine in the third over. Narine's blistering innings of 24 runs off eight balls was laced with three boundaries and two maximums. With the wicket of Narine, the momentum shifted in Hyderabad's favour. In Khaleel's next over, he dismissed Gill (3). Nitish Rana (11) and captain Dinesh Karthik (6) also returned to the dressing room in quick succession. Rinku and Lynn shared a 51-run stand for the fifth wicket to stabilise the innings before Sandeep Sharma dismissed the 21-year-old Indian. Big-hitter Andre Russel scored 15 off 9 balls. He hit two sixes off Kumar before the right-arm seamer dismissed the Jamaican in the penultimate over.

IPL 2019: Hyderabad register a nine-wicket victory over Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin has been fined for maintaining slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League match against <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-delhi-vanquish-punjab-by-five-wickets-212180">Shreyas Iyer-led&nbsp;Delhi</a> on Saturday.&nbsp;

Ashwin has been fined INR 12 lakh and became the fourth&nbsp;captain to be fined for slow over-rate in&nbsp;IPL 2019 after Mumbai's Rohit Sharma, Bangalore's Virat Kohli and Rajasthan's former skipper Ajinkya Rahane.&nbsp;

The official website of IPL stated, "As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr. Ashwin was fined Rs 12 lakh."

In the match,&nbsp;Delhi defeated Punjab by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday.

Chasing a target of 164, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, provided their side a steady start but because of lack of coordination Shaw gave away his wicket when he got run out in the fourth over.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer then came out to bat and both the on-field batters smashed some scintillating shots and formed a 92-run partnership before Dhawan gave a simple catch to R Ashwin off Hardus Viljoen's delivery and brought his 56-run inning to an end.

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin has been fined for maintaining slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League match against Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi on Saturday.

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin has been fined for maintaining slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League match against Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi on Saturday. Ashwin has been fined INR 12 lakh and became the fourth captain to be fined for slow over-rate in IPL 2019 after Mumbai's Rohit Sharma, Bangalore's Virat Kohli and Rajasthan's former skipper Ajinkya Rahane. The official website of IPL stated, "As it was his team’s first offence of the season under the IPL’s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Mr. Ashwin was fined Rs 12 lakh." In the match, Delhi defeated Punjab by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League on Saturday. Chasing a target of 164, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, provided their side a steady start but because of lack of coordination Shaw gave away his wicket when he got run out in the fourth over. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer then came out to bat and both the on-field batters smashed some scintillating shots and formed a 92-run partnership before Dhawan gave a simple catch to R Ashwin off Hardus Viljoen's delivery and brought his 56-run inning to an end.

Ravichandran Ashwin fined for Punjab's slow over-rate

Bangalore eked out a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-royal-challengers-bangalore-211863">10-run win over Kolkata</a> for only their second success of the season after Andre Russell and Nitish Rana nearly pulled off the impossible in the Indian Premier League on Friday.&nbsp;

Needing 113 runs off the last six overs, Russell (65 off 25) and Rana (85 not out off 46) almost got their team over the line but Moeen Ali managed to defend 24 in the final over.&nbsp;

The tense climax came after Virat Kohli smashed 100 off 58 balls for his fifth century in the IPL and first this season. Bangalore hammered 91 runs off the last five overs to reach 213 for four, their highest total this year.&nbsp;

Ali's 66 off 28 while batting alongside Kohli also proved crucial for Bangalore's cause as they finally managed to defend.&nbsp;

Watch: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-virat-kohlis-hilarious-reaction-after-avoiding-mankad-run-out-against-kolkata-211920">Virat Kohli's hilarious reaction after avoiding 'Mankad' run out against Kolkata</a>&nbsp;

The win keeps Bangalore mathematically alive in the tournament while Kolkata suffered their fourth loss in as many games.&nbsp;

Following a Kohli special, it was the turn of swing king Dale Steyn to land some body blows on the opposition. Playing his first game of the season after having come in as a replacement, the South African great removed Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill to leave Kolkata reeling at 33 for three in five overs.

Russell tried his best to pull off another improbable chase for Kolkata in the company of Nitish Rana but this time it wasn't to be.&nbsp;

Earlier, it was Ali who gave the much-needed oxygen to their innings, smashing six sixes and five fours to seize momentum after a slow start. Kohli and Ali shared 90 runs off 43 balls and there was no looking back after Ali's assault.

