Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach and Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara heaped praise on skipper Sanju Samson after his side thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by seven wickets in the 2nd Qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to storm into the final of IPL 2022. Rajasthan Royals chased down the target of 158 runs without breaking a sweat to book a spot against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the summit clash.

Samson has become only the second captain after the legendary Shane Warne to take RR into an IPL final. Warne had inspired the franchise to their maiden IPL triumph in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. After enduring a disappointing campaign last year where they failed to make it to the playoffs, RR have done well to shun their critics in IPL 2022.

Sangakkara recently opened up on Samson's rise as a leader for Rajasthan Royals this season and revealed how the wicket-keeper batter has never let captaincy affect his batting. Sangakkara said Samson has been exceptional as captain and that his tactical awareness has also improved with time.

"Sanju has been exceptional. He started off with quite a tough test last season with a young side and a lot of upheavals because of COVID-19 bubbles in terms of players coming in and leaving, tournament of two halves but he has really grown into his role.

"He is very soft-spoken, very reserved individual. He is exceptionally skilled with the bat. He has shown a lot of passion and hunger to play for this franchise and take on this testing role of captaincy. Wicket-keeping, captaining and being the best batter in your side along with Jos Buttler is not an easy kind of role to fill but he has done it really well this season," Sangakarra said post RR's win over RCB on Friday.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/maxwell-scores-big-runs-after-5-seasons-ex-rcb-star-questions-teams-decision-to-retain-aussie-all-rounder-482887">'Maxwell scores big runs after 5 seasons': Ex-RCB star questions team's decision to retain Aussie all-rounder</a>

Often, the IPL has witnessed star batters losing their sheen with the bat once given the added responsibility of leading their side. The likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant among others have all seen captaincy affect their individual game. However, Samson has led from the front with the bat and his strike rate too has not gone down this season.

"He has become more and more aware of what his role is -- that he is only captaining when is fielding and that when he is batting he is Sanju Samson the batter, who bats with freedom and enjoyment. His tactical awareness has improved right throughout and will keep getting better. He has really trusted his team. The team really looks up to him as a leader, how he has led them on the field and off it. I can't be prouder of how Sanju has grown," Sangakkara said lauding Samson.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-looking-down-with-a-lot-of-pride-jos-buttler-pays-tribute-to-shane-warne-as-rr-reach-ipl-2022-final-482860">He is looking down with a lot of pride: Jos Buttler pays tribute to Shane Warne as RR reach IPL 2022 final</a>

Rajasthan Royals have been one of the most consistent teams so far this season and will be looking to go all the way and lift the trophy when they take on debutants Gujarat Titans in the final on Sunday (May 28). Rajasthan Royals won their first IPL title in 2008 and have since been chasing their 2nd trophy.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach and Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara heaped praise on skipper Sanju Samson after his side thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by seven wickets in the 2nd Qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to storm into the final of IPL 2022.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) head coach and Director of Cricket Kumar Sangakkara heaped praise on skipper Sanju Samson after his side thrashed Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by seven wickets in the 2nd Qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to storm into the final of IPL 2022. Rajasthan Royals chased down the target of 158 runs without breaking a sweat to book a spot against Gujarat Titans (GT) in the summit clash. Samson has become only the second captain after the legendary Shane Warne to take RR into an IPL final. Warne had inspired the franchise to their maiden IPL triumph in the inaugural edition of the tournament in 2008. After enduring a disappointing campaign last year where they failed to make it to the playoffs, RR have done well to shun their critics in IPL 2022. Sangakkara recently opened up on Samson's rise as a leader for Rajasthan Royals this season and revealed how the wicket-keeper batter has never let captaincy affect his batting. Sangakkara said Samson has been exceptional as captain and that his tactical awareness has also improved with time. "Sanju has been exceptional. He started off with quite a tough test last season with a young side and a lot of upheavals because of COVID-19 bubbles in terms of players coming in and leaving, tournament of two halves but he has really grown into his role. "He is very soft-spoken, very reserved individual. He is exceptionally skilled with the bat. He has shown a lot of passion and hunger to play for this franchise and take on this testing role of captaincy. Wicket-keeping, captaining and being the best batter in your side along with Jos Buttler is not an easy kind of role to fill but he has done it really well this season," Sangakarra said post RR's win over RCB on Friday. Also Read: 'Maxwell scores big runs after 5 seasons': Ex-RCB star questions team's decision to retain Aussie all-rounder Often, the IPL has witnessed star batters losing their sheen with the bat once given the added responsibility of leading their side. The likes of Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant among others have all seen captaincy affect their individual game. However, Samson has led from the front with the bat and his strike rate too has not gone down this season. "He has become more and more aware of what his role is -- that he is only captaining when is fielding and that when he is batting he is Sanju Samson the batter, who bats with freedom and enjoyment. His tactical awareness has improved right throughout and will keep getting better. He has really trusted his team. The team really looks up to him as a leader, how he has led them on the field and off it. I can't be prouder of how Sanju has grown," Sangakkara said lauding Samson. Also Read: He is looking down with a lot of pride: Jos Buttler pays tribute to Shane Warne as RR reach IPL 2022 final Rajasthan Royals have been one of the most consistent teams so far this season and will be looking to go all the way and lift the trophy when they take on debutants Gujarat Titans in the final on Sunday (May 28). Rajasthan Royals won their first IPL title in 2008 and have since been chasing their 2nd trophy.

'He is only captaining when fielding': Kumar Sangakkara on Sanju Samson's rise as a leader for RR in IPL 2022

Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2022 edition to set up a final date with Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT). After losing the Qualifier 1 by seven wickets, Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan produced an all-round effort to beat the three-time runners-up to beautifully set up a final clash versus Gujarat.

On Friday evening (May 27), Faf &amp; Co. were asked to bat first as Sanju Samson finally managed to win the coin toss at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. Being asked to bat first, RCB lost opener Virat Kohli for cheap, being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna for the second successive occasion, as Faf failed to lift the run-rate despite Rajat Patidar, the Eliminator's Player-of-the-Match, going great guns from his end.&nbsp;

While Obed McCoy&nbsp;dismissed Faf, Patidar held his end before his dismissal, 42-ball 58, changed the complexion of the game. From thereon, RCB never got going as they managed only 34 runs for the loss of five wickets in the final five overs. Even Dinesh Karthik, RCB's in-form finisher, failed to get going as&nbsp;McCoy and Prasidh returned with three scalps each.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-rcb-vs-rr-rajat-patidar-joins-suresh-raina-in-unique-list-with-blistering-58-in-qualifier-2-482719">IPL 2022, RCB vs RR: Rajat Patidar joins Suresh Raina in unique list with blistering 58 in Qualifier 2</a>

In reply, RR openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler took on Md Siraj from the word go. The first-wicket stand took Rajasthan to a solid start before Jaiswal fell with the team's&nbsp;score at 61. Sanju joined Buttler who accelerated with ease and smacked some eye-catching boundaries -- going after Siraj, Shahbad Ahmed and Wanindu Hasaranga -- as RCB bowlers couldn't hold onto a tight line and length. Despite Samson's dismissal slowing things down to an extent, Buttler held his end and brought up his fifth IPL ton, fourth of the season, to propel RR into the final. The Englishman has returned to form in the playoffs and will hope for another memorable knock in the summit clash to help his side beat favourites and hosts Gujarat.

JOS - THE BOSS

Most 100s in IPL 
6 Chris Gayle 
5 Virat Kohli/ Jos Buttler 
4 Shane Watson/ David Warner/ KL Rahul

Hundreds in IPL Play Offs 
122 V Sehwag PBKS v CSK 2014 (Q2) 
117*S Watson CSK v SRH 2018 (Final) 
115*W Saha PBKS v KKR 2014 (Final) 
113 M Vijay CSK v DC 2012 (Q2) 
112*R Patidar RCB vs LSG 2022 (Eliminator) 
106*J Buttler RR vs RCB 2022 (Q2)

Buttler's 106*, off 60 deliveries, was laced with 10 fours and 6 sixes at a whopping strike rate of 176.67. The final between Gujarat and Rajasthan will be held on May 29 (Sunday) at the same venue.

Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2022 edition to set up a final date with Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT).

Rajasthan Royals (RR) beat the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in Qualifier 2 of IPL 2022 edition to set up a final date with Hardik Pandya's Gujarat Titans (GT). After losing the Qualifier 1 by seven wickets, Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan produced an all-round effort to beat the three-time runners-up to beautifully set up a final clash versus Gujarat. On Friday evening (May 27), Faf & Co. were asked to bat first as Sanju Samson finally managed to win the coin toss at the iconic Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad. Being asked to bat first, RCB lost opener Virat Kohli for cheap, being dismissed by Prasidh Krishna for the second successive occasion, as Faf failed to lift the run-rate despite Rajat Patidar, the Eliminator's Player-of-the-Match, going great guns from his end. While Obed McCoy dismissed Faf, Patidar held his end before his dismissal, 42-ball 58, changed the complexion of the game. From thereon, RCB never got going as they managed only 34 runs for the loss of five wickets in the final five overs. Even Dinesh Karthik, RCB's in-form finisher, failed to get going as McCoy and Prasidh returned with three scalps each. ALSO READ | IPL 2022, RCB vs RR: Rajat Patidar joins Suresh Raina in unique list with blistering 58 in Qualifier 2 In reply, RR openers Yashasvi Jaiswal and Jos Buttler took on Md Siraj from the word go. The first-wicket stand took Rajasthan to a solid start before Jaiswal fell with the team's score at 61. Sanju joined Buttler who accelerated with ease and smacked some eye-catching boundaries -- going after Siraj, Shahbad Ahmed and Wanindu Hasaranga -- as RCB bowlers couldn't hold onto a tight line and length. Despite Samson's dismissal slowing things down to an extent, Buttler held his end and brought up his fifth IPL ton, fourth of the season, to propel RR into the final. The Englishman has returned to form in the playoffs and will hope for another memorable knock in the summit clash to help his side beat favourites and hosts Gujarat. JOS - THE BOSS Most 100s in IPL 6 Chris Gayle 5 Virat Kohli/ Jos Buttler 4 Shane Watson/ David Warner/ KL Rahul Hundreds in IPL Play Offs 122 V Sehwag PBKS v CSK 2014 (Q2) 117*S Watson CSK v SRH 2018 (Final) 115*W Saha PBKS v KKR 2014 (Final) 113 M Vijay CSK v DC 2012 (Q2) 112*R Patidar RCB vs LSG 2022 (Eliminator) 106*J Buttler RR vs RCB 2022 (Q2) Buttler's 106*, off 60 deliveries, was laced with 10 fours and 6 sixes at a whopping strike rate of 176.67. The final between Gujarat and Rajasthan will be held on May 29 (Sunday) at the same venue.

Jos Buttler slams 4th ton of IPL 2022 as RR beat RCB by 7 wickets in Qualifier 2 to enter final

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were knocked out of IPL 2022 on Friday (May 27) after suffering a 7-wicket defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. RCB failed to defend a total of 157 runs as Jos Buttler's magnificent century powered Rajasthan Royals into the final with a dominant victory. RCB's retentions have been questioned after the franchise's yet another unsuccessful attempt in lifting their maiden IPL trophy.

RCB had decided to retain three players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction earlier this year. They kept hold of former captain Virat Kohli, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj heading into the auction. Neither of the three retained players managed to impress for the Faf du Plessis-led side this season.

While Kohli's struggles with the bat continued throughout the season, Siraj was taken to the cleaners by the batters and failed to bag wickets regularly. Maxwell, on the other hand, failed to make an impact with the bat or the ball. Former RCB star Parthiv Patel recently questioned the franchise's decision to retain Maxwell on the basis of just one good season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-looking-down-with-a-lot-of-pride-jos-buttler-pays-tribute-to-shane-warne-as-rr-reach-ipl-2022-final-482860">He is looking down with a lot of pride:&nbsp;Buttler pays tribute to Shane Warne as RR reach IPL 2022 final</a>

Patel said he was surprised to see RCB retain Maxwell as the Australian all-rounder has rarely managed to perform consistently for two consecutive seasons in the IPL. The former RCB wicket-keeper batter said Maxwell performs once every five years and RCB expected him to perform as he did last year.

"I was surprised to see RCB retain Glenn Maxwell on the basis of one good season. He has been inconsistent with his performances. He scores big runs after every five seasons. He has been consistent with his inconsistency. RCB expected him to perform like he did last year, but that didn't happen," Patel said on Cricbuzz.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/mohammed-siraj-creates-unwanted-record-as-rajasthan-royals-end-rcbs-campaign-in-ipl-2022-482835">Mohammed Siraj creates unwanted record as Rajasthan Royals end RCB's campaign in IPL 2022</a>

Maxwell was roped in by RCB ahead of IPL 2021 last year and went on to have a great season. He scored 513 runs in 15 matches for RCB last season at an average of over 42 and a strike rate of 144.01. However, this season, his performance dropped once again as he could only manage 301 runs in 13 matches for the team.

Patel believes both Siraj and Maxwell, who had a season to forget in IPL 2022, will fetch lesser money than what they are earning at RCB if they were released by the franchise before next season.

"Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj are two players who have had a terrible season. The franchise chose to retain them as they thought they would have gone for a lot of money at the auction. But even if they release them now, they will still fetch lesser amounts than what RCB are paying them currently," said the former RCB star.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were knocked out of IPL 2022 on Friday (May 27) after suffering a 7-wicket defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) were knocked out of IPL 2022 on Friday (May 27) after suffering a 7-wicket defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the second qualifier at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. RCB failed to defend a total of 157 runs as Jos Buttler's magnificent century powered Rajasthan Royals into the final with a dominant victory. RCB's retentions have been questioned after the franchise's yet another unsuccessful attempt in lifting their maiden IPL trophy. RCB had decided to retain three players ahead of the IPL 2022 mega auction earlier this year. They kept hold of former captain Virat Kohli, all-rounder Glenn Maxwell and fast bowler Mohammed Siraj heading into the auction. Neither of the three retained players managed to impress for the Faf du Plessis-led side this season. While Kohli's struggles with the bat continued throughout the season, Siraj was taken to the cleaners by the batters and failed to bag wickets regularly. Maxwell, on the other hand, failed to make an impact with the bat or the ball. Former RCB star Parthiv Patel recently questioned the franchise's decision to retain Maxwell on the basis of just one good season. Also Read: He is looking down with a lot of pride: Buttler pays tribute to Shane Warne as RR reach IPL 2022 final Patel said he was surprised to see RCB retain Maxwell as the Australian all-rounder has rarely managed to perform consistently for two consecutive seasons in the IPL. The former RCB wicket-keeper batter said Maxwell performs once every five years and RCB expected him to perform as he did last year. "I was surprised to see RCB retain Glenn Maxwell on the basis of one good season. He has been inconsistent with his performances. He scores big runs after every five seasons. He has been consistent with his inconsistency. RCB expected him to perform like he did last year, but that didn't happen," Patel said on Cricbuzz. Also Read: Mohammed Siraj creates unwanted record as Rajasthan Royals end RCB's campaign in IPL 2022 Maxwell was roped in by RCB ahead of IPL 2021 last year and went on to have a great season. He scored 513 runs in 15 matches for RCB last season at an average of over 42 and a strike rate of 144.01. However, this season, his performance dropped once again as he could only manage 301 runs in 13 matches for the team. Patel believes both Siraj and Maxwell, who had a season to forget in IPL 2022, will fetch lesser money than what they are earning at RCB if they were released by the franchise before next season. "Glenn Maxwell and Mohammed Siraj are two players who have had a terrible season. The franchise chose to retain them as they thought they would have gone for a lot of money at the auction. But even if they release them now, they will still fetch lesser amounts than what RCB are paying them currently," said the former RCB star.

'Maxwell scores big runs after 5 seasons': Ex-RCB star questions team's decision to retain Aussie all-rounder

KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) locked horns with perennial underachievers Faf du Plessis' Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022's Eliminator at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday (May 25). In a high-scoring thriller, the three-time runners-up RCB stunned LSG by 14 runs to edge past them and book a slot in Qualifier 2.

Opting to bowl first, Rahul &amp; Co. leaked runs at will as No. 3 batter Rajat Patidar's stunning 112*, laced with 12 fours and 7 sixes at a whopping strike rate of 207.41, helped RCB post 207-4. Dinesh Karthik also contributed with an impressive 23-ball 37&nbsp;not out.&nbsp;In reply, LSG lost in-form opener Quinton de Kock for cheap but had skipper Rahul's presence till the penultimate over before losing by 14 runs to bow out of the tournament.

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While Rahul top-scored for his side with a good-looking 58-ball 79, his strike rate was below 150 (136.21) and never managed to accelerate consistently to draw some criticism post Lucknow's defeat. Former Indian cricketer-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar dived deep into Rahul's strike rate issues and pointed out how he costs his side in some crunch run-chases by looking to bat deeper than quicker.

Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar opined how something similar would happen while Rahul was leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2020 and IPL 2021 - where finishers like Nicholas Pooran would not get enough time to get their eye in and go big.

