R Ashwin-led Punjab locked horns with Delhi for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Monday.

But the surprising thing was their star batsman Chris Gayle's name was missing from Punjab's playing XI.

As per media reports, Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the IPL match due to fitness issues.

The news was shared by Punjab skipper R Ashwin at the toss, informing that Gayle would miss the match as "he's a bit sore."

However, Aaron Finch, who earlier came to bat at no 3, opened with KL Rahul but failed to fill the Universal Boss' space.

Finch, who was handed over the responsibility, was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just two runs.&nbsp;

Trying to hit a shot, Finch gave away his wicket to the young lad Avesh Khan.

Meanwhile, Gayle was replaced by David Miller, who will come to bat at number six position.

Gayle's absence must have come as a great news for Gautam Gambhir and Delhi as the West Indian has been in a destructive form.

The Jamaican cricketer has played three games so far and slammed a century and two half-centuries to prove that there is still enough cricket left in him.&nbsp;

Gayle was picked up by Punjab in the auction for his base price of Rs 2 crore in the third round after he went unsold in the first two rounds.

Chris Gayle's name was missing from Punjab's playing XI.

R Ashwin-led Punjab locked horns with Delhi for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Monday. But the surprising thing was their star batsman Chris Gayle's name was missing from Punjab's playing XI. As per media reports, Chris Gayle has been ruled out of the IPL match due to fitness issues. The news was shared by Punjab skipper R Ashwin at the toss, informing that Gayle would miss the match as "he's a bit sore." However, Aaron Finch, who earlier came to bat at no 3, opened with KL Rahul but failed to fill the Universal Boss' space. Finch, who was handed over the responsibility, was sent back to the pavilion after scoring just two runs. Trying to hit a shot, Finch gave away his wicket to the young lad Avesh Khan. Meanwhile, Gayle was replaced by David Miller, who will come to bat at number six position. Gayle's absence must have come as a great news for Gautam Gambhir and Delhi as the West Indian has been in a destructive form. The Jamaican cricketer has played three games so far and slammed a century and two half-centuries to prove that there is still enough cricket left in him. Gayle was picked up by Punjab in the auction for his base price of Rs 2 crore in the third round after he went unsold in the first two rounds.

IPL 2018: Aaron Finch opens in Chris Gayle's absence, fails to fill the space

Delhi and Punjab are all set to lock their horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). While Punjab ranks second in the IPL Standings, Delhi is last after facing four defeats out of five matches played so far.&nbsp; Delhi will be playing at their home ground and are expected to come out strong against Punjab to seal today's game.

So, let us take a look at the players to watch out for in today's big clash.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;&nbsp;

1. Chris Gayle - 'The Universal Boss' Chris Gayle has proved that he still has a lot of cricket left in him as he smashed a century and two half-centuries in a total of three games he has played so far in IPL 2018 for Punjab. As he did not play the previous match against Delhi, so it will be interesting to see if he will succeed in giving us next century or will return to the stadium at a paltry score.&nbsp;

2. Yuvraj Singh - His poor form has been a serious cause of concern for Punjab. Being picked up at his base price of Rs 2 crore, he has not contributed much so far this season. Being one of the most experienced batsmen when it comes to the Firoz Shah Kotla ground, it will important to see him score high runs for his team in today's game.

3. Gautam Gambhir - This season he was welcomed back to his home team. But despite his great captaincy skills, Delhi hasn't performed well so far. Today, Gambhir will play at their home ground and is expected to give a tough fight to Punjab bowlers.

4. Risabh Pant - Pant slammed 85 runs off 48 balls against Bangalore. His innings included six fours and seven sixes. He is capable of hitting big strokes and can be a dependent player during crucial times. His experience and ability to deplete against any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game.&nbsp;

5. R Ashwin - Ashwin got his big break this season when he was picked up by Punjab for 7.6 crores and was handed over the captaincy role. The veteran spinner proved his worth by putting Punjab at the 2nd position in the league table. But, if we talk about his individual performance then he has been good with the bat but not with the ball. In five matches played so far, he took only five wickets. So it will be interesting to see him swinging wickets in Punjab's favour as he has a good knowledge of the Kotla ground.&nbsp;

Delhi will be playing at their home ground and are expected to come out strong against Punjab

Delhi and Punjab are all set to lock their horns for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). While Punjab ranks second in the IPL Standings, Delhi is last after facing four defeats out of five matches played so far. Delhi will be playing at their home ground and are expected to come out strong against Punjab to seal today's game. So, let us take a look at the players to watch out for in today's big clash. 1. Chris Gayle - 'The Universal Boss' Chris Gayle has proved that he still has a lot of cricket left in him as he smashed a century and two half-centuries in a total of three games he has played so far in IPL 2018 for Punjab. As he did not play the previous match against Delhi, so it will be interesting to see if he will succeed in giving us next century or will return to the stadium at a paltry score. 2. Yuvraj Singh - His poor form has been a serious cause of concern for Punjab. Being picked up at his base price of Rs 2 crore, he has not contributed much so far this season. Being one of the most experienced batsmen when it comes to the Firoz Shah Kotla ground, it will important to see him score high runs for his team in today's game. 3. Gautam Gambhir - This season he was welcomed back to his home team. But despite his great captaincy skills, Delhi hasn't performed well so far. Today, Gambhir will play at their home ground and is expected to give a tough fight to Punjab bowlers. 4. Risabh Pant - Pant slammed 85 runs off 48 balls against Bangalore. His innings included six fours and seven sixes. He is capable of hitting big strokes and can be a dependent player during crucial times. His experience and ability to deplete against any bowling attack makes him a player to watch out for in today's game. 5. R Ashwin - Ashwin got his big break this season when he was picked up by Punjab for 7.6 crores and was handed over the captaincy role. The veteran spinner proved his worth by putting Punjab at the 2nd position in the league table. But, if we talk about his individual performance then he has been good with the bat but not with the ball. In five matches played so far, he took only five wickets. So it will be interesting to see him swinging wickets in Punjab's favour as he has a good knowledge of the Kotla ground.

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

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Hasan Ali being Hasan Ali during the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border <a href="https://t.co/sQuiwthVLb">pic.twitter.com/sQuiwthVLb</a>
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Passing by a game of cricket while driving, <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@sachin_rt</a>'s friends dared him to get out and face a few balls. 
 
The result: a few lucky ones ended up having the night of their lives playing gully cricket with the Master. 
 
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Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (April 16 to April 22)

WION'S PICK OF THE WEEK Opinion: Why Arsene Wenger deserves a farewell that matches his feat at Arsenal? Watch: Preity Zinta shouts at fans during Punjab's match against Chennai in IPL, reveals truth Hasan Ali gatecrashes Wagah ceremony, faces flak from twitterati BSF to lodge protest Hasan Ali being Hasan Ali during the flag-lowering ceremony at the Wagah border pic.twitter.com/sQuiwthVLb — ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 21, 2018 × Watch: Bear 'performs' at soccer match, causes worldwide outrage Watch: How Antonio Conte's wife interrupts press conference Watch: Sachin Tendulkar's comeback in 'gully cricket' Passing by a game of cricket while driving, @sachin_rt's friends dared him to get out and face a few balls. The result: a few lucky ones ended up having the night of their lives playing gully cricket with the Master. (Video courtesy: Atul Ranade) pic.twitter.com/JG2Khrqh9g — ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 17, 2018 × IPL 2018 Happy birthday IPL: 2008 to 2018 Pollard seeks advice from media to outdo Mumbai's current form IPL 2018: Watch, DJ Bravo impresses again with his dance moves Opinion: Curious case of Bangalore and IPL IPL 2018: Hardik Pandya apologises to Mumbai teammate Ishan Kishan Why IPL superstar Gayle is world's most valuable T20 player IPL 2018: How to stop AB De Villiers from scoring, reveals Ben Stokes How to stop @ABdeVilliers17 pic.twitter.com/DivGdgh36Q — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) April 21, 2018 × FOOTBALL Manchester City win EPL. Start of a dynasty? How Pep Guardiola's signings turned Manchester City from nearly men into champions Throwback: This is what Lionel Messi did 11 years ago for FC Barcelona Ibrahimovic says he is going to World Cup but won't say if he will play Arsene Wenger to step down as Arsenal manager Salomon Rondon's 88th-minute goal helps West Brom to draw against Liverpool Barcelona thrash Sevilla to win King's Cup for record 30th time FC Barcelona: Star kids add cuteness to King's Cup FC Barcelona: Star kids add cuteness to King's Cup Alexandre Lacazette shines in concluding minutes as Arsenal thrash West Ham Fans did not give image of unity, that was hurtful: Arsene Wenger OTHERS Commonwealth Games: India's champion shooters speak to WION Blog: Virat Kohli is new leading run-scorer in IPL, surpasses Raina Not insulted, I sat on the ground on my own: CWG gold medallist Manu Bhaker BCCI should come under RTI, recommends Law Commission of India Minor tweaks to team culture needed for Australia: Tim Paine, Australia's test captain Coach to be named 'in coming weeks': Cricket Australia Cricket Australia blooper: Banned Steve Smith, David Warner still on official Twitter handle 'Informed Ganguly about Greg Chappell's mail to BCCI,' reveals Sehwag Petra Kvitova outplays Kerber to send Czechs into Fed Cup final In pics: Meet the next Australia cricket coach possible contenders Yuvraj Singh to retire after 2019 World Cup?

WION Sports News: Top sports results this week

Delhi and Punjab will be facing each other for the second time in this year's IPL and Gautam Gambhir will be in no mood to let R Ashwin-led side to win the second game against them.&nbsp;

Their previous encounter was won by Punjab by 6 wickets. But, today's game will be a lot more different than the previous one as Punjab has Chris Gayle on board. &nbsp;

The Jamaican cricketer has been in terrific form and smashed one century and two half-centuries in a total of three games he has played. &nbsp;

The inclusion of Chris Gayle has turned out to be a masterstroke, with the left-hander already among the top run-getters this season.&nbsp;

KL Rahul too has an amazing record against Delhi. He slammed fastest ever IPL fifty in their previous encounter and is expected to play an innings of that sort today also.&nbsp;

Ashwin's captaincy has been a breath of fresh air, while the performances of the likes of Lokesh Rahul, Mujeeb Zadran and Karun Nair have given their camp plenty to cheer about.

As the match will be played in Delhi, Yuvraj Singh is expected to come out of his poor form and score well for his team.

Delhi, on the other hand, was defeated by Bangalore after AB de Villiers smashed a 39-ball 90 to seal the match.&nbsp;

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In batting, Shreyas Iyer and Rishab pant made half-centuries each to save their team from early losses and help them set a decent target.

Gautam Gambhir will surely be the player to watch out for in today's game.

The bowling line is in good form but have a find a way to stop Gayle storm.

