Dispatching the ball deep into the stands is in Rishabh Pant's "muscle memory" and that's why he doesn't need to look at who is bowling to him once he is in a mood to go hammer and tongs.&nbsp;

Pant hit five sixes in his 21-ball-49 as he guided <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-prithvi-shaw-rishabh-pant-help-delhi-sink-hyderabad-inch-closer-to-ipl-final-217125">Delhi to a two-wicket victory in the IPL Eliminator against Hyderabad</a>.&nbsp;

"In T20s, you need 40 off 20 or so, then you have to attack one bowler. I don't see who's bowling. It's in our muscle memory, and that's why we practise so much. Today, that was special because I didn't try to hit the ball too hard. I was just watching the ball, and I was trying to time the ball."&nbsp;

Pant also said that he ensured that the mindset remains positive when the team is going for improbable chases.&nbsp;

"If you are set on a wicket like this, you have to finish the match for your team. I took it very close, but next time I will finish it for the team.&nbsp;

Pressure) I just try to be positive. If your mindset is negative, it doesn't help," said Pant.&nbsp;

Prithvi Shaw, who scored the only half-century of the match thanked the support staff for keeping faith in him despite inconsistent performances. &nbsp;

"All this is dedicated to my team as they have backed me quite well. I wasn't scoring runs in the last few games. All thanks to support staff, players and coaches for believing in me and giving the opportunity as well. I was a bit nervous but my coaching staff helped me," Shaw said, having scored 56 off 38 balls.&nbsp;

"I believed in myself to get my form back and went in there and played my natural game. These kind of games I am always nervous. Rishabh batted beautifully. Whenever we needed him, he is always there for us."

Their young captain Shreyas Iyer was also ecstatic.&nbsp;

"(Last over) I can't express my emotions. I was sitting and those last two overs were like a hell [laughs]. An amazing feeling (to win) and I could see the happiness in everyone's faces. The joy we share after winning was good."&nbsp;

Dispatching the ball deep into the stands is in Rishabh Pant's "muscle memory" and that's why he doesn't need to look at who is bowling to him once he is in a mood to go hammer and tongs.

Dispatching the ball deep into the stands is in Rishabh Pant's "muscle memory" and that's why he doesn't need to look at who is bowling to him once he is in a mood to go hammer and tongs. Pant hit five sixes in his 21-ball-49 as he guided Delhi to a two-wicket victory in the IPL Eliminator against Hyderabad. "In T20s, you need 40 off 20 or so, then you have to attack one bowler. I don't see who's bowling. It's in our muscle memory, and that's why we practise so much. Today, that was special because I didn't try to hit the ball too hard. I was just watching the ball, and I was trying to time the ball." Pant also said that he ensured that the mindset remains positive when the team is going for improbable chases. "If you are set on a wicket like this, you have to finish the match for your team. I took it very close, but next time I will finish it for the team. Pressure) I just try to be positive. If your mindset is negative, it doesn't help," said Pant. Prithvi Shaw, who scored the only half-century of the match thanked the support staff for keeping faith in him despite inconsistent performances. "All this is dedicated to my team as they have backed me quite well. I wasn't scoring runs in the last few games. All thanks to support staff, players and coaches for believing in me and giving the opportunity as well. I was a bit nervous but my coaching staff helped me," Shaw said, having scored 56 off 38 balls. "I believed in myself to get my form back and went in there and played my natural game. These kind of games I am always nervous. Rishabh batted beautifully. Whenever we needed him, he is always there for us." Their young captain Shreyas Iyer was also ecstatic. "(Last over) I can't express my emotions. I was sitting and those last two overs were like a hell [laughs]. An amazing feeling (to win) and I could see the happiness in everyone's faces. The joy we share after winning was good."

IPL 2019: Hitting sixes is in my muscle memory, says Rishabh Pant

Prithvi Shaw's half-century and Rishabh Pant's 21-ball 49 helped <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-eliminator-delhi-vs-hyderabad-at-aca-vdca-cricket-stadium-217052">Delhi seal a two-wicket win over Hyderabad</a> in their Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff on Wednesday to move a step closer to the final.

Chasing 163 for victory, Delhi rode on aggressive knocks by Shaw and Pant to edge a thrilling game with a ball to spare.

Delhi face Chennai in another playoff on Friday to determine who meets three-times champions Mumbai in Sunday's final.

Indian opener Shaw laid the platform with a blistering 56 off 38 balls that included six boundaries and two sixes before Pant took Delhi close to victory.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who was left out of India's World Cup squad, smashed five sixes and two boundaries but missed out on a well-deserved half-century when he was caught attempting one too many big shots.

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Keemo Paul ends the tension!<a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiCapitals?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiCapitals</a> win the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Eliminator?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Eliminator</a> by 2 wickets and move on to Qualifier 2 🔵<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvSRH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/WzpjUeg5pC">pic.twitter.com/WzpjUeg5pC</a>
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Delhi survived a nervy final over in which Amit Mishra was dismissed for obstructing the field by getting in the way of a throw at the stumps, before they sealed a famous victory.

Earlier, Hyderabad's top-order failed to convert starts into big scores with Martin Guptill dismissed for 36 while Manish Pandey perished for 30.

Hyderabad were 111 for the loss of four wickets after Kane Williamson was bowled by paceman Ishant Sharma for 28, but Vijay Shankar and Mohammad Nabi helped accelerate the scoring in the last four overs to take them to a challenging total.

Shankar hit two fours and as many sixes in his 11-ball 25 while Nabi made 20 from 13 balls.

Delhi all-rounder Keemo Paul finished with figures of 3-32 from his four overs, including two wickets in the final over.

The West Indian was also involved in a controversial run out on the penultimate ball of the Hyderabad innings, after Deepak Hooda was caught short of his crease having collided with him in the middle of the pitch.

Prithvi Shaw's half-century and Rishabh Pant's 21-ball 49 helped Delhi seal a two-wicket win over Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff on Wednesday to move a step closer to the final.

Prithvi Shaw's half-century and Rishabh Pant's 21-ball 49 helped Delhi seal a two-wicket win over Hyderabad in their Indian Premier League (IPL) playoff on Wednesday to move a step closer to the final. Chasing 163 for victory, Delhi rode on aggressive knocks by Shaw and Pant to edge a thrilling game with a ball to spare. Delhi face Chennai in another playoff on Friday to determine who meets three-times champions Mumbai in Sunday's final. Indian opener Shaw laid the platform with a blistering 56 off 38 balls that included six boundaries and two sixes before Pant took Delhi close to victory. Wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who was left out of India's World Cup squad, smashed five sixes and two boundaries but missed out on a well-deserved half-century when he was caught attempting one too many big shots. Keemo Paul ends the tension!@DelhiCapitals win the #Eliminator by 2 wickets and move on to Qualifier 2 🔵#DCvSRH pic.twitter.com/WzpjUeg5pC — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 8, 2019 × Delhi survived a nervy final over in which Amit Mishra was dismissed for obstructing the field by getting in the way of a throw at the stumps, before they sealed a famous victory. Earlier, Hyderabad's top-order failed to convert starts into big scores with Martin Guptill dismissed for 36 while Manish Pandey perished for 30. Hyderabad were 111 for the loss of four wickets after Kane Williamson was bowled by paceman Ishant Sharma for 28, but Vijay Shankar and Mohammad Nabi helped accelerate the scoring in the last four overs to take them to a challenging total. Shankar hit two fours and as many sixes in his 11-ball 25 while Nabi made 20 from 13 balls. Delhi all-rounder Keemo Paul finished with figures of 3-32 from his four overs, including two wickets in the final over. The West Indian was also involved in a controversial run out on the penultimate ball of the Hyderabad innings, after Deepak Hooda was caught short of his crease having collided with him in the middle of the pitch.

IPL 2019: Prithvi Shaw, Rishabh Pant help Delhi sink Hyderabad, inch closer to IPL final

IPL 2019: Players to watch out for in Qualifier 2 between Delhi and Chennai

The road to the final has become difficult but Delhi have the means to drive their way through the obstacles, starting with the IPL eliminator against Hyderabad.

IPL 2019: Delhi to clash with Hyderabad in Eliminator

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side should have read the pitch better after <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-mumbai-enter-final-after-defeating-chennai-by-6-wickets-216823">losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1</a> of Indian Premier League 2019 on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Suryakumar Yadav dazzled as he scored an unbeaten 71 runs off 54 balls, which included 10 boundaries at the Chidambaram Stadium.&nbsp;

On Chepauk's a sluggish pitch, which offered considerable turn and odd bounce, Suryakumar played a brilliant innings with Mumbai reaching the target in 18.3 overs.&nbsp;

During the post-match presentation, Dhoni said, "We had to assess the conditions quickly, we have played 6 to 7 games on this pitch and should have read the pitch better, that's the home advantage."&nbsp;

Chennai, however, will get another chance to make it to their eighth summit clash as they will now play the second Qualifier against the winner of the 'Eliminator' between Delhi and Hyderabad.&nbsp;

He further added, "We needed to know how the pitch behaves, would it be tacky? Is the ball coming on or not, those were the things we didn't do well, I think the batting needs to get better."&nbsp;

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/mipaltan?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mipaltan</a> can book an early ✈ to Hyderabad as <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> await one of DC or SRH in Qualifier 2.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MIvCSK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MIvCSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/0gfyvT4unR">pic.twitter.com/0gfyvT4unR</a>
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Dhoni also said, "Hopefully, we will do well in the next game."&nbsp;

Dhoni also pointed out the mistakes his team made during the match, he said, "I think we were a bit unlucky at times, some balls dropped right in the middle, a few catches weren't taken."

"We perhaps had to bowl slightly away from the batsmen, could have slowed down the pace and bowl with more variations," he added.&nbsp;

On the other hand, the ecstatic winning captain Rohit Sharma said, "Great feeling to know that we'll be playing the finals. Three days now in which we can switch off before the final."&nbsp;

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side should have read the pitch better after losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1 of Indian Premier League 2019 on Tuesday.

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said that his side should have read the pitch better after losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1 of Indian Premier League 2019 on Tuesday. Suryakumar Yadav dazzled as he scored an unbeaten 71 runs off 54 balls, which included 10 boundaries at the Chidambaram Stadium. On Chepauk's a sluggish pitch, which offered considerable turn and odd bounce, Suryakumar played a brilliant innings with Mumbai reaching the target in 18.3 overs. During the post-match presentation, Dhoni said, "We had to assess the conditions quickly, we have played 6 to 7 games on this pitch and should have read the pitch better, that's the home advantage." Chennai, however, will get another chance to make it to their eighth summit clash as they will now play the second Qualifier against the winner of the 'Eliminator' between Delhi and Hyderabad. He further added, "We needed to know how the pitch behaves, would it be tacky? Is the ball coming on or not, those were the things we didn't do well, I think the batting needs to get better." .@mipaltan can book an early ✈ to Hyderabad as @ChennaiIPL await one of DC or SRH in Qualifier 2.#MIvCSK #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/0gfyvT4unR — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 7, 2019 × Dhoni also said, "Hopefully, we will do well in the next game." Dhoni also pointed out the mistakes his team made during the match, he said, "I think we were a bit unlucky at times, some balls dropped right in the middle, a few catches weren't taken." "We perhaps had to bowl slightly away from the batsmen, could have slowed down the pace and bowl with more variations," he added. On the other hand, the ecstatic winning captain Rohit Sharma said, "Great feeling to know that we'll be playing the finals. Three days now in which we can switch off before the final."

'We should have read pitch better', says MS Dhoni after losing to Mumbai in Qualifier 1

Rohit Sharma-led <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-qualifier-1-chennai-vs-mumbai-at-chidambaram-stadium-216769">Mumbai defeated Chennai by six wickets</a> at the Chidambaram Stadium to enter the final of Indian Premier League 2019.&nbsp;

Despite getting the early shocks in the form Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock's wicket, Mumbai chased the target with nine balls remaining.&nbsp;

Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant inning as he scored an unbeaten 71 off 54 balls, which included ten 4s.&nbsp;

Earlier,&nbsp;MS Dhoni failed to launch a brutal assault on a sluggish pitch but did enough in company of Ambati Rayudu to propel Chennai&nbsp;to 131 for 4.&nbsp;

The total was built largely on a fifth-wicket stand of 66 off 48 balls between Dhoni (37 no off 29 balls) and Rayudu (42 no off 37 balls) when other batsmen found going tough.&nbsp;

Dhoni smashed Lasith Malinga for two huge sixes in the penultimate over to provide impetus to the Chennai's innings, which was stymied by the Mumbai bowlers, especially the spinners.

Mumbai&nbsp;leg-spinner Rahul Chahar continued his impressive season, with a superb spell of 2 for 14 in his quota of 4 overs. He kept the batsmen on a leash with turn and bounce.&nbsp;

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Chennai&nbsp;didn't get off to a good start, losing three wickets in the Powerplay, as Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma used five different bowlers in the first five overs.&nbsp;

The visiting team kept things under control in the Powerplay, restricting Chennai&nbsp;to 32 runs while picking up three wickets.&nbsp;

At the halfway stage, Chennai barely managed to reach 50, which was a sign of their struggles.

