Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to reach the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League. Chennai won the first Qualifier by two wickets in a neck-to-neck encounter against Hyderabad. There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad.&nbsp;

Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl at the Wankhede stadium.

Batting first, Hyderabad had a shaky start as Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target of 140 runs for MS Dhoni-led Chennai.

Still, the score is a bit less than what it was expected in such a crucial match and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive.

That is what exactly happened but while chasing the target of 140 runs, Chennai's batting line was thrashed in front of the Hyderabad's bowling unit but in the 17th and 18th overs, Hyderabad leaked too many runs.

Apart from Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Shardul Thakur none of the batsmen score more than 10 runs.

Chennai's scoreboard

Shane Watson 0, Faf du Plessis 67*, Suresh Raina 22, Ambati Rayudu 0, MS Dhoni 9, Dwayne Bravo 7, Ravindra Jadeja 3, Deepak Chahar 10, Harbhajan Singh 2, Shardul Thakur 15

For Hyderabad, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and Rashid Khan took 2 wickets each that gave a ray of finale hope but efforts went in vain.

Apart from them, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most economical bowler for the Hyderabad. He gave 14 runs in his 3.1-over spell with 4.42 ecomnomy. Although, he failed to defend the six runs in &nbsp;the last over as Faf hit a splendid six on the first ball of last over to win the match.

Earlier, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan.

Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja.

Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen.

Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time. 
&nbsp;

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to reach the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to reach the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League. Chennai won the first Qualifier by two wickets in a neck-to-neck encounter against Hyderabad. There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad. Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl at the Wankhede stadium. Batting first, Hyderabad had a shaky start as Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target of 140 runs for MS Dhoni-led Chennai. Still, the score is a bit less than what it was expected in such a crucial match and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive. That is what exactly happened but while chasing the target of 140 runs, Chennai's batting line was thrashed in front of the Hyderabad's bowling unit but in the 17th and 18th overs, Hyderabad leaked too many runs. Apart from Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Shardul Thakur none of the batsmen score more than 10 runs. Chennai's scoreboard Shane Watson 0, Faf du Plessis 67*, Suresh Raina 22, Ambati Rayudu 0, MS Dhoni 9, Dwayne Bravo 7, Ravindra Jadeja 3, Deepak Chahar 10, Harbhajan Singh 2, Shardul Thakur 15 For Hyderabad, Sandeep Sharma, Siddarth Kaul and Rashid Khan took 2 wickets each that gave a ray of finale hope but efforts went in vain. Apart from them, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was the most economical bowler for the Hyderabad. He gave 14 runs in his 3.1-over spell with 4.42 ecomnomy. Although, he failed to defend the six runs in the last over as Faf hit a splendid six on the first ball of last over to win the match. Earlier, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan. Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja. Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs. Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen. Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time.

Faf du Plessis shines as Chennai beat Hyderabad to reach IPL final

There are more bad moments than good in a cricket match but what differentiates the two is how well and soon you make a comeback.

As the Indian Premier League (IPL) enters its last week, the first qualifier will be played between the two best teams of the seasons, Hyderabad and Chennai. &nbsp; 
Both are the top two teams on points table following the conclusion of the league stage and it grants them two shots to make it to the final.

The winner today will stay in Mumbai while the loser goes to Kolkata, with the hope of making it back to Wankhede.

The intriguing fact of the game today are the skippers - Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kane Williamson. The qualifier 1 is not just limited to these two names, it is more than that.

It is ‘best defenders vs best chasers’. &nbsp;

However, the chasers have been inconsistent in comparison to the defenders, and this is exactly what makes them a week team today.&nbsp; And the worst part, Hyderabad know it.

Dhoni-led Chennai which returned to the fray after serving out a two-year suspension, started its campaign by registering one-wicket win against defending champions Mumbai.

However, the credit goes to a single player - Dwayne Bravo. His 30-ball 68 was the only reason why the 'Yellow Brigade' won. &nbsp;

With openers falling cheaply the middle and lower order failed to provide any momentum and gave away their wickets. And this problem still exists when they enter the qualifiers today.

Whenever Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu have fallen cheaply, Chennai’s middle-order hasn’t shown the ability to withstand the pressure and in the end has left too much for Dhoni to do on his own.

Though Suresh Raina has done well in patches, his strike rate hasn’t been great.&nbsp; Sam Billings, too, barring a match-winning knock against Kolkata, hasn’t had much of an impact.

Another problem which adds to Dhoni's woes is absence of a death-over specialist.

Dhoni is worried with his bowlers leaking too many runs in the last few overs. Lack of options has seen Dhoni handing over the ball to different bowlers. But as the tournament progressed Bravo came out to be better while others completely struggled.

Chennai’s worry list also includes senior players - Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja. Though both have done well in containing the opposition but haven’t impressed with the wickets.

In 14 games played, Jadeja clinched only 9 wickets and made just 86 runs, while Singh has 7 wickets to his name in 12 games and only 27 runs contribution. The best part about Chennai is they have never been dependent on a single batsman or bowler, but the inconsistency factor will be major trouble for the team. &nbsp;

But, no matter what happens today, the loser gets another opportunity in qualifier-2 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on May 25.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Today's game is ‘best defenders vs best chasers’

There are more bad moments than good in a cricket match but what differentiates the two is how well and soon you make a comeback. As the Indian Premier League (IPL) enters its last week, the first qualifier will be played between the two best teams of the seasons, Hyderabad and Chennai. Both are the top two teams on points table following the conclusion of the league stage and it grants them two shots to make it to the final. The winner today will stay in Mumbai while the loser goes to Kolkata, with the hope of making it back to Wankhede. The intriguing fact of the game today are the skippers - Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Kane Williamson. The qualifier 1 is not just limited to these two names, it is more than that. It is ‘best defenders vs best chasers’. However, the chasers have been inconsistent in comparison to the defenders, and this is exactly what makes them a week team today. And the worst part, Hyderabad know it. Dhoni-led Chennai which returned to the fray after serving out a two-year suspension, started its campaign by registering one-wicket win against defending champions Mumbai. However, the credit goes to a single player - Dwayne Bravo. His 30-ball 68 was the only reason why the 'Yellow Brigade' won. With openers falling cheaply the middle and lower order failed to provide any momentum and gave away their wickets. And this problem still exists when they enter the qualifiers today. Whenever Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu have fallen cheaply, Chennai’s middle-order hasn’t shown the ability to withstand the pressure and in the end has left too much for Dhoni to do on his own. Though Suresh Raina has done well in patches, his strike rate hasn’t been great. Sam Billings, too, barring a match-winning knock against Kolkata, hasn’t had much of an impact. Another problem which adds to Dhoni's woes is absence of a death-over specialist. Dhoni is worried with his bowlers leaking too many runs in the last few overs. Lack of options has seen Dhoni handing over the ball to different bowlers. But as the tournament progressed Bravo came out to be better while others completely struggled. Chennai’s worry list also includes senior players - Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja. Though both have done well in containing the opposition but haven’t impressed with the wickets. In 14 games played, Jadeja clinched only 9 wickets and made just 86 runs, while Singh has 7 wickets to his name in 12 games and only 27 runs contribution. The best part about Chennai is they have never been dependent on a single batsman or bowler, but the inconsistency factor will be major trouble for the team. But, no matter what happens today, the loser gets another opportunity in qualifier-2 at the Eden Gardens, Kolkata on May 25. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: Why MS Dhoni-led Chennai will lose against Hyderabad in IPL Qualifier 1

MS Dhoni-led Chennai has reached the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League as batsman Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to defeat Hyderabad by two wickets in the first Qualifier match on Tuesday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad.&nbsp;

For his splendid batting at a crucial time, Faf was given "Player of the Match" award.

"It's nice to make a contribution tonight. I reflected on the games I've played here in Mumbai. It's a stadium I've enjoyed playing," said South African batsman Faf du Plessis.

He also added that he shocked that how the team "win that game."

He praised the bowling attack of Hyderabad's team with a special mention to spinner Rashid Khan.

Although, du Plessis' 67-run knock was the sole reason for Chennai's victory but Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl.

Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to defeat Hyderabad by two wickets in the first Qualifier match

MS Dhoni-led Chennai has reached the finals of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League as batsman Faf du Plessis' unbeaten 67-run knock helped Chennai team to defeat Hyderabad by two wickets in the first Qualifier match on Tuesday at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. There was a moment when Chennai was 62-6 but South African star batsman Faf du Plessis played a responsible innings and snatched the match from the hands of Hyderabad. For his splendid batting at a crucial time, Faf was given "Player of the Match" award. "It's nice to make a contribution tonight. I reflected on the games I've played here in Mumbai. It's a stadium I've enjoyed playing," said South African batsman Faf du Plessis. He also added that he shocked that how the team "win that game." He praised the bowling attack of Hyderabad's team with a special mention to spinner Rashid Khan. Although, du Plessis' 67-run knock was the sole reason for Chennai's victory but Shardul Thakur's 15-run knock off 5 balls did the icing on the cake and confirmed the victory. Earlier in the match, MS Dhoni had won the toss and opted to bowl.

Don't know how we 'win that game', says Faf du Plessis after Chennai reach IPL final

Hyderabad set a 140-run target for Chennai team in the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018.&nbsp;

The score is a bit less than what it was expected in such crucial matches and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive.

Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai.

On the other hand, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan.

Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja.

Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs.

Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen.

Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time.

Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai

Hyderabad set a 140-run target for Chennai team in the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018. The score is a bit less than what it was expected in such crucial matches and that too for a team whose batting unit is massive. Hyderabad team suffered an early jolt in the form of Shikhar Dhawan's wicket on the first ball of the innings but thanks to Windies player Carlos Brathwaite, who played a 43-run knock to help Hyderabad team to set a decent target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai. On the other hand, Deepak Chahar who dismissed Dhawan played an important role in restricting the Hyderabad team. He gave 31 runs in his 4-over spell and took the most impost wicket also of Shikhar Dhawan. Shreevats Goswami and Manish Pandey scored 12 and 8 runs respectively before losing their wickets to Lungi Ngidi and Ravindra Jadeja. Skipper Kane Williamson tried to push the run rate but lost his wicket to Shardul Thakur after scoring 24 runs. Shakib Al Hasan and Yusuf Pathan scored 12 and 24 runs for the team but Dwayne Bravo out bowled both of batsmen. Carlos Brathwaite salvaged the team as he scored 43 runs off just 29 balls in a very crucial time.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni-led Chennai restricts Hyderabad to 139 runs in 1st Qualifier

Australian batsman David Warner has wished the Hyderabad team ahead of the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018 which is against Chennai.

In the previous seasons, David Warner has played the skipper's role of Hyderabad but due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, he was subsequently banned from the IPL by the BCCI.

Even though he is not the part of Hyderabad team still, he has always given his support throughout the season.

Just before the first Qualifier, Warner has tweeted, "Good luck to @SunRisers tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane."

In the absence of David Warner, Kane Williamson&nbsp;is leading the squad and has proved his calibre&nbsp;and leadership skills.

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Good luck to <a href="https://twitter.com/SunRisers?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SunRisers</a> tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane ??
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Warner was replaced by an explosive opener Alex Hales of England.&nbsp;

Just before the first Qualifier, Warner has praised Kane Williamson's leadership qualities

Australian batsman David Warner has wished the Hyderabad team ahead of the first Qualifier of Indian Premier League 2018 which is against Chennai. In the previous seasons, David Warner has played the skipper's role of Hyderabad but due to his involvement in the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa, he was subsequently banned from the IPL by the BCCI. Even though he is not the part of Hyderabad team still, he has always given his support throughout the season. Just before the first Qualifier, Warner has tweeted, "Good luck to @SunRisers tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane." In the absence of David Warner, Kane Williamson is leading the squad and has proved his calibre and leadership skills. Good luck to @SunRisers tonight, keep playing well gentlemen. Been simply outstanding and being well lead by The great man himself Kane ?? — David Warner (@davidwarner31) May 22, 2018 × Warner was replaced by an explosive opener Alex Hales of England.

IPL 2018: David Warner wishes Hyderabad team 'good luck' ahead of first Qualifier

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl&nbspin the first Qualifier of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League 2018 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday.

After winning the toss, MS Dhoni said, "We have chased well in the tournament." He also mentioned that chasing is a bit easier in the second innings.

There is only one change in the Chennai's squad, Shane Watson has been included at the place of Sam Billings.

On the other hand, Kane Williamson said that the Hyderabad team is trying their best to adapt the conditions of Wankhede Stadium.

A few hours back, it was found that there were some wear and tear in the good length area of the pitch, which means spinners will have an upper hand in the match, especially in the second innings.

Pressure is definitely on both the sides as the winner will book a finale berth.

Hyderabad has entered the field with the same squad.

Playing XI:

Chennai: Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

There is only one change in the Chennai's squad, Shane Watson has been included at the place of Sam Billings

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl&nbspin the first Qualifier of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League 2018 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday. After winning the toss, MS Dhoni said, "We have chased well in the tournament." He also mentioned that chasing is a bit easier in the second innings. There is only one change in the Chennai's squad, Shane Watson has been included at the place of Sam Billings. On the other hand, Kane Williamson said that the Hyderabad team is trying their best to adapt the conditions of Wankhede Stadium. A few hours back, it was found that there were some wear and tear in the good length area of the pitch, which means spinners will have an upper hand in the match, especially in the second innings. Pressure is definitely on both the sides as the winner will book a finale berth. Hyderabad has entered the field with the same squad. Playing XI: Chennai: Ambati Rayudu, Shane Watson, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ravindra Jadeja, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to field in Qualifier 1 against Hyderabad

The first qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 will be held between the two best teams of the eleventh season -&nbsp;Hyderabad and Chennai -&nbsp;at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday.

Hyderabad ended on top of the IPL 2018 Points Table with 18 points, while Chennai finished second, by run-rate.

The ‘Yellow Brigade’ returned to winning ways after defeating R Ashwin-led Punjab by five wickets in the last league match, while Hyderabad’s campaign toppled as they lost their last three games played against Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata.

The MS Dhoni-led team has beaten the Kane Williamson outfit on both occasions that they have previously met this year in the league stage.

As the winner sails straight into the final slated for May 27, the match promises to be quite a contest.

Throughout the tournament, Hyderabad have been overtly dependent on skipper Kane Williamson.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/meet-the-top-four-teams-of-ipl-2018--138479">Meet the top four teams of IPL 2018</a>

He has been in red-hot form to rise to the number two slot in the leading run-getters' list with 661 runs.

Kane along with opener Shikhar Dhawan, who took some time to get going, have shown consistency with the bat. The left-handed batsman has made 437 runs which includes four half-centuries.

Meanwhile, their bowling attack is in contrast to their batting ways.

Barring the last few games, the bowlers’ capability to defend paltry totals have been the talking point of the season.

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They have Sidharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma to rely on. Overseas spinners Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan add depth to their line.

The advantage they have over Chennai is their death-overs specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar. MS Dhoni is yet to find one for his team.

Chennai, on the other hand, have a plus point that they are not dependent on selected players, although Ambati Rayudu has been their standout performer with 586 runs.

Shane Watson, 438 runs, too has been in top form along with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

The form of key batsman Suresh Raina, who anchored the innings splendidly against Punjab with an unbeaten 61, is another encouraging sign.

The outstanding spell of South African Lungi Ngidi, who grabbed 4 for 10 to take the man of the match award last night, could not have come at a more opportune time for the Super Kings.

With Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo doing their bit on the pace bowling front, Chennai will be banking on spin twins Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja to deliver in the middle overs.

Meanwhile, a win here will take Chennai to their seventh IPL final, since its inception, while the loser the loser will be playing Qualifier 2 in Kolkata on May 25.

Dhoni-led team has beaten the Kane outfit on both occasions that they have previously met in the league stage

The first qualifier of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 will be held between the two best teams of the eleventh season - Hyderabad and Chennai - at Wankhede Stadium on Tuesday. Hyderabad ended on top of the IPL 2018 Points Table with 18 points, while Chennai finished second, by run-rate. The ‘Yellow Brigade’ returned to winning ways after defeating R Ashwin-led Punjab by five wickets in the last league match, while Hyderabad’s campaign toppled as they lost their last three games played against Chennai, Bangalore and Kolkata. The MS Dhoni-led team has beaten the Kane Williamson outfit on both occasions that they have previously met this year in the league stage. As the winner sails straight into the final slated for May 27, the match promises to be quite a contest. Throughout the tournament, Hyderabad have been overtly dependent on skipper Kane Williamson. Also read: Meet the top four teams of IPL 2018 He has been in red-hot form to rise to the number two slot in the leading run-getters' list with 661 runs. Kane along with opener Shikhar Dhawan, who took some time to get going, have shown consistency with the bat. The left-handed batsman has made 437 runs which includes four half-centuries. Meanwhile, their bowling attack is in contrast to their batting ways. Barring the last few games, the bowlers’ capability to defend paltry totals have been the talking point of the season. × They have Sidharth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma to rely on. Overseas spinners Rashid Khan and Shakib Al Hasan add depth to their line. The advantage they have over Chennai is their death-overs specialist Bhuvneshwar Kumar. MS Dhoni is yet to find one for his team. Chennai, on the other hand, have a plus point that they are not dependent on selected players, although Ambati Rayudu has been their standout performer with 586 runs. Shane Watson, 438 runs, too has been in top form along with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The form of key batsman Suresh Raina, who anchored the innings splendidly against Punjab with an unbeaten 61, is another encouraging sign. The outstanding spell of South African Lungi Ngidi, who grabbed 4 for 10 to take the man of the match award last night, could not have come at a more opportune time for the Super Kings. With Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar and Dwayne Bravo doing their bit on the pace bowling front, Chennai will be banking on spin twins Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja to deliver in the middle overs. Meanwhile, a win here will take Chennai to their seventh IPL final, since its inception, while the loser the loser will be playing Qualifier 2 in Kolkata on May 25.

IPL 2018 Qualifier 1: Chennai, Hyderabad to battle to seal final berth

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/china-never-recognised-so-called-arunachal-pradesh-gold-mining-part-of-geological--scientific-research-china-138621">Never recognised 'so-called Arunachal Pradesh', gold mining part of geological & scientific research: China</a>

China today emphatically declared that mining operations close to the Arunachal Pradesh was "completely" within its sovereignty, and it "totally" belongs to China.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-live-pm-modi-meets-russian-president-putin-138616">PM Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, hails 'friendship'</a>

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Sochi as part of his informal summit with the Russian President. The two leaders also held a meeting.&nbsp

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/raise-national-flag-on-all-mosques-declares-state-run-china-islamic-association-138657">Watch: Raise national flag on all mosques, declares State-run China Islamic Association</a>

All mosques in China should raise the national flag and study socialist core values to strengthen their "concept of nation" and carry forward "the spirit of patriotism," the China Islamic Association declared, as the Communist Party seeks to tighten its grip on religion.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/2-dead-2-injured-in-a-blast-in-azerbaijans-capital-baku-138669">2 dead, 2 injured in a blast in Azerbaijan's capital Baku</a>

A blast occurred in a small cafe in Binagadi district of Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Monday, news agency Reuters reported.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/watch-little-ziva-dances-with-ms-dhoni-to-celebrate-chennais-win-against-punjab-138654">Watch: Little Ziva dances with MS Dhoni to celebrate Chennai's win against Punjab</a>

MS Dhoni sent a warning before the knock-out matches of Indian Premier League when he displayed a magnificent batting show against Punjab in the last league match.