So overall, Delhi is expected to come out strong against Punjab in today's encounter at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi&nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Their previous encounter was won by Punjab by 6 wickets

Delhi and Punjab will be facing each other for the second time in this year's IPL and Gautam Gambhir will be in no mood to let R Ashwin-led side to win the second game against them. Their previous encounter was won by Punjab by 6 wickets. But, today's game will be a lot more different than the previous one as Punjab has Chris Gayle on board. The Jamaican cricketer has been in terrific form and smashed one century and two half-centuries in a total of three games he has played. The inclusion of Chris Gayle has turned out to be a masterstroke, with the left-hander already among the top run-getters this season. KL Rahul too has an amazing record against Delhi. He slammed fastest ever IPL fifty in their previous encounter and is expected to play an innings of that sort today also. Ashwin's captaincy has been a breath of fresh air, while the performances of the likes of Lokesh Rahul, Mujeeb Zadran and Karun Nair have given their camp plenty to cheer about. As the match will be played in Delhi, Yuvraj Singh is expected to come out of his poor form and score well for his team. Delhi, on the other hand, was defeated by Bangalore after AB de Villiers smashed a 39-ball 90 to seal the match. × In batting, Shreyas Iyer and Rishab pant made half-centuries each to save their team from early losses and help them set a decent target. Gautam Gambhir will surely be the player to watch out for in today's game. The bowling line is in good form but have a find a way to stop Gayle storm. So overall, Delhi is expected to come out strong against Punjab in today's encounter at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Punjab

Krishnappa Gowtham became the star of the game as he made a fruitful score of 33 runs in only 11 balls to help Rajasthan seal their match against Mumbai.&nbsp

Gowtham remained unbeaten and smashed a six to clinch the win.&nbsp

Ajinkya Rahane-led side had a very slow start during their clash against Mumbai In the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

Both openers Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi lost their wickets too early and went back to pavilion for 14 and 9 runs respectively.

Sanju Samson again played a brilliant inning for his team to recover from the early loss. &nbsp

He scored a half-century and made 52 off 39 balls before giving away his wicket to Bumrah.

Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai had set a target of 168 runs against Rajasthan.

Batting first, the openers Suryakumar Yadav started off the innings well and scored 72 runs for the team playing at a strike rate of 153.19. On the other hand, another opener Evin Lewin went back to pavilion without scoring a single run.

Under-19 star Ishan Kishan played brilliant innings and scored 58 runs also Kieron Pollard contributed well with his bat.

Rohit Sharma, who is currently experimenting with his playing position came at number five but could not score a single run.

Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya scored 7 and 4 runs respectively.

Rajasthan bowling was slightly better from previous matches in the presence of their hidden gem Jofra Archer proved most economical for the team.

He took 3 crucial wickets in his 4-over spell and gave just 32 runs.

Dhawal Kulkarni also took 2 wickets and help the team to restrict Mumbai at 167.

Gowtham remained unbeaten and smashed a six to clinch the win.

Krishnappa Gowtham became the star of the game as he made a fruitful score of 33 runs in only 11 balls to help Rajasthan seal their match against Mumbai. Gowtham remained unbeaten and smashed a six to clinch the win. Ajinkya Rahane-led side had a very slow start during their clash against Mumbai In the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. Both openers Ajinkya Rahane and Rahul Tripathi lost their wickets too early and went back to pavilion for 14 and 9 runs respectively. Sanju Samson again played a brilliant inning for his team to recover from the early loss. He scored a half-century and made 52 off 39 balls before giving away his wicket to Bumrah. Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai had set a target of 168 runs against Rajasthan. Batting first, the openers Suryakumar Yadav started off the innings well and scored 72 runs for the team playing at a strike rate of 153.19. On the other hand, another opener Evin Lewin went back to pavilion without scoring a single run. Under-19 star Ishan Kishan played brilliant innings and scored 58 runs also Kieron Pollard contributed well with his bat. Rohit Sharma, who is currently experimenting with his playing position came at number five but could not score a single run. Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya scored 7 and 4 runs respectively. Rajasthan bowling was slightly better from previous matches in the presence of their hidden gem Jofra Archer proved most economical for the team. He took 3 crucial wickets in his 4-over spell and gave just 32 runs. Dhawal Kulkarni also took 2 wickets and help the team to restrict Mumbai at 167.

IPL 2018: Gowtham's 11 ball-33 help Rajasthan beat Mumbai by 3 wickets

Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai set a target of 168 runs against Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

Batting first, the openers Suryakumar Yadav started off the innings well and scored 72 runs for the team playing at a strike rate of 153.19. On the other hand, another opener Evin Lewin went back to pavilion without scoring a single run.

Under-19 star Ishan Kishan played brilliant innings and scored 58 runs also Kieron Pollard contributed well with his bat.

Rohit Sharma, who is currently experimenting with his playing position came at number five but could not score a single run.

Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya scored 7 and 4 runs respectively.

Rajasthan bowling was slightly better from previous matches in the presence of their hidden gem Jofra Archer proved most economical for the team.

He took 3 crucial wickets in his 4-over spell and gave just 32 runs.

Dhawal Kulkarni also took 2 wickets and help the team to restrict Mumbai at 167.

Fall of wickets:

1-1 (Evin Lewis, 0.4), 130-2 (Ishan Kishan, 14.2), 135-3 (Suryakumar Yadav, 15.2), 136-4 (Rohit Sharma, 15.4), 154-5 (Krunal Pandya, 18.1), 159-6 (Hardik Pandya, 18.4), 159-7 (Mitchell McClenaghan, 18.5)

Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat, after winning the toss he said, "It's a good pitch, runs on the board is always nice. It's a big ground. I think we can defend the target in bigger grounds."

He mentioned about Kieron Pollard current form, said, "Not really worried too much about Pollard's form. He hasn't got enough time with the bat. He's been a crucial part of the team. We back him and he's a match-winner for us. Same side for us."

Ajinkya Rahane mentioned about the replacements, Dhawal Kulkarni is playing at the place of Stuart Binny and Jofra Archer is back and has replaced Ben Laughlin.

Rahane also mentioned, "The wicket looks really good and it usually gets better and better as the game goes on. It's about starting fresh now after two losses. Mumbai is a quality team."

Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai set a target of 168 runs against Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. Batting first, the openers Suryakumar Yadav started off the innings well and scored 72 runs for the team playing at a strike rate of 153.19. On the other hand, another opener Evin Lewin went back to pavilion without scoring a single run. Under-19 star Ishan Kishan played brilliant innings and scored 58 runs also Kieron Pollard contributed well with his bat. Rohit Sharma, who is currently experimenting with his playing position came at number five but could not score a single run. Krunal Pandya and Hardik Pandya scored 7 and 4 runs respectively. Rajasthan bowling was slightly better from previous matches in the presence of their hidden gem Jofra Archer proved most economical for the team. He took 3 crucial wickets in his 4-over spell and gave just 32 runs. Dhawal Kulkarni also took 2 wickets and help the team to restrict Mumbai at 167. Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Evin Lewis, 0.4), 130-2 (Ishan Kishan, 14.2), 135-3 (Suryakumar Yadav, 15.2), 136-4 (Rohit Sharma, 15.4), 154-5 (Krunal Pandya, 18.1), 159-6 (Hardik Pandya, 18.4), 159-7 (Mitchell McClenaghan, 18.5) Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat, after winning the toss he said, "It's a good pitch, runs on the board is always nice. It's a big ground. I think we can defend the target in bigger grounds." He mentioned about Kieron Pollard current form, said, "Not really worried too much about Pollard's form. He hasn't got enough time with the bat. He's been a crucial part of the team. We back him and he's a match-winner for us. Same side for us." Ajinkya Rahane mentioned about the replacements, Dhawal Kulkarni is playing at the place of Stuart Binny and Jofra Archer is back and has replaced Ben Laughlin. Rahane also mentioned, "The wicket looks really good and it usually gets better and better as the game goes on. It's about starting fresh now after two losses. Mumbai is a quality team."

IPL 2018: Mumbai set 168-run target for Rajasthan

Chasing a mammoth 183 runs target, Hyderabad team fought hard but in the end, lost to Chennai by mere four runs.&nbsp

Kane Williamson played a skipper's knock and slammed 84 runs but Bravo defended 19 off the last over to give Chennai the win.&nbsp

Williamson reignited the Hyderabad's chase but lost his wicket to Bravo while trying to hit a six.&nbsp

Yusuf Pathan, who was at the other end with Williamson, too tried to hit a six but gave away his wicket to Thakur after making 45 runs off 27 balls.

Opener Ricky Bhui, who replaced injured Shikhar Dhawan, failed to contribute and was sent back to the pavilion without opening his account. &nbsp

Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina slammed a half-century each to help Chennai set a decent target against Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on Saturday.

Raydu slammed a powerful 37-ball 79 while Raina made 54 runs off 43 balls to lift Chennai to 182 runs after a loss of three wickets.

Raydu got run-out in a dramatic turn of event on the ground while Raina remained unbeaten.

Chennai Skipper MS Dhoni too contributed crucial 25 runs off just 12 balls.

Earlier, Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their clash against Chennai at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum. After winning three matches in a row, Hyderabad tasted their first defeat in this year's IPL from Punjab.

However, in today's game Hyderabad entered the ground without Shikhar Dhawan. &nbsp

Speaking after the toss, Kane said, "We'll bowl. Not a strong advantage as the wicket remains similar generally. They have a strong batting line-up, the Chennai side so it's important we do the job first up."

"Billy Stanlake comes in for CJ and Ricky Bhui makes his debut, comes in for Shikhar. He (Dhawan) adds to any team so his inclusion would be good. It's a good chance for Ricky who's an exciting young talent. Think Shikhar will be ready for the next match. It's always a tough game. We'll play at the best of our ability and I am sure it'll be another good game," he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said, "So far so good. It's not like we are relying on one individual. Everyone has contributed when it comes to bowling or batting. We always want the whole team to contribute so that there's not much pressure on one individual."

"It's always important that's why you are playing a team sport. The job of every individual becomes easy. What is important is someone soaks up the pressure. Imran Tahir is not fit so Faf comes his place."