The match swung in the 16th over when Kuldeep Yadav bled 27 runs with Ali going berserk, smashing the star India spinner for three sixes and two boundaries. The chinaman ended with figures of 1/59 in four overs.

Kohli, who scored his first 50 off 40 balls, changed gears in the second half of his innings. Such was his domination that Kohli took just 17 balls for his second fifty.

Put in, Bangalore got off to an ordinary start and the absence of AB de Villiers, who was indisposed following dehydration, was felt very much.

Kohli mistimed the ball with a couple of inside-edges to the boundary, while his left-handed opening parter Parthiv Patel (11 off 11) had a hit-and-miss stay before falling to Sunil Narine inside the powerplay.&nbsp;

Bangalore eked out a 10-run win over Kolkata for only their second success of the season after Andre Russell and Nitish Rana nearly pulled off the impossible in the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Bangalore eked out a 10-run win over Kolkata for only their second success of the season after Andre Russell and Nitish Rana nearly pulled off the impossible in the Indian Premier League on Friday. Needing 113 runs off the last six overs, Russell (65 off 25) and Rana (85 not out off 46) almost got their team over the line but Moeen Ali managed to defend 24 in the final over. The tense climax came after Virat Kohli smashed 100 off 58 balls for his fifth century in the IPL and first this season. Bangalore hammered 91 runs off the last five overs to reach 213 for four, their highest total this year. Ali's 66 off 28 while batting alongside Kohli also proved crucial for Bangalore's cause as they finally managed to defend. Watch: Virat Kohli's hilarious reaction after avoiding 'Mankad' run out against Kolkata The win keeps Bangalore mathematically alive in the tournament while Kolkata suffered their fourth loss in as many games. Following a Kohli special, it was the turn of swing king Dale Steyn to land some body blows on the opposition. Playing his first game of the season after having come in as a replacement, the South African great removed Chris Lynn and Shubman Gill to leave Kolkata reeling at 33 for three in five overs. Russell tried his best to pull off another improbable chase for Kolkata in the company of Nitish Rana but this time it wasn't to be. Earlier, it was Ali who gave the much-needed oxygen to their innings, smashing six sixes and five fours to seize momentum after a slow start. Kohli and Ali shared 90 runs off 43 balls and there was no looking back after Ali's assault. The match swung in the 16th over when Kuldeep Yadav bled 27 runs with Ali going berserk, smashing the star India spinner for three sixes and two boundaries. The chinaman ended with figures of 1/59 in four overs. Kohli, who scored his first 50 off 40 balls, changed gears in the second half of his innings. Such was his domination that Kohli took just 17 balls for his second fifty. Put in, Bangalore got off to an ordinary start and the absence of AB de Villiers, who was indisposed following dehydration, was felt very much. Kohli mistimed the ball with a couple of inside-edges to the boundary, while his left-handed opening parter Parthiv Patel (11 off 11) had a hit-and-miss stay before falling to Sunil Narine inside the powerplay.

IPL 2019: Bangalore mathematically alive in tournament after defeating Kolkata by 10 runs

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-steve-smith-replaces-ajinkya-rahane-as-rajasthans-captain-212026">Steve Smith</a>-led Rajasthan <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-36-rajasthan-royals-vs-mumbai-indians-at-sawai-mansingh-stadium-212022">defeated Mumbai by five wickets</a> in an Indian Premier League match at their home turf on Saturday. It's Rajasthan's third win of the season.&nbsp;

Australian cricketer Smith, who replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of Rajasthan franchise, played skipper's knock to achieve the target set by Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai.&nbsp;

Smith scored an unbeaten 59 off 48 and he was well supported by Riyan Parag (43) and Sanju Samson (35). &nbsp;

For his match-winning knock, Smith won Man of the Match award.

While reciving the award, he said, "I haven't contributed as much as I would've liked through the tournament and it feels really nice to have gotten the boys over the line."

