The biggest cricket carnival, Indian Premier League has reached the last phase and we have two finalists Hyderabad and Chennai.

The cricket fraternity is waiting for the ultimate winner of&nbspthe eleventh edition of IPL which will be decided after today's intriguing encounter between the two finalists at Wankhede.

According to several online surveys that are being conducted on social media, M.S Dhoni-led Chennai team has been voted as the strong favourites but they certainly don't deserve the title.

The fans survey highlighted Dhoni as the most popular player out of the top 12 players with 27.3 per cent votes followed by Virat Kohli with 22 per cent and Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson with 20.11 per cent fan votes.&nbsp

If the favourites teams are judged on the basis of favourite players than Virat Kohli-led Bangalore must win the competition because the Bangalore team had the most popular playing XI of the season, in the presence of Virat himself and South African batsman AB de Villiers.

We all know that the frenzy for MS Dhoni is massive, it doesn't matter whether he is playing for Chennai or Pune, the fan following will be same. It is an honour and MSD has earned it for himself and he truly deserves it.

On the other hand, Hyderabad received a major blow before the start of IPL in the form of David Warner's ouster from the IPL.

Australian cricketer David Warner was supposed to lead the "Orange Army" and also he was the opener. In his absence, Hyderabad's batting unit suffered a lot but still the team raised above it and emerged as one of the top contenders for the title.

After David Warner's exit, Kane Williamson got the responsibility to lead the team and he proved his mettle with stunning leadership skills and managed to reach the finals despite many adversities.

Under his guidance, many players come into view and the best example of that is Siddharth Kaul.

Kaul has taken 21 wickets so far in the tournament with 8.00 economy rate.

Although, Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have supported the team,&nbspbut never felt the pressure of sole responsibility.

The bowling unit has never been dependent on experienced ones, in fact, all the bowlers, from spinners to seamers and from pacers to death over specialists, everybody has taken wickets at crucial moments.

Unlike Chennai, which is also branded as a bunch of old and experienced players, Hyderabad have given chance to young talents.

In my opinion, it is easy to play and win with experienced players but it takes actual intent to motivate young champs and give them chance to play their own game and shine brighter than stars.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Kane Williamson proved his mettle with stunning leadership skills and managed to reach the finals despite many adversities

The biggest cricket carnival, Indian Premier League has reached the last phase and we have two finalists Hyderabad and Chennai. The cricket fraternity is waiting for the ultimate winner of&nbspthe eleventh edition of IPL which will be decided after today's intriguing encounter between the two finalists at Wankhede. According to several online surveys that are being conducted on social media, M.S Dhoni-led Chennai team has been voted as the strong favourites but they certainly don't deserve the title. The fans survey highlighted Dhoni as the most popular player out of the top 12 players with 27.3 per cent votes followed by Virat Kohli with 22 per cent and Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson with 20.11 per cent fan votes. If the favourites teams are judged on the basis of favourite players than Virat Kohli-led Bangalore must win the competition because the Bangalore team had the most popular playing XI of the season, in the presence of Virat himself and South African batsman AB de Villiers. We all know that the frenzy for MS Dhoni is massive, it doesn't matter whether he is playing for Chennai or Pune, the fan following will be same. It is an honour and MSD has earned it for himself and he truly deserves it. On the other hand, Hyderabad received a major blow before the start of IPL in the form of David Warner's ouster from the IPL. Australian cricketer David Warner was supposed to lead the "Orange Army" and also he was the opener. In his absence, Hyderabad's batting unit suffered a lot but still the team raised above it and emerged as one of the top contenders for the title. After David Warner's exit, Kane Williamson got the responsibility to lead the team and he proved his mettle with stunning leadership skills and managed to reach the finals despite many adversities. Under his guidance, many players come into view and the best example of that is Siddharth Kaul. Kaul has taken 21 wickets so far in the tournament with 8.00 economy rate. Although, Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have supported the team,&nbspbut never felt the pressure of sole responsibility. The bowling unit has never been dependent on experienced ones, in fact, all the bowlers, from spinners to seamers and from pacers to death over specialists, everybody has taken wickets at crucial moments. Unlike Chennai, which is also branded as a bunch of old and experienced players, Hyderabad have given chance to young talents. In my opinion, it is easy to play and win with experienced players but it takes actual intent to motivate young champs and give them chance to play their own game and shine brighter than stars. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: IPL 2018 - Why Hyderabad will overshadow Dhoni's experienced side

Chennai have reached the finals after defeating Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1 of the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League under the guidance of legendary cricketer MS Dhoni.

"Yellow Brigade" have marked a comeback after serving a two-year ban and emerged as one of the top contenders for the IPL trophy.

Two-time winners Chennai team is preparing for the final encounter which is scheduled to be played on May 27 to reclaim the trophy one more time, Suresh Raina has said that the team would like to win this year's IPL for their skipper MS Dhoni.

Raina was quoted as saying by the Chennai's website, Raina said, "He (Dhoni) got quite emotional (when the team reached the final this time). He cares so much for Chennai we all do. He has been amazing for Chennai since 2008 and is one of the nicest guys around. So this time, we want to win the IPL for Dhoni."

"He gets criticised so often and every time (he) answers his critics back through his performance. Sometimes you need to see it from an emotional side as well. We definitely have a team which can win it for MS this time. You need to do something (special) everytime he turns up and that is the reason we want to win the IPL for Dhoni," he further added.

"I remember reading somewhere after the auction that Chennai team is a bunch of old guys. But it is all about experience and how well you use it. Our unit is very confident right now. This season we batted as a group. Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu gave us good starts and then myself, followed by MS have been doing well. So if you see our team is so experienced and has so many match winners in it. We haven’t won the title since 2011 so I really want to do it this time," Raina concluded.

'I remember reading somewhere after the auction that Chennai team is a bunch of old guys. But it is all about experience and how well you use it,' says Suresh Raina

Chennai have reached the finals after defeating Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1 of the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League under the guidance of legendary cricketer MS Dhoni. "Yellow Brigade" have marked a comeback after serving a two-year ban and emerged as one of the top contenders for the IPL trophy. Two-time winners Chennai team is preparing for the final encounter which is scheduled to be played on May 27 to reclaim the trophy one more time, Suresh Raina has said that the team would like to win this year's IPL for their skipper MS Dhoni. Raina was quoted as saying by the Chennai's website, Raina said, "He (Dhoni) got quite emotional (when the team reached the final this time). He cares so much for Chennai we all do. He has been amazing for Chennai since 2008 and is one of the nicest guys around. So this time, we want to win the IPL for Dhoni." "He gets criticised so often and every time (he) answers his critics back through his performance. Sometimes you need to see it from an emotional side as well. We definitely have a team which can win it for MS this time. You need to do something (special) everytime he turns up and that is the reason we want to win the IPL for Dhoni," he further added. "I remember reading somewhere after the auction that Chennai team is a bunch of old guys. But it is all about experience and how well you use it. Our unit is very confident right now. This season we batted as a group. Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu gave us good starts and then myself, followed by MS have been doing well. So if you see our team is so experienced and has so many match winners in it. We haven’t won the title since 2011 so I really want to do it this time," Raina concluded.

We want to win IPL 2018 for Dhoni - Suresh Raina

Two-time champions Kolkata will host Kane Williamson-led Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens stadium on Friday, May 25 to book a berth in the Indian Premier League 2018 finals.

The winner of tonight's match will meet MS Dhoni-led Chennai in the IPL's finale on May 27 as team Chennai has already through to the finals after defeating Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1.

It's very ironic when the table toppers at the end of league matches, struggle&nbsp;to reach the finals, now call it carelessness or the lack of performance from their middle-order, Hyderabad have lost four straight games, something that will be a cause of concern for Williamson's side in tonight's game.

Although, Hyderabad have the best bowling unit in the presence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Rashid Khan. The bowling side will try to take benefits from the Eden Gardens track but it is not easy to face Dinesh Karthik's side&nbsp;as the batsmen coming at the 6th and 7th position have potential to score runs.

In the presence of crazy fans at the Eden Gardens, Dinesh Karthik&nbsp;side definitely has an upper hand against Hyderabad.

In the first Qualifier, when Hyderabad had their match in the pocket with Chennai struggling at 62-6 while chasing 140 runs but the bowling strategy backfired in the death overs when Carlos Brathwaite leaked too many runs.

Also, Hyderabad's problem has been their batting which is heavily reliant on skipper Kane Williamson, the current 'Orange Cap' holder with 685 runs at 57.05 average.

In order to resolve it, Shikhar Dhawan will have to rise to the occasion but it is the middle order that has created problems, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan will have to score in order to help the bowling unit to bowl without pressure.

On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik who will look to go unchanged unless there's an injury in the lineup.&nbsp;

Their biggest strength has been the team's ability to stand up and perform in case someone fails. That we have seen in the Eliminator match when the top batting order was out bowled then middle batting order scored to reach the target.

The clash is going to be very interesting as the result will give another finalist of the tournament.

Watch the preview:

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Playing XI (TBC):

Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna.

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul

Two-time champions Kolkata will host Kane Williamson-led Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens stadium to book a berth in the IPL 2018 finals

Two-time champions Kolkata will host Kane Williamson-led Hyderabad at the Eden Gardens stadium on Friday, May 25 to book a berth in the Indian Premier League 2018 finals. The winner of tonight's match will meet MS Dhoni-led Chennai in the IPL's finale on May 27 as team Chennai has already through to the finals after defeating Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1. It's very ironic when the table toppers at the end of league matches, struggle to reach the finals, now call it carelessness or the lack of performance from their middle-order, Hyderabad have lost four straight games, something that will be a cause of concern for Williamson's side in tonight's game. Although, Hyderabad have the best bowling unit in the presence of Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma and Rashid Khan. The bowling side will try to take benefits from the Eden Gardens track but it is not easy to face Dinesh Karthik's side as the batsmen coming at the 6th and 7th position have potential to score runs. In the presence of crazy fans at the Eden Gardens, Dinesh Karthik side definitely has an upper hand against Hyderabad. In the first Qualifier, when Hyderabad had their match in the pocket with Chennai struggling at 62-6 while chasing 140 runs but the bowling strategy backfired in the death overs when Carlos Brathwaite leaked too many runs. Also, Hyderabad's problem has been their batting which is heavily reliant on skipper Kane Williamson, the current 'Orange Cap' holder with 685 runs at 57.05 average. In order to resolve it, Shikhar Dhawan will have to rise to the occasion but it is the middle order that has created problems, Manish Pandey and Yusuf Pathan will have to score in order to help the bowling unit to bowl without pressure. On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik who will look to go unchanged unless there's an injury in the lineup. Their biggest strength has been the team's ability to stand up and perform in case someone fails. That we have seen in the Eliminator match when the top batting order was out bowled then middle batting order scored to reach the target. The clash is going to be very interesting as the result will give another finalist of the tournament. Watch the preview: × Playing XI (TBC): Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna. Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami, Kane Williamson, Manish Pandey, Yusuf Pathan, Shakib Al Hasan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul

IPL 2018, 2nd Qualifier: Karthik-led Kolkata have advantage at Eden against Hyderabad

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to reach the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League. Chennai won the first Qualifier by two wickets in a neck-to-neck encounter against Hyderabad. There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad.&nbsp;

Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl at the Wankhede stadium.

Batting first, Hyderabad had a shaky start as Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target of 140 runs for MS Dhoni-led Chennai.

Still, the score is a bit less than what it was expected in such a crucial match and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive.

That is what exactly happened but while chasing the target of 140 runs, Chennai's batting line was thrashed in front of the Hyderabad's bowling unit but in the 17th and 18th overs, Hyderabad leaked too many runs.

Apart from Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Shardul Thakur none of the batsmen score more than 10 runs.

Chennai's scoreboard

Shane Watson 0, Faf du Plessis 67*, Suresh Raina 22, Ambati Rayudu 0, MS Dhoni 9, Dwayne Bravo 7, Ravindra Jadeja 3, Deepak Chahar 10, Harbhajan Singh 2, Shardul Thakur 15

For Hyderabad, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and Rashid Khan took 2 wickets each that gave a ray of finale hope but efforts went in vain.

