Snubbed Rahul Gets Bollywood Star's Backing After T20 World Cup Omission

KL Rahul was one of the biggest absentees in the T20 World Cup squad that was named by the BCCI on Tuesday. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter was not even named in the reserves list for the marquee event. Despite being an IPL captain and the first wicketkeeper-batter in IPL 2024 to complete 400 runs, Rahul was ignored. After the decision, Rahul found a voice of support from a popular Bollywood actor, Riteish Deshmukh. He wrote on X: "KL Rahul should have been there in the #T20WorldCup squad."

KL Rahul should have been there in the #T20WorldCup squad.

— Riteish Deshmukh (@Riteishd) April 30, 2024

Rahul's team LSG beat MI on Tuesday. Marcus Stoinis once again rescued a win as Lucknow Super Giants emerged triumphant with a four-wicket win against Mumbai Indians at the Ekana Cricket Stadium on Tuesday in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024. LSG struggled in the opening and suffered a middle order collapse, but Stoinis played an influential knock, which ensured that the hosts walked out victorious.

While chasing 145, Arshin Kulkarni got dismissed for a golden duck in his IPL debut in the opening over. Nuwan Thushara scythed his wicket, which marked his maiden wicket in the cash-rich league.

Jasprit Bumrah was kept silent in the powerplay as skipper KL Rahul and Marcus Stoinis tried to help the team recover from the early blow.

They stitched a 58-run stand, which helped them cover the important part of the 145-run chase. Rahul looked rock solid in his 28-run knock before his counterpart Hardik Panday dismissed him.

Stoinis (62) continued to lead the charge with the bat from one end before Mohammad Nabi relied on his experience to end Australia's stay on the crease.

LSG lost Ashton Turner and Ashton Turner in quick succession, but Nicholas Pooran stayed till the end to clinch the victory for the hosts.

This marked LSG's sixth win at home and helped them move to the third spot with 12 points in 10 matches. MI stayed at the 9th spot with six points in 12 matches.

Earlier in the innings, for LSG, Mohsin Khan bagged two wickets, while Marcus Stoinis, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mayank Yadav, and Ravi Bishnoi scalped one each. Wadhera scored a gritty 46, Ishan Kishan played a crucial knock of 32, and Tim David cracked a blistering 35 runs in 18 balls to power Mumbai to a competitive total.

Opting to bowl first, a brilliant catch by Marcus Stoinis off Mohsin Khan's delivery marked an early end to Rohit Sharma's stay at the crease in the 2nd over.

LSG extended their strong start as Stoinis bagged the big wicket of Suryakumar Yadav, spoiling the hopes further for MI's big powerplay total plans. In the 3rd over, Ravi Bishnoi completed a sensational direct hit to send Tilak Varma packing after scoring just 10 runs.

MI skipper Hardik Pandya struggled for form in IPL 2024, and the dismissal just hours after the T20 World Cup squad announcement was the last thing that he needed. LSG pacer Naveen-ul-Haq bamboozled Pandya completely, and KL Rahul made a sharp catch behind the stumps.

After Mumbai lost four wickets and slammed just 28 runs in the powerplay, Nehal Wadhera and Ishan Kishan, with their occasional boundaries, kept MI's hopes alive.

In the 9th over, Kishan was given a lifeline as his catch was dropped by Ashton Turner on 8. Wadhera and Kishan tried to go for the big hits, but MI never recovered after losing four wickets in powerplay.

Ravi Bishnoi bagged his first wicket of the night as he removed Kishan for 32. In the 15th over, Wadhera hammered speedster Mayank Yadav for two maximums and one boundary, gathering 16 runs. Wadhera kept the run flow going for the MI, and the batter took Mumbai past the 100-run mark.

Mohsin's sneering yorker ended Wadhera's stay at the crease as the batter went back to the pavilion after scoring 46 runs. In the 19th over, Mayank Yadav joined the wicket-taking party as he removed new batter Mohammad Nabi for one run. After getting his first wicket, Mayank walked off the field without finishing his over.

In the last over, Tim David smoked Mohsin for 17 runs with the help of two boundaries, powering his team to 144/7 in 20 overs.

With PTI inputs

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Stoinis Guides LSG To Victory, Deals Big Blow To MI's IPL Playoff Dreams

Marcus Stoinis made a composed fifty to complement the splendid effort of the bowlers as Lucknow Super Giants strengthened their chances of a play-off berth with a nervy four-wicket win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL on Tuesday. Mumbai Indians' top-order came a cropper as they stuttered to a below-par 144 for seven, riding on contributions from Nehal Wadhera (46), Ishan Kishan (32) and Tim David (35 not out). In reply, Stoinis scored a 45-ball 62, studded with seven hits to the fence and two maximums but once he was gone LSG survived some anxious moments before getting home with four balls to spare. With their sixth win in 10 games, LSG climbed to the third spot in the IPL standings. MI, on the other hand, slumped to their seventh loss in 10 games. LSG made a watchful start to their chase after Nuwan Thushara struck with his fourth ball to remove impact sub Arshin Kulkarni for a duck on his IPL debut.

Stoinis cracked two back-to-back boundaries off Gerald Coetzee, who ended up conceding 15 in his first over. K L Rahul (28 off 22) too joined the party, slamming three fours and a six to take 20 runs off Thushara.

Stoinis then whacked Bumrah over longoff as LSG reached 52 in the powerplay.

Mohammed Nabi held on to a skier at the boundary line as Hardik Pandya produced a breakthrough, removing Rahul.

Stoinis, however, kept going strong as he and Deepak Hooda (18) added another 40 runs off 35 balls to take LSG close to 100.

Hooda was then removed by Hardik but Stoinis reached his fifty off 39 balls in the 14th over and then dispatched Mohammed Nabi for a four and a six. Coetzee bowled Ashton Turner, while Ayush Badoni was run out to give hopes to MI before Nicholas Pooran (14 not out) knocked off the remaining runs.

Earlier, MI dug in a big hole for themselves by losing four wickets in the powerplay. The visitors just couldn't recover from the hiccup despite a 53-run fifth-wicket stand between Wadhera and Kishan.

Tim David hit a few shots in the end, including a 17-run last over, to give the total some semblance of respectability.

MI's top-order misfired as the visitors managed just 28 for four in the first six overs, the second-lowest powerplay score of this IPL.

While Rohit Sharma (4) was sent back by left arm pacer Mohin Khan, Stoinis induced a fine edge with a slow ball to get rid of Suryakumar Yadav (10).

MI slipped into further trouble when Ravi Bishnoi's direct throw found in-form Tilak Varma short of the crease.

Skipper Hardik then was out for a golden duck after poking at an away going delivery from Naveen Ul Haq, as MI slumped to 27 for four in 5.2 overs.

LSG used Stoinis well in the powerplay as his spell of three overs with the new ball yielded a wicket for 19.

Returning from injury, pace sensation Mayank Yadav could have had a wicket but Turner dropped Ishan Kishan (32) at deep square leg.

Kishan and Nehal Wadhera tried to steady the ship with their fifth wicket stand but LSG bowlers didn't give much away as MI reached 68 for four in 12 overs.

With seven overs remaining, Kishan tried to up the ante only to fall for a Bishnoi googly. Wadhera, however, smashed Mayank for two sixes and a four as 16 runs came off the 15th over.

Mohammed Nabi then dragged one on to the stumps off Mayank, who left the field immediately, raising concerns of injury. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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RCB To Unleash Their Own 'Bumrah'? Net Bowler's Action Breaks Internet

Royal Challengers Bengaluru net bowler Mukesh Kumar found himself in the spotlight after a video posted by the franchise went viral on social media. The fast bowler's action was remarkably close to that of Indian cricket team star Jasprit Bumrah and fans were left stunned by the similarity between the two cricketers. Mahesh Kumar, who was part of  Gujarat Titans back in 2022, was seen bowling at the nets and he was able to replicate Bumrah's action perfectly. Fans were left excited by the bowler's action and many hoped for a bright future for Mukesh Kumar.

RCB have struggled to win matches in IPL 2024 till now but with victories in their last two games, the Faf Du Plessis-led side has kept playoff dreams alive.

Virat Kohli has been their top performer with the bat and he provided perfect support to Will Jacks who clinch the match against Gujarat Titans on Sunday with a sensational century.

Mahesh Kumar - Net Bowler for Royal Challengers Bengaluru in IPL 2024.#IPL2024 #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/X5kXtd11hk

— Indian Domestic Cricket Forum - IDCF (@IDCForum) April 29, 2024

After the match, Kohli blasted the critics who were not happy with his strike rate despite the fact that the star batter is the highest run-scorer in the IPL 2024 till now.

