<p>Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) earned a statement win on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after registering an eight-wicket win. LSG skipper KL Rahul top scored&nbsp;with&nbsp;82 runs to lead from the front&nbsp;while&nbsp;Quinton de Kock (54) also played a vital role in securing the win against the defending champions. The pair of Rahul-De Kock put together 134 runs for the opening wicket and laid the foundation for the win.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Let's start the whistles? 👀🔥<a href="https://t.co/dMPf0YByQg">pic.twitter.com/dMPf0YByQg</a></p>
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<h2><strong>Rahul-De Kock run riot</strong></h2>

<p>Chasing 177 runs, the&nbsp;LSG duo of Rahul-De Kock made light work of CSK bowlers as they scored runs left, right and center. Rahul&nbsp;in&nbsp;particular&nbsp;was aggressive with his approach&nbsp;scoring&nbsp;82&nbsp;which&nbsp;consisted of 3 sixes and&nbsp;9&nbsp;fours.&nbsp;He&nbsp;was scoring&nbsp;at a rate of 154 and&nbsp;made sure&nbsp;his team earned a vital win.&nbsp;In the end,&nbsp;it was Nicholas&nbsp;Pooran (23) and Marcus Stonis (8)&nbsp;who&nbsp;completed the run chase with an over to spare for the home side.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For&nbsp;CSK&nbsp;Mustafizur&nbsp;Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana&nbsp;both&nbsp;ended with one wicket&nbsp;each,&nbsp;but could not help their side register the win.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>What happened in the CSK innings?</strong></h2>

<p>Tasked with batting&nbsp;CSK&nbsp;did not have the best start and lost Rachin Ravindra (0) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) inside the powerplay.&nbsp;Ajinkya Rahane contributed 36 runs with the bat before he was scalped by Krunal Pandya.&nbsp;However,&nbsp;it was&nbsp;Ravindra Jadeja(unbeaten 57) and Moeen Ali (30)&nbsp;who&nbsp;helped Chennai reach a respectable total of 176/6 in 20 overs.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/pakistan-to-announce-new-head-coach-by-april-end-with-t20-world-cup-on-agenda-report-713114">Pakistan to announce new head coach by April-end with T20 World Cup on agenda - Report</a></p>

<p>The evening also saw entertainment from MS Dhoni as he played a super cameo innings of 28 off&nbsp;9&nbsp;balls. His innings consisted of 3 fours and&nbsp;2&nbsp;sixes and had the crowd at the edge of their seats. Krunal Pandya was the pick of the bowlers for LSG&nbsp;having&nbsp;ended with figures of 16/2.&nbsp;There were wickets&nbsp;a piece for Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur and Marcus Stoinis.&nbsp;</p>

<p>LSG will next face CSK in the return leg in Chennai on Tuesday (April 23)&nbsp;while&nbsp;they will face high-flying Rajasthan Royals in their next home game on Saturday (April 27) in Lucknow.&nbsp;CSK now take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (April 28) after the return leg against LSG before squaring off against Punjab Kings.&nbsp;</p>


Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) earned a statement win on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after registering an eight-wicket win.

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) earned a statement win on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) after registering an eight-wicket win. LSG skipper KL Rahul top scored with 82 runs to lead from the front while Quinton de Kock (54) also played a vital role in securing the win against the defending champions. The pair of Rahul-De Kock put together 134 runs for the opening wicket and laid the foundation for the win. Let's start the whistles? 👀🔥pic.twitter.com/dMPf0YByQg — Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) April 19, 2024 × Rahul-De Kock run riot Chasing 177 runs, the LSG duo of Rahul-De Kock made light work of CSK bowlers as they scored runs left, right and center. Rahul in particular was aggressive with his approach scoring 82 which consisted of 3 sixes and 9 fours. He was scoring at a rate of 154 and made sure his team earned a vital win. In the end, it was Nicholas Pooran (23) and Marcus Stonis (8) who completed the run chase with an over to spare for the home side. For CSK Mustafizur Rahman and Matheesha Pathirana both ended with one wicket each, but could not help their side register the win. What happened in the CSK innings? Tasked with batting CSK did not have the best start and lost Rachin Ravindra (0) and Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) inside the powerplay. Ajinkya Rahane contributed 36 runs with the bat before he was scalped by Krunal Pandya. However, it was Ravindra Jadeja(unbeaten 57) and Moeen Ali (30) who helped Chennai reach a respectable total of 176/6 in 20 overs. ALSO READ | Pakistan to announce new head coach by April-end with T20 World Cup on agenda - Report The evening also saw entertainment from MS Dhoni as he played a super cameo innings of 28 off 9 balls. His innings consisted of 3 fours and 2 sixes and had the crowd at the edge of their seats. Krunal Pandya was the pick of the bowlers for LSG having ended with figures of 16/2. There were wickets a piece for Mohsin Khan, Yash Thakur and Marcus Stoinis. LSG will next face CSK in the return leg in Chennai on Tuesday (April 23) while they will face high-flying Rajasthan Royals in their next home game on Saturday (April 27) in Lucknow. CSK now take on Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday (April 28) after the return leg against LSG before squaring off against Punjab Kings.