Apart from them, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most economical bowler for the Hyderabad. He gave 14 runs in his 3.1-over spell with 4.42 ecomnomy. Although, he failed to defend the six runs in &nbsp;the last over as Faf hit a splendid six on the first ball of last over to win the match.

Earlier, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan.

Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja.

Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen.

Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time. 
&nbsp;

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to reach the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to reach the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League. Chennai won the first Qualifier by two wickets in a neck-to-neck encounter against Hyderabad. There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad. Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl at the Wankhede stadium. Batting first, Hyderabad had a shaky start as Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target of 140 runs for MS Dhoni-led Chennai. Still, the score is a bit less than what it was expected in such a crucial match and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive. That is what exactly happened but while chasing the target of 140 runs, Chennai's batting line was thrashed in front of the Hyderabad's bowling unit but in the 17th and 18th overs, Hyderabad leaked too many runs. Apart from Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Shardul Thakur none of the batsmen score more than 10 runs. Chennai's scoreboard Shane Watson 0, Faf du Plessis 67*, Suresh Raina 22, Ambati Rayudu 0, MS Dhoni 9, Dwayne Bravo 7, Ravindra Jadeja 3, Deepak Chahar 10, Harbhajan Singh 2, Shardul Thakur 15 For Hyderabad, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and Rashid Khan took 2 wickets each that gave a ray of finale hope but efforts went in vain. Apart from them, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most economical bowler for the Hyderabad. He gave 14 runs in his 3.1-over spell with 4.42 ecomnomy. Although, he failed to defend the six runs in the last over as Faf hit a splendid six on the first ball of last over to win the match. Earlier, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan. Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja. Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs. Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen. Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time.

Faf du Plessis shines as Chennai beat Hyderabad to reach IPL final

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Kolkata in the Eliminator match of Indian Premier League 2018 at &nbspEden Gardens stadium on Wednesday.

After winning the toss, Rahane mentioned the characteristics of Eden's pitch which is a bit damp and the team which bats in the second innings has been successful in most of the occasions.

On the other hand, Kolkata's skipper Dinesh Karthik said there is no scope of errors in tonight's match.&nbsp

Both the teams have entered with the same squad and there is no change in the playing XI.&nbsp

Playing XI:

Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Rajasthan: Rahul Tripathi, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Krishnappa Gowtham, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Jaydev Unadkat, Shreyas Gopal, Ben Laughlin

Eden's pitch which is a bit damp and the team which bats in the second innings has been successful in most of the occasions

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Kolkata in the Eliminator match of Indian Premier League 2018 at &nbspEden Gardens stadium on Wednesday. After winning the toss, Rahane mentioned the characteristics of Eden's pitch which is a bit damp and the team which bats in the second innings has been successful in most of the occasions. On the other hand, Kolkata's skipper Dinesh Karthik said there is no scope of errors in tonight's match. Both the teams have entered with the same squad and there is no change in the playing XI. Playing XI: Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav Rajasthan: Rahul Tripathi, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Krishnappa Gowtham, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Ish Sodhi, Jaydev Unadkat, Shreyas Gopal, Ben Laughlin

IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane opts to bowl against Kolkata in Eliminator match

MS Dhoni-led Chennai has reached the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League as batsman Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to defeat Hyderabad by two wickets in the first Qualifier match on Tuesday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad.&nbsp;

For his splendid batting at a crucial time, Faf was given "Player of the Match" award.

"It's nice to make a contribution tonight. I reflected on the games I've played here in Mumbai. It's a stadium I've enjoyed playing," said South African batsman Faf du Plessis.

He also added that he shocked that how the team "win that game."

He praised the bowling attack of Hyderabad's team with a special mention to spinner Rashid Khan.

Although, du Plessis' 67-run knock was the sole reason for Chennai's victory but Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl.

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to defeat Hyderabad by two wickets in the first Qualifier match

MS Dhoni-led Chennai has reached the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League as batsman Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to defeat Hyderabad by two wickets in the first Qualifier match on Tuesday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad. For his splendid batting at a crucial time, Faf was given "Player of the Match" award. "It's nice to make a contribution tonight. I reflected on the games I've played here in Mumbai. It's a stadium I've enjoyed playing," said South African batsman Faf du Plessis. He also added that he shocked that how the team "win that game." He praised the bowling attack of Hyderabad's team with a special mention to spinner Rashid Khan. Although, du Plessis' 67-run knock was the sole reason for Chennai's victory but Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl.

Don't know how we 'win that game', says Faf du Plessis after Chennai reach IPL final

Hyderabad set a 140-run target for Chennai team in the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018.&nbsp;

The score is a bit less than what it was expected in such crucial matches and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive.

Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai.

On the other hand, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan.

Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja.

Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen.

Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time.

Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai

Hyderabad set a 140-run target for Chennai team in the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018. The score is a bit less than what it was expected in such crucial matches and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive. Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai. On the other hand, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan. Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja. Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs. Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen. Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni-led Chennai restricts Hyderabad to 139 runs in 1st Qualifier

Australian batsman David Warner has wished the Hyderabad team ahead of the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018 which is against Chennai.

In the previous seasons, David Warner has played the skipper's role of Hyderabad but due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, he was subsequently banned from the IPL by the BCCI.

Even though he is not the part of Hyderabad team still, he has always given his support throughout the season.

Just before the first Qualifier, Warner has tweeted, "Good luck to @SunRisers tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane."

In the absence of David Warner, Kane Williamson&nbsp;is leading the squad and has proved his calibre&nbsp;and leadership skills.

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Good luck to <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SunRisers</a> tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane ??
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidwarner31/status/998901613816299520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Warner was replaced by an explosive opener Alex Hales of England.&nbsp;

Just before the first Qualifier, Warner has praised Kane Williamson's leadership qualities

Australian batsman David Warner has wished the Hyderabad team ahead of the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018 which is against Chennai. In the previous seasons, David Warner has played the skipper's role of Hyderabad but due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, he was subsequently banned from the IPL by the BCCI. Even though he is not the part of Hyderabad team still, he has always given his support throughout the season. Just before the first Qualifier, Warner has tweeted, "Good luck to @SunRisers tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane." In the absence of David Warner, Kane Williamson is leading the squad and has proved his calibre and leadership skills. Good luck to @SunRisers tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane ?? — David Warner (@davidwarner31) May 22, 2018 × Warner was replaced by an explosive opener Alex Hales of England.

IPL 2018: David Warner wishes Hyderabad team 'good luck' ahead of first Qualifier

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl&nbspin the first Qualifier of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League 2018 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday.

After winning the toss, MS Dhoni said, "We have chased well in the tournament." He also mentioned that chasing is a bit easier in the second innings.

There is only one change in the Chennai's squad, Shane Watson has been included at the place of Sam Billings.

On the other hand, Kane Williamson said that the Hyderabad team is trying their best to adapt the conditions of Wankhede Stadium.

A few hours back, it was found that there were some wear and tear in the good length area of the pitch, which means spinners will have an upper hand in the match, especially in the second innings.

Pressure is definitely on both the sides as the winner will book a finale berth.

Hyderabad has entered the field with the same squad.

Playing XI:

Chennai: Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

There is only one change in the Chennai's squad, Shane Watson has been included at the place of Sam Billings

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl&nbspin the first Qualifier of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League 2018 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday. After winning the toss, MS Dhoni said, "We have chased well in the tournament." He also mentioned that chasing is a bit easier in the second innings. There is only one change in the Chennai's squad, Shane Watson has been included at the place of Sam Billings. On the other hand, Kane Williamson said that the Hyderabad team is trying their best to adapt the conditions of Wankhede Stadium. A few hours back, it was found that there were some wear and tear in the good length area of the pitch, which means spinners will have an upper hand in the match, especially in the second innings. Pressure is definitely on both the sides as the winner will book a finale berth. Hyderabad has entered the field with the same squad. Playing XI: Chennai: Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to field in Qualifier 1 against Hyderabad

The first Qualifiers of&nbsp;IPL 2018 will be played on Tuesday between the two best teams, Chennai and Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

In previous meetings of the ongoing edition, MS Dhoni-led Chennai defeated the Kane Williamson's side.

Both the teams have scored 18 points, but Hyderabad stand&nbsp;atop&nbsp;league's table with a better Net Run Rate (NRR) than Chennai.

So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash.

1. Kane Williamson -&nbsp;The backbone of Hyderabad team and one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league,&nbsp;Williamson&nbsp;has&nbsp;proved his calibre&nbsp;in the leadership skills. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. In 14 matches, he&nbsp;scored total 661 runs&nbsp;including eight half-centuries. Today, it is expected that he will cross Rishabh Pant in the race of 'Orange Cap' and also will outplay Chennai to book a finale berth.&nbsp;

2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar -&nbsp;Although, Hyderabad have the best bowling unit in the IPL 2018 and Bhuvi is one of the best options for 'Orange Army' to damage Chennai's batting line-up. In such crucial&nbsp;matches, experience&nbsp;matters a lot and&nbsp;Bhuvneshwar has such potential. So far in nine matches, he has taken eight wickets with an economy of 8.14. He is definitely a player to watch out for in tonight's clash.

3. Lungi Ngidi - South African star pacer has impressed everyone with his economical bowling. His brilliant haul of 4 wickets&nbsp;including prized wickets of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle against&nbsp;Punjab was a reason&nbsp;Punjab's ouster from the tournament. Overall, he has played five matches and took nine wickets. He is definitely a player to watch out for in today's game.

4. Ambati Rayudu -&nbsp;He is an outstanding batsman and has been&nbsp;a consistent run scorer for Chennai in IPL 2018. His presence&nbsp;in today's&nbsp;crucial match will&nbsp;be an&nbsp;advantage for Chennai. He scored 586 runs in 14 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.&nbsp;

5. Shane Watson - Chennai's opener&nbsp;Watson has scored 438 runs in his 13 games so far. He has smashed a century this season and has the potential to give a required start to the team. Watson has also made an important contribution with the bowl by taking important wickets in different occasions. Although he scored just 14 runs off 23 balls in the&nbsp;match against Delhi, still it is expected that he will&nbsp;survive the&nbsp;massive bowling attack&nbsp;of&nbsp;Hyderabad.

As the winner of today's match will directly enter finals, the match promises to be quite a contest.&nbsp;

The MS Dhoni-led team has beaten the Kane Williamson side on both occasions that they have previously met this year in the ongoing league

The first Qualifiers of IPL 2018 will be played on Tuesday between the two best teams, Chennai and Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. In previous meetings of the ongoing edition, MS Dhoni-led Chennai defeated the Kane Williamson's side. Both the teams have scored 18 points, but Hyderabad stand atop league's table with a better Net Run Rate (NRR) than Chennai. So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash. 1. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad team and one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league, Williamson has proved his calibre in the leadership skills. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. In 14 matches, he scored total 661 runs including eight half-centuries. Today, it is expected that he will cross Rishabh Pant in the race of 'Orange Cap' and also will outplay Chennai to book a finale berth. 2. Bhuvneshwar Kumar - Although, Hyderabad have the best bowling unit in the IPL 2018 and Bhuvi is one of the best options for 'Orange Army' to damage Chennai's batting line-up. In such crucial matches, experience matters a lot and Bhuvneshwar has such potential. So far in nine matches, he has taken eight wickets with an economy of 8.14. He is definitely a player to watch out for in tonight's clash. 3. Lungi Ngidi - South African star pacer has impressed everyone with his economical bowling. His brilliant haul of 4 wickets including prized wickets of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle against Punjab was a reason Punjab's ouster from the tournament. Overall, he has played five matches and took nine wickets. He is definitely a player to watch out for in today's game. 4. Ambati Rayudu - He is an outstanding batsman and has been a consistent run scorer for Chennai in IPL 2018. His presence in today's crucial match will be an advantage for Chennai. He scored 586 runs in 14 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game. 5. Shane Watson - Chennai's opener Watson has scored 438 runs in his 13 games so far. He has smashed a century this season and has the potential to give a required start to the team. Watson has also made an important contribution with the bowl by taking important wickets in different occasions. Although he scored just 14 runs off 23 balls in the match against Delhi, still it is expected that he will survive the massive bowling attack of Hyderabad. As the winner of today's match will directly enter finals, the match promises to be quite a contest.

