By: Mukesh Bansal*

Defending champion Mumbai suffered a very poor start in the eleventh edition of IPL. They have lost five out of the six games played so far. Few of the defeats were very painful as the match went to the last ball of the innings. In a format like IPL, luck matters a lot with hard work and intent.

Currently positioned at the bottom of the points table, every single match is very crucial for the team Mumbai and no scope of error is left.

In their seventh match against Chennai, which is scheduled to take place on April 28, team Mumbai has to be 100 per cent accurate with team selection, plans and executions. As one more loss will diminish their chances of qualifying for playoffs.

Chennai sitting at top of the points table and currently is in tremendous form and after chasing a mammoth target of 202 runs against Bangalore.

They have gained a required momentum and are very confident while Mumbai after a tragic defeat against Hyderabad look&nbsp;flatter.

For Mumbai, the upcoming match against Chennai at Pune will be very confronting considering the form and momentum of Chennai.

They will be under an added pressure of a must-win scenario as if they lose this one then they have to win all seven of their remaining matches.

The biggest worry for team Mumbai is the current form of Rohit Sharma, being one the cleanest hitter, Rohit has failed to perform in IPL 2018.

He must re-strategise&nbsp;and make necessary changes in the team if he looks to win tonight's clash.

The bowlers mainly Jasprit Bumrah and Mustafizur Rahman need to take responsibility and lead the attack from the front while batsmen need to take a calculative risk as they can’t afford any lapse.

Mumbai had achieved this miraculous feat in 2015 when they were at same position winning just one out of six and from there they picked up the momentum and went on to win the tournament.

They also have an experienced management staff with the veteran like Sachin Tendulkar who has been guiding the players to play a good cricket in any situation.

If Mumbai manage&nbsp;to win the clash against Dhoni-led Chennai then it will be a massive boost to the entire team.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

If Mumbai managed to win the clash against Dhoni-led Chennai then it will be a massive boost to the entire team

By: Mukesh Bansal* Defending champion Mumbai suffered a very poor start in the eleventh edition of IPL. They have lost five out of the six games played so far. Few of the defeats were very painful as the match went to the last ball of the innings. In a format like IPL, luck matters a lot with hard work and intent. Currently positioned at the bottom of the points table, every single match is very crucial for the team Mumbai and no scope of error is left. In their seventh match against Chennai, which is scheduled to take place on April 28, team Mumbai has to be 100 per cent accurate with team selection, plans and executions. As one more loss will diminish their chances of qualifying for playoffs. Chennai sitting at top of the points table and currently is in tremendous form and after chasing a mammoth target of 202 runs against Bangalore. They have gained a required momentum and are very confident while Mumbai after a tragic defeat against Hyderabad look flatter. For Mumbai, the upcoming match against Chennai at Pune will be very confronting considering the form and momentum of Chennai. They will be under an added pressure of a must-win scenario as if they lose this one then they have to win all seven of their remaining matches. The biggest worry for team Mumbai is the current form of Rohit Sharma, being one the cleanest hitter, Rohit has failed to perform in IPL 2018. He must re-strategise and make necessary changes in the team if he looks to win tonight's clash. The bowlers mainly Jasprit Bumrah and Mustafizur Rahman need to take responsibility and lead the attack from the front while batsmen need to take a calculative risk as they can’t afford any lapse. Mumbai had achieved this miraculous feat in 2015 when they were at same position winning just one out of six and from there they picked up the momentum and went on to win the tournament. They also have an experienced management staff with the veteran like Sachin Tendulkar who has been guiding the players to play a good cricket in any situation. If Mumbai manage to win the clash against Dhoni-led Chennai then it will be a massive boost to the entire team. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Blog: Mumbai need desperate win to keep hopes alive for playoffs

Rohit Sharma won the toss and has opted to&nbspbowl against Chennai at&nbspMaharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Saturday.

For Mumbai Kieron Pollard has been replaced by JP Duminy also Mustafizur Rahman is out and Ben Cutting is selected for today's game.

On the other hand, for Chennai, Dhoni is playing with the same squad as with the current set of players, Chennai have gained the required momentum.

Playing XI:

Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Jean-Paul Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

There is not any change in the squad and for Mumbai, Kieron Pollard has been replaced by JP Duminy also Mustafizur Rahman is out and Ben Cutting is selected for today's game

Rohit Sharma won the toss and has opted to&nbspbowl against Chennai at&nbspMaharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Saturday. For Mumbai Kieron Pollard has been replaced by JP Duminy also Mustafizur Rahman is out and Ben Cutting is selected for today's game. On the other hand, for Chennai, Dhoni is playing with the same squad as with the current set of players, Chennai have gained the required momentum. Playing XI: Mumbai: Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Jean-Paul Duminy, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Ben Cutting, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

IPL 2018: Rohit Sharma opts to bowl against Chennai

A blockbuster IPL weekend will start with one of the most celebrated rivalries of all times. Dhoni-led Chennai face Rohit-led Mumbai at &nbspMaharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Saturday.

Defending champions Mumbai have suffered a very poor start in the tournament whereas team Chennai is currently sitting atop points table.

Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Evin Lewis will be central to Mumbai's batting plans and it is expected of them to give a good start but Pandya brothers need to support in the middle with some power hitting.

Mustafizur Rahman and Jaspreet Bumrah of Mumbai are capable enough to damage the batting strength of opponents but Chennai is not going to be easy.

On the other hand, Chennai have gained the required momentum and will be looking forward to beating Mumbai to today.

Recently, Dhoni-led Chennai chased down the mammoth total of 205 runs against Bangalore and Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni played marvelous innings.

Special mention to Ambati Rayudu as he scored 82 runs off 53 ball, his inning included some terrific shots. He is also the orange cap holder with total 283 runs.

Also, the bowling department of team Chennai has been good, they have a good mix of pace and spin. Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo have taken wickets whenever it was required.

Although the winning probability is more towards Chennai, but cricket is game of uncertainties anything can happen.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/x1X3uwss57o" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Playing XI:

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir

Mumbai: &nbspEvin Lewis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rohit Sharma (C), Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

Defending champions Mumbai have suffered a very poor start in the tournament whereas team Chennai is currently sitting atop points table

A blockbuster IPL weekend will start with one of the most celebrated rivalries of all times. Dhoni-led Chennai face Rohit-led Mumbai at &nbspMaharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Saturday. Defending champions Mumbai have suffered a very poor start in the tournament whereas team Chennai is currently sitting atop points table. Rohit Sharma, Suresh Raina, Evin Lewis will be central to Mumbai's batting plans and it is expected of them to give a good start but Pandya brothers need to support in the middle with some power hitting. Mustafizur Rahman and Jaspreet Bumrah of Mumbai are capable enough to damage the batting strength of opponents but Chennai is not going to be easy. On the other hand, Chennai have gained the required momentum and will be looking forward to beating Mumbai to today. Recently, Dhoni-led Chennai chased down the mammoth total of 205 runs against Bangalore and Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni played marvelous innings. Special mention to Ambati Rayudu as he scored 82 runs off 53 ball, his inning included some terrific shots. He is also the orange cap holder with total 283 runs. Also, the bowling department of team Chennai has been good, they have a good mix of pace and spin. Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir and Dwayne Bravo have taken wickets whenever it was required. Although the winning probability is more towards Chennai, but cricket is game of uncertainties anything can happen. × Playing XI: Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Imran Tahir Mumbai: &nbspEvin Lewis, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan (WK), Rohit Sharma (C), Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai vs Mumbai

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi defeated Kolkata by 55 runs on Friday, April 27 at home ground Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

Delhi boys outplayed Kolkata in all departments and registered a much-needed victory to earn two crucial points and revive the team from&nbsplosing streak. Before the match, Shreyas mentioned that the team was under pressure. "It's tough, not impossible," said Shreyas Iyer when was asked about winning.

Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik had won the toss and opted to bowl to take the advantage of the pitch and playing first Delhi put up a mammoth target of 220 runs.

Shreyas Iyer player a splendid knock and his unbeaten 93-run knock helped Delhi to win against Kolkata. For his outstanding batting skills, he was awarded 'Man of the Match' award.

It was expected that Kolkata might dominate as Delhi recently have been through quite a lot and also placed at the bottom of the points table. From Injury woes to tragic defeats, Delhi has faced it all.

A few days back, Gautam Gambhir had stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer was been given the responsibility to lead the team.&nbsp

Under Shreyas' guidance, Delhi team was looking a bit settled on the field today. Especially, the batsmen were able to hold the innings and did not throw their wickets.

The openers, Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro gave a required start to the team. Munro scored 33 runs before Shivan Mavi outbowled him.

Under-19 star Prithvi Shaw played an extraordinary inning and score 63 runs for the team.

Above all, newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer thrashed the Kolkata bowlers and scored unbeaten 93 runs for the team.

He played at a strike rate of 140.91 and his knock included three fours and ten sixes.

Especially the last over, when he stunned Shivam Mavi and scored 28 runs.

Glenn Maxwell too made a crucial contribution and scored 27 runs for the team.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
A convincing win at home! 
 