IPL 2024: KL Rahul leads LSG to statement win over CSK with match-winning knock overshadowing Dhoni's cameo

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<p>Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain KL Rahul recalls his best moment with India legend MS Dhoni ahead of the LSG vs CSK tie at Ekana Stadium on Friday (April 19). Rahul, who leads the newly inducted IPL franchise, shared kind words for Dhoni, saying the former CSK skipper holds a special place in his and&nbsp;everyone's&nbsp;heart worldwide.</p>

<p>Speaking to the broadcaster (Star Sports) in a recorded video ahead of the marquee clash, KL recalled getting all of his international caps (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) from MS Dhoni, who was the Indian captain (at that time), calling it as the special moment he shared with the veteran cricketer.</p>

<p>"MS Dhoni is a special person for&nbsp;not only me but&nbsp;the whole country. The most special moment I shared with Dhoni was when I received caps for all the formats. I got all my Tests, one-day and T20 caps from him. He was the&nbsp;captain of the team, and&nbsp;just&nbsp;to receive that from his hand will be (at) top in the special moments. Then comes playing cricket with him, the wins and the losses,” said Rahul&nbsp;on&nbsp;his special moment with Dhoni.</p>

<p>Under&nbsp;Dhoni’s&nbsp;captaincy, KL flourished across all formats, soon becoming&nbsp;India’s&nbsp;go-to-batter in Tests, ODIs and T20Is.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-we-like-to-back-players-csk-coach-stephen-fleming-pledges-support-to-under-fire-daryl-mitchell-713002">IPL 2024: We like to back players, CSK coach Stephen Fleming pledges support to under fire Daryl Mitchell</a></strong></p>

<p>KL's&nbsp;exploits made him the star batter in the side early in his career, becoming the first-choice opener in white-ball formats for years to follow.&nbsp;</p>

<p>However, with time, KL emerged as a top batter in the middle order, with his performances in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup and even during the competition getting acknowledged.</p>

<h2>Lucknow ready to host Chennai</h2>

<p>Two top-performing teams this season, LSG and CSK, will be up against each other at the Ekana Stadium for the quest to remain in the top four. While CSK is third on the points table, with four wins in six contested matches, LSG slipped to the sixth spot, following their eight-wicket loss at the hands of KKR in their previous game.&nbsp;</p>

<p>For Chennai, the seam-bowling duo of Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman is the one to look out for, while the home side,&nbsp;LSG&nbsp;will bank on their settled batting order to deliver against Chennai.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Moreover, all eyeballs will be on Mayank Yadav, who might return to the playing XI for this marquee clash.&nbsp;</p>


Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain KL Rahul recalls his best moment with India legend MS Dhoni ahead of the LSG vs CSK tie at Ekana Stadium on Friday (April 19).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) Captain KL Rahul recalls his best moment with India legend MS Dhoni ahead of the LSG vs CSK tie at Ekana Stadium on Friday (April 19). Rahul, who leads the newly inducted IPL franchise, shared kind words for Dhoni, saying the former CSK skipper holds a special place in his and everyone's heart worldwide. Speaking to the broadcaster (Star Sports) in a recorded video ahead of the marquee clash, KL recalled getting all of his international caps (Tests, ODIs and T20Is) from MS Dhoni, who was the Indian captain (at that time), calling it as the special moment he shared with the veteran cricketer. "MS Dhoni is a special person for not only me but the whole country. The most special moment I shared with Dhoni was when I received caps for all the formats. I got all my Tests, one-day and T20 caps from him. He was the captain of the team, and just to receive that from his hand will be (at) top in the special moments. Then comes playing cricket with him, the wins and the losses,” said Rahul on his special moment with Dhoni. Under Dhoni’s captaincy, KL flourished across all formats, soon becoming India’s go-to-batter in Tests, ODIs and T20Is. ALSO READ: IPL 2024: We like to back players, CSK coach Stephen Fleming pledges support to under fire Daryl Mitchell KL's exploits made him the star batter in the side early in his career, becoming the first-choice opener in white-ball formats for years to follow. However, with time, KL emerged as a top batter in the middle order, with his performances in the lead-up to the 2023 World Cup and even during the competition getting acknowledged. Lucknow ready to host Chennai Two top-performing teams this season, LSG and CSK, will be up against each other at the Ekana Stadium for the quest to remain in the top four. While CSK is third on the points table, with four wins in six contested matches, LSG slipped to the sixth spot, following their eight-wicket loss at the hands of KKR in their previous game. For Chennai, the seam-bowling duo of Matheesha Pathirana and Mustafizur Rahman is the one to look out for, while the home side, LSG will bank on their settled batting order to deliver against Chennai. Moreover, all eyeballs will be on Mayank Yadav, who might return to the playing XI for this marquee clash.

IPL 2024: ‘MS Dhoni is a special person’ – KL Rahul recalls best moment with India legend ahead of LSG-CSK tie

<p>Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has backed Daryl Mitchell to come good in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as his side travel to Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (April 19).&nbsp;CSK, who are in fine form under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad have lost only two matches so far, but&nbsp;it is&nbsp;their star man Daryl Mitchell&nbsp;who&nbsp;is finding it tough going in the IPL 2024.&nbsp;He was bought in the mini auctions of the IPL 2024 in December, with CSK paying a whopping $1.7 million for his services.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Fleming backs Mitchell</strong></h2>

<p>"He has been contributing without giving star performances,"&nbsp;Fleming said while speaking on Mitchell.&nbsp;"We like to back players a lot&nbsp;and&nbsp;it is not always the Man-of-the-Match performance&nbsp;that we&nbsp;value the most."</p>

<p>So far in the IPL 2024, Mitchell has scored 93 runs in four innings for the Yellow Army. He averages 23.5,&nbsp;which is&nbsp;considerably lower than what he offers for New Zealand. However, according to Fleming, he has all the confidence in the world to regain his form and come good for the five-time IPL champions.&nbsp;</p>

<p>CSK will be in action against an LSG side led by KL Rahul, who have a middle-table position in the IPL standings. While CSK are third with eight points, LSG could join them on the same points if they beat&nbsp;Friday’s&nbsp;opponents.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/explained-why-aston-villas-emi-martinez-was-not-sent-off-for-second-yellow-card-in-ecl-match-712929">Explained: Why Aston Villa's Emi Martinez was not sent off for second yellow card in ECL match</a></p>

<p>A win for CSK will see them go second in the standings with 10 points, two behind league leaders Rajasthan Royals. CSK come into the contest with a&nbsp;huge&nbsp;win over arch-rivals Mumbai Indians on Sunday in Mumbai and will be expected to keep the same gear facing LSG.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Probable Playing XI</strong></h2>

<p>CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana</p>

<p>LSG: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c &amp; wk), Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Shamar Joseph, Mohsin Khan</p>


Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has backed Daryl Mitchell to come good in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as his side travel to Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (April 19).

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) head coach Stephen Fleming has backed Daryl Mitchell to come good in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as his side travel to Lucknow Super Giants on Friday (April 19). CSK, who are in fine form under new captain Ruturaj Gaikwad have lost only two matches so far, but it is their star man Daryl Mitchell who is finding it tough going in the IPL 2024. He was bought in the mini auctions of the IPL 2024 in December, with CSK paying a whopping $1.7 million for his services. Fleming backs Mitchell "He has been contributing without giving star performances," Fleming said while speaking on Mitchell. "We like to back players a lot and it is not always the Man-of-the-Match performance that we value the most." So far in the IPL 2024, Mitchell has scored 93 runs in four innings for the Yellow Army. He averages 23.5, which is considerably lower than what he offers for New Zealand. However, according to Fleming, he has all the confidence in the world to regain his form and come good for the five-time IPL champions. CSK will be in action against an LSG side led by KL Rahul, who have a middle-table position in the IPL standings. While CSK are third with eight points, LSG could join them on the same points if they beat Friday’s opponents. ALSO READ | Explained: Why Aston Villa's Emi Martinez was not sent off for second yellow card in ECL match A win for CSK will see them go second in the standings with 10 points, two behind league leaders Rajasthan Royals. CSK come into the contest with a huge win over arch-rivals Mumbai Indians on Sunday in Mumbai and will be expected to keep the same gear facing LSG. Probable Playing XI CSK: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Rachin Ravindra, Ajinkya Rahane, Shivam Dube, Moeen Ali, Ravindra Jadeja, Sameer Rizvi, MS Dhoni (wk), Shardul Thakur, Tushar Deshpande, Matheesha Pathirana LSG: Quinton de Kock, KL Rahul (c & wk), Deepak Hooda, Marcus Stoinis, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi, Yash Thakur, Shamar Joseph, Mohsin Khan

