Jos Buttler once again stood up for his team, as they faced Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Buttler slammed an unbeaten 94&nbspto help Rajasthan defeat Mumbai by seven wickets.

His inning included nine boundaries and five sixes and came in just 53 balls.&nbsp

Skipper Ajinkya Rahane too contributed 37 runs while chasing a cheap target of 169 runs set by Mumbai.&nbspHe lost his wicket to Hardik Pandya.

Earlier, Evin Lewis smashed a 42-ball 60 before Hardik Pandya produced a quick-fire 36 to steer Mumbai to a fighting 168 for six against Rajasthan at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.&nbsp

Lewis batted smartly as he opened his arms only after building his innings steadily after being dropped at individual score of five.

Lewis added 87 runs with fellow opener Suryakumar Yadav, who made 38 runs off 31 balls.&nbsp

Yadav was also dropped on nine. Meanwhile, Lewis hit four sixes and as many fours in his innings.

West Indies' paceman Jofra Archer produced an excellent bowling performance to put the hosts under pressure.&nbsp

He conceded only 16 runs from his four overs and dismissed Lewis and Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma for zero in successive balls.

The hosts were struggling badly at one stage, failing to capitalise a good start, but Pandya came up with his blistering knock just in time to propel them.&nbsp

He hit three fours and two sixes in his 21-ball knock.&nbsp

Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Rohit Sharma-led side at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Both the teams have struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs.

After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved seeing their previous few clashes.

The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, helped to team to keep themselves alive in the tournament.&nbsp

Speaking after winning the toss, Ajinkya said, "We'll bowl first. Looks a very good wicket. High scoring ground and dew comes later here. We have to play good cricket for 40 overs."

"First 6 overs will be crucial. We have D'Arcy Short in for Ish Sodhi, who's not well. Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni come in," he&nbsp 
added.

When asked Rohit about his strategy for today, he said, "Rohit: "Not really worried about dew. Last 6 overs, you have to expect some dew but it's our home ground, we have played here. We played a few games here where we have bowled second."

"There's no secret to winning games. We have performed collectively as a unit. Someone has put his hand up and taken up the responsibility. Same team for us," he added.

Teams

Mumbai (Playing XI):&nbspSuryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal&nbspPandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Rajasthan (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

His inning included nine boundaries and five sixes and came in just 53 balls.

Jos Buttler once again stood up for his team, as they faced Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday. Buttler slammed an unbeaten 94&nbspto help Rajasthan defeat Mumbai by seven wickets. His inning included nine boundaries and five sixes and came in just 53 balls. Skipper Ajinkya Rahane too contributed 37 runs while chasing a cheap target of 169 runs set by Mumbai.&nbspHe lost his wicket to Hardik Pandya. Earlier, Evin Lewis smashed a 42-ball 60 before Hardik Pandya produced a quick-fire 36 to steer Mumbai to a fighting 168 for six against Rajasthan at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Lewis batted smartly as he opened his arms only after building his innings steadily after being dropped at individual score of five. Lewis added 87 runs with fellow opener Suryakumar Yadav, who made 38 runs off 31 balls. Yadav was also dropped on nine. Meanwhile, Lewis hit four sixes and as many fours in his innings. West Indies' paceman Jofra Archer produced an excellent bowling performance to put the hosts under pressure. He conceded only 16 runs from his four overs and dismissed Lewis and Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma for zero in successive balls. The hosts were struggling badly at one stage, failing to capitalise a good start, but Pandya came up with his blistering knock just in time to propel them. He hit three fours and two sixes in his 21-ball knock. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Rohit Sharma-led side at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday. Both the teams have struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs. After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved seeing their previous few clashes. The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, helped to team to keep themselves alive in the tournament. Speaking after winning the toss, Ajinkya said, "We'll bowl first. Looks a very good wicket. High scoring ground and dew comes later here. We have to play good cricket for 40 overs." "First 6 overs will be crucial. We have D'Arcy Short in for Ish Sodhi, who's not well. Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni come in," he added. When asked Rohit about his strategy for today, he said, "Rohit: "Not really worried about dew. Last 6 overs, you have to expect some dew but it's our home ground, we have played here. We played a few games here where we have bowled second." "There's no secret to winning games. We have performed collectively as a unit. Someone has put his hand up and taken up the responsibility. Same team for us," he added. Teams Mumbai (Playing XI):&nbspSuryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal&nbspPandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Rajasthan (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

IPL 2018: Buttler's 94* fires Rajasthan to crucial win against Mumbai

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Rohit Sharma-led side at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Both the teams have struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs.

After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved seeing their previous few clashes.

The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, helped to team to keep themselves alive in the tournament.&nbsp;

Speaking after winning the toss, Ajinkya said, "We'll bowl first. Looks a very good wicket. High scoring ground and dew comes later here. We have to play good cricket for 40 overs."

"First 6 overs will be crucial. We have D'Arcy Short in for Ish Sodhi, who's not well. Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni come in," he&nbsp; 
added.

When asked Rohit about his strategy for today, he said, "Rohit: "Not really worried about dew. Last 6 overs, you have to expect some dew but it's our home ground, we have played here. We played a few games here where we have bowled second."

"There's no secret to winning games. We have performed collectively as a unit. Someone has put his hand up and taken up the responsibility. Same team for us," he added.

Teams

Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal&nbsp;Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Rajasthan (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

Both the teams struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs.

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Rohit Sharma-led side at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday. Both the teams have struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs. After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved seeing their previous few clashes. The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, helped to team to keep themselves alive in the tournament. Speaking after winning the toss, Ajinkya said, "We'll bowl first. Looks a very good wicket. High scoring ground and dew comes later here. We have to play good cricket for 40 overs." "First 6 overs will be crucial. We have D'Arcy Short in for Ish Sodhi, who's not well. Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni come in," he added. When asked Rohit about his strategy for today, he said, "Rohit: "Not really worried about dew. Last 6 overs, you have to expect some dew but it's our home ground, we have played here. We played a few games here where we have bowled second." "There's no secret to winning games. We have performed collectively as a unit. Someone has put his hand up and taken up the responsibility. Same team for us," he added. Teams Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal Pandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Rajasthan (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

IPL 2018: Rajasthan opt to bowl against resurgent Mumbai

Evin Lewis smashed a 42-ball 60 before Hardik Pandya produced a quick-fire 36 to steer Mumbai to a fighting 168 for six against Rajasthan at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.&nbsp

Lewis batted smartly as he opened his arms only after building his innings steadily after being dropped at individual score of five.

Lewis added 87 runs with fellow opener Suryakumar Yadav, who made 38 runs off 31 balls.&nbsp

Yadav was also dropped on nine. Meanwhile, Lewis hit four sixes and as many fours in his innings.

West Indies' paceman Jofra Archer produced an excellent bowling performance to put the hosts under pressure.&nbsp

He conceded only 16 runs from his four overs and dismissed Lewis and Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma for zero in successive balls.

The hosts were struggling badly at one stage, failing to capitalise a good start, but Pandya came up with his blistering knock just in time to propel them.&nbsp

He hit three fours and two sixes in his 21-ball knock.&nbsp

Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Rohit Sharma-led side at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Both the teams have struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs.

After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved seeing their previous few clashes.

The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, helped to team to keep themselves alive in the tournament.&nbsp

Speaking after winning the toss, Ajinkya said, "We'll bowl first. Looks a very good wicket. High scoring ground and dew comes later here. We have to play good cricket for 40 overs."

"First 6 overs will be crucial. We have D'Arcy Short in for Ish Sodhi, who's not well. Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni come in," he&nbsp 
added.

When asked Rohit about his strategy for today, he said, "Rohit: "Not really worried about dew. Last 6 overs, you have to expect some dew but it's our home ground, we have played here. We played a few games here where we have bowled second."

"There's no secret to winning games. We have performed collectively as a unit. Someone has put his hand up and taken up the responsibility. Same team for us," he added.

Teams

Mumbai (Playing XI):&nbspSuryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal&nbspPandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Rajasthan (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

Evin Lewis smashed 60 runs in just 42 balls

Evin Lewis smashed a 42-ball 60 before Hardik Pandya produced a quick-fire 36 to steer Mumbai to a fighting 168 for six against Rajasthan at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Lewis batted smartly as he opened his arms only after building his innings steadily after being dropped at individual score of five. Lewis added 87 runs with fellow opener Suryakumar Yadav, who made 38 runs off 31 balls. Yadav was also dropped on nine. Meanwhile, Lewis hit four sixes and as many fours in his innings. West Indies' paceman Jofra Archer produced an excellent bowling performance to put the hosts under pressure. He conceded only 16 runs from his four overs and dismissed Lewis and Suryakumar and Rohit Sharma for zero in successive balls. The hosts were struggling badly at one stage, failing to capitalise a good start, but Pandya came up with his blistering knock just in time to propel them. He hit three fours and two sixes in his 21-ball knock. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl against Rohit Sharma-led side at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, on Sunday. Both the teams have struggled initially in the tournament but now have stormed back to book a berth in the play-offs. After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved seeing their previous few clashes. The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, helped to team to keep themselves alive in the tournament. Speaking after winning the toss, Ajinkya said, "We'll bowl first. Looks a very good wicket. High scoring ground and dew comes later here. We have to play good cricket for 40 overs." "First 6 overs will be crucial. We have D'Arcy Short in for Ish Sodhi, who's not well. Shreyas Gopal and Dhawal Kulkarni come in," he added. When asked Rohit about his strategy for today, he said, "Rohit: "Not really worried about dew. Last 6 overs, you have to expect some dew but it's our home ground, we have played here. We played a few games here where we have bowled second." "There's no secret to winning games. We have performed collectively as a unit. Someone has put his hand up and taken up the responsibility. Same team for us," he added. Teams Mumbai (Playing XI):&nbspSuryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Krunal&nbspPandya, Jean-Paul Duminy, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Rajasthan (Playing XI): Jos Buttler(w), D Arcy Short, Ajinkya Rahane(c), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Jofra Archer, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

IPL 2018: Lewis, Pandya lift Mumbai to 168 runs against Rajasthan

Ambati Rayudu slammed a ton to help&nbsphis team achieve the 180-run target set by Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, on Sunday.