"Hopefully we can carry it forward from here," he added.&nbsp;

Earlier, batting first, Mumbai put up a decent 161 for 5 against thanks to Quinton de Kock's splendid knock. &nbsp;&nbsp;

De Kock smashed 65 off 47 balls with six fours and two sixes, adding 97 runs off 68 balls for the second wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (34 off 33 balls) that helped MI total gain a semblance of respectability.&nbsp;

Reinstated as skipper in place of Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith introduced leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal (2/21 in 4 overs) in the third over. &nbsp;

He deceived rival skipper Rohit Sharma( 5), who stepped out only to offer a return catch after failing to read a googly. &nbsp;

Gopal could have got rid of De Kock off the last ball of the over but Jofra Archer dropped a difficult chance at long on.&nbsp;

Making most out of this reprieve De Kock helped his team reach 50-run mark in 6.5 overs.&nbsp;

He reached his own half-century in 34 balls and his partnership with Suryakumar was broken when latter was caught in deep off Stuart Binny in the 14th over.&nbsp;

A few balls later Quinton de Kock too was holed out in long-on as Hardik Pandya and Pollard joined forces with scorboard reading 112 for 3 in 15 overs.&nbsp;

Pollard(10 runs 7 balls) was dropped by Archer once again. Hardik played another of his cameos scoring 23 off 15 balls.

Steve Smith-led Rajasthan defeated Mumbai by five wickets in an Indian Premier League match at their home turf on Saturday. It's Rajasthan's third win of the season.

Steve Smith-led Rajasthan defeated Mumbai by five wickets in an Indian Premier League match at their home turf on Saturday. It's Rajasthan's third win of the season. Australian cricketer Smith, who replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of Rajasthan franchise, played skipper's knock to achieve the target set by Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai. Smith scored an unbeaten 59 off 48 and he was well supported by Riyan Parag (43) and Sanju Samson (35). For his match-winning knock, Smith won Man of the Match award. While reciving the award, he said, "I haven't contributed as much as I would've liked through the tournament and it feels really nice to have gotten the boys over the line." "Hopefully we can carry it forward from here," he added. Earlier, batting first, Mumbai put up a decent 161 for 5 against thanks to Quinton de Kock's splendid knock. De Kock smashed 65 off 47 balls with six fours and two sixes, adding 97 runs off 68 balls for the second wicket with Suryakumar Yadav (34 off 33 balls) that helped MI total gain a semblance of respectability. Reinstated as skipper in place of Ajinkya Rahane, Steve Smith introduced leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal (2/21 in 4 overs) in the third over. He deceived rival skipper Rohit Sharma( 5), who stepped out only to offer a return catch after failing to read a googly. Gopal could have got rid of De Kock off the last ball of the over but Jofra Archer dropped a difficult chance at long on. Making most out of this reprieve De Kock helped his team reach 50-run mark in 6.5 overs. He reached his own half-century in 34 balls and his partnership with Suryakumar was broken when latter was caught in deep off Stuart Binny in the 14th over. A few balls later Quinton de Kock too was holed out in long-on as Hardik Pandya and Pollard joined forces with scorboard reading 112 for 3 in 15 overs. Pollard(10 runs 7 balls) was dropped by Archer once again. Hardik played another of his cameos scoring 23 off 15 balls.

IPL 2019: Steve Smith-led Rajasthan beat Mumbai by 5 wickets

Australian cricketer Steve Smith has replaced&nbsp;Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of Rajasthan franchise in the Indian Premier League tournament ahead of their <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-36-rajasthan-royals-vs-mumbai-indians-at-sawai-mansingh-stadium-212022">match against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai</a> on Saturday.&nbsp;

At the time of toss, Smith said, "Ajinkya has done a terrific job in the last one and a half year and the team management thinks there's a need for a change."

"I have done a bit of leadership in the IPL with a bit of success, hopefully, I can lead the team well," he added.&nbsp;

Smith, who&nbsp;is back in action after serving a one-year ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, has served the Rajasthan team as skipper earlier.&nbsp;

Rajasthan have lost six out of their eight games, need to win at least five of their remaining six matches to have any chance of making the playoffs.

Smith was also named captain before the start of the 2018 edition but in the wake of the ball-tampering incident, it was decided that Rahane would lead the team in the Australian's forced absence.

"Rajasthan Royals will be led by the Australian batsman Steven Smith for the upcoming matches of the IPL. Ajinkya Rahane did a fantastic job in leading the team to the playoffs last year, however, the franchise now thinks a fresh approach is needed to bring their 2019 campaign back on track.&nbsp;

"Steve has always been part of the leadership team within RR and Rahane will continue to be a key voice in the side, therefore the Royals see this as a small restructuring process to secure the results required to move up the table," said the team in a statement.&nbsp;

However, Smith is expected to be available until May 1 but by then, the team would have played majority of its league games.&nbsp;

Star players Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler would also be leaving next week to join England's World Cup camp.&nbsp;

Australian cricketer Steve Smith has replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of Rajasthan franchise in the Indian Premier League tournament ahead of their match against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai on Saturday.