IPL 2024: We like to back players, CSK coach Stephen Fleming pledges support to under fire Daryl Mitchell

<p>Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face a stern test on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Ahead of the key clash in Lucknow, skipper KL Rahul made a big revelation about his liking for Karnataka.&nbsp;Having been quizzed, Rahul admitted his affection for the state, indirectly hinting at a future move to one of the South Indian sides, especially his former side Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB).</p>

<h2><strong>Rahul hints at future RCB move</strong></h2>

<p>"You can never change the fact that I am a Karnataka player, I am from Bengaluru. KCA is my home, Chinnaswamy Stadium is my home first and then IPL is happening. Everyone wants to play for their home state or their home city and since I am from Bengaluru, playing for Bengaluru would have been ideal," Rahul said while speaking ahead of CSK match.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The LSG captain started his IPL career at RCB in 2013 before going on a ride with Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and LSG. Rahul is one of the consistent performers in the IPL over the years having scored 4367 runs in 124 IPL matches. He also has four IPL hundreds&nbsp;in his role at the top order for several franchises.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2024-rcbs-glenn-maxwell-explains-decision-for-missing-srh-tie-confirms-his-absence-from-next-game-712621">IPL 2024: RCB’s Glenn Maxwell explains decision for missing SRH tie, confirms his absence from next game</a></p>

<p>While his heart still is with Karnataka, his priority lies with LSG for now who have made it to the playoffs of the IPL ever since joining the league in 2022.</p>

<h2><strong>LSG vs CSK on Friday</strong></h2>

<p>LSG will have a task in hand on Friday when they square off against CSK knowing a win will be the best possible outcome for them. So far in IPL 2024, LSG have lost three and won three in total of six matches played, languishing in the middle half of the table.</p>

<p>CSK on the other hand have four wins in six matches and sit third in the IPL 2024 standings. Under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK have so far lost only two matches and beat Mumbai Indians in a tight contest on Sunday.</p>


Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face a stern test on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) will face a stern test on Friday (April 19) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Ahead of the key clash in Lucknow, skipper KL Rahul made a big revelation about his liking for Karnataka. Having been quizzed, Rahul admitted his affection for the state, indirectly hinting at a future move to one of the South Indian sides, especially his former side Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Rahul hints at future RCB move "You can never change the fact that I am a Karnataka player, I am from Bengaluru. KCA is my home, Chinnaswamy Stadium is my home first and then IPL is happening. Everyone wants to play for their home state or their home city and since I am from Bengaluru, playing for Bengaluru would have been ideal," Rahul said while speaking ahead of CSK match. The LSG captain started his IPL career at RCB in 2013 before going on a ride with Punjab Kings, Sunrisers Hyderabad and LSG. Rahul is one of the consistent performers in the IPL over the years having scored 4367 runs in 124 IPL matches. He also has four IPL hundreds in his role at the top order for several franchises. ALSO READ | IPL 2024: RCB’s Glenn Maxwell explains decision for missing SRH tie, confirms his absence from next game While his heart still is with Karnataka, his priority lies with LSG for now who have made it to the playoffs of the IPL ever since joining the league in 2022. LSG vs CSK on Friday LSG will have a task in hand on Friday when they square off against CSK knowing a win will be the best possible outcome for them. So far in IPL 2024, LSG have lost three and won three in total of six matches played, languishing in the middle half of the table. CSK on the other hand have four wins in six matches and sit third in the IPL 2024 standings. Under the captaincy of Ruturaj Gaikwad, CSK have so far lost only two matches and beat Mumbai Indians in a tight contest on Sunday.

IPL 2024: 'Playing for Bengaluru would have been ideal' - LSG's KL Rahul hints at future switch