&nbsp

&nbsp

Never recognised 'so-called Arunachal Pradesh', gold mining part of geological & scientific research: China China today emphatically declared that mining operations close to the Arunachal Pradesh was "completely" within its sovereignty, and it "totally" belongs to China. PM Narendra Modi meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, hails 'friendship' Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Russia's Sochi as part of his informal summit with the Russian President. The two leaders also held a meeting. Watch: Raise national flag on all mosques, declares State-run China Islamic Association All mosques in China should raise the national flag and study socialist core values to strengthen their "concept of nation" and carry forward "the spirit of patriotism," the China Islamic Association declared, as the Communist Party seeks to tighten its grip on religion. 2 dead, 2 injured in a blast in Azerbaijan's capital Baku A blast occurred in a small cafe in Binagadi district of Azerbaijan's capital Baku on Monday, news agency Reuters reported. Watch: Little Ziva dances with MS Dhoni to celebrate Chennai's win against Punjab MS Dhoni sent a warning before the knock-out matches of Indian Premier League when he displayed a magnificent batting show against Punjab in the last league match.

News brief: Big stories of the day

MS Dhoni sent a warning before the knock-out matches of Indian Premier League when he displayed a magnificent batting show against Punjab in the last league match.

He scored 16 runs off seven balls and finished the match in his signature style, with a six.

Chennai not only won the game by five wickets but also ended Punjab's hope to qualify for the play-offs.

The clash was important for Punjab as they needed a victory of +53-run margin but it seemed impossible against the massive batting line-up of Chennai.

After winning the game, MS Dhoni enjoyed the victory by playing with his daughter Ziva.&nbsp

In the recent viral video, a beautiful father-daughter moment was captured and daddy Dhoni looked happy when Ziva was playing with his cap.

Watch the video here:

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MS Dhoni playing with daughter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ziva?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Ziva</a> during post match presentation ? ?, Wish <a href="https://twitter.com/bhogleharsha?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bhogleharsha</a> could have asked Dhoni to bring her daughter to have a fun chat ?<a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/SaakshiSRawat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaakshiSRawat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvKXIP?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvKXIP</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/JjrX3yW7PS">pic.twitter.com/JjrX3yW7PS</a>
— Sushant Kumar Nahak (@sushantkoko) <a href="https://twitter.com/sushantkoko/status/998288683575865345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The top two teams of IPL 2018, i.e. Chennai and Hyderabad, will meet each other in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday.

The winner of the match will go directly to the IPL 2018 final while the loser will get one more chance.

The team placed third and fourth in IPL 2018 points table will meet in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 23.

After winning the game, MS Dhoni enjoyed the victory by playing with his daughter Ziva

MS Dhoni sent a warning before the knock-out matches of Indian Premier League when he displayed a magnificent batting show against Punjab in the last league match. He scored 16 runs off seven balls and finished the match in his signature style, with a six. Chennai not only won the game by five wickets but also ended Punjab's hope to qualify for the play-offs. The clash was important for Punjab as they needed a victory of +53-run margin but it seemed impossible against the massive batting line-up of Chennai. After winning the game, MS Dhoni enjoyed the victory by playing with his daughter Ziva. In the recent viral video, a beautiful father-daughter moment was captured and daddy Dhoni looked happy when Ziva was playing with his cap. Watch the video here: MS Dhoni playing with daughter #Ziva during post match presentation ? ?, Wish @bhogleharsha could have asked Dhoni to bring her daughter to have a fun chat ?@msdhoni @SaakshiSRawat #IPL2018 #CSKvKXIP @IPL #WhistlePodu #Yellove @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/JjrX3yW7PS — Sushant Kumar Nahak (@sushantkoko) May 20, 2018 × The top two teams of IPL 2018, i.e. Chennai and Hyderabad, will meet each other in the Qualifier 1 on Tuesday. The winner of the match will go directly to the IPL 2018 final while the loser will get one more chance. The team placed third and fourth in IPL 2018 points table will meet in the Eliminator on Wednesday, May 23.

Watch: Little Ziva dances with MS Dhoni to celebrate Chennai's win against Punjab

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl in the last league match of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League at their ground - Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune - against Punjab on Sunday.

The clash is important for Punjab as they will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490.

Punjab kicked-off the 2018 season with five wins out of their first six games but faltered in the business end of the league.

Now, Mumbai team has been kicked out of the play-off race by Delhi, Punjab's fight is with Rajasthan, hence, MS Dhoni-led team Chennai has nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated.&nbsp;

Playing XI:

Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, David Miller, Karun Nair, Manoj Tiwary, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot

Chennai: Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi

Chennai have nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated

Chennai won the toss and opted to bowl in the last league match of the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League at their ground - Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune - against Punjab on Sunday. The clash is important for Punjab as they will have to register a win with a huge margin as their net run-rate reads a poor -0.490. Punjab kicked-off the 2018 season with five wins out of their first six games but faltered in the business end of the league. Now, Mumbai team has been kicked out of the play-off race by Delhi, Punjab's fight is with Rajasthan, hence, MS Dhoni-led team Chennai has nothing to lose, while Punjab will be out of the tournament if defeated. Playing XI: Punjab: Lokesh Rahul(w), Chris Gayle, Aaron Finch, David Miller, Karun Nair, Manoj Tiwary, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin(c), Andrew Tye, Mohit Sharma, Ankit Rajpoot Chennai: Faf du Plessis, Ambati Rayudu, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Sam Billings, Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Harbhajan Singh, Shardul Thakur, Deepak Chahar, Lungi Ngidi

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni opts to field against Punjab

Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an expressionless man on the ground. Be it a bowler giving away big runs in an over to a fielder giving boundaries for singles, Dhoni always keeps it calm and cool.&nbsp

However, he also manages to lighten up the entire mood of the crowd in one go.&nbsp

The former Indian cricket team captain has attempted to fake a nap during a match and scared Ravindra Jadeja by a dummy throw, to leave the audience in splits.&nbsp 
&nbsp 
But this time it was different for spectators as Dhoni started laughing the moment Delhi skipper Shyeras Iyer flipped the coin at the toss ceremony.

It was a funny scenario as when flipped, the coin landed several feet away from where the two captains and the match officials were present.&nbsp

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.<a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> Captain <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> wins the toss and elects to bowl first against <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiDaredevils?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiDaredevils</a> at the Kotla.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DDvCSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DDvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/UR5PA5pRH5">pic.twitter.com/UR5PA5pRH5</a>
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Match referee Manu Nayyar, however, walked up to the spot and stated that Dhoni had won the toss.&nbsp

But, watching Dhoni laugh, even Iyer couldn’t control himself.

However, the match was finally clinched by Iyer-led team by 34 runs, ending the winning momentum of the 'Yellow Brigade'.&nbsp

Dhoni, too departed after scoring a sluggish 23-ball 17, which made him the fifth batsman after Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir to notch up 6,000 runs in the shortest format of the game.

Watching Dhoni laugh, even Iyer couldn’t control himself.

Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is an expressionless man on the ground. Be it a bowler giving away big runs in an over to a fielder giving boundaries for singles, Dhoni always keeps it calm and cool. However, he also manages to lighten up the entire mood of the crowd in one go. The former Indian cricket team captain has attempted to fake a nap during a match and scared Ravindra Jadeja by a dummy throw, to leave the audience in splits. But this time it was different for spectators as Dhoni started laughing the moment Delhi skipper Shyeras Iyer flipped the coin at the toss ceremony. It was a funny scenario as when flipped, the coin landed several feet away from where the two captains and the match officials were present. .@ChennaiIPL Captain @msdhoni wins the toss and elects to bowl first against @DelhiDaredevils at the Kotla.#DDvCSK pic.twitter.com/UR5PA5pRH5 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 18, 2018 × Match referee Manu Nayyar, however, walked up to the spot and stated that Dhoni had won the toss. But, watching Dhoni laugh, even Iyer couldn’t control himself. However, the match was finally clinched by Iyer-led team by 34 runs, ending the winning momentum of the 'Yellow Brigade'. Dhoni, too departed after scoring a sluggish 23-ball 17, which made him the fifth batsman after Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir to notch up 6,000 runs in the shortest format of the game.

Watch: Shyeras Iyer's act leaves MS Dhoni in splits on ground

Chennai failed to reach atop league's table as MS Dhoni-led Chennai team was defeated by already eliminated Delhi on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and by handing over a tragic defeat to Chennai, team&nbspDelhi has managed to salvage its cricketing pride.

Earlier, MSD had won the toss and invited the host to bat first as the skipper Dhoni was suspicious that the pitch might deteriorate after some time.

Delhi, batting first put up a modest target of 163 runs which Chennai failed to achieve in 20 overs and lost the match by 34 runs.

While chasing, Chennai started off well as the opener Ambati Rayudu slammed half-century off 29 balls, on the other hand, another opener Shane Watson lost his wicket to Amit Mishra's tricky spin bowl after scoring just 14 runs.

Suresh Raina (15) and MS Dhoni (17) lost their wickets to &nbspSandeep Lamichhane and Trent Boult respectively. It was a good opportunity for the batsmen to prove their calibre by chasing the total but the "Yellow Brigade" lost it.

Unbeaten Ravindra Jadeja tried to push the run rate in the death over, he scored 27 crucial runs and held the inning on one side but other batsmen kept losing their wickets from the other side.

Trent Boult and Amit Mishra struck twice to restrict the Chennai team, also, young talent from Nepal Sandeep Lamichhane and Harshal Patel took one wicket each to help the bowling unit in defending the total.

In the first innings, Delhi's opener Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scored 17 and 19 runs respectively.

Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar and pacer Lungi Ngidi out bowled skipper Shreyas Iyer.

At number three, Rishabh Pant came in and scored 38 crucial runs for the team. Also, Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel contributed with their bats to push the run rate and put up a decent total on the board.

Glenn Maxwell, who has been on and off throughout the tournament, again failed and scored only five runs.

For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was proved most economical as he took two important wickets and other than that, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur got one wicket each.

Chennai failed to reach atop league's table as MS Dhoni-led Chennai team was defeated by already eliminated Delhi

Chennai failed to reach atop league's table as MS Dhoni-led Chennai team was defeated by already eliminated Delhi on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium and by handing over a tragic defeat to Chennai, team&nbspDelhi has managed to salvage its cricketing pride. Earlier, MSD had won the toss and invited the host to bat first as the skipper Dhoni was suspicious that the pitch might deteriorate after some time. Delhi, batting first put up a modest target of 163 runs which Chennai failed to achieve in 20 overs and lost the match by 34 runs. While chasing, Chennai started off well as the opener Ambati Rayudu slammed half-century off 29 balls, on the other hand, another opener Shane Watson lost his wicket to Amit Mishra's tricky spin bowl after scoring just 14 runs. Suresh Raina (15) and MS Dhoni (17) lost their wickets to &nbspSandeep Lamichhane and Trent Boult respectively. It was a good opportunity for the batsmen to prove their calibre by chasing the total but the "Yellow Brigade" lost it. Unbeaten Ravindra Jadeja tried to push the run rate in the death over, he scored 27 crucial runs and held the inning on one side but other batsmen kept losing their wickets from the other side. Trent Boult and Amit Mishra struck twice to restrict the Chennai team, also, young talent from Nepal Sandeep Lamichhane and Harshal Patel took one wicket each to help the bowling unit in defending the total. In the first innings, Delhi's opener Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scored 17 and 19 runs respectively. Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar and pacer Lungi Ngidi out bowled skipper Shreyas Iyer. At number three, Rishabh Pant came in and scored 38 crucial runs for the team. Also, Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel contributed with their bats to push the run rate and put up a decent total on the board. Glenn Maxwell, who has been on and off throughout the tournament, again failed and scored only five runs. For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was proved most economical as he took two important wickets and other than that, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur got one wicket each.

IPL 2018: Delhi beat Chennai by 34 runs to salvage cricketing pride

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi has set 163-run target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai to win on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla.

Earlier, MSD had won the toss and invited the host to bat first as the skipper Dhoni was suspicious that the pitch might deteriorate after some time.

For Delhi, opener Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scored 17 and 19 runs respectively.

Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar and pacer Lungi Ngidi out bowled skipper Shreyas Iyer.

At number three, Rishabh Pant came in and scored 38 crucial runs for the team. Also, Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel contributed with their bats - scored 36 runs each - to push the run rate and put up a decent total on the board.

Glenn Maxwell, who has been on and off throughout the tournament, again failed and scored only five runs.

For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was proved most economical as he took two important wickets and other than that, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur got one wicket each.

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi set 163-run target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai; Rishabh Pant: 38, Vijay Shankar: 36 and Harshal Patel: 36

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi has set 163-run target for MS Dhoni-led Chennai to win on Friday at Feroz Shah Kotla. Earlier, MSD had won the toss and invited the host to bat first as the skipper Dhoni was suspicious that the pitch might deteriorate after some time. For Delhi, opener Prithvi Shaw and Shreyas Iyer scored 17 and 19 runs respectively. Prithvi Shaw lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar and pacer Lungi Ngidi out bowled skipper Shreyas Iyer. At number three, Rishabh Pant came in and scored 38 crucial runs for the team. Also, Vijay Shankar and Harshal Patel contributed with their bats - scored 36 runs each - to push the run rate and put up a decent total on the board. Glenn Maxwell, who has been on and off throughout the tournament, again failed and scored only five runs. For Chennai, Lungi Ngidi was proved most economical as he took two important wickets and other than that, Deepak Chahar, Ravindra Jadeja and Shardul Thakur got one wicket each.

IPL 2018: Chennai need 163 runs to win against already-eliminated Delhi

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team will host MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday, May 18.

Team Delhi has been eliminated and has only two games left in the tournament. On one hand, the team will look to salvage its cricketing pride and on the other hand, Chennai team will play to warm up for the play-off as they have already qualified in the play-offs.

Though Delhi did not qualify for the play-offs it is one of the best batting sides in the ongoing tournament but the bowling side suffered a lot and currently have the poorest economy rate which is 9.34.

The result of today's game will not affect the points table and it will be through joy for the Delhiites at Kotla stadium.

Both the teams have done remarkably well in the death overs and it is expected that both the teams will enter with the same squad.

Playing XI (TBC):

Delhi: Amit Mishra, Jason Roy, Trent Boult, Harshal Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shreyas Iyer (c), Junior Dala, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sandeep Lamichhane, Abhishek Sharma, Prithvi Shaw

Chennai: Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, David Willey, Deepak Chahar, Sam Billings, Shardul Thakur

&nbsp

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team will host MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium

Shreyas Iyer-led Delhi team will host MS Dhoni-led Chennai at Feroz Shah Kotla stadium on Friday, May 18. Team Delhi has been eliminated and has only two games left in the tournament. On one hand, the team will look to salvage its cricketing pride and on the other hand, Chennai team will play to warm up for the play-off as they have already qualified in the play-offs. Though Delhi did not qualify for the play-offs it is one of the best batting sides in the ongoing tournament but the bowling side suffered a lot and currently have the poorest economy rate which is 9.34. The result of today's game will not affect the points table and it will be through joy for the Delhiites at Kotla stadium. Both the teams have done remarkably well in the death overs and it is expected that both the teams will enter with the same squad. Playing XI (TBC): Delhi: Amit Mishra, Jason Roy, Trent Boult, Harshal Patel, Vijay Shankar, Shreyas Iyer (c), Junior Dala, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sandeep Lamichhane, Abhishek Sharma, Prithvi Shaw Chennai: Harbhajan Singh, Shane Watson, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni (c & wk), Suresh Raina, Ravindra Jadeja, Ambati Rayudu, David Willey, Deepak Chahar, Sam Billings, Shardul Thakur

IPL 2018: Match preview of Delhi vs Chennai

Rishab Pant is one player who has impressed everyone with his impeccable batting in the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Though Delhi is out of contention for play-offs, Pant has proved his batting prowess by scoring 582 runs in 12 games played so far. &nbsp &nbsp

But as the tournament is still underway, Delhi will play its 13th game against Chennai &nbsp

The 'Yellow Brigade' have already qualified for the play-offs with eight wins from 12 games, while Delhi have missed the bus for knockouts after losing nine matches this season.

With very little riding on the Friday clash, players from both the teams were seen hanging out with each other.

Delhi's wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was also seen hanging out with Chennai skipper MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi1DkHwnp4s/" style=" color:#000 font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px text-decoration:none word-wrap:break-word" target="_blank">When you have seniors like these ✌️?@mahi7781 @sureshraina3 ??</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/rishabpant/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> Rishabh Pant</a> (@rishabpant) on <time datetime="2018-05-16T06:54:32+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 15, 2018 at 11:54pm PDT</time>
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"When you have senior like these @mahi7781 @sureshraina3," Pant captioned the image.&nbsp

The highlight of Pant's campaign has been the 128 not out against Hyderabad.&nbsp

He now also holds the record for highest scoring Indian in the history of IPL.

Dhoni is also enjoying his time out in the middle this IPL.&nbsp

The former Indian cricket team captain is having his best season in the league with 413 runs from 12 matches so far.&nbsp

He's scoring the runs at an average of 103.25 and a strike rate of 162.59. 
&nbsp

Delhi is out of contention for play-offs in IPL 2018.

Rishab Pant is one player who has impressed everyone with his impeccable batting in the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). Though Delhi is out of contention for play-offs, Pant has proved his batting prowess by scoring 582 runs in 12 games played so far. But as the tournament is still underway, Delhi will play its 13th game against Chennai The 'Yellow Brigade' have already qualified for the play-offs with eight wins from 12 games, while Delhi have missed the bus for knockouts after losing nine matches this season. With very little riding on the Friday clash, players from both the teams were seen hanging out with each other. Delhi's wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant was also seen hanging out with Chennai skipper MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina. When you have seniors like these ✌️?@mahi7781 @sureshraina3 ?? A post shared by Rishabh Pant (@rishabpant) on May 15, 2018 at 11:54pm PDT × "When you have senior like these @mahi7781 @sureshraina3," Pant captioned the image. The highlight of Pant's campaign has been the 128 not out against Hyderabad. He now also holds the record for highest scoring Indian in the history of IPL. Dhoni is also enjoying his time out in the middle this IPL. The former Indian cricket team captain is having his best season in the league with 413 runs from 12 matches so far. He's scoring the runs at an average of 103.25 and a strike rate of 162.59.

IPL 2018: Rishab Pant parties with Dhoni, Raina ahead of Delhi vs Chennai clash

"People have been saying that our team is quite aged, but you need experience. All credit goes to Dhoni as you can see he is playing freely. In the IPL, he has shown that he can still play very well despite being 35-36," said Suresh&nbsp;Raina, explaining the fact that why IPL team&nbsp;Chennai includes aged players.&nbsp;

As Chennai qualified&nbsp;for play-offs for the&nbsp;ninth time, since IPL's inception, &nbsp;Raina said&nbsp;it is equally important to have experience and cites team's performance in the ongoing league.&nbsp;

Currently, the 'Yellow Brigade' have players above 35 years of age which include&nbsp;— Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36), Shane Watson (36), Dwayne Bravo (34), Harbhajan Singh (37) and Imran Tahir (39).