Hyderabad skipper played a skipper's knock to reignite their 182 runs chase

Chasing a mammoth 183 runs target, Hyderabad team fought hard but in the end, lost to Chennai by mere four runs. Kane Williamson played a skipper's knock and slammed 84 runs but Bravo defended 19 off the last over to give Chennai the win. Williamson reignited the Hyderabad's chase but lost his wicket to Bravo while trying to hit a six. Yusuf Pathan, who was at the other end with Williamson, too tried to hit a six but gave away his wicket to Thakur after making 45 runs off 27 balls. Opener Ricky Bhui, who replaced injured Shikhar Dhawan, failed to contribute and was sent back to the pavilion without opening his account. Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina slammed a half-century each to help Chennai set a decent target against Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on Saturday. Raydu slammed a powerful 37-ball 79 while Raina made 54 runs off 43 balls to lift Chennai to 182 runs after a loss of three wickets. Raydu got run-out in a dramatic turn of event on the ground while Raina remained unbeaten. Chennai Skipper MS Dhoni too contributed crucial 25 runs off just 12 balls. Earlier, Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their clash against Chennai at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum. After winning three matches in a row, Hyderabad tasted their first defeat in this year's IPL from Punjab. However, in today's game Hyderabad entered the ground without Shikhar Dhawan. Speaking after the toss, Kane said, "We'll bowl. Not a strong advantage as the wicket remains similar generally. They have a strong batting line-up, the Chennai side so it's important we do the job first up." "Billy Stanlake comes in for CJ and Ricky Bhui makes his debut, comes in for Shikhar. He (Dhawan) adds to any team so his inclusion would be good. It's a good chance for Ricky who's an exciting young talent. Think Shikhar will be ready for the next match. It's always a tough game. We'll play at the best of our ability and I am sure it'll be another good game," he added. Meanwhile, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said, "So far so good. It's not like we are relying on one individual. Everyone has contributed when it comes to bowling or batting. We always want the whole team to contribute so that there's not much pressure on one individual." "It's always important that's why you are playing a team sport. The job of every individual becomes easy. What is important is someone soaks up the pressure. Imran Tahir is not fit so Faf comes his place."

IPL 2018: Williamson's 84 goes in vain as Hyderabad lose to Chennai by 4 runs

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat against Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.&nbsp

After winning the toss, Rohit Sharma said, "It's a good pitch, runs on the board is always nice. It's a big ground. I think we can defend the target in bigger grounds."

He mentioned about Kieron Pollard current form, said, "Not really worried too much about Pollard's form. He hasn't got enough time with the bat. He's been a crucial part of the team. We back him and he's a match-winner for us. Same side for us."

Ajinkya Rahane mentioned about the replacements, Dhawal Kulkarni is playing at the place of Stuart Binny and Jofra Archer is back and has replaced Ben Laughlin.

Rahane also mentioned, "The wicket looks really good and it usually gets better and better as the game goes on. It's about starting fresh now after two losses. Mumbai is a quality team."

The playing XI:

Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Heinrich Klaasen, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Rahul Tripathi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat

Dhawal Kulkarni is playing at the place of Stuart Binny and Jofra Archer is back and has replaced Ben Laughlin

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bat against Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan team at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. After winning the toss, Rohit Sharma said, "It's a good pitch, runs on the board is always nice. It's a big ground. I think we can defend the target in bigger grounds." He mentioned about Kieron Pollard current form, said, "Not really worried too much about Pollard's form. He hasn't got enough time with the bat. He's been a crucial part of the team. We back him and he's a match-winner for us. Same side for us." Ajinkya Rahane mentioned about the replacements, Dhawal Kulkarni is playing at the place of Stuart Binny and Jofra Archer is back and has replaced Ben Laughlin. Rahane also mentioned, "The wicket looks really good and it usually gets better and better as the game goes on. It's about starting fresh now after two losses. Mumbai is a quality team." The playing XI: Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Heinrich Klaasen, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Rahul Tripathi, Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Dhawal Kulkarni, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat

IPL 2018: Rohit Sharma opts to bat against Rajasthan

Days after Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli surpassed Suresh Raina to become the highest run scorer in the history of the IPL, the left-handed batsman overtook Kohli again to hold the title.&nbsp

Raina returned to the top of the table when he reached the score of 47. He, however, remained unbeaten on 54 against the Hyderabad to help his side set a total of 182.&nbsp

With that innings, Raina’s total tally in the history of the IPL has reached 4658 of 161 innings in 165 matches.&nbsp

This was also Raina's 32nd IPL half century and his third against the Hyderabad outfit.

Earlier in the tournament, the Virat Kohli had overtaken Raina briefly during his strokeful knock of unbeaten 92 against the Mumbai.&nbsp

Bangalore, who were chasing a 200 plus total for the second consecutive match, could not complete the chase as they crumbled under pressure and were handed a 46-run defeat.&nbsp

Virat Kohli has now fallen back to the second spot on the list, He now has a total of 4649 from 146 innings in 154 matches.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Raina returned to the top of the table when he reached the score of 47

Days after Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli surpassed Suresh Raina to become the highest run scorer in the history of the IPL, the left-handed batsman overtook Kohli again to hold the title. Raina returned to the top of the table when he reached the score of 47. He, however, remained unbeaten on 54 against the Hyderabad to help his side set a total of 182. With that innings, Raina’s total tally in the history of the IPL has reached 4658 of 161 innings in 165 matches. This was also Raina's 32nd IPL half century and his third against the Hyderabad outfit. Earlier in the tournament, the Virat Kohli had overtaken Raina briefly during his strokeful knock of unbeaten 92 against the Mumbai. Bangalore, who were chasing a 200 plus total for the second consecutive match, could not complete the chase as they crumbled under pressure and were handed a 46-run defeat. Virat Kohli has now fallen back to the second spot on the list, He now has a total of 4649 from 146 innings in 154 matches.

Raina snatches No 1 spot from Virat Kohli to become highest-run scorer in IPL

Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina slammed a half-century each to help Chennai set a decent target against Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on Saturday.

Raydu slammed a powerful 37-ball 79 while Raina made 54 runs off 43 balls to lift Chennai to 182 runs after a loss of three wickets.

Raydu got run-out in a dramatic turn of event on the ground while Raina remained unbeaten.

Chennai Skipper MS Dhoni too contributed crucial 25 runs off just 12 balls.

Earlier, Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their clash against Chennai at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum. After winning three matches in a row, Hyderabad tasted their first defeat in this year's IPL from Punjab.

However, in today's game Hyderabad entered the ground without Shikhar Dhawan. &nbsp

Speaking after the toss, Kane said, "We'll bowl. Not a strong advantage as the wicket remains similar generally. They have a strong batting line-up, the Chennai side so it's important we do the job first up."

"Billy Stanlake comes in for CJ and Ricky Bhui makes his debut, comes in for Shikhar. He (Dhawan) adds to any team so his inclusion would be good. It's a good chance for Ricky who's an exciting young talent. Think Shikhar will be ready for the next match. It's always a tough game. We'll play at the best of our ability and I am sure it'll be another good game," he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said, "So far so good. It's not like we are relying on one individual. Everyone has contributed when it comes to bowling or batting. We always want the whole team to contribute so that there's not much pressure on one individual."

"It's always important that's why you are playing a team sport. The job of every individual becomes easy. What is important is someone soaks up the pressure. Imran Tahir is not fit so Faf comes his place."

Teams:

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur

Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ricky Bhui, Kane Williamson (c), Yusuf Pathan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Billy Stanlake, Siddarth Kaul

Raydu slammed a powerful 37-ball 79 while Raina made 54 runs off 43 balls

Ambati Rayudu and Suresh Raina slammed a half-century each to help Chennai set a decent target against Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 on Saturday. Raydu slammed a powerful 37-ball 79 while Raina made 54 runs off 43 balls to lift Chennai to 182 runs after a loss of three wickets. Raydu got run-out in a dramatic turn of event on the ground while Raina remained unbeaten. Chennai Skipper MS Dhoni too contributed crucial 25 runs off just 12 balls. Earlier, Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their clash against Chennai at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum. After winning three matches in a row, Hyderabad tasted their first defeat in this year's IPL from Punjab. However, in today's game Hyderabad entered the ground without Shikhar Dhawan. Speaking after the toss, Kane said, "We'll bowl. Not a strong advantage as the wicket remains similar generally. They have a strong batting line-up, the Chennai side so it's important we do the job first up." "Billy Stanlake comes in for CJ and Ricky Bhui makes his debut, comes in for Shikhar. He (Dhawan) adds to any team so his inclusion would be good. It's a good chance for Ricky who's an exciting young talent. Think Shikhar will be ready for the next match. It's always a tough game. We'll play at the best of our ability and I am sure it'll be another good game," he added. Meanwhile, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said, "So far so good. It's not like we are relying on one individual. Everyone has contributed when it comes to bowling or batting. We always want the whole team to contribute so that there's not much pressure on one individual." "It's always important that's why you are playing a team sport. The job of every individual becomes easy. What is important is someone soaks up the pressure. Imran Tahir is not fit so Faf comes his place." Teams: Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ricky Bhui, Kane Williamson (c), Yusuf Pathan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Billy Stanlake, Siddarth Kaul

IPL 2018: Raina, Rayudu's half-centuries lift Chennai to 182

After finally managing to win their first match, the defending champions Mumbai will look to continue their momentum when they lock horns against beleaguered hosts Rajasthan on Saturday.&nbsp

The hosts were destroyed by Chennai opener Shane Watson’s brilliant century in the previous game.&nbsp

However, skipper Ajinkya Rahane needs to lead from the front and put confidence in his players.&nbsp

Despite having some big names, Rajasthan need some momentum to get back on track.&nbsp

Big players like Jos Buttler, D’Arcy Short have failed to deliver.&nbsp

But Ben Stokes, who was at the receiving end due to his poor form, played well against Delhi.&nbsp

Meanwhile, Mumbai faced three consecutive defeats, before managing to win their first match of the season. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Evin Lewis made 94 and 65 runs respectively.&nbsp

Rohit was the reason behind the team breaking the run of losses and he is again going to be a key man for Mumbai.&nbsp

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Led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai bowling attack looks good with likes of Mitchell McClenaghan, Hardik, Mustafizur Rahman, Mayank Markande and Krunal.&nbsp

While Mumbai will be looking to continue their winning momentum, Rajasthan will also look to make a comeback.&nbsp 
&nbsp

The hosts were destroyed by Chennai opener Shane Watson’s brilliant century in the previous game.

After finally managing to win their first match, the defending champions Mumbai will look to continue their momentum when they lock horns against beleaguered hosts Rajasthan on Saturday. The hosts were destroyed by Chennai opener Shane Watson’s brilliant century in the previous game. However, skipper Ajinkya Rahane needs to lead from the front and put confidence in his players. Despite having some big names, Rajasthan need some momentum to get back on track. Big players like Jos Buttler, D’Arcy Short have failed to deliver. But Ben Stokes, who was at the receiving end due to his poor form, played well against Delhi. Meanwhile, Mumbai faced three consecutive defeats, before managing to win their first match of the season. Skipper Rohit Sharma and Evin Lewis made 94 and 65 runs respectively. Rohit was the reason behind the team breaking the run of losses and he is again going to be a key man for Mumbai. × Led by pacer Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai bowling attack looks good with likes of Mitchell McClenaghan, Hardik, Mustafizur Rahman, Mayank Markande and Krunal. While Mumbai will be looking to continue their winning momentum, Rajasthan will also look to make a comeback.

IPL 2018: Match Preview of Mumbai vs Rajasthan

South African batsman AB de Villiers is one batsman who is impossible to stop from scoring when in form. There is no bowling attack which cannot be hampered when he is on strike.