Although, Hyderabad have already qualified for the play-offs in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League,&nbspteam Chennai are just an inch closer in contention.&nbsp

The clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) gave an essence of the IPL 2018 finale with some bittersweet moments. And one cannot expect a dull moment when MS Dhoni is on the ground.&nbsp

One such&nbsphilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when Hyderabad&nbspbatsman Shikhar Dhawan played a shot and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni ran after the ball.

He picked up the ball and gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja, who was also approaching the ball at the same time. For a while, Jadeja got scared but ended up laughing on the funny act of skipper Dhoni.

Watch the video here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Cutest moment ???<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jadeja?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jadeja</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvCSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/9sNzH9PNgi">pic.twitter.com/9sNzH9PNgi</a>
— மகிழன் (@omagasiya) <a href="https://twitter.com/omagasiya/status/995658958303039494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Dhoni funs Jadeja On Field & Smiled After That. Video Shows Funny Side Of Dhoni.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/9p5Ti3g7zH">pic.twitter.com/9p5Ti3g7zH</a>
— HiFi Talkies ™ (@HiFiTalkies) <a href="https://twitter.com/HiFiTalkies/status/995656396891803649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp

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

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

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

Ambati Rayudu slammed a century off 62 balls and helped his team in achieving the 180-run target against Hyderabad at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday.

It was a clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) but team Chennai displayed an outstanding performance and chased down the target at home ground.

The openers, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu scored 57 and 100 runs respectively to give the necessary start to the team and defeated Hyderabad by eight wickets.

Chennai's batsmen Ambati Rayudu was given Man of the Match award for his magnificent performance.&nbsp;

Apart from the openers, MS Dhoni scored 20 runs to mark the much-needed victory, on the other hand, Suresh Raina lost his wicket after scoring just two runs.

Known for their massive bowling strength, Hyderabad struggled in taking wickets and none of the bowlers performed.

Sandeep Sharma took one wicket of Suresh Raina in his 4-over spell.

Earlier, MS Dhoni had invited the guests to bat first after winning the toss.

Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22.

Another opener Alex Hales did not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls.

Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents.

Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively.

In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell.

Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.&nbsp;

Ambati Rayudu was given 'Man of the Match' award for his magnificent performance

Ambati Rayudu slammed a century off 62 balls and helped his team in achieving the 180-run target against Hyderabad at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. It was a clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) but team Chennai displayed an outstanding performance and chased down the target at home ground. The openers, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu scored 57 and 100 runs respectively to give the necessary start to the team and defeated Hyderabad by eight wickets. Chennai's batsmen Ambati Rayudu was given Man of the Match award for his magnificent performance. Apart from the openers, MS Dhoni scored 20 runs to mark the much-needed victory, on the other hand, Suresh Raina lost his wicket after scoring just two runs. Known for their massive bowling strength, Hyderabad struggled in taking wickets and none of the bowlers performed. Sandeep Sharma took one wicket of Suresh Raina in his 4-over spell. Earlier, MS Dhoni had invited the guests to bat first after winning the toss. Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22. Another opener Alex Hales did not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls. Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents. Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively. In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell. Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.

IPL 2018: Ambati Rayudu's 62-ball century helps Chennai defeat Hyderabad by 8 wickets

Despite getting a superb start by openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, Punjab failed to capitalise the start and fell 31 runs short while chasing a mammoth target of 245 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday.

KL Rahul rose to the occasion and slammed 66 runs in just 29 balls which included two boundaries and seven sixes. &nbsp;

Run machine Gayle also contributed 21 runs before being dismissed off Russell.

But it was the downline which failed to continue the momentum as Karun Nair and Mayank Aggarwal was dismissed very cheaply.&nbsp;

While Mayank failed open his account, Nair was sent back to the pavilion after making just three runs.&nbsp;

Skipper Ravichandran Ashwin played a perfect cameo to lift Punjab from crises.&nbsp;

He slammed four boundaries and three huge sixes to reach 45 in just 22 balls.&nbsp;

Aaron Finch also made 34 runs but failed to stay on the crease for long.&nbsp;

Put into bat, Kolkata had set mammoth 245 runs on board against Punjab, to save their chances of qualifying for the play-offs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opened for Kolkata and were in attack position from the very first bowl.

Narine took the wheels in his hand after Lynn departed after contributing just 27 runs.

He played a blistering knock of 75 runs in 36 balls which included nine boundaries and four sixes, before being sent back to the pavilion.

Skipper Dinesh Karthik also slammed a half-century in just 23. His inning included five fours and three sixes.

The downline was in terrific form as every batsman contributed today.

Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell too made 24 and 31 runs respectively, in 17 and 14 balls.

For Punjab, Axar Patel was the most expensive bowler as he gave 52 runs in four overs bowled and did not take any wicket.

Earlier, &nbsp;Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted to field against Kolkata.&nbsp;

Both the sides came off a defeat and seemed desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways.

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them.&nbsp;

Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oLnbZ9jYvTU" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same."

"We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added.

When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran."

"We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change."

While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points.

Teams:

Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

KL Rahul rose to the occasion and slammed 66 runs in just 29 balls

Despite getting a superb start by openers KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, Punjab failed to capitalise the start and fell 31 runs short while chasing a mammoth target of 245 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday. KL Rahul rose to the occasion and slammed 66 runs in just 29 balls which included two boundaries and seven sixes. Run machine Gayle also contributed 21 runs before being dismissed off Russell. But it was the downline which failed to continue the momentum as Karun Nair and Mayank Aggarwal was dismissed very cheaply. While Mayank failed open his account, Nair was sent back to the pavilion after making just three runs. Skipper Ravichandran Ashwin played a perfect cameo to lift Punjab from crises. He slammed four boundaries and three huge sixes to reach 45 in just 22 balls. Aaron Finch also made 34 runs but failed to stay on the crease for long. Put into bat, Kolkata had set mammoth 245 runs on board against Punjab, to save their chances of qualifying for the play-offs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opened for Kolkata and were in attack position from the very first bowl. Narine took the wheels in his hand after Lynn departed after contributing just 27 runs. He played a blistering knock of 75 runs in 36 balls which included nine boundaries and four sixes, before being sent back to the pavilion. Skipper Dinesh Karthik also slammed a half-century in just 23. His inning included five fours and three sixes. The downline was in terrific form as every batsman contributed today. Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell too made 24 and 31 runs respectively, in 17 and 14 balls. For Punjab, Axar Patel was the most expensive bowler as he gave 52 runs in four overs bowled and did not take any wicket. Earlier, Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted to field against Kolkata. Both the sides came off a defeat and seemed desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways. Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them. Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. × Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same." "We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added. When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran." "We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change." While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points. Teams: Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: Punjab lose by 31 runs while chasing Kolkata's 246

Hyderabad set a 180-run target for Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. Earlier, MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl.

Table toppers Hyderabad entered the field with confidence as they have already qualified for the play-off and the conviction was reflected&nbsp;in the performance&nbsp;of Shikhar Dhawan.

Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22

Another opener Alex Hales did&nbsp;not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls.

Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents.

Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively.

In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell.

Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.&nbsp;

Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22

Hyderabad set a 180-run target for Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. Earlier, MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl. Table toppers Hyderabad entered the field with confidence as they have already qualified for the play-off and the conviction was reflected in the performance of Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22 Another opener Alex Hales did not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls. Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents. Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively. In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell. Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.

Dhawan, Williamson shine as Hyderabad set 180-run target for Chennai

After MS Dhoni, it was the turn of current India skipper Virat Kohli to get the same sort of reverence from a fan, who breached the security at the Feroz Shah Kotla during the IPL 2018 match between Delhi and Bangalore.&nbsp

Kohli smashed a brilliant 40-ball 70 to defeat Delhi but that didn't deter the Kotla crowd from getting behind their hometown hero.

There was massive support for Kohli, despite him playing for the opposition side.&nbsp

And while Kohli was going great guns, a fan ran on to the field and fell at Kohli's feet before being whisked away by the security.&nbsp

The enthusiastic fan even managed to sneak in a selfie with the Indian batting star.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BisFZAvH-OV/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:50.0% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp</div>
</div>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BisFZAvH-OV/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">Didn't I tell you? He doesn't has Fans, He has Devotees. ?❤ And also when the security took him away Vee was like Be careful Be careful! How sweet! ❤ And still ppl call him egoistic and Selfish! Those ppl can rather die instead of speaking Shit about such a genuine personality. ?❤ . . . @virat.kohli #vee #virat #kohli #viratkohli #kohlivirat #anushkasharma #anushka #nushkie #couplegoals #cutest #babe #virushka #virushkaforever #virushkalove #virushkawedding #viratians #proudviratian #extremelyvirat #viratians #love #loveu #runmachine #cheeku Video credits:- @sureshraina.addicts</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/extremely._.virat/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> ?Virat Kohli?</a> (@extremely._.virat) on <time datetime="2018-05-12T19:18:51+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 12, 2018 at 12:18pm PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Bangalore, needing a win to stay in contention for the playoffs, were given two early jolts in the chase with Moeen Ali (1) and Parthiv Patel (6) falling in the 2nd and 3rd over respectively.

<img alt="Virat fan12_0.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="http://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/Virat%20fan12_0.jpg" width="770" />

Kohli and AB de Villiers rose to the occasion when their team needed them the most while chasing a target of 182 runs.

