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

POINTS TABLE, SQUAD LIST, ANALYSIS, VENUE

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

Indian Premier League 2018

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

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

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

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to field against Punjab

After Delhi lost its first three wickets, Rishab Pant rose to the occasion to help its team set a decent score of 174 runs on board.

The wicket-keeper batsman slammed 64 runs in 44 balls which included four boundaries and four huge sixes.

It is Pant's fifth half-century in this year's tournament.&nbsp

Supporting him at the other end was Vijay Shankar, who smashed 43 runs in 30 balls.His unbeaten inning included three fours and two sixes.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Prithvi Shaw once again failed to contribute any big score and departed after making six and 12 runs, respectively. &nbsp

Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Mumbai during their clash at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Sunday.

Speaking after the toss, Iyer said,"Going to have a bat. No grass on the wicket, seems dry, so we will look to put a big score on the board. We have been batting first in the last few games as well so we are confident of putting up a good score."

"With regards to preparation and practice we have been spot-on and we will play this game like this is our last game and put everything into it. Liam Plunkett comes in place of Avesh Khan," he added.

Talking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said," Nothing changes for us, we need to restrict them to as little as possible. We are aware of these conditions, so we just have to play good cricket for 40 overs now that we know that we are bowling first and we need to restrict them to as little as possible."

"Mitch McClenaghan has a shoulder niggle, so Mustafizur replaces him."

The defending champions will be on toes today to beat the hosts and book a berth in the play-off.&nbsp

The Rohit-Sharma led team is used to miracles, if seen in the previous editions, and this year also they would be expecting another fairytale entry into the top four teams.&nbsp

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Teams:

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Mumbai&nbsp(Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Delhi&nbsp(Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Liam Plunkett, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult

It is Pant's fifth half-century in this year's tournament.

After Delhi lost its first three wickets, Rishab Pant rose to the occasion to help its team set a decent score of 174 runs on board. The wicket-keeper batsman slammed 64 runs in 44 balls which included four boundaries and four huge sixes. It is Pant's fifth half-century in this year's tournament. Supporting him at the other end was Vijay Shankar, who smashed 43 runs in 30 balls.His unbeaten inning included three fours and two sixes. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and opener Prithvi Shaw once again failed to contribute any big score and departed after making six and 12 runs, respectively. Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Mumbai during their clash at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Sunday. Speaking after the toss, Iyer said,"Going to have a bat. No grass on the wicket, seems dry, so we will look to put a big score on the board. We have been batting first in the last few games as well so we are confident of putting up a good score." "With regards to preparation and practice we have been spot-on and we will play this game like this is our last game and put everything into it. Liam Plunkett comes in place of Avesh Khan," he added. Talking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said," Nothing changes for us, we need to restrict them to as little as possible. We are aware of these conditions, so we just have to play good cricket for 40 overs now that we know that we are bowling first and we need to restrict them to as little as possible." "Mitch McClenaghan has a shoulder niggle, so Mustafizur replaces him." The defending champions will be on toes today to beat the hosts and book a berth in the play-off. The Rohit-Sharma led team is used to miracles, if seen in the previous editions, and this year also they would be expecting another fairytale entry into the top four teams. Teams: Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman Delhi (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Liam Plunkett, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult

IPL 2018: Pant, Shankar take Delhi to 174

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said that India should transform itself from 'sports-loving nation' to 'sports-playing nation'.

"I always mention that India should become a sports-playing nation. We are a sports-loving nation but we need that transformation where we start playing. Healthy competition is always good, Tendulkar said.&nbsp

"Physical fitness and mental fitness combined together, makes a healthy man. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother telling me health is wealth, the master blaster added.

The legendary batsman also appealed the countrymen to adopt a sport and play it on a regular basis.

"To lead an active lifestyle is really important. I just want to tell you that adopt some or the other sport and play regularly. It is going to keep you fit and healthy. Fit and healthy India will have more reasons to smile," Tendulkar signed off.&nbsp

The legendary batsman also appealed the countrymen to adopt a sport and play it on a regular basis.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said that India should transform itself from 'sports-loving nation' to 'sports-playing nation'. "I always mention that India should become a sports-playing nation. We are a sports-loving nation but we need that transformation where we start playing. Healthy competition is always good, Tendulkar said. "Physical fitness and mental fitness combined together, makes a healthy man. I remember when I was a kid, my grandmother telling me health is wealth, the master blaster added. The legendary batsman also appealed the countrymen to adopt a sport and play it on a regular basis. "To lead an active lifestyle is really important. I just want to tell you that adopt some or the other sport and play regularly. It is going to keep you fit and healthy. Fit and healthy India will have more reasons to smile," Tendulkar signed off.

India should transform itself from sports-loving to sports-playing nation: Sachin Tendulkar

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Mumbai during their clash at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Sunday.

Speaking after the toss, Iyer said,"Going to have a bat. No grass on the wicket, seems dry, so we will look to put a big score on the board. We have been batting first in the last few games as well so we are confident of putting up a good score."

"With regards to preparation and practice we have been spot-on and we will play this game like this is our last game and put everything into it. Liam Plunkett comes in place of Avesh Khan," he added.

Talking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said," Nothing changes for us, we need to restrict them to as little as possible. We are aware of these conditions, so we just have to play good cricket for 40 overs now that we know that we are bowling first and we need to restrict them to as little as possible."

"Mitch McClenaghan has a shoulder niggle, so Mustafizur replaces him."