However, there is one player who knows how to stop De Villiers from hitting big sixes. And that player is none other than Ben Stokes.

Stokes got really impressed by De Villiers yesterday's innings when he enthralled the crowd with an unbeaten 39-ball 90 to guide Virat-Kohli-led team Bangalore to a convincing six-wicket win over Delhi in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday.&nbsp

The England all-rounder Took to his Twitter handle to reveal how a bowler can stop de Villiers from making a high score.

"How to stop @ABdeVilliers17," Stokes' tweet read.

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How to stop <a href="https://twitter.com/ABdeVilliers17?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ABdeVilliers17</a> <a href="https://t.co/DivGdgh36Q">pic.twitter.com/DivGdgh36Q</a>
— Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) <a href="https://twitter.com/benstokes38/status/987749945171107840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Rajasthan all-rounder recalled one of the most infamous moments in cricket history, where Australia's Trevor Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to New Zealand's Brian McKechnie.&nbsp

New Zealand needed six runs off just one ball to win the match and Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to stop the Australian from hitting a six.

Meanwhile, His innings in yesterday's match against Delhi rained fours and sixes as he singled-handedly chased down the 175-run target with two overs to spare to bring Bangalore's campaign back on track.&nbsp

He smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten innings.&nbsp

De Villiers is currently fifth in the most runs chart with 212 runs under his belt in the tournament so far.

Stokes revealed the idea on his Twitter handle

South African batsman AB de Villiers is one batsman who is impossible to stop from scoring when in form. There is no bowling attack which cannot be hampered when he is on strike. However, there is one player who knows how to stop De Villiers from hitting big sixes. And that player is none other than Ben Stokes. Stokes got really impressed by De Villiers yesterday's innings when he enthralled the crowd with an unbeaten 39-ball 90 to guide Virat-Kohli-led team Bangalore to a convincing six-wicket win over Delhi in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Sunday. The England all-rounder Took to his Twitter handle to reveal how a bowler can stop de Villiers from making a high score. "How to stop @ABdeVilliers17," Stokes' tweet read. How to stop @ABdeVilliers17 pic.twitter.com/DivGdgh36Q — Ben Stokes (@benstokes38) April 21, 2018 × The Rajasthan all-rounder recalled one of the most infamous moments in cricket history, where Australia's Trevor Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to New Zealand's Brian McKechnie. New Zealand needed six runs off just one ball to win the match and Chappell bowled an under-arm delivery to stop the Australian from hitting a six. Meanwhile, His innings in yesterday's match against Delhi rained fours and sixes as he singled-handedly chased down the 175-run target with two overs to spare to bring Bangalore's campaign back on track. He smashed 10 fours and five sixes in his unbeaten innings. De Villiers is currently fifth in the most runs chart with 212 runs under his belt in the tournament so far.

IPL 2018: How to stop AB De Villiers from scoring, reveals Ben Stokes

Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their clash against Chennai at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum. After winning three matches in a row, Hyderabad tasted their first defeat in this year's IPL from Punjab.

However, in today's game Hyderabad entered the ground without Shikhar Dhawan. &nbsp

Speaking after the toss, Kane said, "We'll bowl. Not a strong advantage as the wicket remains similar generally. They have a strong batting line-up, the Chennai side so it's important we do the job first up."

"Billy Stanlake comes in for CJ and Ricky Bhui makes his debut, comes in for Shikhar. He (Dhawan) adds to any team so his inclusion would be good. It's a good chance for Ricky who's an exciting young talent. Think Shikhar will be ready for the next match. It's always a tough game. We'll play at the best of our ability and I am sure it'll be another good game," he added.

Meanwhile, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said, "So far so good. It's not like we are relying on one individual. Everyone has contributed when it comes to bowling or batting. We always want the whole team to contribute so that there's not much pressure on one individual."

"It's always important that's why you are playing a team sport. The job of every individual becomes easy. What is important is someone soaks up the pressure. Imran Tahir is not fit so Faf comes his place."

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Teams:

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Hyderabad&nbsp(Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Kane Williamson(c), Yusuf Pathan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Ricky Bhui, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Billy Stanlake, Siddarth Kaul

Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum.

Kane Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl in their clash against Chennai at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. Playing at their home ground, Hyderabad will look to regain the winning momentum. After winning three matches in a row, Hyderabad tasted their first defeat in this year's IPL from Punjab. However, in today's game Hyderabad entered the ground without Shikhar Dhawan. Speaking after the toss, Kane said, "We'll bowl. Not a strong advantage as the wicket remains similar generally. They have a strong batting line-up, the Chennai side so it's important we do the job first up." "Billy Stanlake comes in for CJ and Ricky Bhui makes his debut, comes in for Shikhar. He (Dhawan) adds to any team so his inclusion would be good. It's a good chance for Ricky who's an exciting young talent. Think Shikhar will be ready for the next match. It's always a tough game. We'll play at the best of our ability and I am sure it'll be another good game," he added. Meanwhile, Chennai skipper MS Dhoni said, "So far so good. It's not like we are relying on one individual. Everyone has contributed when it comes to bowling or batting. We always want the whole team to contribute so that there's not much pressure on one individual." "It's always important that's why you are playing a team sport. The job of every individual becomes easy. What is important is someone soaks up the pressure. Imran Tahir is not fit so Faf comes his place." Teams: Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Kane Williamson(c), Yusuf Pathan, Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Ricky Bhui, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Billy Stanlake, Siddarth Kaul

IPL 2018: Hyderabad win toss, opt to bowl against Chennai

Hyderabad's unbeaten run in the tournament was snapped by the 'Gayle Storm', and the franchise would look to bounce back when they take on Chennai in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

Both the teams have six points each from four matches, having lost just one game so far, and a win by either side at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal will take them to the top of the table.

Hyderabad began their IPL campaign with three wins on the trot before they were stopped on their tracks by Punjab' run-machine Chris Gayle, who played a special innings of 104 not out off 64 balls at Mohali on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Kane Willamson-led side have a fix a differnt strategy in order to defeat MS Dhoni-led side.&nbsp

After winning their first two matches, Chennai slumped to a defeat against Punjab before bouncing back with a 64-run win over Rajasthan on the back of Shane Watson, who smashed 106 from 57 balls.

Watson has been in fine touch with both the bat and ball, thereby proving his utility as a top-class all-rounder. He is currently the top scorer and top wicket-taker for the franchise.

Hyderabad is seen as one of the most balanced sides in this IPL.

Their bowling line - Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddhart Kaul, Billy Stanlake and Shakib-al-Hasan - have been among the top wicket takers so far this season though young Afghan spinner Rashid Khan is struggling a bit with just three wickets from four matches.&nbsp

He was taken to the cleaners by Gayle in their last match, conceding 55 runs for one wicket.

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Kaul has six wickets while Kumar, Stanlake and Shakib have taken five wickets each.

For Chennai, Watson is the top bowler with six wickets to his name.&nbsp

In the batting department, Chennai have a lot of depth. They have batsmen who can play shots well up to the number seven spot.&nbsp

Watson has been leading the charge but Ambati Rayudu and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are also doing a decent job with the bat.

Both the teams have six points each from four matches

Hyderabad's unbeaten run in the tournament was snapped by the 'Gayle Storm', and the franchise would look to bounce back when they take on Chennai in an Indian Premier League match on Sunday. Both the teams have six points each from four matches, having lost just one game so far, and a win by either side at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal will take them to the top of the table. Hyderabad began their IPL campaign with three wins on the trot before they were stopped on their tracks by Punjab' run-machine Chris Gayle, who played a special innings of 104 not out off 64 balls at Mohali on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Kane Willamson-led side have a fix a differnt strategy in order to defeat MS Dhoni-led side. After winning their first two matches, Chennai slumped to a defeat against Punjab before bouncing back with a 64-run win over Rajasthan on the back of Shane Watson, who smashed 106 from 57 balls. Watson has been in fine touch with both the bat and ball, thereby proving his utility as a top-class all-rounder. He is currently the top scorer and top wicket-taker for the franchise. Hyderabad is seen as one of the most balanced sides in this IPL. Their bowling line - Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddhart Kaul, Billy Stanlake and Shakib-al-Hasan - have been among the top wicket takers so far this season though young Afghan spinner Rashid Khan is struggling a bit with just three wickets from four matches. He was taken to the cleaners by Gayle in their last match, conceding 55 runs for one wicket. × Kaul has six wickets while Kumar, Stanlake and Shakib have taken five wickets each. For Chennai, Watson is the top bowler with six wickets to his name. In the batting department, Chennai have a lot of depth. They have batsmen who can play shots well up to the number seven spot. Watson has been leading the charge but Ambati Rayudu and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni are also doing a decent job with the bat.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai vs Hyderabad

AB de Villiers on Saturday depleted opponents bowlers to help Bangalore win their clash against Delhi at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium.

An unbeaten 39-ball 90 from de Villiers steered Bangalore's chase after Pant had piloted Delhi to 174.

Like Delhi, Bangalore too had a poor start as Quinton de Kock and Manan Vohra fell soon after making 18 and 2 runs respectively.

Skipper Virat Kohli came to crease and tried to save his team from drowning with the support of AB de Villiers at the other end.&nbsp

However, Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Trent Boult's impressive catch. He contributed 30 runs off 26 balls before giiving away his wicket to Harshal Patel.&nbsp

Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant helped Delhi post a fighting 174 for the loss of five wickets target against Bangalore in the 19th match of the Indian Premier League at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday.

Iyer and Pant scored 52 and 85 runs respectively. The two shared a 75-run partnership for the third wicket as Delhi recovered from a poor start.

Put into bat, Delhi were off to a poor start as both the openers Jason Roy and Gautam Gambhir were back in the dug out minutes are entering the ground.&nbsp

While pacer Umesh Yadav dismissed Gambhir, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal clean bowled Roy.

Pant and Iyer eased the pressure on the visitors as they took time to settle down before finding occasional big shots.

For Bangalore, Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 22 while Umesh, Anderson and Sundar bagged one wicket each.&nbsp

An unbeaten 39-ball 90 from de Villiers steered Bangalore's chase

AB de Villiers on Saturday depleted opponents bowlers to help Bangalore win their clash against Delhi at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium. An unbeaten 39-ball 90 from de Villiers steered Bangalore's chase after Pant had piloted Delhi to 174. Like Delhi, Bangalore too had a poor start as Quinton de Kock and Manan Vohra fell soon after making 18 and 2 runs respectively. Skipper Virat Kohli came to crease and tried to save his team from drowning with the support of AB de Villiers at the other end. However, Kohli was sent back to the pavilion by Trent Boult's impressive catch. He contributed 30 runs off 26 balls before giiving away his wicket to Harshal Patel. Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant helped Delhi post a fighting 174 for the loss of five wickets target against Bangalore in the 19th match of the Indian Premier League at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Saturday. Iyer and Pant scored 52 and 85 runs respectively. The two shared a 75-run partnership for the third wicket as Delhi recovered from a poor start. Put into bat, Delhi were off to a poor start as both the openers Jason Roy and Gautam Gambhir were back in the dug out minutes are entering the ground. While pacer Umesh Yadav dismissed Gambhir, spinner Yuzvendra Chahal clean bowled Roy. Pant and Iyer eased the pressure on the visitors as they took time to settle down before finding occasional big shots. For Bangalore, Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2 for 22 while Umesh, Anderson and Sundar bagged one wicket each.