The two took matters into their hands and shared a scintillating 118-run stand off just 64 balls to put the team in the driver's seat in the chase.

Bangalore reached the target without much fuss with five wickets in hand and an over to spare.

The much-needed win tonight was Bangalore's fourth in 11 games, keeping them in contention for a playoff spot.&nbsp

The loss for the hosts meant their campaign got worse as they registered their ninth defeat in 12 matches.

The enthusiastic fan even managed to sneak in a selfie with the Indian batting star.

After MS Dhoni, it was the turn of current India skipper Virat Kohli to get the same sort of reverence from a fan, who breached the security at the Feroz Shah Kotla during the IPL 2018 match between Delhi and Bangalore. Kohli smashed a brilliant 40-ball 70 to defeat Delhi but that didn't deter the Kotla crowd from getting behind their hometown hero. There was massive support for Kohli, despite him playing for the opposition side. And while Kohli was going great guns, a fan ran on to the field and fell at Kohli's feet before being whisked away by the security. The enthusiastic fan even managed to sneak in a selfie with the Indian batting star. Didn't I tell you? He doesn't has Fans, He has Devotees. ?❤ And also when the security took him away Vee was like Be careful Be careful! How sweet! ❤ And still ppl call him egoistic and Selfish! Those ppl can rather die instead of speaking Shit about such a genuine personality. ?❤ . . . @virat.kohli #vee #virat #kohli #viratkohli #kohlivirat #anushkasharma #anushka #nushkie #couplegoals #cutest #babe #virushka #virushkaforever #virushkalove #virushkawedding #viratians #proudviratian #extremelyvirat #viratians #love #loveu #runmachine #cheeku Video credits:- @sureshraina.addicts A post shared by ?Virat Kohli? (@extremely._.virat) on May 12, 2018 at 12:18pm PDT × Bangalore, needing a win to stay in contention for the playoffs, were given two early jolts in the chase with Moeen Ali (1) and Parthiv Patel (6) falling in the 2nd and 3rd over respectively. Kohli and AB de Villiers rose to the occasion when their team needed them the most while chasing a target of 182 runs. The two took matters into their hands and shared a scintillating 118-run stand off just 64 balls to put the team in the driver's seat in the chase. Bangalore reached the target without much fuss with five wickets in hand and an over to spare. The much-needed win tonight was Bangalore's fourth in 11 games, keeping them in contention for a playoff spot. The loss for the hosts meant their campaign got worse as they registered their ninth defeat in 12 matches.

Watch: Virat Kohli's fan breaches security to take selfie with him

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday.

The two top teams&nbsp;will lock horns as Chennai&nbsp;host Hyderabad and fight to book a berth in the play-offs of IPL 2018.

Although, Hyderabad have already qualified in the play-off but team Chennai is just one win away from solidifying the place in the top four.

For Chennai there is just one change, Deepak Chahar comes in for Karn Sharma.

For Hyderabad, Deepak Hooda has been included in the squad as Yusuf Pathan is facing some health issues.

Playing XI:

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur

Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

The two top teams will lock horns as Chennai host Hyderabad and fight to book a berth in the play-offs of IPL 2018

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. The two top teams will lock horns as Chennai host Hyderabad and fight to book a berth in the play-offs of IPL 2018. Although, Hyderabad have already qualified in the play-off but team Chennai is just one win away from solidifying the place in the top four. For Chennai there is just one change, Deepak Chahar comes in for Karn Sharma. For Hyderabad, Deepak Hooda has been included in the squad as Yusuf Pathan is facing some health issues. Playing XI: Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to bowl against Hyderabad

Mumbai will host Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team in an intriguing battle at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday 8:00 PM.

Both the teams have struggled initially but now have stormed back in the tournament to book a berth in the play-offs.

After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved in previous few clashes.

The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, and helped the team's play-off hopes alive.

For Mumbai, the playing XI has been quite settled as of now and it is expected that the team will enter the fields with the same squad.&nbsp

On the other hand, Rajasthan team has been experimenting with the combination but now the team is a bit sorted now.

As the fight for 3rd and 4th position is very tough now, it will be interesting to see to which team will be successful with their plans and strategies.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/3rapM1-LGos" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Playing XI (TBC):

Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (wk), JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi

Both the teams have struggled initially but now have stormed back in the tournament to book a berth in the play-offs

Mumbai will host Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team in an intriguing battle at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday 8:00 PM. Both the teams have struggled initially but now have stormed back in the tournament to book a berth in the play-offs. After winning three straight games, Mumbai is riding high on confidence but even Rajasthan's performance has improved in previous few clashes. The way Jos Buttler played in the previous match, an unbeaten 95-run knock, and helped the team's play-off hopes alive. For Mumbai, the playing XI has been quite settled as of now and it is expected that the team will enter the fields with the same squad. On the other hand, Rajasthan team has been experimenting with the combination but now the team is a bit sorted now. As the fight for 3rd and 4th position is very tough now, it will be interesting to see to which team will be successful with their plans and strategies. × Playing XI (TBC): Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma (c), Hardik Pandya, Ishan Kishan (wk), JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Jos Buttler (wk), Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Rahul Tripathi, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi

IPL 2018: Match preview of Mumbai vs Rajasthan

Chennai and Hyderabad are all set to lock horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp;

Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table with 18 points, while Chennai is placed at the 2nd position with 14 points. &nbsp;

MS Dhoni-led side will face the Kane Williamson and team at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Chennai's temporarily home ground.&nbsp;

So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
1. Suresh Raina - Though his performance has not been outstanding in the season so far, he certainly did some wonders in the last game when he smashed 52 runs off 35 balls which included six boundaries and one six. Also in his previous game against Hyderabad, he scored an unbeaten 43-ball-54 &nbsp;with five boundaries and two sixes. Definitely, a confident batsman to step out on the field against Hyderabad.&nbsp;

2. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad is one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league so far. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. When required he has stood up for his team as a batsman too. In 11 matches he has scored 493 runs which include six half-centuries. Even in his previous game against Delhi, Hyderabad skipper slammed 53-ball-83 and ensured victory for his side.&nbsp;

3. Shikhar Dhawan - Dhawan played an impeccable inning in his previous game as he smashed an unbeaten 92 runs off 50 balls, which included nine boundaries and four sixes. He shed his poor form with an unforgettable inning. He is expected to play an opener's knock to help his side consolidate their position.&nbsp;

4. Ambati Rayudu - An adequate batsman for Chennai knows how to play his innings and help his team set a required target or win the game. Altogether, he scored 435 runs in 11 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.&nbsp;

5. Shakib al Hasan - The Hyderabad all-rounder played a decent inning in his previous games. The only bowler to take two crucial wickets, one of Prithvi Shaw and another of Jason Roy, in their last encounter against Delhi. He is expected to perform the same today when Chennai faces Hyderabad.

Chennai have to get pumped up for tonight as Hyderabad have not seen defeat in last six games played.&nbsp;

Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table with 18 points

Chennai and Hyderabad are all set to lock horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table with 18 points, while Chennai is placed at the 2nd position with 14 points. MS Dhoni-led side will face the Kane Williamson and team at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Chennai's temporarily home ground. So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash. 1. Suresh Raina - Though his performance has not been outstanding in the season so far, he certainly did some wonders in the last game when he smashed 52 runs off 35 balls which included six boundaries and one six. Also in his previous game against Hyderabad, he scored an unbeaten 43-ball-54 with five boundaries and two sixes. Definitely, a confident batsman to step out on the field against Hyderabad. 2. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad is one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league so far. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. When required he has stood up for his team as a batsman too. In 11 matches he has scored 493 runs which include six half-centuries. Even in his previous game against Delhi, Hyderabad skipper slammed 53-ball-83 and ensured victory for his side. 3. Shikhar Dhawan - Dhawan played an impeccable inning in his previous game as he smashed an unbeaten 92 runs off 50 balls, which included nine boundaries and four sixes. He shed his poor form with an unforgettable inning. He is expected to play an opener's knock to help his side consolidate their position. 4. Ambati Rayudu - An adequate batsman for Chennai knows how to play his innings and help his team set a required target or win the game. Altogether, he scored 435 runs in 11 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game. 5. Shakib al Hasan - The Hyderabad all-rounder played a decent inning in his previous games. The only bowler to take two crucial wickets, one of Prithvi Shaw and another of Jason Roy, in their last encounter against Delhi. He is expected to perform the same today when Chennai faces Hyderabad. Chennai have to get pumped up for tonight as Hyderabad have not seen defeat in last six games played.

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

AB de Villiers and skipper Virat Kohli together helped Bangalore register their fourth victory in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Kohli played a spectacular knock to help the team recover from the early losses.&nbsp

He made 70 runs in just 40 balls which included seven fours and three sixes.

Supported by AB de Villiers at the other end, the two established 100-run partnership.

While Kohli lost his wicket, de Villiers continued his attack and single-handedly took the team to victory side.&nbsp

De Villiers, who remained unbeaten, made 72 runs in just 37 balls. he slammed four boundaries and six huge sixes.&nbsp

Bangalore had a poor start after they lost openers, Parthiv Patel and Moeen Ali, cheaply, while chasing a target of 182 runs set by Delhi on Saturday. &nbsp

For Delhi, Rishabh Pant continued his destructive form with a 34-ball 61 runs.&nbsp

Abhishek Sharma, who hammered an unbeaten 46 off 19 balls, was one of three IPL debutants for Delhi today along-side Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and South African pacer Junior Dala.

Virat Kohli had won the toss and invited the hosts to bat, playing first, Delhi put up a decent target of 182 runs.