"Quinton de Kock's wicket was very crucial because that would have taken the pressure off KL Rahul. KL Rahul's innings is something that we have seen before, when he was captain of Punjab Kings, the team would fall short of a run chase. And the scenario would be the same. You will have a KL Rahul bat till the very end, they would have lost three or four wickets, and people like Pooran would come in, like Evin Lewis came in the last two overs, Krunal and Stoinis towards the last, so it's like working with the crumbs and you have to come in and make up for the lack of the pace the innings had," Manjrekar said.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rajat-patidars-ton-helps-rcb-knock-lucknow-super-giants-out-of-ipl-2022-to-face-rr-in-qualifier-2-482197">Rajat Patidar's ton helps RCB knock Lucknow Super Giants out of IPL 2022, to face RR in Qualifier 2</a>

At the post-match presentation, Rahul shifted the blame on the fielders for LSG's exit. "I think it's quite obvious - the reasons why we didn't win. We let ourselves down in the field. Dropping easy catches never helps. Difference was obviously Patidar playing such a knock. When someone in the top three scores a hundred, more often the team wins. They fielded really well and we were poor. We'll take back a lot of positives. It's a new franchise. We've made a lot of mistakes, every team does that. Have to try and come back stronger," he stated.

Now, RCB face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 on Friday (May 28) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad and the winner will face Gujarat Titans (GT), at the same venue, in the final on Sunday (May 29).

KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) locked horns with perennial underachievers Faf du Plessis' Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022's Eliminator at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday (May 25).

KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) locked horns with perennial underachievers Faf du Plessis' Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in IPL 2022's Eliminator at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday (May 25). In a high-scoring thriller, the three-time runners-up RCB stunned LSG by 14 runs to edge past them and book a slot in Qualifier 2. Opting to bowl first, Rahul & Co. leaked runs at will as No. 3 batter Rajat Patidar's stunning 112*, laced with 12 fours and 7 sixes at a whopping strike rate of 207.41, helped RCB post 207-4. Dinesh Karthik also contributed with an impressive 23-ball 37 not out. In reply, LSG lost in-form opener Quinton de Kock for cheap but had skipper Rahul's presence till the penultimate over before losing by 14 runs to bow out of the tournament. ALSO READ | Virat, Rohit's barren run to MI-CSK's mighty fall: 5 surprising elements from IPL 2022's league stage While Rahul top-scored for his side with a good-looking 58-ball 79, his strike rate was below 150 (136.21) and never managed to accelerate consistently to draw some criticism post Lucknow's defeat. Former Indian cricketer-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar dived deep into Rahul's strike rate issues and pointed out how he costs his side in some crunch run-chases by looking to bat deeper than quicker. Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Manjrekar opined how something similar would happen while Rahul was leading Punjab Kings (PBKS) in IPL 2020 and IPL 2021 - where finishers like Nicholas Pooran would not get enough time to get their eye in and go big. "Quinton de Kock's wicket was very crucial because that would have taken the pressure off KL Rahul. KL Rahul's innings is something that we have seen before, when he was captain of Punjab Kings, the team would fall short of a run chase. And the scenario would be the same. You will have a KL Rahul bat till the very end, they would have lost three or four wickets, and people like Pooran would come in, like Evin Lewis came in the last two overs, Krunal and Stoinis towards the last, so it's like working with the crumbs and you have to come in and make up for the lack of the pace the innings had," Manjrekar said. ALSO READ | Rajat Patidar's ton helps RCB knock Lucknow Super Giants out of IPL 2022, to face RR in Qualifier 2 At the post-match presentation, Rahul shifted the blame on the fielders for LSG's exit. "I think it's quite obvious - the reasons why we didn't win. We let ourselves down in the field. Dropping easy catches never helps. Difference was obviously Patidar playing such a knock. When someone in the top three scores a hundred, more often the team wins. They fielded really well and we were poor. We'll take back a lot of positives. It's a new franchise. We've made a lot of mistakes, every team does that. Have to try and come back stronger," he stated. Now, RCB face Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 2 on Friday (May 28) at the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad and the winner will face Gujarat Titans (GT), at the same venue, in the final on Sunday (May 29).

'If I was KL Rahul's coach, I would....' - Sanjay Manjrekar opines after RCB beat LSG in IPL 2022 Eliminator

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya for his terrific leadership skills in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Pandya has been exceptional as captain in his debut stint with GT and has already inspired them to their maiden final in their very first season in the league. Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets on Tuesday (May 24) to become the first team to secure a spot in the final of IPL 2022.

It was a clinical batting performance from the Titans after being asked to chase down a strong target of 189 runs in the Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. David Miller turned out to be the hero with the bat for GT as he played a sensational knock of unbeaten 68 off 38 balls and was well supported by Pandya, who scored an unbeaten 40 off just 27 balls

Pandya has not only impressed as the leader of the side but has also led from the front when it comes to his performances with the willow. He has notched up 453 runs in 14 matches for GT at an impressive average of 45.30 and a strike rate of over 132. Pandya has also picked up five wickets for his team in nine innings so far this season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ex-india-spinner-amit-mishra-takes-brutal-dig-at-shahid-afridi-after-latters-tweet-on-yasin-malik-482053">Ex-India spinner Amit Mishra takes brutal dig at Shahid Afridi after latter's tweet on Yasin Malik</a>

Kaif heaped praise on Pandya for his captaincy and called him the best captain of IPL 2022. The former India batter also lauded Hardik for his tactical decisions and bowling changes which helped GT become the first team to make it to the final of the tournament this year.

"The guy (Pandya) stands at mid-off and speaks to the bowler on every ball, so much coordination, so much talk, you can talk about the transparency or the role. We didn't see a better captain than Hardik Pandya in this IPL, he did fantastic captaincy," said Kaif on Star Sports.

"He knows when to bat or bowl after winning the toss. They won eight of their first nine matches, they played badly after that, they came here after losing three of their last five matches. This was a pressure game for them but still said that these are new conditions, it is overcast, it had rained, so they will field first," he added.

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During GT's run-chase against RR on Tuesday, Pandya walked out to bat at number 4 and joined forces with Miller in the middle to post a match-winning stand of unbeaten 106 runs for the fourth wicket. Pandya looked in a fabulous touch and looked in complete control while batting.

Kaif lauded the GT skipper for stepping up and taking the responsibility of batting at no.4 for his team in a crucial run-chase and taking them over the line with Miller.

"When he (Pandya) came, he had reached 22 runs off the 11 balls, it shows he has the form. He said that he will play at No. 4, he has decided his number. He looked in control overall and the way both of them finished, it was a fantastic partnership," said Kaif. 
&nbsp;

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya for his terrific leadership skills in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022.

Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has lauded Gujarat Titans (GT) skipper Hardik Pandya for his terrific leadership skills in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Pandya has been exceptional as captain in his debut stint with GT and has already inspired them to their maiden final in their very first season in the league. Gujarat Titans defeated Rajasthan Royals by 7 wickets on Tuesday (May 24) to become the first team to secure a spot in the final of IPL 2022. It was a clinical batting performance from the Titans after being asked to chase down a strong target of 189 runs in the Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. David Miller turned out to be the hero with the bat for GT as he played a sensational knock of unbeaten 68 off 38 balls and was well supported by Pandya, who scored an unbeaten 40 off just 27 balls Pandya has not only impressed as the leader of the side but has also led from the front when it comes to his performances with the willow. He has notched up 453 runs in 14 matches for GT at an impressive average of 45.30 and a strike rate of over 132. Pandya has also picked up five wickets for his team in nine innings so far this season. Also Read: Ex-India spinner Amit Mishra takes brutal dig at Shahid Afridi after latter's tweet on Yasin Malik Kaif heaped praise on Pandya for his captaincy and called him the best captain of IPL 2022. The former India batter also lauded Hardik for his tactical decisions and bowling changes which helped GT become the first team to make it to the final of the tournament this year. "The guy (Pandya) stands at mid-off and speaks to the bowler on every ball, so much coordination, so much talk, you can talk about the transparency or the role. We didn't see a better captain than Hardik Pandya in this IPL, he did fantastic captaincy," said Kaif on Star Sports. "He knows when to bat or bowl after winning the toss. They won eight of their first nine matches, they played badly after that, they came here after losing three of their last five matches. This was a pressure game for them but still said that these are new conditions, it is overcast, it had rained, so they will field first," he added. Also Read: It's unfair for Rishabh Pant to be compared with MS Dhoni, says BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly During GT's run-chase against RR on Tuesday, Pandya walked out to bat at number 4 and joined forces with Miller in the middle to post a match-winning stand of unbeaten 106 runs for the fourth wicket. Pandya looked in a fabulous touch and looked in complete control while batting. Kaif lauded the GT skipper for stepping up and taking the responsibility of batting at no.4 for his team in a crucial run-chase and taking them over the line with Miller. "When he (Pandya) came, he had reached 22 runs off the 11 balls, it shows he has the form. He said that he will play at No. 4, he has decided his number. He looked in control overall and the way both of them finished, it was a fantastic partnership," said Kaif.

Mohammad Kaif lauds Hardik Pandya as GT reach final: Haven't seen a better captain than him in IPL 2022

After a high-scoring Qualifier 1 in IPL 2022, the action now moves to the Eliminator as the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a must-win game for both sides to keep themselves alive in the competition and make it to the Qualifier 2.

The match will be held at the same venue where Qualifier 1 took place, i.e. at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday evening (May 25). While there were doubts regarding the weather for Qualifier 1, there remains the same for the Eliminator. Nonetheless, Qualifier 1 was still a completely non-interrupted game and the same is expected to be the case for the do-or-die game for both LSG-RCB.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/its-unfair-for-rishabh-pant-to-be-compared-with-ms-dhoni-says-bcci-chief-sourav-ganguly-482008">It's unfair for Rishabh Pant to be compared with MS Dhoni, says BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly</a>

According to the weather portal&nbsp;accuweather.com, the temperature of Kolkata on Wednesday will hover around 34° Celcius during the day and will go&nbsp;down to 28° Celcius during the night. In the afternoon, thunderstorms are on the cards.

Much to the delight of the fans, the&nbsp;chances of rain during the night is only at 4%, contrary to 65% chances during daytime. In all likelihood, there will be rain at Eden Gardens during the day, however, it is expected to be a clear sky once the match's commencement nears.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/virat-rohits-barren-run-to-mi-csks-mighty-fall-5-surprising-elements-from-ipl-2022s-league-stage-481871">Virat, Rohit's barren run to MI-CSK's mighty fall: 5 surprising elements from IPL 2022's league stage</a>

What happens if rain entirely plays spoilsport in the Eliminator?

In case no play is possible and the weather forecast for the evening changes drastically, contrary to expectations, then there is provision of conducting a Super Over. However, in case conditions aren't favourable even for a Super Over, KL Rahul-led Lucknow will go through for finishing higher than RCB in the points table.

In head-to-head, RCB have an edge as they beat Lucknow in their only face-off, by 18 runs, however, it won't matter as LSG will book a ticket for Qualifier 2 due to a better finish in the league stage.

After a high-scoring Qualifier 1 in IPL 2022, the action now moves to the Eliminator as the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a must-win game for both sides to keep themselves alive in the competition and make it to the Qualifier 2.

After a high-scoring Qualifier 1 in IPL 2022, the action now moves to the Eliminator as the Faf du Plessis-led Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) face the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in a must-win game for both sides to keep themselves alive in the competition and make it to the Qualifier 2. The match will be held at the same venue where Qualifier 1 took place, i.e. at the iconic Eden Gardens, Kolkata on Wednesday evening (May 25). While there were doubts regarding the weather for Qualifier 1, there remains the same for the Eliminator. Nonetheless, Qualifier 1 was still a completely non-interrupted game and the same is expected to be the case for the do-or-die game for both LSG-RCB. ALSO READ | It's unfair for Rishabh Pant to be compared with MS Dhoni, says BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly According to the weather portal accuweather.com, the temperature of Kolkata on Wednesday will hover around 34° Celcius during the day and will go down to 28° Celcius during the night. In the afternoon, thunderstorms are on the cards. Much to the delight of the fans, the chances of rain during the night is only at 4%, contrary to 65% chances during daytime. In all likelihood, there will be rain at Eden Gardens during the day, however, it is expected to be a clear sky once the match's commencement nears. ALSO READ | Virat, Rohit's barren run to MI-CSK's mighty fall: 5 surprising elements from IPL 2022's league stage What happens if rain entirely plays spoilsport in the Eliminator? In case no play is possible and the weather forecast for the evening changes drastically, contrary to expectations, then there is provision of conducting a Super Over. However, in case conditions aren't favourable even for a Super Over, KL Rahul-led Lucknow will go through for finishing higher than RCB in the points table. In head-to-head, RCB have an edge as they beat Lucknow in their only face-off, by 18 runs, however, it won't matter as LSG will book a ticket for Qualifier 2 due to a better finish in the league stage.

RCB vs LSG Weather Forecast: What if rain entirely plays spoilsport in IPL 2022 Eliminator at Kolkata?

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it to the playoff of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after a huge favour from Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI). It was MI's win over Delhi Capitals in their final league game of the season that confirmed RCB's spot in the playoffs. The Faf du Plessis-led side would have failed to finish in the top four had MI not beaten DC in their last game. With 16 points from 14 matches, RCB finished at the fourth spot and were the last team to enter the playoffs in IPL 2022.

RCB will now lock horns with KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday (May 24). RCB, who are yet to win their maiden IPL title, have faced defeats in Eliminator in the last two seasons and will be hoping to set the record straight this time around.

Speaking about their poor show in the knockout stages in the past two seasons, former India opener Virender Sehwag aimed a brutal dig at RCB. Sehwag said RCB do not play badly in Eliminator but the confidence of the opposition team increases once they know they are up against RCB.

"RCB don't play badly in the Eliminator. They try their best but the opposition's self-confidence increases immensely when they come to know that they are playing them," Sehwag said speaking on Cricbuzz.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/who-will-feature-in-ipl-2022-final-former-england-spinner-makes-his-pick-among-rr-lsg-gt-and-rcb-481842">Who will feature in IPL 2022 final? Former England spinner makes his pick among RR, LSG, GT and RCB</a>

RCB, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings are the only three&nbsp;teams to have not won a single IPL trophy despite being part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. RCB came close to winning their maiden title thrice by reaching the final of the 2009, 2011 and 2016 editions of the tournament but failed to go the distance.

While he took a hilarious dig at RCB for losing the Eliminator twice in a row, Sehwag also went on to claim that his former India teammate Parthiv Patel didn't want his former team RCB to qualify for the playoffs. Sehwag said Patel would not have attended Mumbai Indians' game against DC last week but had to do so due to his professional commitments.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/never-going-to-be-another-ms-dhoni-r-ashwin-lauds-csk-skipper-for-his-incredible-finishing-ability-481836">'Never going to be another MS Dhoni': R Ashwin lauds CSK skipper for his incredible finishing ability</a>

"If it had been in his (Patel's) hands, he wouldn't have gone to the stadium. Because he didn't want RCB to qualify! (laughs). He just went there because there were orders sent to him that they want to question him about something," said Sehwag.

Patel is currently working as a talent scout with Mumbai Indians. The former wicket-keeper batter played for RCB from 2018 to 2020 before retiring from all forms of cricket.

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it to the playoff of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after a huge favour from Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI).

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) made it to the playoff of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 after a huge favour from Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai Indians (MI). It was MI's win over Delhi Capitals in their final league game of the season that confirmed RCB's spot in the playoffs. The Faf du Plessis-led side would have failed to finish in the top four had MI not beaten DC in their last game. With 16 points from 14 matches, RCB finished at the fourth spot and were the last team to enter the playoffs in IPL 2022. RCB will now lock horns with KL Rahul-led Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday (May 24). RCB, who are yet to win their maiden IPL title, have faced defeats in Eliminator in the last two seasons and will be hoping to set the record straight this time around. Speaking about their poor show in the knockout stages in the past two seasons, former India opener Virender Sehwag aimed a brutal dig at RCB. Sehwag said RCB do not play badly in Eliminator but the confidence of the opposition team increases once they know they are up against RCB. "RCB don't play badly in the Eliminator. They try their best but the opposition's self-confidence increases immensely when they come to know that they are playing them," Sehwag said speaking on Cricbuzz. Also Read: Who will feature in IPL 2022 final? Former England spinner makes his pick among RR, LSG, GT and RCB RCB, Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings are the only three teams to have not won a single IPL trophy despite being part of the tournament since its inception in 2008. RCB came close to winning their maiden title thrice by reaching the final of the 2009, 2011 and 2016 editions of the tournament but failed to go the distance. While he took a hilarious dig at RCB for losing the Eliminator twice in a row, Sehwag also went on to claim that his former India teammate Parthiv Patel didn't want his former team RCB to qualify for the playoffs. Sehwag said Patel would not have attended Mumbai Indians' game against DC last week but had to do so due to his professional commitments. Also Read: 'Never going to be another MS Dhoni': R Ashwin lauds CSK skipper for his incredible finishing ability "If it had been in his (Patel's) hands, he wouldn't have gone to the stadium. Because he didn't want RCB to qualify! (laughs). He just went there because there were orders sent to him that they want to question him about something," said Sehwag. Patel is currently working as a talent scout with Mumbai Indians. The former wicket-keeper batter played for RCB from 2018 to 2020 before retiring from all forms of cricket.

Virender Sehwag takes a brutal dig at RCB: Opposition's confidence increases on knowing they will face RCB

IPL 2022 edition is nearing its conclusion. After a riveting 70-match league stage round, the action is all set to continue in the playoffs. Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) topped the points table whereas Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) ended in the top two for the first time since the inaugural season.