IPL 2018: Bangalore outplays Delhi to seal match by 6 wickets

Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik termed the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method strange and vouched for Indian counterpart of the rule, the VJD method, after his team lost to Punjab by nine wickets in a rain-interrupted encounter on Saturday.

Speaking to media post-match, Karthik said, "I have always thought that the VJD is an Indian method and it's an Indian domestic tournament, why not think about it in the future? It's been proven that it's a really good method, we have used in domestic tournaments."

"Only for IPL, we use D/L. Why not think about VJD here and promote it?" Karthik added.&nbsp

Asked to bat first, Kolkata rode Chris Lynn's 41-ball 74 to post a challenging total of 191/7.&nbsp

But Punjab opener Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul made short work of the chase with their whirlwind knocks. The D/L method also came in their favour by reducing the target.

When play was interrupted by rain, Punjab needed 96 runs to win in 11.4 overs with ten wickets in hand and Gayle, 49, and Rahul, 46, were in full swing.&nbsp

Punjab were 96/0 in 8.2 overs when rain accompanied by a squall hit the Eden garden hard.

But after a 95-minute stoppage, the revised target was 125 in 13 overs, meaning the R Ashwin-led side needed 29 runs for victory off 28 balls.

Punjab breezed to the target with 11 balls to spare as Gayle remained unbeaten on 62 off 38 balls and Rahul had scored a 27-ball 60.

"It is interesting that at the stage rain stopped play, they needed about eight runs an over but after the D/L method, they come back and they need six runs an over, a run a ball," Karthik said.

"That was little surprising, because ideally if it would have been a 20-over game, they would have needed eight an over. If we could have got two quick wickets, the run rate would have kept going up. Suddenly after rain, they needed run-a-ball. I didn`t understand that bit but I am sure people (calculating) Duckworth-Lewis is trying to figure out what it is," he further added.

The VJD method was used in the domestic limited overs matches this season.

Kolkata rode Chris Lynn's 41-ball 74 to post a challenging total of 191/7.

Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik termed the Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method strange and vouched for Indian counterpart of the rule, the VJD method, after his team lost to Punjab by nine wickets in a rain-interrupted encounter on Saturday. Speaking to media post-match, Karthik said, "I have always thought that the VJD is an Indian method and it's an Indian domestic tournament, why not think about it in the future? It's been proven that it's a really good method, we have used in domestic tournaments." "Only for IPL, we use D/L. Why not think about VJD here and promote it?" Karthik added. Asked to bat first, Kolkata rode Chris Lynn's 41-ball 74 to post a challenging total of 191/7. But Punjab opener Chris Gayle and Lokesh Rahul made short work of the chase with their whirlwind knocks. The D/L method also came in their favour by reducing the target. When play was interrupted by rain, Punjab needed 96 runs to win in 11.4 overs with ten wickets in hand and Gayle, 49, and Rahul, 46, were in full swing. Punjab were 96/0 in 8.2 overs when rain accompanied by a squall hit the Eden garden hard. But after a 95-minute stoppage, the revised target was 125 in 13 overs, meaning the R Ashwin-led side needed 29 runs for victory off 28 balls. Punjab breezed to the target with 11 balls to spare as Gayle remained unbeaten on 62 off 38 balls and Rahul had scored a 27-ball 60. "It is interesting that at the stage rain stopped play, they needed about eight runs an over but after the D/L method, they come back and they need six runs an over, a run a ball," Karthik said. "That was little surprising, because ideally if it would have been a 20-over game, they would have needed eight an over. If we could have got two quick wickets, the run rate would have kept going up. Suddenly after rain, they needed run-a-ball. I didn`t understand that bit but I am sure people (calculating) Duckworth-Lewis is trying to figure out what it is," he further added. The VJD method was used in the domestic limited overs matches this season.

IPL 2018: After Punjab defeat, Dinesh Karthik questions D/L method

R Ashwin's Punjab outclassed Kolkata by nine wickets in a rain-hit IPL encounter at Eden Gardens on Saturday.&nbsp

While Kolkata scored a competitive 191 for 7 in 20 overs, Punjab had a revised target of 125 in 13 overs after DLS meathod was applied.

A sharp spell of shower halted play for 95 minutes.

The 'Universal Boss' Chris Gayle completed a hat-trick of half-centuries with an unbeaten 62 from 38 balls that had five fours and six sixes.

Helping him at other end was opener KL Rahul who slammed 60 runs off only 27 balls.

Having scored the fastest half-century in IPL, Rahul once again underlined his credentials as an opener in shortest format with nine fours and two sixes.

With this win, Punjab climbed to the top of the table with eight points from five games.&nbsp

Before rain interrupted the play, Punjab were 96 for no loss in 8.2 overs, 31 runs ahead of the DLS par score.&nbsp

Earlier, Kolkata's big-hitter Andre Russell was taken off in the fourth over after he seemed to have aggravated his already troubled hamstring.

Earlier, Chris Lynn, who has had a quiet time so far, got into his groove in his 74 off 41 balls en route to his maiden half-century in this IPL to lift Kolkata to a challenging 191/7.&nbsp

A sharp spell of shower halted play for 95 minutes.

R Ashwin's Punjab outclassed Kolkata by nine wickets in a rain-hit IPL encounter at Eden Gardens on Saturday. While Kolkata scored a competitive 191 for 7 in 20 overs, Punjab had a revised target of 125 in 13 overs after DLS meathod was applied. A sharp spell of shower halted play for 95 minutes. The 'Universal Boss' Chris Gayle completed a hat-trick of half-centuries with an unbeaten 62 from 38 balls that had five fours and six sixes. Helping him at other end was opener KL Rahul who slammed 60 runs off only 27 balls. Having scored the fastest half-century in IPL, Rahul once again underlined his credentials as an opener in shortest format with nine fours and two sixes. With this win, Punjab climbed to the top of the table with eight points from five games. Before rain interrupted the play, Punjab were 96 for no loss in 8.2 overs, 31 runs ahead of the DLS par score. Earlier, Kolkata's big-hitter Andre Russell was taken off in the fourth over after he seemed to have aggravated his already troubled hamstring. Earlier, Chris Lynn, who has had a quiet time so far, got into his groove in his 74 off 41 balls en route to his maiden half-century in this IPL to lift Kolkata to a challenging 191/7.

IPL 2018: Gayle, Rahul power Punjab to the top, beat Kolkata by 9 wickets

Dhoni-led Chennai defeated Rajasthan by 64 runs at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl and batting first, Chennai set a giant target of 205 runs.

This is the first victory of Chennai at their new home ground as following the unrest in Tamil Nadu state over Cauvery water dispute, Chennai's home ground has been shifted from M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium.

After winning the high-scoring match by a huge margin, team Chennai has moved up to the first place of the points table.

While chasing the target, Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan shattered in front of Chennai's bowlers and lost all the wickets after scoring just 140 runs.

Fall of wickets:

20-1 (Heinrich Klaasen, 1.5), 25-2 (Sanju Samson, 2.6), 32-3 (Ajinkya Rahane, 4.3), 77-4 (Jos Buttler, 10.1), 96-5 (Rahul Tripathi, 12.2), 111-6 (Ben Stokes, 13.5), 115-7 (Krishnappa Gowtham, 14.4), 117-8 (Stuart Binny, 15.3), 140-9 (Jaydev Unadkat, 18.2), 140-10 (Ben Laughlin, 18.3)

All the bowlers were proved economical for the team as they were able to take regular wickets.

For Chennai, Shane Watson played at a strike rate of 185.96 and scored 106 off 57 balls. Though, Ambati Rayudu lost his wickets in the fifth over after scoring just twelve runs.

Watson continued his power hitting and found a determined ally in Suresh Raina and together they scored 81 runs for the "yellow brigade."

Shane Watson received the 'Man of the Match' award for his splendid batting display.

MS Dhoni and Sam Billings lost their wickets after scoring 5 and 3 runs respectively.

Dwayne Bravo gave a decent contribution in the death overs. Ravindra Jadeja scored two runs on the last ball of the innings.

Rajasthan team was able to hold the innings in the death overs. The run rate became a bit slower after 13th over, at one stage, Chennai were 150 after losing 2 wickets, on the other hand, they scored just 54 runs in the last 7 overs.

After winning the high-scoring match by a huge margin, team Chennai has moved up to the first place of the points table

Dhoni-led Chennai defeated Rajasthan by 64 runs at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl and batting first, Chennai set a giant target of 205 runs. This is the first victory of Chennai at their new home ground as following the unrest in Tamil Nadu state over Cauvery water dispute, Chennai's home ground has been shifted from M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium. After winning the high-scoring match by a huge margin, team Chennai has moved up to the first place of the points table. While chasing the target, Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan shattered in front of Chennai's bowlers and lost all the wickets after scoring just 140 runs. Fall of wickets: 20-1 (Heinrich Klaasen, 1.5), 25-2 (Sanju Samson, 2.6), 32-3 (Ajinkya Rahane, 4.3), 77-4 (Jos Buttler, 10.1), 96-5 (Rahul Tripathi, 12.2), 111-6 (Ben Stokes, 13.5), 115-7 (Krishnappa Gowtham, 14.4), 117-8 (Stuart Binny, 15.3), 140-9 (Jaydev Unadkat, 18.2), 140-10 (Ben Laughlin, 18.3) All the bowlers were proved economical for the team as they were able to take regular wickets. For Chennai, Shane Watson played at a strike rate of 185.96 and scored 106 off 57 balls. Though, Ambati Rayudu lost his wickets in the fifth over after scoring just twelve runs. Watson continued his power hitting and found a determined ally in Suresh Raina and together they scored 81 runs for the "yellow brigade." Shane Watson received the 'Man of the Match' award for his splendid batting display. MS Dhoni and Sam Billings lost their wickets after scoring 5 and 3 runs respectively. Dwayne Bravo gave a decent contribution in the death overs. Ravindra Jadeja scored two runs on the last ball of the innings. Rajasthan team was able to hold the innings in the death overs. The run rate became a bit slower after 13th over, at one stage, Chennai were 150 after losing 2 wickets, on the other hand, they scored just 54 runs in the last 7 overs.

