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

The match was won by Chennai by five wickets.

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

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

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

Gambir resigned as Delhi skipper yesterday

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Match preview of Punjab vs Hyderabad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Hyderabad trounce Mumbai at Wankhede

Kane Williamson-led side was bowled for just 118 runs, setting the lowest target for any franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

Hyderabad had a poor start as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan for just five runs. He was bowled by McClenaghan.

In the same over, the Mumbai pacer managed to send wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha back to the pavilion on a duck. So far, Saha did not had a good campaign in the cash-rich tournament.&nbsp

Skipper Williamson, who was the backbone of the franchise in last all matches, failed to stand up for the team this time. &nbsp

He gave away his wicket to Hardik Pandya after making 29 runs off 21 balls.&nbsp

However, he is the highest scorer for the franchise.

As usual, the downline again failed to perform, resulting in a poor score on the board. &nbsp&nbsp

Yusuf Pathan tried to save Hyderabad from drowning but was also sent back by Mustafizur.&nbsp

He became the second highest scorer for the team by making 29 runs off 33 balls. &nbsp&nbsp

Earlier, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai, which lost four out of five games played, will be looking to outplay Kane Williamson-side in order to get their campaign back on track.

Talking about his team and strategy for today, the Mumbai batsman said, "We are gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and it is hard ground to defend. Not gonna change a lot through the course of 40 overs. It's been a little disappointing in those terms (losing close games). We played good cricket and it is just the finishing touch we are lacking."

"We played five games so far and we need to understand as a team where we went wrong. It is a fresh game and we want to treat every game as a new game and start afresh because it is important to keep our head straight and work towards the victory. We are unchanged," he added.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost two consecutive matches. The team had given a good start to their campaign in this year's IPL as they won three matches in a row to be at the top of the points table.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the last match against Chennai due to injury, is making a return. The franchise is highly dependent on openers as the middle-batting order has not performed so far.

Talking about their strategy for today, Williamson said, "We would have liked to bowl as well. It does look like a good surface and whatever we are gonna do, we should do well. We are going with 3 spinners and 3 seamers."

"Obviously number of injuries with Bhuvi and Stanlake missing out with injuries. Shikhar is back in the side. Nabi and Thampi are in too. Exciting times for us as some of the guys have got the opportunity for the first time this season. Looking forward to an exciting contest," the Hyderabad skipper added.

The franchise suffered a huge blow as star pacer Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fractured finger.&nbsp

Skipper Williamson, who was the backbone of the franchise in last all matches, failed to stand up for the team this time.

Kane Williamson-led side was bowled for just 118 runs, setting the lowest target for any franchise in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). Hyderabad had a poor start as they lost opener Shikhar Dhawan for just five runs. He was bowled by McClenaghan. In the same over, the Mumbai pacer managed to send wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha back to the pavilion on a duck. So far, Saha did not had a good campaign in the cash-rich tournament. Skipper Williamson, who was the backbone of the franchise in last all matches, failed to stand up for the team this time. He gave away his wicket to Hardik Pandya after making 29 runs off 21 balls. However, he is the highest scorer for the franchise. As usual, the downline again failed to perform, resulting in a poor score on the board. Yusuf Pathan tried to save Hyderabad from drowning but was also sent back by Mustafizur. He became the second highest scorer for the team by making 29 runs off 33 balls. Earlier, Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai, which lost four out of five games played, will be looking to outplay Kane Williamson-side in order to get their campaign back on track. Talking about his team and strategy for today, the Mumbai batsman said, "We are gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and it is hard ground to defend. Not gonna change a lot through the course of 40 overs. It's been a little disappointing in those terms (losing close games). We played good cricket and it is just the finishing touch we are lacking." "We played five games so far and we need to understand as a team where we went wrong. It is a fresh game and we want to treat every game as a new game and start afresh because it is important to keep our head straight and work towards the victory. We are unchanged," he added. Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost two consecutive matches. The team had given a good start to their campaign in this year's IPL as they won three matches in a row to be at the top of the points table. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the last match against Chennai due to injury, is making a return. The franchise is highly dependent on openers as the middle-batting order has not performed so far. Talking about their strategy for today, Williamson said, "We would have liked to bowl as well. It does look like a good surface and whatever we are gonna do, we should do well. We are going with 3 spinners and 3 seamers." "Obviously number of injuries with Bhuvi and Stanlake missing out with injuries. Shikhar is back in the side. Nabi and Thampi are in too. Exciting times for us as some of the guys have got the opportunity for the first time this season. Looking forward to an exciting contest," the Hyderabad skipper added. The franchise suffered a huge blow as star pacer Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fractured finger.

Hyderabad 118-all out, set lowest target of IPL 2018

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium.

Mumbai, which lost four out of five games played, will be looking to outplay Kane Williamson-side in order to get their campaign back on track.

Talking about his team and strategy for today, the Mumbai batsman said, "We are gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and it is hard ground to defend. Not gonna change a lot through the course of 40 overs. It's been a little disappointing in those terms (losing close games). We played good cricket and it is just the finishing touch we are lacking."