The defending champions will be on toes today to beat the hosts and book a berth in the play-off.&nbsp

The Rohit-Sharma led team is used to miracles, if seen in the previous editions, and this year also they would be expecting another fairytale entry into the top four teams.&nbsp

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Teams:

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Mumbai&nbsp(Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

 0 && comm[ts].geo.indexOf($root.$GEO.country) == -1">Delhi&nbsp(Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Liam Plunkett, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult

The defending champions will be on toes today to beat the hosts and book a berth in the play-off.

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to bat against Mumbai during their clash at Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium on Sunday. Speaking after the toss, Iyer said,"Going to have a bat. No grass on the wicket, seems dry, so we will look to put a big score on the board. We have been batting first in the last few games as well so we are confident of putting up a good score." "With regards to preparation and practice we have been spot-on and we will play this game like this is our last game and put everything into it. Liam Plunkett comes in place of Avesh Khan," he added. Talking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said," Nothing changes for us, we need to restrict them to as little as possible. We are aware of these conditions, so we just have to play good cricket for 40 overs now that we know that we are bowling first and we need to restrict them to as little as possible." "Mitch McClenaghan has a shoulder niggle, so Mustafizur replaces him." The defending champions will be on toes today to beat the hosts and book a berth in the play-off. The Rohit-Sharma led team is used to miracles, if seen in the previous editions, and this year also they would be expecting another fairytale entry into the top four teams. Teams: Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman Delhi (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Abhishek Sharma, Harshal Patel, Amit Mishra, Liam Plunkett, Sandeep Lamichhane, Trent Boult

IPL 2018: Delhi win toss, opt to bat against defending champions Mumbai

Defending Champions Mumbai will be on toes today to beat Delhi and book a berth in the play-off, as the two teams clash at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Sunday. &nbsp;

The Rohit-Sharma led team is used to miracles, if seen in the previous editions, and this year also they would be expecting another fairytale entry into the top four teams.&nbsp;

Yesterday, Kolkata defeated table-toppers Hyderabad to become the third team to make it to the play-offs. And now only one place is left with three teams fighting for the position.

Mumbai had a topsy-turvy campaign so far as after a series of defeats early in the tournament, they were able to string in the victories when it mattered the most.

In their last match against Punjab, Mumbai managed to beat the R Ashwin side by three runs.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma's performance was once again a let down for the team, as he failed any good knock. However, it becomes important for him to shed his poor form if want to qualify.

Jasprit Bumrah's sensational three-wicket haul in the last match will give him a lot of confidence apart from his consistent show in most death over situations.

Hardik, 18 wickets and 233 runs, has been solid without being spectacular while Krunal, 224 runs and 11 wickets, has again been impressive.&nbsp;

Delhi, on the other hand, have once again brought up the rear. They outclassed formidable Chennai by 34 runs to restore some pride.

Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel helped Delhi post 162 for five and then leg-spinners Amit Mishra (2/20) and young Sandeep Lamichhane (1/21) managed to restrict MS Dhoni-led side to 128 for six.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer would expect a similar effort from his team today also.&nbsp;

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In today's clash, if Mumbai win by a big margin, it would secure them a place in the play-offs due to their high run-rate.&nbsp;

But Mumbai Indians need to win at all costs because loss would be the end of their campaign.

Earlier in the tournament, Delhi had beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium to claim their first win of the season.

Mumbai's win will put more pressure on Punjab in their match against Chennai in the final match of the group stage later in the day.

As of now, Punjab's chances of making it to the top four are next to impossible.&nbsp;

However, IPL is all about surprises and a superb win against Chennai will make the competition tougher. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The two teams clash at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium today

Defending Champions Mumbai will be on toes today to beat Delhi and book a berth in the play-off, as the two teams clash at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Sunday. The Rohit-Sharma led team is used to miracles, if seen in the previous editions, and this year also they would be expecting another fairytale entry into the top four teams. Yesterday, Kolkata defeated table-toppers Hyderabad to become the third team to make it to the play-offs. And now only one place is left with three teams fighting for the position. Mumbai had a topsy-turvy campaign so far as after a series of defeats early in the tournament, they were able to string in the victories when it mattered the most. In their last match against Punjab, Mumbai managed to beat the R Ashwin side by three runs. Rohit Sharma's performance was once again a let down for the team, as he failed any good knock. However, it becomes important for him to shed his poor form if want to qualify. Jasprit Bumrah's sensational three-wicket haul in the last match will give him a lot of confidence apart from his consistent show in most death over situations. Hardik, 18 wickets and 233 runs, has been solid without being spectacular while Krunal, 224 runs and 11 wickets, has again been impressive. Delhi, on the other hand, have once again brought up the rear. They outclassed formidable Chennai by 34 runs to restore some pride. Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel helped Delhi post 162 for five and then leg-spinners Amit Mishra (2/20) and young Sandeep Lamichhane (1/21) managed to restrict MS Dhoni-led side to 128 for six. Skipper Shreyas Iyer would expect a similar effort from his team today also. × In today's clash, if Mumbai win by a big margin, it would secure them a place in the play-offs due to their high run-rate. But Mumbai Indians need to win at all costs because loss would be the end of their campaign. Earlier in the tournament, Delhi had beat Mumbai Indians by seven wickets at the Wankhede Stadium to claim their first win of the season. Mumbai's win will put more pressure on Punjab in their match against Chennai in the final match of the group stage later in the day. As of now, Punjab's chances of making it to the top four are next to impossible. However, IPL is all about surprises and a superb win against Chennai will make the competition tougher.

