After skipper Rohit Sharma decided to sit out from the Super Four dead rubber clash against Afghanistan on Tuesday, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was handed over the captaincy duties for the Men in Blue.&nbsp;

The wicketkeeper-batsman, who is known for his cool and calm demeanour on the field, once again lost his cool and snapped at Kuldeep Yadav during Afghanistan’s innings.

In the middle of the match, the chinaman asked MS Dhoni for a field change in his over. But despite repeated instances from the 23-year-old, the skipper refused to make the alterations and asked Yadav to carry on with his bowling.&nbsp;

When Yadav continued to argue, Dhoni snapped back at the bowler saying, “Bowling karega ya bowler change karein? (Will you bowl or should we change the bowler?).”&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
That's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dhoni</a> during <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvAFG?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvAFG</a> 
"Bowling karega ya bowler change karein" <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MSDhoni?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MSDhoni</a> to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KuldeepYadav?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KuldeepYadav</a> when he insisted for a field change <a href="https://t.co/gQHFkBH9jB">pic.twitter.com/gQHFkBH9jB</a>
— Manoj Gupta (@PassionForNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/PassionForNews/status/1044840868283387905?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Hearing Dhoni’s words, Kuldeep immediately went silent and stepped back to carry on the attack.

This was not the first time Kuldeep got to hear stern words from Dhoni.

Meanwhile, India, who are already in the finals, lost their way after the 110-run opening stand between Ambati Rayudu and KL Rahul. They were bowled out for 252, ending the match in a tie.

After skipper Rohit Sharma decided to sit out from the Super Four dead rubber clash against Afghanistan on Tuesday, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was handed over the captaincy duties for the Men in Blue.

After skipper Rohit Sharma decided to sit out from the Super Four dead rubber clash against Afghanistan on Tuesday, former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was handed over the captaincy duties for the Men in Blue. The wicketkeeper-batsman, who is known for his cool and calm demeanour on the field, once again lost his cool and snapped at Kuldeep Yadav during Afghanistan’s innings. In the middle of the match, the chinaman asked MS Dhoni for a field change in his over. But despite repeated instances from the 23-year-old, the skipper refused to make the alterations and asked Yadav to carry on with his bowling. When Yadav continued to argue, Dhoni snapped back at the bowler saying, “Bowling karega ya bowler change karein? (Will you bowl or should we change the bowler?).” That's #Dhoni during #INDvAFG "Bowling karega ya bowler change karein" #MSDhoni to #KuldeepYadav when he insisted for a field change pic.twitter.com/gQHFkBH9jB — Manoj Gupta (@PassionForNews) September 26, 2018 × Hearing Dhoni’s words, Kuldeep immediately went silent and stepped back to carry on the attack. This was not the first time Kuldeep got to hear stern words from Dhoni. Meanwhile, India, who are already in the finals, lost their way after the 110-run opening stand between Ambati Rayudu and KL Rahul. They were bowled out for 252, ending the match in a tie.

Watch: MS Dhoni loses his cool on Kuldeep Yadav during India-Afghanistan game 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comeback as captain, just for a game, ended in a thrilling tie against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup 2018 Super Four match at on Tuesday.&nbsp;

Apart from the excellent cricketing skills, the match also saw some umpiring blunders.&nbsp;

Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik were given leg before by the on-field umpires -- Gregory Brathwaite of West Indies and Anisur Rahaman of Bangladesh -- even though TV replays clearly indicated that the ball was missing the stumps in both the cases.

Taking a dig at umpiring errors, Dhoni said, "There were a couple of run-outs, and a few things we can't talk about because I don't want to get fined for it."

Any public criticism of umpiring decisions invites sanctions from the ICC and Dhoni chose his words very carefully.

Dhoni was dismissed by part-time off-spinner Javed Ahmadi and the delivery seemed to have gone over stumps while Karthik's dismissal of Mohammed Nabi was bigger blunder as the ball missed the leg stump by a couple of feet.&nbsp;

India were set a target of 253 and the match ended in a tie after the team was bowled out for 252.

When asked about India's below-par performance, the wicketkeeper said, the team was not playing their full-strength side that also needs to be factored in.

"I wouldn't say we went wrong in the chase. To start off, it was like a handicap in golf. We didn't go with a full-strength side. Not enough spinners on this wicket. The first over that a fast bowler bowls, they need to extract swing. We didn't hit the back of a length area, and we gave away too much initially with the ball."

Dhoni was asked to lead the team, after Rohit Sharma and other players were given a game's rest. &nbsp;It was his 200th ODI game as captain of Indian Cricket team.&nbsp;

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comeback as captain, just for a game, ended in a thrilling tie against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup 2018 Super Four match at on Tuesday. Apart from the excellent cricketing skills, the match also saw some umpiring blunders.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comeback as captain, just for a game, ended in a thrilling tie against Afghanistan in their Asia Cup 2018 Super Four match at on Tuesday. Apart from the excellent cricketing skills, the match also saw some umpiring blunders. Dhoni and Dinesh Karthik were given leg before by the on-field umpires -- Gregory Brathwaite of West Indies and Anisur Rahaman of Bangladesh -- even though TV replays clearly indicated that the ball was missing the stumps in both the cases. Taking a dig at umpiring errors, Dhoni said, "There were a couple of run-outs, and a few things we can't talk about because I don't want to get fined for it." Any public criticism of umpiring decisions invites sanctions from the ICC and Dhoni chose his words very carefully. Dhoni was dismissed by part-time off-spinner Javed Ahmadi and the delivery seemed to have gone over stumps while Karthik's dismissal of Mohammed Nabi was bigger blunder as the ball missed the leg stump by a couple of feet. India were set a target of 253 and the match ended in a tie after the team was bowled out for 252. When asked about India's below-par performance, the wicketkeeper said, the team was not playing their full-strength side that also needs to be factored in. "I wouldn't say we went wrong in the chase. To start off, it was like a handicap in golf. We didn't go with a full-strength side. Not enough spinners on this wicket. The first over that a fast bowler bowls, they need to extract swing. We didn't hit the back of a length area, and we gave away too much initially with the ball." Dhoni was asked to lead the team, after Rohit Sharma and other players were given a game's rest. It was his 200th ODI game as captain of Indian Cricket team.

'Don't want to be fined': Dhoni on umpiring errors during India-Afghanistan game 

Mohammad Shahzad's brilliant century and Mohammad Nabi's perfect cameo powered Afghanistan to a total of 252 for the loss of eight wickets against India on Tuesday.