Moreover, the second debutant franchise -- after Gujarat -- i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have also booked a place in the playoffs as the stage is set for a thrilling end to the 15th season. Ahead of Qualifier 1, where Gujarat will lock horns with Rajasthan, former England spinner-turned-commentator Graeme Swann made a bold prediction on the season's finalists.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/never-going-to-be-another-ms-dhoni-r-ashwin-lauds-csk-skipper-for-his-incredible-finishing-ability-481836">'Never going to be another MS Dhoni': R Ashwin lauds CSK skipper for his incredible finishing ability</a>

Speaking on&nbsp;Star Sports&nbsp;show Cricket Live, Swann who has a soft corner for the Royals said, "Rajasthan Royals will win that first game (Qualifier 1) against Gujarat Titans. I honestly think first and second, i.e. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the two best sides in this season and they could end up facing each other in that final."

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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/gujarat-titans-vs-rajasthan-royals-ipl-2022-head-to-head-stats-trivia-and-predicted-playing-xis-481796">Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2022: Head-to-head, stats, trivia and predicted playing XIs</a>

For the unversed, the top-two teams have faced each other in the finale on eight occasions ever since the playoffs got introduced in the IPL (in 2011). Hence, Rajasthan-Gujarat surely have an advantage as the loser of Qualifier 1 will still have another shot at reaching the summit clash.

Nonetheless, both teams will be eager to make a place in the final after winning Qualifier 1 itself. Talking about the Eliminator, to be held on Wednesday (May 25), Lucknow will face Bengaluru at the same venue where Qualifier 1 will take place; i.e. Eden Gardens, Kolkata.&nbsp;
</section>

IPL 2022 edition is nearing its conclusion. After a riveting 70-match league stage round, the action is all set to continue in the playoffs. Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) topped the points table whereas Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) ended in the top two for the first time since the inaugural season.

IPL 2022 edition is nearing its conclusion. After a riveting 70-match league stage round, the action is all set to continue in the playoffs. Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) topped the points table whereas Sanju Samson-led Rajasthan Royals (RR) ended in the top two for the first time since the inaugural season. Moreover, the second debutant franchise -- after Gujarat -- i.e. the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and perennial underachievers Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) have also booked a place in the playoffs as the stage is set for a thrilling end to the 15th season. Ahead of Qualifier 1, where Gujarat will lock horns with Rajasthan, former England spinner-turned-commentator Graeme Swann made a bold prediction on the season's finalists. ALSO READ | 'Never going to be another MS Dhoni': R Ashwin lauds CSK skipper for his incredible finishing ability Speaking on Star Sports show Cricket Live, Swann who has a soft corner for the Royals said, "Rajasthan Royals will win that first game (Qualifier 1) against Gujarat Titans. I honestly think first and second, i.e. Gujarat and Rajasthan are the two best sides in this season and they could end up facing each other in that final." ALSO READ | Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2022: Head-to-head, stats, trivia and predicted playing XIs For the unversed, the top-two teams have faced each other in the finale on eight occasions ever since the playoffs got introduced in the IPL (in 2011). Hence, Rajasthan-Gujarat surely have an advantage as the loser of Qualifier 1 will still have another shot at reaching the summit clash. Nonetheless, both teams will be eager to make a place in the final after winning Qualifier 1 itself. Talking about the Eliminator, to be held on Wednesday (May 25), Lucknow will face Bengaluru at the same venue where Qualifier 1 will take place; i.e. Eden Gardens, Kolkata.

Who will feature in IPL 2022 final? Former England spinner makes his pick among RR, LSG, GT and RCB

Senior Indian spinner R Ashwin has been enjoying a brilliant campaign with his new team Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. While he has been among the wickets with the ball, Ashwin has also reinvented himself with the willow and has played some crucial knocks for his side. Ashwin recently opened up on his new role as a batter for RR in the lower-middle order and said it is the most unforgiving job.

Ashwin, who was released by Delhi Capitals (DC) earlier this year, was roped in by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2022 mega auction. He has been phenomenal for the 2008 champions and has been contributing with both bat and the ball. While he has 11 wickets to his name in 14 matches so far this season, Ashwin has also scored 183 runs at an impressive strike rate of over 146.

The spin all-rounder has been used both as a floater and a pinch-hitter in the RR batting line-up and has managed to deliver with the bat when asked to. He was also the first batter to retire out this season and also notched up his maiden IPL fifty against Delhi Capitals after being sent to bat up the order.

Opening up on batting in the lower-middle order, Ashwin said it is the most unforgiving job in cricket as he heaped praise on CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his incredible finishing skills. Dhoni, who is regarded as one of the best finishers in the game, has bailed his team out of trouble on several occasions while batting in the lower middle-order and has also won numerous matches for CSK as a finisher.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-president-sourav-ganguly-reacts-to-virat-kohli-and-rohit-sharmas-rough-patch-in-ipl-2022-481816">BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reacts to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's rough patch in IPL 2022</a>

"Batting lower down the order in a T20 game is the most unforgiving thing in life. And for a very, very long time...I have just looked at MS Dhoni and said 'wow, this guy is amazing'. The amount of times he goes there, he keeps receiving this flak for slowing the game down, taking it deep and then closing it out," Ashwin said in an interview with Rajasthan Royals.

"It's an incredible ability, which I think a lot of players are trying to come behind MS and wanting to be MSD. There's something to learn. There's never going to be another MSD," he added.

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In conversation with a cricketer-scientist-legend. 
 
Now playing: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘪 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoyalsFamily?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoyalsFamily</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GTvRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GTvRR</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ashwinravi99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ashwinravi99</a> <a href="https://t.co/b25zJdmuht">pic.twitter.com/b25zJdmuht</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/1528956455021252608?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 24, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rr-vs-gt-yuzvendra-chahal-set-to-script-historic-feat-on-the-brink-of-breaking-an-all-time-record-in-ipl-481807">Yuzvendra Chahal set to script historic feat, on the brink of breaking an all-time record in IPL</a>

Ashwin will be hoping to continue his fine form with the bat and the ball when Rajasthan Royals lock horns with table-toppers Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday (May 24). While the winner will secure a spot in the final, the loser will get another shot at making it to the final in the second Qualifier against the winner of the Eliminator between RCB and Lucknow Super Giants.

Senior Indian spinner R Ashwin has been enjoying a brilliant campaign with his new team Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. While he has been among the wickets with the ball, Ashwin has also reinvented himself with the willow and has played some crucial knocks for his side.

Senior Indian spinner R Ashwin has been enjoying a brilliant campaign with his new team Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. While he has been among the wickets with the ball, Ashwin has also reinvented himself with the willow and has played some crucial knocks for his side. Ashwin recently opened up on his new role as a batter for RR in the lower-middle order and said it is the most unforgiving job. Ashwin, who was released by Delhi Capitals (DC) earlier this year, was roped in by Rajasthan Royals at the IPL 2022 mega auction. He has been phenomenal for the 2008 champions and has been contributing with both bat and the ball. While he has 11 wickets to his name in 14 matches so far this season, Ashwin has also scored 183 runs at an impressive strike rate of over 146. The spin all-rounder has been used both as a floater and a pinch-hitter in the RR batting line-up and has managed to deliver with the bat when asked to. He was also the first batter to retire out this season and also notched up his maiden IPL fifty against Delhi Capitals after being sent to bat up the order. Opening up on batting in the lower-middle order, Ashwin said it is the most unforgiving job in cricket as he heaped praise on CSK skipper MS Dhoni for his incredible finishing skills. Dhoni, who is regarded as one of the best finishers in the game, has bailed his team out of trouble on several occasions while batting in the lower middle-order and has also won numerous matches for CSK as a finisher. Also Read: BCCI president Sourav Ganguly reacts to Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's rough patch in IPL 2022 "Batting lower down the order in a T20 game is the most unforgiving thing in life. And for a very, very long time...I have just looked at MS Dhoni and said 'wow, this guy is amazing'. The amount of times he goes there, he keeps receiving this flak for slowing the game down, taking it deep and then closing it out," Ashwin said in an interview with Rajasthan Royals. "It's an incredible ability, which I think a lot of players are trying to come behind MS and wanting to be MSD. There's something to learn. There's never going to be another MSD," he added. In conversation with a cricketer-scientist-legend. Now playing: 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘢𝘷𝘪 𝘈𝘴𝘩𝘸𝘪𝘯 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 #RoyalsFamily | #GTvRR | @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/b25zJdmuht — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 24, 2022 × Also Read: Yuzvendra Chahal set to script historic feat, on the brink of breaking an all-time record in IPL Ashwin will be hoping to continue his fine form with the bat and the ball when Rajasthan Royals lock horns with table-toppers Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Tuesday (May 24). While the winner will secure a spot in the final, the loser will get another shot at making it to the final in the second Qualifier against the winner of the Eliminator between RCB and Lucknow Super Giants.

'Never going to be another MS Dhoni': R Ashwin lauds CSK skipper for his incredible finishing ability

Ahead of the IPL 2022 playoffs, here's some notable surprises the cricket fans witnessed in a riveting 70-match league stage of the 15th season.

IPL 2022: Notable surprises from a riveting league stage

After a riveting 70-match league stage, the IPL 2022 edition has reached its final stage. The playoffs kick off on Tuesday (May 24) as Qualifier 1 will see the table-toppers Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) face the second-ranked Rajasthan Royals (RR) in what promises to be a blockbuster of a clash.

So far, both Rajasthan and Gujarat have faced each other only once in the tournament. In match 24, at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, Sanju Samson-led RR opted to bowl first as Hardik &amp; Co. posted a mammoth 192-4 riding on captain's 87 not out and cameos from Abhinav Manohar-David Miller. In reply, Jos Buttler's 24-ball 54 and some contributions from Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer and James Neesham propelled RR to 155-9 in 20 overs, giving a comfortable 37-run win over the one-time winners.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-playoffs-all-you-need-to-know-about-schedule-timings-and-venues-481387">IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues</a>

While the earlier face-off won't matter a lot in today's scenario, it will surely give Gujarat some confidence over Rajasthan. Meanwhile, RR are also coming into this match on the back of a spirited win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last league stage game. Hence, a riveting encounter is on the cards.

Here is all you need to know about the MI vs SRH clash in IPL 2022:

Head to head:

In head-to-head, Gujarat leads Rajasthan 1-0 on the basis of a solitary meeting between both sides.

Stats:

GT will rely on their two finishers -- Rahul Tewatia and David Miller. While Tewatia does well against left-arm pacers and averages a healthy&nbsp;67 and strikes at a whopping 188.70, scoring 134 in 71 deliveries, he will fancy going big versus Trent Boult and Obed McCoy. However, Miller might face some pressure, having been dismissed thrice each by R Ashwin-Yuzi Chahal.&nbsp;

Trivia:

Titans are known as a chasing side, having finished games on the final over on six occasions -- most by any side.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/gt-vs-rr-ipl-2022-today-match-prediction-who-will-win-gujarat-titans-vs-rajasthan-royals-qualifier-1-481791">GT vs RR, IPL 2022 today match prediction: Who will win Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals Qualifier 1?</a>

Predicted playing XIs:

RR likely XI:&nbsp;Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c &amp; wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy

GT likely XI:&nbsp;Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade/Alzarri Joseph, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami

After a riveting 70-match league stage, the IPL 2022 edition has reached its final stage. The playoffs kick off on Tuesday (May 24) as Qualifier 1 will see the table-toppers Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) face the second-ranked Rajasthan Royals (RR) in what promises to be a blockbuster of a clash.

After a riveting 70-match league stage, the IPL 2022 edition has reached its final stage. The playoffs kick off on Tuesday (May 24) as Qualifier 1 will see the table-toppers Hardik Pandya-led Gujarat Titans (GT) face the second-ranked Rajasthan Royals (RR) in what promises to be a blockbuster of a clash. So far, both Rajasthan and Gujarat have faced each other only once in the tournament. In match 24, at the Dr. DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai, Sanju Samson-led RR opted to bowl first as Hardik & Co. posted a mammoth 192-4 riding on captain's 87 not out and cameos from Abhinav Manohar-David Miller. In reply, Jos Buttler's 24-ball 54 and some contributions from Riyan Parag, Shimron Hetmyer and James Neesham propelled RR to 155-9 in 20 overs, giving a comfortable 37-run win over the one-time winners. ALSO READ | IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues While the earlier face-off won't matter a lot in today's scenario, it will surely give Gujarat some confidence over Rajasthan. Meanwhile, RR are also coming into this match on the back of a spirited win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in their last league stage game. Hence, a riveting encounter is on the cards. Here is all you need to know about the MI vs SRH clash in IPL 2022: Head to head: In head-to-head, Gujarat leads Rajasthan 1-0 on the basis of a solitary meeting between both sides. Stats: GT will rely on their two finishers -- Rahul Tewatia and David Miller. While Tewatia does well against left-arm pacers and averages a healthy 67 and strikes at a whopping 188.70, scoring 134 in 71 deliveries, he will fancy going big versus Trent Boult and Obed McCoy. However, Miller might face some pressure, having been dismissed thrice each by R Ashwin-Yuzi Chahal. Trivia: Titans are known as a chasing side, having finished games on the final over on six occasions -- most by any side. ALSO READ | GT vs RR, IPL 2022 today match prediction: Who will win Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals Qualifier 1? Predicted playing XIs: RR likely XI: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson (c & wk), Devdutt Padikkal, Shimron Hetmyer, Riyan Parag, Ravichandran Ashwin, Trent Boult, Prasidh Krishna, Yuzvendra Chahal, Obed McCoy GT likely XI: Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Shubman Gill, Matthew Wade/Alzarri Joseph, Hardik Pandya (c), David Miller, Rahul Tewatia, Rashid Khan, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore, Lockie Ferguson, Yash Dayal, Mohammed Shami

Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals, IPL 2022: Head-to-head, stats, trivia and predicted playing XIs

IPL 2022 is now onto the playoffs. After a riveting two months, the league stage of the 15th season finally ended and the action now moves to the knockouts as the top four sides will give their best to end with the elusive title.&nbsp;

In the league stage, there were quite a few notable surprises. No one would've imagined Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) -- two of the most successful teams with nine trophies combined -- to end at the bottom whereas some uncapped Indian players did very well compared to the&nbsp;marquee national and foreign players. Along with this, both the debutant sides -- Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) -- have also qualified for the playoffs.&nbsp;

Captaining an IPL team for the first time, Hardik Pandya impressed a lot by marshalling his troops and taking Gujarat to the playoffs. Thus, many former and active cricketers have been impressed with his captaincy in what is the all-rounder's comeback tournament after a long gap. Virender Sehwag, India's former opener, also hailed Hardik's style of captaincy and termed him the most impressive captain of the league stage.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-how-ms-dhonis-csk-and-rohit-sharma-led-mis-debacle-was-always-on-the-cards-481557">IPL 2022: How MS Dhoni's CSK and Rohit Sharma-led MI's debacle was always on the cards</a>

"One captain who has impressed me the most is Hardik Pandya. I did not expect Hardik Pandya to do such a wonderful captaincy. The way he used to bat, I thought he will be similarly aggressive with his captaincy too. He did not do that. He was cool and calm," Sehwag said in an interview with&nbsp;Cricbuzz.

"I am not saying this because his team won so many matches or because Ashish Nehra is my friend. When do you like someone's captaincy? It happens when, during crucial moments, you take crucial decisions especially while your team is bowling. The changes that you do in bowling or fielding which yields results. During pressure situations, he has been calm and that's why I have liked his captaincy," he added.

Under Hardik, Gujarat ended the league stage with 10 wins and even topped the points table.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-playoffs-all-you-need-to-know-about-schedule-timings-and-venues-481387">IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues</a>

Hardik-led Gujarat will now aim to beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 1 and book a place in the final. Even if they lose, the debutant team won't be out of the competition. However, they will have to take a longer route to reach the summit clash, by facing the winner of the Eliminator&nbsp;-- between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow&nbsp;on Wednesday --&nbsp;&nbsp;in Qualifier 2, scheduled to take place on Friday (May 27).&nbsp;

IPL 2022 is now onto the playoffs. After a riveting two months, the league stage of the 15th season finally ended and the action now moves to the knockouts as the top four sides will give their best to end with the elusive title.

IPL 2022 is now onto the playoffs. After a riveting two months, the league stage of the 15th season finally ended and the action now moves to the knockouts as the top four sides will give their best to end with the elusive title. In the league stage, there were quite a few notable surprises. No one would've imagined Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) -- two of the most successful teams with nine trophies combined -- to end at the bottom whereas some uncapped Indian players did very well compared to the marquee national and foreign players. Along with this, both the debutant sides -- Gujarat Titans (GT) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) -- have also qualified for the playoffs. Captaining an IPL team for the first time, Hardik Pandya impressed a lot by marshalling his troops and taking Gujarat to the playoffs. Thus, many former and active cricketers have been impressed with his captaincy in what is the all-rounder's comeback tournament after a long gap. Virender Sehwag, India's former opener, also hailed Hardik's style of captaincy and termed him the most impressive captain of the league stage. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: How MS Dhoni's CSK and Rohit Sharma-led MI's debacle was always on the cards "One captain who has impressed me the most is Hardik Pandya. I did not expect Hardik Pandya to do such a wonderful captaincy. The way he used to bat, I thought he will be similarly aggressive with his captaincy too. He did not do that. He was cool and calm," Sehwag said in an interview with Cricbuzz. "I am not saying this because his team won so many matches or because Ashish Nehra is my friend. When do you like someone's captaincy? It happens when, during crucial moments, you take crucial decisions especially while your team is bowling. The changes that you do in bowling or fielding which yields results. During pressure situations, he has been calm and that's why I have liked his captaincy," he added. Under Hardik, Gujarat ended the league stage with 10 wins and even topped the points table. ALSO READ | IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues Hardik-led Gujarat will now aim to beat Rajasthan Royals (RR) in Qualifier 1 and book a place in the final. Even if they lose, the debutant team won't be out of the competition. However, they will have to take a longer route to reach the summit clash, by facing the winner of the Eliminator -- between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow on Wednesday -- in Qualifier 2, scheduled to take place on Friday (May 27).