IPL 2018: Players to watch out for in Chennai vs Hyderabad clash

<h2>WION's pick of the week</h2>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-marcelos-son-enzo-vieira-stuns-real-madrid-players-with-impressive-head-tennis-show-137516">Watch: Marcelo's son Enzo Vieira stuns Real Madrid players with impressive head tennis show</a>

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BizrITqABnM/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Orgulho do papai!! ? @enzoalvesv Isso aqui é uma familia!!! @realmadrid ❤️⚽️</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/marcelotwelve/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Marcelo Vieira Jr.</a> (@marcelotwelve) on <time datetime="2018-05-15T18:04:53+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 15, 2018 at 11:04am PDT</time>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2018-do-you-know-that-first-fifa-trophy-was-stolen-and-never-recovered-137912">FIFA 2018: Do you know that first FIFA trophy was stolen and never recovered</a>

In 1983, the original Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from the display window and never recovered

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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-kl-rahul--a-rejuvenated-and-repackaged-batting-power-house-137938">Opinion: KL Rahul – A rejuvenated and repackaged batting power house</a>

KL Rahul has been a treat to watch and I am sure that going forward he would play an all-important role for India in all formats of the game

<h5 title="Watch: AB de Villiers' Spiderman-like stunt to dismiss Alex Hales"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/opinion-after-nadal--federer-who-will-be-the-next-atp-superstar-137606">Opinion: After Nadal & Federer, who will be the next ATP superstar?</a></h5>

It has been a decade now that men's Tennis is waiting for its next superstar

<h5 title="Shivangi Pathak becomes youngest woman to scale Mt Everest"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/shivangi-pathak-becomes-youngest-woman-to-scale-mt-everest-137997">Shivangi Pathak becomes youngest woman to scale Mt Everest</a></h5>

Shivangi said that she inspired by Arunima Sinha, who was the first Indian amputee to scale the nearly 29,000 ft peak

<img alt="Shivangi Pathak.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/Shivangi%20Pathak.jpg" width="720" />

<h5 title="Meet the top four teams of IPL 2018 "><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/meet-the-top-four-teams-of-ipl-2018--138479">Meet the top four teams of IPL 2018</a></h5>

<img alt="Kane Williamson, MS Dhoni, Dinesh Karthik, Ajinkya Rahane.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/Kane%20Williamson%2C%20MS%20Dhoni%2C%20Dinesh%20Karthik%2C%20Ajinkya%20Rahane.jpg" width="720" />

<h5 title="'It is a difficult day,' says teary-eyed Andres Iniesta during farewell ceremony"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/'it-is-a-difficult-day,'-says-teary-eyed-andres-iniesta-during-farewell-ceremony-138614">'It is a difficult day,' says teary-eyed Andres Iniesta during farewell ceremony</a></h5>

Andres Iniesta bid farewell to his boyhood club FC Barcelona. He has spent all of his senior career at Camp Nou & has lifted 32 trophies

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<h2>FIFA 2018</h2>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2018-world-cup-fever-inspires-panini-stickers-craze-138377">FIFA 2018: World Cup fever inspires Panini stickers craze</a>

Created in 1960 by the four Panini brothers, the business has an exclusive contract with world football's governing body FIFA and its first World Cup album dates back to 1970

<h5 title="Throwback to Luis Suarez's biting Chiellini in FIFA 2014: 'Anyone got a toothpick, Chiellini stuck in my teeth'"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-luis-suarezs-biting-chiellini-in-fifa-2014-anyone-got-a-toothpick-chiellini-stuck-in-my-teeth-138134">Throwback to Luis Suarez's biting Chiellini in FIFA 2014: 'Anyone got a toothpick, Chiellini stuck in my teeth'</a></h5>

Luis Suarez took a nibble from Italy's Giorgio Chiellini shoulder and was suspended for four months from all football-related activities

<h5 title="FIFA 2018: Italy not going to World Cup but World Cup comes to Italy"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/italy-not-going-to-world-cup-but-world-cup-comes-to-italy-136933">FIFA 2018: Italy not going to World Cup but World Cup comes to Italy</a></h5>

The eliminated Azzurri will not brighten the tournament, but Italians will still make the cup shine

<h5 title="England defender Mawson ruled out of FIFA World Cup
"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/england-defender-mawson-ruled-out-of-fifa-world-cup-137085">England defender Mawson ruled out of FIFA World Cup</a></h5>

The 24-year-old was yet to make his England debut but was called up by manager Gareth Southgate for friendlies in March

<h5 title="Mario Gotze ruled out of Germany's squad for FIFA 2018"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mario-gotze-ruled-out-of-germanys-squad-for-fifa-2018-137132">Mario Gotze ruled out of Germany's squad for FIFA 2018</a></h5>

Mario Gotze has been ruled out of Germany's squad for the upcoming edition of football World Cup

<h5 title="He won't be there at FIFA 2018 but let's relive Mario Gotze's winning goal from 2014"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2018-from-world-cup-winning-goal-scorer-to-world-cup-squad-absentee-lets-relive-mario-gotze-dream-goal-of-fifa-2014-137366">He won't be there at FIFA 2018 but let's relive Mario Gotze's winning goal from 2014</a></h5>

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<a href="https://twitter.com/DFB_Team_EN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DFB_Team_EN</a> won the <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIFAWorldCup</a> with this extra time beauty by Mario Gotze! What's everyones predictions for the winning team this year? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/worldcup2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#worldcup2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCupAtTheRegency?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCupAtTheRegency</a> tickets here >> <a href="https://t.co/WP8KRD9MhV">https://t.co/WP8KRD9MhV</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCupAtTheAmbler?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCupAtTheAmbler</a> tickets here >> <a href="https://t.co/8REtlUfSbc">https://t.co/8REtlUfSbc</a> <a href="https://t.co/0qdcyGUNae">pic.twitter.com/0qdcyGUNae</a>
— Sedulo Manchester (@SeduloMCR) <a href="https://twitter.com/SeduloMCR/status/994540143683031040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2018-england-fans-warned-over-flag-waving-at-world-cup-in-russia-137434">FIFA 2018: England fans warned over flag-waving at World Cup in Russia</a>

Tensions are high between Britain and Russia over the poisoning of former double agent Yuri Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury earlier this year

<h5 title="Neymar's foot injury worries him, as he prepares to return"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/neymars-foot-injury-worries-him-as-he-prepares-to-return-137618">Neymar's foot injury worries him, as he prepares to return</a></h5>

He has been out of action since spraining his ankle and fracturing his fifth metatarsal on Feb. 25, which led him to undergo surgery in Brazil

<h5 title="FIFA 2018: Argentina apologises for manual on seducing Russian women"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2018-argentina-apologises-for-manual-on-seducing-russian-women-137639">FIFA 2018: Argentina apologises for manual on seducing Russian women</a></h5>

More than 40,000 Argentines have bought tickets for matches in the tournament that kicks off in Moscow on June 14

<h2>Football</h2>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/chelsea-players-celebrate-fa-cup-victory-against-manchester-united-138430">Chelsea players celebrate FA Cup victory against Manchester United</a>

Antonio Conte's team held on for a 1-0 win over United at Wembley as Eden Hazard's first-half penalty was followed by a determined defensive display from the Blues after the interval

<h5 title="Michael Carrick makes immediate switch to coaching role at Manchester United"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/michael-carrick-makes-immediate-switch-to-coaching-role-at-manchester-united-137029">Michael Carrick makes immediate switch to coaching role at Manchester United</a></h5>

Michael Carrick is making an immediate switch from Manchester United's playing squad to the coaching team in time for Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea

<h2>Cricket</h2>

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/cameron-bancroft-been-cleared-to-play-club-cricket--137063">Cameron Bancroft been cleared to play club cricket</a>

Cameron Bancroft has been cleared to play club cricket in Western Australia

<h5 title="'Proper big dog' coming to County, Moeen Ali on Virat Kohli"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/proper-big-dog-coming-to-county-moeen-ali-on-virat-kohli-137462">'Proper big dog' coming to County, Moeen Ali on Virat Kohli</a></h5>

Moeen and his compatriot Chris Woakes are playing under Kohli for the Bangalore in IPL

<h5 title="ICC may consider scrapping toss in Test cricket"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/icc-may-consider-scrapping-toss-in-test-cricket-137768">ICC may consider scrapping toss in Test cricket</a></h5>

Latest reports suggest that the ICC committee is ready to re-enter the topic

<h2>Tennis</h2>

<h5 title="Italian Open: Elina Svitolina outplays Simona Halep to defend title"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/italian-open-elina-svitolina-outplays-simona-halep-to-defend-title-138443">Italian Open: Elina Svitolina outplays Simona Halep to defend title</a></h5>

Elina Svitolina successfully defended her&nbsp;Italian&nbsp;Open&nbsp;title on Sunday with a dominant 6-0 6-4 victory over an out-of-sorts Simona Halep

<h5 title="Italian Open: Rafael Nadal wins eighth Rome Masters title after stunning comeback"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/italian-open-rafael-nadal-wins-eighth-rome-masters-title-after-stunning-comeback-138468">Italian Open: Rafael Nadal wins eighth Rome Masters title after stunning comeback</a></h5>

Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time as he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev

<h5 title="Watch: Czech tennis player Pliskova 'smashes' umpire's chair"><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-karolina-pliskova-smashes-umpires-chair-after-losing-to-maria-sakkari-at-italian-open-137500">Watch: Czech tennis player Pliskova 'smashes' umpire's chair</a></h5>

Pliskova was furious when 42nd-ranked Sakkari was given the advantage and also a breakpoint at a crucial stage of the match

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Holy moly Pliskova is the real MVP! Well done, she was right about that call! it was 10km in! <a href="https://t.co/YgJ5MHgmYo">pic.twitter.com/YgJ5MHgmYo</a>
— LorenaPopa? ??‍♀️ (@popalorena) <a href="https://twitter.com/popalorena/status/996735228394835969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/italys-elia-viviani-wins-giro-ditalia-13th-stage-138029">Italy's Elia Viviani wins Giro d'Italia 13th stage</a>

Italy's Elia Viviani of the Quick Step team dominated a sprint finish for the Giro d'Italia 13th stage

Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (May 14 to May 20)