Electing to bat, Afghan's Shahzad was the sole player on whom the team was dependent&nbsp;before nabi took the driver's seat.&nbsp;

The opener was in action from the very first ball and played magnificently against the Indian bowling attack to slam 124 runs.

Dropped at 49 by Ambati Rayudu, Shahzad slammed 11 boundaries and 7 huge sixes in his 116-ball inning, which was finally ended by Kedhar Jadhav. &nbsp;

Afghans could have put a high target if Shahzad would have found an ally in the downline. Apart from him no other player, till Nabi arrived, could stand the Indian attack and were dismissed in quick successions.

Nabi's 56-ball 64 runs cameo was supported with three boundaries and four sixes. He played at a strike rate of 114.29, much better than what Shahzad's had today. &nbsp;

Khaleel Ahmed was the man who took Nabi's wicket to restrict Afghanistan's score.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took two and three wickets, respectively, to keep Afghanistan in control. &nbsp; &nbsp;

India, who is being captained by MS Dhoni, will have to display a better class of batting to win the game.&nbsp;

Even if India lose, they will still be playing the Asi Cup final, after they registered a comfortable victory against Bangladesh and Pakistan earlier to book a spot. &nbsp;&nbsp;

Mohammad Shahzad's brilliant century and Mohammad Nabi's perfect cameo powered Afghanistan to a total of 252 for the loss of eight wickets against India on Tuesday.

Mohammad Shahzad's brilliant century and Mohammad Nabi's perfect cameo powered Afghanistan to a total of 252 for the loss of eight wickets against India on Tuesday. Electing to bat, Afghan's Shahzad was the sole player on whom the team was dependent before nabi took the driver's seat. The opener was in action from the very first ball and played magnificently against the Indian bowling attack to slam 124 runs. Dropped at 49 by Ambati Rayudu, Shahzad slammed 11 boundaries and 7 huge sixes in his 116-ball inning, which was finally ended by Kedhar Jadhav. Afghans could have put a high target if Shahzad would have found an ally in the downline. Apart from him no other player, till Nabi arrived, could stand the Indian attack and were dismissed in quick successions. Nabi's 56-ball 64 runs cameo was supported with three boundaries and four sixes. He played at a strike rate of 114.29, much better than what Shahzad's had today. Khaleel Ahmed was the man who took Nabi's wicket to restrict Afghanistan's score. Meanwhile, Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja took two and three wickets, respectively, to keep Afghanistan in control. India, who is being captained by MS Dhoni, will have to display a better class of batting to win the game. Even if India lose, they will still be playing the Asi Cup final, after they registered a comfortable victory against Bangladesh and Pakistan earlier to book a spot.

Asia Cup: Shahzad's superlative century powers Afghanistan to 252

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday captained India for the 200th time in One-day Internationals (ODIs) after a gap of almost two years in their Asia Cup 2018 Super Four clash against Afghanistan.&nbsp;

As expected, the defending champions opted to rest key players like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, giving Dhoni a chance to lead the Men In Blue.&nbsp;

The wicketkeeper-batsman relinquished the captaincy of India's T20 and ODI sides in January 2017.

On Tuesday, Afghanistan had won the toss and elected to bat against India.

Speaking after the toss, MS Dhoni said this match gave him the opportunity to play it his 200th ODI match as a captain. "I was not really sure of where I am standing. I have captained 199 ODIs, so this gives me an opportunity to make it 200. It's all destiny and I always believed in that. It's not in my control, once I left captaincy. Good to complete 200, but I don't think it really matters," he said.

Dhoni also revealed that India were also looking to bowl first. "We were looking to bowl first. Quite a few changes. Both the openers are missing, Bhuvi, Bumrah and Chahal are also missing. Everybody who hadn't played in this tournament gets a chance."

&nbsp;They are part of the 15 and are representing India. We'll have to keep the intensity up. It is important for them to adjust to the line and length they need to bowl," he added.

India are already in final after wins over Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday captained India for the 200th time in One-day Internationals (ODIs) after a gap of almost two years in their Asia Cup 2018 Super Four clash against Afghanistan.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday captained India for the 200th time in One-day Internationals (ODIs) after a gap of almost two years in their Asia Cup 2018 Super Four clash against Afghanistan. As expected, the defending champions opted to rest key players like Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah, giving Dhoni a chance to lead the Men In Blue. The wicketkeeper-batsman relinquished the captaincy of India's T20 and ODI sides in January 2017. On Tuesday, Afghanistan had won the toss and elected to bat against India. Speaking after the toss, MS Dhoni said this match gave him the opportunity to play it his 200th ODI match as a captain. "I was not really sure of where I am standing. I have captained 199 ODIs, so this gives me an opportunity to make it 200. It's all destiny and I always believed in that. It's not in my control, once I left captaincy. Good to complete 200, but I don't think it really matters," he said. Dhoni also revealed that India were also looking to bowl first. "We were looking to bowl first. Quite a few changes. Both the openers are missing, Bhuvi, Bumrah and Chahal are also missing. Everybody who hadn't played in this tournament gets a chance." They are part of the 15 and are representing India. We'll have to keep the intensity up. It is important for them to adjust to the line and length they need to bowl," he added. India are already in final after wins over Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Asia Cup: MS Dhoni returns as India's captain against Afghanistan 

It wasn’t easy being Dinesh Karthik in an era where Mahendra Singh Dhoni redefined the role of a keeper-batsman.

Having last played a Test match way back in 2010, Karthik, during all these years of soul searching, was honest in his analysis as to why he didn’t get a chance to wear the white flannels — “he was not good enough in presence of a special player like Dhoni”.

“Look, I think I wasn’t good enough, rather I was not consistent enough. That was a highly competitive environment and there was someone called MS Dhoni breathing down my neck, which caused a lot of stir in world cricket at that point of time. He went on to become one of the greatest captains India has ever produced,” Karthik said ahead of his comeback Test against Afghanistan.

Karthik, who came in as a replacement to injured Wriddhiman Saha, has not played 87 Tests since he played the last of his 23 Tests against Bangladesh in 2010.

In fact, a statistician will reveal the plight of the keepers during ‘Dhoni era’. Karthik’s 87 Test match gap is an Indian record but then the earlier record was held by Parthiv Patel, who made a comeback after 83 Test matches and eight year hiatus from the longest format.

“So, I didn’t lose my place to some normal cricketer he (Dhoni) was special. I respect him for that. At that stage, I could not produce enough performance to hold on to my side. I need to be honest with myself. Now, I have another opportunity and I guess, I will try my best,” the Chennai stumper said in an honest assessment.