IPL 2022: Hardik Pandya, Samson or Rahul? Virender Sehwag picks 'most impressive' captain of league stage

IPL 2022 has been a huge hit. After as many as 70 games in the league stage, the tournament has come reached its final round. The much-awaited playoffs will now kick off from Tuesday (May 24) as the top-four teams, such as table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be eager to bring their A-game and clinch the mega title.

Since the playoffs got introduced in IPL 2011, it has been an instant hit and the same is expected this time around as well, with more twists and turns on the cards. Ever since the playoffs got inducted, there has been only one instance where a team who has finished outside the top-two have went onto win the trophy. Will the same repeat this time around or a second-such instance finally&nbsp;take place?

Here's all you need to know about IPL 2022 playoffs schedule, venues and more:

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-punjab-kings-beat-sunrisers-hyderabad-by-five-wickets-to-finish-sixth-481324">IPL 2022: Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets to finish sixth</a>

Schedule, dates and&nbsp;venues&nbsp;for IPL 2022 playoffs

Qualifier 1 (May 24) - Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Eliminator (May 25) - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants&nbsp;at Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Qualifier 2 (May 27) - Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad&nbsp;

Final (May 29) - Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad&nbsp;

Timings&nbsp;

Qualifier 1,&nbsp;Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will kick off at 7:30 PM IST. However, the final will start half hour later, i.e. at 8PM IST. The timing difference for the summit clash is due to the closing ceremony, which will be held by the BCCI for the first time since IPL 2018.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-rested-as-india-announce-squad-for-t20i-series-against-south-africa-481249">Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rested as India announce squad for T20I series against South Africa</a>

For the unversed, the Qualifier 1, 2 and Eliminator will be decided on Super Over if no play is possible due to rain. If Super Over is also not possible, the league stage standing will be take into consideration. For the final, there is a reserve day as well.

IPL 2022 has been a huge hit. After as many as 70 games in the league stage, the tournament has come reached its final round. The much-awaited playoffs will now kick off from Tuesday (May 24) as the top-four teams, such as table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be eager to bring their A-game and clinch the mega title.

IPL 2022 has been a huge hit. After as many as 70 games in the league stage, the tournament has come reached its final round. The much-awaited playoffs will now kick off from Tuesday (May 24) as the top-four teams, such as table-toppers Gujarat Titans (GT), Rajasthan Royals (RR), Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will be eager to bring their A-game and clinch the mega title. Since the playoffs got introduced in IPL 2011, it has been an instant hit and the same is expected this time around as well, with more twists and turns on the cards. Ever since the playoffs got inducted, there has been only one instance where a team who has finished outside the top-two have went onto win the trophy. Will the same repeat this time around or a second-such instance finally take place? Here's all you need to know about IPL 2022 playoffs schedule, venues and more: ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets to finish sixth Schedule, dates and venues for IPL 2022 playoffs Qualifier 1 (May 24) - Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Eliminator (May 25) - Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Lucknow Super Giants at Eden Gardens, Kolkata Qualifier 2 (May 27) - Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad Final (May 29) - Winner of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Qualifier 2 at Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad Timings Qualifier 1, Eliminator and Qualifier 2 will kick off at 7:30 PM IST. However, the final will start half hour later, i.e. at 8PM IST. The timing difference for the summit clash is due to the closing ceremony, which will be held by the BCCI for the first time since IPL 2018. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rested as India announce squad for T20I series against South Africa For the unversed, the Qualifier 1, 2 and Eliminator will be decided on Super Over if no play is possible due to rain. If Super Over is also not possible, the league stage standing will be take into consideration. For the final, there is a reserve day as well.

IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues

Punjab Kings ended their campaign on a winning note, crushing an already demoralised Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in an inconsequential final IPL league match here on Sunday.

Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed only 157 for 8 on a good batting track.

But it was never going to be enough as Liam Livingstone made mincemeat of a hapless SRH attack, scoring 49 not out off 22 balls, and also hitting the coveted 1000th six of the tournament.

Shikhar Dhawan (39 off 32 balls) and Jitesh Sharma (19 off 7 balls) also contributed handsomely to the team's cause as the chase was completed in just 15.1 overs.

Punjab Kings, who haven't made the play-offs since their final appearance in 2014, finished sixth while the Sunrisers ended their high-spending IPL on eighth in the 10-team competition.

For Livingstone, it was all about smashing big sixes once again as he hit five in all, while Dhawan helped himself to two fours and two sixes.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/manchester-city-claim-premier-league-title-with-thrilling-victory-on-final-day-481308">Manchester City claim Premier League title with thrilling victory on final day</a>

It was Jonny Bairstow (23 off 15 balls), who straightaway attacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Washington Sundar, with a flurry of boundaries to set the tempo.

It helped Dhawan to play his accumulating game as Punjab maintained their philosophy of all out attack even as Sunrisers dropped some sitters on the field.

Worst was Washington Sundar's blooper when Livingstine tried to hit Jagadeesha Suchit against the turn and offered a dolly at point.

There were too many on-field bungles with Roamrio Shepherd's 15th over going for 23 runs.

Earlier, Punjab Kings bowlers showed a lot of discipline, restricting SRH to 157 for 8 in 20 overs.

Arshdeep Singh (0/25 in 4 overs) celebrated his maiden India call-up with another parsimonious spell but it was his state team colleague Harpreet Brar (3/26 in 4 overs), who was the pick of the bowlers with wickets of Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram.

With four qualifiers already decided on Saturday, there was little more than academic interest left in the game and the 'Orange Army' in fact looked jaded and more like going through the motions while batting before sprucing up their scores in the final few overs.

SRH's best batter of the season, Abhishek Sharma (43 off 32 balls) once again got a start but should have converted it into a big one which didn't happen.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-rested-as-india-announce-squad-for-t20i-series-against-south-africa-481249" hreflang="en">Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rested as India announce squad for T20I series against South Africa</a>

A solemn looking Tripathi (20) did cross a personal milestone of 400 runs for the season but disappointment of not making it to the national team was writ large in his body language as he failed to connect the big hits.

Brar didn't do anything extraordinary and kept it mostly on the stumps, stifling the opposition batters for runs.

It was left to Romario Shepherd (26 not out off 15 balls) and Washington Sundar (25 off 19 balls) to take the Sunrisers past the 150-run mark, as both of them used the long handle to good effect in their 58-run sixth-wicket partnership off only 4.5 overs.

In fact, 50-plus runs came in the last four overs as Nathan Ellis (3/40 in 4 overs) erred in length despite a couple of back-to-back wickets that he got in the bargain.

Ellis did bowl a good hat-trick delivery which Bhuvneshwar Kumar averted only to get run-out of the very next delivery.

Punjab Kings ended their campaign on a winning note, crushing an already demoralised Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in an inconsequential final IPL league match here on Sunday.

Punjab Kings ended their campaign on a winning note, crushing an already demoralised Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets in an inconsequential final IPL league match here on Sunday. Batting first, Sunrisers Hyderabad managed only 157 for 8 on a good batting track. But it was never going to be enough as Liam Livingstone made mincemeat of a hapless SRH attack, scoring 49 not out off 22 balls, and also hitting the coveted 1000th six of the tournament. Shikhar Dhawan (39 off 32 balls) and Jitesh Sharma (19 off 7 balls) also contributed handsomely to the team's cause as the chase was completed in just 15.1 overs. Punjab Kings, who haven't made the play-offs since their final appearance in 2014, finished sixth while the Sunrisers ended their high-spending IPL on eighth in the 10-team competition. For Livingstone, it was all about smashing big sixes once again as he hit five in all, while Dhawan helped himself to two fours and two sixes. Also read | Manchester City claim Premier League title with thrilling victory on final day It was Jonny Bairstow (23 off 15 balls), who straightaway attacked Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Washington Sundar, with a flurry of boundaries to set the tempo. It helped Dhawan to play his accumulating game as Punjab maintained their philosophy of all out attack even as Sunrisers dropped some sitters on the field. Worst was Washington Sundar's blooper when Livingstine tried to hit Jagadeesha Suchit against the turn and offered a dolly at point. There were too many on-field bungles with Roamrio Shepherd's 15th over going for 23 runs. Earlier, Punjab Kings bowlers showed a lot of discipline, restricting SRH to 157 for 8 in 20 overs. Arshdeep Singh (0/25 in 4 overs) celebrated his maiden India call-up with another parsimonious spell but it was his state team colleague Harpreet Brar (3/26 in 4 overs), who was the pick of the bowlers with wickets of Priyam Garg, Rahul Tripathi and Aiden Markram. With four qualifiers already decided on Saturday, there was little more than academic interest left in the game and the 'Orange Army' in fact looked jaded and more like going through the motions while batting before sprucing up their scores in the final few overs. SRH's best batter of the season, Abhishek Sharma (43 off 32 balls) once again got a start but should have converted it into a big one which didn't happen. Also read | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma rested as India announce squad for T20I series against South Africa A solemn looking Tripathi (20) did cross a personal milestone of 400 runs for the season but disappointment of not making it to the national team was writ large in his body language as he failed to connect the big hits. Brar didn't do anything extraordinary and kept it mostly on the stumps, stifling the opposition batters for runs. It was left to Romario Shepherd (26 not out off 15 balls) and Washington Sundar (25 off 19 balls) to take the Sunrisers past the 150-run mark, as both of them used the long handle to good effect in their 58-run sixth-wicket partnership off only 4.5 overs. In fact, 50-plus runs came in the last four overs as Nathan Ellis (3/40 in 4 overs) erred in length despite a couple of back-to-back wickets that he got in the bargain. Ellis did bowl a good hat-trick delivery which Bhuvneshwar Kumar averted only to get run-out of the very next delivery.

IPL 2022: Punjab Kings beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets to finish sixth

IPL 2022 becomes the first-ever season where both Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have not qualified for the playoffs. In IPL 2016, both teams were also not part of the playoffs, however, CSK didn't feature&nbsp;back due to their two-year suspension&nbsp;in the spot-fixing scandal. Thus, it surely is the end of a magnificent era.

The MS Dhoni-starrer defending champions CSK ended at the ninth position in the points table. On the other hand, five-time winners and IPL's most successful team Mumbai couldn't avoid the wooden spoon despite a winning end to their forgettable campaign. Both sides returned with four victories and as many as ten defeats each. In fact, this was also the first time both franchises endured nine, or more, defeats in a season. In a nutshell, it can be said that two toppers fell flat and occupied the last two positions in the overall standings as other teams have surely mastered the art of winning big moments against them. However, the bigger question remains -- is MI-CSK's drubbing really a shocker? Well, it was always on the cards.

Many connoisseurs of the game might be quick to point out that the 'law of averages' was always going to bite the two famed sides. However, more than that CSK-MI's muddled approach, questionable team selections, playing styles, strategies, etc. were some notable reasons for their massive downfall.

1) Poor approach to the mega auction: Prior to the season, MI-CSK's team management's approach remained below par. After letting go of some big names in their roster, MI only managed to re-buy Ishan Kishan. Their replacements for the Pandya brothers, Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult, etc. were never really impressive (after including Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith, etc.). The Men in Blue also didn't purchase a solid spinner to spearhead the middle-overs. Murugan Ashwin did impress, however, he was also taken to the cleaners during some high-scorers. CSK, on the other hand, re-bought their core players, who seem to be well past their prime. It was an auction to look ahead, however, CSK's conservative approach sealed their fate then and there.

One might argue that CSK did pick young guns such as Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theeshana, Simranjit Singh, etc., nonetheless, they never cared to properly rebuild their bowling unit. Either they had international bowlers woefully out of form, or only good to chip in with few overs, or it turned out to be too much reliance on youngsters in Deepak Chahar's absence.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ive-only-seen-zaheer-nehra-do-that-during-my-time-virender-sehwag-lavishes-praise-on-punjab-pacer-481437">'I've only seen Zaheer, Nehra do that during my time' - Virender Sehwag lavishes praise on Punjab pacer</a>

2) Captaincy and team management woes:&nbsp;CSK isn't a team that makes headlines for captaincy woes and reports of a rift between a player, or players, and team management. This season saw them tick off both the boxes. Firstly, if Dhoni was sure to give up captaincy to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja much before the season started, Jadeja still looked like a fish out of the water. His&nbsp;approach was half-baked whereas, in some crunch games, he seemed out of the picture with Dhoni leading the charge. Lastly, when Jadeja relinquished captaincy and Dhoni returned to the post officially, reports of a rift between CSK team management and Jadeja took precedence. Even if the reports have been quashed completely, something was surely not right in the way things were handled&nbsp;in the Yellow Army camp.

3) Dubious selections and strategies:&nbsp;Both MI and CSK have been successful as they follow a similar template, i.e. backing their group of players and accomodating a change in strategy when needed. However, IPL 2022 saw both teams make some surprising calls in terms of team selection and erring in strategies. While CSK admitted to have not read the pitch properly on a few occasions (read Dhoni's post-match comments after their second loss to Gujarat Titans), they didn't back Devon Conway after his failure on debut. MI, on the other hand, dropped Tim David -- who was roped in for INR 82.5 million -- after a few flop shows. Similarly, MI didn't go all-out in the usage of Jasprit Bumrah with him not opening the bowling in several matches. Meanwhile,&nbsp;CSK's rotation of bowlers and top order's timid approach never saw them coming to their usual best. During Jadeja's captaincy, the rotation of bowlers was also not up to the mark.

These factors led to both CSK and MI failing to emerge on top in several close encounters (versus Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, etc.). There was utter chaos, a lack of role clarity and imbalance among batters and bowlers, especially at the initial stages, to confirm both sides' early exit.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-playoffs-all-you-need-to-know-about-schedule-timings-and-venues-481387">IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues</a>

4) Lack of form, injury to key players ruining it all:&nbsp;To add salt to their wounds, Chennai and Mumbai's star players never really stood tall. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc. never&nbsp;threatened opposition camps with their consistency or form. Bumrah wasn't among wickets at regular intervals, barring a game where he ended with a five-fer, whereas Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, and Robin Uthappa did their best but it wasn't enough.

MI and CSK's big buys also underperformed. While Ishan, the most expensive&nbsp;player of this year's mega auction, ended with 400-plus runs, he struck at 121.11. On the other hand, CSK missed the services of Chahar, who remains injured and out of action. Injuries to Jadeja-Suryakumar Yadav in the fag end of the league stage also hurt the wounded CSK and MI line-up.&nbsp;

Hence, both CSK and MI are deservingly out of the playoffs race. As the two are highly successful in IPL, expect them to bounce back sooner than later. However, both MI and CSK need to go back to the drawing board to rethink their approach, and playing style, revamp next year and be more ruthless as the tournament is now much more difficult to crack with the addition of two new teams.

IPL 2022 becomes the first-ever season where both Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have not qualified for the playoffs. In IPL 2016, both teams were also not part of the playoffs, however, CSK didn't feature back due to their two-year suspension in the spot-fixing scandal.