Faf du Plessis (6) got one from Rahul that bounced a bit more as his cut went straight to substitute fielder Anmolpreet Singh at backward point.&nbsp;

Suresh Raina's (5) attempt to slog Jayant Yadav resulted in a skier which the bowler took with ease.&nbsp;

Shane Watson, who struggled for form, played a trademark pull off Jasprit Bumrah, but fell going for a big hit off Krunal Pandya, taken brilliantly by Jayant Yadav running backwards from his mid-on position.

Murali Vijay attempted to consolidate in Watson's company and succeeded to an extent, before being stumped by Quinton de Kock off Rahul Chahar for 26 (26 balls, 3X4).

Dhoni hit the first six of the match in the 14th over, lofting Jayant (1/25 in 3 overs) over long-on. Rayudu, on the other hand, hit three fours and a six and concentrating taking the singles and doubles with boundaries hard to come by.&nbsp;

Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai defeated Chennai by six wickets at the Chidambaram Stadium to enter the final of Indian Premier League 2019. Despite getting the early shocks in the form Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock's wicket, Mumbai chased the target with nine balls remaining.

Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai defeated Chennai by six wickets at the Chidambaram Stadium to enter the final of Indian Premier League 2019. Despite getting the early shocks in the form Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock's wicket, Mumbai chased the target with nine balls remaining. Suryakumar Yadav played a brilliant inning as he scored an unbeaten 71 off 54 balls, which included ten 4s. Earlier, MS Dhoni failed to launch a brutal assault on a sluggish pitch but did enough in company of Ambati Rayudu to propel Chennai to 131 for 4. The total was built largely on a fifth-wicket stand of 66 off 48 balls between Dhoni (37 no off 29 balls) and Rayudu (42 no off 37 balls) when other batsmen found going tough. Dhoni smashed Lasith Malinga for two huge sixes in the penultimate over to provide impetus to the Chennai's innings, which was stymied by the Mumbai bowlers, especially the spinners. Mumbai leg-spinner Rahul Chahar continued his impressive season, with a superb spell of 2 for 14 in his quota of 4 overs. He kept the batsmen on a leash with turn and bounce. .@mipaltan are your first finalists!#MI beat CSK by 6 wickets at the Chepauk. #MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/tCozVvZjuz — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 7, 2019 × Chennai didn't get off to a good start, losing three wickets in the Powerplay, as Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma used five different bowlers in the first five overs. The visiting team kept things under control in the Powerplay, restricting Chennai to 32 runs while picking up three wickets. At the halfway stage, Chennai barely managed to reach 50, which was a sign of their struggles. Faf du Plessis (6) got one from Rahul that bounced a bit more as his cut went straight to substitute fielder Anmolpreet Singh at backward point. Suresh Raina's (5) attempt to slog Jayant Yadav resulted in a skier which the bowler took with ease. Shane Watson, who struggled for form, played a trademark pull off Jasprit Bumrah, but fell going for a big hit off Krunal Pandya, taken brilliantly by Jayant Yadav running backwards from his mid-on position. Murali Vijay attempted to consolidate in Watson's company and succeeded to an extent, before being stumped by Quinton de Kock off Rahul Chahar for 26 (26 balls, 3X4). Dhoni hit the first six of the match in the 14th over, lofting Jayant (1/25 in 3 overs) over long-on. Rayudu, on the other hand, hit three fours and a six and concentrating taking the singles and doubles with boundaries hard to come by.

IPL 2019: Mumbai enter final after defeating Chennai by 6 wickets

Cricket umpire Nigel Llong has paid for the repairs after damaging the glass door in the umpire's room at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Bangalore <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-shimron-hetmyer-gurkeerat-singh-power-bangalore-to-four-wicket-win-over-hyderabad-215996">final home game against Hyderabad</a> on May 4.&nbsp;

Llong reportedly kicked the door after a controversial end to Hyderabad's innings. The umpire had signalled a no-ball off Umesh Yadav's bowling but the replays suggested that the delivery was legal.&nbsp;

"It was an unfortunate incident. He gave a wrong no-ball decision in the match, and Virat went and spoke to him, and Umesh also spoke to him. So he might have been upset, and frustrated. He came back and kicked the door to the umpires' room after the first innings. So there was a crack and a dent in the door. The glass didn't break, fortunately," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary R Sudhakar Rao as saying on Tuesday."&nbsp;

After the game, I found out, and I met the match referee. I spoke to him, and we had a discussion, and I have reported the matter to the Committee of Administrators (CoA).&nbsp;

He paid Rs 5000 for the damages. He was civil about it, but he had caused damage, so we had to charge him for it. He didn't complain about it," he added.&nbsp;

After the replays, Llong was seen having a discussion with Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli and bowler Yadav when the big screens at the ground showed that the bowler had not overstepped.&nbsp;

The umpire, however, stood his ground and refused to change his decision despite protests from the Bangalore camp.&nbsp;

After the conclusion of the innings, the agitated umpire went back to the umpires room and apparently smashed the glass door.&nbsp;

The glass door was dented, but it did not shatter. The state cricket association, after seeing the nature of the incident, had to report the matter to the CoA after consulting the match referee V Narayan Kutty.

Cricket umpire Nigel Llong has paid for the repairs after damaging the glass door in the umpire's room at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Bangalore final home game against Hyderabad on May 4.

Cricket umpire Nigel Llong has paid for the repairs after damaging the glass door in the umpire's room at Bengaluru's M Chinnaswamy Stadium during Bangalore final home game against Hyderabad on May 4. Llong reportedly kicked the door after a controversial end to Hyderabad's innings. The umpire had signalled a no-ball off Umesh Yadav's bowling but the replays suggested that the delivery was legal. "It was an unfortunate incident. He gave a wrong no-ball decision in the match, and Virat went and spoke to him, and Umesh also spoke to him. So he might have been upset, and frustrated. He came back and kicked the door to the umpires' room after the first innings. So there was a crack and a dent in the door. The glass didn't break, fortunately," ESPN Cricinfo quoted Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) secretary R Sudhakar Rao as saying on Tuesday." After the game, I found out, and I met the match referee. I spoke to him, and we had a discussion, and I have reported the matter to the Committee of Administrators (CoA). He paid Rs 5000 for the damages. He was civil about it, but he had caused damage, so we had to charge him for it. He didn't complain about it," he added. After the replays, Llong was seen having a discussion with Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli and bowler Yadav when the big screens at the ground showed that the bowler had not overstepped. The umpire, however, stood his ground and refused to change his decision despite protests from the Bangalore camp. After the conclusion of the innings, the agitated umpire went back to the umpires room and apparently smashed the glass door. The glass door was dented, but it did not shatter. The state cricket association, after seeing the nature of the incident, had to report the matter to the CoA after consulting the match referee V Narayan Kutty.

Umpire Nigel Llong pays for repairs after damaging glass door in Bengaluru stadium

Former New Zealand captain Vettori has worked with Kohli for six seasons as player and coach at the IPL franchise Bangalore. &nbsp;

"When I used to speak to him or any other coaches (used to) speak to him, there's always a conversation around what you think is best, where can this work," Vettori said on the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo's Talking T20 podcast. &nbsp;

"It wouldn't always be a numbers-driven conversation, it would be around some intuition and understanding of the game. I think, ultimately, when you sold a compelling story to Virat, he was always on board, open to listen and that made him such a good captain."&nbsp;

Vettori was part of Bangalore sides which finished runners-up in 2011 (as captain) and 2016 (as coach), apart from a run to the play-offs in 2015.&nbsp;

Talking about Kohli's on-field personality, Vettori said his "energy, enthusiasm and desperation to win" was "contagious."&nbsp;

"...You couple that with (him being) the best batsman in the world, and with a work ethic that has probably led India into the situation they are now [in]. Everyone wants to follow his gym (routine), and everything he does off the field, the way he basically prepares to play the game. That's a huge part of leadership. That's a huge part of captaincy."&nbsp;

Vettori, one of the smart bowlers in world cricket during his playing days, also spoke about the challenges in getting T20 teams adopt data and analytics-driven wisdom.&nbsp;

"For me, I think there's such a strong correlation between thorough planning and the use of data to performance. I think it's so important because I think cricket, in general, is quite immature in terms of its exposure to this.&nbsp;

"So, while we're in these infant stages, I think it's hard for people to get their heads around (analytics).&nbsp;

But, the people who are gonna buy into this first, get their heads around it, I think they'll get the jump-start on everyone."&nbsp;

Vettori said his former team-mate and current Mumbai&nbsp;bowling coach Shane Bond was one of the trailblazers in making the most of data and insights, as Mumbai's "structured, planned" approach to T20 cricket has paid dividends over the years.

Former New Zealand captain Vettori has worked with Kohli for six seasons as player and coach at the IPL franchise Bangalore. "When I used to speak to him or any other coaches (used to) speak to him, there's always a conversation around what you think is best, where can this work," Vettori said on the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo's Talking T20 podcast.

Former New Zealand captain Vettori has worked with Kohli for six seasons as player and coach at the IPL franchise Bangalore. "When I used to speak to him or any other coaches (used to) speak to him, there's always a conversation around what you think is best, where can this work," Vettori said on the latest episode of ESPNcricinfo's Talking T20 podcast. "It wouldn't always be a numbers-driven conversation, it would be around some intuition and understanding of the game. I think, ultimately, when you sold a compelling story to Virat, he was always on board, open to listen and that made him such a good captain." Vettori was part of Bangalore sides which finished runners-up in 2011 (as captain) and 2016 (as coach), apart from a run to the play-offs in 2015. Talking about Kohli's on-field personality, Vettori said his "energy, enthusiasm and desperation to win" was "contagious." "...You couple that with (him being) the best batsman in the world, and with a work ethic that has probably led India into the situation they are now [in]. Everyone wants to follow his gym (routine), and everything he does off the field, the way he basically prepares to play the game. That's a huge part of leadership. That's a huge part of captaincy." Vettori, one of the smart bowlers in world cricket during his playing days, also spoke about the challenges in getting T20 teams adopt data and analytics-driven wisdom. "For me, I think there's such a strong correlation between thorough planning and the use of data to performance. I think it's so important because I think cricket, in general, is quite immature in terms of its exposure to this. "So, while we're in these infant stages, I think it's hard for people to get their heads around (analytics). But, the people who are gonna buy into this first, get their heads around it, I think they'll get the jump-start on everyone." Vettori said his former team-mate and current Mumbai bowling coach Shane Bond was one of the trailblazers in making the most of data and insights, as Mumbai's "structured, planned" approach to T20 cricket has paid dividends over the years.

Virat Kohli is exceptionally open to ideas: Vettori

Trailblazers withstood the onslaught of hard-hitting Harmanpreet Kaur to pull-off a thrilling two-run win over Supernovas in the opening game of the Women's T20 Challenge here on Monday.&nbsp;

Needing 19 off the final over, Supernovas skipper Harmanpreet (46 not out off 34) almost got her team over the line with some sensational hitting but veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami held her nerve after being smashed for four consecutive boundaries. &nbsp;

In response to Trailblazers' 140 for five, Supernovas ended agonisingly short at 138 for six. Harmanpreet and New Zealander Sophie Devine (32 off 22) took the game deep with a 48-run stand for the fifth wicket.&nbsp;

The game was an ideal advert for women's cricket and before Harmanpreet's cameo, it was explosive opener and Trailblazers skipper Smriti Mandhana who enthralled the Jaipur crowd with a match-winning 90 off 67 balls. &nbsp;

Mandhana took the team to a fighting total after Supernovas opted to field on a slow surface at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.&nbsp;

Stroke making was tough on a rather slow surface and though 141 seemed like a comfortable target, Supernovas had to work hard for every run. Poor fielding let Trailblazers down but they still managed to get the result they wanted.&nbsp;

After the early fall of New Zealand veteran Suzie Bates, captain Mandhana anchored a 119-run stand with Harleen Deol (36 off 44), who struggled to change gears in challenging conditions.&nbsp;

In fact, both Mandhana and Deol struggled to get going as Trailblazers crawled to 25 for one in six overs after Harmanpreet Kaur-led Supernovas opted to field. &nbsp;

The BCCI is organising a bigger tournament for the women in comparison to the inaugural edition last year when only a one-off game was played. Four out of the three games will be broadcast live on prime time unlike last year with an aim to attract a bigger TV audience.&nbsp;

At the venue, the stadium was far from full despite free entry but that did not dampen Mandhana's spirits. After getting used to the slowness of the wicket, the southpaw went for her strokes and even smashed three sixes to go with 10 fours.&nbsp;

Australians are not taking part in the event this time owing to a scheduling dispute between the BCCI and Cricket Australia over a men's ODI series.&nbsp;

Twelve foreigners from five countries are taking part in the tournament and are distributed equally between the three teams.&nbsp;

Trailblazers withstood the onslaught of hard-hitting Harmanpreet Kaur to pull-off a thrilling two-run win over Supernovas in the opening game of the Women's T20 Challenge here on Monday.