"Not really, all the people who talk about strike-rates and me not playing spin well are the ones talking about this stuff. For me, it's about winning the games for the team and there's a reason why you've done it for 15 years, you've done this day in and day out, you've won games for your teams, I'm not quite sure that if you haven't been in that situation yourself, to sit and talk about the game from the box."

"For me, people can talk about their assumptions day in and day out, but those who have done day in and day out, they know what's happening and it's a kind of muscle memory for me now," Kohli said.

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"Shocker": Gavaskar Blasts KKR Star Mid-match vs DC. This Is The Reason

Kolkata Knight Riders maintained their good show in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 by beating Delhi Capitals to consolidate the second spot in the IPL points table. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy worked his magic to claim three important wickets before Phil Salt's scintillating half-century as Kolkata Knight Riders secured a convincing seven-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the IPL on Monday. Chakravarthy (3/16) shone in the middle overs following Vaibhav Arora's fine start (2/29) that limited Delhi to a modest 153/9 after Rishabh Pant opted to bat.

Spinner Varun Chakravarthy worked his magic to claim three important wickets before Phil Salt's scintillating half-century as Kolkata Knight Riders secured a convincing seven-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the IPL here on Monday.

There was a point in the match, when Sunil Gavaskar was fuming over a decision by KKR player Vaibhav Arora. It happened on the final delivery of the 18th over. he was convinced that Kuldeep Yadav was LBW, though by the looks of it, the ball was seemingly going down leg. He forced KKR captain Shreyas Iyer to go for the review. The DRS clearly showed that the ball was missing the stumps. 

 It left Gavaskar an angry man. "Shocking review. Absolute shocker. What a waste of a review. Should have thought about this team. Look that there are 11 balls left. Kuldeep Yadav is playing well. It's a 29-run partnership," Sunil Gavaskar said on air during the match. 

Meanwhile, Kolkata Knight Riders' Sunil Narine eclipsed Lasith Malinga's record for most wickets at a particular venue in the history of the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Monday.

Narine impressed with the ball during KKR's win over Delhi Capitals with figures of 1/24 in his four-over spell.

He claimed Axar Patel's wicket in the first innings which marked his 69th wicket at the iconic Eden Gardens in the IPL which is most by a bowler at a particular venue in the cash-rich league.

Before him Malinga held the record with a whopping 68 scalps at Wankhede which he took during his prolific career.

Veteran spinner Amit Mishra holds the third spot with 58 wickets at Delhi. Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru star spinner Yuzvendra Chahal is in the fourth spot with 52 wickets at Bengaluru. Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh features in the fifth place with 49 scalps at Wankhede.

With ANI and PTI inputs

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"Don't Think He's Good Enough...": IND Selectors Sent Huge Jadeja Warning

Former Australian cricket team star Tom Moody was not impressed by Ravindra Jadeja's batting for Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing IPL 2024 and he said that although the all-rounder is a top spin option, he is not 'good enough' to bat at No. 7 for India in the T20 World Cup 2024. Jadeja is being considered as one of the sure-shot picks for the World Cup squad but the decision taken by CSK to promote him up the order has not worked out for them till now. He has scored 157 runs in 9 matches till now and his strike rate of 131.93 has not helped his case.

“I'd be taking Jadeja purely because I'm looking for the best left-arm spinning option. He's the best left-arm spinner in the country. In my eleven, he's not batting at No.7. I don't think he's good enough to bat seven in a World Cup side. He's proven that with his strike rate. You need an impact-type player batting at seven,” he told Star Sports.

Former India star Irfan Pathan, who was a part of the discussion panel, also echoed similar sentiments and said that playing Jadeja at No. 7 means that the Rohit Sharma-led side will have to play a proper finisher in their ranks.

“This is what I'm really scared about when it comes to World Cup. Look, my worry is with T20 World Cup, we pretty much sorted as far as the top-order batting is concerned. We pretty much sorted in the middle overs as well. If we're thinking Ravindra Jadeja is a number seven batter, you need a good finisher. His numbers are not that great as far as the strike rate is concerned at the international level," he explained.

The Indian cricket team is expected to name their 15-member squad within May 1.

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IPL 2024 Points Table: What Huge Win Over DC Means For KKR's Playoff Hopes

Kolkata Knight Riders took a massive step towards booking their spot in the IPL 2024 playoffs with a seven-wicket victory over Delhi Capitals on Monday. Phil Salt played a blinder to make short work of the run chase after brilliant bowling performances from Varun Chakaravarthy and Vaibhav Arora. The win means that KKR have 12 points from 9 matches with a Net Run Rate of 1.096 - the best in the competition till now. They are second in the IPL 2024 points table and on the other hand, Delhi Capitals are sixth with 10 points from 11 matches with a NRR of -0.442.

Kolkata Knight Riders notched up a comfortable seven-wicket win over Delhi Capitals.

Opting to bat first, Delhi Capitals were stopped at 153/9 by KKR's disciplined bowlers. The home team completed the chase of 154 with 21 balls to spare.

While batting, KKR raced to 79 for no loss in the power play with Phil Salt (68 off 33 balls) taking the DC bowling attack to the cleaners.

Earlier, Delhi Capitals scored 67 runs in the power play while losing three wickets. However, the visitors simply caved in after the dismissal of their skipper Rishabh Pant (27 off 20 balls).

Batting at number nine, spinner Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with an unbeaten 35 off 26 balls. Among KKR bowlers, spinner Varun Chakaravarthy finished with excellent figures of 3/16 in four overs, while the returning Vaibhav Arora too impressed, an unplayable delivery getting him the wicket of Shai Hope.

"Considering the last few matches, 200 was a par score. After the powerplay the pitch started helping the spinners, was tacky. We got a fair idea as to how it played and to tackle the tackiness. Narine still does not attend those meetings but Salt is always there, gives us his inputs and it's pure bliss to see him coming up and doing all this," KKR skipper Shreyas Iyer said at the post-match presentation.

(With PTI inputs)

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"Baby Is On The Way": Sakshi Dhoni's Post During CSK's Win Over SRH Viral

Chennai Super Kings bounced back in the IPL 2024 playoffs race by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad by 78 runs in their IPL 2024 match on Sunday. It was their first win after two consecutive losses in the competition and it took them to the third spot from sixth in the IPL 2024 points table. Veteran wicket-keeper batter MS Dhoni's wife Sakshi Dhoni was in attendance at the M Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai and her Instagram story during the game has gone viral. "Please finish the game fast today @chennaiipl baby is on the way...contractions have begun Request from - to be Bua," she wrote.

Coming to the match, Ruturaj Gaikwad scored a brilliant 98 and fast bowler Tushar Deshpande took a four-wicket haul to guide CSK to a comprehensive victory. With the win, CSK put themselves back in the top 4, boosting their playoffs chances while SRH suffered their second successive defeat of the campaign.

"Feeling pretty good. Tough to play in such wet conditions, and to be able to win by 70-odd runs is a clinical performance. Was a blessing in disguise at the toss. Everything is good (injury concern?). Too hot and humid conditions. Even the last game, was there batting for 20 overs and fielding for 20 overs," CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad said after the match.

"Today also almost same. Wasn't thinking about hundred. Wanted to make sure we get to 220-odd. Was disappointed that I missed 4-5 hits at the back end. During innings break I felt it could make a difference and I was upset. But thankfully it was enough. Last game we made some errors."

"Some loose balls here and there. Today we were outstanding in the field. Stuck to the plans and knew what the conditions were. With impact player rule, you always want the extra 20 runs. Never know what par score is. That was one area - not getting wickets in powerplay. That's the only way it can put opposition in back foot. He's bowling really well (Deshpande). His hard work is paying off."

"Special mention to Jaddu as well. In these wet conditions to go for 22 runs, that was the match turning spell. I'm not vocal. Can't tell seniors in the dressing room what to do. You have to take the back seat and let them do their job," Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation.

Both SRH and CSK have 10 points from 9 matches each to their name.

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IPL 2024: Gaikwad, Deshpande Guide CSK To Easy 78-Run Win Over SRH

Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's belligerent 98 was complemented by a clinical bowling display, led by pacer Tushar Deshpande, as Chennai Super Kings defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad by 78 runs in the Indian Premier League in Chennai on Sunday. Invited to bat, Gaikwad's valiant 54-ball knock was the driving force which propelled CSK to an imposing 212 for three. He was ably supported by Daryl Mitchell, who returned to form with a crucial 32-ball 52 before Shivam Dube's 20-ball 39 not out took CSK past the 200 mark.