When asked about their current performance and strategy for the upcoming games, the left-handed batsman said that&nbsp;half work is done by qualifying, but the ultimate goal is to take the golden trophy home.

"Nobody remembers the runner-up. Everybody looks up to the winner. If we win this time, then the harsh memories of the finals that we lost in previous editions of IPL will go away," said Raina.

Altogether in IPL, Chennai have made their way to finals six times, out of which only two times they managed to emerge victoriously.&nbsp;

The star cricketer heaped praise on&nbsp;his current IPL team's skipper MS Dhoni and Indian Cricket Team&nbsp;captain Virat Kohli.&nbsp;

"Having Dhoni with Virat changes the morale of the Indian cricket team. In South Africa, we won the T20s and ODI series. We even defeated them in one Test match," he said.

"Virat is a player, who does not like to lose. In the current scenario, the cricket community in India has become fearless," he added.&nbsp;

Other than Chennai, Hyderabad too qualified for semi-finals with 18 points in IPL.

The finale of IPL 2018 will be played on May 27&nbsp;at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

Altogether in Indian Premier League(IPL), Chennai have made their way to finals for six times, out of which only twice they managed to emerge victoriously

"People have been saying that our team is quite aged, but you need experience. All credit goes to Dhoni as you can see he is playing freely. In the IPL, he has shown that he can still play very well despite being 35-36," said Suresh Raina, explaining the fact that why IPL team Chennai includes aged players. As Chennai qualified for play-offs for the ninth time, since IPL's inception, Raina said it is equally important to have experience and cites team's performance in the ongoing league. Currently, the 'Yellow Brigade' have players above 35 years of age which include — Mahendra Singh Dhoni (36), Shane Watson (36), Dwayne Bravo (34), Harbhajan Singh (37) and Imran Tahir (39). When asked about their current performance and strategy for the upcoming games, the left-handed batsman said that half work is done by qualifying, but the ultimate goal is to take the golden trophy home. "Nobody remembers the runner-up. Everybody looks up to the winner. If we win this time, then the harsh memories of the finals that we lost in previous editions of IPL will go away," said Raina. Altogether in IPL, Chennai have made their way to finals six times, out of which only two times they managed to emerge victoriously. The star cricketer heaped praise on his current IPL team's skipper MS Dhoni and Indian Cricket Team captain Virat Kohli. "Having Dhoni with Virat changes the morale of the Indian cricket team. In South Africa, we won the T20s and ODI series. We even defeated them in one Test match," he said. "Virat is a player, who does not like to lose. In the current scenario, the cricket community in India has become fearless," he added. Other than Chennai, Hyderabad too qualified for semi-finals with 18 points in IPL. The finale of IPL 2018 will be played on May 27 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

'You need experience:'Suresh Raina on Chennai being marked as 'aged team'

With eight wins and four defeats, the two-time champions Chennai are second on the points tally and also became the second team to qualify for the play-offs.

Ahead of their clash against Delhi, skipper MS Dhoni along with other teammates celebrated Suresh Raina daughter Gracia's birthday, who turned two on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Dhoni, along with all-rounder Dwayne Bravo turned up to wish Raina's daughter.

The franchise also uploaded a video on their Twitter handle where Dhoni and Bravo were seen singing Happy Birthday for the little girl.&nbsp;

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Here is your midnight dose of cuteness to begin a super happy Wednesday! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GraciaTurns2?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GraciaTurns2</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRaina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRaina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/_PriyankaCRaina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@_PriyankaCRaina</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/DJBravo47?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DJBravo47</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Geeta_Basra?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Geeta_Basra</a> ?? <a href="https://t.co/UbIRi7m0F6">pic.twitter.com/UbIRi7m0F6</a>
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Off-Spinner Harbhajan Singh and his wife were also in attendance.

Dhoni led the yellow brigade to two title wins - 2010 and 2012.&nbsp;

Dhoni is in tremendous form in the ongoing tournament.He has played 12 matches in the tournament so far and scored 413 runs at an average of 103.25. He has three half-centuries to his name.

On the other hand, Raina has scored 315 runs in 11 matches at an average of 35.00.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Dhoni, along with all-rounder Dwayne Bravo turned up to wish Raina's daughter.

With eight wins and four defeats, the two-time champions Chennai are second on the points tally and also became the second team to qualify for the play-offs. Ahead of their clash against Delhi, skipper MS Dhoni along with other teammates celebrated Suresh Raina daughter Gracia's birthday, who turned two on Wednesday. Dhoni, along with all-rounder Dwayne Bravo turned up to wish Raina's daughter. The franchise also uploaded a video on their Twitter handle where Dhoni and Bravo were seen singing Happy Birthday for the little girl. Here is your midnight dose of cuteness to begin a super happy Wednesday! #WhistlePodu #GraciaTurns2 @ImRaina @_PriyankaCRaina @msdhoni @DJBravo47 @Geeta_Basra ?? pic.twitter.com/UbIRi7m0F6 — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 15, 2018 × Off-Spinner Harbhajan Singh and his wife were also in attendance. Dhoni led the yellow brigade to two title wins - 2010 and 2012. Dhoni is in tremendous form in the ongoing tournament.He has played 12 matches in the tournament so far and scored 413 runs at an average of 103.25. He has three half-centuries to his name. On the other hand, Raina has scored 315 runs in 11 matches at an average of 35.00.

Watch: Dhoni, Bravo celebrate Suresh Raina daughter's birthday

Ambati Rayudu slammed a ton to help&nbsphis team achieve the 180-run target set by Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, on Sunday.

Although, Hyderabad have already qualified for the play-offs in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League,&nbspteam Chennai are just an inch closer in contention.&nbsp

The clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) gave an essence of the IPL 2018 finale with some bittersweet moments. And one cannot expect a dull moment when MS Dhoni is on the ground.&nbsp

One such&nbsphilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when Hyderabad&nbspbatsman Shikhar Dhawan played a shot and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni ran after the ball.

He picked up the ball and gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja, who was also approaching the ball at the same time. For a while, Jadeja got scared but ended up laughing on the funny act of skipper Dhoni.

Watch the video here:

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Cutest moment ???<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Jadeja?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Jadeja</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSK</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SRHvCSK?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SRHvCSK</a> <a href="https://t.co/9sNzH9PNgi">pic.twitter.com/9sNzH9PNgi</a>
— மகிழன் (@omagasiya) <a href="https://twitter.com/omagasiya/status/995658958303039494?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dhoni funs Jadeja On Field & Smiled After That. Video Shows Funny Side Of Dhoni.. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/9p5Ti3g7zH">pic.twitter.com/9p5Ti3g7zH</a>
— HiFi Talkies ™ (@HiFiTalkies) <a href="https://twitter.com/HiFiTalkies/status/995656396891803649?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 13, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp

A hilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when MS Dhoni gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja

Ambati Rayudu slammed a ton to help&nbsphis team achieve the 180-run target set by Hyderabad at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune, on Sunday. Although, Hyderabad have already qualified for the play-offs in the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League,&nbspteam Chennai are just an inch closer in contention. The clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) gave an essence of the IPL 2018 finale with some bittersweet moments. And one cannot expect a dull moment when MS Dhoni is on the ground. One such&nbsphilarious incident happened in the seventh over of the first innings when Hyderabad&nbspbatsman Shikhar Dhawan played a shot and wicket-keeper MS Dhoni ran after the ball. He picked up the ball and gestured to throw on the face of Ravindra Jadeja, who was also approaching the ball at the same time. For a while, Jadeja got scared but ended up laughing on the funny act of skipper Dhoni. Watch the video here: Cutest moment ???#Dhoni #Jadeja #CSK #CSKvSRH #SRHvCSK pic.twitter.com/9sNzH9PNgi — மகிழன் (@omagasiya) May 13, 2018 × Dhoni funs Jadeja On Field & Smiled After That. Video Shows Funny Side Of Dhoni.. #CSKvSRH #IPL2018 pic.twitter.com/9p5Ti3g7zH — HiFi Talkies ™ (@HiFiTalkies) May 13, 2018 ×

Caught on cam: MS Dhoni threatens Ravindra Jadeja in IPL match against Hyderabad

Ambati Rayudu slammed a century off 62 balls and helped his team in achieving the 180-run target against Hyderabad at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday.

It was a clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) but team Chennai displayed an outstanding performance and chased down the target at home ground.

The openers, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu scored 57 and 100 runs respectively to give the necessary start to the team and defeated Hyderabad by eight wickets.

Chennai's batsmen Ambati Rayudu was given Man of the Match award for his magnificent performance.&nbsp;

Apart from the openers, MS Dhoni scored 20 runs to mark the much-needed victory, on the other hand, Suresh Raina lost his wicket after scoring just two runs.

Known for their massive bowling strength, Hyderabad struggled in taking wickets and none of the bowlers performed.

Sandeep Sharma took one wicket of Suresh Raina in his 4-over spell.

Earlier, MS Dhoni had invited the guests to bat first after winning the toss.

Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22.

Another opener Alex Hales did not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls.

Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents.

Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively.

In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell.

Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.&nbsp;

Ambati Rayudu was given 'Man of the Match' award for his magnificent performance

Ambati Rayudu slammed a century off 62 balls and helped his team in achieving the 180-run target against Hyderabad at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. It was a clash between the 'best chasers' (Chennai) and 'best defenders' (Hyderabad) but team Chennai displayed an outstanding performance and chased down the target at home ground. The openers, Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu scored 57 and 100 runs respectively to give the necessary start to the team and defeated Hyderabad by eight wickets. Chennai's batsmen Ambati Rayudu was given Man of the Match award for his magnificent performance. Apart from the openers, MS Dhoni scored 20 runs to mark the much-needed victory, on the other hand, Suresh Raina lost his wicket after scoring just two runs. Known for their massive bowling strength, Hyderabad struggled in taking wickets and none of the bowlers performed. Sandeep Sharma took one wicket of Suresh Raina in his 4-over spell. Earlier, MS Dhoni had invited the guests to bat first after winning the toss. Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22. Another opener Alex Hales did not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls. Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents. Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively. In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell. Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.