Onwards and upwards! ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilDilli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilDilli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhadkega?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhadkega</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DDvKKR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DDvKKR</a> <a href="https://t.co/4AHwidE9rA">pic.twitter.com/4AHwidE9rA</a>
— Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiDaredevils/status/989928280689016833?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
And that's it from Delhi as they post their second win of the season.<a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiDaredevils?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiDaredevils</a> beat <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKR</a> by 55 runs <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DDvKKR?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DDvKKR</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/fSXywAP3TQ">pic.twitter.com/fSXywAP3TQ</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/989927620413288448?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp

Shreyas Iyer player a splendid knock and his unbeaten 93-run knock helped Delhi to win against Kolkata

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi defeated Kolkata by 55 runs on Friday, April 27 at home ground Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. Delhi boys outplayed Kolkata in all departments and registered a much-needed victory to earn two crucial points and revive the team from&nbsplosing streak. Before the match, Shreyas mentioned that the team was under pressure. "It's tough, not impossible," said Shreyas Iyer when was asked about winning. Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik had won the toss and opted to bowl to take the advantage of the pitch and playing first Delhi put up a mammoth target of 220 runs. Shreyas Iyer player a splendid knock and his unbeaten 93-run knock helped Delhi to win against Kolkata. For his outstanding batting skills, he was awarded 'Man of the Match' award. It was expected that Kolkata might dominate as Delhi recently have been through quite a lot and also placed at the bottom of the points table. From Injury woes to tragic defeats, Delhi has faced it all. A few days back, Gautam Gambhir had stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer was been given the responsibility to lead the team. Under Shreyas' guidance, Delhi team was looking a bit settled on the field today. Especially, the batsmen were able to hold the innings and did not throw their wickets. The openers, Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro gave a required start to the team. Munro scored 33 runs before Shivan Mavi outbowled him. Under-19 star Prithvi Shaw played an extraordinary inning and score 63 runs for the team. Above all, newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer thrashed the Kolkata bowlers and scored unbeaten 93 runs for the team. He played at a strike rate of 140.91 and his knock included three fours and ten sixes. Especially the last over, when he stunned Shivam Mavi and scored 28 runs. Glenn Maxwell too made a crucial contribution and scored 27 runs for the team. A convincing win at home! Onwards and upwards! ?#DilDilli #Dhadkega #DDvKKR pic.twitter.com/4AHwidE9rA — Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) April 27, 2018 × And that's it from Delhi as they post their second win of the season.@DelhiDaredevils beat #KKR by 55 runs #DDvKKR #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/fSXywAP3TQ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 27, 2018 ×

IPL 2018: Gautam-less Delhi trounce Kolkata at Kotla

Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 93-run knock helped Delhi to set 220-run target for Kolkata on Friday. Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik had won the toss and opted to bowl to take the advantage of the pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla.

It was expected that Kolkata might dominate&nbsp;as Delhi recently have been through quite a lot and also placed at the bottom of the points table. From Injury woes to tragic defeats, Delhi has faced it all.

Recently, Gautam Gambhir stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer was been given the responsibility to lead the team.

Under Shreyas' guidance, Delhi team was looking a bit settled on the field today. Especially, the batsmen were able to hold the innings and did not throw their wickets.

The openers, Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro gave a required start to the team. Munro scored 33 runs before Shivan Mavi outbowled him.

Under-19 star Prithvi Shaw played an extraordinary inning and score 63 runs for the team.

Above all, newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer thrashed the Kolkata bowlers and scored unbeaten 93 runs for the team.

He played at a strike rate of 140.91 and his knock included three fours and ten sixes.

Especially the last over, when he stunned Shivam Mavi and scored 28 runs.

Glenn Maxwell too made a crucial contribution and scored 27 runs for the team.

Newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer thrashed the Kolkata bowlers and scored unbeaten 93 runs for the team with a strike rate of 140.91

Shreyas Iyer's unbeaten 93-run knock helped Delhi to set 220-run target for Kolkata on Friday. Earlier, Kolkata skipper Dinesh Karthik had won the toss and opted to bowl to take the advantage of the pitch at Feroz Shah Kotla. It was expected that Kolkata might dominate as Delhi recently have been through quite a lot and also placed at the bottom of the points table. From Injury woes to tragic defeats, Delhi has faced it all. Recently, Gautam Gambhir stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer was been given the responsibility to lead the team. Under Shreyas' guidance, Delhi team was looking a bit settled on the field today. Especially, the batsmen were able to hold the innings and did not throw their wickets. The openers, Prithvi Shaw and Colin Munro gave a required start to the team. Munro scored 33 runs before Shivan Mavi outbowled him. Under-19 star Prithvi Shaw played an extraordinary inning and score 63 runs for the team. Above all, newly appointed skipper Shreyas Iyer thrashed the Kolkata bowlers and scored unbeaten 93 runs for the team. He played at a strike rate of 140.91 and his knock included three fours and ten sixes. Especially the last over, when he stunned Shivam Mavi and scored 28 runs. Glenn Maxwell too made a crucial contribution and scored 27 runs for the team.

IPL 2018: Shreyas shines in skipper role as Delhi set 220-run target for Kolkata

South African pacer Junior Dala has been included in the Delhi squad as the replacement for injured Chris Morris for the remainder of Indian Premier League 2018.

Chris Morris has been ruled out of the ongoing edition of IPL as he is suffering back injury. He had missed the last game against Punjab which Delhi, eventually, lost.&nbsp

Morris has played only four games out of six and was not contributing&nbspmuch to the team.

Dala made his career debut for South Africa against India this year in a three-match&nbspT20 series.

He came into prominence in the same series by taking seven wickets in the series. Dala will be wearing jersey No 3 for Daredevils.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Wish you a speedy recovery champ! 
 
Hope to see you back in DD colours soon! ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilDilli?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilDilli</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhadkega?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhadkega</a> <a href="https://t.co/fxlsGuI3Q5">https://t.co/fxlsGuI3Q5</a>
— Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiDaredevils/status/989855415885119488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp

Chris Morris has been ruled out of the ongoing edition of IPL as he is suffering back injury

South African pacer Junior Dala has been included in the Delhi squad as the replacement for injured Chris Morris for the remainder of Indian Premier League 2018. Chris Morris has been ruled out of the ongoing edition of IPL as he is suffering back injury. He had missed the last game against Punjab which Delhi, eventually, lost. Morris has played only four games out of six and was not contributing&nbspmuch to the team. Dala made his career debut for South Africa against India this year in a three-match&nbspT20 series. He came into prominence in the same series by taking seven wickets in the series. Dala will be wearing jersey No 3 for Daredevils. Wish you a speedy recovery champ! Hope to see you back in DD colours soon! ?#DilDilli #Dhadkega https://t.co/fxlsGuI3Q5 — Delhi Daredevils (@DelhiDaredevils) April 27, 2018 ×

IPL 2018: Junior Dala replaces injured Chris Morris in Delhi squad

Gautam Gambhir has not been included in the squad of Delhi for the match&nbsp;against Kolkata on Friday, April 27 at Feroz Shah Kotla.

A few days back, Gambhir had stepped down as Delhi's captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team.

So far Gambhir has scored just 85 runs in all six matches he played with a strike rate of 96.59 which is lowest among all other captains of IPL 2018.

Currently, MS Dhoni's strike rate is best of all, which is above 151 and his outstanding batting is reflected in Chennai's overall performance as well.

In a recent media interaction, when Gambhir had announced&nbsp;that he quit the captaincy, chief of Delhi franchise, Hemant Dua, had indicated that Gambhir will be guiding the players.

So, does that mean that Gautam Gambhir has been dropped from the team following his poor performance in IPL 2018?

Gautam Gambhir has not been included in the squad of Delhi for the match against Kolkata

Gautam Gambhir has not been included in the squad of Delhi for the match against Kolkata on Friday, April 27 at Feroz Shah Kotla. A few days back, Gambhir had stepped down as Delhi's captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team. So far Gambhir has scored just 85 runs in all six matches he played with a strike rate of 96.59 which is lowest among all other captains of IPL 2018. Currently, MS Dhoni's strike rate is best of all, which is above 151 and his outstanding batting is reflected in Chennai's overall performance as well. In a recent media interaction, when Gambhir had announced that he quit the captaincy, chief of Delhi franchise, Hemant Dua, had indicated that Gambhir will be guiding the players. So, does that mean that Gautam Gambhir has been dropped from the team following his poor performance in IPL 2018?

IPL: After stepping down as Delhi captain, Gambhir dropped?

Dinesh Karthik won the toss and has opted to bowl at Feroz Shah Kotla against Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi.

Karthik has kept the playing XI almost similar to the previous clash, there is only one change in the squad, Mitchell Johnson is back at Tom Curran's place.

It was assumed that Andre Russell might not play as he had stretched his right hamstring in the last clash but contrary to that, he is fit and healthy available for tonight.

Recently, former Delhi skipper, Gautam Gambhir had stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team.

Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of the points table and skipper Shreyas Iyer admitted that the team is slightly under pressure.

Delhi need to win seven out eight remaining matches to qualify further but "it's tough, not impossible," said recently appointed skipper, Shreyas Iyer.

Delhi have entered into today's clash after making two changes.

Surprisingly, Gautam Gambhir is not playing and also Dan Christian, Vijay Shankar and Colin Munro are in at their places.

Playing XI:

Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Glenn Maxwell, Rishabh Pant(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult

Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Mitchell Johnson, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

Gautam Gambhir not included in playing XI of Delhi

Dinesh Karthik won the toss and has opted to bowl at Feroz Shah Kotla against Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi. Karthik has kept the playing XI almost similar to the previous clash, there is only one change in the squad, Mitchell Johnson is back at Tom Curran's place. It was assumed that Andre Russell might not play as he had stretched his right hamstring in the last clash but contrary to that, he is fit and healthy available for tonight. Recently, former Delhi skipper, Gautam Gambhir had stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team. Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of the points table and skipper Shreyas Iyer admitted that the team is slightly under pressure. Delhi need to win seven out eight remaining matches to qualify further but "it's tough, not impossible," said recently appointed skipper, Shreyas Iyer. Delhi have entered into today's clash after making two changes. Surprisingly, Gautam Gambhir is not playing and also Dan Christian, Vijay Shankar and Colin Munro are in at their places. Playing XI: Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Colin Munro, Glenn Maxwell, Rishabh Pant(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Vijay Shankar, Rahul Tewatia, Liam Plunkett, Amit Mishra, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Andre Russell, Shubman Gill, Mitchell Johnson, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

IPL 2018: Dinesh Karthik opts to bowl against Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi

For me, there have been two very significant events in the IPL-2018 during this week. First, after a continuous poor show of Delhi's, skipper Gautam Gambhir stepped down from the captaincy of Delhi and moreover, he decided to forgo his fee for the season.