Australian cricketer Steve Smith has replaced Ajinkya Rahane as the captain of Rajasthan franchise in the Indian Premier League tournament ahead of their match against Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai on Saturday. At the time of toss, Smith said, "Ajinkya has done a terrific job in the last one and a half year and the team management thinks there's a need for a change." "I have done a bit of leadership in the IPL with a bit of success, hopefully, I can lead the team well," he added. Smith, who is back in action after serving a one-year ban for his role in the ball-tampering scandal, has served the Rajasthan team as skipper earlier. Rajasthan have lost six out of their eight games, need to win at least five of their remaining six matches to have any chance of making the playoffs. Smith was also named captain before the start of the 2018 edition but in the wake of the ball-tampering incident, it was decided that Rahane would lead the team in the Australian's forced absence. "Rajasthan Royals will be led by the Australian batsman Steven Smith for the upcoming matches of the IPL. Ajinkya Rahane did a fantastic job in leading the team to the playoffs last year, however, the franchise now thinks a fresh approach is needed to bring their 2019 campaign back on track. "Steve has always been part of the leadership team within RR and Rahane will continue to be a key voice in the side, therefore the Royals see this as a small restructuring process to secure the results required to move up the table," said the team in a statement. However, Smith is expected to be available until May 1 but by then, the team would have played majority of its league games. Star players Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler would also be leaving next week to join England's World Cup camp.

IPL 2019: Steve Smith replaces Ajinkya Rahane as Rajasthan's captain

Rajasthan will play to register their third win of the season, Delhi will enter the ground to return to the winning ways, after being defeated by Mumbai at Kotla

IPL 2019: It's Rajasthan vs Mumbai and Delhi vs Punjab

Bangalore's skipper Virat Kohli was spotted making fun of the "Mankad" run out during an Indian Premier League match <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-royal-challengers-bangalore-211863">against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata</a> team on Friday at the Eden Garden Stadium.&nbsp;

The incident happened in the 18th over when spinner Sunil Narine aborted his delivery to Marcus Stoinis after taking the run-up.&nbsp;

Kohli, who was on the non-strikers' end, immediately grounded his bat and started laughing. In a way, he avoided the most popular the controversy of IPL 2019, "Mankading".&nbsp;

Kohli, in a funny gesture,&nbsp;even signalled Narine that his bat was inside the crease.&nbsp;

The ongoing edition of IPL has been shadowed by 'Mankading' controversy when Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin ran out Rajasthan's Jos Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, without giving him any warning.&nbsp;

Buttler's dismissal during a match between Rajasthan and Punjab triggered a spirit of game debate and left the cricket world divided.&nbsp;

While batting first, Bangalore posted a mammoth score of 213 runs at the Eden Gardens stadium thanks to Kohli's splendid century.&nbsp;

Virat Kohli smashed his first century of the season after Moeen Ali's blistering knock as Bangalore amassed 213 for four against Kolkata.&nbsp;

The Indian skipper paced his innings brilliantly and got out on the last ball of the innings for a 58-ball 100, his fifth in the IPL.

Bangalore scored 91 runs off the last five overs to record their highest total of the season.&nbsp;

Watch Kohli's funny video, when he avoids 'Mankading':&nbsp;

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Missed it live🤣🤣🤣🤣<a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a> 🤣🤣🙏🙏🤙🤙🤙🤙 <a href="https://t.co/7mZyQKFAhF">pic.twitter.com/7mZyQKFAhF</a>
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It was Ali who gave the much needed oxygen to their innings, smashing six sixes and five fours to seize momentum after a slow start. Kohli and Ali shared 90 runs off 43 balls and there was no looking back after Ali's assault.&nbsp;

The match swung in the 16th over when Kuldeep Yadav bled 27 runs with Ali going berserk, smashing the star India spinner for three sixes and two boundaries. The chinaman ended with figures of 1/59 in four overs.&nbsp;

Kohli, who scored his first 50 off 40 balls, changed gears in the second half of his innings. Such was his domination that Kohli took just 17 balls for his second fifty.&nbsp;

Bangalore got off to an ordinary start and the absence of AB de Villiers, who was indisposed following dehydration, was felt very much.&nbsp;

Bangalore's skipper Virat Kohli was spotted making fun of the "Mankad" run out during an Indian Premier League match against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team on Friday at the Eden Garden Stadium.