Openers Prithvi Shaw and Jason Roy did not perform and failed to give the necessary start to the team after they lost their wickets to spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after scoring 2 and 12 runs respectively.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer too smashed 32 runs in 35 balls.&nbsp

Pant raced to his fourth fifty of the season off 27 balls and was poised for another big inning.&nbsp

The other set batsman, Iyer, too departed soon after Pant's fall, hurting the innings momentum to leave Delhi at 120 four in 15.1 overs. 
&nbsp

Kohli played a spectacular knock to help the team recover from the early losses.

AB de Villiers and skipper Virat Kohli together helped Bangalore register their fourth victory in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Kohli played a spectacular knock to help the team recover from the early losses. He made 70 runs in just 40 balls which included seven fours and three sixes. Supported by AB de Villiers at the other end, the two established 100-run partnership. While Kohli lost his wicket, de Villiers continued his attack and single-handedly took the team to victory side. De Villiers, who remained unbeaten, made 72 runs in just 37 balls. he slammed four boundaries and six huge sixes. Bangalore had a poor start after they lost openers, Parthiv Patel and Moeen Ali, cheaply, while chasing a target of 182 runs set by Delhi on Saturday. For Delhi, Rishabh Pant continued his destructive form with a 34-ball 61 runs. Abhishek Sharma, who hammered an unbeaten 46 off 19 balls, was one of three IPL debutants for Delhi today along-side Nepal leg-spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and South African pacer Junior Dala. Virat Kohli had won the toss and invited the hosts to bat, playing first, Delhi put up a decent target of 182 runs. Openers Prithvi Shaw and Jason Roy did not perform and failed to give the necessary start to the team after they lost their wickets to spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after scoring 2 and 12 runs respectively. Skipper Shreyas Iyer too smashed 32 runs in 35 balls. Pant raced to his fourth fifty of the season off 27 balls and was poised for another big inning. The other set batsman, Iyer, too departed soon after Pant's fall, hurting the innings momentum to leave Delhi at 120 four in 15.1 overs.

IPL 2018: Kohli, de Villiers star in much-needed win for Bangalore

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team has set a 182-run target for Bangalore at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Saturday.

Earlier, Virat Kohli had won the toss and invited the hosts to bat, playing first, Delhi put up a decent target of 182 runs.

Although the openers Prithvi Shaw and Jason Roy did not perform and failed to give the necessary start to the team and lost their wickets to spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after scoring 2 and 12 runs.

The middle batting order played brilliantly, especially Rishabh Pant (61), Abhishek Sharma (46) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (32).

Debutant&nbspAbhishek Sharma played a splendid inning in the death overs to push Delhi's run rate. He played with a strike rate of 242.11 and scored 46 runs off just 19 balls.

All eyes are on other debutants&nbspJunior Dala and Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane.

Fall of wickets:

4-1 (Prithvi Shaw, 0.6), 16-2 (Jason Roy, 2.4), 109-3 (Rishabh Pant, 12.6), 120-4 (Shreyas Iyer, 15.1)

Debutant Abhishek Sharma played a splendid inning in the death overs to push Delhi's run rate. He played with a strike rate of 242.11 and scored 46 runs off just 19 balls

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team has set a 182-run target for Bangalore at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Saturday. Earlier, Virat Kohli had won the toss and invited the hosts to bat, playing first, Delhi put up a decent target of 182 runs. Although the openers Prithvi Shaw and Jason Roy did not perform and failed to give the necessary start to the team and lost their wickets to spinner Yuzvendra Chahal after scoring 2 and 12 runs. The middle batting order played brilliantly, especially Rishabh Pant (61), Abhishek Sharma (46) and skipper Shreyas Iyer (32). Debutant&nbspAbhishek Sharma played a splendid inning in the death overs to push Delhi's run rate. He played with a strike rate of 242.11 and scored 46 runs off just 19 balls. All eyes are on other debutants&nbspJunior Dala and Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane. Fall of wickets: 4-1 (Prithvi Shaw, 0.6), 16-2 (Jason Roy, 2.4), 109-3 (Rishabh Pant, 12.6), 120-4 (Shreyas Iyer, 15.1)

IPL 2018: Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi set 182-run target for Bangalore

Virat Kohli has won the toss and opted to field at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium against Delhi on Saturday.

For Bangalore team, wonder kid of Indian Premier League has been added at the place of Manan Vohra.

On the other hand, Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer said that team will enjoy the rest of the tournament without feeling any pressure.

For team Delhi, Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is making his IPL debut and also Junior Dala and Abhishek Sharma are back in the squad.&nbsp

Playing XI:

Bangalore: Parthiv Patel(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Vijay Shankar, Harshal Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Junior Dala, Trent Boult

For team Delhi, Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is making his IPL debut

Virat Kohli has won the toss and opted to field at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium against Delhi on Saturday. For Bangalore team, wonder kid of Indian Premier League has been added at the place of Manan Vohra. On the other hand, Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer said that team will enjoy the rest of the tournament without feeling any pressure. For team Delhi, Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane is making his IPL debut and also Junior Dala and Abhishek Sharma are back in the squad. Playing XI: Bangalore: Parthiv Patel(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Vijay Shankar, Harshal Patel, Abhishek Sharma, Amit Mishra, Sandeep Lamichhane, Junior Dala, Trent Boult

IPL 2018: Virat Kohli opts to bowl against Delhi

Put into bat, Kolkata had set mammoth 245 runs on board against Punjab, to save their chances of qualifying for the play-offs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opened for Kolkata and were in attacking position from the very first ball.

Narine took the wheels in his hand after Lynn departed after contributing just 27 runs.

He played a blistering knock of 75 runs in 36 balls which included nine boundaries and four sixes, before being sent back to the pavilion.

Skipper Dinesh Karthik also slammed a half-century in just 23. His inning included five fours and three sixes.

The downline was in terrific form as every batsman contributed today.

Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell too made 24 and 31 runs respectively, in 17 and 14 balls.

For Punjab, Axar Patel was the most expensive bowler as he gave 52 runs in four overs bowled and did not take any wicket.

Earlier, &nbsp;Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted to field against Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday.

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways.

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them.&nbsp;

Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing.

Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same."

"We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added.

When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran."

"We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change."

While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points.

Teams:

Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav 
&nbsp;

Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opened for Kolkata

Put into bat, Kolkata had set mammoth 245 runs on board against Punjab, to save their chances of qualifying for the play-offs in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn opened for Kolkata and were in attacking position from the very first ball. Narine took the wheels in his hand after Lynn departed after contributing just 27 runs. He played a blistering knock of 75 runs in 36 balls which included nine boundaries and four sixes, before being sent back to the pavilion. Skipper Dinesh Karthik also slammed a half-century in just 23. His inning included five fours and three sixes. The downline was in terrific form as every batsman contributed today. Robin Uthappa and Andre Russell too made 24 and 31 runs respectively, in 17 and 14 balls. For Punjab, Axar Patel was the most expensive bowler as he gave 52 runs in four overs bowled and did not take any wicket. Earlier, Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted to field against Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday. Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways. Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them. Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same." "We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added. When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran." "We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change." While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points. Teams: Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: Narine, Karthik guide Kolkata to massive 245

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore will take on the already-eliminated Delhi team at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Saturday.

On one side, Bangalore can't afford to suffer the loss in tonight's game but Delhi have got nothing to lose and they can definitely spoil Virat's plans.

Bangalore have won just three wins from 10 games, have to win their remaining four games to have any chance of making the play-offs and given their ordinary run so far in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League,&nbsp;Bangalore doesn't evoke much hope&nbsp;even playing against a team which has already been eliminated.

Although, team Delhi is not in the play-off race but still they have improved their performance in the previous few games. In Delhi's previous encounter against Hyderabad, Rishabh Pant played a splendid inning and scored unbeaten 128 runs with a 200+ strike rate, he is also the orange cap holder at the moment.

Skipper Virat Kohli is the team's leading run-scorer with 396 runs at 49.50 but the team has failed miserably as they were unable to chase down a&nbsp;modest total of 147 runs.

The Bangalore&nbsp;have done alright with the ball and they would be hoping to maintain that at the high-scoring Kotla.

Pacers Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj have impressed in the different occasions.

It will be interesting to see how both teams will set the&nbsp;playing XI and there are chances that Shreyas Iyer might include Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and South African pacer Junior Dala.

On the other hand, Virat Kolhi's side is quite balanced they just need to focus on collaborative efforts and teamwork.

Playing XI (TBC):

Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Harshal Patel, Trent Boult, Shahbaz Nadeem

Bangalore: Quinton de Kock/Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj.

Bangalore have won just three wins from 10 games, have to win their remaining four games to have any chance of making the play-offs given their ordinary run so far in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League, Bangalore doesn't evoke much hope

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore will take on the already-eliminated Delhi team at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Saturday. On one side, Bangalore can't afford to suffer the loss in tonight's game but Delhi have got nothing to lose and they can definitely spoil Virat's plans. Bangalore have won just three wins from 10 games, have to win their remaining four games to have any chance of making the play-offs and given their ordinary run so far in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League, Bangalore doesn't evoke much hope even playing against a team which has already been eliminated. Although, team Delhi is not in the play-off race but still they have improved their performance in the previous few games. In Delhi's previous encounter against Hyderabad, Rishabh Pant played a splendid inning and scored unbeaten 128 runs with a 200+ strike rate, he is also the orange cap holder at the moment. Skipper Virat Kohli is the team's leading run-scorer with 396 runs at 49.50 but the team has failed miserably as they were unable to chase down a modest total of 147 runs. The Bangalore have done alright with the ball and they would be hoping to maintain that at the high-scoring Kotla. Pacers Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav and Mohammad Siraj have impressed in the different occasions. It will be interesting to see how both teams will set the playing XI and there are chances that Shreyas Iyer might include Nepal's spinner Sandeep Lamichhane and South African pacer Junior Dala. On the other hand, Virat Kolhi's side is quite balanced they just need to focus on collaborative efforts and teamwork. Playing XI (TBC): Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (c), Rishabh Pant (wk), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Harshal Patel, Trent Boult, Shahbaz Nadeem Bangalore: Quinton de Kock/Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel (wk), Virat Kohli (c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammad Siraj.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Bangalore

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to organise an Indian Premier League-(IPL) style women's T20 exhibition match prior to the opening play-off game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji confirmed the news.&nbsp

Edulji added that the board wants to give an opportunity to women cricketers to experience IPL-style T20 match.

