Ashwin-led Punjab take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai on Friday at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore for the first time in Indian Premier League 2018.

Ashwin-led Punjab is currently sitting at the fourth position at points table with ten points.

On the other hand, bottom-placed Mumbai have to look for solutions of the problems that have prevailed throughout the tournament because of which the defending champions Mumbai are on the verge of exiting the tournament.

Both Punjab and Mumbai lost their previous encounters against Hyderabad and Bangalore respectively but got enough time to revamp the strategies to earn two crucial points tonight.

Mumbai batsmen have suffered the problem of poor start and the bowlers have failed miserably with the new ball. As a team, Mumbai also failed in handling the pressure, especially in the death overs.

Mumbai's way to playoffs are now very difficult but one more defeat for Punjab will cost them big time.

For Punjab, the team is balanced and any unnecessary experiment is not required but Ashwin might consider replacing Finch with South African batsmen to strengthen the middle order.

On the other for Mumbai, Evin Lewis' fitness status is still not revealed but it is expected that he will play tonight. Other than that, no change is expected today.

Playing (TBC):

Punjab: KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Manoj Tiwary, David Miller, R Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande.

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&nbsp;

Ashwin-led Punjab take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai on Friday at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore for the first time in Indian Premier League 2018

Ashwin-led Punjab take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai on Friday at Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore for the first time in Indian Premier League 2018. Ashwin-led Punjab is currently sitting at the fourth position at points table with ten points. On the other hand, bottom-placed Mumbai have to look for solutions of the problems that have prevailed throughout the tournament because of which the defending champions Mumbai are on the verge of exiting the tournament. Both Punjab and Mumbai lost their previous encounters against Hyderabad and Bangalore respectively but got enough time to revamp the strategies to earn two crucial points tonight. Mumbai batsmen have suffered the problem of poor start and the bowlers have failed miserably with the new ball. As a team, Mumbai also failed in handling the pressure, especially in the death overs. Mumbai's way to playoffs are now very difficult but one more defeat for Punjab will cost them big time. For Punjab, the team is balanced and any unnecessary experiment is not required but Ashwin might consider replacing Finch with South African batsmen to strengthen the middle order. On the other for Mumbai, Evin Lewis' fitness status is still not revealed but it is expected that he will play tonight. Other than that, no change is expected today. Playing (TBC): Punjab: KL Rahul (wk), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Manoj Tiwary, David Miller, R Ashwin (c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman. Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rohit Sharma, JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Markande. ×

IPL 2018: Match preview of Punjab vs Mumbai

Young cricket talent Shubham Gill and skipper Dinesh Karthik dominated the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai, while chasing a target of 176. &nbsp;

Gill and Karthik remained unbeaten and scored 57 and 45 respectively to defeat the IPL league's table-toppers.

Karthik played a skipper's knock and led from the front to take his team to the victory side.&nbsp;

His fabulous innings came in just 18 balls which included seven fours and one six. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Gill came to bat at number four when Kolkata were 64 for the loss of three wickets. He took some balls to settle but later smashed a half-century off just 36 balls.

Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine opened for the franchise an contributed 12 and 32 respectively.

Robin Uthappa failed to contribute this time and departed after making just six runs.&nbsp;

In the 33rd match of the IPL 2018, Kolkata won the toss and asked Chennai to bat first at the Eden Gardens.&nbsp;

Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis opened for Chennai and scored with the run rate of over 9 per over.&nbsp;

Kolkata bowlers could not get a breakthrough in the initial overs and the batsmen did not face much resistance from the bowlers.

Chennai ended the innings scoring 177 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Dhoni contributed a significant 43 runs.

Speaking after the toss, Karthik said, "We would like to bowl first. The way we have been chasing decently and we back that. It's important to be aware of your strengths and try to keep playing to that."

"I think we have been playing well both in terms of batting and bowling. One change for us. Nitish Rana is out and Rinku Singh is in," he added.

When Asked Dhoni about his strategy for today, he said, "We wanted to bowl first as well. The wicket has been so good that the outfield seems a bit smaller."

"Otherwise, it has been a good venue. Need to improve on our death bowling, what's important for us is to bowl according to our field. That's the only concern for us. Same squad for us," he added.&nbsp;

Teams:

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif

Karthik played a skipper's knock and led from the front to take his team to the victory side.

Young cricket talent Shubham Gill and skipper Dinesh Karthik dominated the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai, while chasing a target of 176. Gill and Karthik remained unbeaten and scored 57 and 45 respectively to defeat the IPL league's table-toppers. Karthik played a skipper's knock and led from the front to take his team to the victory side. His fabulous innings came in just 18 balls which included seven fours and one six. Gill came to bat at number four when Kolkata were 64 for the loss of three wickets. He took some balls to settle but later smashed a half-century off just 36 balls. Chris Lynn and Sunil Narine opened for the franchise an contributed 12 and 32 respectively. Robin Uthappa failed to contribute this time and departed after making just six runs. In the 33rd match of the IPL 2018, Kolkata won the toss and asked Chennai to bat first at the Eden Gardens. Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis opened for Chennai and scored with the run rate of over 9 per over. Kolkata bowlers could not get a breakthrough in the initial overs and the batsmen did not face much resistance from the bowlers. Chennai ended the innings scoring 177 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Dhoni contributed a significant 43 runs. Speaking after the toss, Karthik said, "We would like to bowl first. The way we have been chasing decently and we back that. It's important to be aware of your strengths and try to keep playing to that." "I think we have been playing well both in terms of batting and bowling. One change for us. Nitish Rana is out and Rinku Singh is in," he added. When Asked Dhoni about his strategy for today, he said, "We wanted to bowl first as well. The wicket has been so good that the outfield seems a bit smaller." "Otherwise, it has been a good venue. Need to improve on our death bowling, what's important for us is to bowl according to our field. That's the only concern for us. Same squad for us," he added. Teams: Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif

IPL 2018: Gill, Karthik shine as Kolkata beat table-toppers Chennai by 6 wickets

Chennai is currently leading the eight-team table with 12 points from six wins out of eight games.

The Chennai skipper MS Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.

The former 'Cool Captain of India'&nbsp;was currently seen spending time and clicking pictures with the ground staff on the International Worker's Day, yesterday.&nbsp;

The franchise's official Twitter handle uploaded few pictures of the staff members with Dhoni.

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A super happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWorkersDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWorkersDay</a> to each and everyone who contributes to the welfare of the good game. A big shout out to the ground staff in Chepauk and Pune! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whistlepodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whistlepodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> ?? <a href="https://t.co/8AeQpQa0ru">pic.twitter.com/8AeQpQa0ru</a>
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Following it, tweets gushed in from fans praising their favourite player.&nbsp;

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every fans love dhoni and dhoni love's his fans
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Master cricketer in CSK
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Dhoni Bhai apko Mera salute
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Chennai will lock horn with Kolkata at the Eden Garden today..&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Dhoni is currently averaging 71.50 with three half-centuries

Chennai is currently leading the eight-team table with 12 points from six wins out of eight games. The Chennai skipper MS Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson. The former 'Cool Captain of India' was currently seen spending time and clicking pictures with the ground staff on the International Worker's Day, yesterday. The franchise's official Twitter handle uploaded few pictures of the staff members with Dhoni. A super happy #InternationalWorkersDay to each and everyone who contributes to the welfare of the good game. A big shout out to the ground staff in Chepauk and Pune! #whistlepodu #Yellove ?? pic.twitter.com/8AeQpQa0ru — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 1, 2018 × Following it, tweets gushed in from fans praising their favourite player. pic.twitter.com/vNvMeeVzcW — Sujeet Raj (@imsujeetraj) May 1, 2018 × pic.twitter.com/wE4x44PHoz — Sujeet Raj (@imsujeetraj) May 1, 2018 × every fans love dhoni and dhoni love's his fans — jugant tripathi (@BKategi) May 1, 2018 × Master cricketer in CSK — @shisingh ❤ (@ashisingh_3) May 1, 2018 × Dhoni Bhai apko Mera salute — Soubhagya Biswal (@Soubhag96656540) May 2, 2018 × Chennai will lock horn with Kolkata at the Eden Garden today..

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni celebrated Labour Day with Pune ground staff, see photos

Table-topper Chennai is all set to destroy Kolkata's home coming as the two teams lock horns at the Eden Garden on Thursday. 
&nbsp; 
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's vintage form has added to their strength and the team would look to continue their winning momentum.

Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.

Chennai are currently leading the eight-team table with 12 points from six wins out of eight games.

Both the teams are here on the back of two morale-boosting wins. While Kolkata successfully chased 176 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru.

Chennai also reigned supreme against Delhi at their adopted home in Pune.

Half-centuries from Watson and Dhoni blasted Chennai to its third 200-plus score and then young fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and KM Asif choked Delhi's chase to hand Chennai its sixth win of the season.

In batting, Watson, who struggled for Bangalore last season, has been a revelation.

Backed by Dhoni, the veteran Australian all-rounder slammed this season's highest score -- 106 -- his fourth T20 hundred.

Ambati Rayudu too has gone about his tasks quietly, be it as an opener or in the middle-order to lead the batting chart with 370 runs.

Then there is Dhoni himself. Dhoni is currently averaging 71.50 with three half-centuries.&nbsp;

His knock of 70 not out from 34 balls to hunt down Virat-Kohli-led side's 205 still remains the talk of the town. The way he sealed the game with his signature swing over wide long on boundary brought back memories of the 2011 World Cup triumph.

In the mid-table with six matches to go, Kolkata cannot afford to lose at Eden Gardens, where they play three more, in their bid to secure a maiden play-off berth under Dinesh Karthik.

Kolkata's campaign, so far, has been hugely dependent on the overseas trio of Chris Lynn, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine.

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Lynn was the architect of Kolkata's six-wicket win in Bangalore with a restrained knock of 62 not out from 52 balls after he got a reprieve on seven.

The franchise would hope for a strong batting show, especially from Robin Uthappa who is in the middle of a lean patch and is yet to score a half-century.

Teams&nbsp; 
Kolkata: Dinesh Karthik (C), Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Mitchell Johnson, Shubman Gill, R Vinay Kumar, Rinku Singh, Cameron Delport, Javon Searless, Apoorv Wankhade, Ishank Jaggi, Tom Curran.

Chennai: MS Dhoni (C), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Lungi Ngidi, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, N Jagadeesan, David Willey.