IPL 2018: Ambati Rayudu's 62-ball century helps Chennai defeat Hyderabad by 8 wickets

Hyderabad set a 180-run target for Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. Earlier, MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl.

Table toppers Hyderabad entered the field with confidence as they have already qualified for the play-off and the conviction was reflected&nbsp;in the performance&nbsp;of Shikhar Dhawan.

Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22

Another opener Alex Hales did&nbsp;not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls.

Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents.

Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively.

In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell.

Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.&nbsp;

Shikhar Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22

Hyderabad set a 180-run target for Chennai at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday. Earlier, MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl. Table toppers Hyderabad entered the field with confidence as they have already qualified for the play-off and the conviction was reflected in the performance of Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan scored 79 runs off 49 balls, his innings included ten 4's and three 6's playing at a strike rate of 161.22 Another opener Alex Hales did not perform and lost his wicket to Deepak Chahar after scoring just two runs off nine balls. Skipper Kane Williamson slammed his 10th IPL fifty and found a determined ally in Shikhar Dhawan on the other end to put up a decent target for the opponents. Deepak Hooda played some beautiful shots in the death overs and scored 21 crucial runs. Manish Pandey and Shakib Al Hasan scored 5 and 8 runs respectively. In search of wickets, MS Dhoni took help of seven bowlers but apart from Deepak Chahar, none of the bowlers were economical. Chahar took one key wicket of Alex Hales and gave 16 runs in his 4-over spell. Also, Shardul Thakur took two wickets of Kane Williamson and Manish Pandey.

Dhawan, Williamson shine as Hyderabad set 180-run target for Chennai

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known for his low profile and reserved nature, does not like to reveal much about himself in public.&nbsp;

However, the Chennai skipper revealed one of his most personal secrets in public.

During a promotional event, he revealed the name of his first ever crush.&nbsp;

Dhoni, who is enjoying his game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), was first asked to reveal the number of alphabets in his crush's name.&nbsp;

Later the performer, who was doing mind and mental tricks and started to guess the name of Dhoni's first crush.&nbsp;

He asked Dhoni some questions about the name and then guessed the name- Swati.

The wicketkeeper-batsman after some reluctance admitted that the name was right.&nbsp;

The former Indian skipper also jokingly asked everybody not to reveal the same to his wife Sakshi Dhoni.

He also revealed that he last saw Swati back when he was studying in the 12th standard in 1999.

The event was also attended by other Chennai players like Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja. 
&nbsp;

He revealed the name during a promotional event

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, known for his low profile and reserved nature, does not like to reveal much about himself in public. However, the Chennai skipper revealed one of his most personal secrets in public. During a promotional event, he revealed the name of his first ever crush. Dhoni, who is enjoying his game in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), was first asked to reveal the number of alphabets in his crush's name. Later the performer, who was doing mind and mental tricks and started to guess the name of Dhoni's first crush. He asked Dhoni some questions about the name and then guessed the name- Swati. The wicketkeeper-batsman after some reluctance admitted that the name was right. The former Indian skipper also jokingly asked everybody not to reveal the same to his wife Sakshi Dhoni. He also revealed that he last saw Swati back when he was studying in the 12th standard in 1999. The event was also attended by other Chennai players like Shane Watson, Suresh Raina and Ravindra Jadeja.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni reveals name of his crush, asks 'not to tell his wife'

Mahendra Singh Dhoni edged past Chris Gayle to lead the list for most sixes in the ongoing Indian Premier League this season.

The Chennai skipper, who has been in breathtaking form this year, has blasted 27 sixes from ten innings.&nbsp;

While Punjab's Chris Gayle acquires the second spot with 25 sixes.&nbsp;

Bangalore's AB de Villiers and Kolkata's Andre Russell have hit 23 sixes each.

Dhoni has not been in great T20 form in recent years. However, the 36-year-old has batted like a man possessed in IPL 2018.

He walked in to bat in the 12th over when Chennai were seemingly in a spot of bother against Kolkata.&nbsp;

As Chennai had lost all their set batsman including Ambati Rayadu, Dhoni took things in his own hands and smashed four sixes including two off Mitchell Johnson in his third over and remained not out on a 25-ball 43.

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Orange Cap holder Ambati Rayudu and Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer acquire the fifth and sixth position respectively with the two hitting 22 and 21 sixes respectively.&nbsp;

Last season, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner hit 26 sixes and topped the charts.&nbsp;

This time, apart from Dhoni and Gayle, five other batsmen have touched the 20 sixes-mark halfway through the tournament.

Punjab's Chris Gayle acquires the second spot with 25 sixes.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni edged past Chris Gayle to lead the list for most sixes in the ongoing Indian Premier League this season. The Chennai skipper, who has been in breathtaking form this year, has blasted 27 sixes from ten innings. While Punjab's Chris Gayle acquires the second spot with 25 sixes. Bangalore's AB de Villiers and Kolkata's Andre Russell have hit 23 sixes each. Dhoni has not been in great T20 form in recent years. However, the 36-year-old has batted like a man possessed in IPL 2018. He walked in to bat in the 12th over when Chennai were seemingly in a spot of bother against Kolkata. As Chennai had lost all their set batsman including Ambati Rayadu, Dhoni took things in his own hands and smashed four sixes including two off Mitchell Johnson in his third over and remained not out on a 25-ball 43. × Orange Cap holder Ambati Rayudu and Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer acquire the fifth and sixth position respectively with the two hitting 22 and 21 sixes respectively. Last season, Glenn Maxwell and David Warner hit 26 sixes and topped the charts. This time, apart from Dhoni and Gayle, five other batsmen have touched the 20 sixes-mark halfway through the tournament.

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni surpass Chris Gayle to hit most sixes in ongoing Season 11

&nbspHeaping praise on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chennai&nbspbatting coach Mike Hussey has termed the former India Test wicket-keeper as the man having the fastest draw of as far as stumping off spinners is concerned.

"My observations are he's (Dhoni) got to be the fastest in the world against the spinners in taking the bails off. He's unbelievably quick," said the former Australia player after Chennai had routed Bangalore by six wickets in an IPL match yesterday.

Dhoni had effected quick-silver stumping, taking the bails off in a flash, to send back top South Africa batsman AB de Villiers and Murugan Ashwin of the Bangalore, both off Harbhajan Singh, to help Chennai stop the strong visitors at 127 for 9 that was overhauled by the hosts by 12 balls to spare.

The former India skipper was at his brutal best, smashing three sixes off leggie Yuzvendra Chahal in the 18th over to finish off the game in style.

Dhoni made 31 not out off 23 balls and in the company of seasoned West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo pulled Chennai across the finish line from a tricky 80 for four in the 13th over and has been in superb form with the bat too in this Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Hussey was effusive in his praise for the former India skipper with the bat too.

"He's such an important player for the team. He's a fantastic keeper, has been in unbelievably good form with the bat, probably the best I've seen him play for quite a few years," he said.

Hussey also praised veteran off-spinner Harbhajan and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja who bundled out the strong CSK for a low total.

"Harbhajan has been bowling nicely the last few games. And he's been doing a fantastic job for us though those middle overs," he said.

"He (Jadeja) bowled beautifully today. The skipper has been showing nice faith in him and that's been important, giving him the confidence. It's nice for him to get the rewards today,"Hussey added.

"He's been bowling well but the rewards have just not been coming his way. So, it's nice for him to get the reward (man of the match) today with an excellent performance," the CSK batting coach noted.

Dhoni had effected quick-silver stumping, taking the bails off in a flash to send back top South Africa batsman AB de Villiers

&nbspHeaping praise on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chennai&nbspbatting coach Mike Hussey has termed the former India Test wicket-keeper as the man having the fastest draw of as far as stumping off spinners is concerned. "My observations are he's (Dhoni) got to be the fastest in the world against the spinners in taking the bails off. He's unbelievably quick," said the former Australia player after Chennai had routed Bangalore by six wickets in an IPL match yesterday. Dhoni had effected quick-silver stumping, taking the bails off in a flash, to send back top South Africa batsman AB de Villiers and Murugan Ashwin of the Bangalore, both off Harbhajan Singh, to help Chennai stop the strong visitors at 127 for 9 that was overhauled by the hosts by 12 balls to spare. The former India skipper was at his brutal best, smashing three sixes off leggie Yuzvendra Chahal in the 18th over to finish off the game in style. Dhoni made 31 not out off 23 balls and in the company of seasoned West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo pulled Chennai across the finish line from a tricky 80 for four in the 13th over and has been in superb form with the bat too in this Indian Premier League (IPL) season. Hussey was effusive in his praise for the former India skipper with the bat too. "He's such an important player for the team. He's a fantastic keeper, has been in unbelievably good form with the bat, probably the best I've seen him play for quite a few years," he said. Hussey also praised veteran off-spinner Harbhajan and left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja who bundled out the strong CSK for a low total. "Harbhajan has been bowling nicely the last few games. And he's been doing a fantastic job for us though those middle overs," he said. "He (Jadeja) bowled beautifully today. The skipper has been showing nice faith in him and that's been important, giving him the confidence. It's nice for him to get the rewards today,"Hussey added. "He's been bowling well but the rewards have just not been coming his way. So, it's nice for him to get the reward (man of the match) today with an excellent performance," the CSK batting coach noted.

Dhoni is fastest stumper against spinners: Mike Hussey

Mahendra Singh Dhoni&nbsp;played a magnificent 31-run knock off 23 balls with the help of&nbsp;massive hittings that helped the team to reach the set target of 128 runs&nbsp;against Bangalore on Saturday, April 4.