IPL 2018 match preview: Mumbai eye win against Delhi to seal play-off berth

Punjab face the herculean task of stopping a Chennai to seal a play-off berth when the two sides clash in the last Indian Premier League (IPL) league match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday.&nbsp;

To qualify, Punjab will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490.&nbsp;

Punjab kicked-off the 2018 season with five wins out of their first six games but faltered in the business end of the league.

Barring opener KL Rahul, who has 652 runs from 13 innings, Punjab have failed as a team.&nbsp;

Chris Gayle smashed three half-centuries and one century in the first half of the season but failed to maintain his form.

Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Marcus Stonis, Mayank Agarwal and Yuvraj Singh have failed to score so far.

In the bowling department, Andrew Tye has single-handedly led the pace attack with 24 wickets from 13 games and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the league.

Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman (14 wickets) has also been impressive while pacer Ankit Rajpoot (eight wickets), off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (six wickets) and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma (six wickets) need to raise the bar against Chennai.

On the other hand, having already qualified for the play-offs, Chennai will be eager to finish the league stage at the top spot.

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The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side were handed a 34-run defeat by Delhi in their last game on Friday.

In batting, Ambati Rayadu has been brilliant so far, delivering on most occasions. In 13 innings, Rayudu has 585 runs while the Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has gathered 438 runs.

Skipper Dhoni has once again silenced his critics by smashing 430 runs in 13 games played.&nbsp;

Deepak Chahar is back from injury which has also bolstered the yellow brigade's pace attack.

Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi have also emerged with breakthroughs whenever the side needed.&nbsp;

However, Bravo needs to learn from his last game, where he was hammered for 26 runs in the final over.

So overall, Chennai has nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated.&nbsp;

To qualify, Punjab will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490.

Punjab face the herculean task of stopping a Chennai to seal a play-off berth when the two sides clash in the last Indian Premier League (IPL) league match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. To qualify, Punjab will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490. Punjab kicked-off the 2018 season with five wins out of their first six games but faltered in the business end of the league. Barring opener KL Rahul, who has 652 runs from 13 innings, Punjab have failed as a team. Chris Gayle smashed three half-centuries and one century in the first half of the season but failed to maintain his form. Aaron Finch, Karun Nair, Marcus Stonis, Mayank Agarwal and Yuvraj Singh have failed to score so far. In the bowling department, Andrew Tye has single-handedly led the pace attack with 24 wickets from 13 games and is currently the leading wicket-taker in the league. Afghan spinner Mujeeb ur Rahman (14 wickets) has also been impressive while pacer Ankit Rajpoot (eight wickets), off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin (six wickets) and medium-pacer Mohit Sharma (six wickets) need to raise the bar against Chennai. On the other hand, having already qualified for the play-offs, Chennai will be eager to finish the league stage at the top spot. × The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side were handed a 34-run defeat by Delhi in their last game on Friday. In batting, Ambati Rayadu has been brilliant so far, delivering on most occasions. In 13 innings, Rayudu has 585 runs while the Australian all-rounder Shane Watson has gathered 438 runs. Skipper Dhoni has once again silenced his critics by smashing 430 runs in 13 games played. Deepak Chahar is back from injury which has also bolstered the yellow brigade's pace attack. Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi have also emerged with breakthroughs whenever the side needed. However, Bravo needs to learn from his last game, where he was hammered for 26 runs in the final over. So overall, Chennai has nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated.

IPL 2018 match preview: Chennai take on Punjab

Despite getting a flying start, table-toppers Hyderabad were restricted for mere 172 runs by the Kolkata bowlers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday.

Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami opened for Hyderabad and established 79 runs partnership before Kuldeep Yadav broke the bond.&nbsp

Goswami was sent back to the pavilion after making 35 runs off 26 balls. 
&nbsp 
Dhawan continued the attack to reach his half-century, before being LBW.

Skipper Kane Williamson also smashed 36 runs off 17 balls. His inning included one boundary and three sixes.&nbsp

Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna came out as a trump card for Kolkata as he took four crucial wickets to restrict Hyderabad from setting a massive total.

In four overs bowled, Prasidh gave 30 runs which included two wides also.

Russell, &nbspNarine, Yadav and Searles took one wicket apiece.

Yadav today turned out to be the costliest player for Kolkata as he gave 35 runs in four overs at an economy of 8.75.&nbsp

Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday.

After winning the toss Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson highlighted the quality of pitch and said that it has grass and it will stay the same that is an advantage for the Hyderabad team.

As expected, Basil Thampi has been dropped as his performance in the previous game was very poor.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Carlos Brathwaite have been included in the squad for tonight's match at the pace of Alex Hales and Basil Thampi.

On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik mentioned that the pitch might turn a bit and there is only change for Kolkata, Piyush Chawla has replaced Shivam Mavi.

Playing XI:

Kolkata:&nbspSunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav

Hyderabad:&nbspShikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Carlos Brathwaite, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Skipper Kane Williamson also smashed 36 runs off 17 balls