If Dhoni kept him out of Test squad till 2014, the next four years saw emergence of Wriddhiman Saha as one of India’s most technically accomplished wicketkeepers.

While Saha’s injury has opened the door for Karthik, he wouldn’t like to over-burden himself by thinking how he could hold onto his place.

“If you go deep into the question on what I should do to keep out someone else, then you are taking energy away from the fact that you are competing with somebody (Afghanistan). That puts extra pressure to what already is there,” Karthik said.

“What I am trying to do — as cliched as it may sound — is trying to be the best cricketer that I can be, not on the field but also off the field. I am trying to be consistent there, even if I don’t get an opportunity. Even if I don’t play the sport at the highest level, I want to be content with the fact that I have given everything I had — both on and off the field,” he said.

“If I go into your question and start thinking about that aspect, then it will be subjective — I need to score this, I need to score that. I don’t want to keep it that way. I want to keep it in a way which is try and prepare as much as I can. And given a chance, try and deliver. I am keeping my whole process that way.”

The dashing keeper-batsman also feels that playing Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu kept him on his toes as the team was playing Ranji Trophy knock-outs almost every two years.

“I enjoyed playing the Ranji Trophy. It is a totally different challenge. There are not many people coming and watch you play, yet we play the sport because we enjoy playing it. I am lucky that way because I have always done that subconsciously. I have enjoyed being a part of Tamil Nadu team. Credit to them (TN Ranji side) as well for having put up with me over the tough years. I am really indebted to them. It is very easy to fade away but for Tamil Nadu to constantly competing in Ranji Trophy, that was challenge. Every alternate year, we put up performances. We were consistent. Every two years we would hit the knockouts and go to semis or final,” he said.

As a senior, Karthik was expected to perform and he has done that with aplomb over the years.

“As senior players, they (TNCA) expect you to perform well. I am happy to do that for the team. Along the way, if I have been able to help young guys, then it’s great. At the end of the day, I was happy to play for a team like Tamil Nadu which has backed me all these years. Today, I am really happy that I am sitting here.”

Karthik came in as a replacement to injured Wriddhiman Saha

It wasn’t easy being Dinesh Karthik in an era where Mahendra Singh Dhoni redefined the role of a keeper-batsman. Having last played a Test match way back in 2010, Karthik, during all these years of soul searching, was honest in his analysis as to why he didn’t get a chance to wear the white flannels — “he was not good enough in presence of a special player like Dhoni”. “Look, I think I wasn’t good enough, rather I was not consistent enough. That was a highly competitive environment and there was someone called MS Dhoni breathing down my neck, which caused a lot of stir in world cricket at that point of time. He went on to become one of the greatest captains India has ever produced,” Karthik said ahead of his comeback Test against Afghanistan. Karthik, who came in as a replacement to injured Wriddhiman Saha, has not played 87 Tests since he played the last of his 23 Tests against Bangladesh in 2010. In fact, a statistician will reveal the plight of the keepers during ‘Dhoni era’. Karthik’s 87 Test match gap is an Indian record but then the earlier record was held by Parthiv Patel, who made a comeback after 83 Test matches and eight year hiatus from the longest format. “So, I didn’t lose my place to some normal cricketer he (Dhoni) was special. I respect him for that. At that stage, I could not produce enough performance to hold on to my side. I need to be honest with myself. Now, I have another opportunity and I guess, I will try my best,” the Chennai stumper said in an honest assessment. If Dhoni kept him out of Test squad till 2014, the next four years saw emergence of Wriddhiman Saha as one of India’s most technically accomplished wicketkeepers. While Saha’s injury has opened the door for Karthik, he wouldn’t like to over-burden himself by thinking how he could hold onto his place. “If you go deep into the question on what I should do to keep out someone else, then you are taking energy away from the fact that you are competing with somebody (Afghanistan). That puts extra pressure to what already is there,” Karthik said. “What I am trying to do — as cliched as it may sound — is trying to be the best cricketer that I can be, not on the field but also off the field. I am trying to be consistent there, even if I don’t get an opportunity. Even if I don’t play the sport at the highest level, I want to be content with the fact that I have given everything I had — both on and off the field,” he said. “If I go into your question and start thinking about that aspect, then it will be subjective — I need to score this, I need to score that. I don’t want to keep it that way. I want to keep it in a way which is try and prepare as much as I can. And given a chance, try and deliver. I am keeping my whole process that way.” The dashing keeper-batsman also feels that playing Ranji Trophy for Tamil Nadu kept him on his toes as the team was playing Ranji Trophy knock-outs almost every two years. “I enjoyed playing the Ranji Trophy. It is a totally different challenge. There are not many people coming and watch you play, yet we play the sport because we enjoy playing it. I am lucky that way because I have always done that subconsciously. I have enjoyed being a part of Tamil Nadu team. Credit to them (TN Ranji side) as well for having put up with me over the tough years. I am really indebted to them. It is very easy to fade away but for Tamil Nadu to constantly competing in Ranji Trophy, that was challenge. Every alternate year, we put up performances. We were consistent. Every two years we would hit the knockouts and go to semis or final,” he said. As a senior, Karthik was expected to perform and he has done that with aplomb over the years. “As senior players, they (TNCA) expect you to perform well. I am happy to do that for the team. Along the way, if I have been able to help young guys, then it’s great. At the end of the day, I was happy to play for a team like Tamil Nadu which has backed me all these years. Today, I am really happy that I am sitting here.”

'I didn’t lose my place to a normal cricketer, it was MS Dhoni': Dinesh Karthik

No India cricket match actually begins till he blows his conch. No Indian century celebration is complete without him waving the tricolour incessantly.

Yes, we are talking about Indian Cricket team and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's biggest fan Sudhir Kumar Gautam.

His life revolves around the cricket stadiums and the Indian cricket team players.

The love is not one sided. Even the players respect his love for the game and leave no occasion to award him for his dedication in their own way.&nbsp;

Likewise, the 'super fan' Gautam was invited by the former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at his farmhouse for lunch.&nbsp;

A jubilant Gautam shared pictures with captain cool and his family on his Twitter.