"We played five games so far and we need to understand as a team where we went wrong. It is a fresh game and we want to treat every game as a new game and start afresh because it is important to keep our head straight and work towards the victory. We are unchanged," he added.

Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost two consecutive matches. The team had given a good start to their campaign in this year's IPL as they won three matches in a row to be at the top of the points table.

Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the last match against Chennai due to injury, is making a return. The franchise is highly dependent on openers as the middle-batting order has not performed so far.

Talking about their strategy for today, Williamson said, "We would have liked to bowl as well. It does look like a good surface and whatever we are gonna do, we should do well. We are going with 3 spinners and 3 seamers."

"Obviously number of injuries with Bhuvi and Stanlake missing out with injuries. Shikhar is back in the side. Nabi and Thampi are in too. Exciting times for us as some of the guys have got the opportunity for the first time this season. Looking forward to an exciting contest," the Hyderabad skipper added.

The franchise suffered a huge blow as star pacer Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fractured finger.&nbsp;

Teams:

Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul

Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

&nbsp;

Mumbai lost four out of five games they have played

Mumbai skipper Rohit Sharma on Tuesday won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium. Mumbai, which lost four out of five games played, will be looking to outplay Kane Williamson-side in order to get their campaign back on track. Talking about his team and strategy for today, the Mumbai batsman said, "We are gonna bowl first. It is a good pitch and it is hard ground to defend. Not gonna change a lot through the course of 40 overs. It's been a little disappointing in those terms (losing close games). We played good cricket and it is just the finishing touch we are lacking." "We played five games so far and we need to understand as a team where we went wrong. It is a fresh game and we want to treat every game as a new game and start afresh because it is important to keep our head straight and work towards the victory. We are unchanged," he added. Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost two consecutive matches. The team had given a good start to their campaign in this year's IPL as they won three matches in a row to be at the top of the points table. Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who missed the last match against Chennai due to injury, is making a return. The franchise is highly dependent on openers as the middle-batting order has not performed so far. Talking about their strategy for today, Williamson said, "We would have liked to bowl as well. It does look like a good surface and whatever we are gonna do, we should do well. We are going with 3 spinners and 3 seamers." "Obviously number of injuries with Bhuvi and Stanlake missing out with injuries. Shikhar is back in the side. Nabi and Thampi are in too. Exciting times for us as some of the guys have got the opportunity for the first time this season. Looking forward to an exciting contest," the Hyderabad skipper added. The franchise suffered a huge blow as star pacer Billy Stanlake has been ruled out of the remainder of the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) due to a fractured finger. Teams: Hyderabad (Playing XI): Wriddhiman Saha(w), Shikhar Dhawan, Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Basil Thampi, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul Mumbai (Playing XI): Suryakumar Yadav, Evin Lewis, Ishan Kishan(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Kieron Pollard, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Mitchell McClenaghan, Mayank Markande, Jasprit Bumrah, Mustafizur Rahman

IPL 2018: Mumbai win toss, opt to field

By: Mukesh Bansal&nbsp

Delhi's campaign in the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) has not been great as they lost 4 out of the 5 games they have played.&nbsp

They are currently ranked at the bottom of the table with 2 points.&nbsp

All the five games Delhi played were not home matches. But today they will start their home leg which may turn the things in their favour.&nbsp

There has been a lot of worries for Delhi, the main is the form of their skipper Gautam Gambhir who so far has a nominal average of 20.25. He has failed to provide consistency to the batting line up.

The devastating Glenn Maxwell also failed to score big for his franchise.&nbsp

Even their bowling department looks flattened despite having bowlers like Mohammad Shami, Trent Boult and Chris Morris.

They failed to restrict opposition's batting attack both in Power-play and death overs. Shahbaz Nadeem too seemed to have lost his zeal with which he made his name in the previous season. 
&nbsp 
Only positive they carry is the form of young Rishabh pant who single-handedly has provided some stability to the side, along with him the Englishmen Jason Roy.

Roy displayed his form when he made a brilliant 91 against Mumbai at Wankhede. Hope his form continues.

They have already been defeated by Punjab at Mohali at the start of their campaign and now the Punjab team looks more threatening with solid opening combo of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle.&nbsp

Their bowling attack is also strong with Ashwin himself leading the department along with mysterious Mujeeb, Mohit and Sarn.&nbsp

They are currently ranked at the bottom of the table with 2 points.