Today's game will be a high voltage encounter

Table-topper Chennai is all set to destroy Kolkata's home coming as the two teams lock horns at the Eden Garden on Thursday. Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's vintage form has added to their strength and the team would look to continue their winning momentum. Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson. Chennai are currently leading the eight-team table with 12 points from six wins out of eight games. Both the teams are here on the back of two morale-boosting wins. While Kolkata successfully chased 176 against Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bengaluru. Chennai also reigned supreme against Delhi at their adopted home in Pune. Half-centuries from Watson and Dhoni blasted Chennai to its third 200-plus score and then young fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi and KM Asif choked Delhi's chase to hand Chennai its sixth win of the season. In batting, Watson, who struggled for Bangalore last season, has been a revelation. Backed by Dhoni, the veteran Australian all-rounder slammed this season's highest score -- 106 -- his fourth T20 hundred. Ambati Rayudu too has gone about his tasks quietly, be it as an opener or in the middle-order to lead the batting chart with 370 runs. Then there is Dhoni himself. Dhoni is currently averaging 71.50 with three half-centuries. His knock of 70 not out from 34 balls to hunt down Virat-Kohli-led side's 205 still remains the talk of the town. The way he sealed the game with his signature swing over wide long on boundary brought back memories of the 2011 World Cup triumph. In the mid-table with six matches to go, Kolkata cannot afford to lose at Eden Gardens, where they play three more, in their bid to secure a maiden play-off berth under Dinesh Karthik. Kolkata's campaign, so far, has been hugely dependent on the overseas trio of Chris Lynn, Andre Russell and Sunil Narine. × Lynn was the architect of Kolkata's six-wicket win in Bangalore with a restrained knock of 62 not out from 52 balls after he got a reprieve on seven. The franchise would hope for a strong batting show, especially from Robin Uthappa who is in the middle of a lean patch and is yet to score a half-century. Teams Kolkata: Dinesh Karthik (C), Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Kuldeep Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Nitish Rana, Prasidh Krishna, Shivam Mavi, Mitchell Johnson, Shubman Gill, R Vinay Kumar, Rinku Singh, Cameron Delport, Javon Searless, Apoorv Wankhade, Ishank Jaggi, Tom Curran. Chennai: MS Dhoni (C), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Faf du Plessis, Harbhajan Singh, Dwayne Bravo, Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Kanishk Seth, Lungi Ngidi, Dhruv Shorey, Murali Vijay, Sam Billings, Mark Wood, Kshitiz Sharma, Monu Kumar, Chaitanya Bishnoi, Imran Tahir, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, N Jagadeesan, David Willey.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai vs Kolkata

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will be up against Chennai for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp;

Their first encounter was won by the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side by five wickets.

Both the teams won their last game so it automatically makes the match more intriguing and unpredictable.

So, let's take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash

1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni - The Chennai Skipper played a flawless inning against Delhi in the last game. He smashed a 22-ball-51 which included two fours and five sixes. When Chennai needed him the most to set a decent score,&nbsp; he stood up and played like a true captain to lead from the front. Not to forget, Dhoni is also the most successful captain in the ongoing IPL till now.&nbsp;

2. Shane Watson - Chennai opener is all pumped up for this game as he played some great innings in the ongoing league. While, on the other hand, he still needs to work on his bowling technique. In his last game against Delhi, he played an impeccable inning, where he scored 78 runs off 40 balls and poured big seven sixes helping Chennai to set a target above 200. He is definitely a player to look out for today.&nbsp;

3. Chris Lynn - The opening batsman of Kolkata returned to his form in the last game where he scored an unbeaten 52-ball-62 against Bangalore. An important player behind Kolkata's victory in the last game. He was also awarded the 'Man of the match'. He will be hoping to continue his form today as well to help Kolkata jump up in the league table.&nbsp;

4. Andre Russell - Kolkata's fast bowler swung three crucial wickets in the last game against Bangalore. He also played a massive inning in the previous game against Chennai. He recorded an unbeaten 88 runs off just 36 balls which included enormous 11 sixes. He is expected to perform same today when Kolkata faces Chennai for the second time at Eden Gardens.&nbsp;

5. Ambati Rayudu - Recently being displaced by Rishabh Pant for the 'Orange Cap', Rayudu will definitely play an inning today to regain his glory. He scored 24-ball-41 in the last game against Delhi. Consistently, maintaining his form in recent games, Rayudu becomes a must-watch player in today's big clash.&nbsp;

A very crucial match for Kolkata as they will be up against the table-toppers today. They stand a big chance to win the game and join Chennai and Hyderabad in the top three. Chennai, on the other hand, will play their best to maintain the top position.&nbsp;

Their first encounter was won by the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side by five wickets.

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will be up against Chennai for the second time in this year's Indian Premier League (IPL). Their first encounter was won by the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side by five wickets. Both the teams won their last game so it automatically makes the match more intriguing and unpredictable. So, let's take a look at the players expected to perform in today's big clash 1. Mahendra Singh Dhoni - The Chennai Skipper played a flawless inning against Delhi in the last game. He smashed a 22-ball-51 which included two fours and five sixes. When Chennai needed him the most to set a decent score, he stood up and played like a true captain to lead from the front. Not to forget, Dhoni is also the most successful captain in the ongoing IPL till now. 2. Shane Watson - Chennai opener is all pumped up for this game as he played some great innings in the ongoing league. While, on the other hand, he still needs to work on his bowling technique. In his last game against Delhi, he played an impeccable inning, where he scored 78 runs off 40 balls and poured big seven sixes helping Chennai to set a target above 200. He is definitely a player to look out for today. 3. Chris Lynn - The opening batsman of Kolkata returned to his form in the last game where he scored an unbeaten 52-ball-62 against Bangalore. An important player behind Kolkata's victory in the last game. He was also awarded the 'Man of the match'. He will be hoping to continue his form today as well to help Kolkata jump up in the league table. 4. Andre Russell - Kolkata's fast bowler swung three crucial wickets in the last game against Bangalore. He also played a massive inning in the previous game against Chennai. He recorded an unbeaten 88 runs off just 36 balls which included enormous 11 sixes. He is expected to perform same today when Kolkata faces Chennai for the second time at Eden Gardens. 5. Ambati Rayudu - Recently being displaced by Rishabh Pant for the 'Orange Cap', Rayudu will definitely play an inning today to regain his glory. He scored 24-ball-41 in the last game against Delhi. Consistently, maintaining his form in recent games, Rayudu becomes a must-watch player in today's big clash. A very crucial match for Kolkata as they will be up against the table-toppers today. They stand a big chance to win the game and join Chennai and Hyderabad in the top three. Chennai, on the other hand, will play their best to maintain the top position.

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

Young Rishabh Pant cracked a blistering 69 while captain Shreyas Iyer (50) hit his fourth half-century of the season as Delhi kept themselves in the race for IPL play-offs with a nervy four-run win over Rajasthan Royals at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Earlier, Rajasthan won the toss and opted to bowl first and invited Delhi to bat but were guilty of feeding the home batsmen with deliveries either too short or too full, making the job easy for the hosts after rain made it an 18-overs per side affair.

Rain brought a premature end to the Delhi's innings when the hosts were 196 for six in 17.1 overs and Rajasthan set a revised target of 151 from 12 overs under Duckworth/Lewis method.

After receiving some battering from Joss Buttler, who thrashed the home bowlers with seven sixes and four fours in his 67-run knock, Delhi restricted the Rajasthan to 146 for five to notch up the win.

Delhi have now moved up to sixth from the eighth position with this win.

Young Prithvi Shaw (47) was yet again in sublime touch and raised a 73-run stand with his captain for the second wicket after the side lost Colin Munro (0) in the fourth ball of the innings.

After Shaw's dismissal, Iyer and Rishabh Pant combined to punish the wayward Royals' bowlers, adding 92 runs for the third wicket in just 7.1 overs.

Iyer hit his fourth fifty in last five matches as he consumed 35 balls for his 50, hitting three sixes and as many fours.

Pant hammered the Rajasthan's bowlers all around the park in his 29-ball knock, studded with seven fours and five sixes.

Jaydev Unadkat (3/46) removed both of them in the 15th over but by then Delhi had put up enough runs on the board.

Vijay Shankar (17) came out with some lusty hits to help the hosts get close to 200-run mark.&nbsp;

Royals were off to a fiery start with Buttler going berserk. The England batsman smashed Avesh Khan for three sixes and a four and also punished Liam Plunkett as Rajasthan collected 58 from four Power-play overs.

Buttler completed his fifty off just 18 balls when he lofted Amit Mishra for a six. As many as five bowlers were employed by Delhi but all of them got severe punishment from Buttler.

It was Mishra who finally gave the breakthrough by having the Briton stumped in the seventh over. Rajasthan needed a big knock from Ben Stokes (1) but he could not do much.&nbsp;

Opener D'Arcy Short (44 off 25) was also dismissed but K Gowtham somehow kept the Rajasthan in the hunt by striking a six and a four off Plunkett in the 11th over.

Rajasthan needed 15 from the last over but Trent Boult yet again did the job, conceding only 10 runs.

Earlier, Shaw stroked the ball nicely as he picked the lengths quickly but ended up giving a caught-and-bowled chance on a turning ball to leg-break bowler Shreyas Gopal in the eighth over.

His 47 came off 25 balls as he punished the Rajasthan bowlers with four fours and as many sixes.

After two quiet overs, Shaw began the fireworks as he creamed off 16 runs from Dhawal Kulkarni's over, hitting the paceman for two sixes and a four.

Kulkarni had a difficult chance in his follow through in the last ball of the over but could not hold on to it.&nbsp;

Shaw was in good touch and continued to find boundaries. The next bowler in his firing line was Unadkat, whom he smashed for two fours and a six.&nbsp;

Iyer joined the party by launching Gopal for two sixes. The first was off a full-length ball and the next was pitched short.

The spinner dismissed Shaw but conceded his fourth six of the innings when new man Pant launched him for a massive six over long-on.

Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes were the only bowlers who had managed to contain the rampaging Delhi batsmen a bit but Pant did not spare the West Indian when he bowled full and found the ball in the stands. 
In no time, the two batsmen raised a 50-run stand, taking just 27 balls between them.&nbsp;

Rishabh Pant cracked a blistering 69 while captain Shreyas Iyer (50) hit his fourth half-century of the season as Delhi kept themselves in the race for IPL play-offs

Young Rishabh Pant cracked a blistering 69 while captain Shreyas Iyer (50) hit his fourth half-century of the season as Delhi kept themselves in the race for IPL play-offs with a nervy four-run win over Rajasthan Royals at Feroz Shah Kotla. Earlier, Rajasthan won the toss and opted to bowl first and invited Delhi to bat but were guilty of feeding the home batsmen with deliveries either too short or too full, making the job easy for the hosts after rain made it an 18-overs per side affair. Rain brought a premature end to the Delhi's innings when the hosts were 196 for six in 17.1 overs and Rajasthan set a revised target of 151 from 12 overs under Duckworth/Lewis method. After receiving some battering from Joss Buttler, who thrashed the home bowlers with seven sixes and four fours in his 67-run knock, Delhi restricted the Rajasthan to 146 for five to notch up the win. Delhi have now moved up to sixth from the eighth position with this win. Young Prithvi Shaw (47) was yet again in sublime touch and raised a 73-run stand with his captain for the second wicket after the side lost Colin Munro (0) in the fourth ball of the innings. After Shaw's dismissal, Iyer and Rishabh Pant combined to punish the wayward Royals' bowlers, adding 92 runs for the third wicket in just 7.1 overs. Iyer hit his fourth fifty in last five matches as he consumed 35 balls for his 50, hitting three sixes and as many fours. Pant hammered the Rajasthan's bowlers all around the park in his 29-ball knock, studded with seven fours and five sixes. Jaydev Unadkat (3/46) removed both of them in the 15th over but by then Delhi had put up enough runs on the board. Vijay Shankar (17) came out with some lusty hits to help the hosts get close to 200-run mark. Royals were off to a fiery start with Buttler going berserk. The England batsman smashed Avesh Khan for three sixes and a four and also punished Liam Plunkett as Rajasthan collected 58 from four Power-play overs. Buttler completed his fifty off just 18 balls when he lofted Amit Mishra for a six. As many as five bowlers were employed by Delhi but all of them got severe punishment from Buttler. It was Mishra who finally gave the breakthrough by having the Briton stumped in the seventh over. Rajasthan needed a big knock from Ben Stokes (1) but he could not do much. Opener D'Arcy Short (44 off 25) was also dismissed but K Gowtham somehow kept the Rajasthan in the hunt by striking a six and a four off Plunkett in the 11th over. Rajasthan needed 15 from the last over but Trent Boult yet again did the job, conceding only 10 runs. Earlier, Shaw stroked the ball nicely as he picked the lengths quickly but ended up giving a caught-and-bowled chance on a turning ball to leg-break bowler Shreyas Gopal in the eighth over. His 47 came off 25 balls as he punished the Rajasthan bowlers with four fours and as many sixes. After two quiet overs, Shaw began the fireworks as he creamed off 16 runs from Dhawal Kulkarni's over, hitting the paceman for two sixes and a four. Kulkarni had a difficult chance in his follow through in the last ball of the over but could not hold on to it. Shaw was in good touch and continued to find boundaries. The next bowler in his firing line was Unadkat, whom he smashed for two fours and a six. Iyer joined the party by launching Gopal for two sixes. The first was off a full-length ball and the next was pitched short. The spinner dismissed Shaw but conceded his fourth six of the innings when new man Pant launched him for a massive six over long-on. Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes were the only bowlers who had managed to contain the rampaging Delhi batsmen a bit but Pant did not spare the West Indian when he bowled full and found the ball in the stands. In no time, the two batsmen raised a 50-run stand, taking just 27 balls between them.

IPL 2018: Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi beat Rajasthan by 4 runs in rain-hit game

The 'Universal Boss' Chris Gayle, 38, currently playing for Punjab in the IPL&nbsp;took a break from the game and went to Kollam, Kerala with his wife and daughter.&nbsp;

Chris Gayle checked-in to the hotel on Sunday and was expected to stay there for few days.

The player is spending quality time with his family by indulging in fishing and boat ride activities.&nbsp;

The left-handed batting sensation also uploaded pictures of himself and his family.

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Gayle was picked up Punjab at his base price, he had to wait for four matches for his turn to play in the lucrative league.

Gayle was quick to capitalise on his break with a power-packed century against Hyderabad.

So, far the West Indian 'Gayle storm'&nbsp;has scored 252 runs including one century and two half-centuries.&nbsp;

Gayle's power-hitting has propelled&nbsp;Punjab to the third position in the Indian Premier League(IPL) table.

He has played some scintillating knocks and more is expected of him with the IPL hotting up.&nbsp;

Gayle is expected join his team in Indore on May 4th against struggling Mumbai.

The 'Universal Boss' Chris Gayle who plays for Punjab in IPL 2018 took a break from the game and went to Kollam, Kerala with his wife and Daughter

The 'Universal Boss' Chris Gayle, 38, currently playing for Punjab in the IPL took a break from the game and went to Kollam, Kerala with his wife and daughter. Chris Gayle checked-in to the hotel on Sunday and was expected to stay there for few days. The player is spending quality time with his family by indulging in fishing and boat ride activities. The left-handed batting sensation also uploaded pictures of himself and his family. ??? A post shared by KingGayle ? (@chrisgayle333) on Apr 29, 2018 at 2:18am PDT × It’s really good to always have loved ones around you ❤️ #Kerala ?? #KingGayle A post shared by KingGayle ? (@chrisgayle333) on Apr 29, 2018 at 7:50am PDT × Gayle was picked up Punjab at his base price, he had to wait for four matches for his turn to play in the lucrative league. Gayle was quick to capitalise on his break with a power-packed century against Hyderabad. So, far the West Indian 'Gayle storm' has scored 252 runs including one century and two half-centuries. Gayle's power-hitting has propelled Punjab to the third position in the Indian Premier League(IPL) table. He has played some scintillating knocks and more is expected of him with the IPL hotting up. Gayle is expected join his team in Indore on May 4th against struggling Mumbai.

IPL: Chris Gayle takes time-off in Kerala

Rajasthan skipper Ajikya Rahane on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Delhi.

The match, which was affected by the rain before the game started, has now been reduced to 18 overs per side.&nbsp

Talking about his strategy for today, Rahane said, "We are looking to chase. Wicket looks pretty good. We are going to back our bowlers in the first innings."

"We have been playing some good cricket but we need to do that over a period of 40 overs. The mood in our camp is very good. D'Arcy Short comes in for Ish Sodhi. Shreyas Gopal comes in as well," he concluded.

On being asked Shreyas Iyer the same, he said, " I don't think dew would come in. If it would have, it would have come by now. Lot of learnings from the last game. We were 74 for 4 and to reach close to 200 was really a commendable job."

"We took a lot of positives. We have got one change. Shahbaz Nadeem comes in for Rahul Tewatia," he added.

Teams: 
Delhi (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult

Rajasthan (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), D Arcy Short, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of the IPL league table

Rajasthan skipper Ajikya Rahane on Wednesday won the toss and opted to field against Delhi. The match, which was affected by the rain before the game started, has now been reduced to 18 overs per side. Talking about his strategy for today, Rahane said, "We are looking to chase. Wicket looks pretty good. We are going to back our bowlers in the first innings." "We have been playing some good cricket but we need to do that over a period of 40 overs. The mood in our camp is very good. D'Arcy Short comes in for Ish Sodhi. Shreyas Gopal comes in as well," he concluded. On being asked Shreyas Iyer the same, he said, " I don't think dew would come in. If it would have, it would have come by now. Lot of learnings from the last game. We were 74 for 4 and to reach close to 200 was really a commendable job." "We took a lot of positives. We have got one change. Shahbaz Nadeem comes in for Rahul Tewatia," he added. Teams: Delhi (Playing XI): Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Shahbaz Nadeem, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult Rajasthan (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), D Arcy Short, Sanju Samson, Rahul Tripathi, Ben Stokes, Jos Buttler(w), Krishnappa Gowtham, Jofra Archer, Shreyas Gopal, Jaydev Unadkat, Dhawal Kulkarni

IPL 2018: Rajasthan opt to field against Delhi, match reduced to 18 overs due to rain

Virat Kohli is garnering a lot of attention for his fitness these days, especially the kind of tough catches he is taking this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Yesterday, during Bangalore's face off with the Mumbai at the Chinnaswamy stadium, Kohli repeated the feat but this time in a winning cause for his team.&nbsp;

For Mumbai, dangerman Hardik Pandya was still at the crease, batting on 50. The all-rounder had hit a powerful lofted on-drive off the bowling of Tim Southee but Kohli was at hand to complete a spectacular catch and all but seal the match in his team's favour.

Like the previous time, Kohli's catch brought about a massive smile to his wife Anushka Sharma's face, which was again caught by photographers which in no time started trending on the social media.&nbsp;

After the match, Kohli also dedicated the win to wife Anushka, terming it a little gift for his wife on her birthday.&nbsp;

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Virat Kohli's match-changing catch <a href="https://t.co/LNPtGZbVRl">https://t.co/LNPtGZbVRl</a> via <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ipl</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvMI?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvMI</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a>
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Meanwhile, the victory over Mumbai helped Kohli's team register their third win in eight games but more importantly saw them climb to fifth place in the IPL 2018 points table.

The loss for Mumbai has put the side on the brink of elimination. The defending champions are in seventh place tied on four points with bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils.

Mumbai will need to win the rest of their six matches to be in contention for a play-off spot.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Kohli repeated the feat but this time in a winning cause for his team.

Virat Kohli is garnering a lot of attention for his fitness these days, especially the kind of tough catches he is taking this season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Yesterday, during Bangalore's face off with the Mumbai at the Chinnaswamy stadium, Kohli repeated the feat but this time in a winning cause for his team. For Mumbai, dangerman Hardik Pandya was still at the crease, batting on 50. The all-rounder had hit a powerful lofted on-drive off the bowling of Tim Southee but Kohli was at hand to complete a spectacular catch and all but seal the match in his team's favour. Like the previous time, Kohli's catch brought about a massive smile to his wife Anushka Sharma's face, which was again caught by photographers which in no time started trending on the social media. After the match, Kohli also dedicated the win to wife Anushka, terming it a little gift for his wife on her birthday. Virat Kohli's match-changing catch https://t.co/LNPtGZbVRl via @ipl #RCBvMI #IPL2018 — Deepak Raj Verma (@iconicdeepak) May 1, 2018 × Meanwhile, the victory over Mumbai helped Kohli's team register their third win in eight games but more importantly saw them climb to fifth place in the IPL 2018 points table. The loss for Mumbai has put the side on the brink of elimination. The defending champions are in seventh place tied on four points with bottom-placed Delhi Daredevils. Mumbai will need to win the rest of their six matches to be in contention for a play-off spot.

Watch: Another Virat Kohli stunner against Mumbai brings massive smile to wife Anushka's face

Virat Kohli gave the best birthday present - a victory over Mumbai - to his wife Anushka Sharma. Bollywood's leading actress Anushka Sharma&nbsp;turned 30 on May 1&nbsp;and instead of partying, she was cheering for her husband's team at Chinnaswamy stadium.

Star-studded teams Bangalore and Mumbai had locked-horns to survive in the eleventh edition of&nbsp;Indian Premier League.

The birthday girl proved lucky for the Bangalore team as they registered a 14-run victory over Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai by defending a total of 167 runs.

Earlier in the morning, Virat shared a picture with Anushka and wrote, "Happy birthday, my love. The most positive and honest person I know. Love you."

It seems that the "positive" person has powered the positive energy&nbsp;to the entire team.

After winning the game, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma posed with birthday cake, see picture.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiPvs3Vg398/" 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">Best birthday with the bestest, kindest, bravest man in the world . Love you for making it so special my love ❤ !</a>

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Also, Anushka Sharma chose this day as an opportunity to announce a project very close to her heart -- building an animal shelter.