IPL 2018: Shane Watson shines as Chennai beat Rajasthan to reach atop points table

Opener Chris Lynn single-handedly gave Kolkata a brilliant start in their clash against Punjab at the Eden Gardens on Saturday.

Lynn smashed 41-ball 74 to help his team set a target of 192 runs. His innings included six fours and four sixes, before giving away his wicket to Andrew Tye.

Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik took the responsibility on their shoulders to help Kolkata set a decent target.

While Uthappa contributed 34 of 23 balls, Karthik made 43 runs off 28 balls.&nbsp

For Punjab, bowlers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye took two wickets each while Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ravichandran Ashwin had one each.

Earlier, Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl.

After winning the toss, Ashwin said, "We are going to bowl first. This is sort of a fortress for the Kolkata and we will try to restrict them to a decent total."

There is just one change in Punjab's squad, Ankit Rajpoot has replaced Mohit Sharma.

For Kolkata, there is not any change in the playing XI.

Dinesh Karthik said, "Looks a good wicket and it will remain same. We have made no changes. It's been a good start and it's important we stay consistent."

Lynn smashed 41-ball 74 to help his team set a target of 192 runs.

Opener Chris Lynn single-handedly gave Kolkata a brilliant start in their clash against Punjab at the Eden Gardens on Saturday. Lynn smashed 41-ball 74 to help his team set a target of 192 runs. His innings included six fours and four sixes, before giving away his wicket to Andrew Tye. Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik took the responsibility on their shoulders to help Kolkata set a decent target. While Uthappa contributed 34 of 23 balls, Karthik made 43 runs off 28 balls. For Punjab, bowlers Barinder Sran and Andrew Tye took two wickets each while Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Ravichandran Ashwin had one each. Earlier, Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl. After winning the toss, Ashwin said, "We are going to bowl first. This is sort of a fortress for the Kolkata and we will try to restrict them to a decent total." There is just one change in Punjab's squad, Ankit Rajpoot has replaced Mohit Sharma. For Kolkata, there is not any change in the playing XI. Dinesh Karthik said, "Looks a good wicket and it will remain same. We have made no changes. It's been a good start and it's important we stay consistent."

IPL 2018: Lynn, Karthik help Kolkata set 192 runs target

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore take on Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Saturday.&nbsp

Both the teams suffered a poor start and currently are bottom placed in the points table. This clash is very important for both teams to go through the qualifiers.

Delhi fans were expecting that in the presence of Gautam Gambhir, Delhi might win its first IPL title but as the tournament is moving forward it is becoming difficult.

Not only for Delhi, even star-studded Bangalore team has also failed miserably. Virat needs to stategise to strength the death-over bowling.

Playing XI (TBC):

Bangalore: Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Washington Sundar, Sarfaraz Khan/Murugan Ashwin, Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Delhi: Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris, Gurkeerat Singh Mann/Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult

Watch the preview here:

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The results of Gambhir vs Kohli clash will show that which team did enough homework and rectified the errors.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Bangalore

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore take on Gautam Gambhir-led Delhi at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Saturday. Both the teams suffered a poor start and currently are bottom placed in the points table. This clash is very important for both teams to go through the qualifiers. Delhi fans were expecting that in the presence of Gautam Gambhir, Delhi might win its first IPL title but as the tournament is moving forward it is becoming difficult. Not only for Delhi, even star-studded Bangalore team has also failed miserably. Virat needs to stategise to strength the death-over bowling. Playing XI (TBC): Bangalore: Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Washington Sundar, Sarfaraz Khan/Murugan Ashwin, Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Delhi: Jason Roy, Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Glenn Maxwell, Chris Morris, Gurkeerat Singh Mann/Jayant Yadav, Rahul Tewatia, Mohammed Shami, Shahbaz Nadeem, Trent Boult Watch the preview here: × The results of Gambhir vs Kohli clash will show that which team did enough homework and rectified the errors.

Ravichandran Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl at the Eden Gardens Stadium.&nbsp

After winning the toss, Ashwin said, "We are going to bowl first. This is sort of a fortress for the Kolkata and we will try to restrict them to a decent total."

There is just one change in Punjab's squad, Ankit Rajpoot has replaced Mohit Sharma.

For Kolkata, there is not any change in the playing XI.

Dinesh Karthik said, "Looks a good wicket and it will remain same. We have made no changes. It's been a good start and it's important we stay consistent."

Showers are expected at the Eden Gardens Stadium but let's hope it doesn't affect tonight's match.

Playing XI:

Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

There is just one change in Punjab's squad, Ankit Rajpoot has replaced Mohit Sharma

Ravichandran Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl at the Eden Gardens Stadium. After winning the toss, Ashwin said, "We are going to bowl first. This is sort of a fortress for the Kolkata and we will try to restrict them to a decent total." There is just one change in Punjab's squad, Ankit Rajpoot has replaced Mohit Sharma. For Kolkata, there is not any change in the playing XI. Dinesh Karthik said, "Looks a good wicket and it will remain same. We have made no changes. It's been a good start and it's important we stay consistent." Showers are expected at the Eden Gardens Stadium but let's hope it doesn't affect tonight's match. Playing XI: Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman Kolkata: Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: Ashwin opts to bowl against Kolkata

Kolkata take on Punjab at Eden Gardens. Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata is currently emerging as one of the top contenders for the IPL 2018 title. With a massive bowling strength, Kolkata has proved its abilities in batting department as well.

After Gautam Gambhir's ouster, it was doubtful that whether Dinesh Karthik will be able to fill Gambhir shoes or not, after all, Kolkata won twice under Gautam Gambhir's leadership. But I must say, Dinesh Karthik, who scored last ball sixer to win the Nidahas trophy against Bangladesh, has given his 100 per cent as Kolkata's skipper.

On the other hand, team Punjab is nowhere less than Kolkata. From the day of the auction, till the last game played, they have shown an intent of becoming a champion.

Players like KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal have given very important contributions to the team and also the middle order is quite settled Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch.

Let's not forget, even Kolkata also have a massive batting order of Kolkata, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana and their star batsman, Andre Russell.

The clash is also very interesting as it will be a Russell vs Gayle match. Gayle hit an outstanding unbeaten century, which was also the first century of IPL 2018 and the other hand, Russell has played some splendid knock in the ongoing edition IPL.

Showers are expected at the Eden Gardens Stadium but let's hope it doesn't affect today's match.

Watch the preview here:

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Playing XI (TBC)

Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

Punjab: Lokesh Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

IPL 2018: Match preview of Kolkata vs Punjab

Kolkata take on Punjab at Eden Gardens. Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata is currently emerging as one of the top contenders for the IPL 2018 title. With a massive bowling strength, Kolkata has proved its abilities in batting department as well. After Gautam Gambhir's ouster, it was doubtful that whether Dinesh Karthik will be able to fill Gambhir shoes or not, after all, Kolkata won twice under Gautam Gambhir's leadership. But I must say, Dinesh Karthik, who scored last ball sixer to win the Nidahas trophy against Bangladesh, has given his 100 per cent as Kolkata's skipper. On the other hand, team Punjab is nowhere less than Kolkata. From the day of the auction, till the last game played, they have shown an intent of becoming a champion. Players like KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal have given very important contributions to the team and also the middle order is quite settled Yuvraj Singh and Aaron Finch. Let's not forget, even Kolkata also have a massive batting order of Kolkata, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana and their star batsman, Andre Russell. The clash is also very interesting as it will be a Russell vs Gayle match. Gayle hit an outstanding unbeaten century, which was also the first century of IPL 2018 and the other hand, Russell has played some splendid knock in the ongoing edition IPL. Showers are expected at the Eden Gardens Stadium but let's hope it doesn't affect today's match. Watch the preview here: × Playing XI (TBC) Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik (c & wk), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav Punjab: Lokesh Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Ravichandran Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Punjab skipper R Ashwin won the toss and decided to bat first against Hyderabad at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Thursday.

"We are going to bat first. I would like to see them chase down a score. We have got a formidable batting line-up that can take on any bowling attack and we would like them to give a license to go out and express themselves," Ashwin said.

"We had a wonderful win in the last match and we would like to keep the momentum going. We are unchanged for this match," he added.

When asked about their strategy for today's game, Hyderabad skipper Williamson said, "There may be a little bit of dew factor in the second innings, so it's important we do the job. Both (their openers) are good players, exciting players, and it's important we execute our plans better."

The Hyderabad team has made one change in their team as they have replaced Jordan with Billy Stanlake.

Teams: 
Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Chris Jordan

Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman &nbsp;&nbsp;

Hyderabad have replaced Jordan with Billy Stanlake

Punjab skipper R Ashwin won the toss and decided to bat first against Hyderabad at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Thursday. "We are going to bat first. I would like to see them chase down a score. We have got a formidable batting line-up that can take on any bowling attack and we would like them to give a license to go out and express themselves," Ashwin said. "We had a wonderful win in the last match and we would like to keep the momentum going. We are unchanged for this match," he added. When asked about their strategy for today's game, Hyderabad skipper Williamson said, "There may be a little bit of dew factor in the second innings, so it's important we do the job. Both (their openers) are good players, exciting players, and it's important we execute our plans better." The Hyderabad team has made one change in their team as they have replaced Jordan with Billy Stanlake. Teams: Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Chris Jordan Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Yuvraj Singh, Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Mohit Sharma, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

IPL 2018: Punjab win toss, opt to bat against Hyderabad

The eleventh edition of Indian Premier League is underway and all the franchises are putting in the possible efforts to emerge as a champion.

The cash-rich cricket tournament has&nbsp;always been overshadowed by betting and spot-fixing. Recently, police have arrested six people who were connected to a cricket betting racket.

According to police, eight people have managed to escape but the search for them is on.

Police further mentioned the details, cash totalling Rs 1.30 lakh, two cellphones, a set-top box and a TV set were seized following a raid on a rented building last night.

Cash totalling Rs 1.30 lakh, two cellphones, a set-top box and a TV set were seized

The eleventh edition of Indian Premier League is underway and all the franchises are putting in the possible efforts to emerge as a champion. The cash-rich cricket tournament has always been overshadowed by betting and spot-fixing. Recently, police have arrested six people who were connected to a cricket betting racket. According to police, eight people have managed to escape but the search for them is on. Police further mentioned the details, cash totalling Rs 1.30 lakh, two cellphones, a set-top box and a TV set were seized following a raid on a rented building last night.

IPL betting racket busted, 6 held

Shane Watson's 106-run knock helped Chennai to put up a giant target of 205 runs against Rajasthan. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.

Playing first, Chennai started off the innings very well, opener Shane Watson played at a strike rate of 185.96 and scored 106 off 57 balls.&nbsp;

Though, Ambati Rayudu lost his wickets in the fifth over after scoring just twelve runs.

Watson continued his power hitting and found a determined ally in Suresh Raina and together they scored 81 runs for the "yellow brigade."

MS Dhoni and Sam Billings lost their wicket after scoring 5 and 3 runs respectively.