36-year old MS Dhoni has inspired thousands of youngsters to take up cricket as their profession and even on the field, Mahi has been guiding the newcomers to improve their skills.

One of the most popular cricketing icons and former captain of men's cricket team, MS Dhoni is known for his humble and cool attitude. He earned many trophies for India including&nbsp;ICC World Cup.

His fans and followers never fail to show their love and affection, recently an incident happened that will prove that fans' love for MSD is unconditional.

In the match against Kolkata, a fan violated the security parameters to meet MS Dhoni in the Chennai's dugout.

Watch the video:

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ROHIT is just a word. But DHONI is emotion....... <a href="https://t.co/iva5sFlCbb">pic.twitter.com/iva5sFlCbb</a>
— Murali (@murali_csk_fan) <a href="https://twitter.com/murali_csk_fan/status/993036071158956032?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 6, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Again the incident was repeated when MS Dhoni was shaking hands with the opponent team after hitting the winning runs. When he was congratulating the other team members, a fan came running to meet MSD and touched his feet.

Watch the video:

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As <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> climb to the top of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> points table, yet another fan rushes to meet his idol <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvRCB?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvRCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://t.co/p14RVjGFs9">pic.twitter.com/p14RVjGFs9</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/992766925183664128?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

MS Dhoni's fans and followers never fail to show their love and affection and recently an incident happened that will prove that fans' love for MSD is unconditional

Mahendra Singh Dhoni played a magnificent 31-run knock off 23 balls with the help of massive hittings that helped the team to reach the set target of 128 runs against Bangalore on Saturday, April 4. 36-year old MS Dhoni has inspired thousands of youngsters to take up cricket as their profession and even on the field, Mahi has been guiding the newcomers to improve their skills. One of the most popular cricketing icons and former captain of men's cricket team, MS Dhoni is known for his humble and cool attitude. He earned many trophies for India including ICC World Cup. His fans and followers never fail to show their love and affection, recently an incident happened that will prove that fans' love for MSD is unconditional. In the match against Kolkata, a fan violated the security parameters to meet MS Dhoni in the Chennai's dugout. Watch the video: ROHIT is just a word. But DHONI is emotion....... pic.twitter.com/iva5sFlCbb — Murali (@murali_csk_fan) May 6, 2018 × Again the incident was repeated when MS Dhoni was shaking hands with the opponent team after hitting the winning runs. When he was congratulating the other team members, a fan came running to meet MSD and touched his feet. Watch the video: As @ChennaiIPL climb to the top of the #VIVOIPL points table, yet another fan rushes to meet his idol @msdhoni. #CSKvRCB #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/p14RVjGFs9 — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2018 ×

Watch: Another fan breaches security to meet MS Dhoni, touches feet

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore fell like nine pins after the powerplay as the team ended their innings at just 127, their lowest total in this year's IPL.

At one point Bangalore were 47 for the loss of one wicket, but then lost Kohli, AB and Mandeep to spin in the space of five overs.

Parthiv Patel, who played his first game in IPL 2018, smashed a half-century and also became the top scorer for the team by making 53 runs off 41 balls.&nbsp

The team could have ended their innings with the lowest score in this year's league before Tim Southee came to their rescue.&nbsp

He made 36 runs in 26 balls to save his team from drowning and set a decent score on board.&nbsp

Apart from Patel and Southee, no other player scored in two digits.&nbsp

Skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers fell succumbed to Chennai's spin attack as Bangalore were put into bat at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, on Saturday.

Kohli was clean bowled by Ravindra Jadeja while de Villiers gave away his wicket to Harbhajan Singh.

Kohli was departed for eight runs and de Villiers made just one.

Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl.

Chennai is coming off from a tragic defeat against Kolkata in their previous encounter and must have worked on their loopholes and rectified the errors in order to earn two crucial points.

On the other hand, team Bangalore is high on spirit as they have won the previous match against Mumbai.

The competition between the teams which are placed at the fourth, fifth and sixth position at the league's table is very tough now.&nbsp

Chennai have lost its two previous clashes out of three and looked a bit off but with a well-balanced team, it requires just one win to prove caliber of the entire team.

On the other hand, confidence Virat Kohli is leading the batting department from the front but still, team Bangalore is dealing with the problems of bowling unit, which has been very expensive especially in death overs.

The current team of Chennai is very sorted and any change at this moment is not required.

On the other hand, the good news for Bangalore is that their star player, AB de Villiers is fit and back in the squad but opener Quinton de Kock has flown back home due to some personal reasons and skipper Virat Kohli might replace him by Manan Vohra.

In the absence of wicket-keeper, the best replacement for team Bangalore is Parthiv Patel.

At one point Bangalore were 47 for the loss of one wicket

Virat Kohli-led Bangalore fell like nine pins after the powerplay as the team ended their innings at just 127, their lowest total in this year's IPL. At one point Bangalore were 47 for the loss of one wicket, but then lost Kohli, AB and Mandeep to spin in the space of five overs. Parthiv Patel, who played his first game in IPL 2018, smashed a half-century and also became the top scorer for the team by making 53 runs off 41 balls. The team could have ended their innings with the lowest score in this year's league before Tim Southee came to their rescue. He made 36 runs in 26 balls to save his team from drowning and set a decent score on board. Apart from Patel and Southee, no other player scored in two digits. Skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers fell succumbed to Chennai's spin attack as Bangalore were put into bat at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune, on Saturday. Kohli was clean bowled by Ravindra Jadeja while de Villiers gave away his wicket to Harbhajan Singh. Kohli was departed for eight runs and de Villiers made just one. Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl. Chennai is coming off from a tragic defeat against Kolkata in their previous encounter and must have worked on their loopholes and rectified the errors in order to earn two crucial points. On the other hand, team Bangalore is high on spirit as they have won the previous match against Mumbai. The competition between the teams which are placed at the fourth, fifth and sixth position at the league's table is very tough now. Chennai have lost its two previous clashes out of three and looked a bit off but with a well-balanced team, it requires just one win to prove caliber of the entire team. On the other hand, confidence Virat Kohli is leading the batting department from the front but still, team Bangalore is dealing with the problems of bowling unit, which has been very expensive especially in death overs. The current team of Chennai is very sorted and any change at this moment is not required. On the other hand, the good news for Bangalore is that their star player, AB de Villiers is fit and back in the squad but opener Quinton de Kock has flown back home due to some personal reasons and skipper Virat Kohli might replace him by Manan Vohra. In the absence of wicket-keeper, the best replacement for team Bangalore is Parthiv Patel.

IPL 2018: Chennai bowlers restrict Bangalore to 127 runs

Under-19 cricketing star and influential pacer of Kolkata got a golden opportunity to play with one of the great cricketing icons of India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

MS Dhoni has inspired thousands of youngsters to take up cricket as their profession and even on the field, Mahi has been guiding the newcomers to improve their skills.

On Thursday host Kolkata defeated Chennai by six wickets but after winning the game, 19-year old Shivam Mavi met and interacted former skipper of India and&nbsp;MSD, who is back in his vintage form. MSD&nbsp;shared some valuable pieces&nbsp;advice to the youngster&nbsp;Shivam Mavi.

Paceman Shivam shared a picture of him with Dhoni on social networking site with the caption, "The pieces of advice you gave me after the match are highly appreciated and words can neither qualify nor quantify your guidance and useful advice.

"Your perseverance, integrity and people-loving nature are just a few of your qualities that continue to inspire me," he further added.

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The pieces of advice you gave me after the match are highly appreciated and words can neither qualify nor quantify your guidance and useful advice. Your perseverance, integrity and people-loving nature are just a few of your qualities that continue to inspire me. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Mahibhai?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Mahibhai</a>♥️ <a href="https://t.co/CfRB2mTDnD">pic.twitter.com/CfRB2mTDnD</a>
— Shivam Mavi (@ShivamMavi23) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShivamMavi23/status/992333789505445888?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"The pieces of advice you gave me after the match are highly appreciated and words can neither qualify nor quantify your guidance and useful advice," says Shivam Mavi for MS Dhoni

Under-19 cricketing star and influential pacer of Kolkata got a golden opportunity to play with one of the great cricketing icons of India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni. MS Dhoni has inspired thousands of youngsters to take up cricket as their profession and even on the field, Mahi has been guiding the newcomers to improve their skills. On Thursday host Kolkata defeated Chennai by six wickets but after winning the game, 19-year old Shivam Mavi met and interacted former skipper of India and MSD, who is back in his vintage form. MSD shared some valuable pieces advice to the youngster Shivam Mavi. Paceman Shivam shared a picture of him with Dhoni on social networking site with the caption, "The pieces of advice you gave me after the match are highly appreciated and words can neither qualify nor quantify your guidance and useful advice. "Your perseverance, integrity and people-loving nature are just a few of your qualities that continue to inspire me," he further added. The pieces of advice you gave me after the match are highly appreciated and words can neither qualify nor quantify your guidance and useful advice. Your perseverance, integrity and people-loving nature are just a few of your qualities that continue to inspire me. #Mahibhai♥️ pic.twitter.com/CfRB2mTDnD — Shivam Mavi (@ShivamMavi23) May 4, 2018 ×

MS Dhoni continues to inspire me: Shivam Mavi

Twenty third March 2007 is one of the most forgettable days for the Indian Cricket. On this day India lost out to Sri Lanka in 2007 World Cup and crashed out of tournament even before going into last eight.

But I always remember this day in regard to MS Dhoni. Dejected and down, I was discussing the match with my cricket freak friend.

"Will we ever see another 25th June 1983 in our lifetime?" I asked. My friend quipped, out of nowhere "Rest assured, Dhoni will bring many such moments for you in days to come."