Second, after a dismal show in first few games for Punjab, Yuvraj Singh ultimately lost place in the playing eleven.

Both of these events are significant in a sense that they indicate that curtain is coming down on the career of two of the most prolific T-20 and ODI batsmen the country has produced over the past two decades. Time takes its toll it is inevitable and same thing is happening with these two. Yuvraj made his international debut 18 years back and Gambhir around 15 years back.

These two gave Indian Cricket and it's fan precious reasons to rejoice. Everyone talks about the Dhoni’s shrewd captaincy, Joginder’s last over in T-20 final in 2007 and Dhoni’s valiant 91 and that memorable six over long on to seal the 2011 World Cup for India.

But make no mistake, Yuvraj and Gambhir played the all-important pivotal role in both 2007 & 2011.

In 2007, Yuvraj was like a hurricane. His six 6s in a single over of Stuart Broad is now an epic, once in a lifetime kind of phenomenon. Yuvraj ultimately stole the show from mighty Australians in the semi-final.

His knock of 70 off just 38 runs was decisive and made all the difference. Gambhir on other hand played a key role very subtly in 2007 T-20 World Cup.

He scored two half-centuries at the group stage and then in the final he was the highest scorer for India with a knock of 75 runs. How important that knock was, can be judged by the fact that second highest knock during the innings was 30.

In 2011 World Cup final, Gambhir was again the highest scorer with a knock of 97. As Sehwag and Tendulkar failed at the top of the order, it was Gambhir who anchored one end gave Dhoni a perfect platform to finish the match.

Yuvraj on other hand was brilliant right from the start in 2011 World Cup. He dominated the proceedings both with bat and ball and was adjourned as the player of the tournament.

It is heartbreaking to see the downfall of these two superstars. Apart from above, Yuvraj has been one the most destructive and alluring batsman, India has produced. He was the prominent member of U-19 World Cup winning Indian team in 1999 and scored a whirlwind 84 against Australia in 2000 during his ODI debut.

For Yuvraj, downfall started soon after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. In fact, it was after the final of T-20 World Cup in 2014, it became apparent that Yuvraj would never be the same player again. His 11 off 21 balls virtually costed India match.

In his generation, Gambhir has been one of the finest players against spin bowling. Unlike Yuvraj, Gambhir had a reasonable Test career as well. Though Gambhir's stint for India came to end by 2013 (he made a comeback though in 2016)

It is said that nothing lasts forever. It is now pretty apparent that it is almost end of the road for Yuvraj and Gambhir. It was bound to happen but for fans like me, it is bit disappointing, after these two gave us many reasons for happiness and pride.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

It is said that nothing lasts forever and it is now pretty apparent that it is almost end of the road for Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir

For me, there have been two very significant events in the IPL-2018 during this week. First, after a continuous poor show of Delhi's, skipper Gautam Gambhir stepped down from the captaincy of Delhi and moreover, he decided to forgo his fee for the season. Second, after a dismal show in first few games for Punjab, Yuvraj Singh ultimately lost place in the playing eleven. Both of these events are significant in a sense that they indicate that curtain is coming down on the career of two of the most prolific T-20 and ODI batsmen the country has produced over the past two decades. Time takes its toll it is inevitable and same thing is happening with these two. Yuvraj made his international debut 18 years back and Gambhir around 15 years back. These two gave Indian Cricket and it's fan precious reasons to rejoice. Everyone talks about the Dhoni’s shrewd captaincy, Joginder’s last over in T-20 final in 2007 and Dhoni’s valiant 91 and that memorable six over long on to seal the 2011 World Cup for India. But make no mistake, Yuvraj and Gambhir played the all-important pivotal role in both 2007 & 2011. In 2007, Yuvraj was like a hurricane. His six 6s in a single over of Stuart Broad is now an epic, once in a lifetime kind of phenomenon. Yuvraj ultimately stole the show from mighty Australians in the semi-final. His knock of 70 off just 38 runs was decisive and made all the difference. Gambhir on other hand played a key role very subtly in 2007 T-20 World Cup. He scored two half-centuries at the group stage and then in the final he was the highest scorer for India with a knock of 75 runs. How important that knock was, can be judged by the fact that second highest knock during the innings was 30. In 2011 World Cup final, Gambhir was again the highest scorer with a knock of 97. As Sehwag and Tendulkar failed at the top of the order, it was Gambhir who anchored one end gave Dhoni a perfect platform to finish the match. Yuvraj on other hand was brilliant right from the start in 2011 World Cup. He dominated the proceedings both with bat and ball and was adjourned as the player of the tournament. It is heartbreaking to see the downfall of these two superstars. Apart from above, Yuvraj has been one the most destructive and alluring batsman, India has produced. He was the prominent member of U-19 World Cup winning Indian team in 1999 and scored a whirlwind 84 against Australia in 2000 during his ODI debut. For Yuvraj, downfall started soon after he was diagnosed with lung cancer. In fact, it was after the final of T-20 World Cup in 2014, it became apparent that Yuvraj would never be the same player again. His 11 off 21 balls virtually costed India match. In his generation, Gambhir has been one of the finest players against spin bowling. Unlike Yuvraj, Gambhir had a reasonable Test career as well. Though Gambhir's stint for India came to end by 2013 (he made a comeback though in 2016) It is said that nothing lasts forever. It is now pretty apparent that it is almost end of the road for Yuvraj and Gambhir. It was bound to happen but for fans like me, it is bit disappointing, after these two gave us many reasons for happiness and pride. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Yuvraj & Gambhir – End of road for two greats of the game

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi host Kolkata on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of&nbsp;points table and recently got a major blow when Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team.

Under the guidance of new captain, team Delhi is looking forward to reviving the current&nbsp;form.&nbsp;

Kolkata is currently placed at number four and will look to earn two crucial points to stretch the lead from Rajasthan.

On one hand, Delhi eye to salvage&nbsp;their pride but on the other Kolkata will be happy as their opponents are going through such a poor state.

The only change for Kolkata would be Andre Russell because he stretched his right hamstring while fielding in the last clash against Punjab. Other than that, the squad is fit and healthy.

For Delhi, under-19 stars have managed to fix their spots but Shreyas Iyer might rehash the squad to make a fresh start in the ongoing tournament. Also, Shahbaz Nadeem is expected to come back as Amit Mishra was effective in the last match.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BmiRj4mQ3Z0" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Playing XI (TBC)

Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav

Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer (c), Glenn Maxwell, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Daniel Christian, Shahbaz Nadeem, Liam Plunkett, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult.

Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of the points table and recently got a major blow when Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi host Kolkata on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. Delhi is currently placed at the bottom of points table and recently got a major blow when Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday stepped down as the captain and in his absence, Shreyas Iyer has been given the responsibility to lead the team. Under the guidance of new captain, team Delhi is looking forward to reviving the current form. Kolkata is currently placed at number four and will look to earn two crucial points to stretch the lead from Rajasthan. On one hand, Delhi eye to salvage their pride but on the other Kolkata will be happy as their opponents are going through such a poor state. The only change for Kolkata would be Andre Russell because he stretched his right hamstring while fielding in the last clash against Punjab. Other than that, the squad is fit and healthy. For Delhi, under-19 stars have managed to fix their spots but Shreyas Iyer might rehash the squad to make a fresh start in the ongoing tournament. Also, Shahbaz Nadeem is expected to come back as Amit Mishra was effective in the last match. × Playing XI (TBC) Kolkata: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Nitish Rana, Dinesh Karthik, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Tom Curran, Piyush Chawla, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav Delhi: Prithvi Shaw, Gautam Gambhir, Shreyas Iyer (c), Glenn Maxwell, Rishabh Pant (wk), Rahul Tewatia, Daniel Christian, Shahbaz Nadeem, Liam Plunkett, Avesh Khan, Trent Boult.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Kolkata

Hyderabad defeated Punjab in a neck-to-neck encounter and defended a low score at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday.

Earlier, Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl and it appeared that Ashwin had taken the advantage by making the decision of bowling first as Punjab restricted Hyderabad at a very low score.

Batting first Hyderabad set a 133-run target for Punjab but the bowlers, especially Rashid Khan was outstanding as he took three crucial wickets.

Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan shared five wickets between them and shattered the massive batting strength of Punjab.

The orange army is now placed at number two on the points table of and has gained confidence now.

The credit for today's game must go to the bowling department and as the batting of Hyderabad failed miserably.

The star batsmen could not perform. Shikhar Dhawan lost his wicket after scoring 11 runs and another opener Kane Williamson went back to pavilion after scoring a duck.

Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored just six runs. The middle order batsmen salvaged the Hyderabad batting and pushed the run rate.

Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 54, 28 and 21 runs respectively and made crucial contributions to the team.

The score suggested that Punjab will easily win the match but bowlers turned the result and displayed an outstanding show to snatch the victory from Punjab's side.