WION's pick of the week Watch: Marcelo's son Enzo Vieira stuns Real Madrid players with impressive head tennis show Orgulho do papai!! ? @enzoalvesv Isso aqui é uma familia!!! @realmadrid ❤️⚽️ A post shared by Marcelo Vieira Jr. (@marcelotwelve) on May 15, 2018 at 11:04am PDT × FIFA 2018: Do you know that first FIFA trophy was stolen and never recovered In 1983, the original Jules Rimet trophy was stolen from the display window and never recovered × × Opinion: KL Rahul – A rejuvenated and repackaged batting power house KL Rahul has been a treat to watch and I am sure that going forward he would play an all-important role for India in all formats of the game Opinion: After Nadal & Federer, who will be the next ATP superstar? It has been a decade now that men's Tennis is waiting for its next superstar Shivangi Pathak becomes youngest woman to scale Mt Everest Shivangi said that she inspired by Arunima Sinha, who was the first Indian amputee to scale the nearly 29,000 ft peak Meet the top four teams of IPL 2018 'It is a difficult day,' says teary-eyed Andres Iniesta during farewell ceremony Andres Iniesta bid farewell to his boyhood club FC Barcelona. He has spent all of his senior career at Camp Nou & has lifted 32 trophies × FIFA 2018 FIFA 2018: World Cup fever inspires Panini stickers craze Created in 1960 by the four Panini brothers, the business has an exclusive contract with world football's governing body FIFA and its first World Cup album dates back to 1970 Throwback to Luis Suarez's biting Chiellini in FIFA 2014: 'Anyone got a toothpick, Chiellini stuck in my teeth' Luis Suarez took a nibble from Italy's Giorgio Chiellini shoulder and was suspended for four months from all football-related activities FIFA 2018: Italy not going to World Cup but World Cup comes to Italy The eliminated Azzurri will not brighten the tournament, but Italians will still make the cup shine England defender Mawson ruled out of FIFA World Cup The 24-year-old was yet to make his England debut but was called up by manager Gareth Southgate for friendlies in March Mario Gotze ruled out of Germany's squad for FIFA 2018 Mario Gotze has been ruled out of Germany's squad for the upcoming edition of football World Cup He won't be there at FIFA 2018 but let's relive Mario Gotze's winning goal from 2014 @DFB_Team_EN won the @FIFAWorldCup with this extra time beauty by Mario Gotze! What's everyones predictions for the winning team this year? #worldcup2018 #WorldCupAtTheRegency tickets here >> https://t.co/WP8KRD9MhV #WorldCupAtTheAmbler tickets here >> https://t.co/8REtlUfSbc pic.twitter.com/0qdcyGUNae — Sedulo Manchester (@SeduloMCR) May 10, 2018 × FIFA 2018: England fans warned over flag-waving at World Cup in Russia Tensions are high between Britain and Russia over the poisoning of former double agent Yuri Skripal and his daughter in the English city of Salisbury earlier this year Neymar's foot injury worries him, as he prepares to return He has been out of action since spraining his ankle and fracturing his fifth metatarsal on Feb. 25, which led him to undergo surgery in Brazil FIFA 2018: Argentina apologises for manual on seducing Russian women More than 40,000 Argentines have bought tickets for matches in the tournament that kicks off in Moscow on June 14 Football Chelsea players celebrate FA Cup victory against Manchester United Antonio Conte's team held on for a 1-0 win over United at Wembley as Eden Hazard's first-half penalty was followed by a determined defensive display from the Blues after the interval Michael Carrick makes immediate switch to coaching role at Manchester United Michael Carrick is making an immediate switch from Manchester United's playing squad to the coaching team in time for Saturday's FA Cup final against Chelsea Cricket Cameron Bancroft been cleared to play club cricket Cameron Bancroft has been cleared to play club cricket in Western Australia 'Proper big dog' coming to County, Moeen Ali on Virat Kohli Moeen and his compatriot Chris Woakes are playing under Kohli for the Bangalore in IPL ICC may consider scrapping toss in Test cricket Latest reports suggest that the ICC committee is ready to re-enter the topic Tennis Italian Open: Elina Svitolina outplays Simona Halep to defend title Elina Svitolina successfully defended her Italian Open title on Sunday with a dominant 6-0 6-4 victory over an out-of-sorts Simona Halep Italian Open: Rafael Nadal wins eighth Rome Masters title after stunning comeback Rafael Nadal won the Rome Masters for the eighth time as he defeated defending champion Alexander Zverev Watch: Czech tennis player Pliskova 'smashes' umpire's chair Pliskova was furious when 42nd-ranked Sakkari was given the advantage and also a breakpoint at a crucial stage of the match Holy moly Pliskova is the real MVP! Well done, she was right about that call! it was 10km in! pic.twitter.com/YgJ5MHgmYo — LorenaPopa? ??‍♀️ (@popalorena) May 16, 2018 × Italy's Elia Viviani wins Giro d'Italia 13th stage Italy's Elia Viviani of the Quick Step team dominated a sprint finish for the Giro d'Italia 13th stage

WION Sports News: Top sports results this week

MS Dhoni sent a warning before the knock-out matches of Indian Premier League when he displayed a magnificent batting show against Punjab in the last league match.

He scored 16 runs off seven balls and finished the match in his signature style, with a six.

Chennai not only won the game by five wickets but also ended Punjab's hope to qualify for the play-offs.

The clash was important for Punjab as they needed a victory of +53-run margin but it seemed impossible against the massive batting line-up of Chennai.

After winning the game, MS Dhoni enjoyed the victory by playing with his daughter Ziva.&nbsp

In the recent viral video, a beautiful father-daughter moment was captured and daddy Dhoni looked happy when Ziva was playing with his cap.

Watch the video here:

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MS Dhoni playing with daughter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ziva?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ziva</a> during post match presentation ? ?, Wish <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bhogleharsha</a> could have asked Dhoni to bring her daughter to have a fun chat ?<a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SaakshiSRawat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaakshiSRawat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvKXIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvKXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/JjrX3yW7PS">pic.twitter.com/JjrX3yW7PS</a>
— Sushant Kumar Nahak (@sushantkoko) <a href="https://twitter.com/sushantkoko/status/998288683575865345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The top two teams of IPL 2018, i.e. Chennai and Hyderabad, will meet each other in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday.

The winner of the match will go directly to the IPL 2018 final while the loser will get one more chance.

The team placed third and fourth in IPL 2018 points table will meet in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 23.

After winning the game, MS Dhoni enjoyed the victory by playing with his daughter Ziva

MS Dhoni sent a warning before the knock-out matches of Indian Premier League when he displayed a magnificent batting show against Punjab in the last league match. He scored 16 runs off seven balls and finished the match in his signature style, with a six. Chennai not only won the game by five wickets but also ended Punjab's hope to qualify for the play-offs. The clash was important for Punjab as they needed a victory of +53-run margin but it seemed impossible against the massive batting line-up of Chennai. After winning the game, MS Dhoni enjoyed the victory by playing with his daughter Ziva. In the recent viral video, a beautiful father-daughter moment was captured and daddy Dhoni looked happy when Ziva was playing with his cap. Watch the video here: MS Dhoni playing with daughter #Ziva during post match presentation ? ?, Wish @bhogleharsha could have asked Dhoni to bring her daughter to have a fun chat ?@msdhoni @SaakshiSRawat #IPL2018 #CSKvKXIP @IPL #WhistlePodu #Yellove @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/JjrX3yW7PS — Sushant Kumar Nahak (@sushantkoko) May 20, 2018 × The top two teams of IPL 2018, i.e. Chennai and Hyderabad, will meet each other in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. The winner of the match will go directly to the IPL 2018 final while the loser will get one more chance. The team placed third and fourth in IPL 2018 points table will meet in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 23.

Watch: Little Ziva dances with MS Dhoni to celebrate Chennai's win against Punjab

The eleventh edition of India Premier League has entered its last week and the franchise is all set for the knockout stage.

The top four teams - Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Rajasthan- have made it to the tournament’s play-offs.

After the grueling and deciding week, Mumbai and Punjab have been eliminated by Delhi and Chennai respectively.

Although, Punjab did not qualify in the tournament's play-off but its co-owner Preity Zinta was caught on camera saying that she is 'happy.'

In a viral video, Preity Zinta said, "I am just very happy that Mumbai is not going to the finals … really happy."

The reason for her happiness was the elimination of&nbsp;the rival team Mumbai

Defending Champions Mumbai lost the last chance to book a play-off berth as they were kicked out of the tournament by Delhi team that gave a joyous moment to Bollywood's actress Preity Zinta.

Here is the video:

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Did <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PreityZinta?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#PreityZinta</a> just say “I am just very happy that Mumbai is not going to the finals..Really happy” ? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvKXIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvKXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvsDD?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvsDD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/KWaxSUZYZh">pic.twitter.com/KWaxSUZYZh</a>
— Jo (@jogtweets) <a href="https://twitter.com/jogtweets/status/998233626092457984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Preity Zinta : "I'm just very happy that Mumbai is knocked out...very happy" ...??<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/cskvkxip?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#cskvkxip</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KXIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MumbaiIndians?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MumbaiIndians</a> <a href="https://t.co/jCKywZ4vep">pic.twitter.com/jCKywZ4vep</a>
— LinksInd (@LinksInd1) <a href="https://twitter.com/LinksInd1/status/998277392731799552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The top two teams of IPL 2018, i.e. Chennai and Hyderabad, will meet each other in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday.

The winner of the match will go directly to the IPL 2018 final while the loser will get one more chance.

The team placed third and fourth in IPL 2018 points table will meet in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 23.

The winner of the match will enter the Qualifier 2, where they will clash with the losing side of Qualifier 1. That match will take place on Friday, May 25.

The winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 will clash for the IPL 2018 trophy on Sunday, May 27.

Although, Punjab did not qualify in the tournament's play-off but franchise co-owner Preity Zinta was caught on camera saying that she is 'happy.'

The eleventh edition of India Premier League has entered its last week and the franchise is all set for the knockout stage. The top four teams - Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Rajasthan- have made it to the tournament’s play-offs. After the grueling and deciding week, Mumbai and Punjab have been eliminated by Delhi and Chennai respectively. Although, Punjab did not qualify in the tournament's play-off but its co-owner Preity Zinta was caught on camera saying that she is 'happy.' In a viral video, Preity Zinta said, "I am just very happy that Mumbai is not going to the finals … really happy." The reason for her happiness was the elimination of the rival team Mumbai Defending Champions Mumbai lost the last chance to book a play-off berth as they were kicked out of the tournament by Delhi team that gave a joyous moment to Bollywood's actress Preity Zinta. Here is the video: Did #PreityZinta just say “I am just very happy that Mumbai is not going to the finals..Really happy” ? #CSKvKXIP #MIvsDD #IPL #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/KWaxSUZYZh — Jo (@jogtweets) May 20, 2018 × Preity Zinta : "I'm just very happy that Mumbai is knocked out...very happy" ...??#cskvkxip #KXIP #MumbaiIndians pic.twitter.com/jCKywZ4vep — LinksInd (@LinksInd1) May 20, 2018 × The top two teams of IPL 2018, i.e. Chennai and Hyderabad, will meet each other in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. The winner of the match will go directly to the IPL 2018 final while the loser will get one more chance. The team placed third and fourth in IPL 2018 points table will meet in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 23. The winner of the match will enter the Qualifier 2, where they will clash with the losing side of Qualifier 1. That match will take place on Friday, May 25. The winners of Qualifier 1 and Qualifier 2 will clash for the IPL 2018 trophy on Sunday, May 27.

Watch: After Mumbai's exit from IPL, Punjab's Preity Zinta says, 'She is very happy'

"Size does matter" – It is a well-versed quote. But as the group stage of IPL-2018 is over and you take a glance at the outcome, you would strongly disagree with this quote.

IPL-2018 endorses once again that in sports what actually matters is that how you gel with each other in a team composition and how you deliver on the ground. The stature and big players won't really help if this basic idea is missing.

Look at the qualifiers for the playoffs. Chennai is back in the league after suspension of two years and played well right from the beginning. Dhoni is back with his old mojo, both as a captain and player. He stood and delivered.

Hyderabad team has been the unexpected table topper. They are the only team in the tournament which is led by an overseas player, Kane Williamson. Before the start of IPL, Hyderabad got a jolt when their coveted skipper David Warner was ruled out of the tournament. But Williamson has been leading the side from the front and using whatever resources he has with clinical efficiency.

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<h5>Rajasthan and Kolkata are led by Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik and both of them are not even India's regular for One Day International and T-20</h5>
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Other two qualifiers Rajasthan and Kolkata are led by Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik and both of them are not even India's regular for One Day International and T-20.&nbsp;

Rajasthan also received a setback like Hyderabad when the big name and their nominated skipper Steve Smith was ruled out. Ajinkya was the last minute pick for the side and not much was expected from Rajasthan team.

Rajasthan, however, made to the next stage albeit with difficulty. Shahrukh's franchise did not pick their regular skipper Gautam Gambhir this time and Karthik was leading any IPL side for the first time. Kolkata had few anxious moments at the group stage but Dinesh Karthik led his troop well and with the support of competent guidance of Jacques Kallis.

On contrary to above, all the big name bit the dust. Mumbai Indians, arguably the most coveted team as it is owned by the richest man in India and mentored by none other than the legend Sachin Tendulkar has been knocked out. Mumbai team has been supported and coached by a legion of players like Mahela Jayawardene, Robin Singh and Malinga but nothing helped.

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<h5>Virat Kohli could not sail his side through, despite having names like AB deVilliers (ABD), Chahal, Brendon McCullum and Umesh Yadav in the line-up of his side</h5>
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Unarguably the most decorated player in the recent time Virat Kohli could not sail his side through, despite having names like AB deVilliers (ABD), Chahal, Brendon McCullum and Umesh Yadav in the line-up of his side.

Kohli and ABD are the two most destructive batsmen in the shorter version of the game. They batted well as such but the team failed to deliver the final punch.