Despite getting a flying start, table-toppers Hyderabad were restricted for mere 172 runs by the Kolkata bowlers at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday. Shikhar Dhawan and Shreevats Goswami opened for Hyderabad and established 79 runs partnership before Kuldeep Yadav broke the bond. Goswami was sent back to the pavilion after making 35 runs off 26 balls. Dhawan continued the attack to reach his half-century, before being LBW. Skipper Kane Williamson also smashed 36 runs off 17 balls. His inning included one boundary and three sixes. Meanwhile, Prasidh Krishna came out as a trump card for Kolkata as he took four crucial wickets to restrict Hyderabad from setting a massive total. In four overs bowled, Prasidh gave 30 runs which included two wides also. Russell, &nbspNarine, Yadav and Searles took one wicket apiece. Yadav today turned out to be the costliest player for Kolkata as he gave 35 runs in four overs at an economy of 8.75. Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Saturday. After winning the toss Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson highlighted the quality of pitch and said that it has grass and it will stay the same that is an advantage for the Hyderabad team. As expected, Basil Thampi has been dropped as his performance in the previous game was very poor. Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Carlos Brathwaite have been included in the squad for tonight's match at the pace of Alex Hales and Basil Thampi. On the other hand, Dinesh Karthik mentioned that the pitch might turn a bit and there is only change for Kolkata, Piyush Chawla has replaced Shivam Mavi. Playing XI: Kolkata:&nbspSunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Javon Searles, Piyush Chawla, Prasidh Krishna, Kuldeep Yadav Hyderabad:&nbspShikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Carlos Brathwaite, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

IPL 2018: After flying start Hyderabad restricted to mere 172

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Kane Williamson opts to bat against Kolkata

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

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

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

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Match preview of Hyderabad vs Kolkata

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Ajinkya Rahane opts to bat against Bangalore

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

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

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

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

Bangalore defeated table-toppers Hyderabad by 14 runs in a must-win match to stay alive in the Indian Premier League at M. Chinnaswamy stadium.&nbsp

Hyderabad skipper Williamson along with Manish Pandey forged a crucial partnership to take Hyderabad on the verge of another nail-biting win.

However, it was the hosts who clinched the issue to keep their playoff dream alive.

While Williamson smashed 81 runs off just 42 balls, Pandey made 62 in 38 balls.

Chasing the massive 219-run target, Hyderabad openers Shikhar Dhawan (18) and Alex Hales (37) took their side to a quick start, accumulating 47 runs in the first five overs.

However, the decent start was short-lived as Yuzvendra Chahal drew the first blood for the hosts in the sixth over when Dhawan came down the track but chipped back to the bowler.

With addition of another 17 runs in Hyderabad`s scorecard, AB de Villiers took a stunning catch at deep midwicket to pack back Hales off a Moeen Ali delivery.

Skipper Williamson and Pandey then took the command, taking their side to touch the three-figure mark in 11.3 overs.

Meanwhile, the Hyderabad captain slammed his half-century off 28 balls, helping his side inch closer to the target.

The duo went on to forge a crucial 135-run partnership for the third wicket, lifting the visitors to 199 runs in 19.1 overs.

With 19 needed off the final over, Mohammed Siraj jolted Hyderabad dismissing the visiting skipper to bring back Bangalore in the game.

Earlier, Colin de Grandhomme's 17-ball 40 powered Bangalore to mammoth 218 runs against table-toppers Hyderabad.

After Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli departed cheaply, AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali established a 107 runs partnership to help Bangalore recover from the losses.

De Villiers smashed 69 runs off 37 balls while Ali made 65 off 34 balls before giving away their wicket in one over to Rashid Khan.

For Hyderabad, Basil Thampi registered the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history. He gave away 70 runs in four overs and took zero wickets.&nbsp

Earlier, Kane Williamson ton the toss and opted to bowl against Bangalore as the two teams clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Talking after the toss, Williamson said," "We are gonna bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play, so we'll try and make use of it first with the ball in hand. Hopefully we can restrict them."

"We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions," he added. &nbsp

Bangalore, on the other hand, registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). &nbsp&nbsp

The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention.&nbsp

Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said,"We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against, who bank on their bowling. Would be nice to test their batting with a score on board. We can play with freedom."&nbsp

"We will try to do well in whatever we are doing first. It's my 163rd IPL game, so not my first (when Morrison asked if he was nervous about where RCB were). We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy," he added.

"There's no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. Another day in life, so just enjoy. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side. We'll try and replicate the same tonight," the Bangalore skipper concluded.&nbsp

While Williamson smashed 81 runs off just 42 balls, Pandey made 62 in 38 balls

Bangalore defeated table-toppers Hyderabad by 14 runs in a must-win match to stay alive in the Indian Premier League at M. Chinnaswamy stadium. Hyderabad skipper Williamson along with Manish Pandey forged a crucial partnership to take Hyderabad on the verge of another nail-biting win. However, it was the hosts who clinched the issue to keep their playoff dream alive. While Williamson smashed 81 runs off just 42 balls, Pandey made 62 in 38 balls. Chasing the massive 219-run target, Hyderabad openers Shikhar Dhawan (18) and Alex Hales (37) took their side to a quick start, accumulating 47 runs in the first five overs. However, the decent start was short-lived as Yuzvendra Chahal drew the first blood for the hosts in the sixth over when Dhawan came down the track but chipped back to the bowler. With addition of another 17 runs in Hyderabad`s scorecard, AB de Villiers took a stunning catch at deep midwicket to pack back Hales off a Moeen Ali delivery. Skipper Williamson and Pandey then took the command, taking their side to touch the three-figure mark in 11.3 overs. Meanwhile, the Hyderabad captain slammed his half-century off 28 balls, helping his side inch closer to the target. The duo went on to forge a crucial 135-run partnership for the third wicket, lifting the visitors to 199 runs in 19.1 overs. With 19 needed off the final over, Mohammed Siraj jolted Hyderabad dismissing the visiting skipper to bring back Bangalore in the game. Earlier, Colin de Grandhomme's 17-ball 40 powered Bangalore to mammoth 218 runs against table-toppers Hyderabad. After Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli departed cheaply, AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali established a 107 runs partnership to help Bangalore recover from the losses. De Villiers smashed 69 runs off 37 balls while Ali made 65 off 34 balls before giving away their wicket in one over to Rashid Khan. For Hyderabad, Basil Thampi registered the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history. He gave away 70 runs in four overs and took zero wickets. Earlier, Kane Williamson ton the toss and opted to bowl against Bangalore as the two teams clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Talking after the toss, Williamson said," "We are gonna bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play, so we'll try and make use of it first with the ball in hand. Hopefully we can restrict them." "We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions," he added. Bangalore, on the other hand, registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention. Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said,"We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against, who bank on their bowling. Would be nice to test their batting with a score on board. We can play with freedom." "We will try to do well in whatever we are doing first. It's my 163rd IPL game, so not my first (when Morrison asked if he was nervous about where RCB were). We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy," he added. "There's no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. Another day in life, so just enjoy. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side. We'll try and replicate the same tonight," the Bangalore skipper concluded.