In response, SRH's ultra-cautious batting approach backfired again as they couldn't recover from Deshpande's (4/27 in 3 overs) three-wicket burst with the new ball and the middle-overs squeeze to be all out for 134 in 18.5 overs as CSK snapped their two-game losing streak.

Following the win, CSK moved to the third spot with 10 points, same as Kolkata Knight Riders, Lucknow Super Giants and Delhi Capitals. SRH, who are also on 10 points, slipped to fourth after their fourth loss.

Chasing 213 to win, Travis Head (13) and Abhishek Sharma (15) made rapid starts but Deshpande got rid of the former with a slower wide ball and then returned to remove impact sub Anmolpreet Singh with an outswinger on the stumps as the batter went for a golden duck.

Abhishek was next caught at deep point as Deshpande broke their back, leaving SRH at 40 for 3 in the fourth over.

Nitish Reddy (15) and Aiden Markram (32) tried to steady the ship but Ravindra Jadeja bamboozled the former with a bouncer, while Matheesha Pathirana produced a superb yorker to uproot the middle stump of the South African.

At 85-5 in 10.5 overs, Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad joined hands but runs were tough to come by as the bowlers executed their plans to perfectly.

While Jadeja completed a superb spell of 4-0-22-1, Shardul Thakur kept bowling at wide outside off to frustrate the batters as CSK conceded just two boundaries in nine overs after the powerplay.

With an improbable 104 needed off 30 balls, Klaasen, Samad, Pat Cummins and Shahbaz Ahmed all holed out as Mitchell claimed five catches in the outfield during the match.

Earlier, Gaikwad missed out on a successive hundred by a whisker but his 107-run stand with Mitchell was the cornerstone of CSK's innings. It is CSK's 35th 200-plus total, the most by any side in T20 cricket.

Gaikwad was the star of the CSK batting as he hit 10 fours and three sixes in his innings.

Opening the innings, Ajinkya Rahane (9) perished early again with Bhuvneshwar Kumar earning his prized wicket in the third over but Gaikwad kept CSK going. The skipper did not back down and attacked the bowlers at will as the hosts ended the powerplay at 50 for one.

In no time, the 27-year-old Gaikwad brought up his 17th IPL half-century off just 27 deliveries.

Gaikwad and Mitchell batted sensibly as they managed to keep the boundaries coming, with the latter chipping in periodically too after a slow start (12 off 11).

With dew setting in the 12th over, the batting duo tried to take advantage of it as Mitchell soon brought up his maiden IPL 50 off 29 deliveries in the 13th over.

But the New Zealander failed to get going for too long and perished in the following over to Jaydev Unadkat after depositing a full-toss into the hands of Nitish Kumar Reddy in the deep mid-wicket.

In-form Shivam Dube then joined Gaikwad and the two decided to up the ante. SRH skipper Pat Cummins was targeted by the batters, having been dispatched for 49 in his four overs.

Gaikwad looked set to back-to-back tons but the heat and humidity of Chennai seemed to affect him as his vigil ended with a tired-looking shot as T Natarajan sent him back in the final over.

Crowd-favourite MS Dhoni scored five off two deliveries that included a four, while Dube deposited a full toss in the stands as the final four overs yielded 53 runs.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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IPL 2024 Points Table: RCB Keep Playoff Hopes Alive, CSK Take Huge Step

Royal Challengers Bengaluru keep their IPL 2024 playoff dreams alive with a massive nine-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans while Chennai Super Kings moved up to third in the points table with a win over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday. RCB rode brilliant knocks from Virat Kohli and Will Jacks to register their second victory on the trot. They remain at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table even after the win but they can still qualify for the playoffs if they win all of their remaining matches. On the other hand, CSK moved up to the third spot with 10 points from 9 matches while Sunrisers Hyderabad fell to fourth with 10 points from 9 matches as well but an inferior Net Run Rate (NRR).

Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad missed his second successive IPL century by a whisker, while pacers Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana decimated the Sunrisers Hyderabad batting as Chennai Super Kings won their IPL 2024 home game by 78 runs.

After Gaikwad scored a 54-ball 98 and shared a 107-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell (52) to give CSK a healthy 212/3, Deshpande (4/27) and Sri Lankan Pathirana (2/17) came up with match-winning bowling figures to dismiss SRH for 134 in 18.5 overs.

Deshpande took the wickets of opener Travis Head (13) and Anmolpreet Singh (0) in his first over before getting rid of Abhishek Sharma (15) and captain Pat Cummins (5), while Pathirana got the dangerous Aiden Markram and Heinrich Klaasen to demolish SRH.

Earlier,  Will Jacks slammed a sensational hundred while Virat Kohli upped his game in the middle overs as Royal Challengers Bengaluru outplayed Gujarat Titans by nine wickets.

Kohli (70 not out of 44), whose approach in the middle overs was questioned in the previous game, employed the sweep shot against the spinners to make a statement before Jacks (100 not out off 41) cut loose to gun down the 201-run target with as many 24 balls to spare.

Jacks went berserk in what turned out be the final over of the game, hammering as many as four sixes and four off Rashid Khan to close out the game much sooner than expected. The Englishman plundered as many as 10 sixes in his breathtaking effort.

(With PTI inputs)

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Ishan Kishan Reprimanded, Fined 10 Per Cent Of Match Fee For This Reason

Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan was on Saturday reprimanded and fined 10 per cent of his match fees for breaching the IPL Code of Conduct during a match against Delhi Capitals at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

"Kishan committed a Level 1 offence under Article 2.2 of the IPL's Code of Conduct. He admitted to the offence and accepted the Match Referee's sanction," an IPL statement read.

"For Level 1 breaches of the Code of Conduct, the Match Referee's decision is final and binding." Article 2.2 includes any action(s) outside the course of normal cricket actions, such as hitting or kicking the wickets and any action(s) which deliberately (i.e. intentionally), recklessly or negligently (in either case even if accidental) results in damage to the advertising boards, boundary fences, dressing room doors, mirrors, windows and other fixtures and fittings.

It also includes abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match, even though the IPL organisers didn't clarify Kishan's offence. 

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Hardik Brutally Reminds MI Stars About 'Game Awareness' After DC Defeat

Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya said he wanted batters to take chances in the middle overs and claimed MI were backing themselves to chase down the score in the end against Delhi Capitals (DC) at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday. Fraser-McGurk equalled his own record for the fastest fifty in IPL 2024, smashing 87 off 27 balls to lay the groundwork for a massive total. DC scored 257 in 20 overs, with cameos from Shai Hope, Rishabh Pant, and Tristan Stubbs. MI seemed to be always behind the chase, and Tilak Varma's brave effort was insufficient as Delhi prevailed by 10 runs. MI suffered their sixth loss of the season, jeopardising their playoff ambitions significantly.

Speaking after the match, Pandya stated that the game was becoming increasingly close.

"This game is becoming more and more closer. It (the difference) used to be a couple of overs, now it's becoming a couple of balls. Because of the kind of games and how the bowlers are under pressure, we backed ourselves to do it. If I had to pick something out, we could have taken a couple of more chances in the middle overs," Pandya said in a post-match presentation.

Pandya defended the decision to bowl first in their loss to DC on Saturday. Pandya won the toss and decided to bowl first because he wanted to know what target they would be chasing. However, the plan quickly backfired, as DC got off to a flying start thanks to Jake Fraser-McGurk.

"The left-handers could have probably gone after Axar a little bit, it's something we missed out on in terms of game awareness," Pandya said.

Pandya went on to compliment Fraser-McGurk on his knock and stated that he would not have altered anything about the toss.

"It was quite amazing the way he (Fraser-McGurk) batted, he took calculated risks, he played the field really well. It shows the fearlessness of youth. (If he would've done something different at the toss) not really." he added.

Talking about the match, Fraser-McGurk's powerful knock, followed by Rasikh Dar Salam, Mukesh Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed's supercharged pace attack, helped Delhi Capitals (DC) defeat Mumbai Indians by 10 runs in their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 match here at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Saturday.

Rasikh was the pick for the home side, he came on as an impact sub and picked up 3 for 34 in this high-scoring affair, while Mukesh also returned with a three-wicket haul. For MI, Tilak Varma scored 63 runs, while skipper Hardik Pandya scored 46 for MI.

Earlier put to bat first, explosive knocks by DC batters Fraser-McGurk, Tristan Stubbs, and Shai Hope guided the team to a mammoth total of 257/4 against the five-time champions Mumbai.

Mumbai Indians will next play against LSG on Tuesday at the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow.