No doubt that even by March 2007, MSD had proved his credentials but still comment of my friend was bit intriguing because during that match against Sri Lanka, Dhoni was out for a first ball duck and was at the centre of anger of fans.

Dhoni took just six months to vindicate my friend when under his captaincy India won T-20 World Cup in September 2007. The same Ranchi crowd who pelted his house six months back after the World Cup debacle was garlanding him.

In next six years, Dhoni achieved everything which he could have dreamt – ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and top ICC Test ranking.

Now, let's switch over the discussion to the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League. After half the tournament is over, what are the key takeaways?

The first takeaway is that Gambhir, Yuvraj and Raina now don't have anything to offer and their prospects for national duty are now zilch.&nbsp

Second is that Ambati Rayadu can be a suitable option for number four position in India's One Day International squad.

The third is that youngsters like Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill are good future prospects.

But the most important takeaway from IPL-2018 so far is that MS Dhoni is still a force to reckon with.

Those who were sceptical about credentials and about his place in the Indian playing eleven must have changed their opinion.

Over the past 12-13 years, apart from being a mercurial captain, Dhoni has been one of the finest finishers of the game of all times.&nbsp

During an outstanding career, Dhoni created a sort of cult around him. His memorable six over the long-on that finished the final of 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup remains one of the defining moments of Indian cricket.

MSD is a man of strong conviction. When he announced his retirement from Test in early 2015, it was surprising. When India crashed out of 2015 Cricket World Cup, many believe that it is perhaps the end of Dhoni as well. But Dhoni had other ideas. He very well knows his strengths.

Of late during the past couple of years, fraternity started believing that Dhoni magic was waning. His finishing touch had lost and he was taking so many balls to get off the block. This is typical Dhoni's template.

He would cautiously take the innings to the end and then he would provide the massive final blow to seal things. In recent months though, this style of Dhoni failed at few occasions and fans were frowning.

But this IPL, it is a rejuvenated Dhoni. The typical Mahi mojo is back, with a bang. He is finishing the match for his side and the main difference is that he has seemed to have regained the knack of getting off the block without wasting many deliveries.

As ICC World Cup is around 13 months away, the new Dhoni is refreshing news for Indian cricket and he can again play a role of wonderful finisher down the order to the batting line-up, which has likes of Kohli and Rohit Sharma at the top.

Dhoni still has the lot to deliver for Indian cricket. Come 2019, maybe Dhoni will once again prove my friend correct and he play a vital role in bringing yet another proud moment for the Indian fans.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

As ICC World Cup is around 13 months away, the new Dhoni is refreshing news for Indian cricket and he can again play a role of wonderful finisher down the order to the batting line-up

Twenty third March 2007 is one of the most forgettable days for the Indian Cricket. On this day India lost out to Sri Lanka in 2007 World Cup and crashed out of tournament even before going into last eight. But I always remember this day in regard to MS Dhoni. Dejected and down, I was discussing the match with my cricket freak friend. "Will we ever see another 25th June 1983 in our lifetime?" I asked. My friend quipped, out of nowhere "Rest assured, Dhoni will bring many such moments for you in days to come." No doubt that even by March 2007, MSD had proved his credentials but still comment of my friend was bit intriguing because during that match against Sri Lanka, Dhoni was out for a first ball duck and was at the centre of anger of fans. Dhoni took just six months to vindicate my friend when under his captaincy India won T-20 World Cup in September 2007. The same Ranchi crowd who pelted his house six months back after the World Cup debacle was garlanding him. In next six years, Dhoni achieved everything which he could have dreamt – ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC Champions Trophy and top ICC Test ranking. Now, let's switch over the discussion to the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League. After half the tournament is over, what are the key takeaways? The first takeaway is that Gambhir, Yuvraj and Raina now don't have anything to offer and their prospects for national duty are now zilch. Second is that Ambati Rayadu can be a suitable option for number four position in India's One Day International squad. The third is that youngsters like Prithvi Shaw and Shubman Gill are good future prospects. But the most important takeaway from IPL-2018 so far is that MS Dhoni is still a force to reckon with. Those who were sceptical about credentials and about his place in the Indian playing eleven must have changed their opinion. Over the past 12-13 years, apart from being a mercurial captain, Dhoni has been one of the finest finishers of the game of all times. During an outstanding career, Dhoni created a sort of cult around him. His memorable six over the long-on that finished the final of 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup remains one of the defining moments of Indian cricket. MSD is a man of strong conviction. When he announced his retirement from Test in early 2015, it was surprising. When India crashed out of 2015 Cricket World Cup, many believe that it is perhaps the end of Dhoni as well. But Dhoni had other ideas. He very well knows his strengths. Of late during the past couple of years, fraternity started believing that Dhoni magic was waning. His finishing touch had lost and he was taking so many balls to get off the block. This is typical Dhoni's template. He would cautiously take the innings to the end and then he would provide the massive final blow to seal things. In recent months though, this style of Dhoni failed at few occasions and fans were frowning. But this IPL, it is a rejuvenated Dhoni. The typical Mahi mojo is back, with a bang. He is finishing the match for his side and the main difference is that he has seemed to have regained the knack of getting off the block without wasting many deliveries. As ICC World Cup is around 13 months away, the new Dhoni is refreshing news for Indian cricket and he can again play a role of wonderful finisher down the order to the batting line-up, which has likes of Kohli and Rohit Sharma at the top. Dhoni still has the lot to deliver for Indian cricket. Come 2019, maybe Dhoni will once again prove my friend correct and he play a vital role in bringing yet another proud moment for the Indian fans. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: MS Dhoni's return to form is major takeaway from IPL 2018

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

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

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

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

In the 33rd match of the IPL 2018, Kolkata won the toss and asked Chennai to bat first at the Eden Gardens.&nbsp;

Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis opened for Chennai and scored with the run rate of over 9 per over.&nbsp;

Kolkata bowlers could not get a breakthrough in the initial overs and the batsmen did not face much resistance from the bowlers.

Chennai ended the innings scoring 177 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Dhoni contributed a significant 43 runs.

Speaking after the toss, Karthik said, "We would like to bowl first. The way we have been chasing decently and we back that. It's important to be aware of your strengths and try to keep playing to that."

"I think we have been playing well both in terms of batting and bowling. One change for us. Nitish Rana is out and Rinku Singh is in," he added.

When Asked Dhoni about his strategy for today, he said, "We wanted to bowl first as well. The wicket has been so good that the outfield seems a bit smaller."

"Otherwise, it has been a good venue. Need to improve on our death bowling, what's important for us is to bowl according to our field. That's the only concern for us. Same squad for us," he added.&nbsp;

Teams:

Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif

Their first encounter was won by the MS Dhoni-led side.

In the 33rd match of the IPL 2018, Kolkata won the toss and asked Chennai to bat first at the Eden Gardens. Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis opened for Chennai and scored with the run rate of over 9 per over. Kolkata bowlers could not get a breakthrough in the initial overs and the batsmen did not face much resistance from the bowlers. Chennai ended the innings scoring 177 runs for the loss of 5 wickets. Dhoni contributed a significant 43 runs. Speaking after the toss, Karthik said, "We would like to bowl first. The way we have been chasing decently and we back that. It's important to be aware of your strengths and try to keep playing to that." "I think we have been playing well both in terms of batting and bowling. One change for us. Nitish Rana is out and Rinku Singh is in," he added. When Asked Dhoni about his strategy for today, he said, "We wanted to bowl first as well. The wicket has been so good that the outfield seems a bit smaller." "Otherwise, it has been a good venue. Need to improve on our death bowling, what's important for us is to bowl according to our field. That's the only concern for us. Same squad for us," he added. Teams: Kolkata (Playing XI): Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Karn Sharma, Harbhajan Singh, Lungi Ngidi, KM Asif

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni makes 43* off 25 as Chennai post 177 against Kolkata

Chennai is currently leading the eight-team table with 12 points from six wins out of eight games.

The Chennai skipper MS Dhoni has turned back the clock with his last three innings, two of them half centuries, adding to the fine run of imposing all-rounder Shane Watson.

The former 'Cool Captain of India'&nbsp;was currently seen spending time and clicking pictures with the ground staff on the International Worker's Day, yesterday.&nbsp;

The franchise's official Twitter handle uploaded few pictures of the staff members with Dhoni.

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A super happy <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/InternationalWorkersDay?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#InternationalWorkersDay</a> to each and everyone who contributes to the welfare of the good game. A big shout out to the ground staff in Chepauk and Pune! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/whistlepodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#whistlepodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Yellove?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Yellove</a> ?? <a href="https://t.co/8AeQpQa0ru">pic.twitter.com/8AeQpQa0ru</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/991258784306675717?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Following it, tweets gushed in from fans praising their favourite player.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://t.co/vNvMeeVzcW">pic.twitter.com/vNvMeeVzcW</a>
— Sujeet Raj (@imsujeetraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/imsujeetraj/status/991309126306217984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://t.co/wE4x44PHoz">pic.twitter.com/wE4x44PHoz</a>
— Sujeet Raj (@imsujeetraj) <a href="https://twitter.com/imsujeetraj/status/991309346775576577?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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every fans love dhoni and dhoni love's his fans
— jugant tripathi (@BKategi) <a href="https://twitter.com/BKategi/status/991259865908695041?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Master cricketer in CSK
— @shisingh ❤ (@ashisingh_3) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashisingh_3/status/991259101232447488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Dhoni Bhai apko Mera salute
— Soubhagya Biswal (@Soubhag96656540) <a href="https://twitter.com/Soubhag96656540/status/991625895088566272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Chennai will lock horn with Kolkata at the Eden Garden today..&nbsp;&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Dhoni is currently averaging 71.50 with three half-centuries

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

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

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

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

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

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

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