IPL 2022 becomes the first-ever season where both Chennai Super Kings (CSK) and Mumbai Indians (MI) have not qualified for the playoffs. In IPL 2016, both teams were also not part of the playoffs, however, CSK didn't feature back due to their two-year suspension in the spot-fixing scandal. Thus, it surely is the end of a magnificent era. The MS Dhoni-starrer defending champions CSK ended at the ninth position in the points table. On the other hand, five-time winners and IPL's most successful team Mumbai couldn't avoid the wooden spoon despite a winning end to their forgettable campaign. Both sides returned with four victories and as many as ten defeats each. In fact, this was also the first time both franchises endured nine, or more, defeats in a season. In a nutshell, it can be said that two toppers fell flat and occupied the last two positions in the overall standings as other teams have surely mastered the art of winning big moments against them. However, the bigger question remains -- is MI-CSK's drubbing really a shocker? Well, it was always on the cards. Many connoisseurs of the game might be quick to point out that the 'law of averages' was always going to bite the two famed sides. However, more than that CSK-MI's muddled approach, questionable team selections, playing styles, strategies, etc. were some notable reasons for their massive downfall. 1) Poor approach to the mega auction: Prior to the season, MI-CSK's team management's approach remained below par. After letting go of some big names in their roster, MI only managed to re-buy Ishan Kishan. Their replacements for the Pandya brothers, Quinton de Kock, Trent Boult, etc. were never really impressive (after including Daniel Sams, Riley Meredith, etc.). The Men in Blue also didn't purchase a solid spinner to spearhead the middle-overs. Murugan Ashwin did impress, however, he was also taken to the cleaners during some high-scorers. CSK, on the other hand, re-bought their core players, who seem to be well past their prime. It was an auction to look ahead, however, CSK's conservative approach sealed their fate then and there. One might argue that CSK did pick young guns such as Mukesh Choudhary, Maheesh Theeshana, Simranjit Singh, etc., nonetheless, they never cared to properly rebuild their bowling unit. Either they had international bowlers woefully out of form, or only good to chip in with few overs, or it turned out to be too much reliance on youngsters in Deepak Chahar's absence. ALSO READ | 'I've only seen Zaheer, Nehra do that during my time' - Virender Sehwag lavishes praise on Punjab pacer 2) Captaincy and team management woes: CSK isn't a team that makes headlines for captaincy woes and reports of a rift between a player, or players, and team management. This season saw them tick off both the boxes. Firstly, if Dhoni was sure to give up captaincy to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja much before the season started, Jadeja still looked like a fish out of the water. His approach was half-baked whereas, in some crunch games, he seemed out of the picture with Dhoni leading the charge. Lastly, when Jadeja relinquished captaincy and Dhoni returned to the post officially, reports of a rift between CSK team management and Jadeja took precedence. Even if the reports have been quashed completely, something was surely not right in the way things were handled in the Yellow Army camp. 3) Dubious selections and strategies: Both MI and CSK have been successful as they follow a similar template, i.e. backing their group of players and accomodating a change in strategy when needed. However, IPL 2022 saw both teams make some surprising calls in terms of team selection and erring in strategies. While CSK admitted to have not read the pitch properly on a few occasions (read Dhoni's post-match comments after their second loss to Gujarat Titans), they didn't back Devon Conway after his failure on debut. MI, on the other hand, dropped Tim David -- who was roped in for INR 82.5 million -- after a few flop shows. Similarly, MI didn't go all-out in the usage of Jasprit Bumrah with him not opening the bowling in several matches. Meanwhile, CSK's rotation of bowlers and top order's timid approach never saw them coming to their usual best. During Jadeja's captaincy, the rotation of bowlers was also not up to the mark. These factors led to both CSK and MI failing to emerge on top in several close encounters (versus Lucknow Super Giants, Gujarat, Kolkata Knight Riders, Punjab Kings, etc.). There was utter chaos, a lack of role clarity and imbalance among batters and bowlers, especially at the initial stages, to confirm both sides' early exit. ALSO READ | IPL 2022 playoffs: All you need to know about schedule, timings and venues 4) Lack of form, injury to key players ruining it all: To add salt to their wounds, Chennai and Mumbai's star players never really stood tall. The likes of Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja, Kieron Pollard, Ruturaj Gaikwad, etc. never threatened opposition camps with their consistency or form. Bumrah wasn't among wickets at regular intervals, barring a game where he ended with a five-fer, whereas Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Dwayne Bravo, and Robin Uthappa did their best but it wasn't enough. MI and CSK's big buys also underperformed. While Ishan, the most expensive player of this year's mega auction, ended with 400-plus runs, he struck at 121.11. On the other hand, CSK missed the services of Chahar, who remains injured and out of action. Injuries to Jadeja-Suryakumar Yadav in the fag end of the league stage also hurt the wounded CSK and MI line-up. Hence, both CSK and MI are deservingly out of the playoffs race. As the two are highly successful in IPL, expect them to bounce back sooner than later. However, both MI and CSK need to go back to the drawing board to rethink their approach, and playing style, revamp next year and be more ruthless as the tournament is now much more difficult to crack with the addition of two new teams.

IPL 2022: How MS Dhoni's CSK and Rohit Sharma-led MI's debacle was always on the cards

Royal Challengers Bangalore sneeked into the play-offs after Mumbai Indians broke Delhi Capitals' heart with a five-wicket win in their last IPL match here on Saturday.

Already out of contention, MI played partypoopers as they first restricted DC to 159 for 7 with Jasprit Bumrah snapping three wickets and then returned to overhaul the target in 19.1 overs to knock the 2020 finalists out of the tournament.

While Ishan Kishan (48) and Dewald Brevis (37) kept MI in the hunt, it was Tim David's 11-ball 34-run cameo that brought the five-time champions back into the chase. Tilak&nbsp;Varma also chipped in with a crucial 17-ball 21.

With MI at 95 for 3 in 14.3 overs, DC skipper Rishabh Pant made a strategic blunder as he refused to go for DRS after David nicked the first ball of his innings but the onfield umpire didn't give him out.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-playoffs-qualifiers-eliminator-schedule-dates-and-venues-481108" hreflang="en">IPL 2022 playoffs: Qualifiers, Eliminator - Schedule, dates, and venues</a>

It came back to haunt DC as David slammed fours and sixes at will to bring down the equation to 15 off 14 balls. Ramandeep then provided the finishing touch with a six-ball 13.

DC finished with 14 points to remain in the fifth spot, while RCB joined Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants into the play-offs with 16 points.

Defending the total, left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed looked in good rhythm as he bowled a sensational first two overs, conceding just 2. He bowled full outside off-stump to trouble the openers, mainly Rohit Sharma (2).

Anrich Nortje finally put an end to Rohit's struggle with the MI skipper chipping one to mid-on.

Ishan and Brevis then added 51 runs off 37 balls but Kuldeep Yadav (1/33) broke the partnership with David Warner taking a fine catch to get rid of the former.

Brevis took on the attack to the opposition and smashed two sixes and a four off Kuldeep, who could have had him but skipper Pant dropped a sitter in the 12th over to add to the agony of the bowler.

However, Brevis dragged one on to his stumps as MI slipped to 95 for 3 in the 15th over.

After that it was a David show as hit a six over deep mid-wicket off Shardul Thakur.

David and Varma hit a four a six to accumulate 13 runs off the 16th over. Khaleel then conceded 17 with David smashing a four and a six.

Needing 29 from 18 balls, David clobbered Shardul for two maximums and also completed the fifty run stand to reduce the equation to 15 off 13 balls.

Thakur finally removed David, who hit a full toss to Prithvi Shaw at extra cover but by then it was too late. 
Earlier, opting to field, MI bowlers, led by Bumrah (3/25) left DC tottering at 50 for 4 in 8.4 overs but

Rovman Powell and skipper Pant (39 off 33 balls) shared 75 off 44 balls to ressurect the innings and take them to a decent total.

Daniel Sams (1/30) and Riley Mereditch (0/9 in 2 overs) bowled well as did the spin duo of Mayank Markande (1/26) and Hrithik Shooken (0/34).

Ramandeep Singh (2/29 in 2 overs) also managed to scalp two wickets.

Back after recovering from a bout of typhoid, Shaw (24) looked in good touch but Sams produced the first breakthrough when he had Warner caught by Bumrah at short third man.

Bumrah then turned the heat as he first found the outside edge of Mitchell Marsh with Rohit taking a low catch and then returned to sent back Shaw with an unplayable bouncer.

It was time for Markande to shine next as Sarfaraz Khan nicked one outside the off-stump to see DC slump to 50 for four in ninth over.

With Shokeen and Markande bowling in tandum, DC scored their lowest total at the halfway mark this season -- 55 for four.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/excellent-potential-former-india-cricketer-picks-two-favourites-to-win-ipl-2022-title-481093" hreflang="en">'Excellent potential': Former India cricketer picks two favourites to win IPL 2022 title</a>

While Pant dropped anchor, Powell exploded in the 12th over, smashing Shokeen for two maximums and a four to pick up 20 runs.

Markande was next in line as Powell deposited him over long-off, before MI conceded a bye four. 
Meredith bowled a tight over, conceding just two.

Ramandeep then bowled three wides and conceded a six and a four before taking Pant's wicket in his final ball.

Powell then pulled Bumrah over deep square leg, while Axar Patel (19 not out) produced a timely six off Sams.

However, Bumrah produced his trademark toe-crushing yorker to disturb the timbers of Powell and nearly had another wicket, only if Brevis could have held on to a one-handed catch.

Ramandeep took a wicket in the final over which yielded 11 runs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore sneeked into the play-offs after Mumbai Indians broke Delhi Capitals' heart with a five-wicket win in their last IPL match here on Saturday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore sneeked into the play-offs after Mumbai Indians broke Delhi Capitals' heart with a five-wicket win in their last IPL match here on Saturday. Already out of contention, MI played partypoopers as they first restricted DC to 159 for 7 with Jasprit Bumrah snapping three wickets and then returned to overhaul the target in 19.1 overs to knock the 2020 finalists out of the tournament. While Ishan Kishan (48) and Dewald Brevis (37) kept MI in the hunt, it was Tim David's 11-ball 34-run cameo that brought the five-time champions back into the chase. Tilak Varma also chipped in with a crucial 17-ball 21. With MI at 95 for 3 in 14.3 overs, DC skipper Rishabh Pant made a strategic blunder as he refused to go for DRS after David nicked the first ball of his innings but the onfield umpire didn't give him out. Also read | IPL 2022 playoffs: Qualifiers, Eliminator - Schedule, dates, and venues It came back to haunt DC as David slammed fours and sixes at will to bring down the equation to 15 off 14 balls. Ramandeep then provided the finishing touch with a six-ball 13. DC finished with 14 points to remain in the fifth spot, while RCB joined Gujarat Titans, Rajasthan Royals and Lucknow Super Giants into the play-offs with 16 points. Defending the total, left-arm seamer Khaleel Ahmed looked in good rhythm as he bowled a sensational first two overs, conceding just 2. He bowled full outside off-stump to trouble the openers, mainly Rohit Sharma (2). Anrich Nortje finally put an end to Rohit's struggle with the MI skipper chipping one to mid-on. Ishan and Brevis then added 51 runs off 37 balls but Kuldeep Yadav (1/33) broke the partnership with David Warner taking a fine catch to get rid of the former. Brevis took on the attack to the opposition and smashed two sixes and a four off Kuldeep, who could have had him but skipper Pant dropped a sitter in the 12th over to add to the agony of the bowler. However, Brevis dragged one on to his stumps as MI slipped to 95 for 3 in the 15th over. After that it was a David show as hit a six over deep mid-wicket off Shardul Thakur. David and Varma hit a four a six to accumulate 13 runs off the 16th over. Khaleel then conceded 17 with David smashing a four and a six. Needing 29 from 18 balls, David clobbered Shardul for two maximums and also completed the fifty run stand to reduce the equation to 15 off 13 balls. Thakur finally removed David, who hit a full toss to Prithvi Shaw at extra cover but by then it was too late. Earlier, opting to field, MI bowlers, led by Bumrah (3/25) left DC tottering at 50 for 4 in 8.4 overs but Rovman Powell and skipper Pant (39 off 33 balls) shared 75 off 44 balls to ressurect the innings and take them to a decent total. Daniel Sams (1/30) and Riley Mereditch (0/9 in 2 overs) bowled well as did the spin duo of Mayank Markande (1/26) and Hrithik Shooken (0/34). Ramandeep Singh (2/29 in 2 overs) also managed to scalp two wickets. Back after recovering from a bout of typhoid, Shaw (24) looked in good touch but Sams produced the first breakthrough when he had Warner caught by Bumrah at short third man. Bumrah then turned the heat as he first found the outside edge of Mitchell Marsh with Rohit taking a low catch and then returned to sent back Shaw with an unplayable bouncer. It was time for Markande to shine next as Sarfaraz Khan nicked one outside the off-stump to see DC slump to 50 for four in ninth over. With Shokeen and Markande bowling in tandum, DC scored their lowest total at the halfway mark this season -- 55 for four. Also read | 'Excellent potential': Former India cricketer picks two favourites to win IPL 2022 title While Pant dropped anchor, Powell exploded in the 12th over, smashing Shokeen for two maximums and a four to pick up 20 runs. Markande was next in line as Powell deposited him over long-off, before MI conceded a bye four. Meredith bowled a tight over, conceding just two. Ramandeep then bowled three wides and conceded a six and a four before taking Pant's wicket in his final ball. Powell then pulled Bumrah over deep square leg, while Axar Patel (19 not out) produced a timely six off Sams. However, Bumrah produced his trademark toe-crushing yorker to disturb the timbers of Powell and nearly had another wicket, only if Brevis could have held on to a one-handed catch. Ramandeep took a wicket in the final over which yielded 11 runs.

IPL 2022: RCB clinch final playoff berth after MI beat DC by five wickets

It was not a good outing for Rishabh Pant on Saturday as a couple of errors from the Delhi Capitals skipper led to his team’s defeat against Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter. DC needed a win against the lowest ranked side in the tournament to book their playoff berth, but they were beaten by five wickets thanks to brilliant performances from Tim David and Jasprit Bumrah.

After posting a modest total on a tricky pitch, Pant dropped a sitter to dismiss the dangerous Dewald Brevis and then, he did not opt for a review after the DC players were convinced that Tim David was caught behind. The replay showed a clear edge and it proved to be the costliest mistake in the match.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-rohit-sharma-rested-as-india-announce-squad-for-t20i-series-against-south-africa-481249">Kohli, Rohit rested as India announce squad for T20I series vs South Africa</a>

In the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma was asked about Pant’s captaincy and the Indian cricket team skipper said that ‘little fumbles can happen’ and called him a ‘quality captain’.

"He is a quality captain, there's no doubt about it. In the past seasons we have seen how he has led his team. Sometimes things don't go your way, it is as simple as that. I have been through these kind of situations before and I was just telling him about the same thing. These kinds of things happen on the ground, sometimes it just doesn't go your way. So, there is nothing wrong in it," Rohit said.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/google-doodle-celebrates-gama-pehlwan-everything-you-need-to-know-about-indias-legendary-wrestler-481238" hreflang="en">Google Doodle celebrates Gama Pehlwan - Everything you need to know</a>

"You can take a lot of learnings from all of this and try and keep things simple. He's got a great mind; he reads the game well from behind. It's a high-pressure tournament and those little fumbles can happen. But it is important not to lose confidence and not to start doubting yourself. That is something I spoke to him about. He's a confident guy, he'll come back strong next season," he added.

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It was not a good outing for Rishabh Pant on Saturday as a couple of errors from the Delhi Capitals skipper led to his team’s defeat against Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter.

It was not a good outing for Rishabh Pant on Saturday as a couple of errors from the Delhi Capitals skipper led to his team’s defeat against Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 encounter. DC needed a win against the lowest ranked side in the tournament to book their playoff berth, but they were beaten by five wickets thanks to brilliant performances from Tim David and Jasprit Bumrah. After posting a modest total on a tricky pitch, Pant dropped a sitter to dismiss the dangerous Dewald Brevis and then, he did not opt for a review after the DC players were convinced that Tim David was caught behind. The replay showed a clear edge and it proved to be the costliest mistake in the match. Also read | Kohli, Rohit rested as India announce squad for T20I series vs South Africa In the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma was asked about Pant’s captaincy and the Indian cricket team skipper said that ‘little fumbles can happen’ and called him a ‘quality captain’. "He is a quality captain, there's no doubt about it. In the past seasons we have seen how he has led his team. Sometimes things don't go your way, it is as simple as that. I have been through these kind of situations before and I was just telling him about the same thing. These kinds of things happen on the ground, sometimes it just doesn't go your way. So, there is nothing wrong in it," Rohit said. Also read | Google Doodle celebrates Gama Pehlwan - Everything you need to know "You can take a lot of learnings from all of this and try and keep things simple. He's got a great mind; he reads the game well from behind. It's a high-pressure tournament and those little fumbles can happen. But it is important not to lose confidence and not to start doubting yourself. That is something I spoke to him about. He's a confident guy, he'll come back strong next season," he added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Fumbles can happen': Rohit Sharma has his say on Rishabh Pant's captaincy errors against MI

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will be looking to finish their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaigns with a win as they face each other on Sunday.

Head-to-head

Sunrisers Hyderabad enjoy an overwhelming advantage over Punjab Kings with 18 wins from 24 matches. Since 2018, the two teams have been quite even with four wins each in 8 matches.

Stats

Kane Williamson has experienced a mix run of form in powerplays with 63 runs but at a less than satisfactory strike rate. SRH pacer T Natarajan will also try to improve his showing in the first six overs as he has taken just four wickets in that period.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/thank-you-mumbai-kohli-du-plessis-others-go-berserk-as-mi-help-rcb-qualify-for-ipl-2022-playoffs-watch-481132">WATCH: Kohli, Faf and others go berserk as MI help RCB qualify for playoffs</a>

Trivia

Mayank Agarwal has not won a single toss since PBKS’ first game against RCB while Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson has won the toss in their last five matches. The powerplay is also quite significant for both teams as they have excelled in that stage with multiple 60+ scores.

Predicted XIs

Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan, Odeon Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Kane Williamson, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Shashank Singh, J Suchith, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/huge-blunder-rishabh-pant-decides-not-to-review-after-tim-david-edges-delivery-from-shardul-thakur-watch-481135" hreflang="en">Pant decides not to review after David edges delivery from Shardul - WATCH</a>

Complete squads

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Porel, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Vaibhav Arora, Nathan Ellis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Priyam Garg, Shashank Singh, Romario Shepherd, Marco Jansen, J Suchith, Shreyas Gopal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sean Abbott, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Tiwary, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will be looking to finish their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaigns with a win as they face each other on Sunday. Head-to-head Sunrisers Hyderabad enjoy an overwhelming advantage over Punjab Kings with 18 wins from 24 matches.