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"Cricket Turning Into Baseball": Sam Curran Sums Up PBKS Chasing Down 262

"Cricket is turning into baseball," Punjab Kings skipper Sam Curran aptly summed up his team's T20 world record run chase of 262 against Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL here on Friday. Led by Jonny Bairstow's incredible hundred, Punjab Kings set the new world record for the highest run chase in the history of T20 cricket as they went past KKR's 261/6 with eight wickets and eight balls to spare.

"Very pleasing. Most importantly the win, cricket has turned to baseball isn't it? We're delighted with the two points," Curran said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

"We had a tough few weeks as a team. Forget about the scores, we deserved this victory." 

Asked about the massive scores being put up by teams this IPL season, Curran said, "Loads of different things, guys can hit balls for long periods of time, the coaches, training, the dew, dot balls become wide after reviews and you get the extra ball.

"Stats are going out of the window. For us, it's all about the small moments. With the ball also we hung in there." Speaking about Bairstow's unbeaten century and Shashank Singh belligerent innings, he said, "Really pleased for Jonny, he's been on tour for a long time and was eager to score.

"Shashank, wow, he was promoted to No. 4 and he's been our find of the season. We've to enjoy the small wins, although this was a big win coming to Kolkata." Player of the Match Bairstow said his aim was to whack the ball as far as possible and the opening partnership of 93 in six overs was crucial for the visiting side.

"We got off to a good start and that was key. They got a flier themselves thanks to Sunil so we knew we had to go ballistic in the powerplay," Bairstow said.

"When you've to chase 200-plus you've to take risks in the powerplay. (How to approach such a chase?) Try and whack it as hard as possible (laughs). It was a case of if it's in your area you go after it. We wanted to lose as few wickets as possible.

The Englishman praised Shashank for the manner in which has been batting this season and in this match.

"Shashank has done it all season, a lovely guy and special player. To have someone like him coming in and do that is unbelievable. His knowledge, he's not young either, he's nice and calm, full credit to him the way he came out and hit it cleanly." PBKS bettered South Africa's 259/4 against West Indies in March last year. In the IPL, Rajasthan Royals held the previous record for chasing down 224 against KKR at Eden Gardens recently, equalling the record they had set against then Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2020 in Sharjah.

KKR captain Shreyas Iyer said, "The way the batters batted was tremendous. So much you ask of them and they delivered. Both teams played tremendously. You have to go back to the drawing board and see where you went wrong.

"Not defending hurts but it's a great lesson for the players," Iyer said.

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"Obscene Batting": PBKS Set World Record, Chase Down 262. Full List Here

The cricket world was in shock as Punjab Kings set a new world record on Friday. Led by Jonny Bairstow's incredible hundred, Punjab Kings set a new world record for the highest run chase in the history of T20 cricket as they overhauled the 262-run target set by Kolkata Knight Riders with eight wickets to spare in the IPL on Friday. PBKS bettered South Africa's 259/4 against West Indies in March last year. In the IPL, Rajasthan Royals held the previous record for chasing down 224 against KKR at Eden Gardens recently, equalling the record they had set against then Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2020 in Sharjah.

Highest targets successfully chased in Men's T20 cricket
262 - Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, Kolkata, IPL 2024
259 - South Africa vs West Indies, Centurion, 2023
253 - Middlesex vs Surrey, The Oval, T20 Blast 2023
244 - Australia vs New Zealand, Auckland, 2018
243 - Bulgaria vs Serbia, Sofia, 2022
243 - Multan Sultans vs Peshawar Zalmi, Rawalpindi, PSL 2023

:Obscene batting," commented Kevin Pietersen,

Obscene batting
 

— Kevin Pietersen (@KP24) April 26, 2024

Talking about the match, sent into bat, Kolkata Knight Riders scored 261/6 but PBKS completed the chase with eight balls to spare.

KKR rode on a 138-run partnership between openers Phil Salt (75 off 37 balls) and Sunil Narine (71 off 32 balls).

The batters that followed the openers then consolidated the home team's position and took them to an imposing total.

In reply, PBKS too were off to a great start and scored 93 runs for the loss of Prabhsimran Singh's wicket in the powerplay.

Prabhsimran blazed away to a 20-ball 54 before getting run out. Bairstow continued his brutal onslaught to help PBKS pull off a stunning win. Bairstow (108 off 48 balls) was well-supported by the in-from Shashank Singh who smashed 68 in only 28 balls.

Brief scores: Kolkata Knight Riders: 261/6 in 20 overs (Phil Salt 75, Sunil Narine 71).

Punjab Kings: 262/2 in 18.4 overs (Jonny Bairstow 108, Prabhsimran Singh 54, Shashank Singh 68). 

With PTI inputs

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New Zealand Defeat Pakistan By Four Runs In 4th T20I, Lead 2-1 In Series

Tim Robinson's blitz with the bat and William O'Rourke's remarkable spell put New Zealand ahead in the series following a four-run win against Pakistan in the 4th T20I at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday. A nail-biting thriller that kept the fans on the edge of their seats at scenic Gaddafi Stadium witnessed the Kiwis take an unassailable lead in the series. The inexperienced quick made early inroads by dismissing skipper Babar Azam in the second over. Saim Ayub showed promise on the other end but O'Rourke got the better of him.

With Pakistan reduced to 79/4 in the 10th over, Fakhar Zaman raised hopes of a win. He took on the opposition bowlers to keep the required rate in Pakistan's reach.

Iftikhar Ahmed (23) and Imad Wasim (22*) backed Fakhar as he tried to pull off a win for the Men in Green.

Fakhar got Pakistan close to the finish line, but Ben Sears proved to be the game-changer as he removed the left-handed batter in the 18th over.

With 28 runs needed in the final two overs, Imad went berserk and almost pulled off the win for the hosts. With 10 runs needed in the final two deliveries, he struck a four on the second last ball but failed to clear the rope on the final delivery which sealed a 4-run win for New Zealand.

Earlier in the game, Pakistan skipper Babar Azam won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Openers Tim Robinson and Tom Blundell started off the innings positively. Both batters completed the Kiwis completed their 50 runs in the fifth over.

In the same over, the Kiwis lost Blundell when the team score was 56. The wicketkeeper-batter was sent back to the pavilion after scoring 28 runs which included five fours in his innings.

After Blundell's wicket, Dean Foxcroft came into the middle to bat along with Robinson. Both players put on a partnership of 38 runs before Robinson was dismissed after playing a brilliant knock of 51 runs from 36 balls which was laced with four boundaries and two maximums in the 11th over.

After Robinson's dismissal, left-hand batter Mark Chapman came out to bat along with Foxcroft. The visitors completed the 100-run mark in the 12th over as Chapman took a single on the bowling of Usama Mir.

In the 14th over at a score of 128, the New Zealand side lost their third wicket as Chapman was sent back to the dressing room after scoring just eight runs.

At a score of 132, the side lost the fourth as Foxcroft was dismissed after scoring 34 runs off 26 balls with the help of three sixes.

After Foxcroft's dismissal, the Kiwi skipper Michael Bracewell comes out to bat along with Jimmy Neesham. They both put on a partnership of 37 runs before the side lost the wicket of Bracewell at the score of 169 in the 19th over.

In the same over, the Blackcaps lost the wicket of Josh Clarkson who was dismissed on the first ball he faced in the match.

The New Zealand side finished their innings at 178 for the loss of seven wickets after the completion of 20 overs.

The pick of the bowlers for Pakistan was Abbas Afridi who snapped three wickets in his spell of three overs where he conceded 20 runs in his spell. One wicket each was grabbed by Mohammad Amir, Zaman Khan, Usama Mir, and Iftikhar Ahmed in their respective spells.

New Zealand have now taken a 2-1 lead in the series and both teams will square off in the final T20I on Saturday.

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IPL 2024: Rajat Patidar, Spinners Help RCB Snap Six-Match Losing Streak

Rajat Patidar's explosive fifty and a collective effort from the spinners set up Royal Challengers Bengaluru's 35-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2024 game on Thursday, bringing an end to their six-match losing streak. Patidar's 50 off 20 balls stood in stark contrast to Virat Kohli's measured 51 off 43 balls as RCB put up 206 for seven after opting to bat. For a team that has breached the 250-run mark thrice season, the target was very gettable but the in-form SRH batting line-up could not deliver on this occasion and ended at 171 for eight in 20 overs.

It was a much-needed result for RCB, who lost seven of their first eight games. The loss was SRH's third in eight matches.

Considering the effectiveness of the spinners in the first innings, RCB opened the bowling with part-time off-spinner Will Jacks. The English man had the destructive Travis Head (1 off 3) caught at third man to give RCB a massive boost.