Fall of wickets:

55-1 (Lokesh Rahul, 7.5), 57-2 (Chris Gayle, 8.2), 77-3 (Mayank Agarwal, 12.1), 82-4 (Karun Nair, 13.4), 88-5 (Aaron Finch, 14.2), 92-6 (Manoj Tiwary, 15.3), 96-7 (Andrew Tye, 15.5), 99-8 (Barinder Sra, 16.5), 101-9 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 17.2), 119-10 (Ankit Rajpoot, 19.2)

&nbsp;

Batting first Hyderabad set a 133-run target for Punjab but the bowlers, especially Rashid Khan was outstanding as he took three crucial wickets

Hyderabad defeated Punjab in a neck-to-neck encounter and defended a low score at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium on Thursday. Earlier, Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl and it appeared that Ashwin had taken the advantage by making the decision of bowling first as Punjab restricted Hyderabad at a very low score. Batting first Hyderabad set a 133-run target for Punjab but the bowlers, especially Rashid Khan was outstanding as he took three crucial wickets. Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan shared five wickets between them and shattered the massive batting strength of Punjab. The orange army is now placed at number two on the points table of and has gained confidence now. The credit for today's game must go to the bowling department and as the batting of Hyderabad failed miserably. The star batsmen could not perform. Shikhar Dhawan lost his wicket after scoring 11 runs and another opener Kane Williamson went back to pavilion after scoring a duck. Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored just six runs. The middle order batsmen salvaged the Hyderabad batting and pushed the run rate. Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 54, 28 and 21 runs respectively and made crucial contributions to the team. The score suggested that Punjab will easily win the match but bowlers turned the result and displayed an outstanding show to snatch the victory from Punjab's side. Fall of wickets: 55-1 (Lokesh Rahul, 7.5), 57-2 (Chris Gayle, 8.2), 77-3 (Mayank Agarwal, 12.1), 82-4 (Karun Nair, 13.4), 88-5 (Aaron Finch, 14.2), 92-6 (Manoj Tiwary, 15.3), 96-7 (Andrew Tye, 15.5), 99-8 (Barinder Sra, 16.5), 101-9 (Ravichandran Ashwin, 17.2), 119-10 (Ankit Rajpoot, 19.2)

IPL 2018: Rashid Khan shines as Hyderabad outplay Punjab to defend 132 runs

Virat Kohli has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining slow over-rate in Bangalore's clash against Chennai at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday.

The Bangalore skipper has also received an official reprimand for slow over-rate throughout his side's innings in the clash.&nbsp;

The match was won by Chennai by five wickets.

As it was Kohli's first offence this season, the Indian captain has been fined Rs12 lakh for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences.

"As it was his team`s first offence of the season under the IPL`s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Kohli was fined Rs 12 lakh," an IPL release said.

Kohli smashed just 18 runs in Bangalore's defeat as Chennai chased down the target of 206 runs with the help of MS Dhoni's unbeaten 34-ball 70 and Ambati Rayudu's 53-ball 83.

Chennai are currently standing at the top spot with 10 points, having clinched five victories out of six matches they have played so far.

Meanwhile, Bangalore slumped to their fourth loss and are at the sixth position, with just four points in their account, and having won just two matches so far.

The match was won by Chennai by five wickets.

Virat Kohli has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining slow over-rate in Bangalore's clash against Chennai at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium on Thursday. The Bangalore skipper has also received an official reprimand for slow over-rate throughout his side's innings in the clash. The match was won by Chennai by five wickets. As it was Kohli's first offence this season, the Indian captain has been fined Rs12 lakh for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences. "As it was his team`s first offence of the season under the IPL`s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over-rate offences, Kohli was fined Rs 12 lakh," an IPL release said. Kohli smashed just 18 runs in Bangalore's defeat as Chennai chased down the target of 206 runs with the help of MS Dhoni's unbeaten 34-ball 70 and Ambati Rayudu's 53-ball 83. Chennai are currently standing at the top spot with 10 points, having clinched five victories out of six matches they have played so far. Meanwhile, Bangalore slumped to their fourth loss and are at the sixth position, with just four points in their account, and having won just two matches so far.

IPL 2018: Virat Kohli fined Rs 12 lakh for slow over-rate against Chennai

Struck by the crisis emanating from Gautam Gambhir's resignation as captain, a beleaguered Delhi face a herculean task to revive their IPL campaign when they clash with Kolkata tomorrow under young skipper Shreyas Iyer.&nbsp

Gambhir leaving captaincy midway into the tournament does not guarantee resurrection of the side but the left-hander's decision has given the team management a chance to infuse new life into the franchise with new ideas.

Gambhir's rough patch, along with poor form of other batsmen, has resulted in over-reliance on young Rishabh Pant. The team has lost five of its six matches and is languishing at the bottom of the points table.

Gambhir the batsman would still be critical if a turnaround has to happen for the franchise but it remains to be seen if he remains in the playing XI.

The hosts are now in an unenvious position where they need to win seven of the remaining eight matches to be in Play-offs contention.&nbsp

The 23-year-old Iyer is faced with the enormous task of turning it around for the team as a leader.

The young batsman showed that he has the heart for a fight when he took it upon himself to steer the side against Punjab.

He almost pulled it off but fell short by one big shot. However, it was a performance which indicated that he is not averse to taking responsibility, which is the need of the hour.&nbsp

Delhi have not been particularly lucky on the fitness front either with Jason Roy (side strain) and Chris Morris (back problem) recovering.

The only game Delhi have won so far was shaped by Roy's unbeaten whirlwind knock of 91 on debut.&nbsp

A big player not to have clicked for them is Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell.&nbsp

Maxwell has scores of 17, 13, 47, 4 and 12 so far and it is absolutely imperative for the Daredevils that he regains his form.

On the other hand, Kolkata&nbspare also struggling a bit with their bowling. But what has worked reasonably well for them is their batting. Their willow-wielders have been contributing consistently, twice taking the side past the 200-mark but bowlers have struggled to defend even big totals.&nbsp

Kolkata have won three matches and lost as many to sit fourth in the table.

The last time the two sides clashed, it was Kolkata which dominated by putting 200 runs on the board to win by a comprehensive 71-run margin.

It's a spin-heavy attack with Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla doing the bulk of the job.

The slow conditions at the Feroze Shah Kotla are likely to suit this combination while the young Shivam Mavi and England's Tom Curran would spearheading the pace attack.

Australian quick Mitchell Johnson has got only two games so far.

Andre Russell has done a fine all-round job for them and the West Indian continues to be a vital cog for them. His brute power would be of immense use on Kotla pitch where the ball may not come on to the bat easily. The conditions will testing for Kolkata batsmen.&nbsp 
&nbsp

Gambir resigned as Delhi skipper yesterday

Struck by the crisis emanating from Gautam Gambhir's resignation as captain, a beleaguered Delhi face a herculean task to revive their IPL campaign when they clash with Kolkata tomorrow under young skipper Shreyas Iyer. Gambhir leaving captaincy midway into the tournament does not guarantee resurrection of the side but the left-hander's decision has given the team management a chance to infuse new life into the franchise with new ideas. Gambhir's rough patch, along with poor form of other batsmen, has resulted in over-reliance on young Rishabh Pant. The team has lost five of its six matches and is languishing at the bottom of the points table. Gambhir the batsman would still be critical if a turnaround has to happen for the franchise but it remains to be seen if he remains in the playing XI. The hosts are now in an unenvious position where they need to win seven of the remaining eight matches to be in Play-offs contention. The 23-year-old Iyer is faced with the enormous task of turning it around for the team as a leader. The young batsman showed that he has the heart for a fight when he took it upon himself to steer the side against Punjab. He almost pulled it off but fell short by one big shot. However, it was a performance which indicated that he is not averse to taking responsibility, which is the need of the hour. Delhi have not been particularly lucky on the fitness front either with Jason Roy (side strain) and Chris Morris (back problem) recovering. The only game Delhi have won so far was shaped by Roy's unbeaten whirlwind knock of 91 on debut. A big player not to have clicked for them is Australian all-rounder Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell has scores of 17, 13, 47, 4 and 12 so far and it is absolutely imperative for the Daredevils that he regains his form. On the other hand, Kolkata&nbspare also struggling a bit with their bowling. But what has worked reasonably well for them is their batting. Their willow-wielders have been contributing consistently, twice taking the side past the 200-mark but bowlers have struggled to defend even big totals. Kolkata have won three matches and lost as many to sit fourth in the table. The last time the two sides clashed, it was Kolkata which dominated by putting 200 runs on the board to win by a comprehensive 71-run margin. It's a spin-heavy attack with Sunil Narine, Kuldeep Yadav and Piyush Chawla doing the bulk of the job. The slow conditions at the Feroze Shah Kotla are likely to suit this combination while the young Shivam Mavi and England's Tom Curran would spearheading the pace attack. Australian quick Mitchell Johnson has got only two games so far. Andre Russell has done a fine all-round job for them and the West Indian continues to be a vital cog for them. His brute power would be of immense use on Kotla pitch where the ball may not come on to the bat easily. The conditions will testing for Kolkata batsmen.

IPL 2018: Delhi seek revival of fortune under new captain Iyer

Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a skipper's knock to help Chennai chase the mammoth target of 205 set by Bangalore.

The Chennai skipper again finished off in style as he slammed a six of third last ball to achieve the target.

Ambati Rayudu also slammed a 53-ball 82 to give his team a great start. He played remarkable strokes to deplete Bangalore's bolwing attack. &nbsp

Chennai had a poor start as they lost Shane Watson and Suresh Raina too early.&nbsp

Earlier, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock powred Bangalore to 205 &nbspagainst Chennai at the at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Both De Villiers and de Kock went berserk after Virat Kohli's wicket and slammed half-centuries each.