Bangalore beat Hyderabad by 14 runs to stay alive in IPL 2018

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

Lungi Ngidi has been included in the playing XI of Chennai

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

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to bowl against Delhi

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Chennai

Mumbai defeated Punjab by three runs in a last-ball thriller match at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Jasprit Bumrah took the crucial wicket for Mumbai, which turned out to be a game changer.&nbsp;

Punjab Opener KL Rahul once again proved his cricketing prowess as he single-handedly depleted Mumbai's bowling attack.

With every ball, Rahul went strong and registered his seventh half-century of IPL 2018.

However, he missed his another century by six runs and departed after making 94 off 60 balls.

His inning included 10 boundaries and three sixes.

Aaron Finch also played a spectacular inning with Rahul after Chris Gayle was sent back to the pavilion for just 18 runs.

Yuvraj Singh once again failed to leave any mark with his batting. he gave away his wicket while trying to hit a big shot.&nbsp;

For Mumbai, Kieron Pollard smashed a half-century to save Mumbai from drowning as the team ended their innings for 186 for 8, against Punjab at Wankhede stadium, on Wednesday.

The Trinidadian cricketer smashed five boundaries and three sixes to reach 50 in just 23 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis opened for Mumbai and the team lost its first wicket for 37 runs.

After Lewis departed, Yadav continued his attack along with Ishan Kishan.&nbsp;

However, Kishan too lost his wicket after making just 20 runs.

Skipper Rohit Sharma again failed to fill up the gap and went back to the pavilion after making just six runs.&nbsp;

Krunal Pandya, who failed to contribute in last match, made 32 runs in 23 balls before giving away his wicket to Marcus Stoinis.

Earlier, R Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Mumbai in a must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive as they are almost on the edge of elimination.&nbsp;

Talking after the toss, Ashwin said, "We are bowling first. Looks like there's dew here, we would like to bowl first and chase the total down. I expected some dip, that's what has happened, "

"We have lost three matches on the bounce, hopefully, we will stop that rot. Two changes for us - Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary are back, they replace Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Mujeeb is still not fit, hopefully, he will be back for the next match," he added.

Speaking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said, "We were bowling first as well. Dew is a factor, but we are not worried about it, we need to play some good cricket."

"I have been in this position over the last few years and I know how to handle the situation. The team has handled it better than me, I think we have done well considering how we played in the first half of the tournament," he added.

"We are not thinking about the Delhi match at the moment. Just one change for us, Kieron Pollard replaces JP Duminy," he concluded.

Rahul went strong and registered his seventh half-century of IPL 2018.

Mumbai defeated Punjab by three runs in a last-ball thriller match at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Jasprit Bumrah took the crucial wicket for Mumbai, which turned out to be a game changer. Punjab Opener KL Rahul once again proved his cricketing prowess as he single-handedly depleted Mumbai's bowling attack. With every ball, Rahul went strong and registered his seventh half-century of IPL 2018. However, he missed his another century by six runs and departed after making 94 off 60 balls. His inning included 10 boundaries and three sixes. Aaron Finch also played a spectacular inning with Rahul after Chris Gayle was sent back to the pavilion for just 18 runs. Yuvraj Singh once again failed to leave any mark with his batting. he gave away his wicket while trying to hit a big shot. For Mumbai, Kieron Pollard smashed a half-century to save Mumbai from drowning as the team ended their innings for 186 for 8, against Punjab at Wankhede stadium, on Wednesday. The Trinidadian cricketer smashed five boundaries and three sixes to reach 50 in just 23 balls. Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis opened for Mumbai and the team lost its first wicket for 37 runs. After Lewis departed, Yadav continued his attack along with Ishan Kishan. However, Kishan too lost his wicket after making just 20 runs. Skipper Rohit Sharma again failed to fill up the gap and went back to the pavilion after making just six runs. Krunal Pandya, who failed to contribute in last match, made 32 runs in 23 balls before giving away his wicket to Marcus Stoinis. Earlier, R Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Mumbai in a must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive as they are almost on the edge of elimination. Talking after the toss, Ashwin said, "We are bowling first. Looks like there's dew here, we would like to bowl first and chase the total down. I expected some dip, that's what has happened, " "We have lost three matches on the bounce, hopefully, we will stop that rot. Two changes for us - Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary are back, they replace Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Mujeeb is still not fit, hopefully, he will be back for the next match," he added. Speaking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said, "We were bowling first as well. Dew is a factor, but we are not worried about it, we need to play some good cricket." "I have been in this position over the last few years and I know how to handle the situation. The team has handled it better than me, I think we have done well considering how we played in the first half of the tournament," he added. "We are not thinking about the Delhi match at the moment. Just one change for us, Kieron Pollard replaces JP Duminy," he concluded.