Sunrisers Hyderabad and Punjab Kings will be looking to finish their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 campaigns with a win as they face each other on Sunday. Head-to-head Sunrisers Hyderabad enjoy an overwhelming advantage over Punjab Kings with 18 wins from 24 matches. Since 2018, the two teams have been quite even with four wins each in 8 matches. Stats Kane Williamson has experienced a mix run of form in powerplays with 63 runs but at a less than satisfactory strike rate. SRH pacer T Natarajan will also try to improve his showing in the first six overs as he has taken just four wickets in that period. Also read | WATCH: Kohli, Faf and others go berserk as MI help RCB qualify for playoffs Trivia Mayank Agarwal has not won a single toss since PBKS’ first game against RCB while Sunrisers Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson has won the toss in their last five matches. The powerplay is also quite significant for both teams as they have excelled in that stage with multiple 60+ scores. Predicted XIs Punjab Kings: Mayank Agarwal, Shikhar Dhawan, Jonny Bairstow, Liam Livingstone, Jitesh Sharma, Shahrukh Khan, Odeon Smith, Kagiso Rabada, Rahul Chahar, Arshdeep Singh, Vaibhav Arora Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Kane Williamson, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Shashank Singh, J Suchith, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Marco Jansen, Umran Malik, T Natarajan Also read | Pant decides not to review after David edges delivery from Shardul - WATCH Complete squads Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan, Mayank Agarwal, Arshdeep Singh, Kagiso Rabada, Jonny Bairstow, Rahul Chahar, Harpreet Brar, Shahrukh Khan, Prabhsimran Singh, Jitesh Sharma, Ishan Porel, Liam Livingstone, Odean Smith, Sandeep Sharma, Raj Angad Bawa, Rishi Dhawan, Vaibhav Arora, Nathan Ellis, Bhanuka Rajapaksa, Benny Howell Sunrisers Hyderabad: Abhishek Sharma, Rahul Tripathi, Aiden Markram, Nicholas Pooran, Abdul Samad, Priyam Garg, Shashank Singh, Romario Shepherd, Marco Jansen, J Suchith, Shreyas Gopal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sean Abbott, Kartik Tyagi, Saurabh Tiwary, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Umran Malik, T Natarajan

Punjab Kings vs Sunrisers Hyderabad, IPL 2022: Head-to-head, stats, trivia and predicted XIs

Royal Challengers Bangalore became the final team to book their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as Mumbai Indians defeat Delhi Capitals by five wickets on Saturday. Thanks to this result, DC remain in 14 points while RCB finished fourth with 16 points from 14 matches. RCB had the worse net run rate but their win over Gujarat Titans in their final game was enough to grab the spot.

RCB will be facing Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator on May 25 with KL Rahul &amp; Co already qualifying for the Top-4 with 18 points from 14 matches. LSG defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in a hard-fought encounter to qualify in the third position because of a worse net run rate than Rajasthan Royals.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hope-usd-doesnt-break-my-210-runs-record-pakistan-batter-takes-a-dig-at-economic-situation-of-his-country-481022" hreflang="en">'Hope USD doesn't break my 210 runs record': Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman</a>

Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will face each other in Qualifier 1 after finishing in the first and second spot respectively. While GT had 20 points from 14 matches in their debut season, RR moved up the table with 18 points from 14 games thanks to their win over Chennai Super Kings.

Here’s a look at the IPL 2022 Qualifier and eliminator fixtures -

Qualifier 1 - May 24 - Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals - Kolkata

Eliminator - May 25 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Kolkata

Qualifier 2 - May 27 - Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1 - Ahmedabad

The final of IPL 2022 will be played on May 29 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.

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Royal Challengers Bangalore became the final team to book their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as Mumbai Indians defeat Delhi Capitals by five wickets on Saturday.

Royal Challengers Bangalore became the final team to book their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as Mumbai Indians defeat Delhi Capitals by five wickets on Saturday. Thanks to this result, DC remain in 14 points while RCB finished fourth with 16 points from 14 matches. RCB had the worse net run rate but their win over Gujarat Titans in their final game was enough to grab the spot. RCB will be facing Lucknow Super Giants in the eliminator on May 25 with KL Rahul & Co already qualifying for the Top-4 with 18 points from 14 matches. LSG defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in a hard-fought encounter to qualify in the third position because of a worse net run rate than Rajasthan Royals. Also read | 'Hope USD doesn't break my 210 runs record': Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals will face each other in Qualifier 1 after finishing in the first and second spot respectively. While GT had 20 points from 14 matches in their debut season, RR moved up the table with 18 points from 14 games thanks to their win over Chennai Super Kings. Here’s a look at the IPL 2022 Qualifier and eliminator fixtures - Qualifier 1 - May 24 - Gujarat Titans vs Rajasthan Royals - Kolkata Eliminator - May 25 - Lucknow Super Giants vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - Kolkata Qualifier 2 - May 27 - Winner of Eliminator vs Loser of Qualifier 1 - Ahmedabad The final of IPL 2022 will be played on May 29 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

IPL 2022 playoffs: Qualifiers, Eliminator - Schedule, dates, and venues

Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes that the debutants – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – have a great chance of winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 title. Both of the sides, along with Rajasthan Royals, have guaranteed their spot in the playoffs and the two sides have also impressed everyone with their all-round show in the IPL group stages.

“One of the new teams — Lucknow Super Giants or Gujarat Titans — has the excellent potential of winning IPL 2022,” Patel said in a live session on ShareChat Audio Chatrooms.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-liked-the-positive-attitude-sachin-tendulkar-heaps-praises-on-virat-kohli-after-half-century-against-gt-481066" hreflang="en">'I liked the positive attitude': Sachin Tendulkar heaps praises on Virat Kohli after half century against GT</a>

Gujarat Titans will face Rajasthan Royals in the Playoff 1 while in the eliminator, KL Rahul’s Lucknow Super Giants will take on either Royal Challengers Bangalore or Delhi Capitals.

The veteran, who has played for a number of IPL franchises in his career, was also quite impressed by the new talents who excelled this season and he praised Umran Malik and Tilak Varma.

“Players like Mohsin Khan, Umran Malik, Yash Dhull, and Tilak Varma are great prospects to join the Indian cricket team,” he said while discussing the young cricketers who played well in IPL 2022.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-brain-lara-compares-sunrisers-hyderabad-pacer-umran-malik-to-this-west-indies-cricketer-481043" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: Brain Lara compares Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik to this West Indies cricketer</a>

Patel also reminisced about his own playing days and recalled how he came to know that he will be playing in his debut Test match against England in August 2022. “I remember Saurav Ganguly coming up to me and saying that you’ll play in the Test match. I had no time to be nervous. At 17, you can’t think of being nervous since not many things go around your mind,” he concluded.

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Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes that the debutants – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – have a great chance of winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 title.

Former Indian cricket team wicketkeeper Parthiv Patel believes that the debutants – Gujarat Titans and Lucknow Super Giants – have a great chance of winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 title. Both of the sides, along with Rajasthan Royals, have guaranteed their spot in the playoffs and the two sides have also impressed everyone with their all-round show in the IPL group stages. “One of the new teams — Lucknow Super Giants or Gujarat Titans — has the excellent potential of winning IPL 2022,” Patel said in a live session on ShareChat Audio Chatrooms. Also read | 'I liked the positive attitude': Sachin Tendulkar heaps praises on Virat Kohli after half century against GT Gujarat Titans will face Rajasthan Royals in the Playoff 1 while in the eliminator, KL Rahul’s Lucknow Super Giants will take on either Royal Challengers Bangalore or Delhi Capitals. The veteran, who has played for a number of IPL franchises in his career, was also quite impressed by the new talents who excelled this season and he praised Umran Malik and Tilak Varma. “Players like Mohsin Khan, Umran Malik, Yash Dhull, and Tilak Varma are great prospects to join the Indian cricket team,” he said while discussing the young cricketers who played well in IPL 2022. Also read | IPL 2022: Brain Lara compares Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik to this West Indies cricketer Patel also reminisced about his own playing days and recalled how he came to know that he will be playing in his debut Test match against England in August 2022. “I remember Saurav Ganguly coming up to me and saying that you’ll play in the Test match. I had no time to be nervous. At 17, you can’t think of being nervous since not many things go around your mind,” he concluded. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

'Excellent potential': Former India cricketer picks two favourites to win IPL 2022 title

It has been a disappointing season for Virat Kohli with the bat as he has failed to score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Kohli went into the match against Gujarat Titans on Friday with just 236 runs in 13 matches, but he was able to keep his calm to score his half century in 33 balls and then went on to slam 73 runs in 54 balls. It was a welcome knock for the superstar batter after a lot of struggles and it earned a lot of praise from Indian cricket team legend Sachin Tendulkar.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hope-usd-doesnt-break-my-210-runs-record-pakistan-batter-takes-a-dig-at-economic-situation-of-his-country-481022" hreflang="en">'Hope USD doesn't break my 210 runs record': Pakistan batter takes a dig at economic situation of his country</a>

“I liked the positive attitude shown by the Bangalore batters. Virat took the initiative and he started attacking. In this match, I liked one thing in particular, and that was the precision in his footwork and, as they say, showing the face of the bat. It was visible and I liked that. Both batters are fit, and their running between the wicket is brilliant,” said Tendulkar in a video on his YouTube channel.

Kohli has struggled for form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and with three golden ducks, this has been the worst edition for the former RCB skipper. But his fifty could not have come at a better time as he guided his team to victory and very close to reaching the playoff stages.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-fan-breaches-security-to-meet-ms-dhoni-during-rr-vs-csk-match-watch-481004" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet MS Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH</a>

Kohli stitched together a 115-run partnership with Faf du Plessis for the opening wicket to chase down the total posted by Gujarat Titans and to take RCB to 16 points from 14 encounters.

It has been a disappointing season for Virat Kohli with the bat as he has failed to score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Kohli went into the match against Gujarat Titans on Friday with just 236 runs in 13 matches, but he was able to keep his calm to score his half century in 33 balls and then went on to slam 73 runs in 54 balls.

It has been a disappointing season for Virat Kohli with the bat as he has failed to score big in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022. Kohli went into the match against Gujarat Titans on Friday with just 236 runs in 13 matches, but he was able to keep his calm to score his half century in 33 balls and then went on to slam 73 runs in 54 balls. It was a welcome knock for the superstar batter after a lot of struggles and it earned a lot of praise from Indian cricket team legend Sachin Tendulkar. Also read | 'Hope USD doesn't break my 210 runs record': Pakistan batter takes a dig at economic situation of his country “I liked the positive attitude shown by the Bangalore batters. Virat took the initiative and he started attacking. In this match, I liked one thing in particular, and that was the precision in his footwork and, as they say, showing the face of the bat. It was visible and I liked that. Both batters are fit, and their running between the wicket is brilliant,” said Tendulkar in a video on his YouTube channel. Kohli has struggled for form in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 and with three golden ducks, this has been the worst edition for the former RCB skipper. But his fifty could not have come at a better time as he guided his team to victory and very close to reaching the playoff stages. Also read | IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet MS Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH Kohli stitched together a 115-run partnership with Faf du Plessis for the opening wicket to chase down the total posted by Gujarat Titans and to take RCB to 16 points from 14 encounters.

'I liked the positive attitude': Sachin Tendulkar heaps praises on Virat Kohli after half century against GT

West Indies legend Brian Lara was all praise for Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik and he went on to compare the youngster with compatriot Fidel Edwards. It has been a season to remember for Malik as he has taken 21 wickets from 13 matches and Lara believes that the 22-year-old will eventually play for India on the international stage.

"Umran Malik reminds me a lot about Fidel Edwards when he first started, a lot of pace and I hope that he understands it as he goes into international cricket, which I think he'll eventually play," Lara said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Live'.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-fan-breaches-security-to-meet-ms-dhoni-during-rr-vs-csk-match-watch-481004" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH</a>

Former Indian cricket team coach Ravi Shastri also praised the youngster and on ESPNCricinfo 'Time-Out', he said that Malik should be kept in the national team so that he can learn from veterans like Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah.

"(BCCI) Central contract straightaway. Don't let him float around, keep him in the mix with the main players. Then he learns by being around the Shamis and Bumrahs and see the way they train, see the way they manage their workload. Of course, the team management and support staff will be there. But don't let him go astray. Keep him in the mix," said Shastri.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hope-usd-doesnt-break-my-210-runs-record-pakistan-batter-takes-a-dig-at-economic-situation-of-his-country-481022" hreflang="en">'Hope USD doesn't break my 210 runs record': Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman</a>

"I think he'll get better and better. You see his bowling, once he takes a wicket. Look at the lines he starts bowling as opposed when he is not getting a wicket. That's when he struggles, his lines are all over the place. You don't want him to cut down on pace. The last thing you'd want to tell him is while looking for control you cut down on pace. What you want him to do is get his lines right. If he can attack the stumps by constantly varying his length, he will trouble anyone. And he can really rattle a new guy coming in because he's got the pace, he can keep the bloke on his toes but it's that line if he can hit the channel without reducing his pace, it'll make a huge difference," he added.

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West Indies legend Brian Lara was all praise for Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik and he went on to compare the youngster with compatriot Fidel Edwards. It has been a season to remember for Malik as he has taken 21 wickets from 13 matches and Lara believes that the 22-year-old will eventually play for India on the international stage.

West Indies legend Brian Lara was all praise for Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik and he went on to compare the youngster with compatriot Fidel Edwards. It has been a season to remember for Malik as he has taken 21 wickets from 13 matches and Lara believes that the 22-year-old will eventually play for India on the international stage. "Umran Malik reminds me a lot about Fidel Edwards when he first started, a lot of pace and I hope that he understands it as he goes into international cricket, which I think he'll eventually play," Lara said on Star Sports show 'Cricket Live'. Also read | IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH Former Indian cricket team coach Ravi Shastri also praised the youngster and on ESPNCricinfo 'Time-Out', he said that Malik should be kept in the national team so that he can learn from veterans like Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah. "(BCCI) Central contract straightaway. Don't let him float around, keep him in the mix with the main players. Then he learns by being around the Shamis and Bumrahs and see the way they train, see the way they manage their workload. Of course, the team management and support staff will be there. But don't let him go astray. Keep him in the mix," said Shastri. Also read | 'Hope USD doesn't break my 210 runs record': Pakistan cricketer Fakhar Zaman "I think he'll get better and better. You see his bowling, once he takes a wicket. Look at the lines he starts bowling as opposed when he is not getting a wicket. That's when he struggles, his lines are all over the place. You don't want him to cut down on pace. The last thing you'd want to tell him is while looking for control you cut down on pace. What you want him to do is get his lines right. If he can attack the stumps by constantly varying his length, he will trouble anyone. And he can really rattle a new guy coming in because he's got the pace, he can keep the bloke on his toes but it's that line if he can hit the channel without reducing his pace, it'll make a huge difference," he added. You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

IPL 2022: Brain Lara compares Sunrisers Hyderabad pacer Umran Malik to this West Indies cricketer

It is extremely rare to see cricketers supporting some other franchise in the Indian Premier League but with the playoff hopes in the balance, Mumbai Indians will be enjoying the support of all Royal Challengers Bangalore players and fans as they take on Delhi Capitals on Saturday. RCB are currently in fourth position with 16 points and a win for MI will mean that DC will manage only 14 points. But a win for DC will effectively end the rate because of the high net run rate for Rishabh Pant &amp; Co.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-fan-breaches-security-to-meet-ms-dhoni-during-rr-vs-csk-match-watch-481004" hreflang="en">IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH</a>

RCB skipper Faf du Plessis and star batsman Virat Kohli made it clear that after they will be cheering Mumbai Indians in the game and also backed skipper Rohit Sharma to perform for his side.

"There are a couple of blue hats floating around our dressing room for the next couple of days. I am banking on Rohit (Sharma) to go big," Faf said in an interview after RCB's win over Gujarat Titans.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-hints-at-taking-a-break-from-cricket-amid-poor-form-will-talk-to-india-head-coach-rahul-dravid-480953" hreflang="en">Kohli hints at taking a break from cricket amid poor form, will talk to Dravid</a>

"We have two more supporters for Mumbai Indians on the 21st, not just two, I think 25 more supporters," Kohli, who scored a fifty, said while speaking to Faf after the game.

It was a welcome half century for Kohli who stitched together a 115-run stand with Faf for the opening wicket to make life easy for RCB against Gujarat Titans. Maxwell played a quickfire 18-ball-40 later in the match as RCB won their final game of the group stages. Earlier, Josh Hazlewood took two wickets to restrict GT to 168/5 in 20 overs despite Hardik Pandya’s fighting half century.

It is extremely rare to see cricketers supporting some other franchise in the Indian Premier League but with the playoff hopes in the balance, Mumbai Indians will be enjoying the support of all Royal Challengers Bangalore players and fans as they take on Delhi Capitals on Saturday.

It is extremely rare to see cricketers supporting some other franchise in the Indian Premier League but with the playoff hopes in the balance, Mumbai Indians will be enjoying the support of all Royal Challengers Bangalore players and fans as they take on Delhi Capitals on Saturday. RCB are currently in fourth position with 16 points and a win for MI will mean that DC will manage only 14 points. But a win for DC will effectively end the rate because of the high net run rate for Rishabh Pant & Co. Also read | IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH RCB skipper Faf du Plessis and star batsman Virat Kohli made it clear that after they will be cheering Mumbai Indians in the game and also backed skipper Rohit Sharma to perform for his side. "There are a couple of blue hats floating around our dressing room for the next couple of days. I am banking on Rohit (Sharma) to go big," Faf said in an interview after RCB's win over Gujarat Titans. Also read | Kohli hints at taking a break from cricket amid poor form, will talk to Dravid "We have two more supporters for Mumbai Indians on the 21st, not just two, I think 25 more supporters," Kohli, who scored a fifty, said while speaking to Faf after the game. It was a welcome half century for Kohli who stitched together a 115-run stand with Faf for the opening wicket to make life easy for RCB against Gujarat Titans. Maxwell played a quickfire 18-ball-40 later in the match as RCB won their final game of the group stages. Earlier, Josh Hazlewood took two wickets to restrict GT to 168/5 in 20 overs despite Hardik Pandya’s fighting half century.