Bangalore's skipper Virat Kohli was spotted making fun of the "Mankad" run out during an Indian Premier League match against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team on Friday at the Eden Garden Stadium. The incident happened in the 18th over when spinner Sunil Narine aborted his delivery to Marcus Stoinis after taking the run-up. Kohli, who was on the non-strikers' end, immediately grounded his bat and started laughing. In a way, he avoided the most popular the controversy of IPL 2019, "Mankading". Kohli, in a funny gesture, even signalled Narine that his bat was inside the crease. The ongoing edition of IPL has been shadowed by 'Mankading' controversy when Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin ran out Rajasthan's Jos Buttler, who was at the non-strikers' end, without giving him any warning. Buttler's dismissal during a match between Rajasthan and Punjab triggered a spirit of game debate and left the cricket world divided. While batting first, Bangalore posted a mammoth score of 213 runs at the Eden Gardens stadium thanks to Kohli's splendid century. Virat Kohli smashed his first century of the season after Moeen Ali's blistering knock as Bangalore amassed 213 for four against Kolkata. The Indian skipper paced his innings brilliantly and got out on the last ball of the innings for a 58-ball 100, his fifth in the IPL. Bangalore scored 91 runs off the last five overs to record their highest total of the season. Watch Kohli's funny video, when he avoids 'Mankading': Missed it live🤣🤣🤣🤣@imVkohli 🤣🤣🙏🙏🤙🤙🤙🤙 pic.twitter.com/7mZyQKFAhF — ŘÎŚHÏ on the wÂy 😎 (@UrsPavanGopal) April 19, 2019 × It was Ali who gave the much needed oxygen to their innings, smashing six sixes and five fours to seize momentum after a slow start. Kohli and Ali shared 90 runs off 43 balls and there was no looking back after Ali's assault. The match swung in the 16th over when Kuldeep Yadav bled 27 runs with Ali going berserk, smashing the star India spinner for three sixes and two boundaries. The chinaman ended with figures of 1/59 in four overs. Kohli, who scored his first 50 off 40 balls, changed gears in the second half of his innings. Such was his domination that Kohli took just 17 balls for his second fifty. Bangalore got off to an ordinary start and the absence of AB de Villiers, who was indisposed following dehydration, was felt very much.

Watch: Virat Kohli's hilarious reaction after avoiding 'Mankad' run out against Kolkata

Mumbai's all-rounder Krunal Pandya feels that the time his younger brother Hardik spent away from the game has helped him become a better cricketer.&nbsp;

Hardik seems to be in menacing form with the bat ahead of the World Cup, having overcome a back injury and a massive controversy following his sexist comments on a popular TV show.

"When he was away from the game due to injury and the other reasons (controversy), he worked a lot on his fitness. We started playing the game together and one thing that I can say that cricket has always been his priority.&nbsp;

"Honestly, there are very few players who have a work ethic like him. His goal is always to improve and if you do that, you become consistent," said Krunal after the Pandya brothers guided <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-dominant-mumbai-defeat-delhi-by-40-runs-211642">Mumbai to a 40-run win over Delhi</a> on Thursday.&nbsp;

Be it spinners or bowlers with express pace, Hardik has developed the ability to hit them out of the park.&nbsp;

"Earlier he used to smash spinners, now he is also doing the same to pacers. He worked on that area during the off time he got and he has gotten the desired results," said Krunal.&nbsp;

"What like I most about is never give up attitude. Every year, he is adding something or the other to his game. In fact, I have also a learnt a lot from him."

Hardik (32 off 15) and Krunal (37 off 26) had amassed 51 off last 18 balls to propel Mumbai to 168 for five against Delhi.

Krunal said the extra 20 runs in the death overs made all the difference on a difficult Kotla wicket.

"I guess while batting it was a very tricky wicket. When I went inside and when Hardik came in we were not aiming for 170, we thought 145 was a good total on this wicket. The way Hardik batted, it changed the momentum for us and we ended up with those extra runs," he said.

"While bowling we knew how the wicket would behave and our bowlers knew to how to bowl on it."