IPL 2018: Mumbai keep play-off hopes alive, beat Punjab by 3 runs

Colin de Grandhomme's 17-ball 40 powered Bangalore to mammoth 218 runs against table-toppers Hyderabad on Thursday.

After Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli departed cheaply, AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali established a 107 runs partnership to help Bangalore recover from the losses.

De Villiers smashed 69 runs off 37 balls while Ali made 65 off 34 balls before giving away their wicket in one over to Rashid Khan.

For Hyderabad, Basil Thampi registered the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history. He gave away 70 runs in four overs and took zero wickets.&nbsp

Earlier, Kane Williamson ton the toss and opted to bowl against Bangalore as the two teams clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Talking after the toss, Williamson said," "We are gonna bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play, so we'll try and make use of it first with the ball in hand. Hopefully we can restrict them."

"We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions," he added. &nbsp

Bangalore, on the other hand, registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). &nbsp&nbsp

The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention.&nbsp

Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said,"We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against, who bank on their bowling. Would be nice to test their batting with a score on board. We can play with freedom."&nbsp

"We will try to do well in whatever we are doing first. It's my 163rd IPL game, so not my first (when Morrison asked if he was nervous about where RCB were). We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy," he added.

"There's no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. Another day in life, so just enjoy. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side. We'll try and replicate the same tonight," the Bangalore skipper concluded.&nbsp

Kohli has to defeat table-toppers Hyderabad to save Bangalore in IPL 2018.&nbsp

Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Parthiv Patel(w), Moeen Ali, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Hales, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi 
&nbsp

AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali established a 107 runs partnership to help Bangalore recover from the losses

Colin de Grandhomme's 17-ball 40 powered Bangalore to mammoth 218 runs against table-toppers Hyderabad on Thursday. After Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli departed cheaply, AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali established a 107 runs partnership to help Bangalore recover from the losses. De Villiers smashed 69 runs off 37 balls while Ali made 65 off 34 balls before giving away their wicket in one over to Rashid Khan. For Hyderabad, Basil Thampi registered the most expensive bowling figures in IPL history. He gave away 70 runs in four overs and took zero wickets. Earlier, Kane Williamson ton the toss and opted to bowl against Bangalore as the two teams clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Talking after the toss, Williamson said," "We are gonna bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play, so we'll try and make use of it first with the ball in hand. Hopefully we can restrict them." "We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions," he added. Bangalore, on the other hand, registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention. Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said,"We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against, who bank on their bowling. Would be nice to test their batting with a score on board. We can play with freedom." "We will try to do well in whatever we are doing first. It's my 163rd IPL game, so not my first (when Morrison asked if he was nervous about where RCB were). We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy," he added. "There's no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. Another day in life, so just enjoy. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side. We'll try and replicate the same tonight," the Bangalore skipper concluded. Kohli has to defeat table-toppers Hyderabad to save Bangalore in IPL 2018. Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Parthiv Patel(w), Moeen Ali, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Hales, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi

IPL 2018: Grandhomme's cameo powers Bangalore to mammoth 218

Kane Williamson ton the toss and opted to bowl against Bangalore as the two teams clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Talking after the toss, Williamson said," "We are gonna bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play, so we'll try and make use of it first with the ball in hand. Hopefully we can restrict them."

"We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions," he added. &nbsp

Bangalore, on the other hand, registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). &nbsp&nbsp

The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention.&nbsp

Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said,"We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against, who bank on their bowling. Would be nice to test their batting with a score on board. We can play with freedom."&nbsp

"We will try to do well in whatever we are doing first. It's my 163rd IPL game, so not my first (when Morrison asked if he was nervous about where RCB were). We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy," he added.

"There's no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. Another day in life, so just enjoy. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side. We'll try and replicate the same tonight," the Bangalore skipper concluded.&nbsp

Kohli has to defeat table-toppers Hyderabad to save Bangalore in IPL 2018.&nbsp

Team

Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Parthiv Patel(w), Moeen Ali, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Hales, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi 
&nbsp

Kohli has to defeat table-toppers Hyderabad to save Bangalore in IPL 2018.

Kane Williamson ton the toss and opted to bowl against Bangalore as the two teams clash at M Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Talking after the toss, Williamson said," "We are gonna bowl. Hard to know how the surface will play, so we'll try and make use of it first with the ball in hand. Hopefully we can restrict them." "We have one change: Basil Thampi comes in for Bhuvneshwar. Great opportunity for Basil tonight. Hopefully we can adapt to conditions," he added. Bangalore, on the other hand, registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention. Talking about their strategy for today, Kohli said,"We wanted to bowl but SRH are not a bad side to bat first against, who bank on their bowling. Would be nice to test their batting with a score on board. We can play with freedom." "We will try to do well in whatever we are doing first. It's my 163rd IPL game, so not my first (when Morrison asked if he was nervous about where RCB were). We have been through these times before, so the key is to enjoy," he added. "There's no reason to think too much now because we have two (consecutive) wins. Another day in life, so just enjoy. We have won two games, so we are playing with the same side. We'll try and replicate the same tonight," the Bangalore skipper concluded. Kohli has to defeat table-toppers Hyderabad to save Bangalore in IPL 2018. Team Bangalore (Playing XI): Virat Kohli(c), Parthiv Patel(w), Moeen Ali, AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Sarfaraz Khan, Colin de Grandhomme, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Alex Hales, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Deepak Hooda, Shakib Al Hasan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Rashid Khan, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma, Basil Thampi

IPl 2018: Hyderabad won toss, opt to bowl first against Bangalore

Rishab Pant is one player who has impressed everyone with his impeccable batting in the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Though Delhi is out of contention for play-offs, Pant has proved his batting prowess by scoring 582 runs in 12 games played so far. &nbsp &nbsp

But as the tournament is still underway, Delhi will play its 13th game against Chennai &nbsp

The 'Yellow Brigade' have already qualified for the play-offs with eight wins from 12 games, while Delhi have missed the bus for knockouts after losing nine matches this season.