The star who often posts pictures with her labrador 'Dude' will be building the shelter on the outskirts of Mumbai.

In a birthday tweet, she said that she is inspired by the Dalai Lama and wanted to do her bit to give fellow living beings equal rights, equal care and equal love.

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&nbsp;

Virat Kohli gave the best birthday present - a victory over Mumbai - to his wife Anushka Sharma

Virat Kohli gave the best birthday present - a victory over Mumbai - to his wife Anushka Sharma. Bollywood's leading actress Anushka Sharma turned 30 on May 1 and instead of partying, she was cheering for her husband's team at Chinnaswamy stadium. Star-studded teams Bangalore and Mumbai had locked-horns to survive in the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League. The birthday girl proved lucky for the Bangalore team as they registered a 14-run victory over Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai by defending a total of 167 runs. Earlier in the morning, Virat shared a picture with Anushka and wrote, "Happy birthday, my love. The most positive and honest person I know. Love you." It seems that the "positive" person has powered the positive energy to the entire team. After winning the game, Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma posed with birthday cake, see picture. Best birthday with the bestest, kindest, bravest man in the world . Love you for making it so special my love ❤ ! A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) on May 1, 2018 at 12:09pm PDT × Also, Anushka Sharma chose this day as an opportunity to announce a project very close to her heart -- building an animal shelter. The star who often posts pictures with her labrador 'Dude' will be building the shelter on the outskirts of Mumbai. In a birthday tweet, she said that she is inspired by the Dalai Lama and wanted to do her bit to give fellow living beings equal rights, equal care and equal love. ? A post shared by AnushkaSharma1588 (@anushkasharma) on Apr 30, 2018 at 10:44pm PDT ×

Anushka Sharma celebrates 'best birthday' with Virat after Bangalore's victory, see pic

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore defeated Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai at Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday. Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl to take the advantage of the dry pitch but the poor fate prevailed and following this defeat, Mumbai's way to the playoffs are now difficult.

On the other hand, Bangalore team put up a target of 168 runs and outplayed Mumbai to defend the total successfully.

The openers of Mumbai failed to give the required start to the team and lost their wickets early. The falling of quick wickets had put the pressure on other batsmen as well.&nbsp;

Wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan and skipper Rohit Sharma lost their wicket on a duck.

The Pandya brothers tried to salvage the team and scored crucial runs to push the run rate but Bangalore pacer Mohammed Siraj out bowled Krunal Pandya and Tim Southee took Hardik Pandya's wicket to put the last nail in the coffin.

Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya scored 50 and 23 runs respectively.

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore defeated Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai at Chinnaswamy stadium

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore defeated Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai at Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday. Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl to take the advantage of the dry pitch but the poor fate prevailed and following this defeat, Mumbai's way to the playoffs are now difficult. On the other hand, Bangalore team put up a target of 168 runs and outplayed Mumbai to defend the total successfully. The openers of Mumbai failed to give the required start to the team and lost their wickets early. The falling of quick wickets had put the pressure on other batsmen as well. Wicket-keeper batsman Ishan Kishan and skipper Rohit Sharma lost their wicket on a duck. The Pandya brothers tried to salvage the team and scored crucial runs to push the run rate but Bangalore pacer Mohammed Siraj out bowled Krunal Pandya and Tim Southee took Hardik Pandya's wicket to put the last nail in the coffin. Hardik Pandya and Krunal Pandya scored 50 and 23 runs respectively.

IPL 2018: Virat presents victory over Mumbai to Anushka as birthday gift

Bangalore defeated Mumbai by 14 runs on Tuesday at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, to get their campaign back on track in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

It was a much-needed win for Bangalore and skipper Virat Kohli dedicated the occasion to his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who celebrated her 30th birthday yesterday.&nbsp

Anushka Sharma was present in the stands to cheer for her husband Virat and his team.&nbsp

"My wife is here and it's her birthday. This was a little gift for her. It was very important to achieve these two points in front of her," Kohli said after the win.

With this win over defending champions, Bangalore have managed to keep itself afloat in this year's edition by climbing up to the fifth position in the league table.&nbsp

On being asked how important this win was for his team, Kohli stated, "We needed that win. It is a very important win at such an important stage of the tournament. Tonight was an occasion we needed those two points. This is the push we needed."&nbsp

Kohli stressed to take this confidence forward in the upcoming games.&nbsp

Anushka Sharma celebrated her 30th birthday yesterday

Bangalore defeated Mumbai by 14 runs on Tuesday at the M. Chinnaswamy stadium, to get their campaign back on track in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). It was a much-needed win for Bangalore and skipper Virat Kohli dedicated the occasion to his wife and Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma, who celebrated her 30th birthday yesterday. Anushka Sharma was present in the stands to cheer for her husband Virat and his team. "My wife is here and it's her birthday. This was a little gift for her. It was very important to achieve these two points in front of her," Kohli said after the win. With this win over defending champions, Bangalore have managed to keep itself afloat in this year's edition by climbing up to the fifth position in the league table. On being asked how important this win was for his team, Kohli stated, "We needed that win. It is a very important win at such an important stage of the tournament. Tonight was an occasion we needed those two points. This is the push we needed." Kohli stressed to take this confidence forward in the upcoming games.

Win over Mumbai 'little gift' to Anushka on her birthday: Virat Kohli

Bangalore faces Mumbai for the second time in this year's IPL at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday.

Both the teams have not had a decent start this year, but are playing every single card to bring their campaign back on track.&nbsp;

But, Bangalore have suffered a huge blow after AB de Villiers fell sick and was out for the two games.&nbsp;

He was replaced by Manan Vohra, who failed to perform in the first match. He was sent back to the pavilion without opening his account.

But things were not same in today's clash against Mumbai.

Vohra opened for Bangalore and played a blistering knock to give his team an upper hand against Mumbai.

In 31 balls, Vohra made 45 runs which included two fours and fours sixes.

He was supported by Quinton de Kock, who failed to leave any mark in today's game.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. He has taken the decision to take the advantage of the pitch as it is very dry and has a lot of cracks which supports the bowlers.

For Mumbai, Ewin Lewis is not playing as he has injured his wrist and Kieron Pollard has been included in the squad for tonight's match. 
&nbsp;

Bangalore faces Mumbai for the second time in this year's IPL at the M Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday. Both the teams have not had a decent start this year, but are playing every single card to bring their campaign back on track. But, Bangalore have suffered a huge blow after AB de Villiers fell sick and was out for the two games. He was replaced by Manan Vohra, who failed to perform in the first match. He was sent back to the pavilion without opening his account. But things were not same in today's clash against Mumbai. Vohra opened for Bangalore and played a blistering knock to give his team an upper hand against Mumbai. In 31 balls, Vohra made 45 runs which included two fours and fours sixes. He was supported by Quinton de Kock, who failed to leave any mark in today's game. Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. He has taken the decision to take the advantage of the pitch as it is very dry and has a lot of cracks which supports the bowlers. For Mumbai, Ewin Lewis is not playing as he has injured his wrist and Kieron Pollard has been included in the squad for tonight's match.

IPL 2018: De Villiers's replacement Manan Vohra proves worth, gives brisk start to Bangalore

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. He has taken the decision to take the advantage of the pitch as it is very dry and has a lot of cracks which will support the bowlers.

For Mumbai, Ewin Lewis is not playing as he has injured his wrist and Kieron Pollard has been included in the squad for tonight's match.

There is one change for team Bangalore as AB de Villiers is still sick and Manan Vohra has been included in&nbsp;the playing XI for the clash against Mumbai.

Playing XI:&nbsp;

Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Jean-Paul Duminy, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Bangalore: Quinton de Kock(w), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli(c), Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

There is one change for the team Bangalore as AB de Villiers is still sick and Manan Vohra has been included in the playing XI for the clash against Mumbai

Rohit Sharma won the toss and opted to bowl at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Tuesday. He has taken the decision to take the advantage of the pitch as it is very dry and has a lot of cracks which will support the bowlers. For Mumbai, Ewin Lewis is not playing as he has injured his wrist and Kieron Pollard has been included in the squad for tonight's match. There is one change for team Bangalore as AB de Villiers is still sick and Manan Vohra has been included in the playing XI for the clash against Mumbai. Playing XI: Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Rohit Sharma(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Jean-Paul Duminy, Hardik Pandya, Krunal Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Bangalore: Quinton de Kock(w), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli(c), Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

IPL 2018: Rohit Sharma opts to bowl against Bangalore

At the half-way stage of the tournament team Chennai, Hyderabad and Punjab look rock solid as they sit at top 3 positions of the league table, while teams like Mumbai and Bangalore are struggling to make their way in top four.

Both the teams have two wins each in 7 matches played, finding themselves in a spot of bother but it is important for both the teams to believe in themselves to pull out this kind of miracle.

Mumbai after defeating on-song Chennai side looks Confident while Bangalore's defeat against Kolkata was their third of this season at their home venue.&nbsp

After today's this, Bangalore is scheduled to play five away games and will return to Chinnaswamy on 17 May.&nbsp

In IPL 2015, Bangalore was at same stage winning just 2 out of 7 and yet finished 2nd with 8 wins to their name.&nbsp

The real challenge which both teams are facing before the game is to get their combination right and select their best eleven as in the matches gone-by they had faced similar problems of some sloppy bowling and leaking runs.&nbsp

So it will be interesting to see the strategies of both teams before and during the game.

The two sides will face each other for the second time this IPL.

At the half-way stage of the tournament team Chennai, Hyderabad and Punjab look rock solid as they sit at top 3 positions of the league table, while teams like Mumbai and Bangalore are struggling to make their way in top four. Both the teams have two wins each in 7 matches played, finding themselves in a spot of bother but it is important for both the teams to believe in themselves to pull out this kind of miracle. Mumbai after defeating on-song Chennai side looks Confident while Bangalore's defeat against Kolkata was their third of this season at their home venue. After today's this, Bangalore is scheduled to play five away games and will return to Chinnaswamy on 17 May. In IPL 2015, Bangalore was at same stage winning just 2 out of 7 and yet finished 2nd with 8 wins to their name. The real challenge which both teams are facing before the game is to get their combination right and select their best eleven as in the matches gone-by they had faced similar problems of some sloppy bowling and leaking runs. So it will be interesting to see the strategies of both teams before and during the game.

Blog: Mumbai to lock horns with beleaguered Bangalore at Chinnaswamy

Skipper MS Dhoni led his team from the front to defeat Delhi in yesterday's game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

The Chennai skipper was supported by another brilliant batsman&nbspAmbati Rayudu, who once again impressed with the bat yesterday.