“Special Day with Captain Cool @msdhoni, Super Lunch with Super Family at Farm House. Words can’t describe the moments spent. Thank You MS Dhoni and Sakshi Di @SaakshiSRawat. Captain Relaxed after winning #IPL2018 @ChennaiIPL,” he tweeted.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Special Day with Captain Cool <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a>, Super Lunch with Super Family at Farm House. Words can't describe the moments spent. Thank You MS Dhoni and Sakshi Di <a href="https://twitter.com/SaakshiSRawat?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaakshiSRawat</a>. Captain Relaxed after winning <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a>. <a href="https://t.co/qZHjGm9KCR">pic.twitter.com/qZHjGm9KCR</a>
— Sudhir Kumar Gautam (@Sudhir10dulkar) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sudhir10dulkar/status/1002512187493998593?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Dhoni is currently back in his hometown Ranchi after leading the Chennai to IPL success.&nbsp;

He will be back on the pitch when India take on Ireland in a two-match T20I series which would be followed by the tour of England for three T20Is, five ODIs and five Tests.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Sudhir Kumar Gautam is the fan famous for painting himself in the colours of the Indian flag. He was called for lunch to Dhoni's farmhouse in Ranchi

No India cricket match actually begins till he blows his conch. No Indian century celebration is complete without him waving the tricolour incessantly. Yes, we are talking about Indian Cricket team and cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's biggest fan Sudhir Kumar Gautam. His life revolves around the cricket stadiums and the Indian cricket team players. The love is not one sided. Even the players respect his love for the game and leave no occasion to award him for his dedication in their own way. Likewise, the 'super fan' Gautam was invited by the former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni at his farmhouse for lunch. A jubilant Gautam shared pictures with captain cool and his family on his Twitter. “Special Day with Captain Cool @msdhoni, Super Lunch with Super Family at Farm House. Words can’t describe the moments spent. Thank You MS Dhoni and Sakshi Di @SaakshiSRawat. Captain Relaxed after winning #IPL2018 @ChennaiIPL,” he tweeted. Special Day with Captain Cool @msdhoni, Super Lunch with Super Family at Farm House. Words can't describe the moments spent. Thank You MS Dhoni and Sakshi Di @SaakshiSRawat. Captain Relaxed after winning #IPL2018 @ChennaiIPL. pic.twitter.com/qZHjGm9KCR — Sudhir Kumar Gautam (@Sudhir10dulkar) June 1, 2018 × Dhoni is currently back in his hometown Ranchi after leading the Chennai to IPL success. He will be back on the pitch when India take on Ireland in a two-match T20I series which would be followed by the tour of England for three T20Is, five ODIs and five Tests.

In pictures: MS Dhoni invites 'super fan' of Indian cricket home for lunch

MS Dhoni-led Chennai have clinched the title or the third time after defeating Hyderabad by 8 wickets at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai on Sunday.

The victory has become emotional as Chennai marked a return after serving a two-year ban and produced a stunning performance to clinch the trophy with a successful run.&nbsp;

With skipper Dhoni leading from the front, the entire Chennai team has contributed in various occasions to inspire the team towards the victory.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Champ18ns?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Champ18ns</a> ?? <a href="https://t.co/5D8DVIipAU">pic.twitter.com/5D8DVIipAU</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1000789950101471232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis have always given a required start to the team and the middle order batting was solidified by Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja.&nbsp;

Even in the final match against&nbsp;Hyderabad, Shane Watson slammed a century and scored 117 runs off just 57 balls to achieve the target.

The bowling unit has also done their job well throughout the tournament and has taken wickets whenever required.

Watch the video: Chennai team celebrates with the trophy:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Everywhere we go! We are the Chennai Boys and we are the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperChampions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperChampions</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://t.co/iVqQnMeXAi">pic.twitter.com/iVqQnMeXAi</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1000803071058788353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> for the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperChampions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperChampions</a>! <a href="https://t.co/C31h1u2yoh">pic.twitter.com/C31h1u2yoh</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1000802881161777152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

The victory has become more emotional as Chennai marked a return after serving a two-year ban

MS Dhoni-led Chennai have clinched the title or the third time after defeating Hyderabad by 8 wickets at Wankhede stadium, Mumbai on Sunday. The victory has become emotional as Chennai marked a return after serving a two-year ban and produced a stunning performance to clinch the trophy with a successful run. With skipper Dhoni leading from the front, the entire Chennai team has contributed in various occasions to inspire the team towards the victory. #WhistlePodu #Champ18ns ?? pic.twitter.com/5D8DVIipAU — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 27, 2018 × Openers Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis have always given a required start to the team and the middle order batting was solidified by Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Bravo, and all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. Even in the final match against Hyderabad, Shane Watson slammed a century and scored 117 runs off just 57 balls to achieve the target. The bowling unit has also done their job well throughout the tournament and has taken wickets whenever required. Watch the video: Chennai team celebrates with the trophy: Everywhere we go! We are the Chennai Boys and we are the #SuperChampions! #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/iVqQnMeXAi — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 27, 2018 × #WhistlePodu for the #SuperChampions! pic.twitter.com/C31h1u2yoh — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 27, 2018 ×

Watch: Chennai teammates celebrate with trophy after winning 11th edition of IPL

MS Dhoni-led Chennai won the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League for the third time after defeating Hyderabad by 8 wickets at Wankhede stadium.

The victory became emotional as Chennai won the title after serving a two-year ban. The team produced a stunning performance throughout the season to lift the trophy.

With skipper Dhoni leading from the front, the entire Chennai team contributed on various occasions to inspire the team towards victory.

MS Dhoni thanked fans and followers for their love and support. He shared a picture with wife Sakshi Dhoni and daughter Ziva with the caption, "Thanks everyone for the support and Mumbai for turning yellow."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjSyjBfnmma/" data-instgrm-version="8" style=" background:#FFF border:0 border-radius:3px box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15) margin: 1px max-width:658px padding:0 width:99.375% width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px) width:calc(100% - 2px)">
<div style="padding:8px">
<div style=" background:#F8F8F8 line-height:0 margin-top:40px padding:50.0% 0 text-align:center width:100%">
<div style=" background:url(data:image/pngbase64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC) display:block height:44px margin:0 auto -44px position:relative top:-22px width:44px">&nbsp;</div>
</div>

<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjSyjBfnmma/" 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">Thanks everyone for the support and Mumbai for turning yellow.Shane ‘shocking’ Watson played a shocking innings to get us through.end of a good season.Ziva doesn’t care about the trophy, wants to run on the lawn according to her wordings.</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px margin-bottom:0 margin-top:8px overflow:hidden padding:8px 0 7px text-align:center text-overflow:ellipsis white-space:nowrap">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mahi7781/" style=" color:#c9c8cd font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px font-style:normal font-weight:normal line-height:17px" target="_blank"> M S Dhoni</a> (@mahi7781) on <time datetime="2018-05-27T20:03:03+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif font-size:14px line-height:17px">May 27, 2018 at 1:03pm PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
<script async defer src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

He also hailed Shane Watson's 117-run knock and said, "Shane 'shocking' Watson played a shocking innings to get us through. End of a good season."