While De Villiers smashed 68 off just 30balls, de Kock destroyed Chennai's bowling attack by making 53 off 37 balls.

However, the two lost their wickets in quick successions. &nbsp

Skipper Kohli brought a change in his batting position and opened with de Kock but failed to give that start after he gave simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja of Thakur.

Mandeep Singh too stood up for the team and slammed 17-ball 32 to help them set a decent total.

MS Dhoni on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament.

Talking about his decision to bowl, Dhoni said,"We will bowl first. It (the pitch) looks good from the top, but when you rub the fingers over it, it's slightly wet. Sometimes it affects, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tough ground to defend. We have got equal amount of support (smiles). "

"It's rare, when you come to Bangalore, you don't get this kind of support. It's good, generally it's a good crowd in Bangalore irrespective of which team is playing. It is one of the best stadiums to play in because of the crowd," he added.

When asked if he feels there is any kind of rivalry with Virat, Dhoni said,"I never felt it was about a personal rivalry (on playing against Virat). It's a sport that we are supposed to play in the right spirit."

When asked Virat about the strategy he has for today's game, Virat said,"good to see the mix of yellow and red in the same stadium. Looking forward to a good game of cricket. We just need to focus on one game at a time. CSK have played some good cricket."

"Two teams play well and stay at the top and four others are fighting for two spots. We are in the group of four. We need to keep playing the kind of cricket we played in the last game. We have two changes as well," the Bangalore skipper added.&nbsp

If seen the squad of the two teams, then for Chennai Karn Sharma and Faf du Plessis make way for Harbhajan and Imran Tahir, while Pawan Negi replaced Manan Vohra and Colin de Grandhomme is playing in place of Chris Woakes.

Teams: 
Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

Dhoni slammed a six of third last ball to achieve the target

Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a skipper's knock to help Chennai chase the mammoth target of 205 set by Bangalore. The Chennai skipper again finished off in style as he slammed a six of third last ball to achieve the target. Ambati Rayudu also slammed a 53-ball 82 to give his team a great start. He played remarkable strokes to deplete Bangalore's bolwing attack. Chennai had a poor start as they lost Shane Watson and Suresh Raina too early. Earlier, AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock powred Bangalore to 205 &nbspagainst Chennai at the at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Both De Villiers and de Kock went berserk after Virat Kohli's wicket and slammed half-centuries each. While De Villiers smashed 68 off just 30balls, de Kock destroyed Chennai's bowling attack by making 53 off 37 balls. However, the two lost their wickets in quick successions. Skipper Kohli brought a change in his batting position and opened with de Kock but failed to give that start after he gave simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja of Thakur. Mandeep Singh too stood up for the team and slammed 17-ball 32 to help them set a decent total. MS Dhoni on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament. Talking about his decision to bowl, Dhoni said,"We will bowl first. It (the pitch) looks good from the top, but when you rub the fingers over it, it's slightly wet. Sometimes it affects, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tough ground to defend. We have got equal amount of support (smiles). " "It's rare, when you come to Bangalore, you don't get this kind of support. It's good, generally it's a good crowd in Bangalore irrespective of which team is playing. It is one of the best stadiums to play in because of the crowd," he added. When asked if he feels there is any kind of rivalry with Virat, Dhoni said,"I never felt it was about a personal rivalry (on playing against Virat). It's a sport that we are supposed to play in the right spirit." When asked Virat about the strategy he has for today's game, Virat said,"good to see the mix of yellow and red in the same stadium. Looking forward to a good game of cricket. We just need to focus on one game at a time. CSK have played some good cricket." "Two teams play well and stay at the top and four others are fighting for two spots. We are in the group of four. We need to keep playing the kind of cricket we played in the last game. We have two changes as well," the Bangalore skipper added. If seen the squad of the two teams, then for Chennai Karn Sharma and Faf du Plessis make way for Harbhajan and Imran Tahir, while Pawan Negi replaced Manan Vohra and Colin de Grandhomme is playing in place of Chris Woakes. Teams: Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni leads Chennai to thrilling win against Bangalore

Hyderabad set 133-run target for Punjab at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Hyderabad on Thursday. Earlier, Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl. Ashwin took the advantage of the pitch by making the decision of bowling first.

The batting department of Hyderabad failed as the star batsmen could not perform. Shikhar Dhawan lost his wicket after scoring 11 runs and another opener Kane Williamson went back to pavilion after scoring a duck.

Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored just six runs. The middle order batsmen salvaged the Hyderabad batting and pushed the run rate.

Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 54, 28 and 21 runs respectively and made crucial contributions to the team.

Fall of wickets:

1-1 (Kane Williamson, 0.4), 16-2 (Shikhar Dhawan, 2.2), 27-3 (Wriddhiman Saha, 4.5), 79-4 (Shakib Al Hasan, 13.4), 128-5 (Manish Pandey, 19.4), 132-6 (Mohammad Nabi, 19.6)

The batting department of Hyderabad failed as the star batsmen did not perform

Hyderabad set 133-run target for Punjab at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Hyderabad on Thursday. Earlier, Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl. Ashwin took the advantage of the pitch by making the decision of bowling first. The batting department of Hyderabad failed as the star batsmen could not perform. Shikhar Dhawan lost his wicket after scoring 11 runs and another opener Kane Williamson went back to pavilion after scoring a duck. Wicket-keeper batsman Wriddhiman Saha scored just six runs. The middle order batsmen salvaged the Hyderabad batting and pushed the run rate. Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 54, 28 and 21 runs respectively and made crucial contributions to the team. Fall of wickets: 1-1 (Kane Williamson, 0.4), 16-2 (Shikhar Dhawan, 2.2), 27-3 (Wriddhiman Saha, 4.5), 79-4 (Shakib Al Hasan, 13.4), 128-5 (Manish Pandey, 19.4), 132-6 (Mohammad Nabi, 19.6)

IPL 2018: Hyderabad set 133-run target for Punjab

Mahendra Singh Dhoni played an outstanding inning to help Chennai chase a high-scoring match against Bangalore at Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday.

He scored 70 runs off just 34 balls with a strike rate of 205.88 and in his signature style, he finished the innings by hitting a sixer to mark the victory.

After winning the crucial encounter, Dhoni&nbsp;engaged himself with some "daddy's duties." In a recent video that he shared on Instagram, he was found blow drying daughter Ziva's hair.&nbsp;

"Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties," says Chennai skipper Dhoni as the caption of the video. Fans and followers have flooded the comments section with "AWWs" and "OMGs"

Watch the adorable video here:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiB3dqknOPG/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:62.43055555555556% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BiB3dqknOPG/" 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">Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties</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="2018-04-26T09:54:23+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">Apr 26, 2018 at 2:54am PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Chennai team is currently placed atop of the points table and preparing for the next clash which is against Mumbai on Saturday, April 28.

"Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties," says Chennai skipper MS Dhoni

Mahendra Singh Dhoni played an outstanding inning to help Chennai chase a high-scoring match against Bangalore at Chinnaswamy stadium on Wednesday. He scored 70 runs off just 34 balls with a strike rate of 205.88 and in his signature style, he finished the innings by hitting a sixer to mark the victory. After winning the crucial encounter, Dhoni engaged himself with some "daddy's duties." In a recent video that he shared on Instagram, he was found blow drying daughter Ziva's hair. "Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties," says Chennai skipper Dhoni as the caption of the video. Fans and followers have flooded the comments section with "AWWs" and "OMGs" Watch the adorable video here: Game over, had a nice sleep now back to Daddy’s duties A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) on Apr 26, 2018 at 2:54am PDT × Chennai team is currently placed atop of the points table and preparing for the next clash which is against Mumbai on Saturday, April 28.

Watch: After defeating Bangalore, MS Dhoni 'back to Daddy’s duties'

Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl first at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Hyderabad on Thursday.

The pitch is appearing to be batting friendly and Hyderabad need to put up a giant score in order to win the clash.

Kane Williamson mentioned about Chris Gayle's performance and said that he is a "dangerous player". Williamson has not any changes in the squad.

On the other hand, Ashwin has taken advantage of the pitch by making the decision of bowling first.

For Punjab, 'hit machine' Gayle is back as he missed the last game due to a sore back and also Manoj Tiwari is in the playing XI.

Playing XI:

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Wriddhiman Saha(w), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Manoj Tiwary, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

Punjab won the toss and opted to bowl first at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium against Hyderabad on Thursday. The pitch is appearing to be batting friendly and Hyderabad need to put up a giant score in order to win the clash. Kane Williamson mentioned about Chris Gayle's performance and said that he is a "dangerous player". Williamson has not any changes in the squad. On the other hand, Ashwin has taken advantage of the pitch by making the decision of bowling first. For Punjab, 'hit machine' Gayle is back as he missed the last game due to a sore back and also Manoj Tiwari is in the playing XI. Playing XI: Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Wriddhiman Saha(w), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Karun Nair, Aaron Finch, Manoj Tiwary, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Barinder Sran, Ankit Rajpoot, Mujeeb Ur Rahman

IPL 2018: Ashwin opts to bowl against Hyderabad

A charged-up Hyderabad will have revenge on their minds when they face an in-form Punjab in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

In their previous encounter, Punjab defeated Hyderabad by 15 runs after Chris Gayle smashed a ton in Mohali.&nbsp;

Hyderabad, on the other hand, defended a modest 118 against Mumbai on Tuesday to bring their campaign back on track after suffering back-to-back defeats.