But it was something else which made the match a memorable one.&nbsp

On Monday, Dhoni and Rayudu were again at it, adding 79 runs in just six overs to reach a step closer to victory over Delhi.&nbsp

However, on the penultimate ball of Chennai innings, an incident took place that led to a laugh riot.

Trent Boult, bowling the last over for Delhi, delivered a bouncer to Dhoni who went for a pull-shot.&nbsp

The skipper only managed to get a slight edge with Rishabh Pant putting down a tough chance down the leg side.

Between all this, Rayudu decided to sneak in a single but Dhoni was not aware of it. &nbsp

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Ambati Rayudu's comical run-out <a href="https://t.co/hzXuq3qDOd">https://t.co/hzXuq3qDOd</a>
— Ashish Rana (@ARthegreat1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARthegreat1/status/991166223541927937?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Rayudu even reached the striker's end but Dhoni asked him to go back.&nbsp

The 32-year-old Rayudu tried to scramble back and get back to the non-striker's end but Boult threw down the stumps, ending his stay. 
&nbsp 
Dhoni ended up being unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls as Chennai posted a big 211 for four.&nbsp 
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The Chennai skipper was supported by another brilliant batsman Ambati Rayudu

Skipper MS Dhoni led his team from the front to defeat Delhi in yesterday's game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The Chennai skipper was supported by another brilliant batsman&nbspAmbati Rayudu, who once again impressed with the bat yesterday. But it was something else which made the match a memorable one. On Monday, Dhoni and Rayudu were again at it, adding 79 runs in just six overs to reach a step closer to victory over Delhi. However, on the penultimate ball of Chennai innings, an incident took place that led to a laugh riot. Trent Boult, bowling the last over for Delhi, delivered a bouncer to Dhoni who went for a pull-shot. The skipper only managed to get a slight edge with Rishabh Pant putting down a tough chance down the leg side. Between all this, Rayudu decided to sneak in a single but Dhoni was not aware of it. Ambati Rayudu's comical run-out https://t.co/hzXuq3qDOd — Ashish Rana (@ARthegreat1) May 1, 2018 × Rayudu even reached the striker's end but Dhoni asked him to go back. The 32-year-old Rayudu tried to scramble back and get back to the non-striker's end but Boult threw down the stumps, ending his stay. Dhoni ended up being unbeaten on 51 off 22 balls as Chennai posted a big 211 for four.

Watch: Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu's comical run-out during Chennai vs Delhi clash

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai to ensure survival in the ongoing edition of IPL at Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday.

Both the teams are very popular in Indian Premier League and yet they are fighting for survival, this shows to what level the competition has reached. Both Mumbai and Bangalore have suffered the same fate in IPL 2018, they failed miserably in bowling and fielding departments.

Mumbai's Opener Surya Kumar has been tremendous while batting and he needs to pull off a good performance today as well to give a good start to the team. Also, batsmen like Rohit Sharma Evin Lewis and Hardik Pandya have to make required contributions.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-players-to-watch-out-for-in-bangalore-vs-mumbai-clash-133952">Also read:&nbsp;Players to watch out for in Bangalore vs Mumbai clash</a>

Rohit had&nbsp;replaced Mustafizur Rahman with Ben Cutting in the previous encounter against Chennai that eventually Mumbai won. So in today's match as well, Ben Cutting is likely to play.

On the other hand, even Bangalore have massive batting strength as&nbsp;Quinton de Kock, Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli are currently in form. Though AB de Villiers might not play today following health-related issues.

Playing at Chinnaswamy stadium, an intriguing match is expected and as it is a clash of survival, then a high voltage drama is expected.

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Playing XI (TBC):

Bangalore: Quinton de Kock, Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Murugan Ashwin, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj

Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai to ensure survival in the ongoing edition of IPL at Chinnaswamy stadium

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore take on Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai to ensure survival in the ongoing edition of IPL at Chinnaswamy stadium on Tuesday. Both the teams are very popular in Indian Premier League and yet they are fighting for survival, this shows to what level the competition has reached. Both Mumbai and Bangalore have suffered the same fate in IPL 2018, they failed miserably in bowling and fielding departments. Mumbai's Opener Surya Kumar has been tremendous while batting and he needs to pull off a good performance today as well to give a good start to the team. Also, batsmen like Rohit Sharma Evin Lewis and Hardik Pandya have to make required contributions. Also read: Players to watch out for in Bangalore vs Mumbai clash Rohit had replaced Mustafizur Rahman with Ben Cutting in the previous encounter against Chennai that eventually Mumbai won. So in today's match as well, Ben Cutting is likely to play. On the other hand, even Bangalore have massive batting strength as Quinton de Kock, Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli are currently in form. Though AB de Villiers might not play today following health-related issues. Playing at Chinnaswamy stadium, an intriguing match is expected and as it is a clash of survival, then a high voltage drama is expected. × Playing XI (TBC): Bangalore: Quinton de Kock, Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli, Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Murugan Ashwin, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Siraj Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya, JP Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

IPL 2018: Match preview of Bangalore vs Mumbai

Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma rings in her 30th birthday today and coincidently, her husband Virat Kohli will face Mumbai in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp;

There isn't a ray of doubt over Kohli's on-field performance, be it his batting, fielding or captaincy.&nbsp;

The Bangalore skipper is known to break records day-in-day-out and is used to coming out on top, no matter what the quality of opposition or the condition is.

But somehow, his IPL franchise, which constitutes the best batting line-up, have miserably failed to leave any mark this season.&nbsp;

With players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock, Bangalore lost five out of seven matches played and stand second last in the IPL league table.&nbsp;&nbsp;

But, will her wife Anushka's birthday do wonders for him. Well, the past says it can.

Kohli-led Bangalore defeated Punjab to register their first win this IPL.&nbsp;

But at one point Bangalore had almost lost the game but somehow things turned in their favour and he won.&nbsp;

While some gave credit to teams performance, the majority credited Anushka Sharma's visit and support to her husband at the Chinnaswamy Stadium which turned things in Kohli's favour.

There were videos and images where Anushka could be seen cheering for Virat and his side.

Anushka is expected to visit the stadium today also as the match will be played at Bangalore's home ground.&nbsp;

Bangalore and Mumbai will face each for the for the second time this IPL. Their first encounter was won by Mumbai.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Both the teams have just four points and will be aiming to win this game to bring their campaigns back on track.&nbsp;

Bangalore have miserably failed to leave any mark this season.

Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma rings in her 30th birthday today and coincidently, her husband Virat Kohli will face Mumbai in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). There isn't a ray of doubt over Kohli's on-field performance, be it his batting, fielding or captaincy. The Bangalore skipper is known to break records day-in-day-out and is used to coming out on top, no matter what the quality of opposition or the condition is. But somehow, his IPL franchise, which constitutes the best batting line-up, have miserably failed to leave any mark this season. With players like Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Brendon McCullum and Quinton de Kock, Bangalore lost five out of seven matches played and stand second last in the IPL league table. But, will her wife Anushka's birthday do wonders for him. Well, the past says it can. Kohli-led Bangalore defeated Punjab to register their first win this IPL. But at one point Bangalore had almost lost the game but somehow things turned in their favour and he won. While some gave credit to teams performance, the majority credited Anushka Sharma's visit and support to her husband at the Chinnaswamy Stadium which turned things in Kohli's favour. There were videos and images where Anushka could be seen cheering for Virat and his side. Anushka is expected to visit the stadium today also as the match will be played at Bangalore's home ground. Bangalore and Mumbai will face each for the for the second time this IPL. Their first encounter was won by Mumbai. Both the teams have just four points and will be aiming to win this game to bring their campaigns back on track.

Will Anushka Shama's birthday turn lucky for Virat's Bangalore against Mumbai?

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi failed to reach the 212-run target and lost the match to Chennai by 13 runs at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Monday.&nbsp;It was Delhi's sixth loss in eight games and now they are all but out of the play-off race.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant played a magnificent knock and reduced the asking rate in the death overs. He scored 79 runs off 45 balls. His inning included seven 4s and four 6s.&nbsp;

Under-19 star Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to KM Asif in the second over but another opener Colin Munro made a good contribution with his bat and scored 26 runs.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Glenn Maxwell too lost their wickets early after scoring just 13 and 6 runs respectively.

Chennai pacer Lungi Ngidi impressed on his IPL debut, ending with figures of one for 26 in four overs.&nbsp;

Delhi took the match to the last over and at one point in time, it looked like Delhi might chase down the target. The batsmen showed an&nbsp;intent of winning but&nbsp;loss of quick wickets build up the unwanted pressure on&nbsp;entire team.

On the other hand, Shane Watson's 78-run knock powered Chennai to set a mammoth target of 212 runs. His inning included four 4s and seven 6s.&nbsp;Watson received "Man of the Match" award for his splendid inning.

Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu scored 33 and 41 runs respectively but&nbsp;MS Dhoni stole the show by hitting five towering sixes. He&nbsp;displayed some mesmerizing shots and&nbsp;scored 51 runs off 22 balls.

Chennai beat Delhi by 13 runs at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi failed to reach the 212-run target and lost the match to Chennai by 13 runs at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Monday. It was Delhi's sixth loss in eight games and now they are all but out of the play-off race. Wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant played a magnificent knock and reduced the asking rate in the death overs. He scored 79 runs off 45 balls. His inning included seven 4s and four 6s. Under-19 star Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to KM Asif in the second over but another opener Colin Munro made a good contribution with his bat and scored 26 runs. Skipper Shreyas Iyer and Glenn Maxwell too lost their wickets early after scoring just 13 and 6 runs respectively. Chennai pacer Lungi Ngidi impressed on his IPL debut, ending with figures of one for 26 in four overs. Delhi took the match to the last over and at one point in time, it looked like Delhi might chase down the target. The batsmen showed an intent of winning but loss of quick wickets build up the unwanted pressure on entire team. On the other hand, Shane Watson's 78-run knock powered Chennai to set a mammoth target of 212 runs. His inning included four 4s and seven 6s. Watson received "Man of the Match" award for his splendid inning. Faf du Plessis and Ambati Rayudu scored 33 and 41 runs respectively but MS Dhoni stole the show by hitting five towering sixes. He displayed some mesmerizing shots and scored 51 runs off 22 balls.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni-led Chennai beat Delhi by 13 runs

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata registered a six-wicket victory over Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes to set a target of 176 runs for Kolkata but his efforts went in vain as Bangalore team again failed to defend a decent total.

Apart from his marvelous batting, Virat Kohli took an acrobatic catch to dismiss Kolkata's skipper Dinesh Karthik when he was playing at a strike rate of 230 in the 19th over.

The outstanding catch got more attention when Virat Kohli's wife and Bollywood's leading actress, Anushka Sharma reacted to it as the cute reaction was captured in cameras.