Trailblazers withstood the onslaught of hard-hitting Harmanpreet Kaur to pull-off a thrilling two-run win over Supernovas in the opening game of the Women's T20 Challenge here on Monday. Needing 19 off the final over, Supernovas skipper Harmanpreet (46 not out off 34) almost got her team over the line with some sensational hitting but veteran pacer Jhulan Goswami held her nerve after being smashed for four consecutive boundaries. In response to Trailblazers' 140 for five, Supernovas ended agonisingly short at 138 for six. Harmanpreet and New Zealander Sophie Devine (32 off 22) took the game deep with a 48-run stand for the fifth wicket. The game was an ideal advert for women's cricket and before Harmanpreet's cameo, it was explosive opener and Trailblazers skipper Smriti Mandhana who enthralled the Jaipur crowd with a match-winning 90 off 67 balls. Mandhana took the team to a fighting total after Supernovas opted to field on a slow surface at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Stroke making was tough on a rather slow surface and though 141 seemed like a comfortable target, Supernovas had to work hard for every run. Poor fielding let Trailblazers down but they still managed to get the result they wanted. After the early fall of New Zealand veteran Suzie Bates, captain Mandhana anchored a 119-run stand with Harleen Deol (36 off 44), who struggled to change gears in challenging conditions. In fact, both Mandhana and Deol struggled to get going as Trailblazers crawled to 25 for one in six overs after Harmanpreet Kaur-led Supernovas opted to field. The BCCI is organising a bigger tournament for the women in comparison to the inaugural edition last year when only a one-off game was played. Four out of the three games will be broadcast live on prime time unlike last year with an aim to attract a bigger TV audience. At the venue, the stadium was far from full despite free entry but that did not dampen Mandhana's spirits. After getting used to the slowness of the wicket, the southpaw went for her strokes and even smashed three sixes to go with 10 fours. Australians are not taking part in the event this time owing to a scheduling dispute between the BCCI and Cricket Australia over a men's ODI series. Twelve foreigners from five countries are taking part in the tournament and are distributed equally between the three teams.

Trailblazers register thrilling win over Supernovas in Women's T20 Challenge opener

The league stage is over and now the fight to book a finale berth will start as four teams, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, will clash against each other to with the Indian Premier League 2019 title.&nbsp;

The first Qualifier is between defending champions Chennai and table-toppers Mumbai, which is scheduled for May 7.&nbsp;

Chennai team has been patchy after a strong start and finished its league engagements with a six-wicket defeat to Punjab at Mohali on Sunday. &nbsp;

But Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will be happy to return to their den to take on Mumbai, probably its biggest IPL rival, to decide which team seals a spot in the May 12 final. &nbsp;

Chennai boasts of a tremendous record at home this season, winning six of its seven games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.&nbsp;

A defeat, however, will provide both the teams a second chance in Qualifier 2 on May 10. &nbsp;

The Chennai top-order has fired in fits and starts in the league phase and will need to come out all guns blazing against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack that includes Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets), Lasith Malinga (15 wickets), the Pandya brothers (Hardik 14 wickets and Krunal 10 wickets), leggie Rahul Chahar (10 wickets) and possibly Mitchell McClenaghan. &nbsp;

Skipper Dhoni (Chennai's highest run-getter with 368 runs from 12 matches, 3 fifties) has been the mainstay of a rather inconsistent Chennai batting unit and along with openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina holds the key in Saturday's game as the usually fluent Ambati Rayudu has struggled to get going. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Chennai, however, will miss the services of the Kedar Jadhav, who sustained a freak shoulder injury in the match against Punjab. &nbsp;

But Jadhav wasn't in the best of form and his absence would open up a spot for either Murali Vijay or Dhruv Shorey.&nbsp;

Bowling has been Chennai's strong point so far this season and becomes even more potent on Chidambaram's sluggish wicket. &nbsp;

Imran Tahir (21 scalps), the second highest wicket-taker this season after Kagiso Rabada (25), has been at the forefront of an effective Chennai spin trio, also including veteran Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja (both with 13 wickets each).&nbsp;

And the success of Tahir &amp; Co against the powerful Mumbai batting line-up could very well determine the course of the match. &nbsp;

Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma (386 runs), the impressive Quinton De Kock (492, third leading run-scorer), Hardik Pandya (380) and Kieron Pollard will be hard to stop once they get going and Chennai's bowlers have a tough task at hand. &nbsp;

The onus would also be on the ever-improving Deepak Chahar, who has taken 16 scalps so far, to pick up early wickets for Chennai and stifle the rival batting line-up.&nbsp;

Going by the head-to-head record this year, Mumbai holds an upperhand having won both its encounters against Chennai in the preliminary phase. &nbsp;

Mumabi's head coach Mahela Jayawardene would be aware of the job at hand and won't take Chennai lightly despite the Lions' recent wobbly form.&nbsp;

Chennai will certainly receive a boost by playing the Qualifier 1 at home with the crowd fully backing the team in what promises to be a cracker of a contest.

There is hardly anything to differentiate between the two sides as both CSK and MI have won the title three times earlier.&nbsp;

The league stage is over and now the fight to book a finale berth will start as four teams, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, will clash against each other to with the Indian Premier League 2019 title.

The league stage is over and now the fight to book a finale berth will start as four teams, Chennai, Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad, will clash against each other to with the Indian Premier League 2019 title. The first Qualifier is between defending champions Chennai and table-toppers Mumbai, which is scheduled for May 7. Chennai team has been patchy after a strong start and finished its league engagements with a six-wicket defeat to Punjab at Mohali on Sunday. But Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side will be happy to return to their den to take on Mumbai, probably its biggest IPL rival, to decide which team seals a spot in the May 12 final. Chennai boasts of a tremendous record at home this season, winning six of its seven games at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. A defeat, however, will provide both the teams a second chance in Qualifier 2 on May 10. The Chennai top-order has fired in fits and starts in the league phase and will need to come out all guns blazing against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack that includes Jasprit Bumrah (17 wickets), Lasith Malinga (15 wickets), the Pandya brothers (Hardik 14 wickets and Krunal 10 wickets), leggie Rahul Chahar (10 wickets) and possibly Mitchell McClenaghan. Skipper Dhoni (Chennai's highest run-getter with 368 runs from 12 matches, 3 fifties) has been the mainstay of a rather inconsistent Chennai batting unit and along with openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis and Suresh Raina holds the key in Saturday's game as the usually fluent Ambati Rayudu has struggled to get going. Chennai, however, will miss the services of the Kedar Jadhav, who sustained a freak shoulder injury in the match against Punjab. But Jadhav wasn't in the best of form and his absence would open up a spot for either Murali Vijay or Dhruv Shorey. Bowling has been Chennai's strong point so far this season and becomes even more potent on Chidambaram's sluggish wicket. Imran Tahir (21 scalps), the second highest wicket-taker this season after Kagiso Rabada (25), has been at the forefront of an effective Chennai spin trio, also including veteran Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja (both with 13 wickets each). And the success of Tahir & Co against the powerful Mumbai batting line-up could very well determine the course of the match. Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma (386 runs), the impressive Quinton De Kock (492, third leading run-scorer), Hardik Pandya (380) and Kieron Pollard will be hard to stop once they get going and Chennai's bowlers have a tough task at hand. The onus would also be on the ever-improving Deepak Chahar, who has taken 16 scalps so far, to pick up early wickets for Chennai and stifle the rival batting line-up. Going by the head-to-head record this year, Mumbai holds an upperhand having won both its encounters against Chennai in the preliminary phase. Mumabi's head coach Mahela Jayawardene would be aware of the job at hand and won't take Chennai lightly despite the Lions' recent wobbly form. Chennai will certainly receive a boost by playing the Qualifier 1 at home with the crowd fully backing the team in what promises to be a cracker of a contest. There is hardly anything to differentiate between the two sides as both CSK and MI have won the title three times earlier.

Eying finale berth, MS Dhoni-led Chennai to take on Mumbai in Qualifier 1

Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann engineered an incredible turnaround that will linger long in IPL memory, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-54-bangalore-vs-hyderabad-at-chinnaswamy-stadium-215942">powering Bangalore to a four-wicket victory over Hyderabad</a> on Saturday.&nbsp;

Both Hetmyer and Gurkeerat hit blazing fifties as Bangalore recovered from a hopelessly placed 20 for three in the third over to reach the 176-run target with four balls to spare.

The win meant Bangalore ended what has been a forgettable season on a positive note, while Hyderabad's hopes of securing a playoffs berth were kept on standby.&nbsp;

During their 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Hetmyer smashed half a dozen sixes and four boundaries for his 47-ball 75, while Gurkeerat made 65 in 48 deliveries with the help of eight fours and one maximum.

This was the first time that Bangalore had a hundred-plus partnership since 2013 when Kohli and De Villiers were not involved.&nbsp;

After Parthiv Patel was snapped up early by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Virat Kohli got began Bangalore's riposte with two delightful strokes, a straight-driven boundary and a flicked six, but the mainstay nicked a length ball to stun the home crowd.

More trouble was in store for Bangalore as they lost AB de Villiers, who snicked Bhuvneshwar to the first slip where Martin Guptill took a neat catch.

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Bangalore were tottering at 20 for three in the third over but Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann had other ideas.

It rained sixes and fours as the duo of Hetmyer and Gurkeerat blunted the opposition attack with their exemplary batting, bringing the smiles back on the face of skipper Kohli and the faces of their faces.

Gurkeerat was contend to play second fiddle to Hetmyer initially, when the Guyanese was dealing in fours and sixes, but opened up later.

Earlier, Kane Williamson dealt in fours and sixes as Hyderabad plundered 28 runs in the final over to reach a challenging 175 for seven.

Hyderabad were 147 for seven at the end of the 19th over but Williamson cut loose after that, smashing Umesh Yadav for two sixes and as many fours to finish the innings on a high.

Williamson remained not out on 70 off 43 balls, hitting four sixes and five fours at the Chinnaswami Stadium.&nbsp;

To make matters worse for Yadav, he was wrongly no-balled by umpire Nigel Llong.

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Sent into bat, Bangalore were off to a brisk start with Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha (20) putting on 46 runs for the opening wicket in 4.3 overs, but the keeper-batsman failed to clear pacer Navdeep Saini as the visitors lost their first wicket.&nbsp;

After addition of another 14 runs to the team total, Hyderabad lost their second wicket when Guptill was dismissed by Washington Sundar for a 23-ball 30.&nbsp;

Manish Pandey, who stretched Mumbai with his brave half-century in their last game, fell cheaply, for nine, leaving the visitors in some trouble at 61 for three in the eighth over.&nbsp;

Picked in the World Cup-bound Indian team for his 'three-dimensional' abilities, Vijay Shankar raced to 27 with the help of three sixes, but again failed to translate the start into a big score.&nbsp;

Shankar was Sundar's third scalp of the evening and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up his 100th wicket in IPL when he lured Yusuf Pathan into playing an irresponsible shot to leave Sunrisers at 127 for five in the final ball of 16th over.&nbsp;

Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, Williamson looked to rotate the strike and also go for the big hits. &nbsp;

Barring the opening stand, the only partnership that flourished a bit was the one between Williamson and Shankar, who ended up giving a catch while going for a slog sweep.

Williamson brought up his fifty in style, hoicking Yadav over long off for a six and followed that with some more lusty hits.

Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann engineered an incredible turnaround that will linger long in IPL memory, powering Bangalore to a four-wicket victory over Hyderabad on Saturday.

Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann engineered an incredible turnaround that will linger long in IPL memory, powering Bangalore to a four-wicket victory over Hyderabad on Saturday. Both Hetmyer and Gurkeerat hit blazing fifties as Bangalore recovered from a hopelessly placed 20 for three in the third over to reach the 176-run target with four balls to spare. The win meant Bangalore ended what has been a forgettable season on a positive note, while Hyderabad's hopes of securing a playoffs berth were kept on standby. During their 144-run partnership for the fourth wicket, Hetmyer smashed half a dozen sixes and four boundaries for his 47-ball 75, while Gurkeerat made 65 in 48 deliveries with the help of eight fours and one maximum. This was the first time that Bangalore had a hundred-plus partnership since 2013 when Kohli and De Villiers were not involved. After Parthiv Patel was snapped up early by Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Virat Kohli got began Bangalore's riposte with two delightful strokes, a straight-driven boundary and a flicked six, but the mainstay nicked a length ball to stun the home crowd. More trouble was in store for Bangalore as they lost AB de Villiers, who snicked Bhuvneshwar to the first slip where Martin Guptill took a neat catch. Two men announced themselves to #VIVOIPL, one man redeemed himself with the winning shot for @RCBTweets 🙌#RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/4YjoLbdhY7 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019 × Bangalore were tottering at 20 for three in the third over but Shimron Hetmyer and Gurkeerat Singh Mann had other ideas. It rained sixes and fours as the duo of Hetmyer and Gurkeerat blunted the opposition attack with their exemplary batting, bringing the smiles back on the face of skipper Kohli and the faces of their faces. Gurkeerat was contend to play second fiddle to Hetmyer initially, when the Guyanese was dealing in fours and sixes, but opened up later. Earlier, Kane Williamson dealt in fours and sixes as Hyderabad plundered 28 runs in the final over to reach a challenging 175 for seven. Hyderabad were 147 for seven at the end of the 19th over but Williamson cut loose after that, smashing Umesh Yadav for two sixes and as many fours to finish the innings on a high. Williamson remained not out on 70 off 43 balls, hitting four sixes and five fours at the Chinnaswami Stadium. To make matters worse for Yadav, he was wrongly no-balled by umpire Nigel Llong. We've got a Super Sunday tomorrow to complete the #VIVOIPL league stages! After @RCBTweets' win, here's how things stand.#RCBvSRH pic.twitter.com/qxgLgEqnyH — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019 × Sent into bat, Bangalore were off to a brisk start with Martin Guptill and Wriddhiman Saha (20) putting on 46 runs for the opening wicket in 4.3 overs, but the keeper-batsman failed to clear pacer Navdeep Saini as the visitors lost their first wicket. After addition of another 14 runs to the team total, Hyderabad lost their second wicket when Guptill was dismissed by Washington Sundar for a 23-ball 30. Manish Pandey, who stretched Mumbai with his brave half-century in their last game, fell cheaply, for nine, leaving the visitors in some trouble at 61 for three in the eighth over. Picked in the World Cup-bound Indian team for his 'three-dimensional' abilities, Vijay Shankar raced to 27 with the help of three sixes, but again failed to translate the start into a big score. Shankar was Sundar's third scalp of the evening and Yuzvendra Chahal picked up his 100th wicket in IPL when he lured Yusuf Pathan into playing an irresponsible shot to leave Sunrisers at 127 for five in the final ball of 16th over. Even as wickets fell at regular intervals, Williamson looked to rotate the strike and also go for the big hits. Barring the opening stand, the only partnership that flourished a bit was the one between Williamson and Shankar, who ended up giving a catch while going for a slog sweep. Williamson brought up his fifty in style, hoicking Yadav over long off for a six and followed that with some more lusty hits.