With very little riding on the Friday clash, players from both the teams were seen hanging out with each other.

Delhi's wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was also seen hanging out with Chennai skipper MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi1DkHwnp4s/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">When you have seniors like these ✌️?@mahi7781 @sureshraina3 ??</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rishabpant/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Rishabh Pant</a> (@rishabpant) on <time datetime="2018-05-16T06:54:32+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 15, 2018 at 11:54pm PDT</time>
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"When you have senior like these @mahi7781 @sureshraina3," Pant captioned the image.&nbsp

The highlight of Pant's campaign has been the 128 not out against Hyderabad.&nbsp

He now also holds the record for highest scoring Indian in the history of IPL.

Dhoni is also enjoying his time out in the middle this IPL.&nbsp

The former Indian cricket team captain is having his best season in the league with 413 runs from 12 matches so far.&nbsp

He's scoring the runs at an average of 103.25 and a strike rate of 162.59. 
&nbsp

Delhi is out of contention for play-offs in IPL 2018.

Rishab Pant is one player who has impressed everyone with his impeccable batting in the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Though Delhi is out of contention for play-offs, Pant has proved his batting prowess by scoring 582 runs in 12 games played so far. But as the tournament is still underway, Delhi will play its 13th game against Chennai The 'Yellow Brigade' have already qualified for the play-offs with eight wins from 12 games, while Delhi have missed the bus for knockouts after losing nine matches this season. With very little riding on the Friday clash, players from both the teams were seen hanging out with each other. Delhi's wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was also seen hanging out with Chennai skipper MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. When you have seniors like these ✌️?@mahi7781 @sureshraina3 ?? A post shared by Rishabh Pant (@rishabpant) on May 15, 2018 at 11:54pm PDT × "When you have senior like these @mahi7781 @sureshraina3," Pant captioned the image. The highlight of Pant's campaign has been the 128 not out against Hyderabad. He now also holds the record for highest scoring Indian in the history of IPL. Dhoni is also enjoying his time out in the middle this IPL. The former Indian cricket team captain is having his best season in the league with 413 runs from 12 matches so far. He's scoring the runs at an average of 103.25 and a strike rate of 162.59.

IPL 2018: Rishab Pant parties with Dhoni, Raina ahead of Delhi vs Chennai clash

Bangalore registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp

The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention.&nbsp

But the road is not that easy as they will gear up with table toppers Hyderabad who are perhaps enjoying their best season yet.&nbsp

Bangalore will hope that confidence pushes them towards another big win and increase their chances of finishing in the top four spot.&nbsp

The team haven’t had the best of seasons in the IPL, winning just 5 matches. But they are still hanging by the thread and require wins in both their last 2 games depending on other results.

The team is overly dependent on skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.&nbsp

Opener Parthiv Patel also played a superb knock in their last match against Punjab, but his inconsistency remains a big problem.&nbsp

It's important for him to provide a decent start to his team in order to further strengthen their chances. &nbsp

Hyderabad, on the other hand, is dependent quite a lot on opener Shikhar Dhawan (369 runs) and skipper Kane Williamson (544 runs) for inspiration.

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Williamson has been a top leader since David Warner was ruled out of the IPL due to his role in the ball tampering incident.

The New Zealand captain would look to consolidate the team's top spot and ensure a top-two finish at the end of the league stage.

Their bowlers have been incredibly consistent across all phases of the 20 overs but have bagged most of their wickets in the period between the seventh and the 15th over.&nbsp

So overall, as Hyderabad has already booked its spot in the play-offs, they have little to worry about. &nbsp

The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention.

Bangalore registered two big wins over Delhi and Punjab to save their chances of survival in Indian Premier League (IPL). The 10 wicket victory over R Ashwin side brought the Virat Kohli’s team out of nowhere into the play-off contention. But the road is not that easy as they will gear up with table toppers Hyderabad who are perhaps enjoying their best season yet. Bangalore will hope that confidence pushes them towards another big win and increase their chances of finishing in the top four spot. The team haven’t had the best of seasons in the IPL, winning just 5 matches. But they are still hanging by the thread and require wins in both their last 2 games depending on other results. The team is overly dependent on skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Opener Parthiv Patel also played a superb knock in their last match against Punjab, but his inconsistency remains a big problem. It's important for him to provide a decent start to his team in order to further strengthen their chances. Hyderabad, on the other hand, is dependent quite a lot on opener Shikhar Dhawan (369 runs) and skipper Kane Williamson (544 runs) for inspiration. × Williamson has been a top leader since David Warner was ruled out of the IPL due to his role in the ball tampering incident. The New Zealand captain would look to consolidate the team's top spot and ensure a top-two finish at the end of the league stage. Their bowlers have been incredibly consistent across all phases of the 20 overs but have bagged most of their wickets in the period between the seventh and the 15th over. So overall, as Hyderabad has already booked its spot in the play-offs, they have little to worry about.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Hyderabad vs Bangalore

Kieron Pollard smashed a half-century to save Mumbai from drowning as the team ended their innings for 186 for 8, against Punjab at Wankhede stadium, on Wednesday.