IPL 2022: Faf du Plessis, Virat Kohli cheer for MI ahead of crucial match against DC

The fanfare surrounding MS Dhoni is the same irrespective of the venue and the Chennai Super Kings skipper is well known for enjoying a passionate following among cricket fans. Dhoni has won three major titles with the Indian cricket team and four Indian Premier League (IPL) titles with Chennai Super Kings which catapulted him to superstardom across the country. The fandom was evident once on Friday as a fan breached the security to meet Dhoni during the IPL encounter.

During the match between CSK and Rajasthan Royals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, it was a sea of yellow once again despite Dhoni &amp; Co having no chance of making the playoffs. The supporters were once again to support CSK with Dhoni’s future in doubt. However, Dhoni made it clear at the toss that he will be back to lead the four-time champions in 2023.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pathetic-comment-sunil-gavaskar-slammed-for-distasteful-remark-on-shimron-hetmyer-and-his-wife-480937">Gavaskar slammed for distasteful remark on Hetmyer and his wife</a>

Being asked about the big query by Ian Bishop, Dhoni was quick to respond and said, "Definitely, because it will be unfair not to say thank you to Chennai. Won't be nice to do that to CSK fans.

During the match, a fan was able to dodge the security of the stadium and run inside to meet Dhoni. However, the umpires acted as a cover and did not allow him to reach the CSK skipper and the fan was quickly captured and taken away by the guards present at the Brabourne Stadium.

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XAyha6Ce4t4" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe>

CSK were defeated once again as they ended their disappointing season with just eight points and Dhoni scored just 26 runs from 28 balls in an innings which was not convincing enough.

The fanfare surrounding MS Dhoni is the same irrespective of the venue and the Chennai Super Kings skipper is well known for enjoying a passionate following among cricket fans.

The fanfare surrounding MS Dhoni is the same irrespective of the venue and the Chennai Super Kings skipper is well known for enjoying a passionate following among cricket fans. Dhoni has won three major titles with the Indian cricket team and four Indian Premier League (IPL) titles with Chennai Super Kings which catapulted him to superstardom across the country. The fandom was evident once on Friday as a fan breached the security to meet Dhoni during the IPL encounter. During the match between CSK and Rajasthan Royals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, it was a sea of yellow once again despite Dhoni & Co having no chance of making the playoffs. The supporters were once again to support CSK with Dhoni’s future in doubt. However, Dhoni made it clear at the toss that he will be back to lead the four-time champions in 2023. Also read | Gavaskar slammed for distasteful remark on Hetmyer and his wife Being asked about the big query by Ian Bishop, Dhoni was quick to respond and said, "Definitely, because it will be unfair not to say thank you to Chennai. Won't be nice to do that to CSK fans. During the match, a fan was able to dodge the security of the stadium and run inside to meet Dhoni. However, the umpires acted as a cover and did not allow him to reach the CSK skipper and the fan was quickly captured and taken away by the guards present at the Brabourne Stadium. CSK were defeated once again as they ended their disappointing season with just eight points and Dhoni scored just 26 runs from 28 balls in an innings which was not convincing enough.

IPL 2022: Fan breaches security to meet MS Dhoni during RR vs CSK match - WATCH

Delhi Capitals will be looking to book their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs while Mumbai Indians aim to finish the competition with a win as the two sides face each other on Saturday.

Head-to-head

The encounter between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals has been an extremely close affair with the five-time champions enjoying a narrow 16-15 advantage in the 31 matches against DC.

Stats

There will be interesting player battles on both ends as the duo of Khaleel Ahmed and Axar Patel have troubled Rohit Sharma in the past as they have dismissed him three times and have not conceded more than run-a-ball. On the other end, Jasprit Bumrah will be looking forward to facing Rishabh Pant – a batsman he has dismissed six times with just 47 runs conceded in 42 deliveries.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/our-malinga-ms-dhoni-heaps-praise-on-matheesha-pathirana-says-he-will-contribute-for-csk-in-a-big-way-480968" hreflang="en">'Our Malinga': MS Dhoni heaps praise on CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana</a>

Trivia

It has been a contrasting story for both side when it comes to opening partnerships as the pair of Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma have the second-best record in the tournament while DC’s opening pairs have produced just 21 runs in the last five matches for the first wicket. However, there is some good news as David Warner enjoys facing MI and with six fifties and a strike rate of 138.87 against the five-time champions, the Australia batsman will be a key asset for DC in their playoff race.

Predicted XIs

Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Tristan Stubbs, Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Arjun Tendulkar, Riley Meredith

Delhi Capitals: Sarfaraz Khan, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Lalit Yadav, Rovman Powell, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-hints-at-taking-a-break-from-cricket-amid-poor-form-will-talk-to-india-head-coach-rahul-dravid-480953" hreflang="en">Kohli hints at taking a break from cricket amid poor form, will talk to Dravid</a>

Complete squads

Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Daniel Sams, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Tristan Stubbs, Ramandeep Singh, Sanjay Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Riley Meredith, Mayank Markande, Kieron Pollard, Jaydev Unadkat, Murugan Ashwin, Fabian Allen, Basil Thampi, Anmolpreet Singh, Aryan Juyal, Arjun Tendulkar, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Akash Madhwal, Rahul Buddhi, Dewald Brevis

Delhi Capitals: David Warner, Sarfaraz Khan, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Rovman Powell, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mandeep Singh, Srikar Bharat, Tim Seifert, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Ashwin Hebbar, Praveen Dubey, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Chetan Sakariya, Ripal Patel, Yash Dhull, Vicky Ostwal

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Delhi Capitals will be looking to book their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs while Mumbai Indians aim to finish the competition with a win as the two sides face each other on Saturday.

Delhi Capitals will be looking to book their spot in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 playoffs while Mumbai Indians aim to finish the competition with a win as the two sides face each other on Saturday. Head-to-head The encounter between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals has been an extremely close affair with the five-time champions enjoying a narrow 16-15 advantage in the 31 matches against DC. Stats There will be interesting player battles on both ends as the duo of Khaleel Ahmed and Axar Patel have troubled Rohit Sharma in the past as they have dismissed him three times and have not conceded more than run-a-ball. On the other end, Jasprit Bumrah will be looking forward to facing Rishabh Pant – a batsman he has dismissed six times with just 47 runs conceded in 42 deliveries. Also read | 'Our Malinga': MS Dhoni heaps praise on CSK pacer Matheesha Pathirana Trivia It has been a contrasting story for both side when it comes to opening partnerships as the pair of Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma have the second-best record in the tournament while DC’s opening pairs have produced just 21 runs in the last five matches for the first wicket. However, there is some good news as David Warner enjoys facing MI and with six fifties and a strike rate of 138.87 against the five-time champions, the Australia batsman will be a key asset for DC in their playoff race. Predicted XIs Mumbai Indians: Ishan Kishan, Rohit Sharma, Dewald Brevis, Tilak Varma, Tristan Stubbs, Tim David, Ramandeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Kumar Kartikeya, Arjun Tendulkar, Riley Meredith Delhi Capitals: Sarfaraz Khan, David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Rishabh Pant, Lalit Yadav, Rovman Powell, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed Also read | Kohli hints at taking a break from cricket amid poor form, will talk to Dravid Complete squads Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Daniel Sams, Tilak Varma, Tim David, Tristan Stubbs, Ramandeep Singh, Sanjay Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Riley Meredith, Mayank Markande, Kieron Pollard, Jaydev Unadkat, Murugan Ashwin, Fabian Allen, Basil Thampi, Anmolpreet Singh, Aryan Juyal, Arjun Tendulkar, Kumar Kartikeya, Hrithik Shokeen, Akash Madhwal, Rahul Buddhi, Dewald Brevis Delhi Capitals: David Warner, Sarfaraz Khan, Mitchell Marsh, Lalit Yadav, Rishabh Pant, Rovman Powell, Axar Patel, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Anrich Nortje, Khaleel Ahmed, Mandeep Singh, Srikar Bharat, Tim Seifert, Lungi Ngidi, Mustafizur Rahman, Ashwin Hebbar, Praveen Dubey, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Chetan Sakariya, Ripal Patel, Yash Dhull, Vicky Ostwal You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Capitals, IPL 2022: Head-to-head, stats, trivia and predicted XIs

The social media platform Twitter saw MS Dhoni trending on Friday afternoon (May 20). As the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is playing their last game of the IPL 2022 edition, locking horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match 68 of the 15th season, all eyes are on Dhoni as he is featuring on the 22-yard cricket strip for the last time this year.

While all&nbsp;were eager to hear about Dhoni's IPL future, the 40-year-old answered the big question during the coin toss. Being asked about the big query&nbsp;by Ian Bishop, Dhoni was quick to respond and said, "Definitely, because it will be unfair not to say thank you to Chennai. Won't be nice to do that to CSK fans." As soon as Dhoni's reply was heard by one and all in the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, the crowd was buzzing with a loud cheer and applause.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-is-an-expressive-player-and-should-play-like-this-harbhajan-singh-on-virat-kohlis-73-in-rcb-gt-tie-480723">'He is an expressive player and should play like this' - Harbhajan Singh on Virat Kohli's 73 in RCB-GT tie</a>

With the defending champions and four-time winners CSK out of the playoffs race and sure to finish in the bottom two, many were hoping for Dhoni to continue for at least another season in the Yellow Army. As per a report in ESPN Cricinfo, he is even expected to continue as the Chennai captain&nbsp;next year.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-vacs-rr-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-chennai-super-kings-vs-rajasthan-royals-match-480693">CSK vs RR, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals match?</a>

Many had thought that an aging&nbsp;Dhoni would under-perform in IPL 2022, after two forgettable seasons on the trot, the veteran keeper-batter has surprised one and all with his finishing skills still being intact and he has even entertained the crowd with some big hits. In 13 games, he has amassed 206 runs at 128.75 with one fifty and a few vital cameos.&nbsp;

Overall, Dhoni has 4,952 IPL runs in 234 games, with 24 half-centuries at a strike rate of&nbsp;135.52. He remains a big name in world cricket despite retiring from the international circuit in August 2020. For India, he ended with 17,266 runs, including&nbsp;108 half-centuries and 16 tons overall. He ended with third-most dismissals by a keeper, overall, and also led India to all three major ICC titles.

The social media platform Twitter saw MS Dhoni trending on Friday afternoon (May 20). As the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is playing their last game of the IPL 2022 edition, locking horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match 68 of the 15th season, all eyes are on Dhoni as he is featuring on the 22-yard cricket strip for the last time this year.

The social media platform Twitter saw MS Dhoni trending on Friday afternoon (May 20). As the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) is playing their last game of the IPL 2022 edition, locking horns with Rajasthan Royals (RR) in match 68 of the 15th season, all eyes are on Dhoni as he is featuring on the 22-yard cricket strip for the last time this year. While all were eager to hear about Dhoni's IPL future, the 40-year-old answered the big question during the coin toss. Being asked about the big query by Ian Bishop, Dhoni was quick to respond and said, "Definitely, because it will be unfair not to say thank you to Chennai. Won't be nice to do that to CSK fans." As soon as Dhoni's reply was heard by one and all in the Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai, the crowd was buzzing with a loud cheer and applause. ALSO READ | 'He is an expressive player and should play like this' - Harbhajan Singh on Virat Kohli's 73 in RCB-GT tie With the defending champions and four-time winners CSK out of the playoffs race and sure to finish in the bottom two, many were hoping for Dhoni to continue for at least another season in the Yellow Army. As per a report in ESPN Cricinfo, he is even expected to continue as the Chennai captain next year. ALSO READ | CSK vs RR, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals match? Many had thought that an aging Dhoni would under-perform in IPL 2022, after two forgettable seasons on the trot, the veteran keeper-batter has surprised one and all with his finishing skills still being intact and he has even entertained the crowd with some big hits. In 13 games, he has amassed 206 runs at 128.75 with one fifty and a few vital cameos. Overall, Dhoni has 4,952 IPL runs in 234 games, with 24 half-centuries at a strike rate of 135.52. He remains a big name in world cricket despite retiring from the international circuit in August 2020. For India, he ended with 17,266 runs, including 108 half-centuries and 16 tons overall. He ended with third-most dismissals by a keeper, overall, and also led India to all three major ICC titles.

CSK legend MS Dhoni confirms participation in IPL 2023, says 'will be unfair to not say thank you to Chennai'

Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Jasprit Bumrah created a new record in his side clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 17). Bumrah became the first Indian bowler to complete the milestone of 250 wickets in T20 cricket.

Bumrah dismissed SRH all-rounder Nicholas Pooran in the 10th over for their innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to become the first Indian to complete 250 wickets in the shortest format. Bumrah finished with figures of 1/32 in his spell as SRH went on to post a big total of 193 runs on the board.

The Indian speedster became the 31st bowler overall to reach the milestone. He has taken 67 wickets for the Indian team in T20Is while the rest have come for Gujarat in the domestic circuit and for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He is followed by senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the list of Indians with the most wickets in T20s.

Indian bowlers with highest wickets in T20s:

250 - Jasprit Bumrah 
223 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar 
201 - Jaydev Unadkat 
194 - Vinay Kumar 
173 - Irfan Pathan

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-still-wouldnt-have-qualified-for-ipl-2022-playoffs-had-ms-dhoni-remained-captain-harbhajan-singh-480074">CSK still wouldn't have qualified for IPL 2022 playoffs had MS Dhoni remained captain: Harbhajan</a>&nbsp;

One of the best fast bowlers in the world at present, Bumrah has not had the best of campaigns for Mumbai Indians this season. He has managed only 12 wickets in 13 matches for the team at an average of 29.83 but has managed to maintain a decent economy rate of 7.25.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/central-contract-straightaway-ravi-shastri-wants-bcci-to-fastrack-srh-pacer-umran-malik-into-team-india-480028">'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track SRH pacer Umran Malik into Team India</a>

The poor form of the likes of Bumrah, skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan among others affected Mumbai Indians' campaign this season as the five-time champions got off to the worst possible start. Mumbai Indians lost a record eight matches in a row at the start of the season before becoming the first team to be knocked out of the playoffs.

Mumbai Indians have just one game left to play this season and will lock horns with Delhi Capitals on Saturday (May 21) to bring an end to their nightmarish campaign in IPL 2022.

Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Jasprit Bumrah created a new record in his side clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 17).

Mumbai Indians (MI) pacer Jasprit Bumrah created a new record in his side clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Tuesday (May 17). Bumrah became the first Indian bowler to complete the milestone of 250 wickets in T20 cricket. Bumrah dismissed SRH all-rounder Nicholas Pooran in the 10th over for their innings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai to become the first Indian to complete 250 wickets in the shortest format. Bumrah finished with figures of 1/32 in his spell as SRH went on to post a big total of 193 runs on the board. The Indian speedster became the 31st bowler overall to reach the milestone. He has taken 67 wickets for the Indian team in T20Is while the rest have come for Gujarat in the domestic circuit and for Mumbai Indians in the IPL. He is followed by senior pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar on the list of Indians with the most wickets in T20s. Indian bowlers with highest wickets in T20s: 250 - Jasprit Bumrah 223 - Bhuvneshwar Kumar 201 - Jaydev Unadkat 194 - Vinay Kumar 173 - Irfan Pathan Also Read: CSK still wouldn't have qualified for IPL 2022 playoffs had MS Dhoni remained captain: Harbhajan One of the best fast bowlers in the world at present, Bumrah has not had the best of campaigns for Mumbai Indians this season. He has managed only 12 wickets in 13 matches for the team at an average of 29.83 but has managed to maintain a decent economy rate of 7.25. Also Read: 'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track SRH pacer Umran Malik into Team India The poor form of the likes of Bumrah, skipper Rohit Sharma and Ishan Kishan among others affected Mumbai Indians' campaign this season as the five-time champions got off to the worst possible start. Mumbai Indians lost a record eight matches in a row at the start of the season before becoming the first team to be knocked out of the playoffs. Mumbai Indians have just one game left to play this season and will lock horns with Delhi Capitals on Saturday (May 21) to bring an end to their nightmarish campaign in IPL 2022.

IPL 2022: Jasprit Bumrah becomes first Indian pacer to achieve elusive feat in T20s

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be desperately looking to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Wednesday (May 18). LSG have lost their last two games in a row and are yet to confirm a spot in the playoffs despite having come close last week.

LSG were on the top of the points table last week with 16 points from 11 matches when they had the chance to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs against Gujarat Titans. However, a humiliating defeat at the hands of GT followed by a loss against Rajasthan Royals in their last game have pushed them to the 3rd spot.

A win against KKR on Wednesday will see LSG qualify for the playoffs and also keep them in contention to finish in the top two. However, a loss can put them in a tricky situation and certainly push them out of the top two. KL Rahul &amp; Co. will be looking to ensure they don't repeat their mistakes from their last outing against KKR on Tuesday.

While Lucknow's place in the top four is not in danger even if they lose against KKR, a defeat will end the Shreyas Iyer-led side's campaign in IPL 2022 on Wednesday. KKR have 12 points in 13 matches so far and have an outside chance of finishing in the top four if they can finish their campaign with 14 points.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kkr-vs-lsg-ipl-2022-prediction-today-who-will-win-kolkata-knight-riders-vs-lucknow-super-giants-match-480116">KKR vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants match?</a>

KKR will be heading into the clash against LSG on a confident note having won their last two matches in a row. While their batters stepped up in their last game against SRH, Andre Russell and Tim Southee were brilliant with the ball as well to hand them a much-needed win.