By: Mukesh Bansal Delhi's campaign in the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League (IPL) has not been great as they lost 4 out of the 5 games they have played. They are currently ranked at the bottom of the table with 2 points. All the five games Delhi played were not home matches. But today they will start their home leg which may turn the things in their favour. There has been a lot of worries for Delhi, the main is the form of their skipper Gautam Gambhir who so far has a nominal average of 20.25. He has failed to provide consistency to the batting line up. The devastating Glenn Maxwell also failed to score big for his franchise. Even their bowling department looks flattened despite having bowlers like Mohammad Shami, Trent Boult and Chris Morris. They failed to restrict opposition's batting attack both in Power-play and death overs. Shahbaz Nadeem too seemed to have lost his zeal with which he made his name in the previous season. Only positive they carry is the form of young Rishabh pant who single-handedly has provided some stability to the side, along with him the Englishmen Jason Roy. Roy displayed his form when he made a brilliant 91 against Mumbai at Wankhede. Hope his form continues. They have already been defeated by Punjab at Mohali at the start of their campaign and now the Punjab team looks more threatening with solid opening combo of KL Rahul and Chris Gayle. Their bowling attack is also strong with Ashwin himself leading the department along with mysterious Mujeeb, Mohit and Sarn.

Blog: Delhi's home leg may change their fortune in IPL 2018

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Their previous encounter was won by Punjab by 6 wickets

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

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Punjab

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IPL 2018: Match Preview of Mumbai vs Rajasthan

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

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

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

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

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

Both the teams have six points each from four matches

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

IPL 2018: Match preview of Chennai vs Hyderabad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A sharp spell of shower halted play for 95 minutes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hyderabad have replaced Jordan with Billy Stanlake

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

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

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

He scored first century of IPL 2018 against Hyderabad

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane blamed himself for his team's seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata in their Indian Premier League (IPL) game on Wednesday night.

"I feel it was a different wicket from what we played on against Delhi Daredevils. It was slow and ball was also keeping low. I feel it was my responsibility to take that innings forward," Rahane told reporters after the game here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

"It is hard to recover from slow start because T20 is all about one or two big overs. I was batting well and wanted to continue till the 14th or 15th over," Rahane added.

The skipper scored a 19-ball 36 and was looking good for a big one after being put in to bat by rival skipper Dinesh Karthik.&nbsp

But he lost his wicket to a Nitish Rana delivery in which Karthik pulled off a brilliant stumping.

Asked if his bowlers should be blamed for failing to defend a modest target of 161, Rahane said,"Not really, our bowlers have done a good job in all three matches. In T20 sometimes you go for runs but we have a good combination. When you lose people start talking about bad bowling or batting."&nbsp

He added that the fielding was not up to the mark and there was scope for much improvement.

Rajasthan will next take on MS Dhoni-led Chennai on Friday.

The skipper scored a 19-ball 36 before losing his wicket.

Rajasthan skipper Ajinkya Rahane blamed himself for his team's seven-wicket defeat at the hands of Kolkata in their Indian Premier League (IPL) game on Wednesday night. "I feel it was a different wicket from what we played on against Delhi Daredevils. It was slow and ball was also keeping low. I feel it was my responsibility to take that innings forward," Rahane told reporters after the game here at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. "It is hard to recover from slow start because T20 is all about one or two big overs. I was batting well and wanted to continue till the 14th or 15th over," Rahane added. The skipper scored a 19-ball 36 and was looking good for a big one after being put in to bat by rival skipper Dinesh Karthik. But he lost his wicket to a Nitish Rana delivery in which Karthik pulled off a brilliant stumping. Asked if his bowlers should be blamed for failing to defend a modest target of 161, Rahane said,"Not really, our bowlers have done a good job in all three matches. In T20 sometimes you go for runs but we have a good combination. When you lose people start talking about bad bowling or batting." He added that the fielding was not up to the mark and there was scope for much improvement. Rajasthan will next take on MS Dhoni-led Chennai on Friday.

IPL 2018: 'I am responsible,' says Ajinkya Rahane on Rajasthan's defeat to Kolkata

Having a ball in IPL after three wins in a row, Hyderabad will face a stern test against the formidable Punjab line-up when the two teams clash at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday.

Ahead of the clash lets take a look at the players to watch out for in today's game

1) Chris Gayle: Gayle announced his arrival to the eleventh edition of the IPL in style. He scored a blistering 22-ball 50 on his debut for Punjab against Chennai in Mohali on Sunday. He did not stop there as he smashed a 33-ball-63 to end his innings. &nbsp;The Jamaican giant was almost ignored by all franchises in the auctions of IPL 2018 before KXIP stepped in bought him for his base price of INR 2 Crore.&nbsp;

2) Shikhar Dhawan: The Hyderabad opener is in the best of his form this season. He has not let the franchise feel the absence of their back-bone David Warner. The southpaw is the leading run scorer with 129 runs in 3 matches at an average of 64.5 and a strike rate of 140. With their middle order being shaky, Hyderabad will mostly rely on Dhawan and Williamson to score the bulk of the runs.&nbsp;

3) KL Rahul: After being roped in by Punjab for a whopping sum of Rs 11 Crore, KL Rahul slammed a fastest fifty of the IPL by registering a 14-ball fifty against Delhi in their season opener at Mohali. His performance has been sensational this season with his text-book yet stylish cricketing shots. The Karnataka batsman scored 135 runs in 3 matches with the strike rate of nearly 200 and at an average of 45.

4) Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The two-time purple cap holder hasn't been at his best this season, though he picked 4 wickets in 2 matches with an impressive economy of 7 for someone who bowls at the death.T hat shows the value he adds to the team. But his figures against Punjab were staggering as he picked up 7 wickets in 2 matches with an economy of 5.75 against them in the last season which also includes his career-best figures of 5/19.

5) Mujeeb Ur Rahman: The 17-year-old Afghanistan cricketer made headlines when he was snapped-up for a hefty price of Rs 4 crore by Punjab. Proving his worth, the wrist-spinner delivered a match-winning spell of 2/28 on his debut. His delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli is a testimony of his growing stature as a bowler. The youngster picked up 3 wickets in 3 matches thus far and his economy rate of 6.82 is the best for Punjab in this season. 
&nbsp;

Gayle announced his arrival to the eleventh edition of the IPL in style

Having a ball in IPL after three wins in a row, Hyderabad will face a stern test against the formidable Punjab line-up when the two teams clash at the Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. Ahead of the clash lets take a look at the players to watch out for in today's game 1) Chris Gayle: Gayle announced his arrival to the eleventh edition of the IPL in style. He scored a blistering 22-ball 50 on his debut for Punjab against Chennai in Mohali on Sunday. He did not stop there as he smashed a 33-ball-63 to end his innings. The Jamaican giant was almost ignored by all franchises in the auctions of IPL 2018 before KXIP stepped in bought him for his base price of INR 2 Crore. 2) Shikhar Dhawan: The Hyderabad opener is in the best of his form this season. He has not let the franchise feel the absence of their back-bone David Warner. The southpaw is the leading run scorer with 129 runs in 3 matches at an average of 64.5 and a strike rate of 140. With their middle order being shaky, Hyderabad will mostly rely on Dhawan and Williamson to score the bulk of the runs. 3) KL Rahul: After being roped in by Punjab for a whopping sum of Rs 11 Crore, KL Rahul slammed a fastest fifty of the IPL by registering a 14-ball fifty against Delhi in their season opener at Mohali. His performance has been sensational this season with his text-book yet stylish cricketing shots. The Karnataka batsman scored 135 runs in 3 matches with the strike rate of nearly 200 and at an average of 45. 4) Bhuvneshwar Kumar: The two-time purple cap holder hasn't been at his best this season, though he picked 4 wickets in 2 matches with an impressive economy of 7 for someone who bowls at the death.T hat shows the value he adds to the team. But his figures against Punjab were staggering as he picked up 7 wickets in 2 matches with an economy of 5.75 against them in the last season which also includes his career-best figures of 5/19. 5) Mujeeb Ur Rahman: The 17-year-old Afghanistan cricketer made headlines when he was snapped-up for a hefty price of Rs 4 crore by Punjab. Proving his worth, the wrist-spinner delivered a match-winning spell of 2/28 on his debut. His delivery to dismiss Virat Kohli is a testimony of his growing stature as a bowler. The youngster picked up 3 wickets in 3 matches thus far and his economy rate of 6.82 is the best for Punjab in this season.

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

A video of Bollywood actress and IPL franchise Punjab's owner Preity Zinta went viral which showed her in a heated altercation with a section of crowd at Mohali during her team’s match against Chennai on April 15.

In the video, the actress can be seen angrily warning some people when she was distributing free Punjab t-shirts to fans.

Clearing her stand, Preity took to her Twitter handle to reveal the reason why she lost her cool.

She said that she saw two little girls being trampled by the crowd, which is why she asked people to move and give them space so they could breathe and not cry.

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2 little girls were being trampled by the crowd. I asked the people to move & give them space so they could breathe & not cry. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/safety?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#safety</a> Ting <a href="https://t.co/s7gEithlVP">https://t.co/s7gEithlVP</a>
— Preity zinta (@realpreityzinta) <a href="https://twitter.com/realpreityzinta/status/986218044455309314?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On Sunday, the Kings XI Punjab defeated the Chennai Super Kings at home in their IPL 2018 encounter as Chris Gayle produced the goods with the bat and the Mohit Sharma held his nerve in the final over against a rampant MS Dhoni to help his side to the win.&nbsp

During the chase, Chennai lost their openers Shane Watson and Murali Vijay cheaply before Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni steadied the ship.&nbsp

The wicketkeeper then launched an incredible attack which proved to be insufficient in the end.