Despite missing the services of injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sunrisers showed their bowling prowess.&nbsp;

Pacer Siddarth Kaul and leg-spinner Rashid Khan helped the home team dismiss the two-time champions for 87 on a slow wicket at the Wankhede Stadium to record a 31-run victory.

Skipper Kane Williamson, is indeed the backbone of the franchise, &nbsp;and is leading from the front with 259 runs. Even Kaul is standing out with nine wickets in the tournament so far.

The West Indian T20 exponent Gayle has looked in ominous form this season with a hundred and two fifties.

However, Gayle had missed the last match against Delhi Daredevils as he was a bit sore and Punjab would hope the opener makes it to the playing XI today.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pSSqGHV3Vxo" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

His opening partner KL Rahul too has looked in good touch scoring 236 runs including two half-centuries.&nbsp;

Punjab will be again banking on the dangerous duo to give them another flying start while Hyderabad will be focused on dismissing them cheaply.

In Bhuvneshwar's absence, Siddarth and Basil Thampi will have to take the responsibility early on and the spin trio of Rashid, Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Nabi will hold the key in the middle overs. 
&nbsp;

In their previous encounter, Punjab defeated Hyderabad by 15 runs after Chris Gayle smashed a ton in Mohali.

A charged-up Hyderabad will have revenge on their minds when they face an in-form Punjab in the Indian Premier League on Thursday. In their previous encounter, Punjab defeated Hyderabad by 15 runs after Chris Gayle smashed a ton in Mohali. Hyderabad, on the other hand, defended a modest 118 against Mumbai on Tuesday to bring their campaign back on track after suffering back-to-back defeats. Despite missing the services of injured Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Sunrisers showed their bowling prowess. Pacer Siddarth Kaul and leg-spinner Rashid Khan helped the home team dismiss the two-time champions for 87 on a slow wicket at the Wankhede Stadium to record a 31-run victory. Skipper Kane Williamson, is indeed the backbone of the franchise, and is leading from the front with 259 runs. Even Kaul is standing out with nine wickets in the tournament so far. The West Indian T20 exponent Gayle has looked in ominous form this season with a hundred and two fifties. However, Gayle had missed the last match against Delhi Daredevils as he was a bit sore and Punjab would hope the opener makes it to the playing XI today. × His opening partner KL Rahul too has looked in good touch scoring 236 runs including two half-centuries. Punjab will be again banking on the dangerous duo to give them another flying start while Hyderabad will be focused on dismissing them cheaply. In Bhuvneshwar's absence, Siddarth and Basil Thampi will have to take the responsibility early on and the spin trio of Rashid, Shakib Al Hasan and Mohammad Nabi will hold the key in the middle overs.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Punjab vs Hyderabad

AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock powred Bangalore to 205 &nbsp;against Chennai at the at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

Both De Villiers and de Kock went berserk after Virat Kohli's wicket and slammed half-century&nbsp;each.

While De Villiers smashed 68 off just 30balls, de Kock destroyed Chennai's bowling attack by making 53 off 37 balls.

However, the two lost their wickets in quick successions. &nbsp;

Skipper Kohli brought a change in his batting position and opened with de Kock but failed to give that start after he gave simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja of Thakur.

Mandeep Singh too stood up for the team and slammed 17-ball 32 to help them set a decent total.

MS Dhoni on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament.

Talking about his decision to bowl, Dhoni said,"We will bowl first. It (the pitch) looks good from the top, but when you rub the fingers over it, it's slightly wet. Sometimes it affects, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tough ground to defend. We have got equal amount of support (smiles). "

"It's rare, when you come to Bangalore, you don't get this kind of support. It's good, generally it's a good crowd in Bangalore irrespective of which team is playing. It is one of the best stadiums to play in because of the crowd," he added.

When asked if he feels there is any kind of rivalry with Virat, Dhoni said,"I never felt it was about a personal rivalry (on playing against Virat). It's a sport that we are supposed to play in the right spirit."

When asked Virat about the strategy he has for today's game, Virat said,"good to see the mix of yellow and red in the same stadium. Looking forward to a good game of cricket. We just need to focus on one game at a time. CSK have played some good cricket."

"Two teams play well and stay at the top and four others are fighting for two spots. We are in the group of four. We need to keep playing the kind of cricket we played in the last game. We have two changes as well," the Bangalore skipper added.&nbsp;

If seen the squad of the two teams, then for Chennai Karn Sharma and Faf du Plessis make way for Harbhajan and Imran Tahir, while Pawan Negi replaced Manan Vohra and Colin de Grandhomme is playing in place of Chris Woakes.

Teams: 
Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

Both De Villiers and de Kock went berserk after Virat Kohli's wicket.

AB de Villiers and Quinton de Kock powred Bangalore to 205 against Chennai at the at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. Both De Villiers and de Kock went berserk after Virat Kohli's wicket and slammed half-century each. While De Villiers smashed 68 off just 30balls, de Kock destroyed Chennai's bowling attack by making 53 off 37 balls. However, the two lost their wickets in quick successions. Skipper Kohli brought a change in his batting position and opened with de Kock but failed to give that start after he gave simple catch to Ravindra Jadeja of Thakur. Mandeep Singh too stood up for the team and slammed 17-ball 32 to help them set a decent total. MS Dhoni on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament. Talking about his decision to bowl, Dhoni said,"We will bowl first. It (the pitch) looks good from the top, but when you rub the fingers over it, it's slightly wet. Sometimes it affects, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tough ground to defend. We have got equal amount of support (smiles). " "It's rare, when you come to Bangalore, you don't get this kind of support. It's good, generally it's a good crowd in Bangalore irrespective of which team is playing. It is one of the best stadiums to play in because of the crowd," he added. When asked if he feels there is any kind of rivalry with Virat, Dhoni said,"I never felt it was about a personal rivalry (on playing against Virat). It's a sport that we are supposed to play in the right spirit." When asked Virat about the strategy he has for today's game, Virat said,"good to see the mix of yellow and red in the same stadium. Looking forward to a good game of cricket. We just need to focus on one game at a time. CSK have played some good cricket." "Two teams play well and stay at the top and four others are fighting for two spots. We are in the group of four. We need to keep playing the kind of cricket we played in the last game. We have two changes as well," the Bangalore skipper added. If seen the squad of the two teams, then for Chennai Karn Sharma and Faf du Plessis make way for Harbhajan and Imran Tahir, while Pawan Negi replaced Manan Vohra and Colin de Grandhomme is playing in place of Chris Woakes. Teams: Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

IPL 2018: De Villiers, de Kock's century stand help Bangalore post 205 runs

MS Dhoni on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday.

It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament.

Talking about his decision to bowl, Dhoni said,"We will bowl first. It (the pitch) looks good from the top, but when you rub the fingers over it, it's slightly wet. Sometimes it affects, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tough ground to defend. We have got equal amount of support (smiles). "

"It's rare, when you come to Bangalore, you don't get this kind of support. It's good, generally it's a good crowd in Bangalore irrespective of which team is playing. It is one of the best stadiums to play in because of the crowd," he added.

When asked if he feels there is any kind of rivalry with Virat, Dhoni said,"I never felt it was about a personal rivalry (on playing against Virat). It's a sport that we are supposed to play in the right spirit."

When asked Virat about the strategy he has for today's game, Virat said,"good to see the mix of yellow and red in the same stadium. Looking forward to a good game of cricket. We just need to focus on one game at a time. CSK have played some good cricket."

"Two teams play well and stay at the top and four others are fighting for two spots. We are in the group of four. We need to keep playing the kind of cricket we played in the last game. We have two changes as well," the Bangalore skipper added.&nbsp

If seen the squad of the two teams, then for Chennai Karn Sharma and Faf du Plessis make way for Harbhajan and Imran Tahir, while Pawan Negi replaced Manan Vohra and Colin de Grandhomme is playing in place of Chris Woakes.

Teams: 
Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament.

MS Dhoni on Wednesday won the toss and opted to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore at the M.Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday. It will be the first time when Kohli will come face to face with Dhoni in this year's cash-rich tournament. Talking about his decision to bowl, Dhoni said,"We will bowl first. It (the pitch) looks good from the top, but when you rub the fingers over it, it's slightly wet. Sometimes it affects, sometimes it doesn't. It's a tough ground to defend. We have got equal amount of support (smiles). " "It's rare, when you come to Bangalore, you don't get this kind of support. It's good, generally it's a good crowd in Bangalore irrespective of which team is playing. It is one of the best stadiums to play in because of the crowd," he added. When asked if he feels there is any kind of rivalry with Virat, Dhoni said,"I never felt it was about a personal rivalry (on playing against Virat). It's a sport that we are supposed to play in the right spirit." When asked Virat about the strategy he has for today's game, Virat said,"good to see the mix of yellow and red in the same stadium. Looking forward to a good game of cricket. We just need to focus on one game at a time. CSK have played some good cricket." "Two teams play well and stay at the top and four others are fighting for two spots. We are in the group of four. We need to keep playing the kind of cricket we played in the last game. We have two changes as well," the Bangalore skipper added. If seen the squad of the two teams, then for Chennai Karn Sharma and Faf du Plessis make way for Harbhajan and Imran Tahir, while Pawan Negi replaced Manan Vohra and Colin de Grandhomme is playing in place of Chris Woakes. Teams: Bangalore (Playing XI): Quinton de Kock(w), Virat Kohli(c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Corey Anderson, Colin de Grandhomme, Washington Sundar, Pawan Negi, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, Sam Billings, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Imran Tahir

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni wins toss, opts to bowl against Virat Kohli-led Bangalore

Defending champions Mumbai failed to chase the lowest score set by any team in IPL 2018, and lost to Hyderabad by 31 runs at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. &nbsp;

Mumbai lose 5 in chase of 119, out of six games played in this year's cash-rich tournament.&nbsp;

Apart from Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya no other player reached the two digit mark.&nbsp;

Their batting line failed to score any runs and the credit goes to Hyderabad's bowlers.