Dhoni also mentioned the secret plan of Ziva as she was not interested in being clicked and wanted to run on the lawn instead.

"Ziva doesn’t care about the trophy, wants to run on the lawn according to her wordings, said Dhoni."

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Everywhere we go! We are the Chennai Boys and we are the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperChampions?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperChampions</a>! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WhistlePodu?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WhistlePodu</a> <a href="https://t.co/iVqQnMeXAi">pic.twitter.com/iVqQnMeXAi</a>
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL/status/1000803071058788353?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

&nbsp;

MS Dhoni hailed Shane Watson's 117-run knock and said, 'Shane 'shocking' Watson played a shocking innings to get us through'

MS Dhoni-led Chennai won the eleventh edition of Indian Premier League for the third time after defeating Hyderabad by 8 wickets at Wankhede stadium. The victory became emotional as Chennai won the title after serving a two-year ban. The team produced a stunning performance throughout the season to lift the trophy. With skipper Dhoni leading from the front, the entire Chennai team contributed on various occasions to inspire the team towards victory. MS Dhoni thanked fans and followers for their love and support. He shared a picture with wife Sakshi Dhoni and daughter Ziva with the caption, "Thanks everyone for the support and Mumbai for turning yellow." Thanks everyone for the support and Mumbai for turning yellow.Shane ‘shocking’ Watson played a shocking innings to get us through.end of a good season.Ziva doesn’t care about the trophy, wants to run on the lawn according to her wordings. A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) on May 27, 2018 at 1:03pm PDT × He also hailed Shane Watson's 117-run knock and said, "Shane 'shocking' Watson played a shocking innings to get us through. End of a good season." Dhoni also mentioned the secret plan of Ziva as she was not interested in being clicked and wanted to run on the lawn instead. "Ziva doesn’t care about the trophy, wants to run on the lawn according to her wordings, said Dhoni." Everywhere we go! We are the Chennai Boys and we are the #SuperChampions! #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/iVqQnMeXAi — Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) May 27, 2018 ×

IPL: Chennai captain Dhoni acknowledges fan support, wife Sakshi & Ziva celebrate

Opener Shane Watson's unbeaten ton helps Chennai lift third Indian Premier League title (IPL) as they defeated Hyderabad by eight wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday.

While chasing 179 runs target, Watson played a superb knock and smashed 117 runs in 57 balls, which includes seven fours and eight sixes.&nbsp;

With this century, Watson became the second batsman in IPL history to score a century in a final.

Hyderabad had almost lost the game after Watson slammed 26 runs in five legal deliveries off Sandeep Sharma, including three sixes on the trot.&nbsp;

Chennai achieved the target in just 18.3 overs with eight wickets in hand and nine deliveries to spare.

Opting to chase after winning the toss, Chennai were in a spot of bother early on as openers Watson and Faf du Plessis began on a slow note, scoring just 20 runs off the first five overs.&nbsp;

However, Watson along with Suresh Raina took the team out of the crises.

Earlier, Hyderabad scored a decent 178 for six against the 'Yellow Brigade'.

Skipper Kane Williamson left behind his poor form and played a captain's knock to settle the team.&nbsp;

Unlike other games, Kane took few balls to settle and then went for big shots. He made 47 runs in 36 balls which included five fours and two sixes.&nbsp;

He fell just three runs short to reach his 9th IPL half-century and gave away his wicket to Karn Sharma.&nbsp;

Later it was Yusuf Pathan and Carlos Brathwaite's cameos which helped Hyderabad cross the 150 runs mark. Pathan remained unbeaten and made 45 runs in just 25 balls. His inning included four boundaries and two sixes.

Brathwaite, on the other hand, smashed three sixes to reach 21 runs in 11 balls.&nbsp;

However, he gave away his wicket on the last ball of Hyderabad's innings while trying to hit another six for the team.&nbsp;

Opener Shikhar Dhawan too contributed 26 runs.

For Chennai, apart from Deepak Chahar, every other bowler took one wicket apiece. While it was Bravo who turned out to be the costliest today, as he gave 46 runs in his four overs.&nbsp;

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to field bowl against Hyderabad.&nbsp;

The two teams faced each other for the fourth time in this year's edition, with all the games being won by Chennai. &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

With this century, Watson became the second batsman in IPL history to score a century in a final.

Opener Shane Watson's unbeaten ton helps Chennai lift third Indian Premier League title (IPL) as they defeated Hyderabad by eight wickets at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. While chasing 179 runs target, Watson played a superb knock and smashed 117 runs in 57 balls, which includes seven fours and eight sixes. With this century, Watson became the second batsman in IPL history to score a century in a final. Hyderabad had almost lost the game after Watson slammed 26 runs in five legal deliveries off Sandeep Sharma, including three sixes on the trot. Chennai achieved the target in just 18.3 overs with eight wickets in hand and nine deliveries to spare. Opting to chase after winning the toss, Chennai were in a spot of bother early on as openers Watson and Faf du Plessis began on a slow note, scoring just 20 runs off the first five overs. However, Watson along with Suresh Raina took the team out of the crises. Earlier, Hyderabad scored a decent 178 for six against the 'Yellow Brigade'. Skipper Kane Williamson left behind his poor form and played a captain's knock to settle the team. Unlike other games, Kane took few balls to settle and then went for big shots. He made 47 runs in 36 balls which included five fours and two sixes. He fell just three runs short to reach his 9th IPL half-century and gave away his wicket to Karn Sharma. Later it was Yusuf Pathan and Carlos Brathwaite's cameos which helped Hyderabad cross the 150 runs mark. Pathan remained unbeaten and made 45 runs in just 25 balls. His inning included four boundaries and two sixes. Brathwaite, on the other hand, smashed three sixes to reach 21 runs in 11 balls. However, he gave away his wicket on the last ball of Hyderabad's innings while trying to hit another six for the team. Opener Shikhar Dhawan too contributed 26 runs. For Chennai, apart from Deepak Chahar, every other bowler took one wicket apiece. While it was Bravo who turned out to be the costliest today, as he gave 46 runs in his four overs. MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to field bowl against Hyderabad. The two teams faced each other for the fourth time in this year's edition, with all the games being won by Chennai.

'Kings' Chennai crowned with 3rd IPL title

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad in the final of the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, at the Wankhede stadium.

The two teams are facing each other for the fourth time in this year's edition. This is Chennai's seventh final in the 11 years of IPL nut they have managed to win only two times.&nbsp;

Speaking after the toss, Dhoni said, "We will bowl first. Looking at our bowling and batting, our batting will have to look to take extra pressure. The journey has been good. It is not something that you can always predict."