Delhi’s poor run in IPL continued in 2018 as well. The team coached and mentored by the legendary cricketer Ricky Ponting. Gautam Gambhir, who in past lifted trophy twice as Kolkata's skipper was Delhi's skipper to start with but failed miserably.&nbsp;

The destructive Glen Maxwell, playing for Delhi was a big-time failure. Though Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer batted well but the failure of Gambhir and Maxwell was proved to be costly for the side.

Ashwin-led Punjab team has been knocked out despite having players like Gayle, KL Rahul and Yuvraj Singh in the line-up. The great Virender Sehwag also could not turn things around for the side. The failure of Gayle and Yuvraj (two of the biggest name in the history of T-20) hit the team hard.

The message is clear. You need to deliver on the ground to get success. The great Australian coach John Buchanan once said that “You may have limitations, but may not have the limit. Just go and apply yourself”. This quote of Buchanan is so much a truth here.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

IPL-2018 endorses once again that in sports what actually matters is that how you gel with each other in a team composition and how you deliver on the ground

"Size does matter" – It is a well-versed quote. But as the group stage of IPL-2018 is over and you take a glance at the outcome, you would strongly disagree with this quote. IPL-2018 endorses once again that in sports what actually matters is that how you gel with each other in a team composition and how you deliver on the ground. The stature and big players won't really help if this basic idea is missing. Look at the qualifiers for the playoffs. Chennai is back in the league after suspension of two years and played well right from the beginning. Dhoni is back with his old mojo, both as a captain and player. He stood and delivered. Hyderabad team has been the unexpected table topper. They are the only team in the tournament which is led by an overseas player, Kane Williamson. Before the start of IPL, Hyderabad got a jolt when their coveted skipper David Warner was ruled out of the tournament. But Williamson has been leading the side from the front and using whatever resources he has with clinical efficiency. Rajasthan and Kolkata are led by Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik and both of them are not even India's regular for One Day International and T-20 × Other two qualifiers Rajasthan and Kolkata are led by Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik and both of them are not even India's regular for One Day International and T-20. Rajasthan also received a setback like Hyderabad when the big name and their nominated skipper Steve Smith was ruled out. Ajinkya was the last minute pick for the side and not much was expected from Rajasthan team. Rajasthan, however, made to the next stage albeit with difficulty. Shahrukh's franchise did not pick their regular skipper Gautam Gambhir this time and Karthik was leading any IPL side for the first time. Kolkata had few anxious moments at the group stage but Dinesh Karthik led his troop well and with the support of competent guidance of Jacques Kallis. On contrary to above, all the big name bit the dust. Mumbai Indians, arguably the most coveted team as it is owned by the richest man in India and mentored by none other than the legend Sachin Tendulkar has been knocked out. Mumbai team has been supported and coached by a legion of players like Mahela Jayawardene, Robin Singh and Malinga but nothing helped. Virat Kohli could not sail his side through, despite having names like AB deVilliers (ABD), Chahal, Brendon McCullum and Umesh Yadav in the line-up of his side × Unarguably the most decorated player in the recent time Virat Kohli could not sail his side through, despite having names like AB deVilliers (ABD), Chahal, Brendon McCullum and Umesh Yadav in the line-up of his side. Kohli and ABD are the two most destructive batsmen in the shorter version of the game. They batted well as such but the team failed to deliver the final punch. Delhi’s poor run in IPL continued in 2018 as well. The team coached and mentored by the legendary cricketer Ricky Ponting. Gautam Gambhir, who in past lifted trophy twice as Kolkata's skipper was Delhi's skipper to start with but failed miserably. The destructive Glen Maxwell, playing for Delhi was a big-time failure. Though Rishabh Pant and Shreyas Iyer batted well but the failure of Gambhir and Maxwell was proved to be costly for the side. Ashwin-led Punjab team has been knocked out despite having players like Gayle, KL Rahul and Yuvraj Singh in the line-up. The great Virender Sehwag also could not turn things around for the side. The failure of Gayle and Yuvraj (two of the biggest name in the history of T-20) hit the team hard. The message is clear. You need to deliver on the ground to get success. The great Australian coach John Buchanan once said that “You may have limitations, but may not have the limit. Just go and apply yourself”. This quote of Buchanan is so much a truth here. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Takeaways from IPL 2018 - Size doesn't really matter

Whenever I see KL Rahul, I recall India-Australia Test match on Boxing Day, 26th December 2014. KL Rahul, then 22 years old made his Test debut and he was literally nervous. Rahul got succumbed to the grandeur of the occasion after all, it is not easy to make your international debut against Australia, in Australia, and at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

KL Rahul played an inexplicable shot right in the beginning of the inning and threw his wicket. I remember headlines in a newspaper next day saying "Tell us Rahul, What were you actually trying to do?" It explains that how bizarre Rahul's shot was.

But then these adverse situations only distinguish a champion from others. KL Rahul did an immediate course correction after the debacle at Melbourne and came back strongly in the very next Test at Sydney as he slammed a century there.

KL Rahul has been impressive in all format of international ever since that century at Sydney. He is one of those rare batsmen, who have scored centuries in all three formats of international Cricket.

Having missed IPL 2017 due to injury, IPL 2018 has been a turning point of Rahul's career and it has certainly catapulted him into an even upper league. KL Rahul has been one of the most impactful players this IPL. The way KL Rahul almost single-handedly pulled match for his side against team Mumbai on 16th May was actually a mark of a true champion.

In the opening game of Punjab against Delhi at IPL 2018 itself, Rahul made a solid statement by smashing a fifty in just 14 balls and he has been among runs consistently and he alone is taking whole batting burden for his side.

It clearly endorses one thing that KL Rahul is set to play a major role for Team India in all formats in days to come. He, per se in the league of Virat Kohli in a sense that he can excel all formats of the games and this is where he scores well over the likes of Ajinkya Rahane (who is more suited for Test) and Rohit Sharma (who is more suited in T-20 and ODI).

KL is somewhat is on Virender Sehwag's template. He is free flowing and is a natural hitter of the ball. At the top of the order, his brisk batting can make a huge difference even the Test. Remember how one short but quick-fire innings from Sehwag set the tone for the historic chase against England in 2008 at Chennai Test. Over the years, Sehwag did one job for India with perfection and that was putting the pressure back on bowling attack by his attacking play. Now Rahul fits in that role.

KL Rahul has been a treat to watch and I am sure that going forward he would play an all-important role for India in all formats of the game. It is not an hyperbole but in my opinion, after watching Rahul's show so far in IPL 2018, overall KL Rahul is only second to Virat Kohli in Indian batting line-up, if we consider potential impact which Rahul can make in the all three formats put together.

He can be a key player when India will tour England this summer for the forthcoming series down under in Australia and World Cup next year as well. Let's wait and watch.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

KL Rahul has been a treat to watch and I am sure that going forward he would play an all-important role for India in all formats of the game

Whenever I see KL Rahul, I recall India-Australia Test match on Boxing Day, 26th December 2014. KL Rahul, then 22 years old made his Test debut and he was literally nervous. Rahul got succumbed to the grandeur of the occasion after all, it is not easy to make your international debut against Australia, in Australia, and at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. KL Rahul played an inexplicable shot right in the beginning of the inning and threw his wicket. I remember headlines in a newspaper next day saying "Tell us Rahul, What were you actually trying to do?" It explains that how bizarre Rahul's shot was. But then these adverse situations only distinguish a champion from others. KL Rahul did an immediate course correction after the debacle at Melbourne and came back strongly in the very next Test at Sydney as he slammed a century there. KL Rahul has been impressive in all format of international ever since that century at Sydney. He is one of those rare batsmen, who have scored centuries in all three formats of international Cricket. Having missed IPL 2017 due to injury, IPL 2018 has been a turning point of Rahul's career and it has certainly catapulted him into an even upper league. KL Rahul has been one of the most impactful players this IPL. The way KL Rahul almost single-handedly pulled match for his side against team Mumbai on 16th May was actually a mark of a true champion. In the opening game of Punjab against Delhi at IPL 2018 itself, Rahul made a solid statement by smashing a fifty in just 14 balls and he has been among runs consistently and he alone is taking whole batting burden for his side. It clearly endorses one thing that KL Rahul is set to play a major role for Team India in all formats in days to come. He, per se in the league of Virat Kohli in a sense that he can excel all formats of the games and this is where he scores well over the likes of Ajinkya Rahane (who is more suited for Test) and Rohit Sharma (who is more suited in T-20 and ODI). KL is somewhat is on Virender Sehwag's template. He is free flowing and is a natural hitter of the ball. At the top of the order, his brisk batting can make a huge difference even the Test. Remember how one short but quick-fire innings from Sehwag set the tone for the historic chase against England in 2008 at Chennai Test. Over the years, Sehwag did one job for India with perfection and that was putting the pressure back on bowling attack by his attacking play. Now Rahul fits in that role. KL Rahul has been a treat to watch and I am sure that going forward he would play an all-important role for India in all formats of the game. It is not an hyperbole but in my opinion, after watching Rahul's show so far in IPL 2018, overall KL Rahul is only second to Virat Kohli in Indian batting line-up, if we consider potential impact which Rahul can make in the all three formats put together. He can be a key player when India will tour England this summer for the forthcoming series down under in Australia and World Cup next year as well. Let's wait and watch. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: KL Rahul – A rejuvenated and repackaged batting power house

Defending Champions Mumbai lost the&nbsp;last chance to book a play-off berth in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League as they have been kicked out of the tournament by Delhi team at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Sunday.

Earlier, the host Delhi had won the toss and opted to bat in order to take the advantage of a dry pitch and put up a 175-run target for&nbsp;Mumbai.

While chasing, team Mumbai lost all the wickets in 19.3 overs and failed to reach the target eventually losing the match by 11 runs.

The opener Evin Lewis scored 48 runs to give a required start to the team but another opener Suryakumar Yadav did not contribute much as he scored just 12 runs before losing his wicket to star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane.

Ishan Kishan and Keiron Pollard too were ineffective in today's game as they scored just five and seven runs respectively.

Rohit Sharma, who suffered an injury in the first inning while fielding, scored just 13 runs off 11 balls. Also, allrounder Krunal Pandya scored just four runs.

Hardik Pandya and Ben Cutting tried to push the run rate but that was not enough to take the team through to the play-offs.

Hardik Pandya scored 27 runs before losing the wicket to Amit Mishra on the other hand bowler Harshal Patel outbowled Ben Cutting at the score of 37 runs. Ben's short inning included two 4's and three 6's. In the death overs, Mayank Markande (3) and Jasprit Bumrah (0) lost their wickets.

For Delhi, spinners were very economical as Sandeep Lamichhane and Amit Mishra took three wickets each to restrict the defending champions. Also, pacer Harshal Patel made a very crucial contribution in his 2.3-over spell by taking three wickets by giving 28 runs.

For a magnificent spell, Amit Mishra was awarded 'Player of the Match.'

Earlier, after losing first three wickets, Delhi's Rishab Pant rose to the occasion to help its team set a decent score of 174 runs on board.

The wicket-keeper batsman slammed 64 runs in 44 balls which included four boundaries and four huge sixes.

It is Pant's fifth half-century in this year's tournament.&nbsp;

Supporting him at the other end was Vijay Shankar, who smashed 43 runs in 30 balls. His unbeaten inning included three fours and two sixes.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Prithvi Shaw once again failed to contribute any big score and departed after making six and 12 runs, respectively.