"It is a really good initiative. We wanted to give our women players opportunity to experience this. It`s just that we want to encourage performance of the Indian team and recognise their performance and help them exhibit their game. In case women`s IPL happens in future, then this experience will work for them," she said.

As per reports, a total of 30 players will be part of the two teams, with 20 of them being Indian while 10 will be overseas players.

There will be four foreign players in each team and it is expected to be a dry run for a potential women's IPL in the future.

The opening play-off of the ongoing 11th edition of the tournament is slated to be held on May 22.

The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji confirmed the news.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is all set to organise an Indian Premier League-(IPL) style women's T20 exhibition match prior to the opening play-off game at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) member Diana Edulji confirmed the news. Edulji added that the board wants to give an opportunity to women cricketers to experience IPL-style T20 match. "It is a really good initiative. We wanted to give our women players opportunity to experience this. It`s just that we want to encourage performance of the Indian team and recognise their performance and help them exhibit their game. In case women`s IPL happens in future, then this experience will work for them," she said. As per reports, a total of 30 players will be part of the two teams, with 20 of them being Indian while 10 will be overseas players. There will be four foreign players in each team and it is expected to be a dry run for a potential women's IPL in the future. The opening play-off of the ongoing 11th edition of the tournament is slated to be held on May 22.

BCCI confirms IPL-style women's T20 match ahead of play-offs

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted yo filed against Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday.

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways.

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them.&nbsp;

Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing.

Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same."

"We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added.

When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran."

"We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change."

While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points.

Teams:

Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter

Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin on Saturday won the toss and opted yo filed against Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday. Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to bring their campaign back on winning ways. Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them. Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. Talking about their strategy for today, Ashwin said, "We'll bowl first. It's a small ground and difficult to defend, so we'll try to chase it down. It's a day game and it's dried up a bit. Previous games were sticky but this one is expected to stay the same." "We are sticking to our old combination. We have brought Agarwal in for Nath, Sran for Tiwary and Finch for Stoinis," he added. When asked about their strategy, skipper Dinesh Karthik said, "One team has to bat first. We'll try to make the most of the opportunity. Just one change for us, Searles comes in for Curran." "We are sticking to the same team as I am someone who believes to stick to one team and believe in the boys. So we are sticking to the same XI with just one change." While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points. Teams: Punjab (Playing XI): Chris Gayle, Lokesh Rahul(w), Mayank Agarwal, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Barinder Sran, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Shubman Gill, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: R Ashwin wins toss, opts to bowl against Kolkata

Punjab will aim to strengthen their position in the top three of the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table when they take on Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday.

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to return to winning ways.&nbsp

While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points.

Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them.&nbsp

Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing.

Punjab's batting mostly relies on openers Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul as the duo have accumulated 471 and 311 runs respectively.&nbsp

In the match against Rajasthan, when all of the Punjab batters failed to fire, Rahul rose to the occasion smashing an unbeaten 95 off 70 balls.

Veteran Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch and Mayank Agarwal are yet to make their presence felt in the middle-order for the franchise.

The trio's poor form will be a major cause of concern for the team management and it is high time for them to come out with their best.&nbsp

In the bowling department, skipper Ravichandran Ashwin and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma add depth to the line-up.

Also, pacers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye, and Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman shoulder the bulk of the responsibility.&nbsp

While Australian Tye has 16 wickets from eight games, pacer Ankit Rajpoot and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have eight and 14 wickets each.

On the other hand, Kolkata will need to put behind their humiliating loss to Mumbai and come together as a unit if they want to seal a play-off berth.&nbsp

For the men-in-purple, openers Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have failed to perform consistently.&nbsp

Skipper Dinesh Karthik has been the only consistent batsman with the willow, amassing 321 runs from 11 matches.

Vice-captain Robin Uthappa will have to come up with an extraordinary show to help his side inch forward along with the misfiring middle order.&nbsp

Overall, Punjab has a slightly better chance in today's game over Kolkata. 
&nbsp

Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to return to winning ways.

Punjab will aim to strengthen their position in the top three of the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table when they take on Kolkata at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore on Saturday. Both the sides are coming off a defeat and will be desperate to return to winning ways. While Punjab acquires third place with 12 points, Kolkata are placed fifth in the league table with 10 points. Kolkata were hammered by Mumbai in their last encounter as the Rohit Sharma-led side registered a thumping 102-run victory over them. Punjab too, suffered a narrow 15-run loss to Rajasthan Royals in their last outing. Punjab's batting mostly relies on openers Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul as the duo have accumulated 471 and 311 runs respectively. In the match against Rajasthan, when all of the Punjab batters failed to fire, Rahul rose to the occasion smashing an unbeaten 95 off 70 balls. Veteran Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch and Mayank Agarwal are yet to make their presence felt in the middle-order for the franchise. The trio's poor form will be a major cause of concern for the team management and it is high time for them to come out with their best. In the bowling department, skipper Ravichandran Ashwin and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma add depth to the line-up. Also, pacers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye, and Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman shoulder the bulk of the responsibility. While Australian Tye has 16 wickets from eight games, pacer Ankit Rajpoot and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have eight and 14 wickets each. On the other hand, Kolkata will need to put behind their humiliating loss to Mumbai and come together as a unit if they want to seal a play-off berth. For the men-in-purple, openers Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine have failed to perform consistently. Skipper Dinesh Karthik has been the only consistent batsman with the willow, amassing 321 runs from 11 matches. Vice-captain Robin Uthappa will have to come up with an extraordinary show to help his side inch forward along with the misfiring middle order. Overall, Punjab has a slightly better chance in today's game over Kolkata.

IPL 2018: Match Preview of Punjab vs Kolkata

Jos Buttler's unbeaten 95-run knock helped Rajasthan to win a do-or-die clash against in-form Chennai team. Rajasthan's victory has made the fight&nbspfor the fourth spot more difficult, even the third spot is not going to be easy.

Earlier, MS Dhoni-led Chennai had set a 177-run target which Rajasthan chased down, all thanks to star batsman Jos Buttler. After defeating Chennai by six wickets, Ajinkya Rahane's hope of surviving in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League&nbsphas been rejuvenated.

Apart from Jos Buttler, none of the other players made the&nbspnecessary contributions. On one side, Buttler was playing a responsible innings and on the other, batsmen kept losing their wickets. For his splendid performance, Buttler was awarded Man of the Match award.

Sawai Mansingh Stadium of Jaipur was coloured pink as the home team was had entered the fields with another very important cause, which is cancer awareness.

The franchise today revealed a unique jersey ahead of the clash to boost statewide cancer out campaign launched by Rajasthan.

Rajasthan have donned a special jersey which has been created with a blend of three colors- pink, teal and burgundy. The three colours symbolise the most profound and common types of cancer- pink for breast cancer, burgundy for oral cancer and teal for cervical cancer.

Earlier, Chennai won the toss and opted to bat and playing first, the opener Shane Watson scored 39 runs and gave the required start for the team but another opener Ambati Rayudu, who is currently is in a massive form could not perform today and lost his wicket to Rajasthan's pacer Jofra Archer after scoring just 12 runs.

Suresh Raina scored 52 runs and helped the team in pushing the run rate. Playing at 148.57 strike rate, he hit few beautiful shots and his innings included six 4s and one 6s.

MS Dhoni and Sam Billings helped in continuing the momentum and scored 33 and 27 runs respectively for the team to put up a decent target.

Rajasthan struggled in taking wickets and also the pitch was not supporting the pacers.

Jofra Archer took two wickets and Ish Sodhi out bowled Suresh Raina.

Jos Buttler's unbeaten 95-run knock helped Rajasthan to win a do or die clash against in-form Chennai team

Jos Buttler's unbeaten 95-run knock helped Rajasthan to win a do-or-die clash against in-form Chennai team. Rajasthan's victory has made the fight&nbspfor the fourth spot more difficult, even the third spot is not going to be easy. Earlier, MS Dhoni-led Chennai had set a 177-run target which Rajasthan chased down, all thanks to star batsman Jos Buttler. After defeating Chennai by six wickets, Ajinkya Rahane's hope of surviving in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League&nbsphas been rejuvenated. Apart from Jos Buttler, none of the other players made the&nbspnecessary contributions. On one side, Buttler was playing a responsible innings and on the other, batsmen kept losing their wickets. For his splendid performance, Buttler was awarded Man of the Match award. Sawai Mansingh Stadium of Jaipur was coloured pink as the home team was had entered the fields with another very important cause, which is cancer awareness. The franchise today revealed a unique jersey ahead of the clash to boost statewide cancer out campaign launched by Rajasthan. Rajasthan have donned a special jersey which has been created with a blend of three colors- pink, teal and burgundy. The three colours symbolise the most profound and common types of cancer- pink for breast cancer, burgundy for oral cancer and teal for cervical cancer. Earlier, Chennai won the toss and opted to bat and playing first, the opener Shane Watson scored 39 runs and gave the required start for the team but another opener Ambati Rayudu, who is currently is in a massive form could not perform today and lost his wicket to Rajasthan's pacer Jofra Archer after scoring just 12 runs. Suresh Raina scored 52 runs and helped the team in pushing the run rate. Playing at 148.57 strike rate, he hit few beautiful shots and his innings included six 4s and one 6s. MS Dhoni and Sam Billings helped in continuing the momentum and scored 33 and 27 runs respectively for the team to put up a decent target. Rajasthan struggled in taking wickets and also the pitch was not supporting the pacers. Jofra Archer took two wickets and Ish Sodhi out bowled Suresh Raina.