IPL 2019: Shimron Hetmyer, Gurkeerat Singh power Bangalore to four-wicket win over Hyderabad

Mumbai thrashed Kolkata by nine wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday. Mumbai dominated the visitors throughout the match and with this defeat, Kolkata's campaign for this season of IPL came to an end.

Chasing a modest total of 134 runs, Mumbai got off to a decent start as the openers, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, stitched a 46-run partnership. De Kock in the fourth overcame vehemently as he hammered two sixes and a boundary to Andre Russell.

However, in the seventh over bowled by Prasidh Krishna De Kock tried to smack the ball but got a top edge and Dinesh Karthik caught a brilliant diving catch which ended De Kock's 30-run inning.

Suryakumar Yadav then joined the skipper and both played safely and did not play risky shots. However, they kept on adding scores and both Sharma (55*) and Yadav (46*) clinched an easy nine-wicket victory over the visitors.

Earlier, Kolkata were sent to bat first as Mumbai won the toss and opted to bowl first. Kolkata had a decent start as both the openers, Shubman Gill and Chris Lynn, stitched a 49-run partnership.

However, it was Lynn who kept the scoreboard running as Gill was finding it difficult to find a gap. Mumbai's Hardik Pandya provided his team with their first breakthrough in the name of Gill, who scored 9 runs off 16 balls.

Hardik Pandya then sent the other opener, Lynn (41), back to the pavilion in his next over. Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Karthik (3) became a victim of Lasith Malinga.

Kolkata's most destructive batsman Andre Russell then came out to bat but he failed to put up a good show as he was sent back to the pavilion on a duck.

Nitish Rana then accompanied Uthappa and both played opted to play fearlessly and struck some astounding shots. Both formed a 47-run partnership before Malinga got hold of Rana (26).

Jasprit Bumrah continuing his great form with the ball bowled the last over of the inning and took two wickets which included the wicket of the set batsman Uthappa (40) while conceding just three runs, which helped the hosts to restrict Kolkata to just 133 runs after a loss of seven wickets.

Mumbai thrashed Kolkata by nine wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday. Mumbai dominated the visitors throughout the match and with this defeat, Kolkata's campaign for this season of IPL came to an end.

Mumbai thrashed Kolkata by nine wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash here on Sunday. Mumbai dominated the visitors throughout the match and with this defeat, Kolkata's campaign for this season of IPL came to an end. Chasing a modest total of 134 runs, Mumbai got off to a decent start as the openers, Quinton de Kock and Rohit Sharma, stitched a 46-run partnership. De Kock in the fourth overcame vehemently as he hammered two sixes and a boundary to Andre Russell. However, in the seventh over bowled by Prasidh Krishna De Kock tried to smack the ball but got a top edge and Dinesh Karthik caught a brilliant diving catch which ended De Kock's 30-run inning. Suryakumar Yadav then joined the skipper and both played safely and did not play risky shots. However, they kept on adding scores and both Sharma (55*) and Yadav (46*) clinched an easy nine-wicket victory over the visitors. Earlier, Kolkata were sent to bat first as Mumbai won the toss and opted to bowl first. Kolkata had a decent start as both the openers, Shubman Gill and Chris Lynn, stitched a 49-run partnership. However, it was Lynn who kept the scoreboard running as Gill was finding it difficult to find a gap. Mumbai's Hardik Pandya provided his team with their first breakthrough in the name of Gill, who scored 9 runs off 16 balls. Hardik Pandya then sent the other opener, Lynn (41), back to the pavilion in his next over. Robin Uthappa and skipper Dinesh Karthik then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Karthik (3) became a victim of Lasith Malinga. Kolkata's most destructive batsman Andre Russell then came out to bat but he failed to put up a good show as he was sent back to the pavilion on a duck. Nitish Rana then accompanied Uthappa and both played opted to play fearlessly and struck some astounding shots. Both formed a 47-run partnership before Malinga got hold of Rana (26). Jasprit Bumrah continuing his great form with the ball bowled the last over of the inning and took two wickets which included the wicket of the set batsman Uthappa (40) while conceding just three runs, which helped the hosts to restrict Kolkata to just 133 runs after a loss of seven wickets.

IPL 2019: Mumbai vanquish Kolkata to secure nine wickets victory

Punjab <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-55-punjab-vs-chennai-at-is-bindra-stadium-216077">defeated Chennai by six wickets</a> in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Punjab had a very scintillating start as the openers, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, formed a 108 runs partnership.&nbsp;

Rahul started playing big shots at the beginning, which helped him score his half-century in just 19 balls.&nbsp;

Both gave a solid start to Punjab before Rahul (71) and Gayle (28) both got out on two consecutive balls bowled by Harbhajan Singh.&nbsp;

Nicolas Pooran and Mayank Aggarwal then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Aggarwal gave away his wicket on seven runs.&nbsp;

Mandeep Singh then joined Pooran and both added another 46 runs to the scoreboard before Ravindra Jadeja sent Pooran (36) back to the pavilion.&nbsp;

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Sam Curran then came out to bat and both Curran and Mandeep Singh took their side over the line and registered a 6-wicket victory.&nbsp;

Earlier, Chennai were sent to bat first as Punjab opted to bowl first after winning the toss.&nbsp;

Chennai had a decent start as Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis added 30 runs to the scoreboard before Sam Curran got hold of Watson (7).&nbsp;

Suresh Raina then came out to bat and accompanied Du Plessis. Both the on-field batter played some brilliant shots and struck regular boundaries, which kept the scoreboard running.&nbsp;

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KL Rahul is adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings of 71 off 36 deliveries 😎😎 <a href="https://t.co/357RPCfopZ">pic.twitter.com/357RPCfopZ</a>
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Both stitched a 120-run partnership which saw half-century of both the players. However, Raina (53) and Du Plessis (96), both became victims of Curran, who sent both the set batsmen, back to the pavilion.&nbsp;

Then skipper MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu came out to bat. However, in the last over of the inning, Mohammed Shami took the wicket of Rayudu which brought Kedar Jhadav to the field but Shami sent Jhadav too back to the pavilion.&nbsp;

Shami conceded only five runs in the final over which helped Punjab restrict Chennai &nbsp;to 170 runs.&nbsp;

Punjab defeated Chennai by six wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Punjab had a very scintillating start as the openers, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, formed a 108 runs partnership.

Punjab defeated Chennai by six wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) clash on Sunday. Chasing a target of 171 runs, Punjab had a very scintillating start as the openers, KL Rahul and Chris Gayle, formed a 108 runs partnership. Rahul started playing big shots at the beginning, which helped him score his half-century in just 19 balls. Both gave a solid start to Punjab before Rahul (71) and Gayle (28) both got out on two consecutive balls bowled by Harbhajan Singh. Nicolas Pooran and Mayank Aggarwal then came out to bat. However, their partnership did not last long as Aggarwal gave away his wicket on seven runs. Mandeep Singh then joined Pooran and both added another 46 runs to the scoreboard before Ravindra Jadeja sent Pooran (36) back to the pavilion. Oh yes, boy 👌👌#KXIPvCSK pic.twitter.com/UsyeHVTdGH — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019 × Sam Curran then came out to bat and both Curran and Mandeep Singh took their side over the line and registered a 6-wicket victory. Earlier, Chennai were sent to bat first as Punjab opted to bowl first after winning the toss. Chennai had a decent start as Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis added 30 runs to the scoreboard before Sam Curran got hold of Watson (7). Suresh Raina then came out to bat and accompanied Du Plessis. Both the on-field batter played some brilliant shots and struck regular boundaries, which kept the scoreboard running. KL Rahul is adjudged the Man of the Match for his outstanding innings of 71 off 36 deliveries 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/357RPCfopZ — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019 × Both stitched a 120-run partnership which saw half-century of both the players. However, Raina (53) and Du Plessis (96), both became victims of Curran, who sent both the set batsmen, back to the pavilion. Then skipper MS Dhoni and Ambati Rayudu came out to bat. However, in the last over of the inning, Mohammed Shami took the wicket of Rayudu which brought Kedar Jhadav to the field but Shami sent Jhadav too back to the pavilion. Shami conceded only five runs in the final over which helped Punjab restrict Chennai to 170 runs.

IPL 2019: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle shine as Punjab defeat Chennai by six wickets

Delhi's fortune changed in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the team managing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2012.&nbsp;

On April 28, the Shreyas Iyer-led team registered a comprehensive <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-delhi-storm-into-playoffs-after-defeating-bangalore-by-16-runs-214176">16-run victory over Virat Kohli's Bangalore</a> at the Feroz Shah Kotla, to seal their place in the playoffs.&nbsp;

With nine victories from 14 games, Delhi sit at the second place on the points table and are the top contenders to lift the IPL trophy for the first time

However, the team's advisor and mentor Sourav Ganguly feels that the journey for Delhi is still very long and the team has to work really hard to reach the finals. 
&nbsp; 
When asked how confident he is of Delhi winning the tournament, Ganguly in an exclusive to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/">wionews.com</a> said, "it's too early to say".&nbsp;

"It's too early to say anything. We have reached the knockout stage but still, the team has to work hard and play really well to reach the finals and win the tournament".

While some fanatic fans credit the change in name from Daredevils to Capitals the reason behind the team's brilliant performance, cricket experts feel it is the strategies of mentors Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting that did wonders for the team. &nbsp;

Talking about the tournament, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-delhi-register-5-wicket-victory-over-rajasthan-215951">Delhi chased down a target of 116 runs to defeat Rajasthan</a> by five wickets and tie on points with Chennai, who are sitting at the top of the table with 18 points.&nbsp;

With Kagiso Rabadda flying back home, it was left to the other Delhi Capitals bowlers to take charge. Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra bowled their hearts out to frustrate Rajasthan, who opted to bat first.

In batting, Rishabh Pant, who was not included in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kl-rahul-and-dinesh-karthik-in-rishabh-pant-out-as-indias-icc-world-cup-squad-announced-210575">India's 15-man squad for 2019 World Cup</a>, smashed a brilliant half-century to take his side to victory.

Pant remained unbeaten for 53 runs which came in 38 balls and included two boundaries and five huge sixes. &nbsp;

Delhi's fortune changed in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the team managing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2012. On April 28, the Shreyas Iyer-led team registered a comprehensive 16-run victory over Virat Kohli's Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla, to seal their place in the playoffs.

Delhi's fortune changed in the 12th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) with the team managing to reach the knockout stage for the first time since 2012. On April 28, the Shreyas Iyer-led team registered a comprehensive 16-run victory over Virat Kohli's Bangalore at the Feroz Shah Kotla, to seal their place in the playoffs. With nine victories from 14 games, Delhi sit at the second place on the points table and are the top contenders to lift the IPL trophy for the first time However, the team's advisor and mentor Sourav Ganguly feels that the journey for Delhi is still very long and the team has to work really hard to reach the finals. When asked how confident he is of Delhi winning the tournament, Ganguly in an exclusive to wionews.com said, "it's too early to say". "It's too early to say anything. We have reached the knockout stage but still, the team has to work hard and play really well to reach the finals and win the tournament". While some fanatic fans credit the change in name from Daredevils to Capitals the reason behind the team's brilliant performance, cricket experts feel it is the strategies of mentors Sourav Ganguly and head coach Ricky Ponting that did wonders for the team. Talking about the tournament, Delhi chased down a target of 116 runs to defeat Rajasthan by five wickets and tie on points with Chennai, who are sitting at the top of the table with 18 points. With Kagiso Rabadda flying back home, it was left to the other Delhi Capitals bowlers to take charge. Ishant Sharma and Amit Mishra bowled their hearts out to frustrate Rajasthan, who opted to bat first. In batting, Rishabh Pant, who was not included in India's 15-man squad for 2019 World Cup, smashed a brilliant half-century to take his side to victory. Pant remained unbeaten for 53 runs which came in 38 balls and included two boundaries and five huge sixes.