Dwayne Bravo gave a decent contribution in the death overs. Ravindra Jadeja scored two runs on the last ball of the innings.

Rajasthan team was able to hold the innings in the death overs. The run rate became a bit slower after 13th over,&nbsp;at one stage, Chennai were 150 after losing 2 wickets, on the other hand, they scored just 54 runs in the last 7 overs.

Fall of wickets:

50-1 (Ambati Rayudu, 4.3), 131-2 (Suresh Raina, 11.5), 151-3 (MS Dhoni, 13.2), 161-4 (Sam Billings, 15.1), 202-5 (Shane Watson, 19.5)

In bowling, Shreyas Gopal emerged as a star as he took 3 crucial wickets by giving 20 runs in his 4-over spell but other bowlers like Stuart Binny, Ben Stokes, Krishnappa Gowtham proved very expensive against Chennai.

Shane Watson's 106-run knock helped Chennai to put up a giant target of 205 runs against Rajasthan

Shane Watson's 106-run knock helped Chennai to put up a giant target of 205 runs against Rajasthan. Earlier, Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to bowl at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. Playing first, Chennai started off the innings very well, opener Shane Watson played at a strike rate of 185.96 and scored 106 off 57 balls. Though, Ambati Rayudu lost his wickets in the fifth over after scoring just twelve runs. Watson continued his power hitting and found a determined ally in Suresh Raina and together they scored 81 runs for the "yellow brigade." MS Dhoni and Sam Billings lost their wicket after scoring 5 and 3 runs respectively. Dwayne Bravo gave a decent contribution in the death overs. Ravindra Jadeja scored two runs on the last ball of the innings. Rajasthan team was able to hold the innings in the death overs. The run rate became a bit slower after 13th over, at one stage, Chennai were 150 after losing 2 wickets, on the other hand, they scored just 54 runs in the last 7 overs. Fall of wickets: 50-1 (Ambati Rayudu, 4.3), 131-2 (Suresh Raina, 11.5), 151-3 (MS Dhoni, 13.2), 161-4 (Sam Billings, 15.1), 202-5 (Shane Watson, 19.5) In bowling, Shreyas Gopal emerged as a star as he took 3 crucial wickets by giving 20 runs in his 4-over spell but other bowlers like Stuart Binny, Ben Stokes, Krishnappa Gowtham proved very expensive against Chennai.

IPL 2018: Shane Watson's ton helps Chennai to set 205-run target against Rajasthan

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to ball against Dhoni-led Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.

After winning the toss, Rahane said, "No pressure really, the mood in the camp is good. Looking forward to the game."

For Rajasthan there are two changes, Heinrich Klaasen and Stuart Binny has replaced Stuart Binny and Dhawal Kulkarni respectively for tonight's clash.

Following the unrest in Tamil Nadu state over Cauvery water dispute, Chennai's home ground has been shifted from M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium and it is expected that Dhoni will receive a warm welcome at their new home.

For Chennai, Suresh Raina is fit and back in the playing XI, he replaced Murli Vijay and also Harbhajan Singh has been dropped for tonight's game and Karn Sharma will play at Bhajji's place.

Playing XI:

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin

For Rajasthan there are two changes, Heinrich Klaasen and Stuart Binny has replaced Stuart Binny and Dhawal Kulkarni respectively and for Chennai also there are two changes, Suresh Raina has replaced Murli Vijay and Harbhajan Singh by Karn Sharma

Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to ball against Dhoni-led Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. After winning the toss, Rahane said, "No pressure really, the mood in the camp is good. Looking forward to the game." For Rajasthan there are two changes, Heinrich Klaasen and Stuart Binny has replaced Stuart Binny and Dhawal Kulkarni respectively for tonight's clash. Following the unrest in Tamil Nadu state over Cauvery water dispute, Chennai's home ground has been shifted from M.A. Chidambaram Stadium to Pune's Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium and it is expected that Dhoni will receive a warm welcome at their new home. For Chennai, Suresh Raina is fit and back in the playing XI, he replaced Murli Vijay and also Harbhajan Singh has been dropped for tonight's game and Karn Sharma will play at Bhajji's place. Playing XI: Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane(c), Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Heinrich Klaasen, Stuart Binny, Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Ben Laughlin

IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane opts to bowl against Chennai

MS Dhoni-led Chennai team faces Rajasthan on Friday at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. It is going to be an interesting clash as both the teams have marked a return after serving a two-year ban and for the first time they both will face each other in IPL 2018.

It's also going to be a treat for Pune's audience as most of the players of Pune's team have landed in Rajasthan's squad like Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes and Jayadev Unadkat. The team will be clashing with Dhoni-Chennai but in the 2016 and 2017, Dhoni too was a part of Pune's squad.

Rajasthan have won two matches out of four and Chennai have won two matches out of three.

Probable XI (TBC):

Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Heinrich Klaasen, Jos Buttler (wk), Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Ben Laughlin, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

Ajinkya Rahane might include Jofra Archer if he has recovered and fit to play.

Probable XI (TBC):

Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni (c and wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Mark Wood, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar

Team Rajasthan has been lacking in the bowling department, on the other hand, Team Chennai has been the best in the death overs. The winning probability is slightly more towards Chennai.

Watch the detailed preview of Chennai vs Rajasthan:

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Both the teams have marked a return after serving a two-year ban and for the first time they both will face each other in IPL 2018.

MS Dhoni-led Chennai team faces Rajasthan on Friday at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune. It is going to be an interesting clash as both the teams have marked a return after serving a two-year ban and for the first time they both will face each other in IPL 2018. It's also going to be a treat for Pune's audience as most of the players of Pune's team have landed in Rajasthan's squad like Ajinkya Rahane, Ben Stokes and Jayadev Unadkat. The team will be clashing with Dhoni-Chennai but in the 2016 and 2017, Dhoni too was a part of Pune's squad. Rajasthan have won two matches out of four and Chennai have won two matches out of three. Probable XI (TBC): Ajinkya Rahane (c), Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Heinrich Klaasen, Jos Buttler (wk), Krishnappa Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Ben Laughlin, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni Ajinkya Rahane might include Jofra Archer if he has recovered and fit to play. Probable XI (TBC): Shane Watson, Murali Vijay, Ambati Rayudu, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni (c and wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Mark Wood, Imran Tahir, Deepak Chahar Team Rajasthan has been lacking in the bowling department, on the other hand, Team Chennai has been the best in the death overs. The winning probability is slightly more towards Chennai. Watch the detailed preview of Chennai vs Rajasthan: ×

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai vs Rajasthan

Chris Gayle smashed the first century of IPL 2018 on Thursday against Hyderabad. He scored an unbeaten 104 runs off 63 balls at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium.

'King' Gayle dedicated his outstanding innings to his daughter Krisallyna, he said, "A lot of people thought that I am old. Nothing to prove though. Wherever I go across the globe, just want to earn some respect. This one is dedicated to my daughter Krisallyna though it's her birthday tomorrow. So, yeah, this is for her. Tomorrow she will turn two and it's her second time in India. We're hoping to have a nice time. I am glad to score my century in just my second game at home, feels really good."

Gayle played at a strike rate of 165.08 and his knock included one four and eleven sixes. For his splendid knock, he was awarded 'Man of the Match' and while receiving the award he said, "I think Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking me."

After the match, Sehwag tweeted, "I saved the IPL by picking - @henrygayle" and Gayle retweet it with a "yes".

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I saved the IPL by picking - <a href="https://twitter.com/henrygayle?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@henrygayle</a> ??.
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/987041522825691137?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Yes! <a href="https://t.co/avqfCTHfEY">https://t.co/avqfCTHfEY</a>
— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) <a href="https://twitter.com/henrygayle/status/987070097675005952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Not to forget, Chris Gayle was purchased in the concluding minutes of the second day of IPL 2018 auction which happened in January. He was ignored on the first and second day but in the third round when some of the franchises asked to bid again for few of the names and Chris Gayle was one of them. Then Virendra Sehwag -- owner of Punjab franchise -- bought his at his base price, INR 2 Cr.

Universal Boss dedicated his century to his daughter Krisallyna for her birthday and today he tweeted to wish her beautiful baby girl.

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Happy birthday my love krisallyna333 - 2nd birthday in India ?? ????Daddy wish you many more ❤️?❣️ <a href="https://t.co/AZgzFahc2l">https://t.co/AZgzFahc2l</a>
— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) <a href="https://twitter.com/henrygayle/status/987234651868712960?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While receiving the Man of the Match award, Chris Gayle said, "I think Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking me."

Chris Gayle smashed the first century of IPL 2018 on Thursday against Hyderabad. He scored an unbeaten 104 runs off 63 balls at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium. 'King' Gayle dedicated his outstanding innings to his daughter Krisallyna, he said, "A lot of people thought that I am old. Nothing to prove though. Wherever I go across the globe, just want to earn some respect. This one is dedicated to my daughter Krisallyna though it's her birthday tomorrow. So, yeah, this is for her. Tomorrow she will turn two and it's her second time in India. We're hoping to have a nice time. I am glad to score my century in just my second game at home, feels really good." Gayle played at a strike rate of 165.08 and his knock included one four and eleven sixes. For his splendid knock, he was awarded 'Man of the Match' and while receiving the award he said, "I think Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking me." After the match, Sehwag tweeted, "I saved the IPL by picking - @henrygayle" and Gayle retweet it with a "yes". I saved the IPL by picking - @henrygayle ??. — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) April 19, 2018 × Yes! https://t.co/avqfCTHfEY — Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) April 19, 2018 × Not to forget, Chris Gayle was purchased in the concluding minutes of the second day of IPL 2018 auction which happened in January. He was ignored on the first and second day but in the third round when some of the franchises asked to bid again for few of the names and Chris Gayle was one of them. Then Virendra Sehwag -- owner of Punjab franchise -- bought his at his base price, INR 2 Cr. Universal Boss dedicated his century to his daughter Krisallyna for her birthday and today he tweeted to wish her beautiful baby girl. Happy birthday my love krisallyna333 - 2nd birthday in India ?? ????Daddy wish you many more ❤️?❣️ https://t.co/AZgzFahc2l — Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) April 20, 2018 ×

Virender Sehwag saved the IPL by picking me: Chris Gayle

West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle is 38 years old, but when he comes to bat, his strokes and the energy he possesses is of a 24-year-old boy, who has debuted recently and can play unpredictable shots.

Every time Gayle enters the ground, he managed to leave the audience stunned, either by hitting runs or by going back to pavilion on a duck.&nbsp

Going on a duck is more shocking for people than hitting big sixes and setting up a huge score single-handedly.

On Thursday, Chris Gayle scored his 21st T20 century and the first century of IPL 2018 as he made 104 runs off 62 balls for Punjab in Mohali.

Gayle, who plays for Punjab, played with caution in the beginning. to reach his half-century off 39 balls.&nbsp

The left-handed batsman was having trouble while running, but that proved more detrimental for Hyderabad as the big man dealt in sixes only.