Jos Buttler shines as Rajasthan beat Chennai by 4 wickets

MS Dhoni-led Chennai set a 177-run target for Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur after choosing to bat first.

The opener Shane Watson scored 39 runs and gave the required start for the team but another opener Ambati Rayudu, who is currently is in a massive form could not perform today and lost his wicket to Rajasthan's pacer Jofra Archer after scoring just 12 runs.

Suresh Raina scored 52 runs and helped the team in pushing the run rate. Playing at 148.57 strike rate, he hit few beautiful shots and his innings included six 4s and one 6s.

MS Dhoni and Sam Billings helped in continuing the momentum and scored 33 and 27 runs respectively for the team to put up a decent target.

Rajasthan struggled in taking wickets and also the pitch was not supporting the pacers.

Jofra Archer took two wickets and Ish Sodhi out bowled Suresh Raina.

Fall of wickets:

19-1 (Ambati Rayudu, 2.1), 105-2 (Shane Watson, 11.3), 119-3 (Suresh Raina, 12.6), 174-4 (Sam Billings, 19.4)

MS Dhoni-led Chennai set a 177-run target for Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

MS Dhoni-led Chennai set a 177-run target for Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur after choosing to bat first. The opener Shane Watson scored 39 runs and gave the required start for the team but another opener Ambati Rayudu, who is currently is in a massive form could not perform today and lost his wicket to Rajasthan's pacer Jofra Archer after scoring just 12 runs. Suresh Raina scored 52 runs and helped the team in pushing the run rate. Playing at 148.57 strike rate, he hit few beautiful shots and his innings included six 4s and one 6s. MS Dhoni and Sam Billings helped in continuing the momentum and scored 33 and 27 runs respectively for the team to put up a decent target. Rajasthan struggled in taking wickets and also the pitch was not supporting the pacers. Jofra Archer took two wickets and Ish Sodhi out bowled Suresh Raina. Fall of wickets: 19-1 (Ambati Rayudu, 2.1), 105-2 (Shane Watson, 11.3), 119-3 (Suresh Raina, 12.6), 174-4 (Sam Billings, 19.4)

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni-led Chennai set 177-run target for Rajasthan

Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team is currently placed at number six in the points table of Indian Premier League 2018 and are taking all possible chances to move further in the tournament.

The 43rd match of IPL 2018 is very special for the Rajasthan&nbsp;team as apart from booking a berth in the play-offs, team Rajasthan has&nbsp;entered the fields with&nbsp;another very important cause, which is cancer awareness.

The entire team of Rajasthan including the ground staff and management is wearing the pink jerseys to promote the #CancerOut campaign.

The franchise today revealed a unique jersey ahead of the clash to boost statewide cancer out campaign launched by Rajasthan.

Rajasthan have donned a special jersey which has been created with a blend of three colors- pink, teal and burgundy. The three colours symbolise the most profound and common types of cancer- pink for breast cancer, burgundy for oral cancer and teal for cervical cancer.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Sodhi Stream has a message for all of you. 
Let's get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CancerOut?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CancerOut</a> together tonight! ? 
 
Get yourself screened now. 
Missed call to 1800 420 8888 (toll free for Rajasthan) or visit <a href="https://t.co/bp1O2Z5YFi">https://t.co/bp1O2Z5YFi</a> now!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RRvCSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RRvCSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JazbaJeetKa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JazbaJeetKa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallaBol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HallaBol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/tatatrusts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@tatatrusts</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ish_sodhi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ish_sodhi</a> <a href="https://t.co/ZVzDTY134v">pic.twitter.com/ZVzDTY134v</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/994937556318937088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Special jersey for our battle with <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> against Cancer! ⚡️ 
 
What's our new jersey all about? 
PINK - Breast Cancer 
BURGUNDY - Oral Cancer 
TEAL - Cervical Cancer 
 
Let's show our support and get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CancerOut?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CancerOut</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JazbaJeetKa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JazbaJeetKa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallaBol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HallaBol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://t.co/TbPM0benlo">pic.twitter.com/TbPM0benlo</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/994125671948419078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

Rajasthan have donned a special jersey which has been created with a blend of three colors- pink, teal and burgundy. The three colours symbolise the most profound and common types of cancer- pink for breast cancer, burgundy for oral cancer and teal for cervical cancer

Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team is currently placed at number six in the points table of Indian Premier League 2018 and are taking all possible chances to move further in the tournament. The 43rd match of IPL 2018 is very special for the Rajasthan team as apart from booking a berth in the play-offs, team Rajasthan has entered the fields with another very important cause, which is cancer awareness. The entire team of Rajasthan including the ground staff and management is wearing the pink jerseys to promote the #CancerOut campaign. The franchise today revealed a unique jersey ahead of the clash to boost statewide cancer out campaign launched by Rajasthan. Rajasthan have donned a special jersey which has been created with a blend of three colors- pink, teal and burgundy. The three colours symbolise the most profound and common types of cancer- pink for breast cancer, burgundy for oral cancer and teal for cervical cancer. Sodhi Stream has a message for all of you. Let's get #CancerOut together tonight! ? Get yourself screened now. Missed call to 1800 420 8888 (toll free for Rajasthan) or visit https://t.co/bp1O2Z5YFi now!#RRvCSK #JazbaJeetKa #HallaBol #VIVOIPL @tatatrusts @ish_sodhi pic.twitter.com/ZVzDTY134v — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 11, 2018 × Special jersey for our battle with @ChennaiIPL against Cancer! ⚡️ What's our new jersey all about? PINK - Breast Cancer BURGUNDY - Oral Cancer TEAL - Cervical Cancer Let's show our support and get #CancerOut!#JazbaJeetKa #HallaBol #VIVOIPL #Yellove pic.twitter.com/TbPM0benlo — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 9, 2018 ×

IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan turns pink to boot cancer out

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/unnao-rape-case-cbi-confirms-rape-charge-against-bjp-mla-sengar-police-role-under-scanner--136002">Unnao rape case: CBI sources confirm rape charge against BJP MLA Sengar police role under scanner</a>

CBI sources said later on June 11th three youths abducted the girl and gangraped her in an SUV.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/how-atal-bihari-vajpayees-government-went-about-pokhran-ii----136003">How Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government went about Pokhran II</a>

Twenty years ago, on May 11, 1998, the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared a nuclear power with the tests at Pokhran.&nbsp

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/rohingyas-should-be-relocated-un-to-bangladesh-135998">Rohingyas should be relocated: UN to Bangladesh</a>

"The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-cannes-2018-deepika-padukone-is-a-sight-to-behold-in-an-angelic-white-gown-136001">Cannes 2018: Deepika Padukone is a sight to behold in an angelic white gown</a>

After choosing sinful red for her Met Gala outing, Deepika Padukone chose an angelic white gown for her first day on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival.&nbsp

&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-dhawan-williamson-take-hyderabad-to-play-offs-beat-delhi-by-9-wickets--135984">IPL 2018: Dhawan, Williamson take Hyderabad to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-dhawan-williamson-take-hyderabad-to-play-offs-beat-delhi-by-9-wickets--135984">play-offs</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-dhawan-williamson-take-hyderabad-to-play-offs-beat-delhi-by-9-wickets--135984">, beat Delhi by 9 wickets</a>

Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs.&nbsp

After choosing sinful red for her Met Gala outing, Deepika Padukone chose an angelic white gown for her first day on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival.

Unnao rape case: CBI sources confirm rape charge against BJP MLA Sengar police role under scanner CBI sources said later on June 11th three youths abducted the girl and gangraped her in an SUV. How Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government went about Pokhran II Twenty years ago, on May 11, 1998, the then Indian prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee declared a nuclear power with the tests at Pokhran. Rohingyas should be relocated: UN to Bangladesh "The monsoon is the biggest concern," Guterres told reporters at UN headquarters in New York. Cannes 2018: Deepika Padukone is a sight to behold in an angelic white gown After choosing sinful red for her Met Gala outing, Deepika Padukone chose an angelic white gown for her first day on the red carpet of Cannes Film Festival. IPL 2018: Dhawan, Williamson take Hyderabad to play-offs, beat Delhi by 9 wickets Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team will face Chennai at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday.

Apart from booking a play-off berth, Rajasthan team will enter the fields with&nbsp;another important&nbsp;objective tonight. The entire Rajasthan team will wear the pink jersey to promote cancer awareness.

Team Rajasthan has gained some confidence as they won their previous encounter against Punjab but still, there are some concerns with the batting department.

On the other hand, MS Dhoni-led Chennai are riding high on confidence and they are just one win away from solidifying their place in the play-off of the IPL 2018.

When the playing&nbsp;XI is concerned, Ajinkya Rahane will look&nbsp;to make some changes in the playing XI. Stuart Binny has not performed much and he might get replaced with Rahul Tripathi on the other hand, Dhawal Kulkarni suits better than Anureet Singh for today's game.

On the other hand, for Chennai, any change is not required until and unless an injury occurs.

Playing XI (TBC):

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny/Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham, Ish Sodhi, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Anureet Singh/Dhawal Kulkarni

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Harbhahan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Shardul Thakur

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pYK19tDW5Fk" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The entire Rajasthan team will wear pink jersey to promote cancer awareness in the clash against Chennai

Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team will face Chennai at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday. Apart from booking a play-off berth, Rajasthan team will enter the fields with another important objective tonight. The entire Rajasthan team will wear the pink jersey to promote cancer awareness. Team Rajasthan has gained some confidence as they won their previous encounter against Punjab but still, there are some concerns with the batting department. On the other hand, MS Dhoni-led Chennai are riding high on confidence and they are just one win away from solidifying their place in the play-off of the IPL 2018. When the playing XI is concerned, Ajinkya Rahane will look to make some changes in the playing XI. Stuart Binny has not performed much and he might get replaced with Rahul Tripathi on the other hand, Dhawal Kulkarni suits better than Anureet Singh for today's game. On the other hand, for Chennai, any change is not required until and unless an injury occurs. Playing XI (TBC): Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Mahipal Lomror, Stuart Binny/Rahul Tripathi, K Gowtham, Ish Sodhi, Jofra Archer, Jaydev Unadkat, Anureet Singh/Dhawal Kulkarni Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Dhruv Shorey, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, David Willey, Harbhahan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, Shardul Thakur ×

IPL 2018: Match preview of Rajasthan vs Chennai

MS Dhoni won the toss and has opted to bat first against Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday.