Siddarth Kaul bagged three wickets while Rashid Khan and Basil Thampi took two wickets each.

Kane Williamson-led side was bowled for just 118 runs, setting the lowest target for any franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Hyderabad had a poor start as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan and Saha too early. for just five runs. He was bowled by McClenaghan.

In the same over, the Mumbai pacer managed to send wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha back to the pavilion on a duck. So far, Saha did not had a good campaign in the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp;

Skipper Williamson, who was the backbone of the franchise in last all matches, failed to stand up for the team this team. &nbsp;

He gave away his wicket to Hardik Pandya after making 29 runs off 21 balls.&nbsp;

However, he is the highest scorer for the franchise.

As usual, the downline again failed to perform, resulting in a poor score on the board. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Yusuf Pathan tried to save Hyderabad from drowning but was also sent back by Mustafizur.&nbsp;

He became the second highest scorer for the team by making 29 runs off 33 balls. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Earlier, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai, which lost four out of five games played, will be looking to outplay Kane Williamson-side in order to get their campaign back on track.

Talking about his team and strategy for today, the Mumbai batsman said, "We are gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and it is hard ground to defend. Not gonna change a lot through the course of 40 overs. It's been a little disappointing in those terms (losing close games). We played good cricket and it is just the finishing touch we are lacking."

"We played five games so far and we need to understand as a team where we went wrong. It is a fresh game and we want to treat every game as a new game and start afresh because it is important to keep our head straight and work towards the victory. We are unchanged," he added.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost two consecutive matches. The team had given a good start to their campaign in this year's IPL as they won three matches in a row to be at the top of the points table.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the last match against Chennai due to injury, is making a return. The franchise is highly dependent on openers as the middle-batting order has not performed so far.

Talking about their strategy for today, Williamson said, "We would have liked to bowl as well. It does look like a good surface and whatever we are gonna do, we should do well. We are going with 3 spinners and 3 seamers."

"Obviously number of injuries with Bhuvi and Stanlake missing out with injuries. Shikhar is back in the side. Nabi and Thampi are in too. Exciting times for us as some of the guys have got the opportunity for the first time this season. Looking forward to an exciting contest," the Hyderabad skipper added.

The franchise suffered a huge blow as star pacer Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fractured finger.&nbsp;

Mumbai lose five out of six games played in this year's cash-rich tournament.

Defending champions Mumbai failed to chase the lowest score set by any team in IPL 2018, and lost to Hyderabad by 31 runs at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Mumbai lose 5 in chase of 119, out of six games played in this year's cash-rich tournament. Apart from Suryakumar Yadav and Krunal Pandya no other player reached the two digit mark. Their batting line failed to score any runs and the credit goes to Hyderabad's bowlers. Siddarth Kaul bagged three wickets while Rashid Khan and Basil Thampi took two wickets each. Kane Williamson-led side was bowled for just 118 runs, setting the lowest target for any franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Hyderabad had a poor start as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan and Saha too early. for just five runs. He was bowled by McClenaghan. In the same over, the Mumbai pacer managed to send wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha back to the pavilion on a duck. So far, Saha did not had a good campaign in the cash-rich tournament. Skipper Williamson, who was the backbone of the franchise in last all matches, failed to stand up for the team this team. He gave away his wicket to Hardik Pandya after making 29 runs off 21 balls. However, he is the highest scorer for the franchise. As usual, the downline again failed to perform, resulting in a poor score on the board. Yusuf Pathan tried to save Hyderabad from drowning but was also sent back by Mustafizur. He became the second highest scorer for the team by making 29 runs off 33 balls. Earlier, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai, which lost four out of five games played, will be looking to outplay Kane Williamson-side in order to get their campaign back on track. Talking about his team and strategy for today, the Mumbai batsman said, "We are gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and it is hard ground to defend. Not gonna change a lot through the course of 40 overs. It's been a little disappointing in those terms (losing close games). We played good cricket and it is just the finishing touch we are lacking." "We played five games so far and we need to understand as a team where we went wrong. It is a fresh game and we want to treat every game as a new game and start afresh because it is important to keep our head straight and work towards the victory. We are unchanged," he added. Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost two consecutive matches. The team had given a good start to their campaign in this year's IPL as they won three matches in a row to be at the top of the points table. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the last match against Chennai due to injury, is making a return. The franchise is highly dependent on openers as the middle-batting order has not performed so far. Talking about their strategy for today, Williamson said, "We would have liked to bowl as well. It does look like a good surface and whatever we are gonna do, we should do well. We are going with 3 spinners and 3 seamers." "Obviously number of injuries with Bhuvi and Stanlake missing out with injuries. Shikhar is back in the side. Nabi and Thampi are in too. Exciting times for us as some of the guys have got the opportunity for the first time this season. Looking forward to an exciting contest," the Hyderabad skipper added. The franchise suffered a huge blow as star pacer Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fractured finger.

IPL 2018: Hyderabad trounce Mumbai at Wankhede

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-trade-deficit-on-mind-modi-heads-to-wuhan-for-informal-meeting-with-xi-jinping-132774">With trade deficit on </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-trade-deficit-on-mind-modi-heads-to-wuhan-for-informal-meeting-with-xi-jinping-132774">mind</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/with-trade-deficit-on-mind-modi-heads-to-wuhan-for-informal-meeting-with-xi-jinping-132774">, Modi heads to Wuhan for 'informal meeting' with Xi Jinping</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China for two days for an 'informal meeting' with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbours.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/iran-pours-scorn-on-nuclear-talks-dismisses-tradesman-trump-132796">Iran pours scorn on nuclear talks, dismisses 'tradesman' Trump</a>

Iran's president poured scorn on Wednesday on US and European discussions over Tehran's nuclear agreement, and dismissed Donald Trump as a "tradesman" who lacked the qualifications to deal with a complex international pact.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/karnataka-assembly-election-2018-modi-and-yogi-are-north-indian-imports-says-siddaramaiah-132772">Karnataka Assembly Election: Modi and Yogi are north Indian imports, says Siddaramaiah</a>

Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath "North Indian imports" in the May 12 election campaign and said it had no leaders in the state.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/asaram-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-till-death-to-file-bail-plea-tomorrow-132769">Asaram sentenced to life imprisonment till death, to file bail plea tomorrow</a>

Nearly five years after rape charges were levelled against Asaram Bapu, the Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court today awarded life imprisonment to the self-styled godman, while the two other co-accused got a 20-year jail term.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2018-gautam-gambhir-steps-down-as-delhi-captain-says-couldnt-handle-the-pressure--132764">IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir steps down as Delhi captain, says 'couldn't handle the pressure'</a>

Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday stepped down as the captain of Delhi, after the team poor's performance in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League (IPL). &nbsp

Read the five big stories of the day here

With trade deficit on mind, Modi heads to Wuhan for 'informal meeting' with Xi Jinping Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit China for two days for an 'informal meeting' with President Xi Jinping, as efforts at rapprochement gather pace following a testing year in ties between the two giant neighbours. Iran pours scorn on nuclear talks, dismisses 'tradesman' Trump Iran's president poured scorn on Wednesday on US and European discussions over Tehran's nuclear agreement, and dismissed Donald Trump as a "tradesman" who lacked the qualifications to deal with a complex international pact. Karnataka Assembly Election: Modi and Yogi are north Indian imports, says Siddaramaiah Chief Minister of Karnataka Siddaramaiah on Wednesday called Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath "North Indian imports" in the May 12 election campaign and said it had no leaders in the state. Asaram sentenced to life imprisonment till death, to file bail plea tomorrow Nearly five years after rape charges were levelled against Asaram Bapu, the Jodhpur Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe Court today awarded life imprisonment to the self-styled godman, while the two other co-accused got a 20-year jail term. IPL 2018: Gautam Gambhir steps down as Delhi captain, says 'couldn't handle the pressure' Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday stepped down as the captain of Delhi, after the team poor's performance in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League (IPL).

News brief: Big stories of the day

Every time I see Sourav Ganguly I ponder that whether Ganguly ever called up Vinod Kambli to show his gratitude. After all, if Kambli did not have that typical streak of self-destruction, the fate of both Kambli and Ganguly would have been different.

Vinod Kambli was the brightest star of Indian middle order after his back to back Test double centuries in 1993. He started taking his success for granted and by 1995, his life was on a different track altogether.

More than his batting he was paying attention to style quotient, to his hairstyle and kind of beard he would sport. His non-seriousness was palpable on the ground. By the time World Cup 1996 was over, his crankiness was way beyond the acceptable zone.

Kambli was dropped from the side which toured England in the summer of 1996. Another elegant southpaw Ganguly (along with Rahul Dravid) grabbed the opportunity with both hands and Kambli never played for India.

Few years further back in 1984-85, another "style bhai" Sandeep Patil played a sheer reckless shot in Delhi Test against England at the time when India was struggling to save Test.

Patil was dropped as punishment and he was replaced by Azharuddin. Azhar grabbed the opportunity and scored three centuries back to back. Sandeep Patil never played for India.

On Tuesday's night, when I saw Mumbai catapulting against a total of 118 of Sunrisers Hyderabad, I was not only feeling very sorry for the team but also for the talented young player like Hardik Pandya. Chasing a total of 118, Mumbai was bundled out for just 87.