Exclusive: Sourav Ganguly on Delhi's chances of lifting IPL 2019 trophy

Punjab&nbsp;captain R Ashwin maintained that the reason for not finishing in the top-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the inability to perform in the powerplays throughout the tournament.

"One of the areas we have definitely lacked is the powerplay, both with the ball and the bat -- in hindsight if we look at it. Because last year we had a great powerplay batting with Chris (Gayle) and KL (Rahul) but this year we could not get off to great starts obviously because the pressure was on them and they had to do a job. But we have to address this going into the next year because we have lost most games on powerplay battles," Ashwin told media.

After facing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-kolkata-defeat-punjab-by-seven-wickets-215766">an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata</a> on Friday, Ashwin said the absence of Varun Chakravarthy and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, who suffered a finger and shoulder injury, respectively; forced Punjab&nbsp;to look beyond their set plans.

"We have not been up to the ball-mark this year. We had a few challenges going into this year from last year, we had a few options, we picked up a few people (at the auction) and they have got injured. So that is not ideally how we had liked to look at it. We definitely put our best team we could in the park and we have tried our best and there have been a lot of positives that have come out of this season," he added.

The off-spinner said that Punjab&nbsp;were banking on Australia pacer Andrew Tye, the Purple-cap winner in 2018, to come in the destructive form in the ongoing edition.

However, Tye returned with just three wickets in his five outings at an economy of more than 10.

"AJ (Tye) had a fantastic IPL last year but it is also about batsmen coming after him in different methods. He has definitely tried hard. It is not lack of efforts that he has not been very good this year. But I am sure he will definitely get better as a cricketer, he is quite a smart cricketer, and he tries to give everything on the field. These sorts of phases are quite common in a cricket career but I am sure he will learn from this," Ashwin&nbsp;said.

Punjab captain R Ashwin maintained that the reason for not finishing in the top-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the inability to perform in the powerplays throughout the tournament.

Punjab captain R Ashwin maintained that the reason for not finishing in the top-four of the Indian Premier League (IPL) was the inability to perform in the powerplays throughout the tournament. "One of the areas we have definitely lacked is the powerplay, both with the ball and the bat -- in hindsight if we look at it. Because last year we had a great powerplay batting with Chris (Gayle) and KL (Rahul) but this year we could not get off to great starts obviously because the pressure was on them and they had to do a job. But we have to address this going into the next year because we have lost most games on powerplay battles," Ashwin told media. After facing an eight-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata on Friday, Ashwin said the absence of Varun Chakravarthy and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, who suffered a finger and shoulder injury, respectively; forced Punjab to look beyond their set plans. "We have not been up to the ball-mark this year. We had a few challenges going into this year from last year, we had a few options, we picked up a few people (at the auction) and they have got injured. So that is not ideally how we had liked to look at it. We definitely put our best team we could in the park and we have tried our best and there have been a lot of positives that have come out of this season," he added. The off-spinner said that Punjab were banking on Australia pacer Andrew Tye, the Purple-cap winner in 2018, to come in the destructive form in the ongoing edition. However, Tye returned with just three wickets in his five outings at an economy of more than 10. "AJ (Tye) had a fantastic IPL last year but it is also about batsmen coming after him in different methods. He has definitely tried hard. It is not lack of efforts that he has not been very good this year. But I am sure he will definitely get better as a cricketer, he is quite a smart cricketer, and he tries to give everything on the field. These sorts of phases are quite common in a cricket career but I am sure he will learn from this," Ashwin said.

Inability to perform in powerplays knocked Punjab out, says captain R Ashwin

Match preview: MS Dhoni-led Chennai will take on Punjab while Dinesh Karthik-led Kolkata will face Mumbai at the Wankhede Stadium.

IPL 2019: Match preview of Chennai vs Punjab and Kolkata vs Mumbai

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-53-delhi-vs-rajasthan-feroz-shah-kotla-215882">With this defeat, Rajasthan's campaign comes to an end</a> for this season.&nbsp;

Chasing a target of 116 runs, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, started off steadily as they formed a 28-run partnership.&nbsp;

However, Ish Sodhi bowled an impeccable over which sent both the openers back to the pavilion on his first two deliveries and did not give any run in that over.&nbsp;

Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer and Pant then came out to bat and stitched a 33-run partnership before Iyer became a victim of Shreyas Gopal.&nbsp;

Colin Ingram then joined the on-field batter and added another 22 runs to the scoreboard.&nbsp;

Pant then formed a 23-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford after Ingram gave away his wicket on 12 runs. Axar Patel then came out to bat. Pant scored an unbeaten 53 runs and Pant finished the match by hitting a six.

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Onto the playoffs 💪<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DCvRR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DCvRR</a> <a href="https://t.co/NxdAURm2Oy">pic.twitter.com/NxdAURm2Oy</a>
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Earlier, Rajasthan opted to bat first. However, the team had a very penurious start as four of their batsmen went back to the stadium after the conclusion of just six overs.&nbsp;

The team had only 30 runs on the board, but their main concern was the falling of wickets which was controlled for a while as Shreyas Gopal and Riyan Parag formed a 27-run partnership. &nbsp;

However, Amit Mishra got two wickets on two successive deliveries as he got hold of Shreyas Gopal (12) and Stuart Binny (0), which further increased the pressure on the visitors.&nbsp;

Parag scored a crucial half-century and formed a 30-run partnership with Ish Sodhi before Ish Sodhi gave away his wicket which brought Varun Aaron out on the field.&nbsp;

The two then stitched a 20 runs partnership which helped their side to put up a total of 115 runs on the board.

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. With this defeat, Rajasthan's campaign comes to an end for this season.

Delhi defeated Rajasthan by five wickets in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) on Saturday. With this defeat, Rajasthan's campaign comes to an end for this season. Chasing a target of 116 runs, Delhi openers, Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, started off steadily as they formed a 28-run partnership. However, Ish Sodhi bowled an impeccable over which sent both the openers back to the pavilion on his first two deliveries and did not give any run in that over. Delhi's skipper Shreyas Iyer and Pant then came out to bat and stitched a 33-run partnership before Iyer became a victim of Shreyas Gopal. Colin Ingram then joined the on-field batter and added another 22 runs to the scoreboard. Pant then formed a 23-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford after Ingram gave away his wicket on 12 runs. Axar Patel then came out to bat. Pant scored an unbeaten 53 runs and Pant finished the match by hitting a six. .@DelhiCapitals give their 🔵 home support at the #QilaKotla a happy send off 🙌 Onto the playoffs 💪#DCvRR pic.twitter.com/NxdAURm2Oy — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 4, 2019 × Earlier, Rajasthan opted to bat first. However, the team had a very penurious start as four of their batsmen went back to the stadium after the conclusion of just six overs. The team had only 30 runs on the board, but their main concern was the falling of wickets which was controlled for a while as Shreyas Gopal and Riyan Parag formed a 27-run partnership. However, Amit Mishra got two wickets on two successive deliveries as he got hold of Shreyas Gopal (12) and Stuart Binny (0), which further increased the pressure on the visitors. Parag scored a crucial half-century and formed a 30-run partnership with Ish Sodhi before Ish Sodhi gave away his wicket which brought Varun Aaron out on the field. The two then stitched a 20 runs partnership which helped their side to put up a total of 115 runs on the board.

IPL 2019: Delhi register 5-wicket victory over Rajasthan

The head coach of Kolkata,&nbsp;Jacques Kallis, said that the omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the team was done keeping in mind the team's balance and he's quite sure that it would not affect his performance in the upcoming World Cup.

"The wickets we have played on at Eden Gardens this year, it hasn't spun at all and it has been tough for spinners. It has been a tough year for him but he will learn from this. You have got to understand 50-over format is quite different from the 20-over format," Kallis told reporters.

"I don't think it will affect him, it's just a different format and unfortunately looking at the makeup of the side, he has not played the last couple of games. He has been working quite hard in the nets and seems to be getting it right again, so I am sure he will be okay for the World Cup," he added.

Kolkata's decision to drop Kuldeep from the playing XI in the last two matches&nbsp;against Rajasthan and Mumbai&nbsp;made many heads turn and many people criticised the team's decision to drop the spinner from the team before the upcoming World Cup.

The team suffered six straight defeats after registering four wins out of their opening five matches.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-andre-russell-shines-as-kolkata-beat-mumbai-by-34-runs-214242&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwic_uzl4_7hAhXEmeYKHUOCDLMQFjADegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3QK4lbv7dCc7-egybj-Phw">Kolkata&nbsp;was able to win their last match against Mumbai on Sunday at Eden Gardens</a> in Kolkata and as a result of that win, the team still remains in the hunt for playoffs.

Kolkata currently stands at the sixth position in the IPL league standings with 10 points from 12 matches.

The team next takes on Punjab on May 3 at Mohali.

The head coach of Kolkata, Jacques Kallis, said that the omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the team was done keeping in mind the team's balance and he's quite sure that it would not affect his performance in the upcoming World Cup.

The head coach of Kolkata, Jacques Kallis, said that the omission of spinner Kuldeep Yadav from the team was done keeping in mind the team's balance and he's quite sure that it would not affect his performance in the upcoming World Cup. "The wickets we have played on at Eden Gardens this year, it hasn't spun at all and it has been tough for spinners. It has been a tough year for him but he will learn from this. You have got to understand 50-over format is quite different from the 20-over format," Kallis told reporters. "I don't think it will affect him, it's just a different format and unfortunately looking at the makeup of the side, he has not played the last couple of games. He has been working quite hard in the nets and seems to be getting it right again, so I am sure he will be okay for the World Cup," he added. Kolkata's decision to drop Kuldeep from the playing XI in the last two matches against Rajasthan and Mumbai made many heads turn and many people criticised the team's decision to drop the spinner from the team before the upcoming World Cup. The team suffered six straight defeats after registering four wins out of their opening five matches. Kolkata was able to win their last match against Mumbai on Sunday at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and as a result of that win, the team still remains in the hunt for playoffs. Kolkata currently stands at the sixth position in the IPL league standings with 10 points from 12 matches. The team next takes on Punjab on May 3 at Mohali.

IPL 2019: Kolkata coach opens up on Kuldeep Yadav's omission from the team's last two games

Mumbai booked their place in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Hyderabad in a super over here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday.

Mumbai are currently placed at the second position in the league standings with 16 points, whereas Hyderabad are placed at the fourth position with 12 points.

Chasing a score of 163, Hyderabad got off to a flying start as their openers Wriddhiman Saha and Martin Guptill scored 40 runs in the first four overs.

But their exploits were cut short as Jasprit Bumrah gave Mumbai much-needed breakthroughs by dismissing Saha (25) and Guptill (15), reducing Hyderabad to 57 for two in the sixth over.&nbsp;

Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson (3) once again failed to put up a significant score as he was dismissed cheaply by Krunal Pandya in the seventh over. &nbsp;

Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar put up a brief 33-run stand but their stay was cut short as Krunal dismissed Shankar (12) at a time when Hyderabad required 65 runs off 40 balls to win. &nbsp;

But Pandey kept playing in his trademark style with the support of Mohammad Nabi.&nbsp;

The duo gave Hyderabad some firepower in the death overs. With 7 runs required off the final ball, Pandey hit a six and the match went to the super over.

In the super over, Hyderabad was able to score just eight runs and Mumbai made light work of the target and chased down the total in just three balls.

Earlier, Quinton de Kock's knock of 69 runs off just 58 deliveries enabled Mumbai to post 162 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets in the allotted twenty overs after opting to bat first.

Mumbai got off to a flying start as openers Rohit Sharma and de Kock hammered the visitors with regular boundaries in the opening two overs.&nbsp;

But Hyderabad came back into the match as their bowler Khaleel Ahmed dismissed the skipper Sharma (24) in the sixth over of the innings. &nbsp;

Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat at number three and he, along with de Kock, ensured that the team does not lose momentum in the middle overs.&nbsp;

The duo stitched together a partnership of 54 runs, raising the team's hopes of posting a challenging total in front of the visitors.

However, Hyderabad managed to dismiss Yadav (23) and Ewin Lewis (1) in quick succession, reducing the team to 91 for three in the 13th over.&nbsp;

Yadav was dismissed by Ahmed whereas Lewis was sent back to the pavilion by Mohammad Nabi.

Hardik Pandya (18) was not able to repeat his heroics from the last match against KKR and he was sent back to the pavilion by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 16th over of the innings.

De Kock, however, kept the momentum going and ensured that the team posts a challenging total on the board.&nbsp;

Hyderabad will next take on Bangalore on May 4 whereas Mumbai will face Kolkata on May 5.

Mumbai booked their place in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Hyderabad in a super over here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday.