Although, the pitch report suggests it will be suitable for the spinners as there is not any grass on the pitch but plenty of cracks.

Chennai team has made a couple of changes, Karn Sharma and Sam Billings are back in the playing XI at the place of Dhruv Shorey and Lungi Ngidi.

On the other hand, team Rajasthan is wearing the pink jersey to support cancer patients.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Special jersey for our battle with <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> against Cancer! ⚡️ 
 
What's our new jersey all about? 
PINK - Breast Cancer 
BURGUNDY - Oral Cancer 
TEAL - Cervical Cancer 
 
Let's show our support and get <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CancerOut?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CancerOut</a>!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JazbaJeetKa?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JazbaJeetKa</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HallaBol?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HallaBol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://t.co/TbPM0benlo">pic.twitter.com/TbPM0benlo</a>
— Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) <a href="https://twitter.com/rajasthanroyals/status/994125671948419078?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

For Rajasthan, Ankit Sharma makes his debut by replacing Prashant Chopra.

Playing XI:

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Jos Buttler(w), Prashant Chopra, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur

For Rajasthan, Ankit Sharma makes his debut by replacing Prashant Chopra

MS Dhoni won the toss and has opted to bat first against Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Friday. Although, the pitch report suggests it will be suitable for the spinners as there is not any grass on the pitch but plenty of cracks. Chennai team has made a couple of changes, Karn Sharma and Sam Billings are back in the playing XI at the place of Dhruv Shorey and Lungi Ngidi. On the other hand, team Rajasthan is wearing the pink jersey to support cancer patients. Special jersey for our battle with @ChennaiIPL against Cancer! ⚡️ What's our new jersey all about? PINK - Breast Cancer BURGUNDY - Oral Cancer TEAL - Cervical Cancer Let's show our support and get #CancerOut!#JazbaJeetKa #HallaBol #VIVOIPL #Yellove pic.twitter.com/TbPM0benlo — Rajasthan Royals (@rajasthanroyals) May 9, 2018 × For Rajasthan, Ankit Sharma makes his debut by replacing Prashant Chopra. Playing XI: Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Jos Buttler(w), Prashant Chopra, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Ankit Sharma, Jaydev Unadkat, Ish Sodhi Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, David Willey, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to bat against Rajasthan

I would rate 42nd match of this year Indian Premier League, played between Hyderabad and Delhi at Firozshah Kotla Delhi on 10th May 2018 as one of the most special encounters this season.

The match was packed with two surprises. First, young Rishabh Pant played a knock which can be a career-defining knock for him. His 128 out of a team total of 191 and that too coming at number four, speaks about the calibre of this young led who once considered as the heir apparent of MS Dhoni.

But the second surprise was the slickness with which Hyderabad chased down this total. It was even better than Hyderabad’s own high standard, which they had set so far in this tournament. Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson were easy going right from the beginning of their mammoth partnership and finish things in style.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">×</a></div>
</div>
</div>

How Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018. Hyderabad have been the top performing team so far in the tournament in spite of no larger than life superstar in the line-up.

It is worthwhile to mention here that Hyderabad received a huge setback before the commencement of the tournament as their skipper and swashbuckling batsman David Warner was dropped out due to ball tempering controversy. Kane Williamson, however, picked the responsibility entrusted to him in the last minutes with all the sincerity and turned around things.

Whenever Hyderabad come on the field, I go back to the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008. In 2008, Shane Warne led the bunch of young (Rajasthan) and relatively inexperienced side in a magical way and turned them in the champion. In 2008, Rajasthan were the team with least fanfare with no superstar in the lineup.

It was one among the cheapest teams in the inaugural auction. While Rajasthan under Shane Warne finished to the victory, the high profile teams like Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata bit the dust. All these teams were high profile and they were studded with big names.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="row">
<div class="article-blockquote">
<div class="col-sm-10 col-sm-offset-1 blockquote-content quoteshare">
<blockquote>
<h5>Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008</h5>
</blockquote>
</div>

<div class="col-sm-1 blockquote-content">
<div class="share-blockquote"><a class="twitter popup" href="http://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008" target="_blank">&nbsp;</a></div>
</div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqquoteclosemark">×</a></div>
</div>
</div>

Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008.

Williamson himself is in outstanding batting form. He is proving that why is regarded as the one the most prolific batsmen of his generation. He is getting good support from Shikhar Dhawan and Yusuf Pathan down the order in among the runs as well.

Williamson is marshalling his troop to the perfection and so far he has been able to extract best out of his teammates. Notwithstanding hammering by Rishabh Pant, Bhuvi is leading the bowling with the support of likes if Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma.

But the X-factor in this team is because of the presence of young Afghanistani spinner, Rashid Khan. He has troubled best of batsmen in the tournament so far. His well-disguised googly has been destructive.

The team is fighting as a group and the way Hyderabad have defended few low scoring matches very well manifests the spirit of the team

I once heard great Australian Cricket coach John Buchanan. Buchanan said that “In the Cricket, plans and strategy are important but the more important thing is that whether you have put your basics right or not. You may plan big but lack of basics would fail you”.

Williamson and his boys seem to be working on these lines only. Other star-studded teams (read Bangalore & Delhi) of IPL-2018 can take a cue out of it.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

42nd match of this year Indian Premier League, played between Hyderabad and Delhi at Firozshah Kotla Delhi on 10th May 2018 as one of the most special encounters this season

I would rate 42nd match of this year Indian Premier League, played between Hyderabad and Delhi at Firozshah Kotla Delhi on 10th May 2018 as one of the most special encounters this season. The match was packed with two surprises. First, young Rishabh Pant played a knock which can be a career-defining knock for him. His 128 out of a team total of 191 and that too coming at number four, speaks about the calibre of this young led who once considered as the heir apparent of MS Dhoni. But the second surprise was the slickness with which Hyderabad chased down this total. It was even better than Hyderabad’s own high standard, which they had set so far in this tournament. Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson were easy going right from the beginning of their mammoth partnership and finish things in style. Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018 × How Kane Williamson has transformed the team Hyderabad with his passionate leadership is the biggest highlight of IPL 2018. Hyderabad have been the top performing team so far in the tournament in spite of no larger than life superstar in the line-up. It is worthwhile to mention here that Hyderabad received a huge setback before the commencement of the tournament as their skipper and swashbuckling batsman David Warner was dropped out due to ball tempering controversy. Kane Williamson, however, picked the responsibility entrusted to him in the last minutes with all the sincerity and turned around things. Whenever Hyderabad come on the field, I go back to the inaugural edition of IPL in 2008. In 2008, Shane Warne led the bunch of young (Rajasthan) and relatively inexperienced side in a magical way and turned them in the champion. In 2008, Rajasthan were the team with least fanfare with no superstar in the lineup. It was one among the cheapest teams in the inaugural auction. While Rajasthan under Shane Warne finished to the victory, the high profile teams like Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata bit the dust. All these teams were high profile and they were studded with big names. Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008 × Kane Williamson and his 'Orange Army' is on the same template as that of Shane Warne and Rajasthan in 2008. Williamson himself is in outstanding batting form. He is proving that why is regarded as the one the most prolific batsmen of his generation. He is getting good support from Shikhar Dhawan and Yusuf Pathan down the order in among the runs as well. Williamson is marshalling his troop to the perfection and so far he has been able to extract best out of his teammates. Notwithstanding hammering by Rishabh Pant, Bhuvi is leading the bowling with the support of likes if Siddharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma. But the X-factor in this team is because of the presence of young Afghanistani spinner, Rashid Khan. He has troubled best of batsmen in the tournament so far. His well-disguised googly has been destructive. The team is fighting as a group and the way Hyderabad have defended few low scoring matches very well manifests the spirit of the team I once heard great Australian Cricket coach John Buchanan. Buchanan said that “In the Cricket, plans and strategy are important but the more important thing is that whether you have put your basics right or not. You may plan big but lack of basics would fail you”. Williamson and his boys seem to be working on these lines only. Other star-studded teams (read Bangalore & Delhi) of IPL-2018 can take a cue out of it. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: IPL 2018 - How Hyderabad under Kane Williamson is blossoming

Opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson shared an unbeaten 176-run stand to overshadow a breathtaking hundred from Rishbah Pant.&nbsp;

Hyderabad sailed into the Indian Premier League play-offs with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Thursday. 
&nbsp; 
Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs.&nbsp;

With just six points from 11 games, Delhi are now certain to make another early exit from the tournament.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad led the table with 18 points from 11 games.

Earlier, Pant slammed his maiden IPL hundred, an epic 128 not out off just 63 balls which was not enough to for Delhi to defeat &nbsp;Hyderabad.

Pant helped Delhi overcome a poor start to reach an imposing total.&nbsp;

Pant was unstoppable in his unbeaten knock as he depleted with arguably the best bowling attack in the competition, single-handedly giving a fighting chance to a struggling Delhi.&nbsp;

His century came at the perfect time when the top three batsmen failed to contribute much. His long innings included 15 boundaries and seven long sixes.

For Hyderabad, Shakib Al Hasan was the only bowler who managed to take two wickets.&nbsp;

Bhuvneshwar Kumar had to settle for one while three players got run-out.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha.