Head's opening partner Abhishek Sharma (31 off 13) did entertain the home crowd until his attempted slog ended up in the hands of wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik.

Left-arm spinner Swapnil Singh, making his RCB debut, struck twice in his first over removing the dangerous South Africa duo of Aiden Markram and Henrich Klaasen. While Markram missed a full toss to be adjudged lbw, Klaasen was caught at mid-on after mistiming a lofted drive, leaving SRH at 56 for four in five overs.

Leggie Karn Sharma then dismissed Nitish Reddy and Abdul Samad to shut the door on the opposition.

Earlier, Patidar did the bulk of the work in his 65-run stand with Kohli who was focused on giving the strike to his partner, an approach which was questioned by Sunil Gavaskar on air.

Cameron Green (37 not out off 20) and Swapnil Singh (12 off 6) came up with timely strikes in the death overs to take RCB past 200.

RCB were all guns blazing in the first three overs with Kohli and Faf du Plessis (25 off 12) going hard at the SRH bowlers, including opposition skipper Pat Cummins who conceded 19 runs in his first over.

However, from 43 for no loss of the first 18 balls, RCB could only reach 61 for 1 by the end of the powerplay.

Du Plessis was deceived by a slow short ball from T Natarajan to be caught by Aiden Markram at mid-off. Will Jacks (6 off 9) went for a wild slog sweep off a flighted delivery from leg-spinner Mayank Markande but could not make contact to be bowled, leaving RCB 65 for two in seven overs.

That was when Kohli and Patidar got together to take the innings forward.

The spinners were able to put pressure on the batters after the powerplay. As Kohli went for rotation of strike in this tough phase for RCB, Patidar broke the shackles by smashing Markande for four straight sixes in the 11th over.

The first two hits were down the ground before Patidar read Markande''s googly to send it over mid-wicket. The fourth and final six came off a wide and loopy delivery which Patidar dispatched over extra cover.

Such was the contrast in the style of approaches that Patidar took 19 balls to reach his fifty, while IPL''s leading run-getter Kohli took 37.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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"No Point In Talking": Gill's Blunt Take After GT's Third Loss In 5 Games

The Impact Player has a bit of role to play in making the matches high scoring as he provides the extra cushion for batters to keep going hard at the bowlers, feels Gujarat Titans skipper Shubman Gill. The ongoing IPL season saw its 12th 200 plus score as Delhi Capitals piled on 224 for 4 against Gujarat Titans on Wednesday. "I think impact player has a bit of a role (in making the matches high scoring), even if you lose extra wickets, extra cushion is there for the batters to keep going and it gives the license for the batters to keep going till the end," Gill said after GT's four-run loss.

"I think we played some really good cricket, disappointing to lose in the end, but great character shown by everyone. Great fight till the end and we never thought we were out of the game at any point. When you're chasing 224, there's no point in talking about plans, just go out and score runs."

Despite starting strong, GT bowlers allowed DC to make a comeback as Rishabh Pant and Axar Patel stitched a 113 run-stand and Gill felt his side was guilty of giving away a few extra runs.

"At one stage we thought we will be able to restrict them around 200-210. We gave away a few extra runs in the last couple of overs," Gill said.

"But the good thing about chasing is that you know what you are chasing. It's a small ground, and it's chaseable. Execution becomes very important [for bowlers]. If there's nothing in the wicket for the bowlers, then you have to execute your plans - or your yorkers." 

Winning skipper Pant was back to his destructive best as he smashed 88 not out of 43 balls. He was adjudged the player of the match for his scintillating knock.

The dashing wicketkeeper batter was delighted to be back in the middle after missing cricketing action for over a year due to injury sustained in a serious car accident.

"Everyday that I'm in the middle, I feel better. Every hour on the field matters, I love being on the field," Pant said.

"I try to give it my 100% and it takes some time sometimes. I think the first six in the match gives me the confidence in a game. The more time I spend in the centre, the better I feel." 

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IPL Points Table: DC Dent MI's Playoff Chances Further, Go Level With CSK

Rishabh Pant virtually sealed his spot as India's first choice wicketkeeper for the T20 World Cup with a belligerent unbeaten half-century in Delhi Capitals' narrow four-run win over Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League at Arun Jaitley Stadium on Wednesday. Skipper Pant and Axar Patel forged a blistering stand of 113 runs off 68 balls en route to quickfire individual half-centuries to power DC to 224 for 4 in their must-win game. In reply, Sai Sudarshan (65 off 29 ) and David Miller (55 off 23) scored fifties, while Rashid Khan hit a 11-ball 21 not out but still couldn't take GT over the line, finishing at 220 for 8 in their 20 overs.

The win helped DC jump two spots in the points table to reach the number 6 spot. Meanwhile, Gujarat Titans and Mumbai Indians slipped a place each to move to the 7th and 8th positions, respectively. Rest of the table remained unchanged.

Here is the updated IPL 2024 points table -

Virat Kohli continues to hold the Orange Cap by topping the scorers' chart with 379 runs from 8 matches, while Jasprit Bumrah has the Purple Cap with 13 wickets from 8 games.

Sent in to bat, Pant led from the front, remaining unbeaten on 88 off 43 balls (5X4s, 8X6s), his innings proving to be a timely reminder to the national selectors, who are likely to pick him in India's first XI against Pakistan in the World T20 match in New York, barring fitness issues.

Pant's maturity showed as he paced his innings brilliantly in company of Axar, who made 66 off 43 balls after being promoted to the third spot. His innings was studded with five fours and four sixes.

Chasing 225, GT lost skipper Shubman Gill in the second over but Wriddhiman Saha (39) played some delightful shots and together with Impact Sub Sai Sudharsan shared 82 runs for the second wicket to keep GT in the hunt.

But once Saha departed, Azmatullah Omarzai too was brilliantly caught by Jake Fraser-McGurk at deep midwicket off Axar soon.

But Sudharsan, who got a reprieve in the fifth over, used his long handle to great effect to notch up his fifty off 29 balls.

But with the asking rate constantly creeping up, Sudharsan had to go for his shots which eventually led to his downfall as he was caught by Axar off Salam at long-off. He hit seven fours and two sixes.

Miller (55 off 23, 6X4s, 3X6s) then put up a show to take them closer to the target and once he was out, Rashid gave GT hope with a 11-ball 21-run unbeaten cameo.

Needing 19 runs off the last over, Rashid hit Mukesh Kumar for two consecutive fours in the first two balls and then sent the pacer over the fence in the penultimate ball to reduce the deficit to 5 off the last ball.

But Mukesh kept his calm as Rashid failed to clear the fence as GT fell short.

But Wednesday's game was all about Pant as he squashed all doubts about his World T20 Cup chances with a magnificent innings. The flamboyant keeper batter was also brilliant behind the stumps grabbing two sharp catches.

Earlier, Jake Fraser-McGurk and Prithvi Shaw got DC off to a flying start, racing to 34 in 3 overs.

Fraser-McGurk, who smashed a blistering 18-ball 65 in their last match, looked at his ominous best as he elegantly pulled GT bowlers over the fence but his knock was cut short by Sandeep Warrier as the young Australian was holed out at square-leg by Noor Ahmed.

It was double blow for DC in the fourth over as Shaw was caught by Noor off Warrier two balls later with a good diving effort at the deep backward square leg as the batter went for a maximum.

DC's problems were further compounded when Warrier accounted for his second scalp of the day in the form of Shai Hope, who was latched on by a diving Rashid at cover boundary as DC slumped to 44 for 3 in the powerplay.

With three wickets down, Pant and Axar initially played sensibly and tried to forge a partnership but once they were set, they unleashed their brutal attack.

Pant started slowly but gained in confidence as time progressed and unleashed his trademark pick up shots of his legs, cuts and pulls to score his runs.

While Pant looked in full flow after getting his groove, Axar played the second fiddle but didn't falter to dispatch the bad balls to the fence.

But Axar upped his tempo as the innings progressed and notched up his fifty off 37 balls with a boundary off Rashid in the last ball of the 15th over.

Pant attacked anything which was pitched on his legs as he effortlessly flicked Mohit Sharma for a six over midwicket in the 16th over. He then clobbered Mohit over long-off in the same over to prop up DC's run rate.

Axar matched his skipper stroke-for-stroke as he dispatched Noor for huge back-to-back sixes in the 17th over.

But in search of one too many, Axar perished in the next ball, caught by Sai Kishore at long-on.

Pant brought up his fifty with a hit over the long-on fence off Mohit.

Tristan Stubbs' late seven-ball 26-run cameo and Pant's pyrotechnics towards the end took DC beyond the 200-run mark.