While chasing, team Mumbai lost all the wickets in 19.3 overs and failed to reach the target and lost the match by 11 runs

Defending Champions Mumbai lost the last chance to book a play-off berth in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League as they have been kicked out of the tournament by Delhi team at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Sunday. Earlier, the host Delhi had won the toss and opted to bat in order to take the advantage of a dry pitch and put up a 175-run target for Mumbai. While chasing, team Mumbai lost all the wickets in 19.3 overs and failed to reach the target eventually losing the match by 11 runs. The opener Evin Lewis scored 48 runs to give a required start to the team but another opener Suryakumar Yadav did not contribute much as he scored just 12 runs before losing his wicket to star spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Ishan Kishan and Keiron Pollard too were ineffective in today's game as they scored just five and seven runs respectively. Rohit Sharma, who suffered an injury in the first inning while fielding, scored just 13 runs off 11 balls. Also, allrounder Krunal Pandya scored just four runs. Hardik Pandya and Ben Cutting tried to push the run rate but that was not enough to take the team through to the play-offs. Hardik Pandya scored 27 runs before losing the wicket to Amit Mishra on the other hand bowler Harshal Patel outbowled Ben Cutting at the score of 37 runs. Ben's short inning included two 4's and three 6's. In the death overs, Mayank Markande (3) and Jasprit Bumrah (0) lost their wickets. For Delhi, spinners were very economical as Sandeep Lamichhane and Amit Mishra took three wickets each to restrict the defending champions. Also, pacer Harshal Patel made a very crucial contribution in his 2.3-over spell by taking three wickets by giving 28 runs. For a magnificent spell, Amit Mishra was awarded 'Player of the Match.' Earlier, after losing first three wickets, Delhi's Rishab Pant rose to the occasion to help its team set a decent score of 174 runs on board. The wicket-keeper batsman slammed 64 runs in 44 balls which included four boundaries and four huge sixes. It is Pant's fifth half-century in this year's tournament. Supporting him at the other end was Vijay Shankar, who smashed 43 runs in 30 balls. His unbeaten inning included three fours and two sixes. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Prithvi Shaw once again failed to contribute any big score and departed after making six and 12 runs, respectively.

IPL 2018: Delhi ends Mumbai's play-off race, beat defenders by 11 runs

David Miller and Karun Nair scored 24 runs and 54 runs respectively to help the team in setting up a target of 154 runs for Chennai at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday.

The clash is important for Punjab as they need to mark a +53- run victory in order to qualify for the play-offs as their net run-rate reads a poor as compared to Rajasthan.

Earlier, Chennai had won the toss and opted to bowl in the last league match of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League at their ground.

Apart from Miller and Nair, batsman Manoj Tiwary also contributed with the bat and scored 35 crucial runs for the team.

A lot was expected from the openers, KL Rahul and Cris Gayle but both batsmen failed to perform in the do-or-die encounter.&nbsp

Rahul scored just seven runs and Gayle did even open his account as pacer Lungi Ngidi sent both of them back to pavilion.

Aaron Finch too lost his wicket early after scoring just four runs.

Punjab need to win with a margin of +53 runs to qualify for the play-offs

David Miller and Karun Nair scored 24 runs and 54 runs respectively to help the team in setting up a target of 154 runs for Chennai at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. The clash is important for Punjab as they need to mark a +53- run victory in order to qualify for the play-offs as their net run-rate reads a poor as compared to Rajasthan. Earlier, Chennai had won the toss and opted to bowl in the last league match of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League at their ground. Apart from Miller and Nair, batsman Manoj Tiwary also contributed with the bat and scored 35 crucial runs for the team. A lot was expected from the openers, KL Rahul and Cris Gayle but both batsmen failed to perform in the do-or-die encounter. Rahul scored just seven runs and Gayle did even open his account as pacer Lungi Ngidi sent both of them back to pavilion. Aaron Finch too lost his wicket early after scoring just four runs.

IPL 2018: Punjab set 154-run target against Chennai

<h2>List of matches in April:</h2>

7 April (Saturday)&nbsp; 
Mumbai &nbsp;vs Chennai: 8 pm

8 April (Sunday) 
Delhi vs Punjab: 4 pm 
Kolkata vs Bangalore: 8 pm

9 April (Monday) 
Hyderabad vs Rajasthan: 8 pm

10 April (Tuesday) 
Chennai vs Kolkata: 8 pm

11 April (Wednesday) 
Rajasthan vs Delhi: 8 pm

12 April (Thursday) 
Hyderabad vs Mumbai: 8 pm

13 April (Friday) 
Bangalore vs Punjab: 8 pm

14 April (Saturday) 
Mumbai vs Delhi: 4 pm 
Kolkata vs Hyderabad: 8 pm

15 April (Sunday) 
Bangalore v Rajasthan: 4 pm 
Punjab v Chennai: 8 pm

16 April (Monday) 
Kolkata vs Delhi: 8 pm

17 April (Tuesday) 
Mumbai vs Bangalore: 8 pm

18 April (Wednesday) 
Rajasthan vs Kolkata: 8 pm

19 April (Thursday) 
Punjab vs Hyderabad: 8 pm

20 April (Friday) 
Chennai vs Rajasthan: 8 pm

21 April (Saturday) 
Kolkata vs Punjab: 4 pm 
Delhi vs Bangalore: 8 pm

22 April (Sunday) 
Hyderabad vs Chennai: 4 pm 
Rajasthan vs Mumbai: 8 pm

23 April (Monday) 
Kings vs Delhi: 8 pm

24 April (Tuesday) 
Mumbai vs Hyderabad: 8 pm

25 April (Wednesday) 
Bangalore vs Chennai: 8 pm

26 April (Thursday) 
Hyderabad vs Punjab: 8 pm

27 April (Friday) 
Delhi vs Kolkata: 8 pm

28 April (Saturday) 
Chennai vs Mumbai: 8 pm

29 April (Sunday) 
Rajasthan vs Hyderabad: 4 pm 
Bangalore vs Kolkata: 8 pm

30 April (Monday) 
Chennai vs Delhi: 8 pm

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

POINTS TABLE, SQUAD LIST, ANALYSIS, VENUE

List of matches in April: 7 April (Saturday) Mumbai vs Chennai: 8 pm 8 April (Sunday) Delhi vs Punjab: 4 pm Kolkata vs Bangalore: 8 pm 9 April (Monday) Hyderabad vs Rajasthan: 8 pm 10 April (Tuesday) Chennai vs Kolkata: 8 pm 11 April (Wednesday) Rajasthan vs Delhi: 8 pm 12 April (Thursday) Hyderabad vs Mumbai: 8 pm 13 April (Friday) Bangalore vs Punjab: 8 pm 14 April (Saturday) Mumbai vs Delhi: 4 pm Kolkata vs Hyderabad: 8 pm 15 April (Sunday) Bangalore v Rajasthan: 4 pm Punjab v Chennai: 8 pm 16 April (Monday) Kolkata vs Delhi: 8 pm 17 April (Tuesday) Mumbai vs Bangalore: 8 pm 18 April (Wednesday) Rajasthan vs Kolkata: 8 pm 19 April (Thursday) Punjab vs Hyderabad: 8 pm 20 April (Friday) Chennai vs Rajasthan: 8 pm 21 April (Saturday) Kolkata vs Punjab: 4 pm Delhi vs Bangalore: 8 pm 22 April (Sunday) Hyderabad vs Chennai: 4 pm Rajasthan vs Mumbai: 8 pm 23 April (Monday) Kings vs Delhi: 8 pm 24 April (Tuesday) Mumbai vs Hyderabad: 8 pm 25 April (Wednesday) Bangalore vs Chennai: 8 pm 26 April (Thursday) Hyderabad vs Punjab: 8 pm 27 April (Friday) Delhi vs Kolkata: 8 pm 28 April (Saturday) Chennai vs Mumbai: 8 pm 29 April (Sunday) Rajasthan vs Hyderabad: 4 pm Bangalore vs Kolkata: 8 pm 30 April (Monday) Chennai vs Delhi: 8 pm

Indian Premier League 2018

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl in the last league match of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League at their ground - Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune - against Punjab on Sunday.

The clash is important for Punjab as they will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490.

Punjab kicked-off the 2018 season with five wins out of their first six games but faltered in the business end of the league.

Now, Mumbai team has been kicked out of the play-off race by Delhi, Punjab's fight is with Rajasthan, hence, MS Dhoni-led team Chennai has nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated.&nbsp;

Playing XI:

Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, David Miller, Karun Nair, Manoj Tiwary, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot

Chennai: Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi

Chennai have nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl in the last league match of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League at their ground - Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune - against Punjab on Sunday. The clash is important for Punjab as they will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490. Punjab kicked-off the 2018 season with five wins out of their first six games but faltered in the business end of the league. Now, Mumbai team has been kicked out of the play-off race by Delhi, Punjab's fight is with Rajasthan, hence, MS Dhoni-led team Chennai has nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated. Playing XI: Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, David Miller, Karun Nair, Manoj Tiwary, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot Chennai: Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to field against Punjab

Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.

After winning the toss Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson highlighted the quality of pitch and said that it has grass and it will stay the same that is an advantage for the Hyderabad team.

As expected, Basil Thampi has been dropped as his performance in the previous game was very poor.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Carlos Brathwaite have been included in the squad for tonight's match at the pace of Alex Hales and Basil Thampi.

On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik mentioned that the pitch might turn a bit and there is only change for Kolkata, Piyush Chawla has replaced Shivam Mavi.

Playing XI:

Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Carlos Brathwaite, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Carlos Brathwaite have been included in Hyderabad's squad for tonight's match

Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday. After winning the toss Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson highlighted the quality of pitch and said that it has grass and it will stay the same that is an advantage for the Hyderabad team. As expected, Basil Thampi has been dropped as his performance in the previous game was very poor. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Carlos Brathwaite have been included in the squad for tonight's match at the pace of Alex Hales and Basil Thampi. On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik mentioned that the pitch might turn a bit and there is only change for Kolkata, Piyush Chawla has replaced Shivam Mavi. Playing XI: Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Carlos Brathwaite, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

IPL 2018: Kane Williamson opts to bat against Kolkata

How often do you see such stiff competition among teams to qualify for the next round of the tournament as you are witnessing this in the IPL 2018?

Now take this fact. During the round-robin stage total, 56 matches were slated to decide four qualifiers for the playoffs. Out of these, we are already done with 52 matches and only four are left and still, two of these four spots are up for the grab and five teams are very well in the race.

So it’s all boils down to final four matches and any combination of two teams out of these five can make it to the next round, basis overall outcome of these four matches.

The fate of only three times has been frozen till now - Hyderabad and Chennai are in the next round and Delhi have been knocked off. Rest five teams are still toiling, wondering and supplicating for a bit of luck as well.

It has been one of the most tightly contested IPLs so far. There has been a continuous swing in the momentum, as by and large it is the fight among the equals. Guessing the outcome is a dangerous business in this scenario and please do this at your own risk.&nbsp;

Take the example of the match between Chennai and Delhi on 18th May 2018. How many of us would have thought that down and dejected Delhi team would be able to tame spirited "Yellow Brigade" so comprehensively? The handful of them, I believe.

I would still take risk of guessing and will put my money on Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore for the playoffs. Kolkata team is playing reasonably well as a unit and currently, they have 14 points under their belt.

One victory in the last match would send them to the playoffs, irrespective of the outcome of other matches. Rest four teams in the fray are having 12 points. Besides a victory in the last match, they need a bit of luck to have a better Net Run Rate.

Bangalore and Mumbai have recovered well after a poor run during the middle of the tournament and current favourite for playoffs birth because of the recent momentum.

Mumbai's run is somewhat reminiscent of their run in 2015 when they came back from the bottom threshold and ultimately won the championship. The good news for Mumbai is that Kieron Pollard is back in the form.

Virat-led Bangalore team has defeated the table topper Hyderabad in their previous match and that must have given them the much-needed self-belief.

AB de Villiers is batting well and captain Kohli can always turn things around with the bat. Umesh Yadav and Chahal are bowling well and they have managed Kohli’s bowling worries to an extent.

Jos Buttler has been the star of the season of Rajasthan team. He would no longer be available with for today's game and this is really a bad news for the side.

Punjab on other hand is over dependant on KL Rahul for runs. Their other stalwarts Cris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and Karun Nair are struggling and that has made things difficult for the side.