While bowling, Krunal, who picked up the wicket of Colin Munro, also tried to bowl with a slingshot action like Kedar Jadhav.

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> are now on the No.2 position in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> points table after Match 34. <a href="https://t.co/8gIxcufL8g">pic.twitter.com/8gIxcufL8g</a>
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"The way T20 is going, you have to keep coming up with something new. The batsmen are hitting sixes from ball one and Rishabh (Pant) was batting, so I thought it was a good time to try something new," said Krunal.

Mumbai's all-rounder Krunal Pandya feels that the time his younger brother Hardik spent away from the game has helped him become a better cricketer. Hardik seems to be in menacing form with the bat ahead of the World Cup, having overcome a back injury and a massive controversy following his sexist comments on a popular TV show.

Mumbai's all-rounder Krunal Pandya feels that the time his younger brother Hardik spent away from the game has helped him become a better cricketer. Hardik seems to be in menacing form with the bat ahead of the World Cup, having overcome a back injury and a massive controversy following his sexist comments on a popular TV show. "When he was away from the game due to injury and the other reasons (controversy), he worked a lot on his fitness. We started playing the game together and one thing that I can say that cricket has always been his priority. "Honestly, there are very few players who have a work ethic like him. His goal is always to improve and if you do that, you become consistent," said Krunal after the Pandya brothers guided Mumbai to a 40-run win over Delhi on Thursday. Be it spinners or bowlers with express pace, Hardik has developed the ability to hit them out of the park. "Earlier he used to smash spinners, now he is also doing the same to pacers. He worked on that area during the off time he got and he has gotten the desired results," said Krunal. "What like I most about is never give up attitude. Every year, he is adding something or the other to his game. In fact, I have also a learnt a lot from him." Hardik (32 off 15) and Krunal (37 off 26) had amassed 51 off last 18 balls to propel Mumbai to 168 for five against Delhi. Krunal said the extra 20 runs in the death overs made all the difference on a difficult Kotla wicket. "I guess while batting it was a very tricky wicket. When I went inside and when Hardik came in we were not aiming for 170, we thought 145 was a good total on this wicket. The way Hardik batted, it changed the momentum for us and we ended up with those extra runs," he said. "While bowling we knew how the wicket would behave and our bowlers knew to how to bowl on it." While bowling, Krunal, who picked up the wicket of Colin Munro, also tried to bowl with a slingshot action like Kedar Jadhav. The @mipaltan are now on the No.2 position in the #VIVOIPL points table after Match 34. pic.twitter.com/8gIxcufL8g — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 18, 2019 × "The way T20 is going, you have to keep coming up with something new. The batsmen are hitting sixes from ball one and Rishabh (Pant) was batting, so I thought it was a good time to try something new," said Krunal.

Hardik has become a better cricketer after forced break: Krunal Pandya

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team will clash with Virat's Bangalore at the Eden Gardens Stadium.

IPL 2019: Virat Kohli-led Bangalore team to clash with Karthik's Kolkata at Eden

Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers has said the Indian Premier League (IPL) should do away with large fines for slow over rates and shorten innings breaks to 10 minutes so matches finish before midnight.

Some IPL evening matches, which start at 8 p.m. local time, have finished well past midnight this season due to innings stretching beyond the stipulated 90 minutes.

Three captains - Rohit Sharma (Mumbai), Virat Kohli (Bangalore) and Ajinkya Rahane (Rajasthan) - have been fined 1.2 million Indian rupees ($17,290) each for over-rate offences and De Villiers said the fines made little impact.

"There's a system in place whereby the captain is penalised if his team fails to maintain the required over rate while bowling," De Villiers told a daily newspaper.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"This involves a fine for the first offence followed by the suspension but the impact of these measures appears minimal, roughly equivalent to the weight loss of an obese gentleman who orders two giant hamburgers and a diet Coke.

"One easy fix could be to reduce the break between innings from the current 20 minutes to a manageable 10 minutes."

Earlier this month, Hyderabad coach Tom Moody had suggested penalty on the team's net run rate - a rule enforced in the Caribbean Premier League - instead of monetary fine for slow over rates.

De Villiers said such drastic steps would only hurt the competition.

"Some have proposed larger fines, net run rate penalties and points deductions but the competition should not be distorted, De Villiers added.

"A less draconian approach may be more effective."

Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers has said the Indian Premier League (IPL) should do away with large fines for slow over rates and shorten innings breaks to 10 minutes so matches finish before midnight.