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Dhoni was battling back pain but managed to take the match into last over with a brilliant knock of 79 runs off 44 balls. &nbsp 
&nbsp

In the video, the actress can be seen angrily warning some people

A video of Bollywood actress and IPL franchise Punjab's owner Preity Zinta went viral which showed her in a heated altercation with a section of crowd at Mohali during her team’s match against Chennai on April 15. In the video, the actress can be seen angrily warning some people when she was distributing free Punjab t-shirts to fans. Clearing her stand, Preity took to her Twitter handle to reveal the reason why she lost her cool. She said that she saw two little girls being trampled by the crowd, which is why she asked people to move and give them space so they could breathe and not cry. 2 little girls were being trampled by the crowd. I asked the people to move & give them space so they could breathe & not cry. #safety Ting https://t.co/s7gEithlVP — Preity zinta (@realpreityzinta) April 17, 2018 × On Sunday, the Kings XI Punjab defeated the Chennai Super Kings at home in their IPL 2018 encounter as Chris Gayle produced the goods with the bat and the Mohit Sharma held his nerve in the final over against a rampant MS Dhoni to help his side to the win. During the chase, Chennai lost their openers Shane Watson and Murali Vijay cheaply before Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni steadied the ship. The wicketkeeper then launched an incredible attack which proved to be insufficient in the end. × Dhoni was battling back pain but managed to take the match into last over with a brilliant knock of 79 runs off 44 balls.

Watch: Preity Zinta shouts at fans during Punjab's match against Chennai in IPL, reveals truth

R Ashwin's Punjab face a big challenge in the form of Hyderabad, who are yet to face a defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018.

Punjab defeated determined Chennai by mere four runs to give MS Dhoni his first loss in the tournament.&nbsp

Batsman Chris Gayle was mighty effective against Chennai at Mohali on Sunday, where he scored a blistering 63 runs from just 33 balls.

His innings included four sixes and seven fours. Considering that it was his first match in this year's IPL, he showed the world why he is still the most destructive in the world.&nbsp

His form was not less than a warning to other franchises to be aware of the Jamaican cricketer.

Gayle would be looking to continue his sublime form but his past record against Hyderabad in the previous editions, he hasn’t fared very well.&nbsp

He boasts of a strike-rate of 151.72 in nine innings, but has only managed to score 220 runs at an average of 24.44.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad is having a ball in the IPL. Their batsman are in terrific form. In the played three matches, either Shikhar Dhawan or skipper Kane Williamson have managed to stood up for the team in order to set a mammoth target.

The bowling attack of Hyderabad has been outstanding and is capable to deplete any batting attack.&nbsp

The visiting side is unlikely to tinker with the combination that has given them three wins.&nbsp

Sandeep Sharma only got a game against Mumbai Indians due to an injury to Bhuvneshar Kumar.

&nbspHowever, once the lead pacer was fit, Sandeep had to make way despite a good showing. SRH are likely to remain unchanged for the game.

Punjab, on the other hand, may bring Manoj Tiwary to replace Yuvraj Singh, who has looked off colour.&nbsp

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Aaron Finch's golden ducks in the last two matches notwithstanding, he's likely to get another run.

Hyderabad has won all their four games against Punjab in Mohali. The last six head-to-head encounters all went to Hyderabad.

The clash promises to be a high voltage encounter with both the team having 50 per cent chances to clinch the game.&nbsp

Punjab defeated determined Chennai by mere four runs

R Ashwin's Punjab face a big challenge in the form of Hyderabad, who are yet to face a defeat in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. Punjab defeated determined Chennai by mere four runs to give MS Dhoni his first loss in the tournament. Batsman Chris Gayle was mighty effective against Chennai at Mohali on Sunday, where he scored a blistering 63 runs from just 33 balls. His innings included four sixes and seven fours. Considering that it was his first match in this year's IPL, he showed the world why he is still the most destructive in the world. His form was not less than a warning to other franchises to be aware of the Jamaican cricketer. Gayle would be looking to continue his sublime form but his past record against Hyderabad in the previous editions, he hasn’t fared very well. He boasts of a strike-rate of 151.72 in nine innings, but has only managed to score 220 runs at an average of 24.44. Meanwhile, Hyderabad is having a ball in the IPL. Their batsman are in terrific form. In the played three matches, either Shikhar Dhawan or skipper Kane Williamson have managed to stood up for the team in order to set a mammoth target. The bowling attack of Hyderabad has been outstanding and is capable to deplete any batting attack. The visiting side is unlikely to tinker with the combination that has given them three wins. Sandeep Sharma only got a game against Mumbai Indians due to an injury to Bhuvneshar Kumar. &nbspHowever, once the lead pacer was fit, Sandeep had to make way despite a good showing. SRH are likely to remain unchanged for the game. Punjab, on the other hand, may bring Manoj Tiwary to replace Yuvraj Singh, who has looked off colour. × Aaron Finch's golden ducks in the last two matches notwithstanding, he's likely to get another run. Hyderabad has won all their four games against Punjab in Mohali. The last six head-to-head encounters all went to Hyderabad. The clash promises to be a high voltage encounter with both the team having 50 per cent chances to clinch the game.

IPL 2018: Match preview of Hyderabad vs Punjab

Dinesh Karthik's blistering knock of 42 runs off 23 balls helped Kolkata seal a 7 wicket victory over Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Wednesday.

The players were in terrific form as Kolkata's both bowling and batting department excelled in today's game.

After the bowling line restricted Rajasthan to a paltry total of 160, opener Sunil Narine made decent contribution to give a good start.