Mumbai booked their place in the playoffs in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League as they defeated Hyderabad in a super over here at the Wankhede stadium on Friday. Mumbai are currently placed at the second position in the league standings with 16 points, whereas Hyderabad are placed at the fourth position with 12 points. Chasing a score of 163, Hyderabad got off to a flying start as their openers Wriddhiman Saha and Martin Guptill scored 40 runs in the first four overs. But their exploits were cut short as Jasprit Bumrah gave Mumbai much-needed breakthroughs by dismissing Saha (25) and Guptill (15), reducing Hyderabad to 57 for two in the sixth over. Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson (3) once again failed to put up a significant score as he was dismissed cheaply by Krunal Pandya in the seventh over. Manish Pandey and Vijay Shankar put up a brief 33-run stand but their stay was cut short as Krunal dismissed Shankar (12) at a time when Hyderabad required 65 runs off 40 balls to win. But Pandey kept playing in his trademark style with the support of Mohammad Nabi. The duo gave Hyderabad some firepower in the death overs. With 7 runs required off the final ball, Pandey hit a six and the match went to the super over. In the super over, Hyderabad was able to score just eight runs and Mumbai made light work of the target and chased down the total in just three balls. Earlier, Quinton de Kock's knock of 69 runs off just 58 deliveries enabled Mumbai to post 162 runs on the board for the loss of five wickets in the allotted twenty overs after opting to bat first. Mumbai got off to a flying start as openers Rohit Sharma and de Kock hammered the visitors with regular boundaries in the opening two overs. But Hyderabad came back into the match as their bowler Khaleel Ahmed dismissed the skipper Sharma (24) in the sixth over of the innings. Suryakumar Yadav came out to bat at number three and he, along with de Kock, ensured that the team does not lose momentum in the middle overs. The duo stitched together a partnership of 54 runs, raising the team's hopes of posting a challenging total in front of the visitors. However, Hyderabad managed to dismiss Yadav (23) and Ewin Lewis (1) in quick succession, reducing the team to 91 for three in the 13th over. Yadav was dismissed by Ahmed whereas Lewis was sent back to the pavilion by Mohammad Nabi. Hardik Pandya (18) was not able to repeat his heroics from the last match against KKR and he was sent back to the pavilion by Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 16th over of the innings. De Kock, however, kept the momentum going and ensured that the team posts a challenging total on the board. Hyderabad will next take on Bangalore on May 4 whereas Mumbai will face Kolkata on May 5.

IPL 2019: Mumbai defeat Hyderabad in super over, book play-off berth

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/live-updates-ipl-2019-match-52-punjab-vs-kolkata-at-is-bindra-stadium-215712">Kolkata defeated Punjab by seven wickets</a> in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Friday.&nbsp;

With this win, Kolkata has now moved on to the fifth position in the league standings with 12 points whereas Punjab is placed at the seventh position with 10 points.&nbsp;

Chasing a challenging total of 184, Kolkata got off to a good start as their opener Chris Lynn hammered the hosts for regular boundaries. Lynn (46) was at his fluent best but his innings was cut short by his fellow countrymen Andrew Tye.&nbsp;

Kolkata had scored 62 runs for the loss of one wicket after the completion of six overs.&nbsp;

Shubhman Gill and Robin Uthappa did not let the momentum slip away and they continued to pile on the misery on Punjab's bowlers.

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🤜🤛<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KKR?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KKR</a> <a href="https://t.co/yGnu8enbYU">pic.twitter.com/yGnu8enbYU</a>
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The duo stitched together a partnership of 38 runs but their resistance was cut short by Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin as he dismissed Uthappa (22).&nbsp;

Gill kept on going on his merry way and he brought up his half-century in the 13th over of the innings. He found support in the big-hitting Andre Russell and the duo put up a 50-run stand taking Kolkata closer to victory.&nbsp;

Russell (24) was dismissed by Shami in the 15th over with Kolkata requiring another 34 runs to win.&nbsp;

The skipper Dinesh Karthik came out to bat next for Kolkata and he, along with Gill ensured that the team does not suffer from any more hiccups.

The duo stitched together a partnership of ensuring Kolkata's victory by seven wickets and with 12 balls to spare. Gill and Karthik remained unbeaten on 65 and 21 respectively.&nbsp;

Earlier, Sam Curran's knock of 55 runs off just 24 balls helped Punjab post 183 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets in the allotted twenty overs.&nbsp;

Punjab got off to the worst start possible as they lost both their openers KL Rahul (2) and Chris Gayle (14) inside the first five overs. Sandeep Warrier sent both the batsmen back into the pavilion, reducing Punjab to 22 for two.&nbsp;

Nicholas Pooran came out to bat at number four and he started to play with an aggressive mindset from the very start.

He along with Mayank Agarwal retrieved the innings for Punjab as the duo put on a quickfire 69-run stand, but the partnership was cut short as Nitish Rana dismissed Pooran (48) in the 11th over.&nbsp;

Agarwal (36) was also sent back to the pavilion via a run-out and Punjab was reduced to 115 for four at the end of fourteen overs.&nbsp;

Sam Curran gave Punjab some firepower in the death overs and he hammered the visitors for regular boundaries.&nbsp;

Although Kolkata kept scalping wickets at the other end, they were not able to bog down Curran and he ensured that Punjab posts a challenging total on the board. Curran remained unbeaten on 55 at the end of the innings.&nbsp;

Punjab will next play against Chennai whereas Kolkata will take on Mumbai on May 5.&nbsp;

Kolkata defeated Punjab by seven wickets in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. With this win, Kolkata has now moved on to the fifth position in the league standings with 12 points whereas Punjab is placed at the seventh position with 10 points.

Kolkata defeated Punjab by seven wickets in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium on Friday. With this win, Kolkata has now moved on to the fifth position in the league standings with 12 points whereas Punjab is placed at the seventh position with 10 points. Chasing a challenging total of 184, Kolkata got off to a good start as their opener Chris Lynn hammered the hosts for regular boundaries. Lynn (46) was at his fluent best but his innings was cut short by his fellow countrymen Andrew Tye. Kolkata had scored 62 runs for the loss of one wicket after the completion of six overs. Shubhman Gill and Robin Uthappa did not let the momentum slip away and they continued to pile on the misery on Punjab's bowlers. 🤜🤛#KKR pic.twitter.com/yGnu8enbYU — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 3, 2019 × The duo stitched together a partnership of 38 runs but their resistance was cut short by Punjab skipper Ravichandran Ashwin as he dismissed Uthappa (22). Gill kept on going on his merry way and he brought up his half-century in the 13th over of the innings. He found support in the big-hitting Andre Russell and the duo put up a 50-run stand taking Kolkata closer to victory. Russell (24) was dismissed by Shami in the 15th over with Kolkata requiring another 34 runs to win. The skipper Dinesh Karthik came out to bat next for Kolkata and he, along with Gill ensured that the team does not suffer from any more hiccups. The duo stitched together a partnership of ensuring Kolkata's victory by seven wickets and with 12 balls to spare. Gill and Karthik remained unbeaten on 65 and 21 respectively. Earlier, Sam Curran's knock of 55 runs off just 24 balls helped Punjab post 183 runs on the board for the loss of six wickets in the allotted twenty overs. Punjab got off to the worst start possible as they lost both their openers KL Rahul (2) and Chris Gayle (14) inside the first five overs. Sandeep Warrier sent both the batsmen back into the pavilion, reducing Punjab to 22 for two. Nicholas Pooran came out to bat at number four and he started to play with an aggressive mindset from the very start. He along with Mayank Agarwal retrieved the innings for Punjab as the duo put on a quickfire 69-run stand, but the partnership was cut short as Nitish Rana dismissed Pooran (48) in the 11th over. Agarwal (36) was also sent back to the pavilion via a run-out and Punjab was reduced to 115 for four at the end of fourteen overs. Sam Curran gave Punjab some firepower in the death overs and he hammered the visitors for regular boundaries. Although Kolkata kept scalping wickets at the other end, they were not able to bog down Curran and he ensured that Punjab posts a challenging total on the board. Curran remained unbeaten on 55 at the end of the innings. Punjab will next play against Chennai whereas Kolkata will take on Mumbai on May 5.

IPL 2019: Kolkata defeat Punjab by seven wickets

While Rajasthan have a remote chance of making it to the playoffs, it is a do and die situation for Hyderabad as they enter in a must-win encounter with Bangalore.

IPL 2019: It's Delhi vs Rajasthan and Hyderabad vs Bangalore

Rajasthan have decided to bring back Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the remainder of their Indian Premier League campaign after Steve Smith left to join the Australian squad, the franchise announced on Friday.

India's test vice-captain Rahane was sacked as Rajasthan's captain last month after guiding the team to just two wins in the first eight matches of the 2019 season.

Former Australian captain Smith, on the other hand, led the Rajasthan to three victories in the five matches that he was captain, with one of those games ending without a result.

Smith has left the group to join Australia's World Cup preparation camp and Rajasthan head of cricket Zubin Bharucha believes Rahane can be the "guiding force" of the team as they hope to qualify for the IPL playoffs.

"We have requested Ajinkya to take on the captaincy of the team," Bharucha said in a statement.

"As a true Royal he has shown great courage and character in graciously accepting the responsibility, which accompanies this role, whilst it would have been easier for him to take a back seat and focus solely on his batting.

"He has consistently been part of the leadership team taking key decisions and we have full trust in him taking us to victory tomorrow."

Rajasthan, who are fifth in the table with 11 points from 13 games, must beat Delhi on Saturday to stand any chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Rajasthan have decided to bring back Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the remainder of their Indian Premier League campaign after Steve Smith left to join the Australian squad, the franchise announced on Friday.

Rajasthan have decided to bring back Ajinkya Rahane as captain for the remainder of their Indian Premier League campaign after Steve Smith left to join the Australian squad, the franchise announced on Friday. India's test vice-captain Rahane was sacked as Rajasthan's captain last month after guiding the team to just two wins in the first eight matches of the 2019 season. Former Australian captain Smith, on the other hand, led the Rajasthan to three victories in the five matches that he was captain, with one of those games ending without a result. Smith has left the group to join Australia's World Cup preparation camp and Rajasthan head of cricket Zubin Bharucha believes Rahane can be the "guiding force" of the team as they hope to qualify for the IPL playoffs. "We have requested Ajinkya to take on the captaincy of the team," Bharucha said in a statement. "As a true Royal he has shown great courage and character in graciously accepting the responsibility, which accompanies this role, whilst it would have been easier for him to take a back seat and focus solely on his batting. "He has consistently been part of the leadership team taking key decisions and we have full trust in him taking us to victory tomorrow." Rajasthan, who are fifth in the table with 11 points from 13 games, must beat Delhi on Saturday to stand any chance of qualifying for the playoffs.

Rajasthan reappoint Ajinkya Rahane as captain for remainder of IPL season

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid aggravating a back problem ahead of the cricket World Cup, the Delhi said on Friday.

The 23-year-old has been in fine form this season, claiming 25 wickets from 12 matches in the IPL, but sat out <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/ipl/ms-dhoni-credits-tennis-ball-cricket-for-quick-hands-behind-the-stumps-215322/amp&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjl2sKz8P7hAhWJM48KHTqYAVYQFjABegQIDhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0kM95pDNs4lf3rzVcpdFPI">Wednesday's game against Chennai.</a>

Delhi said Rabada had been advised to return by Cricket South Africa as a precautionary measure.

"It's hard for me to leave the Delhi at this stage of the tournament. But with the World Cup just a month away, a collective decision has been made for me in this regard," Rabada said in a statement.

Third-placed Delhi have qualified for the IPL playoffs and play Rajasthan in their last league game on Saturday.

"It's been a tremendous season for me with Delhi, both on and off the field, and I truly believe that our team can win the trophy," Rabada added.

Rabada's fellow paceman Dale Steyn was also ruled out of the IPL last month after a flare-up of an old shoulder injury, putting his World Cup prospects in doubt.

South Africa open their World Cup campaign against England at The Oval on May 30.

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid aggravating a back problem ahead of the cricket World Cup, the Delhi said on Friday.

South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada will return home from the Indian Premier League (IPL) to avoid aggravating a back problem ahead of the cricket World Cup, the Delhi said on Friday. The 23-year-old has been in fine form this season, claiming 25 wickets from 12 matches in the IPL, but sat out Wednesday's game against Chennai. Delhi said Rabada had been advised to return by Cricket South Africa as a precautionary measure. "It's hard for me to leave the Delhi at this stage of the tournament. But with the World Cup just a month away, a collective decision has been made for me in this regard," Rabada said in a statement. Third-placed Delhi have qualified for the IPL playoffs and play Rajasthan in their last league game on Saturday. "It's been a tremendous season for me with Delhi, both on and off the field, and I truly believe that our team can win the trophy," Rabada added. Rabada's fellow paceman Dale Steyn was also ruled out of the IPL last month after a flare-up of an old shoulder injury, putting his World Cup prospects in doubt. South Africa open their World Cup campaign against England at The Oval on May 30.

South Africa pacer Kagiso Rabada heads home from IPL with back niggle

Koffee with Karan’s controversial episode featuring the two Indian cricketers was aired in the first week of January, triggering outrage. It prompted the CoA to call the duo back from the tour of Australia and handed them provisional suspensions. Pandya and Rahul then tendered unconditional apologies

India's star batsman KL Rahul was at the receiving end for the sexist comments he made along with teammate Hardik Pandya on Karan Johar's TV show Koffee with Karan, that was aired in the first week of January.