Watch Anushka Sharma cheering for Virat Kohli:

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? | <a href="https://twitter.com/AnushkaSharma?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AnushkaSharma</a> proudly cheering for Virat as he completed his 50 at Chinnaswamy Stadium today ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCBvKKR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RCBvKKR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Virushka?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Virushka</a> <a href="https://t.co/ktLTWbMGW4">pic.twitter.com/ktLTWbMGW4</a>
— Anushka Sharma FC™ (@AnushkaSFanCIub) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnushkaSFanCIub/status/990628131412246528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Anushka was present at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and was cheering for her husband's team.

Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes, apart from that Virat's acrobatic catch to dismiss Dinesh Karthik was highlighted the most

Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata registered a six-wicket victory over Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes to set a target of 176 runs for Kolkata but his efforts went in vain as Bangalore team again failed to defend a decent total. Apart from his marvelous batting, Virat Kohli took an acrobatic catch to dismiss Kolkata's skipper Dinesh Karthik when he was playing at a strike rate of 230 in the 19th over. The outstanding catch got more attention when Virat Kohli's wife and Bollywood's leading actress, Anushka Sharma reacted to it as the cute reaction was captured in cameras. Watch Anushka Sharma cheering for Virat Kohli: ? | @AnushkaSharma proudly cheering for Virat as he completed his 50 at Chinnaswamy Stadium today ❤️ #RCBvKKR #Virushka pic.twitter.com/ktLTWbMGW4 — Anushka Sharma FC™ (@AnushkaSFanCIub) April 29, 2018 × Anushka was present at the Chinnaswamy Stadium and was cheering for her husband's team.

Virat Kohli makes stunning catch, see how Anushka Sharma reacts

For the first time in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, the cash-rich tournament is set to welcome a mid-season transfer window.&nbsp;

Similiar to football, the transfer window allows teams from different leagues to buy and sell players.&nbsp;

With the tournament having already reached the half-way stage where teams have played seven matches out of their standard 14 round robin matches, many players haven’t quite delivered for their teams or have not found game time because of stiff competition.&nbsp;

And the mid-season transfer window provides an opportunity for such players to turn around their career and make an impression.

By now, teams have already figured out players who they wish to keep for the remainder of the season.&nbsp;

And the transfer window not only benefits players but also teams as they can replace the deadwood in their squad with new talent.

The mid-season transfer window was activated from April 29 and will continue till May 10.&nbsp;

Both uncapped and capped (both domestic and foreign) players are eligible for the transfer window, but with one condition, that the players must have played less than two matches for their franchise so far.

Going by these rules, players such as Adam Milne, JP Duminy (Both Mumbai), Sandeep Lamichhane (Delhi), Alex Hales (Hyderabad), Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali (Both Bangalore) and David Willey (Chennai) can be swapped.

However, both parties must agree on the move in advance and then go ahead with the transfer. &nbsp;

The transfer window allows teams from different leagues to buy and sell players.

For the first time in Indian Premier League (IPL) history, the cash-rich tournament is set to welcome a mid-season transfer window. Similiar to football, the transfer window allows teams from different leagues to buy and sell players. With the tournament having already reached the half-way stage where teams have played seven matches out of their standard 14 round robin matches, many players haven’t quite delivered for their teams or have not found game time because of stiff competition. And the mid-season transfer window provides an opportunity for such players to turn around their career and make an impression. By now, teams have already figured out players who they wish to keep for the remainder of the season. And the transfer window not only benefits players but also teams as they can replace the deadwood in their squad with new talent. The mid-season transfer window was activated from April 29 and will continue till May 10. Both uncapped and capped (both domestic and foreign) players are eligible for the transfer window, but with one condition, that the players must have played less than two matches for their franchise so far. Going by these rules, players such as Adam Milne, JP Duminy (Both Mumbai), Sandeep Lamichhane (Delhi), Alex Hales (Hyderabad), Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali (Both Bangalore) and David Willey (Chennai) can be swapped. However, both parties must agree on the move in advance and then go ahead with the transfer.

IPL 2018: Like football, IPL gets mid-season transfer window

Shane Watson's 78-run knock powered Chennai to set a mammoth target of 212 runs for Delhi at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Monday.

Earlier, Shreyas Iyer won the toss and has opted to field as Delhi team has somehow gained momentum and Shreyas will look to earn two points.

After winning the toss Shreyas said that a collective and collaborative effort in all the departments is required.

Shreyas is comfortable with the team and there is no change in the playing XI for today's match.

On the other hand, for Chennai, &nbsp;Deepak Chahar is out due to injury and Sam Billings is resting for the match.

MS Dhoni has included that two bowlers have got in because they wanted to add some pace, hence, Lungi Ngidi and KM Asif are in the squad.

Shane Watson's 78-run knock powered Chennai to set a mammoth target of 212 runs for Delhi

Shane Watson's 78-run knock powered Chennai to set a mammoth target of 212 runs for Delhi at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Monday. Earlier, Shreyas Iyer won the toss and has opted to field as Delhi team has somehow gained momentum and Shreyas will look to earn two points. After winning the toss Shreyas said that a collective and collaborative effort in all the departments is required. Shreyas is comfortable with the team and there is no change in the playing XI for today's match. On the other hand, for Chennai, Deepak Chahar is out due to injury and Sam Billings is resting for the match. MS Dhoni has included that two bowlers have got in because they wanted to add some pace, hence, Lungi Ngidi and KM Asif are in the squad.

IPL 2018: Shane Watson shines as Chennai set 212-run target for Delhi

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and has opted to field at&nbspMaharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Monday.

Delhi team has somehow gained momentum and will look to earn two points. After winning the toss Shreyas said that a collective and collaborative effort in all the departments is required.

Shreyas is comfortable with the team and has not made any change in the playing XI for today's match.

On the other hand, for Chennai, Deepak Chahar is out due to injury and Sam Billings is resting for the match.

MS Dhoni has included that two bowlers have got in because they wanted to add some pace, hence, Lungi Ngidi and KM Asif are in the squad.

Playing XI:

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif

Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult

For Chennai, Deepak Chahar is out due to injury and Sam Billings is resting for the match

Shreyas Iyer won the toss and has opted to field at&nbspMaharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Monday. Delhi team has somehow gained momentum and will look to earn two points. After winning the toss Shreyas said that a collective and collaborative effort in all the departments is required. Shreyas is comfortable with the team and has not made any change in the playing XI for today's match. On the other hand, for Chennai, Deepak Chahar is out due to injury and Sam Billings is resting for the match. MS Dhoni has included that two bowlers have got in because they wanted to add some pace, hence, Lungi Ngidi and KM Asif are in the squad. Playing XI: Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Shreyas Iyer(c), Rishabh Pant(w), Glenn Maxwell, Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult

IPL 2018: Shreyas Iyer opts to bowl against Chennai

The 30th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played between confident Chennai and resurgent Delhi on Monday.

Tipped to possess the most destructive batting lineup this season, Delhi have found the going tough and have lost five out of seven whereas Chennai, ridiculed as an 'old outfit', have just done the exact opposite to be placed second with ten points.

Chennai have been ruthless this season managing to win five out of seven matches played. But if we talk about the two teams, then after Gautam Gambhir decided to step down as captain, the resurgent Delhi defeated Kolkata by 55 runs.

Opener Prithvi Shaw and new skipper Shreyas Iyer smashed a half-century each to set a mammoth total of 219.

But, Iyer has to plan new strategies to survive this IPL and especially to defeat Chennai today.

The bowlers also performed against Kolkata with Trent Boult, Avesh Khan and Amit Mishra taking two wickets apiece.

Delhi will have to bowl out of their skin if they want to restrict the star-studded Chennai batting line-up to a paltry total.&nbsp;

Chennai, on the other hand, would be equally keen to get back to winning ways after they lost their last match to Mumbai by 8 wickets.&nbsp;

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Ambati Raydu and Suresh Raina made 45 and 75 runs respectively to help Chennai seta decent score.

But it is their bowling department which failed to swing wickets in their favour.

And Dhoni needs to fix this problem to defeat rejuvenated Delhi.

So overall, today's game will be between Chennai's experience vs Delhi's youth. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The 30th game of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be played between confident Chennai and resurgent Delhi on Monday. Tipped to possess the most destructive batting lineup this season, Delhi have found the going tough and have lost five out of seven whereas Chennai, ridiculed as an 'old outfit', have just done the exact opposite to be placed second with ten points. Chennai have been ruthless this season managing to win five out of seven matches played. But if we talk about the two teams, then after Gautam Gambhir decided to step down as captain, the resurgent Delhi defeated Kolkata by 55 runs. Opener Prithvi Shaw and new skipper Shreyas Iyer smashed a half-century each to set a mammoth total of 219. But, Iyer has to plan new strategies to survive this IPL and especially to defeat Chennai today. The bowlers also performed against Kolkata with Trent Boult, Avesh Khan and Amit Mishra taking two wickets apiece. Delhi will have to bowl out of their skin if they want to restrict the star-studded Chennai batting line-up to a paltry total. Chennai, on the other hand, would be equally keen to get back to winning ways after they lost their last match to Mumbai by 8 wickets. × Ambati Raydu and Suresh Raina made 45 and 75 runs respectively to help Chennai seta decent score. But it is their bowling department which failed to swing wickets in their favour. And Dhoni needs to fix this problem to defeat rejuvenated Delhi. So overall, today's game will be between Chennai's experience vs Delhi's youth.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai vs Delhi

Opener Chris Lynn's unbeaten 62-run knock powered Kolkata to register a six-wicket victory over Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday.

Earlier, Kolkata's Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to chase.&nbsp

Batting first, Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes to set a target of 176 runs for Kolkata but his efforts went in vain as Bangalore&nbspteam again failed to defend a decent total.

In the second innings, Lynn and Sunil Narine (27 off 19 balls) provided a solid&nbspfoundation adding 51 runs in the powerplay overs.

Sunil Narine lost his wicket to Murugan Ashwin after scoring 27 runs. Robin Uthappa scored 36 off 21 balls, which included three fours and three sixes before being caught in deep off Murugan's bowling.

Nitish Rana suffered an injury while playing and returned to his camp after scoring 15 runs. Andre Russell was outplayed Mohammed Siraj and returned to the pavilion after scoring a duck.

Dinesh Karthik played a beautiful inning in the death overs and his 23-run knock off 10 balls helped in reducing the asking rate.&nbsp

Under-19 start Shubman Gill finished the game by hitting a boundary with five balls remaining.

Kolkata scoreboard: 
&nbsp 
C Lynn not out 62 
S Narine c de Grandhomme b M Ashwin 27 
R Uthappa c Southee b M Ashwin 36 
N Rana retd hurt 15 
A Russell c de Kock b Siraj 0 
D Karthik c Kohli b Siraj 23 
S Gill not out 5

Extras (b-1, w-7) 8

Total (For 4 wkts, 19.1 Overs) 176&nbsp

Fall of Wickets: 1-59, 2-108, 3-139, 4-171

Bowler: Southee 4-0-34-0, Yadav 3.1-0-36-0, Chahal 4-0-29-0, Siraj 4-0-40-2, M Ashwin 4-0-36-2.