"There were challenges thrown at us. We had a core group of players with us but other than that it was a fresh squad. We have one change. Karn Sharma comes in for Harbhajan Singh," he added.

Kane Williamson-led Hyderabad will also be hoping to repeat their 2016 heroics.&nbsp;

Talking about their strategy for today, Kane said,"We would have bowled first as well. It is a fresh wicket. Finals cricket and we will look to do the job. Get a competitive total and then assess the conditions. We are looking forward to the occasion."&nbsp;

"Fairly new franchise squad and all the boys are raring to go. We have two changes. Sandeep Sharma comes in for Khaleel Ahmed. Unfortunately, Saha is injured and Goswami comes in," he added.

Teams

Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

The two teams are facing each other for the fourth time in this year's edition.

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to field against Hyderabad in the final of the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, at the Wankhede stadium. The two teams are facing each other for the fourth time in this year's edition. This is Chennai's seventh final in the 11 years of IPL nut they have managed to win only two times. Speaking after the toss, Dhoni said, "We will bowl first. Looking at our bowling and batting, our batting will have to look to take extra pressure. The journey has been good. It is not something that you can always predict." "There were challenges thrown at us. We had a core group of players with us but other than that it was a fresh squad. We have one change. Karn Sharma comes in for Harbhajan Singh," he added. Kane Williamson-led Hyderabad will also be hoping to repeat their 2016 heroics. Talking about their strategy for today, Kane said,"We would have bowled first as well. It is a fresh wicket. Finals cricket and we will look to do the job. Get a competitive total and then assess the conditions. We are looking forward to the occasion." "Fairly new franchise squad and all the boys are raring to go. We have two changes. Sandeep Sharma comes in for Khaleel Ahmed. Unfortunately, Saha is injured and Goswami comes in," he added. Teams Hyderabad (Playing XI): Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma Chennai (Playing XI): Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

IPL 2018: MS Dhoni wins toss, opts to bowl against Hyderabad in finale

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl against Hyderabad in the final of the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League, at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday.

The two teams are facing each other for the fourth time in this year's edition. This is Chennai's seventh final in the 11 years of IPL nut they have managed to win only two times.&nbsp;

What the skippers say:&nbsp;

Kane Williamson -&nbsp;It is the final clash and the team will look to do the job. Get a competitive total and then assess the conditions. We are looking forward to the occasion.

MS Dhoni -&nbsp;The pressure would be more on the batting side. Also, the winning and losing is not something that you can always predict. The journey has been good.

Pitch report: Wankhede stadium is a batting pitch and a high scoring match is expected. The pitch has too many cracks and it will support the spinners. Don't worry, as there are no chances of rain today at Wankhede.

Team news:

For Hyderabad, there are two changes Sandeep Sharma is back in the squad for the crucial game. Wicketkeeper batsmen Wriddhiman Saha is injured and Shreevats Goswami has filled in.

MS Dhoni has made just one change for tonight's match. Karn Sharma has been included in the squad at the place of Harbhajan Singh.

Confirmed playing XI:

Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma

Chennai: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl against Hyderabad in the final of the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League

MS Dhoni won the toss and opted to bowl against Hyderabad in the final of the eleventh edition of the Indian Premier League, at the Wankhede stadium on Sunday. The two teams are facing each other for the fourth time in this year's edition. This is Chennai's seventh final in the 11 years of IPL nut they have managed to win only two times. What the skippers say: Kane Williamson - It is the final clash and the team will look to do the job. Get a competitive total and then assess the conditions. We are looking forward to the occasion. MS Dhoni - The pressure would be more on the batting side. Also, the winning and losing is not something that you can always predict. The journey has been good. Pitch report: Wankhede stadium is a batting pitch and a high scoring match is expected. The pitch has too many cracks and it will support the spinners. Don't worry, as there are no chances of rain today at Wankhede. Team news: For Hyderabad, there are two changes Sandeep Sharma is back in the squad for the crucial game. Wicketkeeper batsmen Wriddhiman Saha is injured and Shreevats Goswami has filled in. MS Dhoni has made just one change for tonight's match. Karn Sharma has been included in the squad at the place of Harbhajan Singh. Confirmed playing XI: Hyderabad: Shikhar Dhawan, Shreevats Goswami(w), Kane Williamson(c), Shakib Al Hasan, Deepak Hooda, Yusuf Pathan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Siddarth Kaul, Sandeep Sharma Chennai: Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni(w/c), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Deepak Chahar, Karn Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Lungi Ngidi

IPL 2018 Final, Chennai vs Hyderabad | Team news, pitch report, confirmed squad

After all the ups and downs, the two teams which made it to the finale - Chennai and Hyderabad- will put a tough fight to clinch the Indian Premier League 2018 title.&nbsp;

The match will be held at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.&nbsp;

The Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team entered the finale after defeating Hyderabad by two wickets in the Qualifier 1.

Opener Faf du Plessis smashed an unbeaten 67 which was supported by Shadul Thakur's 5-ball-15 runs to take Chennai to the finale.&nbsp;

Thakur's inning came at a crucial time when Chennai needed over 40 runs in the last three overs.&nbsp;

The Kane Williamson team was sent to Kolkata&nbsp;where they defeated Dinesh Karthik side in Qualifier 2 to make it to the final against Chennai.

Interestingly, Chennai and Hyderabad have locked horns three times previously in this season and all the games were won by Dhoni & corp.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
The two Captains - <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> and Kane Williamson pose with the silverware on the eve of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> Final.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/juYi8DOWxx">pic.twitter.com/juYi8DOWxx</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1000421209949941760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

if we talk about the team then, Chennai mostly relies on their batting line which includes, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni.

Watson and Rayudu have been out of form if seen their last few matches.&nbsp; 
But it is time for the boys to make a comeback to help Chennai clinch the title for the third time.&nbsp;

Their bowling attack has improved with Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja swinging wickets in team's favour.&nbsp;

The two-time champions have also found another death over specialist in Lungi Ngidi.&nbsp; So far, Dwayne Bravo has been carrying the responsibility alone on his shoulders for the franchise.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nxCd6rjQut8" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

Hyderabad, on the other hand, returned to winning ways with the support of its bowlers.