Pant unleashed havoc on Mohit in the last over, hitting the veteran bowler for four sixes and one four to pick up 31 runs.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Had Game In Hand, But...": Gaikwad On Reason Behind CSK's 1st Home Loss

Lucknow Super Giants skipper KL Rahul was all praise for Marcus Stoinis' match-winning 63-ball-124 not out against Chennai Super Kings as he felt that the home team's score of 210 for 4 was at least 30 runs above-par on that particular Chepauk track. Stoinis' special effort overshadowed a classy century by CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in their IPL match on Tuesday as LSG won by six wickets. Meanwhile, CSK skipper Gaikwad, whose century went in vain felt that dew played a big role towards the latter half of the match. “Tough pill to swallow but LSG played a good game at the end. We had the game in hand around the 13th over, but hats off to Stoinis.

“There was a huge part that the dew played. It took the spinners away from the game. We could have taken the game deeper. But it is a part of the game, you can't control the uncontrollable.”

Player of the match Stoinis said: “It is not just a go go. It was ebb and flow. There were some bowlers we targeted, some against whom we were cautious. Nicky Pooran played a good innings, Hooda also.

“It ebbed and flowed. From the inside, you are always structuring. You are liking some bowlers, not liking others much.”

Rahul, who once said strike-rates are over-rated in T20s, admitted that a total like 180 which was considered challenging might not be enough in the day and age of 'Impact Player'.

“Very special (win), especially when it is a game like that. It felt like we were way behind the game in the chase. Just to pull off a victory feels special,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Rahul said their win against CSK in Lucknow had little context on a very different Chennai deck.

“These were different conditions. They got off to a good start and put pressure on the bowlers. I didn't think it was a 210 wicket.

“They batted really well. All credits to Stoinis. He was phenomenal to watch. It was not just power hitting, but was smart batting.” 

Sending Stoinis at No. 3 was a smart move by LSG management and Rahul feels they had to take a "brave" call.

“We wanted to be a lot braver as a team. We had three games, a couple at home, and some away where we couldn't go past 170. We needed one power hitter in the top three. That was the thought process.

“I have also realised that T20 cricket has changed in the last couple of years – 170-180 does not always cut it. You have to go harder in the powerplay.

“The Impact player gives you depth and that gives you more freedom. I have not played T20 cricket in a long time.” 

Asked if Nicholas Pooran can play up the order, the skipper said save him and Quinton de Kock as openers, none of the other positions are fixed.

“There is no set plan. Apart from the openers everyone is set to go at any point. The last game, Pooran walked in at three. Hope I get the fielder of the award.” 

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IPL 2024 Points Table: What 2nd Consecutive Loss vs LSG Means For CSK

Chennai Super Kings dropped to the fifth spot in the IPL 2024 points table after suffering a six-wicket loss against Lucknow Super Giants on Tuesday. Ruturaj Gaikwad's century went in vain as Marcus Stoinis slammed an unbeaten 124 to guide LSG to victory. CSK have 8 points in 8 matches right now with a healthy Net Run Rate of 0.415. On the other hand, LSG moved up to fourth with 10 points from 8 matches but their NRR is not better than CSK's. Rajasthan Royals are at the top of the table with 14 points followed by Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad (both with 10 points).

KL Rahul was all praise for Marcus Stoinis' match-winning 63-ball-124 not out against Chennai Super Kings as he felt that the home team's score of 210 for 4 was at least 30 runs above-par on that particular Chepauk track.

Stoinis' special effort overshadowed a classy century by CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad in their IPL match on Tuesday as LSG won by six wickets.

Rahul, who once said strike-rates are over-rated in T20s, admitted that a total like 180 which was considered challenging might not be enough in the day and age of 'Impact Player'.

“Very special (win), especially when it is a game like that. It felt like we were way behind the game in the chase. Just to pull off a victory feels special,” Rahul said at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Rahul said their win against CSK in Lucknow had little context on a very different Chennai deck.

“These were different conditions. They got off to a good start and put pressure on the bowlers. I didn't think it was a 210 wicket.

“They batted really well. All credits to Stoinis. He was phenomenal to watch. It was not just power hitting, but was smart batting.” Sending Stoinis at No. 3 was a smart move by LSG management and Rahul feels they had to take a "brave" call.

“We wanted to be a lot braver as a team. We had three games, a couple at home, and some away where we couldn't go past 170. We needed one power hitter in the top three. That was the thought process.

“I have also realised that T20 cricket has changed in the last couple of years – 170-180 does not always cut it. You have to go harder in the powerplay.

“The Impact player gives you depth and that gives you more freedom. I have not played T20 cricket in a long time.” Asked if Nicholas Pooran can play up the order, the skipper said save him and Quinton de Kock as openers, none of the other positions are fixed.

“There is no set plan. Apart from the openers everyone is set to go at any point. The last game, Pooran walked in at three. Hope I get the fielder of the award.” CSK skipper Gaikwad, whose century went in vain felt that dew played a big role towards the latter half of the match.

“Tough pill to swallow but LSG played a good game at the end. We had the game in hand around the 13th over, but hats off to Stoinis.

“There was a huge part that the dew played. It took the spinners away from the game. We could have taken the game deeper. But it is a part of the game, you can't control the uncontrollable.” Player of the match Stoinis said: “It is not just a go go. It was ebb and flow. There were some bowlers we targeted, some against whom we were cautious. Nicky Pooran played a good innings, Hooda also.

“It ebbed and flowed. From the inside you are always structuring. You are liking some bowlers, not liking others much.” 

(With PTI inputs)

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Stoinis Ton Trumps Gaikwad's Knock, Helps LSG Beat CSK By Six Wickets

Marcus Stoinis made a bustling unbeaten hundred, a perfect anti-thesis to Ruturaj Gaikwad's classy century to shepherd Lucknow Super Giants to a stunning six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL match on Tuesday. Stoinis (124, 63b, 13x4, 6x6) helped the Super Giants to mount the highest chase – 211 – at the Chepauk in IPL, ending up at 213 for four. Gaikwad (108, 60b, 12x4, 3x6) and Shivam Dube (66, 27b, 3x4, 7x6) added 104 runs for the fourth-wicket stand to power the Super Kings to a competitive 210 for four. Thus, LSG also scored a rare back-to-back home and away win over Chennai as they had won the match at Ekana Stadium a few days back.

Stoinis' innings was in direct contrast to the silken smooth knock of Gaikwad.

The Australian's 6'1 inch frame is a storehouse of power and he made no effort to hide it too, crunching some fours and sixes, and nothing was more special than his maximum off pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who had earlier consumed LSG skipper KL Rahul cheaply.

Rahman pitched an off-cutter slightly fuller on the off-stump from over the wicket, but Stoinis produced a physics-defying straight crunch over the bowlers' head for a six.

At the other end, Pooran was on overdrive from ball one, partly because of the linear 55-run stand between Stoinis and a struggling Devdutt Padikkal (13, 19b), whose misery was ended when Pathirana produced a 151 kmph scorcher to uproot the batter's leg stump.

It mandated that Pooran, who added 70 with Stoinis, did not have the luxury of taking his time to settle in, but he was up to the task and smoked Shardul Thakur for 20 runs in the 16th over including two sixes and a four.

Pooran's dismissal by pacer Matheesha Pathirana left the task of taking LSG home to Stoinis, who reduced the equation robbing 15 runs off the 19th over bowled by the Lankan.

Stoinis needed to take 17 runs off the last over bowled by Rahman and did the job with three balls to spare, smashing the Bangladesh left-arm quick for 6, 4, 4 ( 1NB) and 4.

Earlier, Gaikwad and Dube gave steam to Super Kings innings after a rather subdued Power Play (49/2) and the middle passage.

The CSK should primarily thank Gaikwad, who played an innings which was a connoisseur's delight, for that total after the early departure of Ajinkya Rahane, who was caught superbly by stumper KL Rahul off Matt Henry.

The batting in this iteration of the IPL has been all about scorching the ball far and wide but Gaikwad took a classic route, timing the ball through the gaps for fours.

In fact, his first fifty contained no fours but still he managed to maintain a strike-rate of above 180 during that phase.

The fifty came off just 28 balls. The most spectacular shot that Gaikwad played on the night was a slice-cut off pacer Mohsin Khan that beat the point fielder for a boundary.

However, his focus was also on constructing useful alliances with his teammates as 45 runs were made with Daryl Mitchell and 52 were made alongside Ravindra Jadeja (17).

However, both Mitchell (11), who was dropped on four, and Jadeja would rue missing out on a chance to chip in with a far bigger knock.