On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami.

Teams:

Hyderabad:&nbsp;Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma.

Daredevils:&nbsp;Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

&nbsp;

Pant remained unbeaten and scored 128 runs in just 63 balls

Opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson shared an unbeaten 176-run stand to overshadow a breathtaking hundred from Rishbah Pant. Hyderabad sailed into the Indian Premier League play-offs with a commanding nine-wicket victory over Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Thursday. Delhi's 187 for five was a challenging target but Dhawan's 92 not out off 50 balls and captain's 83 not out off 53 ensured Hyderabad home in 18.5 overs. With just six points from 11 games, Delhi are now certain to make another early exit from the tournament. Meanwhile, Hyderabad led the table with 18 points from 11 games. Earlier, Pant slammed his maiden IPL hundred, an epic 128 not out off just 63 balls which was not enough to for Delhi to defeat Hyderabad. Pant helped Delhi overcome a poor start to reach an imposing total. Pant was unstoppable in his unbeaten knock as he depleted with arguably the best bowling attack in the competition, single-handedly giving a fighting chance to a struggling Delhi. His century came at the perfect time when the top three batsmen failed to contribute much. His long innings included 15 boundaries and seven long sixes. For Hyderabad, Shakib Al Hasan was the only bowler who managed to take two wickets. Bhuvneshwar Kumar had to settle for one while three players got run-out. Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha. On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami. Teams: Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma. Daredevils: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

IPL 2018: Dhawan, Williamson take Hyderabad to play-offs, beat Delhi by 9 wickets

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday.

Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha.

On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami.

Teams:

Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma.

Daredevils: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

The tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Hyderabad in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. Struggling at the bottom of the points table, the hosts made three changes to their playing XI by including Shahbaz Nadeem, Jason Roy and Harshal Patel in place of Avesh Khan, Daniel Christian and Naman Ojha. On the other hand, the tourists replaced injured wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha with Shreevats Goswami. Teams: Hyderabad: Alex Hales, Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson (Captain), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami (WK), Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma. Daredevils: Prithvi Shaw, Jason Roy, Shreyas Iyer (Captain), Rishabh Pant (WK), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult.

IPL 2018: Delhi opt to bat against Hyderabad

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten on Thursday said that under skipper Virat Kohli, India have a great chance in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019.

Kirsten said that though winning a World Cup requires a lot of hard work, he believes the Kohli-led side have a bright chance to clinch the coveted trophy."

You need a lot of luck along the way. There are a lot of good teams out there," he said."But, you know, India have a great team and you know they have got every chance under Virat Kohli to compete and do really well," he concluded&nbsp

The World Cup is slated to be held from May 30 to July 14 next year.&nbsp

The former South African cricketer is set to launch his first-ever cricket academy in India and he has chosen Pune as the location.

Kirsten is currently mentoring the struggling Bangalore in the ongoing 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The team currently stands at number seven with just three wins out of 10 games played.

Kirsten said that winning a World Cup requires a lot of hard work

Former South African cricketer Gary Kirsten on Thursday said that under skipper Virat Kohli, India have a great chance in ICC Cricket World Cup 2019. Kirsten said that though winning a World Cup requires a lot of hard work, he believes the Kohli-led side have a bright chance to clinch the coveted trophy." You need a lot of luck along the way. There are a lot of good teams out there," he said."But, you know, India have a great team and you know they have got every chance under Virat Kohli to compete and do really well," he concluded The World Cup is slated to be held from May 30 to July 14 next year. The former South African cricketer is set to launch his first-ever cricket academy in India and he has chosen Pune as the location. Kirsten is currently mentoring the struggling Bangalore in the ongoing 11th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The team currently stands at number seven with just three wins out of 10 games played.

Virat Kohli-led team have every chance in World Cup 2019: Gary Kirsten

Delhi will return to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla and will host table-toppers Hyderabad today. Their last encounter was won by the Kane-Williamson side by seven wickets.

Kotla has proved to be lucky for the home team of late - Shreyas Iyer has won both times he’s led the team out at this venue following Gautam Gambhir’s sudden resignation from the captaincy.

As Delhi stands last in the league table, its important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive.

For Delhi, Prithvi Shaw and skipper Shyeras Iyer are in red-hot form. The two smashed 65 and 45 runs respectively in their last match against Hyderabad.

In-form Rishab pant failed to contribute in his last match but is expected to play a superb knock today

It is the bowling department which has to play a different game today to restrict the opponents.&nbsp;

Hyderabad, on the other hand, are enjoying their game by sitting on top of the IPL table.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/btEaP1tWkzw" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Skipper Kane Williamson had hit a half-century in his last match against Bangalore. The batsman is capable of single-handedly taking the match away from Delhi.&nbsp;

The bowling department has always been their strong base and are expected to perform above par today also.&nbsp;

So overall, Delhi will fight to keep their playoff chances alive while Hyderabad will enter the ground to consolidate their position.&nbsp;

Delhi will return to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla and will host table-toppers Hyderabad today. Their last encounter was won by the Kane-Williamson side by seven wickets. Kotla has proved to be lucky for the home team of late - Shreyas Iyer has won both times he’s led the team out at this venue following Gautam Gambhir’s sudden resignation from the captaincy. As Delhi stands last in the league table, its important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive. For Delhi, Prithvi Shaw and skipper Shyeras Iyer are in red-hot form. The two smashed 65 and 45 runs respectively in their last match against Hyderabad. In-form Rishab pant failed to contribute in his last match but is expected to play a superb knock today It is the bowling department which has to play a different game today to restrict the opponents. Hyderabad, on the other hand, are enjoying their game by sitting on top of the IPL table. × Skipper Kane Williamson had hit a half-century in his last match against Bangalore. The batsman is capable of single-handedly taking the match away from Delhi. The bowling department has always been their strong base and are expected to perform above par today also. So overall, Delhi will fight to keep their playoff chances alive while Hyderabad will enter the ground to consolidate their position.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Hyderabad

Delhi and Hyderabad are all set to lock horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp

While Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table, Delhi is bottom placed after facing seven defeats out of 10 games played so far.&nbsp&nbsp

As Delhi returns to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla, it becomes important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive.&nbsp

So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash.&nbsp

1. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad is one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league so far. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. When required he has stood up for his team as a batsman too. In 10 matches he has scored 410 runs which include five half-centuries. Even in his previous game against Bangalore, Hyderabad skipper slammed 39-ball-56 and ensured victory for his side.&nbsp

2. Prithvi Shaw - The Delhi opener smashed 65 runs off just 36 balls which included six boundaries and three sixes. The young sensation has so far scored 205 runs in five matches played with 65 being his highest score. He is capable of hitting big strokes and can be a dependent player when needed.&nbsp

3. Shakib Al Hasan - The Hyderabad all-rounder played a decent inning in his previous game. He scored 35 runs off 32 balls. Also, the only bowler to take two crucial wickets, one of Parthiv Patel and another of Virat Kohli, in their previous game against Bangalore. He is expected to perform the same today when Delhi faces Hyderabad.

4. Shreyas Iyer - The Delhi skipper tried his best to revive Delhi in this tournament after taking the captaincy, but failed to qualify for the top four. Being a very efficient batsman, Iyer scored 351 runs in 10 matches so far and is placed at the 8th position for the 'Orange Cap'. In his previous match against Hyderabad, he scored 36-ball-44 which included three boundaries and two sixes. The skipper is all set for tonight to remove Delhi from the last position.&nbsp

5. Rishabh Pant - An adequate batsman from Delhi knows how to play his innings and help his team set a required target or win the game. Altogether, he scored 393 runs in 10 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.&nbsp

Delhi returns to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla

Delhi and Hyderabad are all set to lock horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). While Hyderabad stand at top of the IPL table, Delhi is bottom placed after facing seven defeats out of 10 games played so far. As Delhi returns to its home ground Feroz Shah Kotla, it becomes important for the franchise to beat Hyderabad to keep their chances of qualifying for the play-off alive. So, let us take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash. 1. Kane Williamson - The backbone of Hyderabad is one of the most successful skippers in the ongoing league so far. With his team being the table-toppers, he definitely fulfilled his duties as a captain. When required he has stood up for his team as a batsman too. In 10 matches he has scored 410 runs which include five half-centuries. Even in his previous game against Bangalore, Hyderabad skipper slammed 39-ball-56 and ensured victory for his side. 2. Prithvi Shaw - The Delhi opener smashed 65 runs off just 36 balls which included six boundaries and three sixes. The young sensation has so far scored 205 runs in five matches played with 65 being his highest score. He is capable of hitting big strokes and can be a dependent player when needed. 3. Shakib Al Hasan - The Hyderabad all-rounder played a decent inning in his previous game. He scored 35 runs off 32 balls. Also, the only bowler to take two crucial wickets, one of Parthiv Patel and another of Virat Kohli, in their previous game against Bangalore. He is expected to perform the same today when Delhi faces Hyderabad. 4. Shreyas Iyer - The Delhi skipper tried his best to revive Delhi in this tournament after taking the captaincy, but failed to qualify for the top four. Being a very efficient batsman, Iyer scored 351 runs in 10 matches so far and is placed at the 8th position for the 'Orange Cap'. In his previous match against Hyderabad, he scored 36-ball-44 which included three boundaries and two sixes. The skipper is all set for tonight to remove Delhi from the last position. 5. Rishabh Pant - An adequate batsman from Delhi knows how to play his innings and help his team set a required target or win the game. Altogether, he scored 393 runs in 10 games so far. His experience and ability to deplete any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.

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

ipl-0

Ipl, News on Ipl, stories on Ipl, articles on Ipl, Ipl stories at Wion, Ipl news, Ipl latest news

ipl 0