He made 35 runs off 25 balls before getting run-out.&nbsp;

Later, it was Robin Uthappa who took the charge to take his team a step forward towards victory.

He played s splendid knock of 48 runs off 36 balls before being caught by Stokes of Gowtham. the players fell just 2 runs short of his half-century.

Dinesh Karthik and Nitish Rana took the final responsibility and established a good 61-run partnership to seal the match.&nbsp;

Rajasthan had set a target of 161 runs against Kolkata.&nbsp;

Earlier Dinesh Karthik had won the toss and opted to field.

Batting first, Rajasthan put up a modest target on the board. Both the openers Ajinkya Rhane and D Arcy Short started the innings well.

Skipper, Ajinkya Rahane scored 36 runs off 19 balls and D Arcy Short also contributed well with his bat and scored 44 runs off 43 balls.

Rajasthan had set a target of 161 runs against Kolkata.

Dinesh Karthik's blistering knock of 42 runs off 23 balls helped Kolkata seal a 7 wicket victory over Rajasthan at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on Wednesday. The players were in terrific form as Kolkata's both bowling and batting department excelled in today's game. After the bowling line restricted Rajasthan to a paltry total of 160, opener Sunil Narine made decent contribution to give a good start. He made 35 runs off 25 balls before getting run-out. Later, it was Robin Uthappa who took the charge to take his team a step forward towards victory. He played s splendid knock of 48 runs off 36 balls before being caught by Stokes of Gowtham. the players fell just 2 runs short of his half-century. Dinesh Karthik and Nitish Rana took the final responsibility and established a good 61-run partnership to seal the match. Rajasthan had set a target of 161 runs against Kolkata. Earlier Dinesh Karthik had won the toss and opted to field. Batting first, Rajasthan put up a modest target on the board. Both the openers Ajinkya Rhane and D Arcy Short started the innings well. Skipper, Ajinkya Rahane scored 36 runs off 19 balls and D Arcy Short also contributed well with his bat and scored 44 runs off 43 balls.

IPL 2018: Dinesh Karthik hits six to finish off in style as Kolkata beat Rajasthan by 7 wickets

On this day in 2008, first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) was played between Bangalore and Kolkata.

Cricket legend Rahul Dravid won the toss and had put the Kolkata in to bat. &nbsp;But, what followed for the next hour or so mesmerized the spectators.&nbsp;

The start was slow by today’s standards. Those were still early days for T20 cricket, so we were not surprised when McCullum had not opened his account after six deliveries.&nbsp;

In fact, the first over in the history of IPL delivered by Praveen Kumar produced just one run via a leg-bye.&nbsp;

But things began to change very soon. McCullum scored 18 runs off the second over bowled by Zaheer Khan, who was immediately taken off the attack.

The tournament's beginning, which is often referred to as ‘India ka Tyohaar’ (festival of India) is remembered for Brendon McCullum’s unforgettable 158 runs during the first-ever game.

He raced off to a century in only 52 balls and was in no mood to end the carnage. He remained unbeaten on 158 runs off just 73 balls and took the Kolkata's total to 222 runs in the allotted 20 overs.&nbsp;

In the process, he hit 13 sixes and 10 boundaries. It was the highest individual score in the IPL till 2013 when Chris Gayle scored 175 runs for Bangalore against Pune in Bengaluru.

And as the eleventh edition of the tournament is underway, one thing is sure that the league has definitely brought a paradigm shift in the way cricket is played and viewed.&nbsp;

Who would have thought that Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh would one day share the same dressing room? The IPL made it a reality and international stars who would otherwise be at each other's necks while representing their respective countries, help out each other in this grand league.

But, in a match which went down to the last ball, Rajasthan defeated Chennai in the final to win the title with Yusuf Pathan named the player of the match and Shane Watson adjudged the player of the tournament.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">Throwback to </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339">first</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/throwback-to-first-and-most-remembered-century-in-ipl-history-35339"> and most remembered century in IPL history</a>

Sohail Tanvir won the purple cap for being the top wicket-taking bowler while Shaun Marsh won the orange cap for leading run-scorer in the tournament.&nbsp;

Shreevats Goswami was awarded the best under-19 player award and the special award for Fair Play was won by the Chennai.

In the 11th edition, the star of first IPL McCullum is playing for Bangalore. In three matches, the star player scored 43 runs in first match, zero in second and 4 in the third match.&nbsp;