The comments triggered outrage as the two boasted about hooking up with multiple women and also how open they had been about it with their parents and family.

The two cricketers were labelled misogynistic and sexist, forcing them to offer unconditional apologies.&nbsp;

Rahul kept his calm took and proved his worth as a cricketer by displaying his batting prowess in the 12 the edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).&nbsp;

Not only he depleted the bowling attack of the opponent teams but also book a World Cup place for himself.&nbsp;

On being asked what he has to say about the entire controversy that almost ruined his career, Rahul said, "what fun is it if there's no ups and downs in life".

Ya, look, what fun is it if there's no ups and downs in life. Life will just become boring and it doesn't mean I am expecting bad things to happen to me but yes I am somebody who just takes things as it comes."

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The 27-year-old also stressed that the entire controversy&nbsp;which left the cricket world divided was "unnecessary".

"It was very unnecessary and not expected. But yes it happens. It helped me grow as a person and the stronger I am as a person that reflects on how I play my cricket as well. Even in Sports, you are knocked down sometimes, you need to learn how to fight that battle and also win the game for your team. So, I have taken everything positively."

Combing back to IPL, KL Rahul has led the Punjab franchise from the front, hitting 550 runs in 12 games.

The batsman, so far, has one century and five half-centuries to his name to become the most dependent batsman of the team.&nbsp;

Later in the day, Punjab will lock horns with Kolkata in a must-win encounter to keep their remote play-off chances alive.&nbsp;

Koffee with Karan’s controversial episode featuring the two Indian cricketers was aired in the first week of January, triggering outrage. It prompted the CoA to call the duo back from the tour of Australia and handed them provisional suspensions.

Koffee with Karan’s controversial episode featuring the two Indian cricketers was aired in the first week of January, triggering outrage. It prompted the CoA to call the duo back from the tour of Australia and handed them provisional suspensions. Pandya and Rahul then tendered unconditional apologies India's star batsman KL Rahul was at the receiving end for the sexist comments he made along with teammate Hardik Pandya on Karan Johar's TV show Koffee with Karan, that was aired in the first week of January. The comments triggered outrage as the two boasted about hooking up with multiple women and also how open they had been about it with their parents and family. The two cricketers were labelled misogynistic and sexist, forcing them to offer unconditional apologies. Rahul kept his calm took and proved his worth as a cricketer by displaying his batting prowess in the 12 the edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Not only he depleted the bowling attack of the opponent teams but also book a World Cup place for himself. On being asked what he has to say about the entire controversy that almost ruined his career, Rahul said, "what fun is it if there's no ups and downs in life". Ya, look, what fun is it if there's no ups and downs in life. Life will just become boring and it doesn't mean I am expecting bad things to happen to me but yes I am somebody who just takes things as it comes." × The 27-year-old also stressed that the entire controversy which left the cricket world divided was "unnecessary". "It was very unnecessary and not expected. But yes it happens. It helped me grow as a person and the stronger I am as a person that reflects on how I play my cricket as well. Even in Sports, you are knocked down sometimes, you need to learn how to fight that battle and also win the game for your team. So, I have taken everything positively." Combing back to IPL, KL Rahul has led the Punjab franchise from the front, hitting 550 runs in 12 games. The batsman, so far, has one century and five half-centuries to his name to become the most dependent batsman of the team. Later in the day, Punjab will lock horns with Kolkata in a must-win encounter to keep their remote play-off chances alive.

KL Rahul on Koffee with Karan controversy: 'What fun is it if there's no ups and downs in life'

Both the teams are on 10 points from 12 matches each and absolutely need to win to keep their play-off chances alive.

IPL 2019: Punjab host Kolkata in a must-win encounter

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the two names that pop up immediately whenever Punjab comes to the field in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). &nbsp;

The responsibility of chasing the mammoth target or setting a fighting total have always fallen on these two players. The best part is they haven't disappointed.&nbsp;

In the 12 games so far, Rahul has scored 550 runs to become the most dependent batsman of the franchise.&nbsp;

When asked what is the mantra behind his superb form and how does he see himself hitting such big scores, Rahul in an exclusive interview to WION, said it's not the individual score that matters&nbsp;to him but the games he can win for the team.

"I always aim very very high. So, for me, I don't start the season thinking 400-500 or 600 runs is good enough for me because that's not a goal or achievement for me. It's always about how many games in a season I win for my team, so that's is what my focus is always on."

Rahul was quick to add that he doesn't care even if he scores 300 runs in one season, provided he plays a role in helping Punjab win the games.

"It doesn't matter even if I get 300 runs in a season or 800 runs in the season. But if I do not win games for my team then I feel like I am not doing my job. So, that's is what I focus on. In a tournament like IPL, it is important that you start well and when you start well you get some confidence and form. And if you stay focussed then the confidence and form just carry&nbsp;on for the rest of the tournament. So, it has been the key for me in the last two seasons," the Punjab opener added.

In most of the games, Rahul has made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end.&nbsp;

However, the scenario has been different till Gayle is on the crease with him.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
When asked if there is any set plan they follow when they enter the crease, Rahul said they just give it some time and access the conditions.

"We don't really go in with a set plan, because as opening batsmen we have the responsibility to go out there and access the conditions, especially when we are batting first, to see what would be a par score and how much we should get on a wicket like that and also see the opposition, see who are the guys we have to target."

"So for that, we go that first couple of overs we are going to look to play cricketing shots and just look to take our time. Moreover, we all know if Chris starts over then there is no worry about the run rate. We will always get 20 runs extra than the par score. So we just look to give ourselves a little time and access the conditions," the 27-year-old said.&nbsp;

Punjab had decent outings in the first half of the tournament before losing the plot in the all-important second phase.&nbsp;

The team have 10 points from 12 matches and are desperately eyeing a victory to remain in the contention for the IPL 2019 playoffs.

The performance of the team has degraded in the second phase, however, Kl Rahul stressed that just because the results haven't gone their way, it doesn' mean they have been outplayed.&nbsp;

"The passion, the determination has always been there to go out and give it our best. Ashwin said in his last interview that we have not been outplayed even once we have hung in there. We have scrapped all through and we have put up a great show and all are games have been gone down to the wire and the crowds have enjoyed it."

"And at the end of the day, it is about putting up a great show. But results haven't gone our way. Again that a habit, if you win a couple of games you get on a roll and it keeps going that way. We are hoping that we will find that rhythm."

Punjab will next lock horns with Kolkata in a do-or-die encounter at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Friday.&nbsp;

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the two names that pop up immediately whenever Punjab comes to the field in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The responsibility of chasing the mammoth target or setting a fighting total have always fallen on these two players.

KL Rahul and Chris Gayle are the two names that pop up immediately whenever Punjab comes to the field in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). The responsibility of chasing the mammoth target or setting a fighting total have always fallen on these two players. The best part is they haven't disappointed. In the 12 games so far, Rahul has scored 550 runs to become the most dependent batsman of the franchise. When asked what is the mantra behind his superb form and how does he see himself hitting such big scores, Rahul in an exclusive interview to WION, said it's not the individual score that matters to him but the games he can win for the team. "I always aim very very high. So, for me, I don't start the season thinking 400-500 or 600 runs is good enough for me because that's not a goal or achievement for me. It's always about how many games in a season I win for my team, so that's is what my focus is always on." Rahul was quick to add that he doesn't care even if he scores 300 runs in one season, provided he plays a role in helping Punjab win the games. "It doesn't matter even if I get 300 runs in a season or 800 runs in the season. But if I do not win games for my team then I feel like I am not doing my job. So, that's is what I focus on. In a tournament like IPL, it is important that you start well and when you start well you get some confidence and form. And if you stay focussed then the confidence and form just carry on for the rest of the tournament. So, it has been the key for me in the last two seasons," the Punjab opener added. In most of the games, Rahul has made a valiant effort with the bat but lacked support from the other end. However, the scenario has been different till Gayle is on the crease with him. When asked if there is any set plan they follow when they enter the crease, Rahul said they just give it some time and access the conditions. "We don't really go in with a set plan, because as opening batsmen we have the responsibility to go out there and access the conditions, especially when we are batting first, to see what would be a par score and how much we should get on a wicket like that and also see the opposition, see who are the guys we have to target." "So for that, we go that first couple of overs we are going to look to play cricketing shots and just look to take our time. Moreover, we all know if Chris starts over then there is no worry about the run rate. We will always get 20 runs extra than the par score. So we just look to give ourselves a little time and access the conditions," the 27-year-old said. Punjab had decent outings in the first half of the tournament before losing the plot in the all-important second phase. The team have 10 points from 12 matches and are desperately eyeing a victory to remain in the contention for the IPL 2019 playoffs. The performance of the team has degraded in the second phase, however, Kl Rahul stressed that just because the results haven't gone their way, it doesn' mean they have been outplayed. "The passion, the determination has always been there to go out and give it our best. Ashwin said in his last interview that we have not been outplayed even once we have hung in there. We have scrapped all through and we have put up a great show and all are games have been gone down to the wire and the crowds have enjoyed it." "And at the end of the day, it is about putting up a great show. But results haven't gone our way. Again that a habit, if you win a couple of games you get on a roll and it keeps going that way. We are hoping that we will find that rhythm." Punjab will next lock horns with Kolkata in a do-or-die encounter at the PCA IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali on Friday.

Not the individual score but games I can win for Punjab matter: KL Rahul to WION

Kings XI Punjab take on Kolkata Knight Riders in a crunch contest of IPL 2019 on May 3. The 2014 runners-up have won just two of their last eight games and are winless in their last three despite their star batsman KL Rahul's stellar campaign in which he has amassed over 500 runs. In an exclusive conversation, the wicket-keeper batsman opens up on that controversial appearance on Koffee With Karan as well his selection to India's World Cup squad.

Exclusive: KXIP's KL Rahul on WION

In the absence of David Warner, Hyderabad will clash with Rohit Sharma-led Mumbai in a must win contest.

IPL 2019: Eying playoff berth, Mumbai to take on Warner-less Hyderabad

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, on Wednesday, praised 'freebie'&nbsp;Rishabh Pant saying that he would not like to change anything in him.

"You need to give him a freebie, you cannot restrict his (Pant) flow and I personally feel that you cannot blame him because he is that sort of person who can change the momentum of the game. I still like the way he plays and I would not like to change anything in him," Iyer said during the post-match conference.

Pant, who has not been in a good form lately with the bat, faced just three balls and scored five runs before he gave an easy catch to Dwayne Bravo off Imran Tahir`s delivery.

Iyer eulogized Pant, however, feels that the wicket-keeper batsman should have played smartly.

"It was not a bad stroke, but definitely he could have played a bit smart and assess the pitch condition because we needed a bit of partnership at that period," Iyer said.

Delhi&nbsp;faced an embarrassing 80-run defeat from Chennai&nbsp;in the ongoing Indian Premier League&nbsp;as the whole of Delhi's&nbsp;batting line-up was bundled off on just 99 runs by the hosts.

Talking about the defeat, Iyer said it was a reality check for them but backed his players by showing his confidence in their abilities to win matches.

"We lacked in certain situations and definitely, it is a reality check for us. We need to learn and come back strong from here on.... I never doubt my players, I know that they are capable of winning us matches," Iyer said.

Delhi, who have already qualified for the IPL playoffs, will host Rajasthan on May 4. 
&nbsp;

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, on Wednesday, praised 'freebie' Rishabh Pant saying that he would not like to change anything in him. "You need to give him a freebie, you cannot restrict his (Pant) flow and I personally feel that you cannot blame him because he is that sort of person who can change the momentum of the game.

Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer, on Wednesday, praised 'freebie' Rishabh Pant saying that he would not like to change anything in him. "You need to give him a freebie, you cannot restrict his (Pant) flow and I personally feel that you cannot blame him because he is that sort of person who can change the momentum of the game. I still like the way he plays and I would not like to change anything in him," Iyer said during the post-match conference. Pant, who has not been in a good form lately with the bat, faced just three balls and scored five runs before he gave an easy catch to Dwayne Bravo off Imran Tahir`s delivery. Iyer eulogized Pant, however, feels that the wicket-keeper batsman should have played smartly. "It was not a bad stroke, but definitely he could have played a bit smart and assess the pitch condition because we needed a bit of partnership at that period," Iyer said. Delhi faced an embarrassing 80-run defeat from Chennai in the ongoing Indian Premier League as the whole of Delhi's batting line-up was bundled off on just 99 runs by the hosts. Talking about the defeat, Iyer said it was a reality check for them but backed his players by showing his confidence in their abilities to win matches. "We lacked in certain situations and definitely, it is a reality check for us. We need to learn and come back strong from here on.... I never doubt my players, I know that they are capable of winning us matches," Iyer said. Delhi, who have already qualified for the IPL playoffs, will host Rajasthan on May 4.

I would not change anything in Rishabh Pant, says Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is lightning quick behind the stumps and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman said it is a skill which he has developed from tennis ball cricket.

Talking about his super quick stumpings, Dhoni said, "I think it's something that's come from tennis ball cricket. But you still have to do the basics and graduate to that level. If you want to keep like that you can make mistakes; so I still think basics are most important."