Here is all you need to know about the LSG vs KKR clash in IPL 2022:

Head to head:

Lucknow Super Giants lead 1-0 in the head-to-head record against Kolkata Knight Riders. KL Rahul's men had defeated Shreyas Iyer &amp; Co. in the only meeting between the two teams earlier this season.

Stats:

Lucknow Super Giants have been heavily reliant on their top order so far this season. The top three of KL Rahul (469), Quinton de Kock (362) and Deepak Hooda (406) have scored as many as 61% of the total runs for the franchise this season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-still-wouldnt-have-qualified-for-ipl-2022-playoffs-had-ms-dhoni-remained-captain-harbhajan-singh-480074">CSK still wouldn't have qualified for IPL 2022 playoffs had Dhoni remained captain: Harbhajan Singh</a>

Trivia:

Both LSG skipper KL Rahul and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer have struggled with the willow in the last few matches. While Rahul has managed only 101 runs in his last five innings for LSG, Iyer has scored only &nbsp;115 runs in his last six innings at an average of just 19.17 and a poor strike rate of 104.55.

Predicted playing XIs:

Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock(w), KL Rahul(c), Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni/Manish Pandey, Marcus Stoinis/Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan

KKR: Venkatesh Iyer, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer(c), Sam Billings(w), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Varun Chakaravarthy

&nbsp;

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Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be desperately looking to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Wednesday (May 18).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will be desperately looking to bounce back to winning ways when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the DY Patil Stadium in Mumbai in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 on Wednesday (May 18). LSG have lost their last two games in a row and are yet to confirm a spot in the playoffs despite having come close last week. LSG were on the top of the points table last week with 16 points from 11 matches when they had the chance to become the first team to qualify for the playoffs against Gujarat Titans. However, a humiliating defeat at the hands of GT followed by a loss against Rajasthan Royals in their last game have pushed them to the 3rd spot. A win against KKR on Wednesday will see LSG qualify for the playoffs and also keep them in contention to finish in the top two. However, a loss can put them in a tricky situation and certainly push them out of the top two. KL Rahul & Co. will be looking to ensure they don't repeat their mistakes from their last outing against KKR on Tuesday. While Lucknow's place in the top four is not in danger even if they lose against KKR, a defeat will end the Shreyas Iyer-led side's campaign in IPL 2022 on Wednesday. KKR have 12 points in 13 matches so far and have an outside chance of finishing in the top four if they can finish their campaign with 14 points. Also Read: KKR vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants match? KKR will be heading into the clash against LSG on a confident note having won their last two matches in a row. While their batters stepped up in their last game against SRH, Andre Russell and Tim Southee were brilliant with the ball as well to hand them a much-needed win. Here is all you need to know about the LSG vs KKR clash in IPL 2022: Head to head: Lucknow Super Giants lead 1-0 in the head-to-head record against Kolkata Knight Riders. KL Rahul's men had defeated Shreyas Iyer & Co. in the only meeting between the two teams earlier this season. Stats: Lucknow Super Giants have been heavily reliant on their top order so far this season. The top three of KL Rahul (469), Quinton de Kock (362) and Deepak Hooda (406) have scored as many as 61% of the total runs for the franchise this season. Also Read: CSK still wouldn't have qualified for IPL 2022 playoffs had Dhoni remained captain: Harbhajan Singh Trivia: Both LSG skipper KL Rahul and KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer have struggled with the willow in the last few matches. While Rahul has managed only 101 runs in his last five innings for LSG, Iyer has scored only 115 runs in his last six innings at an average of just 19.17 and a poor strike rate of 104.55. Predicted playing XIs: Lucknow Super Giants: Quinton de Kock(w), KL Rahul(c), Deepak Hooda, Krunal Pandya, Ayush Badoni/Manish Pandey, Marcus Stoinis/Evin Lewis, Jason Holder, Mohsin Khan, Ravi Bishnoi, Dushmantha Chameera, Avesh Khan KKR: Venkatesh Iyer, Baba Indrajith, Nitish Rana, Shreyas Iyer(c), Sam Billings(w), Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Tim Southee, Varun Chakaravarthy

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants, IPL 2022: Head-to-head, stats, trivia and predicted playing XIs

The action will continue in IPL 2022 with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the&nbsp;Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (May 18). While the two-time winners are in a must-win situation, somehow still being alive in the playoffs race, Lucknow will want to end their league stage with a win and confirm their spot in the playoffs. Moreover, they will also be eager to win big to ensure a top-two finish.&nbsp;

Talking about the KKR camp, their campaign was all but over but have managed to breathe for some more time with back-to-back wins and will need to ensure a big victory over Lucknow, against whom they lost the earlier&nbsp;face-off by 75 runs, to make it tougher for Delhi Capitals (DC) and also the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). While one among DC or RCB&nbsp;look set to take the remaining fourth playoffs slot, Kolkata will hope for a top-class performance to close their league stage in style and hope for some poor fortunes for Delhi and Bengaluru.

On the other hand, KL Rahul &amp; Co. will be frustrated to not have confirmed a slot in the playoffs despite being the table-toppers a week back. They are still very much in the next round, however, two successive defeats have hurt them. Thus, they also need a good win to ensure Rajasthan Royals (RR), the other contender to end at the second spot, remains behind them.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-stirred-up-the-aussies-a-lot-shane-watson-lavishes-huge-praise-on-ex-india-pacer-480094">'He stirred up the Aussies a lot' - Shane Watson lavishes huge praise on ex-India pacer</a>

Match prediction for LSG vs KKR clash:&nbsp;With pitches tiring out, both captains will look to bat first. KKR have already won two in a row while defending totals, Lucknow are also been excellent in setting up totals and defending them (although, they are the third-worst chasing side this season). A 155-plus scoring affair on cards with LSG to eliminate KKR.

The action will continue in IPL 2022 with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (May 18).

The action will continue in IPL 2022 with the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) taking on the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, Mumbai on Wednesday evening (May 18). While the two-time winners are in a must-win situation, somehow still being alive in the playoffs race, Lucknow will want to end their league stage with a win and confirm their spot in the playoffs. Moreover, they will also be eager to win big to ensure a top-two finish. Talking about the KKR camp, their campaign was all but over but have managed to breathe for some more time with back-to-back wins and will need to ensure a big victory over Lucknow, against whom they lost the earlier face-off by 75 runs, to make it tougher for Delhi Capitals (DC) and also the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). While one among DC or RCB look set to take the remaining fourth playoffs slot, Kolkata will hope for a top-class performance to close their league stage in style and hope for some poor fortunes for Delhi and Bengaluru. On the other hand, KL Rahul & Co. will be frustrated to not have confirmed a slot in the playoffs despite being the table-toppers a week back. They are still very much in the next round, however, two successive defeats have hurt them. Thus, they also need a good win to ensure Rajasthan Royals (RR), the other contender to end at the second spot, remains behind them. ALSO READ | 'He stirred up the Aussies a lot' - Shane Watson lavishes huge praise on ex-India pacer Match prediction for LSG vs KKR clash: With pitches tiring out, both captains will look to bat first. KKR have already won two in a row while defending totals, Lucknow are also been excellent in setting up totals and defending them (although, they are the third-worst chasing side this season). A 155-plus scoring affair on cards with LSG to eliminate KKR.

KKR vs LSG, IPL 2022 prediction today: Who will win Kolkata Knight Riders vs Lucknow Super Giants match?

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have endured a disappointing campaign in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they find themselves reeling at the 9th spot on the points table having already been knocked out of the race for the playoffs. CSK lost four games in a row at the start of the season and failed to recover ever since as they became the second team after Mumbai Indians to bow out of the tournament this year.

CSK started the season with star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as captain of the side as MS Dhoni decided to step down from captaincy. They also missed the services of pacer Deepak Chahar, who has been one of the key players for the franchise and was their most expensive buy at the IPL 2022 mega auction.

With no Chahar in the squad, CSK's bowling attack struggled to deliver as Jadeja's captaincy stint got off to the worst possible start. After managing to lead the side to just two wins in 8 matches, Jadeja decided to hand back the reins to Dhoni leaving captaincy midway through the season.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-responds-to-fans-heartfelt-letter-amid-chennai-super-kings-disappointing-run-in-ipl-2022-479930">MS Dhoni responds to fan's heartfelt letter amid Chennai Super Kings' disappointing run in IPL 2022</a>

While the results and team's confidence did improve with Dhoni taking the charge once again, it was not enough to propel CSK into the playoffs. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has now claimed CSK would have failed to qualify for the playoffs even if Dhoni had captained right from the start of the season.

Harbhajan believes without Chahar, CSK didn't have a team which could have challenged for a spot in the top four and that their fate would have remained the same even if Dhoni had not handed over the captaincy to Jadeja before the start of the season.

"Had Dhoni remained the captain of the team, CSK would benefit indeed, and would have sitting at a higher position in the points table, but they still wouldn't have qualified because they don't have the team. They don't have a strong bowling unit. Deepak Chahar, who was a wicket-taking bowler, was injured. Even the batters didn't play that well," Harbhajan said on Sportskeeda.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/central-contract-straightaway-ravi-shastri-wants-bcci-to-fastrack-srh-pacer-umran-malik-into-team-india-480028">'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track&nbsp;Umran Malik into Team India</a>

However, Harbhajan insisted CSK might have qualified for the playoffs even with their current squad had the tournament being played across India. The former CSK spinner said Dhoni &amp; Co. play differently in Chennai and the home advantage could have made a difference for them.

"It [playing in Chennai] would have made a huge difference. Chennai would have definitely qualified for playoffs even with this team. Because when they play at home, they play differently. Delhi and Mumbai too have been strong in home conditions,” Harbhajan said.

&nbsp;

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have endured a disappointing campaign in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they find themselves reeling at the 9th spot on the points table having already been knocked out of the race for the playoffs.

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have endured a disappointing campaign in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 as they find themselves reeling at the 9th spot on the points table having already been knocked out of the race for the playoffs. CSK lost four games in a row at the start of the season and failed to recover ever since as they became the second team after Mumbai Indians to bow out of the tournament this year. CSK started the season with star all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja as captain of the side as MS Dhoni decided to step down from captaincy. They also missed the services of pacer Deepak Chahar, who has been one of the key players for the franchise and was their most expensive buy at the IPL 2022 mega auction. With no Chahar in the squad, CSK's bowling attack struggled to deliver as Jadeja's captaincy stint got off to the worst possible start. After managing to lead the side to just two wins in 8 matches, Jadeja decided to hand back the reins to Dhoni leaving captaincy midway through the season. Also Read: MS Dhoni responds to fan's heartfelt letter amid Chennai Super Kings' disappointing run in IPL 2022 While the results and team's confidence did improve with Dhoni taking the charge once again, it was not enough to propel CSK into the playoffs. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has now claimed CSK would have failed to qualify for the playoffs even if Dhoni had captained right from the start of the season. Harbhajan believes without Chahar, CSK didn't have a team which could have challenged for a spot in the top four and that their fate would have remained the same even if Dhoni had not handed over the captaincy to Jadeja before the start of the season. "Had Dhoni remained the captain of the team, CSK would benefit indeed, and would have sitting at a higher position in the points table, but they still wouldn't have qualified because they don't have the team. They don't have a strong bowling unit. Deepak Chahar, who was a wicket-taking bowler, was injured. Even the batters didn't play that well," Harbhajan said on Sportskeeda. Also Read: 'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track Umran Malik into Team India However, Harbhajan insisted CSK might have qualified for the playoffs even with their current squad had the tournament being played across India. The former CSK spinner said Dhoni & Co. play differently in Chennai and the home advantage could have made a difference for them. "It [playing in Chennai] would have made a huge difference. Chennai would have definitely qualified for playoffs even with this team. Because when they play at home, they play differently. Delhi and Mumbai too have been strong in home conditions,” Harbhajan said.

CSK still wouldn't have qualified for IPL 2022 playoffs had MS Dhoni remained captain: Harbhajan Singh

Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH)&nbsp;batter Rahul Tripathi to go all the way in international cricket. Hayden has been left impressed by Tripathi's sublime skills with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and believes the right-hander's ability to score runs across all parts of the ground makes him a dangerous batter.

Hayden's comments came after Tripathi played a brilliant knock of 76 runs in SRH's must-win clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday (May 17). Tripathi came in to bat at number three after SRH lost opener Abhishek Sharma cheaply on just 9 off 10 balls.

He wasted no time in settling down and went after the Mumbai Indians bowlers from the word go. Tripathi combined with Priyam Garg (42) to add 78 runs for the second wicket before adding another important stand of 76 runs for the third wicket with Nicholas Pooran (38). He dazzled with his control and brilliant stroke play during his knock.

Tripathi also took on Jasprit Bumrah and made great utilisation of his pace to play shots all parts of the ground. Impressed by his batting, Hayden lauded Tripathi for his&nbsp;ability to go big from the word go and said it was a good decision from SRH to send him up the order in place of skipper Kane Williamson.

“I just love his ability to upfront so hard. I think that’s what has been really missing inside the SRH batting line-up. That powerplay is so significant. especially when the wickets are getting slower, so the first 6 overs, you have to make use of it. It was a really good leadership decision as well to get back down the order,” Hayden said on Star Sports.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ms-dhoni-responds-to-fans-heartfelt-letter-amid-chennai-super-kings-disappointing-run-in-ipl-2022-479930">&nbsp;MS Dhoni responds to fan's heartfelt letter amid Chennai Super Kings' disappointing run in IPL 2022</a>

Tripathi is not new to performing in the IPL and has been one of the consistent Indian batters for a number of years now. Last year, he played an instrumental role in helping his former side Kolkata Knight Riders reach the final of IPL 2021 and has continued his fine form for SRH this season.

Hayden believes Tripathi has all the qualities to play international cricket for India and he won't mind having him in the country's squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 this year where tracks are expected to be pacy and bouncy.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/central-contract-straightaway-ravi-shastri-wants-bcci-to-fastrack-srh-pacer-umran-malik-into-team-india-480028">'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track Umran Malik into Team India</a>

Several fans and experts have already called for Tripathi's inclusion in India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home in order to give him enough opportunities ahead of the T20 World Cup.

“The way Tripathi took up the responsibility was good to watch. I think he has got some real potential in the future to go all the way at the international level. He is someone that is a dangerous striker of the ball, he can hit both sides of the wicket. In particular, what impresses the most is his ability to play short-pitched bowling," said Hayden.

“I mean, getting to Australia, let’s just take the liberty to say that’s where it is, not saying he will be picked, but he has the game on bouncy wickets,” he added.

 
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Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Rahul Tripathi to go all the way in international cricket. Hayden has been left impressed by Tripathi's sublime skills with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and believes the right-hander's ability to score runs across all parts of the ground makes him a dangerous batter.

Former Australia cricketer Matthew Hayden has backed Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) batter Rahul Tripathi to go all the way in international cricket. Hayden has been left impressed by Tripathi's sublime skills with the bat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) and believes the right-hander's ability to score runs across all parts of the ground makes him a dangerous batter. Hayden's comments came after Tripathi played a brilliant knock of 76 runs in SRH's must-win clash against Mumbai Indians (MI) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday (May 17). Tripathi came in to bat at number three after SRH lost opener Abhishek Sharma cheaply on just 9 off 10 balls. He wasted no time in settling down and went after the Mumbai Indians bowlers from the word go. Tripathi combined with Priyam Garg (42) to add 78 runs for the second wicket before adding another important stand of 76 runs for the third wicket with Nicholas Pooran (38). He dazzled with his control and brilliant stroke play during his knock. Tripathi also took on Jasprit Bumrah and made great utilisation of his pace to play shots all parts of the ground. Impressed by his batting, Hayden lauded Tripathi for his ability to go big from the word go and said it was a good decision from SRH to send him up the order in place of skipper Kane Williamson. “I just love his ability to upfront so hard. I think that’s what has been really missing inside the SRH batting line-up. That powerplay is so significant. especially when the wickets are getting slower, so the first 6 overs, you have to make use of it. It was a really good leadership decision as well to get back down the order,” Hayden said on Star Sports. Also Read: MS Dhoni responds to fan's heartfelt letter amid Chennai Super Kings' disappointing run in IPL 2022 Tripathi is not new to performing in the IPL and has been one of the consistent Indian batters for a number of years now. Last year, he played an instrumental role in helping his former side Kolkata Knight Riders reach the final of IPL 2021 and has continued his fine form for SRH this season. Hayden believes Tripathi has all the qualities to play international cricket for India and he won't mind having him in the country's squad for the T20 World Cup 2022 this year where tracks are expected to be pacy and bouncy. Also Read: 'Central contract straightaway': Ravi Shastri wants BCCI to fast-track Umran Malik into Team India Several fans and experts have already called for Tripathi's inclusion in India's squad for the upcoming T20I series against South Africa at home in order to give him enough opportunities ahead of the T20 World Cup. “The way Tripathi took up the responsibility was good to watch. I think he has got some real potential in the future to go all the way at the international level. He is someone that is a dangerous striker of the ball, he can hit both sides of the wicket. In particular, what impresses the most is his ability to play short-pitched bowling," said Hayden. “I mean, getting to Australia, let’s just take the liberty to say that’s where it is, not saying he will be picked, but he has the game on bouncy wickets,” he added.

SRH star Rahul Tripathi has the potential to go all the way in international cricket, says Matthew Hayden

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