The first match was played between Bangalore and Kolkata

On this day in 2008, first match of Indian Premier League (IPL) was played between Bangalore and Kolkata. Cricket legend Rahul Dravid won the toss and had put the Kolkata in to bat. But, what followed for the next hour or so mesmerized the spectators. The start was slow by today’s standards. Those were still early days for T20 cricket, so we were not surprised when McCullum had not opened his account after six deliveries. In fact, the first over in the history of IPL delivered by Praveen Kumar produced just one run via a leg-bye. But things began to change very soon. McCullum scored 18 runs off the second over bowled by Zaheer Khan, who was immediately taken off the attack. The tournament's beginning, which is often referred to as ‘India ka Tyohaar’ (festival of India) is remembered for Brendon McCullum’s unforgettable 158 runs during the first-ever game. He raced off to a century in only 52 balls and was in no mood to end the carnage. He remained unbeaten on 158 runs off just 73 balls and took the Kolkata's total to 222 runs in the allotted 20 overs. In the process, he hit 13 sixes and 10 boundaries. It was the highest individual score in the IPL till 2013 when Chris Gayle scored 175 runs for Bangalore against Pune in Bengaluru. And as the eleventh edition of the tournament is underway, one thing is sure that the league has definitely brought a paradigm shift in the way cricket is played and viewed. Who would have thought that Andrew Symonds and Harbhajan Singh would one day share the same dressing room? The IPL made it a reality and international stars who would otherwise be at each other's necks while representing their respective countries, help out each other in this grand league. But, in a match which went down to the last ball, Rajasthan defeated Chennai in the final to win the title with Yusuf Pathan named the player of the match and Shane Watson adjudged the player of the tournament. Also read: Throwback to first and most remembered century in IPL history Sohail Tanvir won the purple cap for being the top wicket-taking bowler while Shaun Marsh won the orange cap for leading run-scorer in the tournament. Shreevats Goswami was awarded the best under-19 player award and the special award for Fair Play was won by the Chennai. In the 11th edition, the star of first IPL McCullum is playing for Bangalore. In three matches, the star player scored 43 runs in first match, zero in second and 4 in the third match.

Happy birthday IPL: 2008 to 2018

Mumbai all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Wednesday apologised to fellow teammate Ishan Kishan after a throw from Pandya jumped from a bowler’s footmark near the popping crease and hit Kishan in the eye.

The wicketkeeper-batsman, who was in pain, was given temporary medication before being taken off the field by the franchise' physio.

Kishan’s right eye looked visibly swollen as he walked off. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Talking to his Twitter handle, Pandya apologised to Kishan and termed him as his cutie pie.

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Mera cutie pie ? 
Sorry bhai! Stay strong, <a href="https://twitter.com/ishankishan23?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ishankishan23</a>. <a href="https://t.co/CeN6pF9Xkt">pic.twitter.com/CeN6pF9Xkt</a>
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The incident took place in the 13th over during Bangalore's innings. The Virat-Kohli led team was chasing a mammoth total of 214 set by Mumbai.

Speaking at the end of the game Rohit Sharma said,“Unfortunate, I have not checked on him because I came here right after the presentation got over."&nbsp;

"He seems all-right, he has got little swelling in his eyes, which should be ok by tomorrow/ day after, we have got few days before we play the next match on 22nd, we have got 3-4 days, where we will assess and hopefully he will be fine,” he added.

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Ishan Kishan hope it's not major injury the ball was fast enough to screw him <a href="https://t.co/u1ZvggeFFe">pic.twitter.com/u1ZvggeFFe</a>
— Aditya (@Sunnysbluesky) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sunnysbluesky/status/986303131804827648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Virat Kohli's unbeaten 92 went in vain as Rohit Sharma's 94 helped Mumbai beat Bangalore to register their first win in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.

With this 46-run win, the defending champions have opened their account in the league while as for the losing skipper Kohli, he is now the proud owner of the orange cap.&nbsp;

During the course of his stunning innings, he surpassed Suresh Raina as the highest run-getter in the history of the league. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Kishan’s right eye looked visibly swollen as he walked off.

Mumbai all-rounder Hardik Pandya on Wednesday apologised to fellow teammate Ishan Kishan after a throw from Pandya jumped from a bowler’s footmark near the popping crease and hit Kishan in the eye. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who was in pain, was given temporary medication before being taken off the field by the franchise' physio. Kishan’s right eye looked visibly swollen as he walked off. Talking to his Twitter handle, Pandya apologised to Kishan and termed him as his cutie pie. Mera cutie pie ? Sorry bhai! Stay strong, @ishankishan23. pic.twitter.com/CeN6pF9Xkt — hardik pandya (@hardikpandya7) April 18, 2018 × The incident took place in the 13th over during Bangalore's innings. The Virat-Kohli led team was chasing a mammoth total of 214 set by Mumbai. Speaking at the end of the game Rohit Sharma said,“Unfortunate, I have not checked on him because I came here right after the presentation got over." "He seems all-right, he has got little swelling in his eyes, which should be ok by tomorrow/ day after, we have got few days before we play the next match on 22nd, we have got 3-4 days, where we will assess and hopefully he will be fine,” he added. Ishan Kishan hope it's not major injury the ball was fast enough to screw him pic.twitter.com/u1ZvggeFFe — Aditya (@Sunnysbluesky) April 17, 2018 × Virat Kohli's unbeaten 92 went in vain as Rohit Sharma's 94 helped Mumbai beat Bangalore to register their first win in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. With this 46-run win, the defending champions have opened their account in the league while as for the losing skipper Kohli, he is now the proud owner of the orange cap. During the course of his stunning innings, he surpassed Suresh Raina as the highest run-getter in the history of the league.