Skipper Dhoni has been in superb form in the ongoing IPL and after sitting out for a couple of matches due to fever and a stiff back, he smashed an unbeaten 44 off 22 balls to power <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-chennai-thrash-delhi-by-huge-80-runs-215174&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjU_aG7rvzhAhXb73MBHXtIBUQQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rKE__eF_7Tq-hdAYcT2NG">Chennai to 179 against Delhi&nbsp;on Wednesday night</a>.&nbsp;

Chennai&nbsp;were struggling in the beginning but thanks to Dhoni, Chennai scored 20 runs from the last over bowled by Trent Boult with the stumper finishing off with two sixes off the final two balls.

Asked about his power-packed knock, Dhoni said he had spent enough time on the wicket to understand the bowling variations and unleash his game towards the end to lead Chennai to a match-winning total.

"Watch the ball, hit the ball. You've spent time, you know the variations. By the 20th over you're almost ready and you swing at everything," Dhoni said when asked about his last-over exploits.

"It's easier for somebody who has played 10-15 deliveries than someone who has just come in", Dhoni said.

Dhoni said the conditions actually favoured them though they lost the toss.

"We knew there wouldn't be much dew. What we've seen is if there's no dew, there's assistance for spinners. But when we started, Bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh) didn't get any turn. But as they started losing wickets, it started spinning, it started turning. Cricket is such a game," he said after the 80-run win over Delhi.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took three wickets, said the wicket helped spinners.

"Obviously I enjoyed bowling, the way the wicket was turning. I was bowling in good areas and the wicket was doing the rest for me," Jadeja&nbsp;said.

Asked how it helps to have someone like Imran Tahir bowling in tandem with him, Jadeja said the South African has been "fantastic".

"He has been taking wickets whenever we needed. Me, Immy bhai and Bhajju pa (Harbhajan) as a unit, we are bowling the way we want to bowl. Still one more game to go. We need to continue our momentum. Everyone is in good form so we just need to keep the winning momentum going", Jadeja said.

Jadeja said Dhoni can be described by one word and that is 'genius'.

Losing skipper Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a "reality check" for Delhi.

"It's really going to affect us. The way we played was not expected. Everybody will be on their toes in the next game. Wouldn't blame the abilities of our team but we didn't play smart cricket. We should have curtailed them," Iyer&nbsp;said.

Iyer said they missed someone like Kagiso Rabada in death overs after the South African pacer was ruled out of the game due to a back issue.

"He's (Rabada) an amazing bowler, especially in the slog overs. For sure we missed him. But he had a stiff back, it's good he got to take rest. We're keeping the hope and definitely want to finish in the top two" said the losing captain Iyer.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is lightning quick behind the stumps and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman said it is a skill which he has developed from tennis ball cricket.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is lightning quick behind the stumps and the veteran wicket-keeper batsman said it is a skill which he has developed from tennis ball cricket. Talking about his super quick stumpings, Dhoni said, "I think it's something that's come from tennis ball cricket. But you still have to do the basics and graduate to that level. If you want to keep like that you can make mistakes; so I still think basics are most important." Skipper Dhoni has been in superb form in the ongoing IPL and after sitting out for a couple of matches due to fever and a stiff back, he smashed an unbeaten 44 off 22 balls to power Chennai to 179 against Delhi on Wednesday night. Chennai were struggling in the beginning but thanks to Dhoni, Chennai scored 20 runs from the last over bowled by Trent Boult with the stumper finishing off with two sixes off the final two balls. Asked about his power-packed knock, Dhoni said he had spent enough time on the wicket to understand the bowling variations and unleash his game towards the end to lead Chennai to a match-winning total. "Watch the ball, hit the ball. You've spent time, you know the variations. By the 20th over you're almost ready and you swing at everything," Dhoni said when asked about his last-over exploits. "It's easier for somebody who has played 10-15 deliveries than someone who has just come in", Dhoni said. Dhoni said the conditions actually favoured them though they lost the toss. "We knew there wouldn't be much dew. What we've seen is if there's no dew, there's assistance for spinners. But when we started, Bhajju pa (Harbhajan Singh) didn't get any turn. But as they started losing wickets, it started spinning, it started turning. Cricket is such a game," he said after the 80-run win over Delhi. Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who took three wickets, said the wicket helped spinners. "Obviously I enjoyed bowling, the way the wicket was turning. I was bowling in good areas and the wicket was doing the rest for me," Jadeja said. Asked how it helps to have someone like Imran Tahir bowling in tandem with him, Jadeja said the South African has been "fantastic". "He has been taking wickets whenever we needed. Me, Immy bhai and Bhajju pa (Harbhajan) as a unit, we are bowling the way we want to bowl. Still one more game to go. We need to continue our momentum. Everyone is in good form so we just need to keep the winning momentum going", Jadeja said. Jadeja said Dhoni can be described by one word and that is 'genius'. Losing skipper Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a "reality check" for Delhi. "It's really going to affect us. The way we played was not expected. Everybody will be on their toes in the next game. Wouldn't blame the abilities of our team but we didn't play smart cricket. We should have curtailed them," Iyer said. Iyer said they missed someone like Kagiso Rabada in death overs after the South African pacer was ruled out of the game due to a back issue. "He's (Rabada) an amazing bowler, especially in the slog overs. For sure we missed him. But he had a stiff back, it's good he got to take rest. We're keeping the hope and definitely want to finish in the top two" said the losing captain Iyer.

MS Dhoni credits tennis ball cricket for quick hands behind the stumps

The sheer presence of MS Dhoni on the pitch creates a lot of pressure for opposition teams and it is always difficult to fill the veteran stumper's boots whenever he is not around, said Chennai&nbsp;batsman Suresh Raina.

Dhoni missed two games for Chennai&nbsp;this season against Mumbai&nbsp;and Hyderabad,&nbsp;due to fever and stiff back, and on both occasions, they ended on the losing side.&nbsp;

Besides, Dhoni has been in superb form with the bat this year and hit a 22-ball unbeaten 44 against Delhi&nbsp;to ensure a <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2019-chennai-thrash-delhi-by-huge-80-runs-215174&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjU_aG7rvzhAhXb73MBHXtIBUQQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw1rKE__eF_7Tq-hdAYcT2NG">comfortable 80-run win for Chennai.&nbsp;</a>

Asked Raina how challenging it was to lead Chennai&nbsp;in Dhoni's absence, he replied: "I think losing him (Dhoni) as a captain is not an issue, losing him as a batsman is always difficult for us. That's what happened for us against Hyderabad and Mumbai.''&nbsp;

"When he comes to the crease a lot of pressure is created for other teams. When he is not in the team, we see the difference", added Raina.

Raina also hinted that he might take up Chennai&nbsp;captaincy as and when Dhoni decides to call it quits.&nbsp;

"He has done well in the last couple of years as a batsman as well team mentor. So probably you may see me more next year when he is done but I need more of his calibre. But he will continue as long as he wants to play for Chennai, you know him and Chennai," he said.

The left-hander also praised Dhoni's glovework in the light of two brilliant stumpings he had effected on Wednesday night.

"He (Dhoni) had two brilliant stumpings. One is Shreyas (Iyer) and the other is (Chris) Morris. It shows how compact he is. In the last couple of years when he was playing for India also, he has done amazing stumpings that shows how involved he is in the game," Raina said.&nbsp;

Raina said it was important to play smart cricket in Chennai. &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

"It is important to play very, very smart cricket in Chennai. The game starts after the sixth over here. In the powerplay, if you see the last two games which we won against Hyderabad and against Delhi here, you can see that we hadn't done well in the first three overs," he said.&nbsp;

"Watto (Shane Watson) and Faf (du Plessis) played very carefully against (Trent) Boult and (Chris) Morris. It is important to have wickets in Chennai because later when you have hitters like MS (Dhoni), (Ambati) Rayudu and Jadeja, you can score extra 30-40 runs", Raina&nbsp;said.&nbsp;

Raina, who became the first fielder to take 100 catches in the IPL on Wednesday night, felt it was a blessing for the team to lose the toss as the wicket was a bit difficult in the second innings when Delhi batted.

"I think it was a blessing for us to lose the toss. The wicket was a bit difficult when they (Delhi) were batting second. The game really set up for us. We kept wickets in hands. In Chennai, we need to put extra 30-40 runs on the board. That's what we did."

Raina said Delhi couldn't capitalise on a good start, adding one needs to plan well against Chennai's lethal spin attack.

"They (Delhi) were very good in the powerplay, but later on they didn't capitalise on their good start. In Chennai, you need to plan really well against our good spinners. You need to rotate really well, otherwise it is going to be difficult with the heat," he said.

Meanwhile, Delhi&nbsp;captain Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a good reality check for his team ahead of the play-offs.&nbsp;

"After the kind of start we got (52/2 at one stage), we should have at least reached close to the total. It was a reality check for us. We need to assess where we went wrong and come back strongly," he said.

Iyer said Rishabh Pant could have played 'smart' but added he won't ask the left-hander to curb his style.

"He (Pant) has won matches for us earlier in the season. A batsman like him can turn the momentum with one inning. So I wouldn't want to curb his style. I like the way he bats," he said.

Asked about Dhoni's impact, the Delhi captain said,&nbsp;"We can't blame our bowlers because you had an experienced campaigner like Dhoni in the middle. He can change the game from ball one and if he stays till the end, he can take them to a good total. The bowlers too feel the pressure when MS is in the middle."

The sheer presence of MS Dhoni on the pitch creates a lot of pressure for opposition teams and it is always difficult to fill the veteran stumper's boots whenever he is not around, said Chennai batsman Suresh Raina.

The sheer presence of MS Dhoni on the pitch creates a lot of pressure for opposition teams and it is always difficult to fill the veteran stumper's boots whenever he is not around, said Chennai batsman Suresh Raina. Dhoni missed two games for Chennai this season against Mumbai and Hyderabad, due to fever and stiff back, and on both occasions, they ended on the losing side. Besides, Dhoni has been in superb form with the bat this year and hit a 22-ball unbeaten 44 against Delhi to ensure a comfortable 80-run win for Chennai. Asked Raina how challenging it was to lead Chennai in Dhoni's absence, he replied: "I think losing him (Dhoni) as a captain is not an issue, losing him as a batsman is always difficult for us. That's what happened for us against Hyderabad and Mumbai.'' "When he comes to the crease a lot of pressure is created for other teams. When he is not in the team, we see the difference", added Raina. Raina also hinted that he might take up Chennai captaincy as and when Dhoni decides to call it quits. "He has done well in the last couple of years as a batsman as well team mentor. So probably you may see me more next year when he is done but I need more of his calibre. But he will continue as long as he wants to play for Chennai, you know him and Chennai," he said. The left-hander also praised Dhoni's glovework in the light of two brilliant stumpings he had effected on Wednesday night. "He (Dhoni) had two brilliant stumpings. One is Shreyas (Iyer) and the other is (Chris) Morris. It shows how compact he is. In the last couple of years when he was playing for India also, he has done amazing stumpings that shows how involved he is in the game," Raina said. Raina said it was important to play smart cricket in Chennai. "It is important to play very, very smart cricket in Chennai. The game starts after the sixth over here. In the powerplay, if you see the last two games which we won against Hyderabad and against Delhi here, you can see that we hadn't done well in the first three overs," he said. "Watto (Shane Watson) and Faf (du Plessis) played very carefully against (Trent) Boult and (Chris) Morris. It is important to have wickets in Chennai because later when you have hitters like MS (Dhoni), (Ambati) Rayudu and Jadeja, you can score extra 30-40 runs", Raina said. Raina, who became the first fielder to take 100 catches in the IPL on Wednesday night, felt it was a blessing for the team to lose the toss as the wicket was a bit difficult in the second innings when Delhi batted. "I think it was a blessing for us to lose the toss. The wicket was a bit difficult when they (Delhi) were batting second. The game really set up for us. We kept wickets in hands. In Chennai, we need to put extra 30-40 runs on the board. That's what we did." Raina said Delhi couldn't capitalise on a good start, adding one needs to plan well against Chennai's lethal spin attack. "They (Delhi) were very good in the powerplay, but later on they didn't capitalise on their good start. In Chennai, you need to plan really well against our good spinners. You need to rotate really well, otherwise it is going to be difficult with the heat," he said. Meanwhile, Delhi captain Shreyas Iyer said the defeat was a good reality check for his team ahead of the play-offs. "After the kind of start we got (52/2 at one stage), we should have at least reached close to the total. It was a reality check for us. We need to assess where we went wrong and come back strongly," he said. Iyer said Rishabh Pant could have played 'smart' but added he won't ask the left-hander to curb his style. "He (Pant) has won matches for us earlier in the season. A batsman like him can turn the momentum with one inning. So I wouldn't want to curb his style. I like the way he bats," he said. Asked about Dhoni's impact, the Delhi captain said, "We can't blame our bowlers because you had an experienced campaigner like Dhoni in the middle. He can change the game from ball one and if he stays till the end, he can take them to a good total. The bowlers too feel the pressure when MS is in the middle."

Dhoni's presence in the team makes a huge difference, says Suresh Raina

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