Rashid Khan became the star player of the qualifier two after taking three crucial wickets.&nbsp;Siddarth Kaul and Carlos Brathwaite also took two wickets apiece to take Hyderabad to victory side.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, batting mostly relies on opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson.&nbsp;Yusuf Pathan is a capable batsman but has been completely out of form. Its time for him to stand up to his billing and play a knock he is known for.&nbsp;

Apart from them, any player who scores is a surprise gift for the Kane-Williamson side.&nbsp;

With the match promising to be a high-voltage encounter, the winning probability of both the teams remains 50-50. 
&nbsp;

The match will be held at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai.

After all the ups and downs, the two teams which made it to the finale - Chennai and Hyderabad- will put a tough fight to clinch the Indian Premier League 2018 title. The match will be held at the Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team entered the finale after defeating Hyderabad by two wickets in the Qualifier 1. Opener Faf du Plessis smashed an unbeaten 67 which was supported by Shadul Thakur's 5-ball-15 runs to take Chennai to the finale. Thakur's inning came at a crucial time when Chennai needed over 40 runs in the last three overs. The Kane Williamson team was sent to Kolkata where they defeated Dinesh Karthik side in Qualifier 2 to make it to the final against Chennai. Interestingly, Chennai and Hyderabad have locked horns three times previously in this season and all the games were won by Dhoni & corp. The two Captains - @msdhoni and Kane Williamson pose with the silverware on the eve of #VIVOIPL Final.#CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/juYi8DOWxx — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2018 × if we talk about the team then, Chennai mostly relies on their batting line which includes, Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni. Watson and Rayudu have been out of form if seen their last few matches. But it is time for the boys to make a comeback to help Chennai clinch the title for the third time. Their bowling attack has improved with Shardul Thakur and Ravindra Jadeja swinging wickets in team's favour. The two-time champions have also found another death over specialist in Lungi Ngidi. So far, Dwayne Bravo has been carrying the responsibility alone on his shoulders for the franchise. × Hyderabad, on the other hand, returned to winning ways with the support of its bowlers. Rashid Khan became the star player of the qualifier two after taking three crucial wickets. Siddarth Kaul and Carlos Brathwaite also took two wickets apiece to take Hyderabad to victory side. Meanwhile, batting mostly relies on opener Shikhar Dhawan and skipper Kane Williamson. Yusuf Pathan is a capable batsman but has been completely out of form. Its time for him to stand up to his billing and play a knock he is known for. Apart from them, any player who scores is a surprise gift for the Kane-Williamson side. With the match promising to be a high-voltage encounter, the winning probability of both the teams remains 50-50.

IPL 2018 Final: 'Kings' Chennai to clash once again with 'Risers' Hyderabad

The biggest cricket carnival, Indian Premier League has reached the last phase and we have two finalists Hyderabad and Chennai.

The cricket fraternity is waiting for the ultimate winner of&nbspthe eleventh edition of IPL which will be decided after today's intriguing encounter between the two finalists at Wankhede.

According to several online surveys that are being conducted on social media, M.S Dhoni-led Chennai team has been voted as the strong favourites but they certainly don't deserve the title.

The fans survey highlighted Dhoni as the most popular player out of the top 12 players with 27.3 per cent votes followed by Virat Kohli with 22 per cent and Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson with 20.11 per cent fan votes.&nbsp

If the favourites teams are judged on the basis of favourite players than Virat Kohli-led Bangalore must win the competition because the Bangalore team had the most popular playing XI of the season, in the presence of Virat himself and South African batsman AB de Villiers.

We all know that the frenzy for MS Dhoni is massive, it doesn't matter whether he is playing for Chennai or Pune, the fan following will be same. It is an honour and MSD has earned it for himself and he truly deserves it.

On the other hand, Hyderabad received a major blow before the start of IPL in the form of David Warner's ouster from the IPL.

Australian cricketer David Warner was supposed to lead the "Orange Army" and also he was the opener. In his absence, Hyderabad's batting unit suffered a lot but still the team raised above it and emerged as one of the top contenders for the title.

After David Warner's exit, Kane Williamson got the responsibility to lead the team and he proved his mettle with stunning leadership skills and managed to reach the finals despite many adversities.

Under his guidance, many players come into view and the best example of that is Siddharth Kaul.

Kaul has taken 21 wickets so far in the tournament with 8.00 economy rate.

Although, Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have supported the team,&nbspbut never felt the pressure of sole responsibility.

The bowling unit has never been dependent on experienced ones, in fact, all the bowlers, from spinners to seamers and from pacers to death over specialists, everybody has taken wickets at crucial moments.

Unlike Chennai, which is also branded as a bunch of old and experienced players, Hyderabad have given chance to young talents.

In my opinion, it is easy to play and win with experienced players but it takes actual intent to motivate young champs and give them chance to play their own game and shine brighter than stars.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Kane Williamson proved his mettle with stunning leadership skills and managed to reach the finals despite many adversities

The biggest cricket carnival, Indian Premier League has reached the last phase and we have two finalists Hyderabad and Chennai. The cricket fraternity is waiting for the ultimate winner of&nbspthe eleventh edition of IPL which will be decided after today's intriguing encounter between the two finalists at Wankhede. According to several online surveys that are being conducted on social media, M.S Dhoni-led Chennai team has been voted as the strong favourites but they certainly don't deserve the title. The fans survey highlighted Dhoni as the most popular player out of the top 12 players with 27.3 per cent votes followed by Virat Kohli with 22 per cent and Hyderabad captain Kane Williamson with 20.11 per cent fan votes. If the favourites teams are judged on the basis of favourite players than Virat Kohli-led Bangalore must win the competition because the Bangalore team had the most popular playing XI of the season, in the presence of Virat himself and South African batsman AB de Villiers. We all know that the frenzy for MS Dhoni is massive, it doesn't matter whether he is playing for Chennai or Pune, the fan following will be same. It is an honour and MSD has earned it for himself and he truly deserves it. On the other hand, Hyderabad received a major blow before the start of IPL in the form of David Warner's ouster from the IPL. Australian cricketer David Warner was supposed to lead the "Orange Army" and also he was the opener. In his absence, Hyderabad's batting unit suffered a lot but still the team raised above it and emerged as one of the top contenders for the title. After David Warner's exit, Kane Williamson got the responsibility to lead the team and he proved his mettle with stunning leadership skills and managed to reach the finals despite many adversities. Under his guidance, many players come into view and the best example of that is Siddharth Kaul. Kaul has taken 21 wickets so far in the tournament with 8.00 economy rate. Although, Rashid Khan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar have supported the team,&nbspbut never felt the pressure of sole responsibility. The bowling unit has never been dependent on experienced ones, in fact, all the bowlers, from spinners to seamers and from pacers to death over specialists, everybody has taken wickets at crucial moments. Unlike Chennai, which is also branded as a bunch of old and experienced players, Hyderabad have given chance to young talents. In my opinion, it is easy to play and win with experienced players but it takes actual intent to motivate young champs and give them chance to play their own game and shine brighter than stars. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Opinion: IPL 2018 - Why Hyderabad will overshadow Dhoni's experienced side

IPL 2018 has finally reached its climax as two-time champions Chennai and Hyderabad will face-off in the summit clash of the 11th season of the cash-rich league at the Wankhede stadium today.