IPL 2018: Hardik Pandya apologises to Mumbai teammate Ishan Kishan

Test specialist Wriddhiman Saha reckons that opening the batting for the Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a big positive for him.

Saha has earlier opened the batting for&nbspPunjab and even scored a hundred in a losing cause during the 2013 IPL final against Kolkata.

"I like to play my natural game. The coach (Tom Moody) and captain (Kane Williamson) have backed me on this and I have got opportunity to open the innings, which is a plus point. They have told me to play with freedom and play my natural shots," Saha told PTI here.

Saha has so far scored 51 runs in three games with scores of 5, 22 and 24 respectively.&nbsp

Asked if he would continue opening the innings, Saha replied:"This depends on team management. If I do well as an opener, I will be entrusted to take up the responsibility but if I don't come up to their expectations, then they may think of other options. But I want to even better my performance."

Saha was generous in his praise for new skipper Williamson.&nbsp

"Kane is always open to suggestions from teammates during the game. He gives us freedom and he remains very relaxed, calm and brings positive vibes. Under him, our team bonding is very good".

Saha believes that even copybook shots can fetch him runs and there is no need to play unconventional shots.

"I prefer to hit over the circle when opportunity comes (during the Powerplay overs). I play my regular cricketing shots and I have not come up with any unconventional stroke," the Bengal stumper added.

Saha admitted that solid show from the bowling unit has eased the pressure on the batsmen as they have not had to chase any stiff total so far.

"Apart from the bowlers who are in the playing XI, we have fantastic bench strength. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Rashid Khan, Siddarth (Kaul), Shakib (Al Hasan), Billy Stanlake have been bowling well and have helped restrict the opposition to totals in the 150 region," he said.

About IPL, which is over a decade-old , Saha said, "IPL is a great platform for any player, more so for budding players, it is such a platform where they get opportunity to rub shoulders with senior players from around the globe, which helps them to further improve their game."

Saha, who has played 32 Tests for India, revealed that he has been fond of the shorter format of the game since the beginning. He recently hit 14 sixes en route a 20-ball hundred during a T20 inter-club game in Kolkata.

"I always liked playing T20 from the start and enjoy this format. Earlier on, in KXIP, I got few opportunities to play the shorter format of the game. I also got a chance to play the Tests but whatever opportunity you get, you have to perform and my aim is to contribute and help my team win," he said.&nbsp

Saha has so far scored 51 runs in three games with scores of 5, 22 and 24 respectively

Test specialist Wriddhiman Saha reckons that opening the batting for the Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League (IPL) has been a big positive for him. Saha has earlier opened the batting for&nbspPunjab and even scored a hundred in a losing cause during the 2013 IPL final against Kolkata. "I like to play my natural game. The coach (Tom Moody) and captain (Kane Williamson) have backed me on this and I have got opportunity to open the innings, which is a plus point. They have told me to play with freedom and play my natural shots," Saha told PTI here. Saha has so far scored 51 runs in three games with scores of 5, 22 and 24 respectively. Asked if he would continue opening the innings, Saha replied:"This depends on team management. If I do well as an opener, I will be entrusted to take up the responsibility but if I don't come up to their expectations, then they may think of other options. But I want to even better my performance." Saha was generous in his praise for new skipper Williamson. "Kane is always open to suggestions from teammates during the game. He gives us freedom and he remains very relaxed, calm and brings positive vibes. Under him, our team bonding is very good". Saha believes that even copybook shots can fetch him runs and there is no need to play unconventional shots. "I prefer to hit over the circle when opportunity comes (during the Powerplay overs). I play my regular cricketing shots and I have not come up with any unconventional stroke," the Bengal stumper added. Saha admitted that solid show from the bowling unit has eased the pressure on the batsmen as they have not had to chase any stiff total so far. "Apart from the bowlers who are in the playing XI, we have fantastic bench strength. Bhuvi (Bhuvneshwar Kumar), Rashid Khan, Siddarth (Kaul), Shakib (Al Hasan), Billy Stanlake have been bowling well and have helped restrict the opposition to totals in the 150 region," he said. About IPL, which is over a decade-old , Saha said, "IPL is a great platform for any player, more so for budding players, it is such a platform where they get opportunity to rub shoulders with senior players from around the globe, which helps them to further improve their game." Saha, who has played 32 Tests for India, revealed that he has been fond of the shorter format of the game since the beginning. He recently hit 14 sixes en route a 20-ball hundred during a T20 inter-club game in Kolkata. "I always liked playing T20 from the start and enjoy this format. Earlier on, in KXIP, I got few opportunities to play the shorter format of the game. I also got a chance to play the Tests but whatever opportunity you get, you have to perform and my aim is to contribute and help my team win," he said.

IPL 2018: Opening innings is big plus for me, says Hyderabad opener Wriddhiman

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