While Gaikwad was the main contributor in those partnerships, the pressure was slightly lifted off his shoulders once Dube arrived at the crease.

The left-hander played some powerful hits around the field and, not so surprisingly, fetched CSK's first six of the innings in the 13th over off Stoinis.

Gaikwad soon slammed the first six of his innings in the 45th ball he faced –pulling Stoinis' half-tracker over mid-wicket.

However, Dube seamlessly slipped into his six-hitting avatar and pacer Yash Thakur bore the brunt as the left-hander smashed him for three successive sixes.

Gaikwad, who reached 99 with a six off Thakur over extra cover, reached his second IPL hundred with a four in the next ball off the same bowler as he made 16 runs in the 18th over.

Gaikwad and Dube brought up 100 of their partnership in just 46 balls.

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Hardik's "Hitting Ability Doing Down": Ex-India Star Shows No Mercy

The Indian cricket team's provisional squad for the T20 World Cup 2024 is going to be picked at the end of April. Needless to say, while some names are automatic picks, their form in the IPL 2024 shows a probable picture about their likely form at the T20 World Cup. Keeping that in mind, the first four weeks of the IPL 2024 has raised some concerns. On top of the list is Hardik Pandya's form. As India's no. 1 fast bowling allrounder, Pandya is almost indispensable in the Indian limited over side. 

However, the Mumbai Indians captain's display at the IPL 2024 has been far from satisfactory. Pandya has so far scored only 151 in eight matches at a strike-rate of 142.45. For a middle-order batter like Pandya, those numbers in T20s don't augur well at all. With the ball also he has taken only four wickets in eight matches.

Former Indian cricket team star Irfan Pathan, member of the 2007 T20 World Cup, raised several 

"Hardik Pandya's hitting ability is going down. That's a big worry on a larger picture. At the Wankhede he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him," Irfan Pathan wrote in a post on X.

Hardik Pandya's hitting ability is going down. That's a big worry on a larger picture. At the wankhede he is different but on pitches where there is little help is what is worrisome for him.

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) April 22, 2024

Recently, former Indian cricket team player Robin Uthappa, also member of the 2007 T20 World Cup winning team, spoke in detail about Hardik Pandya's ordeal on The Ranveer Show. Pandya has been trolled massively since he replaced Rohit Sharma as the captain of Mumbai Indians.

""He is a guy who has got the calibre and potential to be an all-time great for Indian team. He was let go by the team which discovered him, he went to another franchise. After winning 3-4 titles with them, he left. He must have felt a little bad; that will be there. He went to GT, won a title and finished runners-up in another. Then the conversation began," Uthappa said.

"The mocking, trolling, the memes about his fitness. You don't think it hurts him? It hurts him. It hurts any human being. How many people actually know the reality of it? Hardik is dealing with mental health issues, for sure. We, as people, I understand, as Indians, we are emotional. But it is not right to impose this kind of treatment on any human being. It is unbecoming as a society for us to do that to someone and be okay with it. We should not be laughing along with it. We should not be forwarding these memes."

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IPL 2024: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sandeep Sharma Guide RR To Huge Win Over MI

Yashasvi Jaiswal roared back to form with a terrific hundred after Sandeep Sharma's maiden five-for as a rampaging Rajasthan Royals hammered Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League on Monday. After Sandeep returned 4-0-18-5 to record the best bowling figures this IPL, Jaiswal found form at last in Rajasthan's final home game at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, flaying the Mumbai Indians attack during his 104 not out off 60 balls. Despite a rain intervention delaying the proceedings, Rajasthan did not face much challenge in overhauling a 180-run target set by Mumbai Indians, reaching 183/1 in 18.4 overs. The contest also witnessed India and RR spinner Yuzvendra Chahal entering history books with 200 dismissals.

After Jaiswal put on 79 runs for the opening wicket with Jos Buttler (35, 25 balls, 6x4s), he added another unbeaten 109 for the second wicket with Sanju Samson (38 not out).

Jaiswal, who came into this IPL after an immensely successful five-Test series against England, had blown hot and cold. While he repeatedly got quick starts, Jaiswal was not able to convert those into anything substantial until this contest.

The 22-year-old finally overcame the obstacle, unleashing powerful pulls and delightful drives in his knock, which contained nine fours and seven sixes.

With this knock, Jaiswal joined Buttler to have scored a century for RR this season. Between them, the pair shares three centuries in this IPL already.

On a benign surface and up against a lopsided bowling attack, Jaiswal flourished right from the word go and went on to register a knock of highest quality — one that would bring him back in contention for a spot in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup.

The massive margin of win for the Royals, meanwhile, consolidated their position at the top of the points table.

The Sanju Samson-led side now has 14 points in its kitty with a Net Run Rate of 0.698 with the win firming up their claim for a spot in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the tone was set by Royals' opening pair of Jaiswal and Buttler, who knocked off 61 runs from the target in the power play before the rains intervened.

MI deployed their ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah for two overs in the power play for a mere 11 runs, but the others were exposed again.

As has been the case with MI this year, the other bowlers remained poor despite injecting fresh option in Nuwan Thushara (0/28). RR took 50 runs off the remaining four overs in the power play to stay on top.

The DRS reading showed RR were 20 runs ahead of the par score when the rain halted proceedings.

Jaiswal and Rajasthan Royals picked up from where they left off, peppering almost all areas with exquisite strokes to keep charging towards their target.

Rajasthan Royals were also aided in their cause by ordinary effort in the field by Mumbai Indians.

Jaiswal was given a reprieve by Nehal Wadhera who spilled a catch near the ropes which ended in a six, and soon after, Tim David dropped a regulation chance at long on off Hardik Pandya when Samson was batting on 19.

Earlier, Sandeep grabbed his maiden five-wicket haul in the IPL to help Rajasthan Royals restrict Mumbai Indians to 179/9.

Coming back after an injury layoff, Sandeep (5/18) claimed three of his five wickets in a terrific final over while also accounting for Tilak Varma, whose 45-ball 65 (4x4s, 3x6s) lifted MI from a precarious position.

With their top-order blown away without any resistance for the second time this season by Rajasthan, MI were struggling at 52/4 at one stage.

But Varma and Wadhera (49) fought their way through adversity to deliver the goods for Mumbai Indians, putting on 99 runs for the fifth wicket.

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IPL 2024 Points Table: How Win Over Punjab Kings Impacts Gujarat Titans

R Sai Kishore shone with figures of 4 for 33 in four overs as Gujarat Titans eased past Punjab Kings by three wickets for their fourth win in the 2024 IPL in Mullanpur on Sunday. It was a dominant day for the spinners as the trio of Sai Kishore, Rashid Khan (1/15) and Noor Ahmed (2/20) exposed an ill-equipped Punjab Kings with their guile to dismiss them for a below-par 142. Liam Livingstone, who juggles between leg-break and off-spin, struck twice in the middle overs to keep Punjab Kings alive in the game. However, he did not get much support from fellow spinner Harpreet Brar, who leaked 35 in his four overs in a low-scoring affair.

With 42 runs to get off 30 balls, Titans eventually recorded a comfortable win in 19.1 overs courtesy a pressure releasing cameo from Rahul Tewatia (36 not out off 16).

It was Gujarat Titans' fourth win in eight games while Punjab Kings suffered their sixth loss in eight matches.

The victory helped GT move to the sixth spot with Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals slipping a place each in the points table.

Earlier in the day, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Royal Challengers Bengaluru by one run at Eden Gardens. KKR hold the second spot in the table while RCB are at the bottom.

Here is the updated IPL 2024 points table -

Virat Kohli continues to hold the Orange Cap by topping the scorers' chart with 379 runs from 8 matches, while Jasprit Bumrah has the Purple Cap with 13 wickets from 7 games.

Talking about the PBKS vs GT game, Shubman Gill (35 off 29) got tough runs at the top of the order before falling to a mistimed aerial hit off Livingstone. Sai Sudharsan (31 off 33) also found stroke making hard while the dangerous David Miller was Livingstone's second victim.

Punjab Kings were able to apply the pressure in the middle overs but Tewatia defused their threat with a timely onslaught comprising six boundaries.

Earlier, there was enough help for the spinners and Punjab Kings' surrender against Sai Kishore and Co made the visitors' task easier.

Punjab Kings, who have been among the worst performing batting teams in the powerplay this season, made brisk start to reach 45 for no loss in five overs.

However, their innings went downhill thereafter as the spin trio of Sai Kishore, Rashid and Noor exposed the opposition with their guile.