Hardik Pandya, playing down the order scored just 3 runs facing 19 balls. When Pandya was returning back to the pavilion, I was sensing and fearing that Pandya may end up as another Patil or Kambli, a premature end of a promising player. After the match, Mumbai's coach Mahela Jayawardene minced no words and censured Pandya in particular for the poor show.

Just a few months back, Hardik Pandya was a new poster boy of Indian Cricket. Many believe that he would be for India what Ben Stokes is for England. In my opinion, His swashbuckling knock at Cape Town is one of best knocks by an Indian number seven overseas in recent Test series with South Africa.

But then at Cape Town, he blew the credentials he earned by his callous attitude. His casual running at the Centurion was deplorable and moreover, the smugness with which strolled back to the pavilion after throwing his wicket was beyond limits actually.

At Pandya's age, steep success may come with a desire to become the super stud and ultra-cool on the field. One tends to become swagger. It has even happened to people like Sachin Tendulkar. 1998 was the whirlwind year for Tendulkar. He scored nine ODI centuries in a single calendar year.

He singles handily decimated Australia in home Test series. In January 1999, India played the first Test of a Test series against Pakistan at Chennai. Tendulkar came to bat with a mindset to dominate bowling right from the word go and Saqlain sent him back without scoring. Tendulkar learned his lesson. He scored a magnificent century in the second innings. He did a timely course correction.

A few years back I read an interview of Sandeep Patil. Patil, in fact, was admitting and repenting that in Delhi he blundered and agreed that he was not taking his game seriously and paid the hefty price.

Pandya needs to take a cue from the past and control and his aggression and attitude. Nothing wrong with your desire with showmanship but your duties come first and Pandya needs to understand this.

Changing hairstyle every week will not give you sustained success, but toiling at the net and your desire to improve continually will deliver it for sure. Complacency can be career limiting. Mahela Jayawardene has also clearly told that Hardik Pandya need to work harder and evolve to become a consistent cricketer.

He is a talented cricketer and if he can reorganise his energy, he is a serious long-term prospect for the side. Or else there is no dearth of talent to replace him.

An Azharuddin or a Ganguly is always there to grab the opportunity.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Hardik Pandya needs to take a cue from the past and control and his aggression and attitude

Every time I see Sourav Ganguly I ponder that whether Ganguly ever called up Vinod Kambli to show his gratitude. After all, if Kambli did not have that typical streak of self-destruction, the fate of both Kambli and Ganguly would have been different. Vinod Kambli was the brightest star of Indian middle order after his back to back Test double centuries in 1993. He started taking his success for granted and by 1995, his life was on a different track altogether. More than his batting he was paying attention to style quotient, to his hairstyle and kind of beard he would sport. His non-seriousness was palpable on the ground. By the time World Cup 1996 was over, his crankiness was way beyond the acceptable zone. Kambli was dropped from the side which toured England in the summer of 1996. Another elegant southpaw Ganguly (along with Rahul Dravid) grabbed the opportunity with both hands and Kambli never played for India. Few years further back in 1984-85, another "style bhai" Sandeep Patil played a sheer reckless shot in Delhi Test against England at the time when India was struggling to save Test. Patil was dropped as punishment and he was replaced by Azharuddin. Azhar grabbed the opportunity and scored three centuries back to back. Sandeep Patil never played for India. On Tuesday's night, when I saw Mumbai catapulting against a total of 118 of Sunrisers Hyderabad, I was not only feeling very sorry for the team but also for the talented young player like Hardik Pandya. Chasing a total of 118, Mumbai was bundled out for just 87. Hardik Pandya, playing down the order scored just 3 runs facing 19 balls. When Pandya was returning back to the pavilion, I was sensing and fearing that Pandya may end up as another Patil or Kambli, a premature end of a promising player. After the match, Mumbai's coach Mahela Jayawardene minced no words and censured Pandya in particular for the poor show. Just a few months back, Hardik Pandya was a new poster boy of Indian Cricket. Many believe that he would be for India what Ben Stokes is for England. In my opinion, His swashbuckling knock at Cape Town is one of best knocks by an Indian number seven overseas in recent Test series with South Africa. But then at Cape Town, he blew the credentials he earned by his callous attitude. His casual running at the Centurion was deplorable and moreover, the smugness with which strolled back to the pavilion after throwing his wicket was beyond limits actually. At Pandya's age, steep success may come with a desire to become the super stud and ultra-cool on the field. One tends to become swagger. It has even happened to people like Sachin Tendulkar. 1998 was the whirlwind year for Tendulkar. He scored nine ODI centuries in a single calendar year. He singles handily decimated Australia in home Test series. In January 1999, India played the first Test of a Test series against Pakistan at Chennai. Tendulkar came to bat with a mindset to dominate bowling right from the word go and Saqlain sent him back without scoring. Tendulkar learned his lesson. He scored a magnificent century in the second innings. He did a timely course correction. A few years back I read an interview of Sandeep Patil. Patil, in fact, was admitting and repenting that in Delhi he blundered and agreed that he was not taking his game seriously and paid the hefty price. Pandya needs to take a cue from the past and control and his aggression and attitude. Nothing wrong with your desire with showmanship but your duties come first and Pandya needs to understand this. Changing hairstyle every week will not give you sustained success, but toiling at the net and your desire to improve continually will deliver it for sure. Complacency can be career limiting. Mahela Jayawardene has also clearly told that Hardik Pandya need to work harder and evolve to become a consistent cricketer. He is a talented cricketer and if he can reorganise his energy, he is a serious long-term prospect for the side. Or else there is no dearth of talent to replace him. An Azharuddin or a Ganguly is always there to grab the opportunity. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Hardik Pandya needs to take cue from history

MS Dhoni-led Chennai take on Virat Kohli-led Bangalore on Wednesday, April 25 at Chinnaswamy stadium in an intriguing and extremely interesting clash between two old rivals.

Both the teams are coming off from a victory in their previous encounters and will be looking forward to winning tonight's match to earn two crucial points.

The Chennai-Bangalore is very celebrated since IPL's inception and they have played seven matches at Chinnaswamy stadium out of which both the teams have won 3-3 matches each and one was washed out.

Due to Cauvery&nbsp;protest, the home ground of Chennai has been shifted to Pune so, fans from Chennai from are rushing to the nearby stadiums to watch the matches of Chennai. Tonight at Chinnaswamy, a full house is expected but supporter of both the teams will be huge in number.

Earlier in the ongoing tournament, Bangalore team struggled but somehow has gained confidence after their win against Delhi in the last game.

Tonight's match is also very special for Virat Kohli as he will be leading in his 100th match in the T20 format. He is the third Indian after MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir to reach this feat.

Chennai is placed at position 2 with 8 points and the current squad of Chennai is shining bright, hence any change is not required.

Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis can give a required start for the team. Also, the middle order is quite settled in the presence of Suresh Raina, Ambayati Rayudu and Dhoni.

On the other hand, even Bangalore team have star batsmen like Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

As Chinnaswamy stadium is known for its batsmen friendliness pitch, hence, a high scoring match is expected tonight, which means more responsibility is on bowlers.

Whichever team is playing first, any total below 150 would be less as Chinnaswamy is high scoring pitch and both the teams have a massive batting line.

So today, a team with better bowling and fielding have higher chances of winning.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7NJpIjfGcVw" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Playing XI: (TBC)

Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur

Bangalore: Quinton de Kock, Manan Vohra, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Corey Anderson, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

Both the teams are coming off from a victory in their previous encounters and will be looking forward to winning tonight's match to earn two crucial points

MS Dhoni-led Chennai take on Virat Kohli-led Bangalore on Wednesday, April 25 at Chinnaswamy stadium in an intriguing and extremely interesting clash between two old rivals. Both the teams are coming off from a victory in their previous encounters and will be looking forward to winning tonight's match to earn two crucial points. The Chennai-Bangalore is very celebrated since IPL's inception and they have played seven matches at Chinnaswamy stadium out of which both the teams have won 3-3 matches each and one was washed out. Due to Cauvery protest, the home ground of Chennai has been shifted to Pune so, fans from Chennai from are rushing to the nearby stadiums to watch the matches of Chennai. Tonight at Chinnaswamy, a full house is expected but supporter of both the teams will be huge in number. Earlier in the ongoing tournament, Bangalore team struggled but somehow has gained confidence after their win against Delhi in the last game. Tonight's match is also very special for Virat Kohli as he will be leading in his 100th match in the T20 format. He is the third Indian after MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir to reach this feat. Chennai is placed at position 2 with 8 points and the current squad of Chennai is shining bright, hence any change is not required. Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis can give a required start for the team. Also, the middle order is quite settled in the presence of Suresh Raina, Ambayati Rayudu and Dhoni. On the other hand, even Bangalore team have star batsmen like Quinton de Kock, Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. As Chinnaswamy stadium is known for its batsmen friendliness pitch, hence, a high scoring match is expected tonight, which means more responsibility is on bowlers. Whichever team is playing first, any total below 150 would be less as Chinnaswamy is high scoring pitch and both the teams have a massive batting line. So today, a team with better bowling and fielding have higher chances of winning. × Playing XI: (TBC) Chennai: Shane Watson, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Imran Tahir, Shardul Thakur Bangalore: Quinton de Kock, Manan Vohra, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, Corey Anderson, Mandeep Singh, Washington Sundar, Chris Woakes, Umesh Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai and Bangalore

ipl-2018

Ipl 2018, News on Ipl 2018, stories on Ipl 2018, articles on Ipl 2018, Ipl 2018 stories at Wion, Ipl 2018 news, Ipl 2018 latest news

ipl 2018