The Trinidadian cricketer smashed five boundaries and three sixes to reach 50 in just 23 balls.

Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis opened for Mumbai and the team lost its first wicket for 37 runs.

After Lewis departed, Yadav continued his attack along with Ishan Kishan.&nbsp

However, Kishan too lost his wicket after making just 20 runs.

Skipper Rohit Sharma again failed to fill up the gap and went back to the pavilion after making just six runs.&nbsp

Krunal Pandya, who failed to contribute in last match, made 32 runs in 23 balls before giving away his wicket to Marcus Stoinis.

Earlier, R Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Mumbai in a must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.&nbsp

Meanwhile, Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive as they are almost on the edge of elimination.&nbsp

Talking after the toss, Ashwin said, "We are bowling first. Looks like there's dew here, we would like to bowl first and chase the total down. I expected some dip, that's what has happened, "

"We have lost three matches on the bounce, hopefully, we will stop that rot. Two changes for us - Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary are back, they replace Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Mujeeb is still not fit, hopefully, he will be back for the next match," he added.

Speaking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said, "We were bowling first as well. Dew is a factor, but we are not worried about it, we need to play some good cricket."

"I have been in this position over the last few years and I know how to handle the situation. The team has handled it better than me, I think we have done well considering how we played in the first half of the tournament," he added.

"We are not thinking about the Delhi match at the moment. Just one change for us, Kieron Pollard replaces JP Duminy," he concluded.

Teams: 
Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot

The Trinidadian cricketer smashed five boundaries and three sixes to reach 50 in just 23 balls.

Kieron Pollard smashed a half-century to save Mumbai from drowning as the team ended their innings for 186 for 8, against Punjab at Wankhede stadium, on Wednesday. The Trinidadian cricketer smashed five boundaries and three sixes to reach 50 in just 23 balls. Suryakumar Yadav and Evin Lewis opened for Mumbai and the team lost its first wicket for 37 runs. After Lewis departed, Yadav continued his attack along with Ishan Kishan. However, Kishan too lost his wicket after making just 20 runs. Skipper Rohit Sharma again failed to fill up the gap and went back to the pavilion after making just six runs. Krunal Pandya, who failed to contribute in last match, made 32 runs in 23 balls before giving away his wicket to Marcus Stoinis. Earlier, R Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Mumbai in a must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive as they are almost on the edge of elimination. Talking after the toss, Ashwin said, "We are bowling first. Looks like there's dew here, we would like to bowl first and chase the total down. I expected some dip, that's what has happened, " "We have lost three matches on the bounce, hopefully, we will stop that rot. Two changes for us - Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary are back, they replace Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Mujeeb is still not fit, hopefully, he will be back for the next match," he added. Speaking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said, "We were bowling first as well. Dew is a factor, but we are not worried about it, we need to play some good cricket." "I have been in this position over the last few years and I know how to handle the situation. The team has handled it better than me, I think we have done well considering how we played in the first half of the tournament," he added. "We are not thinking about the Delhi match at the moment. Just one change for us, Kieron Pollard replaces JP Duminy," he concluded. Teams: Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot

IPL 2018: Pollard's fifty powers Mumbai to 186

R Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Mumbai in a must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive as they are almost on the edge of elimination.&nbsp;

Talking after the toss, Ashwin said, "We are bowling first. Looks like there's dew here, we would like to bowl first and chase the total down. I expected some dip, that's what has happened, "

"We have lost three matches on the bounce, hopefully, we will stop that rot. Two changes for us - Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary are back, they replace Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Mujeeb is still not fit, hopefully, he will be back for the next match," he added.

Speaking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said, "We were bowling first as well. Dew is a factor, but we are not worried about it, we need to play some good cricket."

"I have been in this position over the last few years and I know how to handle the situation. The team has handled it better than me, I think we have done well considering how we played in the first half of the tournament," he added.

"We are not thinking about the Delhi match at the moment. Just one change for us, Kieron Pollard replaces JP Duminy," he concluded.

With 10 points, the three-time champions are placed at the sixth spot in the IPL points table.

Teams:

Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive

R Ashwin won the toss and opted to bowl against Mumbai in a must-win match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at Wankhede Stadium on Wednesday. Meanwhile, Mumbai will be desperate for a win also to keep their play-off hopes alive as they are almost on the edge of elimination. Talking after the toss, Ashwin said, "We are bowling first. Looks like there's dew here, we would like to bowl first and chase the total down. I expected some dip, that's what has happened, " "We have lost three matches on the bounce, hopefully, we will stop that rot. Two changes for us - Yuvraj Singh and Manoj Tiwary are back, they replace Mayank Agarwal and Karun Nair. Mujeeb is still not fit, hopefully, he will be back for the next match," he added. Speaking about their strategy for today, Rohit Sharma said, "We were bowling first as well. Dew is a factor, but we are not worried about it, we need to play some good cricket." "I have been in this position over the last few years and I know how to handle the situation. The team has handled it better than me, I think we have done well considering how we played in the first half of the tournament," he added. "We are not thinking about the Delhi match at the moment. Just one change for us, Kieron Pollard replaces JP Duminy," he concluded. With 10 points, the three-time champions are placed at the sixth spot in the IPL points table. Teams: Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Punjab (Playing XI): Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, Yuvraj Singh, Manoj Tiwary, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot

IPL 2018: Punjab win toss, opt to bowl against Mumbai

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

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

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

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

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