Nonetheless, let’s fasten for seat belt this weekend for four livewire matches in IPL-2018. Rest assured all five teams would play out of their skin in their last league match.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

56 matches were slated to decide four qualifiers for the playoffs. Out of these, we are already done with 52 matches and only four are left and still, two of these four spots are up for the grab and five teams are very well in the race

How often do you see such stiff competition among teams to qualify for the next round of the tournament as you are witnessing this in the IPL 2018? Now take this fact. During the round-robin stage total, 56 matches were slated to decide four qualifiers for the playoffs. Out of these, we are already done with 52 matches and only four are left and still, two of these four spots are up for the grab and five teams are very well in the race. So it’s all boils down to final four matches and any combination of two teams out of these five can make it to the next round, basis overall outcome of these four matches. The fate of only three times has been frozen till now - Hyderabad and Chennai are in the next round and Delhi have been knocked off. Rest five teams are still toiling, wondering and supplicating for a bit of luck as well. It has been one of the most tightly contested IPLs so far. There has been a continuous swing in the momentum, as by and large it is the fight among the equals. Guessing the outcome is a dangerous business in this scenario and please do this at your own risk. Take the example of the match between Chennai and Delhi on 18th May 2018. How many of us would have thought that down and dejected Delhi team would be able to tame spirited "Yellow Brigade" so comprehensively? The handful of them, I believe. I would still take risk of guessing and will put my money on Kolkata, Mumbai and Bangalore for the playoffs. Kolkata team is playing reasonably well as a unit and currently, they have 14 points under their belt. One victory in the last match would send them to the playoffs, irrespective of the outcome of other matches. Rest four teams in the fray are having 12 points. Besides a victory in the last match, they need a bit of luck to have a better Net Run Rate. Bangalore and Mumbai have recovered well after a poor run during the middle of the tournament and current favourite for playoffs birth because of the recent momentum. Mumbai's run is somewhat reminiscent of their run in 2015 when they came back from the bottom threshold and ultimately won the championship. The good news for Mumbai is that Kieron Pollard is back in the form. Virat-led Bangalore team has defeated the table topper Hyderabad in their previous match and that must have given them the much-needed self-belief. AB de Villiers is batting well and captain Kohli can always turn things around with the bat. Umesh Yadav and Chahal are bowling well and they have managed Kohli’s bowling worries to an extent. Jos Buttler has been the star of the season of Rajasthan team. He would no longer be available with for today's game and this is really a bad news for the side. Punjab on other hand is over dependant on KL Rahul for runs. Their other stalwarts Cris Gayle, Yuvraj Singh and Karun Nair are struggling and that has made things difficult for the side. Nonetheless, let’s fasten for seat belt this weekend for four livewire matches in IPL-2018. Rest assured all five teams would play out of their skin in their last league match. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: IPL 2018 - Be ready for the livewire action this weekend

Table toppers Hyderabad will lock horns with Kolkata at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday. Kolkata have a two-point advantage over the other teams that are in the race for playoffs.

The do and die clash for Kolkata will not be easy as hosts Hyderabad will play all the available cards to win tonight's match in order to remain at the top of the league's table.

Despite coming off from a defeat, Hyderabad are riding on confidence because of their impressive showing in the season so far.

Skipper Kane Williamson has led the side from the front, and he will look to do it again besides other batsmen like Shikhar Dhawan and Manish Pandey.

For Kolkata, Dinesh Karthik too has taken the responsibility of the entire team in crucial occasions.

Also, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell are in good form.

Hyderabad might consider replacing Basil Thampi with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bhuvi who did not play the last game could be back alongside Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul and Shakib Al Hasan to strengthen the bowling unit.

The likes of Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and skipper Dinesh Karthik will hold the key to KKR's fortunes.

Playing XI (TBC):

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Hales, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

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&nbsp;

Table toppers Hyderabad will lock horns with Kolkata at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday

Table toppers Hyderabad will lock horns with Kolkata at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday. Kolkata have a two-point advantage over the other teams that are in the race for playoffs. The do and die clash for Kolkata will not be easy as hosts Hyderabad will play all the available cards to win tonight's match in order to remain at the top of the league's table. Despite coming off from a defeat, Hyderabad are riding on confidence because of their impressive showing in the season so far. Skipper Kane Williamson has led the side from the front, and he will look to do it again besides other batsmen like Shikhar Dhawan and Manish Pandey. For Kolkata, Dinesh Karthik too has taken the responsibility of the entire team in crucial occasions. Also, Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell are in good form. Hyderabad might consider replacing Basil Thampi with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Bhuvi who did not play the last game could be back alongside Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul and Shakib Al Hasan to strengthen the bowling unit. The likes of Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine and skipper Dinesh Karthik will hold the key to KKR's fortunes. Playing XI (TBC): Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Hales, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav ×

IPL 2018: Match preview of Hyderabad vs Kolkata

Rajasthan won the toss and opted to bat against Bangalore at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday.

After winning the toss, Ajinkya Rahane mentioned that the pitch is dry and also the host Rajhasthan are very familiar with the wickets. On the exit of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, Ajinkya said that the team is missing them.

Virat Kohli also highlighted the fact that Jos And Ben are not in the Playing XI. Kolhi also mentioned that the team has done decently well in the previous three matches and also it is important to find the right balance in today's game.

There is no change for Bangalore team, on the other hand, Ben Laughlin, Heinrich Klaasen and Shreyas Gopal have been included in the playing XI of Rajasthan.

Playing XI:

Rajasthan: Rahul Tripathi, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Ish Sodhi, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin

Bangalore: Parthiv Patel(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Ben Laughlin, Heinrich Klaasen and Shreyas Gopal have been included in the playing XI of Rajasthan

Rajasthan won the toss and opted to bat against Bangalore at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday. After winning the toss, Ajinkya Rahane mentioned that the pitch is dry and also the host Rajhasthan are very familiar with the wickets. On the exit of Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler, Ajinkya said that the team is missing them. Virat Kohli also highlighted the fact that Jos And Ben are not in the Playing XI. Kolhi also mentioned that the team has done decently well in the previous three matches and also it is important to find the right balance in today's game. There is no change for Bangalore team, on the other hand, Ben Laughlin, Heinrich Klaasen and Shreyas Gopal have been included in the playing XI of Rajasthan. Playing XI: Rajasthan: Rahul Tripathi, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klaasen(w), Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Ish Sodhi, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin Bangalore: Parthiv Patel(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane opts to bat against Bangalore

Rajasthan will host Bangalore team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday in one of the most crucial encounters which will act as a decider to book a berth in the play-offs of Indian Premier League 2018.

At present, Rajasthan, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai are fighting for two empty seats of the play-offs as Hyderabad and Chennai have already qualified in the play-offs.

Fifty-two matches have been played till now and still, the fight is very tough and that can be seen when Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan will lock horns with Virat Kohli-led Bangalore.

A loss will definitely knock the team out the defeated team from the play-off race and a victory will give the team a better chance of going through.

There aren't any fresh news of injuries, players from both the teams are fit and healthy and it is expected that the skippers will enter the fields with the same squad.

Playing (TBC):

Bangalore: Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Mandeep Singh, Sarfraz Khan, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Rajasthan: D'Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klassen, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, K Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat

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Rajasthan will host Bangalore team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday

Rajasthan will host Bangalore team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Saturday in one of the most crucial encounters which will act as a decider to book a berth in the play-offs of Indian Premier League 2018. At present, Rajasthan, Bangalore, Kolkata and Mumbai are fighting for two empty seats of the play-offs as Hyderabad and Chennai have already qualified in the play-offs. Fifty-two matches have been played till now and still, the fight is very tough and that can be seen when Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan will lock horns with Virat Kohli-led Bangalore. A loss will definitely knock the team out the defeated team from the play-off race and a victory will give the team a better chance of going through. There aren't any fresh news of injuries, players from both the teams are fit and healthy and it is expected that the skippers will enter the fields with the same squad. Playing (TBC): Bangalore: Parthiv Patel, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Moeen Ali, Colin de Grandhomme, Mandeep Singh, Sarfraz Khan, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Rajasthan: D'Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane, Sanju Samson, Heinrich Klassen, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, K Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat ×

IPL 2018: Match preview of Rajasthan vs Bangalore

Chennai failed to reach atop league's table as MS Dhoni-led Chennai team was defeated by already eliminated Delhi on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and by handing over a tragic defeat to Chennai, team&nbspDelhi has managed to salvage its cricketing pride.

Earlier, MSD had won the toss and invited the host to bat first as the skipper Dhoni was suspicious that the pitch might deteriorate after some time.

Delhi, batting first put up a modest target of 163 runs which Chennai failed to achieve in 20 overs and lost the match by 34 runs.

While chasing, Chennai started off well as the opener Ambati Rayudu slammed half-century off 29 balls, on the other hand, another opener Shane Watson lost his wicket to Amit Mishra's tricky spin bowl after scoring just 14 runs.

Suresh Raina (15) and MS Dhoni (17) lost their wickets to &nbspSandeep Lamichhane and Trent Boult respectively. It was a good opportunity for the batsmen to prove their calibre by chasing the total but the "Yellow Brigade" lost it.

Unbeaten Ravindra Jadeja tried to push the run rate in the death over, he scored 27 crucial runs and held the inning on one side but other batsmen kept losing their wickets from the other side.

Trent Boult and Amit Mishra struck twice to restrict the Chennai team, also, young talent from Nepal Sandeep Lamichhane and Harshal Patel took one wicket each to help the bowling unit in defending the total.

In the first innings, Delhi's opener Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scored 17 and 19 runs respectively.

Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar and pacer Lungi Ngidi out bowled skipper Shreyas Iyer.

At number three, Rishabh Pant came in and scored 38 crucial runs for the team. Also, Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel contributed with their bats to push the run rate and put up a decent total on the board.

Glenn Maxwell, who has been on and off throughout the tournament, again failed and scored only five runs.

For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was proved most economical as he took two important wickets and other than that, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur got one wicket each.

Chennai failed to reach atop league's table as MS Dhoni-led Chennai team was defeated by already eliminated Delhi

Chennai failed to reach atop league's table as MS Dhoni-led Chennai team was defeated by already eliminated Delhi on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and by handing over a tragic defeat to Chennai, team&nbspDelhi has managed to salvage its cricketing pride. Earlier, MSD had won the toss and invited the host to bat first as the skipper Dhoni was suspicious that the pitch might deteriorate after some time. Delhi, batting first put up a modest target of 163 runs which Chennai failed to achieve in 20 overs and lost the match by 34 runs. While chasing, Chennai started off well as the opener Ambati Rayudu slammed half-century off 29 balls, on the other hand, another opener Shane Watson lost his wicket to Amit Mishra's tricky spin bowl after scoring just 14 runs. Suresh Raina (15) and MS Dhoni (17) lost their wickets to &nbspSandeep Lamichhane and Trent Boult respectively. It was a good opportunity for the batsmen to prove their calibre by chasing the total but the "Yellow Brigade" lost it. Unbeaten Ravindra Jadeja tried to push the run rate in the death over, he scored 27 crucial runs and held the inning on one side but other batsmen kept losing their wickets from the other side. Trent Boult and Amit Mishra struck twice to restrict the Chennai team, also, young talent from Nepal Sandeep Lamichhane and Harshal Patel took one wicket each to help the bowling unit in defending the total. In the first innings, Delhi's opener Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scored 17 and 19 runs respectively. Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar and pacer Lungi Ngidi out bowled skipper Shreyas Iyer. At number three, Rishabh Pant came in and scored 38 crucial runs for the team. Also, Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel contributed with their bats to push the run rate and put up a decent total on the board. Glenn Maxwell, who has been on and off throughout the tournament, again failed and scored only five runs. For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was proved most economical as he took two important wickets and other than that, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur got one wicket each.

IPL 2018: Delhi beat Chennai by 34 runs to salvage cricketing pride

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to ball at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday.

After winning the toss, Dhoni mentioned that it is a difficult ground and also mentioned that the wickets might deteriorate after some time.

For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi has been included in the playing XI.

On the other hand, Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer said that the team will try to put up a good score.

Glenn Maxwell and Avesh Khan come in for Jason Roy and Junior Dala respectively.

Playing XI:

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Glenn Maxwell, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult

Lungi Ngidi has been included in the playing XI of Chennai

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to ball at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday. After winning the toss, Dhoni mentioned that it is a difficult ground and also mentioned that the wickets might deteriorate after some time. For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi has been included in the playing XI. On the other hand, Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer said that the team will try to put up a good score. Glenn Maxwell and Avesh Khan come in for Jason Roy and Junior Dala respectively. Playing XI: Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Glenn Maxwell, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to bowl against Delhi

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team will host MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday, May 18.