Virat Kohli faced the same issues again and he needs to re-strategise his bowling plans to salvage cricketing pride as the batting department did its job and bowlers and fielders failed miserably. 
&nbsp 
Openers Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum gave Bangalore a perfect start as the two build a partnership of 67 runs.

While de Kock contributed 29 runs, McCullum made 38 runs before losing their wickets.

Andre Russell bowled three overs and gave away 31 runs and took three wickets for his side.

Bangalore scoreboard:

Q de Kock c Gill b Yadav 29 
B McCullum c Karthik b Russell 38 
V Kohli not out 68 
M Vohra b Russell 0 
M Singh c Mavi b Russell 19 
C de Grandhomme not out 11

Extras (b-1, lb-4, w-5) 10&nbsp

Total (For 4 wkts, 20 Ov) 175&nbsp

Fall of Wickets: 1-67, 2-74, 3-75, 4-140,&nbsp

Bowling: Chawla 3-0-22-0, Narine 4-0-38-0, Johnson 3-0-38-0, Mavi 3-0-21-0, Yadav 4-0-20-1, Russell 3-0-31-3

Opener Chris Lynn's unbeaten 62-run knock powered Kolkata to register a six-wicket victory over Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium

Opener Chris Lynn's unbeaten 62-run knock powered Kolkata to register a six-wicket victory over Bangalore at Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday. Earlier, Kolkata's Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to chase. Batting first, Virat Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes to set a target of 176 runs for Kolkata but his efforts went in vain as Bangalore&nbspteam again failed to defend a decent total. In the second innings, Lynn and Sunil Narine (27 off 19 balls) provided a solid&nbspfoundation adding 51 runs in the powerplay overs. Sunil Narine lost his wicket to Murugan Ashwin after scoring 27 runs. Robin Uthappa scored 36 off 21 balls, which included three fours and three sixes before being caught in deep off Murugan's bowling. Nitish Rana suffered an injury while playing and returned to his camp after scoring 15 runs. Andre Russell was outplayed Mohammed Siraj and returned to the pavilion after scoring a duck. Dinesh Karthik played a beautiful inning in the death overs and his 23-run knock off 10 balls helped in reducing the asking rate. Under-19 start Shubman Gill finished the game by hitting a boundary with five balls remaining. Kolkata scoreboard: C Lynn not out 62 S Narine c de Grandhomme b M Ashwin 27 R Uthappa c Southee b M Ashwin 36 N Rana retd hurt 15 A Russell c de Kock b Siraj 0 D Karthik c Kohli b Siraj 23 S Gill not out 5 Extras (b-1, w-7) 8 Total (For 4 wkts, 19.1 Overs) 176 Fall of Wickets: 1-59, 2-108, 3-139, 4-171 Bowler: Southee 4-0-34-0, Yadav 3.1-0-36-0, Chahal 4-0-29-0, Siraj 4-0-40-2, M Ashwin 4-0-36-2. Virat Kohli faced the same issues again and he needs to re-strategise his bowling plans to salvage cricketing pride as the batting department did its job and bowlers and fielders failed miserably. Openers Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum gave Bangalore a perfect start as the two build a partnership of 67 runs. While de Kock contributed 29 runs, McCullum made 38 runs before losing their wickets. Andre Russell bowled three overs and gave away 31 runs and took three wickets for his side. Bangalore scoreboard: Q de Kock c Gill b Yadav 29 B McCullum c Karthik b Russell 38 V Kohli not out 68 M Vohra b Russell 0 M Singh c Mavi b Russell 19 C de Grandhomme not out 11 Extras (b-1, lb-4, w-5) 10 Total (For 4 wkts, 20 Ov) 175 Fall of Wickets: 1-67, 2-74, 3-75, 4-140, Bowling: Chawla 3-0-22-0, Narine 4-0-38-0, Johnson 3-0-38-0, Mavi 3-0-21-0, Yadav 4-0-20-1, Russell 3-0-31-3

IPL 2018: Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata beat Bangalore by 6 wickets

Hyderabad take on Rajasthan in the first match of IPL super Sunday on April 29 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur.

Rajasthan, sitting at the mid of the points table would look to earn two crucial points tonight.

Whereas, Hyderabad is currently placed at number two&nbsp;and have gained the required momentum&nbsp;and skipper Kane Williamson would never want to lose it.

We have seen that Rajasthan were on their way to suffer back-to-back defeats before a superb cameo from all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham helped them to defeat Mumbai by three wickets last Sunday.

Also, with his explosive hitting, the immensely talented Sanju Samson is turning out to be Rajasthan's batting mainstay. It will interesting to see how Rajasthan's batting side will face Rashid Khan, the spin sensation of Hyderabad.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still struggling with back injury issue but it does not seem to have affected Hyderabad too much as Basil Thampi and Sandeep Sharma have given the required strength to the team.

On the other hand, Ajinkya would not want to make any changes in the playing XI unless there is an injury issue.

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Playing XI (TBC):

Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Heinrich Klassen, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Hyderabad take on Rajasthan in the first match of IPL super Sunday on April 29 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

Hyderabad take on Rajasthan in the first match of IPL super Sunday on April 29 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur. Rajasthan, sitting at the mid of the points table would look to earn two crucial points tonight. Whereas, Hyderabad is currently placed at number two and have gained the required momentum and skipper Kane Williamson would never want to lose it. We have seen that Rajasthan were on their way to suffer back-to-back defeats before a superb cameo from all-rounder Krishnappa Gowtham helped them to defeat Mumbai by three wickets last Sunday. Also, with his explosive hitting, the immensely talented Sanju Samson is turning out to be Rajasthan's batting mainstay. It will interesting to see how Rajasthan's batting side will face Rashid Khan, the spin sensation of Hyderabad. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is still struggling with back injury issue but it does not seem to have affected Hyderabad too much as Basil Thampi and Sandeep Sharma have given the required strength to the team. On the other hand, Ajinkya would not want to make any changes in the playing XI unless there is an injury issue. × Playing XI (TBC): Rajasthan: Ajinkya Rahane, Rahul Tripathi, Sanju Samson, Ben Stokes, Heinrich Klassen, Jos Buttler, Jofra Archer, K Gowtham, Shreyas Gopal, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jaydev Unadkat Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson, Wriddhiman Saha, Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

IPL 2018: Match preview of Hyderabad vs Rajasthan

Mumbai defeated Chennai by eight wickets at&nbsp;Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday, April 28.

The top batting order of Mumbai thrashed the bowling department&nbsp;of Chennai.

Rohit Sharma had entered the field without Kieron Pollard, as he was&nbsp;replaced by JP Duminy also Mustafizur Rahman was&nbsp;out and Ben Cutting got&nbsp;selected.

On the other hand, for Chennai, Dhoni&nbsp;played&nbsp;with the same.

Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya scored 44, 47, 56 and 13 runs respectively. Rohit Sharma hit the winning runs to register the much needed win.&nbsp;

Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and his decision to bowl favoured the team as well. Mumbai all together were looking very balanced and composed.

The way team Chennai has come along in the tournament, the total score, which 169 runs looks a bit less to what it was expected of the "Yellow Brigade."

Batting first, Shane Watson lost his wicket after scoring just 12 runs but the other opener Ambati Rayudu again proved his potential and scored 46 crucial runs.

MS Dhoni too contributed with his bat and scored 26 crucial runs for the team and hit some magnificent shots.

Suresh Raina's unbeaten 75-run knock helped Chennai to put up 150 plus runs.

Dwayne Bravo returned to the pavilion after scoring a duck.

&nbsp;

The top batting order of Mumbai thrashed the bowling department of Chennai and easily achieved the set target

Mumbai defeated Chennai by eight wickets at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium on Saturday, April 28. The top batting order of Mumbai thrashed the bowling department of Chennai. Rohit Sharma had entered the field without Kieron Pollard, as he was replaced by JP Duminy also Mustafizur Rahman was out and Ben Cutting got selected. On the other hand, for Chennai, Dhoni played with the same. Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Rohit Sharma and Hardik Pandya scored 44, 47, 56 and 13 runs respectively. Rohit Sharma hit the winning runs to register the much needed win. Earlier, Rohit Sharma won the toss and his decision to bowl favoured the team as well. Mumbai all together were looking very balanced and composed. The way team Chennai has come along in the tournament, the total score, which 169 runs looks a bit less to what it was expected of the "Yellow Brigade." Batting first, Shane Watson lost his wicket after scoring just 12 runs but the other opener Ambati Rayudu again proved his potential and scored 46 crucial runs. MS Dhoni too contributed with his bat and scored 26 crucial runs for the team and hit some magnificent shots. Suresh Raina's unbeaten 75-run knock helped Chennai to put up 150 plus runs. Dwayne Bravo returned to the pavilion after scoring a duck.

IPL 2018: Rohit-led Mumbai beat Chennai by 8 wickets

Virat Kohli played a skipper's knock to help his side set a target of 176 runs after loss of four wickets against Kolkata at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Sunday.

Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes.&nbsp

Openers Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum gave Bangalore a perfect start as the two build a partnership of 67 runs.

While de Kock contributed 29 runs, McCullum made 38 runs before giving away their wickets to Yadav and Russell.

Andre Russell bowled three overs and gave away 31 runs and took three wickets for his side.

Earlier, Kolkata's Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to field against Bangalore.

Speaking after toss, Karthik said, " We're bowling first. Looks a dry wicket, make best use of it initially. Let's see how it goes. Same team. Trust the same team, wish they bring the goods for us. Important we trust the people we play in the XI. Picked a bunch of players we believe in."

When asked Kohli about the strategy for today, he said, " Would have bowled first too, difficult ground to defend. Got to take up the challenge, toss is only in your control that much. Not bad toss to lose actually. Will stay similar throughout as DK mentioned. Hopefully it wears off and spinners get purchase."

"This ground has always been difficult to defend, we've done that to other teams too. Hats off to them (CSK). Our bowlers have put it behind them. AB is sick, Southee replaces him. Negi replaced by Vohra. M Ashwin comes in for Washington Sundar."

"AB has got a bit of a viral fever going. If he could, he would play with one leg and one hand. But he's taken the call himself, have to respect that, " Kohli concluded.

Teams:

Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli(c), Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Murugan Ashwin, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav 
&nbsp&nbsp

Kohli's innings included five fours and three sixes.