Hours before the final clash begins, Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that the age factor was definitely a concern for the team.

"The age-group of the boys was definitely a concern, you had to keep them fit. We had to take care of the resources and to make sure that when we come to the business end of the tournament, the best 11 is available for selection," Dhoni said.

While interacting with the media persons, Dhoni also justified his decision to often under-bowl veteran spinner Harbhajan in the tournament.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
What goes into <a href="https://twitter.com/msdhoni?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@msdhoni</a> mind before he chooses a particular bowler? The <a href="https://twitter.com/ChennaiIPL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ChennaiIPL</a> captain offers a very interesting analogy?. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/VIVOIPL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#VIVOIPL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Final?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Final</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CSKvSRH?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CSKvSRH</a> <a href="https://t.co/XEIEDdBEtH">pic.twitter.com/XEIEDdBEtH</a>
— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/1000401323009830917?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

But the answer was not plain, it was equivalent to his 'match-winning' six.&nbsp;

"I have a lot of cars and bikes in my house. I don't ride all at a time. A lot of times, especially when you have six to seven bowlers in the side, you want to see the conditions, you want to see who is batting and what is needed at that point of time." Dhoni said.

"I see what is in best interest of the team," he added.&nbsp;

Harbhajan has played 13 matches out of the total 15 played by CSK and picked up seven wickets at an economy of 8.48.

Chennai will clash with Hyderabad at the Wankhede stadium today

IPL 2018 has finally reached its climax as two-time champions Chennai and Hyderabad will face-off in the summit clash of the 11th season of the cash-rich league at the Wankhede stadium today. Hours before the final clash begins, Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni admitted that the age factor was definitely a concern for the team. "The age-group of the boys was definitely a concern, you had to keep them fit. We had to take care of the resources and to make sure that when we come to the business end of the tournament, the best 11 is available for selection," Dhoni said. While interacting with the media persons, Dhoni also justified his decision to often under-bowl veteran spinner Harbhajan in the tournament. What goes into @msdhoni mind before he chooses a particular bowler? The @ChennaiIPL captain offers a very interesting analogy?. #VIVOIPL #Final #CSKvSRH pic.twitter.com/XEIEDdBEtH — IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 26, 2018 × But the answer was not plain, it was equivalent to his 'match-winning' six. "I have a lot of cars and bikes in my house. I don't ride all at a time. A lot of times, especially when you have six to seven bowlers in the side, you want to see the conditions, you want to see who is batting and what is needed at that point of time." Dhoni said. "I see what is in best interest of the team," he added. Harbhajan has played 13 matches out of the total 15 played by CSK and picked up seven wickets at an economy of 8.48.

Watch: Why Dhoni barely used Harbhajan Singh in IPL 2018

Chennai have reached the finals after defeating Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1 of the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League under the guidance of legendary cricketer MS Dhoni.

"Yellow Brigade" have marked a comeback after serving a two-year ban and emerged as one of the top contenders for the IPL trophy.

Two-time winners Chennai team is preparing for the final encounter which is scheduled to be played on May 27 to reclaim the trophy one more time, Suresh Raina has said that the team would like to win this year's IPL for their skipper MS Dhoni.

Raina was quoted as saying by the Chennai's website, Raina said, "He (Dhoni) got quite emotional (when the team reached the final this time). He cares so much for Chennai we all do. He has been amazing for Chennai since 2008 and is one of the nicest guys around. So this time, we want to win the IPL for Dhoni."

"He gets criticised so often and every time (he) answers his critics back through his performance. Sometimes you need to see it from an emotional side as well. We definitely have a team which can win it for MS this time. You need to do something (special) everytime he turns up and that is the reason we want to win the IPL for Dhoni," he further added.

"I remember reading somewhere after the auction that Chennai team is a bunch of old guys. But it is all about experience and how well you use it. Our unit is very confident right now. This season we batted as a group. Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu gave us good starts and then myself, followed by MS have been doing well. So if you see our team is so experienced and has so many match winners in it. We haven’t won the title since 2011 so I really want to do it this time," Raina concluded.

'I remember reading somewhere after the auction that Chennai team is a bunch of old guys. But it is all about experience and how well you use it,' says Suresh Raina

Chennai have reached the finals after defeating Hyderabad in the Qualifier 1 of the ongoing edition of Indian Premier League under the guidance of legendary cricketer MS Dhoni. "Yellow Brigade" have marked a comeback after serving a two-year ban and emerged as one of the top contenders for the IPL trophy. Two-time winners Chennai team is preparing for the final encounter which is scheduled to be played on May 27 to reclaim the trophy one more time, Suresh Raina has said that the team would like to win this year's IPL for their skipper MS Dhoni. Raina was quoted as saying by the Chennai's website, Raina said, "He (Dhoni) got quite emotional (when the team reached the final this time). He cares so much for Chennai we all do. He has been amazing for Chennai since 2008 and is one of the nicest guys around. So this time, we want to win the IPL for Dhoni." "He gets criticised so often and every time (he) answers his critics back through his performance. Sometimes you need to see it from an emotional side as well. We definitely have a team which can win it for MS this time. You need to do something (special) everytime he turns up and that is the reason we want to win the IPL for Dhoni," he further added. "I remember reading somewhere after the auction that Chennai team is a bunch of old guys. But it is all about experience and how well you use it. Our unit is very confident right now. This season we batted as a group. Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu gave us good starts and then myself, followed by MS have been doing well. So if you see our team is so experienced and has so many match winners in it. We haven’t won the title since 2011 so I really want to do it this time," Raina concluded.

We want to win IPL 2018 for Dhoni - Suresh Raina

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.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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 ??
— David Warner (@davidwarner31) <a href="https://twitter.com/davidwarner31/status/998901613816299520?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

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.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false"><iframe allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/efLIz1sq8Q0" width="560"></iframe></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

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:

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
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>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

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

ms-dhoni-0

Ms Dhoni, News on Ms Dhoni, stories on Ms Dhoni, articles on Ms Dhoni, Ms Dhoni stories at Wion, Ms Dhoni news, Ms Dhoni latest news

ms dhoni-0