In one over of spin wizard from Afghanistan Rashid Khan, who is touted to be as World No. 1 T20I bowler, Gayle smashed 4 sixes in a row.&nbsp And in Khan's previous over he smashed 2 consecutive sixes.&nbsp&nbsp

In Punjab's previous match, the colossal batsman smashed a 33-ball 66 and couldn't have had a better debut in this year's edition.&nbsp

If talked about his previous IPL records then the Jamaican cricketer holds the record of hitting the most sixes.&nbsp

In 103 matches of IPL, Gayle has smashed 280 sixes. He has 22 half-centuries and six centuries to his credit.&nbsp

His six centuries is another highest record the player has in his name.&nbspHe also holds the highest individual score record in the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp

The individual score of 175 not out off 66 balls for Bangalore and a century reached in 30 balls, Gayle set records for the fastest century reached in any format of cricket.

After seeing such record, who will believe that this 'run-machine' had no takers in the IPL auctions held in January.

He went unsold twice before Punjab and its management snatched up the whirlwind batsman aka 'Da Universe Boss' for his base price Rs 2 crore.

But as we say 'old is gold' and the sheer power and timing of Gayle's shots currently are, he is one of the most feared batsmen in international cricket.&nbsp &nbsp &nbsp

He scored first century of IPL 2018 against Hyderabad

West Indies cricketer Chris Gayle is 38 years old, but when he comes to bat, his strokes and the energy he possesses is of a 24-year-old boy, who has debuted recently and can play unpredictable shots. Every time Gayle enters the ground, he managed to leave the audience stunned, either by hitting runs or by going back to pavilion on a duck. Going on a duck is more shocking for people than hitting big sixes and setting up a huge score single-handedly. On Thursday, Chris Gayle scored his 21st T20 century and the first century of IPL 2018 as he made 104 runs off 62 balls for Punjab in Mohali. Gayle, who plays for Punjab, played with caution in the beginning. to reach his half-century off 39 balls. The left-handed batsman was having trouble while running, but that proved more detrimental for Hyderabad as the big man dealt in sixes only. In one over of spin wizard from Afghanistan Rashid Khan, who is touted to be as World No. 1 T20I bowler, Gayle smashed 4 sixes in a row. And in Khan's previous over he smashed 2 consecutive sixes. In Punjab's previous match, the colossal batsman smashed a 33-ball 66 and couldn't have had a better debut in this year's edition. If talked about his previous IPL records then the Jamaican cricketer holds the record of hitting the most sixes. In 103 matches of IPL, Gayle has smashed 280 sixes. He has 22 half-centuries and six centuries to his credit. His six centuries is another highest record the player has in his name.&nbspHe also holds the highest individual score record in the cash-rich tournament. The individual score of 175 not out off 66 balls for Bangalore and a century reached in 30 balls, Gayle set records for the fastest century reached in any format of cricket. After seeing such record, who will believe that this 'run-machine' had no takers in the IPL auctions held in January. He went unsold twice before Punjab and its management snatched up the whirlwind batsman aka 'Da Universe Boss' for his base price Rs 2 crore. But as we say 'old is gold' and the sheer power and timing of Gayle's shots currently are, he is one of the most feared batsmen in international cricket.

Why IPL superstar Gayle is world's most valuable T20 player

Explosive Kolkata&nbsp;batsman Robin Uthappa feels cricket is going through a paradigm shift to a power game and any total on board now looks chaseable.

"The changes in the game are dynamic. It is changing as a sport, anything looks like chaseable, I feel cricket is shifting to a power game now so chasing is the choice. There is a paradigm shift in the nature of the sport," said Uthappa, who played a 36-ball 48-run knock to chase down Rajasthan's total of 160-8 on a slow wicket.

With three wins from five matches, Uthappa said he is satisfied with KKR's progress in the tournament. 
 
"We are happy in the position we are. We are at the top and might have played a game more but we played good cricket. It is important to peak at the right time," he said.

"It is a two-halve tournament. Initially we were looking to qualify for the playoffs, you need the momentum. After six games we would have a nice break so we are quite happy where we are. Every game is important for us," said Uthappa.

The 32-year-old was also happy with his batting form after making useful contributions in the middle order. 
 
"I did not have a good domestic season but I always felt I was striking the ball well. That is what I feel now. Need to get better and better," said Uthappa.

He also praised Man of the Match Nitesh Rana, who has scored 162 in five matches so far.

"I feel Rana is a very fine batsman with a mature head on his shoulders. We have not shuffled much with batting order and the top three have been almost the same. We tried but had to revert soon to same top order," he said.&nbsp;

"If Sunil Narine and 'lynny' click at the top and likes of Rana, I, Dinesh Karthik and Russel coming in things do&nbsp;look nice. That has been working for us."

When asked to compare between two captains -- Gautam Gambhir and now Dinesh Karthik, Uthappa said: "They were different kind of personalities. Karthik is more composed and thinks a lot but also gives space to players to play with their instincts while Gambhir is more proactive."

On the other hand, Rajasthan&nbsp;captain Ajinkya Rahane blamed himself for the loss against KKR.

"I feel it was a different wicket from what we played on against Delhi. It was slow and ball was also keeping low. I feel it was my responsibility to take that innings forward," he said.

"It is hard to recover from a slow start because T20 is all about one or two big overs. I was batting well at the other and wanted to continue till the 14th or 15th over."

Rahane also refused to blame his bowlers for the debacle.&nbsp;

"Not really, our bowlers have done a good job in all three matches. In T20 sometimes you go for runs but we have a good combination. When you lose people start talking about bad bowling or batting," he said, adding that the fielding was not up to the mark and there was scope for much improvement.

Explosive Kolkata batsman Robin Uthappa feels cricket is going through a paradigm shift to a power game and any total on board now looks chaseable

Explosive Kolkata batsman Robin Uthappa feels cricket is going through a paradigm shift to a power game and any total on board now looks chaseable. "The changes in the game are dynamic. It is changing as a sport, anything looks like chaseable, I feel cricket is shifting to a power game now so chasing is the choice. There is a paradigm shift in the nature of the sport," said Uthappa, who played a 36-ball 48-run knock to chase down Rajasthan's total of 160-8 on a slow wicket. With three wins from five matches, Uthappa said he is satisfied with KKR's progress in the tournament. "We are happy in the position we are. We are at the top and might have played a game more but we played good cricket. It is important to peak at the right time," he said. "It is a two-halve tournament. Initially we were looking to qualify for the playoffs, you need the momentum. After six games we would have a nice break so we are quite happy where we are. Every game is important for us," said Uthappa. The 32-year-old was also happy with his batting form after making useful contributions in the middle order. "I did not have a good domestic season but I always felt I was striking the ball well. That is what I feel now. Need to get better and better," said Uthappa. He also praised Man of the Match Nitesh Rana, who has scored 162 in five matches so far. "I feel Rana is a very fine batsman with a mature head on his shoulders. We have not shuffled much with batting order and the top three have been almost the same. We tried but had to revert soon to same top order," he said. "If Sunil Narine and 'lynny' click at the top and likes of Rana, I, Dinesh Karthik and Russel coming in things do look nice. That has been working for us." When asked to compare between two captains -- Gautam Gambhir and now Dinesh Karthik, Uthappa said: "They were different kind of personalities. Karthik is more composed and thinks a lot but also gives space to players to play with their instincts while Gambhir is more proactive." On the other hand, Rajasthan captain Ajinkya Rahane blamed himself for the loss against KKR. "I feel it was a different wicket from what we played on against Delhi. It was slow and ball was also keeping low. I feel it was my responsibility to take that innings forward," he said. "It is hard to recover from a slow start because T20 is all about one or two big overs. I was batting well at the other and wanted to continue till the 14th or 15th over." Rahane also refused to blame his bowlers for the debacle. "Not really, our bowlers have done a good job in all three matches. In T20 sometimes you go for runs but we have a good combination. When you lose people start talking about bad bowling or batting," he said, adding that the fielding was not up to the mark and there was scope for much improvement.

Cricket: Any total looks chaseable now, says Robin Uthappa

Chris Gayle's unbeaten 104 runs made Hyderabad taste their first defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League.&nbsp

Hyderabad, who have the best bowling attack, failed to stop Gayle from hitting big sixes and reach this edition's first century. &nbsp

Gayle brought his ton in only 58 balls to help Punjab surpass 150 runs and aim for 200 at the end of the 20 overs.

Supported by Karun Nair at the other end, Gayle innings included 11 sixes and one four.

Hyderabad was defeated by 15 runs as they lost wickets at regular intervals.&nbsp

Skipper Kane Williomson and batsman Manish Pandey smashed a half-century each but their efforts went in vain as the other players failed to provide any support.&nbsp

Earlier, Punjab skipper R Ashwin won the toss and decided to bat first against Hyderabad at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Thursday.

"We are going to bat first. I would like to see them chase down a score. We have got a formidable batting line-up that can take on any bowling attack and we would like them to give a license to go out and express themselves," Ashwin said.

"We had a wonderful win in the last match and we would like to keep the momentum going. We are unchanged for this match," he added.

When asked about their strategy for today's game, Hyderabad skipper Williamson said, "There may be a little bit of dew factor in the second innings, so it's important we do the job. Both (their openers) are good players, exciting players, and it's important we execute our plans better."

The Hyderabad team has made one change in their team as they have replaced Jordan with Billy Stanlake.

Hyderabad's bowling attack failed to stop Gayle from hitting big sixes

Chris Gayle's unbeaten 104 runs made Hyderabad taste their first defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League. Hyderabad, who have the best bowling attack, failed to stop Gayle from hitting big sixes and reach this edition's first century. Gayle brought his ton in only 58 balls to help Punjab surpass 150 runs and aim for 200 at the end of the 20 overs. Supported by Karun Nair at the other end, Gayle innings included 11 sixes and one four. Hyderabad was defeated by 15 runs as they lost wickets at regular intervals. Skipper Kane Williomson and batsman Manish Pandey smashed a half-century each but their efforts went in vain as the other players failed to provide any support. Earlier, Punjab skipper R Ashwin won the toss and decided to bat first against Hyderabad at Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Thursday. "We are going to bat first. I would like to see them chase down a score. We have got a formidable batting line-up that can take on any bowling attack and we would like them to give a license to go out and express themselves," Ashwin said. "We had a wonderful win in the last match and we would like to keep the momentum going. We are unchanged for this match," he added. When asked about their strategy for today's game, Hyderabad skipper Williamson said, "There may be a little bit of dew factor in the second innings, so it's important we do the job. Both (their openers) are good players, exciting players, and it's important we execute our plans better." The Hyderabad team has made one change in their team as they have replaced Jordan with Billy Stanlake.

Gayle's unbeaten 104 makes Hyderabad taste first defeat in IPL 2018

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