Team Delhi has been eliminated and has only two games left in the tournament. On one hand, the team will look to salvage its cricketing pride and on the other hand, Chennai team will play to warm up for the play-off as they have already qualified in the play-offs.

Though Delhi did not qualify for the play-offs it is one of the best batting sides in the ongoing tournament but the bowling side suffered a lot and currently have the poorest economy rate which is 9.34.

The result of today's game will not affect the points table and it will be through joy for the Delhiites at Kotla stadium.

Both the teams have done remarkably well in the death overs and it is expected that both the teams will enter with the same squad.

Playing XI (TBC):

Delhi: Amit Mishra, Jason Roy, Trent Boult, Harshal Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shreyas Iyer (c), Junior Dala, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sandeep Lamichhane, Abhishek Sharma, Prithvi Shaw

Chennai: Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, David Willey, Deepak Chahar, Sam Billings, Shardul Thakur

&nbsp

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team will host MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team will host MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday, May 18. Team Delhi has been eliminated and has only two games left in the tournament. On one hand, the team will look to salvage its cricketing pride and on the other hand, Chennai team will play to warm up for the play-off as they have already qualified in the play-offs. Though Delhi did not qualify for the play-offs it is one of the best batting sides in the ongoing tournament but the bowling side suffered a lot and currently have the poorest economy rate which is 9.34. The result of today's game will not affect the points table and it will be through joy for the Delhiites at Kotla stadium. Both the teams have done remarkably well in the death overs and it is expected that both the teams will enter with the same squad. Playing XI (TBC): Delhi: Amit Mishra, Jason Roy, Trent Boult, Harshal Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shreyas Iyer (c), Junior Dala, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sandeep Lamichhane, Abhishek Sharma, Prithvi Shaw Chennai: Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, David Willey, Deepak Chahar, Sam Billings, Shardul Thakur

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Chennai

Punjab and Mumbai will face each other at the Wankhede Cricket stadium in Mumbai on May 16.

Mumbai and Punjab could not have had a more contrasting start to their campaign, and yet, here they are on a collision path as the race for playoffs heats up.

So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash.

1. Suryakumar Yadav -Mumbai's Suryakumar Yadav is an aggressive batsman. In his last match against Rajasthan, he scored 38 runs off 31 balls. He has been a regular member of the side and has scored reasonably well in every season in the ongoing league. Yadav, who has scored 473 runs in the IPL so far, is amongst the performing batsmen for Mumbai's side this season and seventh in line for the orange cap.

2. Hardik Pandya - This young lad encapsulates the charisma of the modern-day Indian cricketer. The Mumbai all-rounder has scored 303 runs and has taken 18 wickets in his 12 innings so far. He stands second in line for the purple cap -- the bowler with the most wickets.

3. Lokesh Rahul - &nbsp;The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 558 runs in his 12 games. He stands second on the list of the top run scorer with a highest score of 95 runs this season. Although he scored just 21 runs off 15 balls for Punjab in his previous match against Bangalore, still&nbsp;we expect him to put his best today in the clash against Mumbai.

4. Chris Gayle - An explosive batsman who is known to wield his bat to either make or break a game.&nbsp;The Jamaican cricketer&nbsp;has scored 350 runs in nine games played. He has&nbsp;scored three 50's and a century this season. Renowned as one of the most brutal hitters of the cricket ball ever, he scored only 18 runs off 14 balls against Bangalore.&nbsp;

5. Andrew Tye - &nbsp;The Punjab bowler is capable of taking wickets at crucial times and can score&nbsp;to bail out the team on different occasions. With 18 wickets in his hand, he owns the 'Purple Cap' and has scored 385 runs in the league so far. One can expect a good bowling performance from the Australian pacer today.

It's an extremely crucial stage for both the teams. It has been a rather lopsided season for Punjab, notching up five wins in their first six games to make a home in the top-half of the points table. For Mumbai, a win on Wednesday, will propel them straight into the fourth slot, courtesy their better net run rate (NRR) which is an advantage over all the other teams in the competition fighting to book a berth in the play-offs. 
&nbsp;

For Mumbai, a win on Wednesday will propel them straight into the fourth slot, courtesy their better Net Run Rate (NRR) which is an advantage over all the other teams

Punjab and Mumbai will face each other at the Wankhede Cricket stadium in Mumbai on May 16. Mumbai and Punjab could not have had a more contrasting start to their campaign, and yet, here they are on a collision path as the race for playoffs heats up. So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash. 1. Suryakumar Yadav -Mumbai's Suryakumar Yadav is an aggressive batsman. In his last match against Rajasthan, he scored 38 runs off 31 balls. He has been a regular member of the side and has scored reasonably well in every season in the ongoing league. Yadav, who has scored 473 runs in the IPL so far, is amongst the performing batsmen for Mumbai's side this season and seventh in line for the orange cap. 2. Hardik Pandya - This young lad encapsulates the charisma of the modern-day Indian cricketer. The Mumbai all-rounder has scored 303 runs and has taken 18 wickets in his 12 innings so far. He stands second in line for the purple cap -- the bowler with the most wickets. 3. Lokesh Rahul - The 21-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has scored 558 runs in his 12 games. He stands second on the list of the top run scorer with a highest score of 95 runs this season. Although he scored just 21 runs off 15 balls for Punjab in his previous match against Bangalore, still we expect him to put his best today in the clash against Mumbai. 4. Chris Gayle - An explosive batsman who is known to wield his bat to either make or break a game. The Jamaican cricketer has scored 350 runs in nine games played. He has scored three 50's and a century this season. Renowned as one of the most brutal hitters of the cricket ball ever, he scored only 18 runs off 14 balls against Bangalore. 5. Andrew Tye - The Punjab bowler is capable of taking wickets at crucial times and can score to bail out the team on different occasions. With 18 wickets in his hand, he owns the 'Purple Cap' and has scored 385 runs in the league so far. One can expect a good bowling performance from the Australian pacer today. It's an extremely crucial stage for both the teams. It has been a rather lopsided season for Punjab, notching up five wins in their first six games to make a home in the top-half of the points table. For Mumbai, a win on Wednesday, will propel them straight into the fourth slot, courtesy their better net run rate (NRR) which is an advantage over all the other teams in the competition fighting to book a berth in the play-offs.

IPL 2018: Players to watch out for in Punjab vs Mumbai clash

Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to field at the Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday.

Karthik believed that his team has performed well while chasing the targets in previous clashes, so taking advantage of the toss would benefit the Knights.

On the other hand, Anjinkya Rahane said that he is happy to bat first in the do-or-die match.

For Rajasthan, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh and Rahul Tripathi have included in the squad.

For Kolkata, Shuvam Mavi is fit and healthy but Piyush Chawla is out over some health issues.

Playing XI:

Rajasthan: Jos Buttler(w), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh

Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

For Rajasthan, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh and Rahul Tripathi have included in the squad

Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to field at the Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday. Karthik believed that his team has performed well while chasing the targets in previous clashes, so taking advantage of the toss would benefit the Knights. On the other hand, Anjinkya Rahane said that he is happy to bat first in the do-or-die match. For Rajasthan, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh and Rahul Tripathi have included in the squad. For Kolkata, Shuvam Mavi is fit and healthy but Piyush Chawla is out over some health issues. Playing XI: Rajasthan: Jos Buttler(w), Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi, Anureet Singh Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Andre Russell, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Nitish Rana, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: Dinesh Karthik opts to bowl against Rajasthan

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will host Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan at the Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday.

Hyderabad and Chennai have already qualified for the play-offs and the fight is for the other two empty spots.

No doubt Kolkata won the previous match but the team lacks consistency especially the team's performance in previous few clashes.

The team is hugely dependent on the overseas trio of Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell. Although, skipper Dinesh Karthik has bailed the team out in most of the crucial situations.

Robin Uthappa has been on and off, also Shubman Gill hasn't played a match-winning inning so far.

Eden Garden stadium is a batsmen paradise, hence, a high scoring match is expected between Kolkata and Rajasthan.

On the other hand, even Rajasthan have faced issues with middle batting order but the team has bounced back in the ongoing tournament and emerging as one of the top contenders to march past into the play-off.

All thanks to the star batsman Jos Buttler, Rajasthan have won the previous three matches and currently riding high on confidence.

The pitch will support the spinners and little bit showers are expected at the Eden Gardens stadium.

Playing XI (TBC):

Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi and Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna.

Rajasthan: D'Arcy Short, Jos Buttler (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni.

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will host Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan at the Eden Gardens stadium

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will host Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan at the Eden Gardens stadium on Tuesday. Hyderabad and Chennai have already qualified for the play-offs and the fight is for the other two empty spots. No doubt Kolkata won the previous match but the team lacks consistency especially the team's performance in previous few clashes. The team is hugely dependent on the overseas trio of Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn and Andre Russell. Although, skipper Dinesh Karthik has bailed the team out in most of the crucial situations. Robin Uthappa has been on and off, also Shubman Gill hasn't played a match-winning inning so far. Eden Garden stadium is a batsmen paradise, hence, a high scoring match is expected between Kolkata and Rajasthan. On the other hand, even Rajasthan have faced issues with middle batting order but the team has bounced back in the ongoing tournament and emerging as one of the top contenders to march past into the play-off. All thanks to the star batsman Jos Buttler, Rajasthan have won the previous three matches and currently riding high on confidence. The pitch will support the spinners and little bit showers are expected at the Eden Gardens stadium. Playing XI (TBC): Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Mavi and Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna. Rajasthan: D'Arcy Short, Jos Buttler (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Rajasthan and Kolkata

Ambati Rayudu slammed a ton to help&nbsphis team achieve the 180-run target set by Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, on Sunday.

Although, Hyderabad have already qualified for the play-offs in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League,&nbspteam Chennai are just an inch closer in contention.&nbsp

The clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) gave an essence of the IPL 2018 finale with some bittersweet moments. And one cannot expect a dull moment when MS Dhoni is on the ground.&nbsp

One such&nbsphilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when Hyderabad&nbspbatsman Shikhar Dhawan played a shot and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni ran after the ball.

He picked up the ball and gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja, who was also approaching the ball at the same time. For a while, Jadeja got scared but ended up laughing on the funny act of skipper Dhoni.

Watch the video here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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Cutest moment ???<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jadeja?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jadeja</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvCSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/9sNzH9PNgi">pic.twitter.com/9sNzH9PNgi</a>
— மகிழன் (@omagasiya) <a href="https://twitter.com/omagasiya/status/995658958303039494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dhoni funs Jadeja On Field & Smiled After That. Video Shows Funny Side Of Dhoni.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/9p5Ti3g7zH">pic.twitter.com/9p5Ti3g7zH</a>
— HiFi Talkies ™ (@HiFiTalkies) <a href="https://twitter.com/HiFiTalkies/status/995656396891803649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

A hilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when MS Dhoni gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja

Ambati Rayudu slammed a ton to help&nbsphis team achieve the 180-run target set by Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, on Sunday. Although, Hyderabad have already qualified for the play-offs in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League,&nbspteam Chennai are just an inch closer in contention. The clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) gave an essence of the IPL 2018 finale with some bittersweet moments. And one cannot expect a dull moment when MS Dhoni is on the ground. One such&nbsphilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when Hyderabad&nbspbatsman Shikhar Dhawan played a shot and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni ran after the ball. He picked up the ball and gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja, who was also approaching the ball at the same time. For a while, Jadeja got scared but ended up laughing on the funny act of skipper Dhoni. Watch the video here: Cutest moment ???#Dhoni #Jadeja #CSK #CSKvSRH #SRHvCSK pic.twitter.com/9sNzH9PNgi — மகிழன் (@omagasiya) May 13, 2018 × Dhoni funs Jadeja On Field & Smiled After That. Video Shows Funny Side Of Dhoni.. #CSKvSRH #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/9p5Ti3g7zH — HiFi Talkies ™ (@HiFiTalkies) May 13, 2018 ×

Caught on cam: MS Dhoni threatens Ravindra Jadeja in IPL match against Hyderabad

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