Virat Kohli played a skipper's knock to help his side set a target of 176 runs after loss of four wickets against Kolkata at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on Sunday. Kohli smashed an unbeaten 68 off 44 which included five fours and three sixes. Openers Quinton de Kock and Brendon McCullum gave Bangalore a perfect start as the two build a partnership of 67 runs. While de Kock contributed 29 runs, McCullum made 38 runs before giving away their wickets to Yadav and Russell. Andre Russell bowled three overs and gave away 31 runs and took three wickets for his side. Earlier, Kolkata's Dinesh Karthik won the toss and opted to field against Bangalore. Speaking after toss, Karthik said, " We're bowling first. Looks a dry wicket, make best use of it initially. Let's see how it goes. Same team. Trust the same team, wish they bring the goods for us. Important we trust the people we play in the XI. Picked a bunch of players we believe in." When asked Kohli about the strategy for today, he said, " Would have bowled first too, difficult ground to defend. Got to take up the challenge, toss is only in your control that much. Not bad toss to lose actually. Will stay similar throughout as DK mentioned. Hopefully it wears off and spinners get purchase." "This ground has always been difficult to defend, we've done that to other teams too. Hats off to them (CSK). Our bowlers have put it behind them. AB is sick, Southee replaces him. Negi replaced by Vohra. M Ashwin comes in for Washington Sundar." "AB has got a bit of a viral fever going. If he could, he would play with one leg and one hand. But he's taken the call himself, have to respect that, " Kohli concluded. Teams: Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Brendon McCullum, Virat Kohli(c), Manan Vohra, Mandeep Singh, Colin de Grandhomme, Murugan Ashwin, Tim Southee, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: Virat Kohli's unbeaten 68 powers Bangalore to 175

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD)'s daughter Ziva Dhoni steals the show every time she makes a public appearance.&nbsp;

The wicketkeeper-batsman also takes pride in posting such adorable videos of her on his social media platforms.&nbsp;

In the latest, Dhoni posted a cute video on his official Instagram account of Ziva showing off her dancing skills with the caption, “Dances better than the father atleast.”

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiJkeWeney1/" 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">Dances better than the father atleast</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/mahi7781/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> M S Dhoni</a> (@mahi7781) on <time datetime="2018-04-29T09:35:32+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Apr 29, 2018 at 2:35am PDT</time>
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Dhoni also shared two more videos of Ziva where she can be seen cheering for his dad's IPL team Chennai, which is currently at top of the league table.&nbsp;

A few days back, Dhoni shared a video in which he is drying his daughter Ziva’s hair.&nbsp;

Dhoni captioned video post as: “Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties.”&nbsp;

The video shows Dhoni drying her hair with a hair-dryer in the hotel room.&nbsp;

On the work front, Dhoni re-entered the top ten on Saturday thanks to his modest knock of 26 from 21.&nbsp;

He is now at the tenth position with 235 runs from seven innings. 
&nbsp;

Dhoni takes pride in posting such adorable videos of her on his social media platforms.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (MSD)'s daughter Ziva Dhoni steals the show every time she makes a public appearance. The wicketkeeper-batsman also takes pride in posting such adorable videos of her on his social media platforms. In the latest, Dhoni posted a cute video on his official Instagram account of Ziva showing off her dancing skills with the caption, “Dances better than the father atleast.” Dances better than the father atleast A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) on Apr 29, 2018 at 2:35am PDT × Dhoni also shared two more videos of Ziva where she can be seen cheering for his dad's IPL team Chennai, which is currently at top of the league table. A few days back, Dhoni shared a video in which he is drying his daughter Ziva’s hair. Dhoni captioned video post as: “Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties.” The video shows Dhoni drying her hair with a hair-dryer in the hotel room. On the work front, Dhoni re-entered the top ten on Saturday thanks to his modest knock of 26 from 21. He is now at the tenth position with 235 runs from seven innings.

Watch: Dhoni shares adorable video of daughter Ziva dancing, cheering for Chennai

Despite giving a tough fight, Rajasthan fell 11 runs short to defeat Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Sunday.

Skipper Ajinkay Rahane smashed an unbeaten at 65 but couldn't help his team taste victory in today's game.

Sanju Samson, who is franchise's most consistent player, again played a brilliant knock and made 40 runs off 30 balls which included three fours and one six.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
Earlier, Rajasthan's Jofra Archer took three wickets to restrict Hyderabad to a paltry total of 151 runs.

In his four overs, Archer gave just 26 runs. &nbsp

On the other side, Skipper Kane Williamson and Alex Hales added 92 runs off 67 balls for the second wicket to help their team set a decent total on board.&nbsp

While Shikhar Dhawan departed after making just six runs, Williamson smashed a brilliant half-century.

The skipper made 43-ball 63 before giving away his wicket to Sodhi.&nbsp

Alex Hales, who was playing a superb knock, lost his wicket to Gowtham after making 45 runs off just 39 balls.&nbsp

Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat against Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Sunday.

"We are gonna have a bat. Day game and it looks like a very good surface. Just the one change. Hales comes in for Nabi." he said&nbsp

"The bowling has been going on nicely. The way we have adapted to the conditions has been superb," he added.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
Meanwhile, &nbspRajasthan have lost three matches so far and won the same to be at number five in the league table.

The Ajinkya Rahane team would be looking to bring their campaign back on track by defeating Hyderabad.

Talking about their strategy for today, Rahane said, "We had a couple of days off. It is important to switch off a bit. The preparation has been fantastic and the mood in the camp has been superb. "

"Ish Sodhi is in. Very good leg-spinner and has been doing well for New Zealand. Mahipal Lomror, a local guy who has been doing well comes in as well. We were looking to bat first as well," he added.

Both the teams are facing each other for the second time in this year's IPL.

Sanju Samson again played a brilliant knock and made 40 runs off 30 balls

Despite giving a tough fight, Rajasthan fell 11 runs short to defeat Hyderabad at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Sunday. Skipper Ajinkay Rahane smashed an unbeaten at 65 but couldn't help his team taste victory in today's game. Sanju Samson, who is franchise's most consistent player, again played a brilliant knock and made 40 runs off 30 balls which included three fours and one six. Earlier, Rajasthan's Jofra Archer took three wickets to restrict Hyderabad to a paltry total of 151 runs. In his four overs, Archer gave just 26 runs. On the other side, Skipper Kane Williamson and Alex Hales added 92 runs off 67 balls for the second wicket to help their team set a decent total on board. While Shikhar Dhawan departed after making just six runs, Williamson smashed a brilliant half-century. The skipper made 43-ball 63 before giving away his wicket to Sodhi. Alex Hales, who was playing a superb knock, lost his wicket to Gowtham after making 45 runs off just 39 balls. Hyderabad won the toss and opted to bat against Rajasthan at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Sunday. "We are gonna have a bat. Day game and it looks like a very good surface. Just the one change. Hales comes in for Nabi." he said "The bowling has been going on nicely. The way we have adapted to the conditions has been superb," he added. Meanwhile, &nbspRajasthan have lost three matches so far and won the same to be at number five in the league table. The Ajinkya Rahane team would be looking to bring their campaign back on track by defeating Hyderabad. Talking about their strategy for today, Rahane said, "We had a couple of days off. It is important to switch off a bit. The preparation has been fantastic and the mood in the camp has been superb. " "Ish Sodhi is in. Very good leg-spinner and has been doing well for New Zealand. Mahipal Lomror, a local guy who has been doing well comes in as well. We were looking to bat first as well," he added. Both the teams are facing each other for the second time in this year's IPL.

IPL 2018: Rahane's 65 goes in vain as Hyderabad beat Rajasthan by 11 runs

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore and Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata will face off at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy stadium for the Indian Premier League 2018 on Sunday.

The last time these two teams faced off in this season’s IPL, Kolkata riding on a quickfire fifty by Narine (50 from 19 balls) successfully chased down Bangalore's total of 176 with an over to spare.

The Kohli-led side will be looking for a revenge as they find themselves second from the bottom on the points table.

Both the teams would be looking to get back to winning ways after losing their previous match.&nbsp

While Bangalore were denied a win by a MS Dhoni special, Kolkata were outplayed by Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Bangalore would be one team which fails to perform worse at home ground than away venues.&nbsp

Against Chennai, Kohli and team posted a 206-run target and still lost.&nbsp

They are seventh in the points table with just two wins out of six games.&nbsp

They host Kolkata at their home ground today. Kolkata suffered a big loss to Delhi in their previous game but will like to turn the fortunes with a win against Bangalore.

They have one of the strongest top-order batting but have failed as a bowling unit.&nbsp

Squads: 
Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Quinton de Kock(WK), Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Chris Woakes, Washington Sundar, Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Manan Vohra, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini, Murugan Ashwin, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Siraj, Corey Anderson, Parthiv Patel, Aniruddha Joshi, Pavan Deshpande, Tim Southee.

Kolkata: Dinesh Karthik (Captain/WK), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Mitchell Johnson, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Ishank Jaggi, Nitish Rana, Vinay Kumar, Apoorv Wankhade, Rinku Singh, Shivam Mavi, Cameron Delport, Javon Searles, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna.

The Kohli-led side will be looking for a revenge as they were defeated by Kolkata in their previous encounter.

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore and Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata will face off at Bengaluru’s Chinnaswamy stadium for the Indian Premier League 2018 on Sunday. The last time these two teams faced off in this season’s IPL, Kolkata riding on a quickfire fifty by Narine (50 from 19 balls) successfully chased down Bangalore's total of 176 with an over to spare. The Kohli-led side will be looking for a revenge as they find themselves second from the bottom on the points table. Both the teams would be looking to get back to winning ways after losing their previous match. While Bangalore were denied a win by a MS Dhoni special, Kolkata were outplayed by Delhi at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Bangalore would be one team which fails to perform worse at home ground than away venues. Against Chennai, Kohli and team posted a 206-run target and still lost. They are seventh in the points table with just two wins out of six games. They host Kolkata at their home ground today. Kolkata suffered a big loss to Delhi in their previous game but will like to turn the fortunes with a win against Bangalore. They have one of the strongest top-order batting but have failed as a bowling unit. Squads: Bangalore: Virat Kohli (Captain), Quinton de Kock(WK), Brendon McCullum, AB de Villiers, Sarfaraz Khan, Mandeep Singh, Chris Woakes, Washington Sundar, Kulwant Khejroliya, Umesh Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Colin de Grandhomme, Moeen Ali, Manan Vohra, Aniket Choudhary, Navdeep Saini, Murugan Ashwin, Pawan Negi, Mohammed Siraj, Corey Anderson, Parthiv Patel, Aniruddha Joshi, Pavan Deshpande, Tim Southee. Kolkata: Dinesh Karthik (Captain/WK), Andre Russell, Sunil Narine, Chris Lynn, Robin Uthappa, Mitchell Johnson, Piyush Chawla, Kuldeep Yadav, Shubman Gill, Ishank Jaggi, Nitish Rana, Vinay Kumar, Apoorv Wankhade, Rinku Singh, Shivam Mavi, Cameron Delport, Javon Searles, Tom Curran, Prasidh Krishna.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Bangalore vs Kolkata

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