Bangalore batsman AB de Villiers has said the Indian Premier League (IPL) should do away with large fines for slow over rates and shorten innings breaks to 10 minutes so matches finish before midnight. Some IPL evening matches, which start at 8 p.m. local time, have finished well past midnight this season due to innings stretching beyond the stipulated 90 minutes. Three captains - Rohit Sharma (Mumbai), Virat Kohli (Bangalore) and Ajinkya Rahane (Rajasthan) - have been fined 1.2 million Indian rupees ($17,290) each for over-rate offences and De Villiers said the fines made little impact. "There's a system in place whereby the captain is penalised if his team fails to maintain the required over rate while bowling," De Villiers told a daily newspaper. "This involves a fine for the first offence followed by the suspension but the impact of these measures appears minimal, roughly equivalent to the weight loss of an obese gentleman who orders two giant hamburgers and a diet Coke. "One easy fix could be to reduce the break between innings from the current 20 minutes to a manageable 10 minutes." Earlier this month, Hyderabad coach Tom Moody had suggested penalty on the team's net run rate - a rule enforced in the Caribbean Premier League - instead of monetary fine for slow over rates. De Villiers said such drastic steps would only hurt the competition. "Some have proposed larger fines, net run rate penalties and points deductions but the competition should not be distorted, De Villiers added. "A less draconian approach may be more effective."

AB de Villiers suggests shorter innings break to avoid slow over-rate in IPL

Suresh Raina said that Chennai's regular captain <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=ms+dhoni">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</a> might play the next game against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore on Sunday.&nbsp;

In the absence of Dhoni, Raina led&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-clinical-hyderabad-defeat-chennai-by-six-wickets-211280">Chennai's six-wicket defeat</a> by Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League clash on Wednesday.&nbsp;

During the post-match presentation, Raina said, "He (Dhoni) is feeling better. His back was stiff and might play the next game."

Chennai have won seven of its eight matches this season and Raina believes that it was wake up call for the entire team.&nbsp;

"I think it is a very good wake up call."&nbsp;

"I think we didn't put a decent score on the board and kept losing wickets. We lost too many wickets in between and that's why it cost us the game. &nbsp;

"We should have looked for partnerships and should have rotated our strike better. Hence, we were 30 runs short," Raina said.&nbsp;

Dhoni was rested after he suffered a back spasm during Chennai's previous game against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team.&nbsp;

It was for the first time in nine years, Chennai played a match with their skipper MS Dhoni. He has played 121 matches in a row before missing the match against Hyderabad.&nbsp;

In the match, Hyderabad displayed a clinical performance to defeat Chennai by six wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.&nbsp;

With this win, Hyderabad has now moved on to the fifth position in the league standings whereas Chennai are still placed at the pole position.

Chasing a modest total of 133, Hyderabad got off to a flying start as their opener David Warner hammered the visitors for regular boundaries.&nbsp;

Suresh Raina said that Chennai's regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni might play the next game against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore on Sunday. In the absence of Dhoni, Raina led Chennai's six-wicket defeat by Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League clash on Wednesday.

Suresh Raina said that Chennai's regular captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni might play the next game against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore on Sunday. In the absence of Dhoni, Raina led Chennai's six-wicket defeat by Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League clash on Wednesday. During the post-match presentation, Raina said, "He (Dhoni) is feeling better. His back was stiff and might play the next game." Chennai have won seven of its eight matches this season and Raina believes that it was wake up call for the entire team. "I think it is a very good wake up call." "I think we didn't put a decent score on the board and kept losing wickets. We lost too many wickets in between and that's why it cost us the game. "We should have looked for partnerships and should have rotated our strike better. Hence, we were 30 runs short," Raina said. Dhoni was rested after he suffered a back spasm during Chennai's previous game against Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata team. It was for the first time in nine years, Chennai played a match with their skipper MS Dhoni. He has played 121 matches in a row before missing the match against Hyderabad. In the match, Hyderabad displayed a clinical performance to defeat Chennai by six wickets at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. With this win, Hyderabad has now moved on to the fifth position in the league standings whereas Chennai are still placed at the pole position. Chasing a modest total of 133, Hyderabad got off to a flying start as their opener David Warner hammered the visitors for regular boundaries.

Losing to Hyderabad 'a good wake up call': Suresh Raina