Struggling up till now, Prabhsimran Singh (35 off 21) found some much needed rhythm before he fell in the sixth over, triggering a dramatic collapse.

Soon after guiding Mohit Sharma (2/32) for a six over third man, Prabhsimran charged down the wicket only to be caught behind.

The spin trio then broke the backbone of Punjab batting. Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore, who led Tamil Nadu to the Ranji Trophy semi-final this season, varied his pace effectively to trouble the opposition batters.

Pressure was maintained from other end as well via Noor and Rashid.

Noor's first victim was Rilee Rossouw (9 off 7), who was trapped lbw while attempting a sweep shot. Skipper Sam Curran (20 off 19) departed in the following over from Rashid and the DRS call that ruled him lbw left him and his opponents surprised.

Livingstone (6 off 9) tried to work a Noor googly towards mid-wicket but leading edge went to Rahul Tewatia stationed at the first slip.

Sai Kishore also got rid of an out of sorts Jitesh Sharma (13 off 12) to make it 86 for five in 12th over.

As often has been the case this season, the uncapped duo of Shashank Singh and Ashutosh Sharma were required to do the heavy lifting but they fell cheaply this time to make matters worse for Punjab.

Thanks to Harpreet Brar (29 off 12), the hosts got past the 140-run mark.

(With PTI Inputs)

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"Would Never See Rohit Say Something Like That": Raina Rips Into Du Plessis

The Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) haven't been up to their best in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024, winning just one game in 7 matches so far. Be it the performances of some youngsters in the team or their veterans, RCB have barely found things they could be proud of. In fact, the franchise's captain Faf du Plessis has often singled out players who cost the team the match. But, such comments weren't welcomed by his former Chennai Super Kings teammate Suresh Raina. (IPL 2024 Points Table)

After RCB's loss in the match against the Rajasthan Royals, Du Plessis highlighted the 20-run over by Mayank Dagar as the game-changer. "The pitch definitely got better; you could feel it; the ball was skidding along nicely. We were excellent in the first four overs. I think that 20 runs over (from Dagar) took the momentum away and shifted the pressure back on us."

Raina, in an interview with Lallantop, slammed Du Plessis for throwing his teammate under the bus. He even asserted that someone like Rohit Sharma would never make such a comment about his teammate.

"If you speak something like this about a junior in front of the press, it's not right. The captain himself hasn't been scoring runs. I've played with Faf for many years and he's a dear friend, but he should support the youngsters. You'd never see Rohit Sharma say something like this."

During the chat, Raina also opened up about his plans to open an academy in J&K.

"I wanted to open my first academy in Jammu and Kashmir because I know that there are many talented kids there. A lot of talent has come from there in domestic cricket, international cricket, and in the IPL. They are very passionate. The kids have bat and ball on the right side and AK47 on the left side. The easy option for them was the left one; there have been stone-throwing incidents as well. However, I wanted them to choose bat and ball," said Raina.

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IPL Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap: SRH's Big Win Impacts KKR, CSK

Rishabh Pant's emotional homecoming didn't pan out into a dream script as Sunrisers Hyderabad adhered to their season's template by out-batting Delhi Capitals in a 67-run win in an IPL 2024 match at Arun Jaitley Stadium to consolidate their position in the league table on Saturday. It was Travis Head's 32-ball-89 and his carnage in unison with Abhishek Sharma (46 off 12 balls) that ensured another match-winning total of 266 for 7 for SRH in their 20 overs. A record Powerplay score of 125/0 gave SRH the base and at one point, the first-ever 300-plus total in IPL looked a distinct possibility.

In reply, Jake-Fraser McGurk's equally aggressive and attractive 18-ball-65 raised visions of an improbable win as he added 84 runs for the third wicket along with Abhishek Porel (42 off 22 balls) in just five overs.

Once Fraser-McGurk was gone, DC went off the boil and they were all-out for 199 in 19.1 overs.

T Natarajan's superb use of slower bouncers and figures of 4 for 19 went a long way to ensure that SRH are now second behind Rajasthan Royals (12 points) in the points table with 10 points. This saw Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings slip to the third and fourth position, respectively. Rajasthan Royals, meanwhile, stayed at the table top.

DC's big loss saw them lose a spot and go to the 7th position. Meanwhile, Mumbai Indians got benefited from it as they rose to 6th spot.

Here is the updated IPL 2024 points table:

Virat Kohli continues to hold the Orange Cap with 361 runs to his name from 7 matches. Meanwhile, Jasprit Bumrah too keeps the Purple Cap with himself with 13 wickets from 7 games.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Gambhir Opens Up On Viral "Messi-Ronaldo" Meme, Chooses "Better" Player

Former India batter and Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir is widely popular for his contributions in both international cricket and IPL. However, he is also popular for having a no-nonsense approach and giving blunt replies during media interactions. Few months ago, Gambhir was asked to choose his favourite football player between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. However, former KKR skipper did not choose any of the two and named Marcus Rashford. This answer by Gambhir became a viral meme on social media.

Recently, Gambhir opened up about this incident in a video shared by KKR and stated that he was asked to choose his "favourite" player and none of the two players are his favourites.

"If someone asks me 'which is your favourite team? Liverpool or Arsenal?' If you are asking me to choose my favourite team, then you can't give me an option," Gambhir told actor Cyrus Broacha in an episode of Knights Dugout.

"Messi or Ronaldo, who's a better player?"
GG finally reveals.

Do not miss EP 1 of the #KnightsDugout Podcast with Cyrus Broacha ft. Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey - OUT NOW on KKR YouTube, Facebook and #KnightClub App! pic.twitter.com/fuHBKoj72I

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 20, 2024

On the question of choosing between Messi and Ronaldo, Gambhir said, "I don't like both of them. Then, what do I say? none?"

He further explains his statement by stating that the question should be that who is a better player between Messi and Ronaldo.

When asked the same question by Cyrus, Gambhir gives a straight answer, "Ronaldo."

Talking about KKR, the two-time champions are having a brilliant campaign at the IPL 2024 as they have won four matches out of six and are currently standing at the second spot in the points table.

They will next square off against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in their IPL 2024 match on Sunday at the Eden Gardens.

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'Temporary Hearing Loss': LSG Star's Wife Issues Warning On Dhoni's Entry

MS Dhoni fans on Friday got treated with a vintage innings from the Chennai Super Kings former captain. Facing Lucknow Super Giants in Lucknow and with his team down by six wickets, MS Dhoni came at the crease late and made an instant impact. The World Cup-winning captain hit two sixes and three fours to score a nine-ball 28*. The late cameo was crucial in CSK scoring 176/6 in 20 overs. The short but entertaining knock had the Lucknow crowd on its feet.

Though the match was played in Lucknow, the support was immense for CSK and especially Dhoni. LSG star opener Quinton de Kock's wife Sasha was at the stands where the crowd at the Ekana Stadium burst into a loud cheer for MS Dhoni as decibel levels rose. 

 Sasha posted an image on Instagram stories with the captain, "When MS Dhoni comes out to bat." Along with the caption she posted an image of a notification on her smartwatch saying, "Loud environment - Sound level hits 95 decibels. Just 10 minutes at this level can cause temporary hearing loss."

LSG had checked CSK's run flow until Moeen Ali (30 off 20 balls) and MS Dhoni (28 off 9) went berserk to take CSK to a fighting 176 for six.

"Halfway stage, I would have been happy with 160. Felt the wicket was slow, a bit of grip but not too much. 160-165 would have been ideal," LSG captain KL Rahul said.

"But MSD walks in and the bowlers feel intimidated. He walks in and bowlers were under pressure, the crowd was really loud, he has done it in the past."

Chasing 177, Rahul (82) and De Kock (54) batted with authority during their match-winning alliance of 134, the highest partnership for any wicket at the Ekana Stadium, as LSG scored 180 for 2 in 19 overs.

"Felt that if we bat well, we could chase it down. I have been trying to assess the situation and today it came off. With Chennai's spinners, they tried to put brakes on us," he said.

"We tried to get to a good start. Tried to take them down, luckily it came off. When your partnership goes on, you can take a few more chances. Glad that it happened."

With PTI inputs

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Explained: Why Dhoni's Blistering Cameo Was Not Enough For CSK To Beat LSG

Openers KL Rahul and Quinton de Kock, who made classy fifties on a slow pitch, produced a chasing masterclass to power Lucknow Super Giants to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in their IPL 2024 match at Ekana Cricket Stadium on Friday. Asked to bat first, Ravindra Jadeja came up with a solid unbeaten 57 before Mooen Ali (30 off 20) and MS Dhoni (28 off 9) went on a six-hitting spree to take CSK to a fighting 176 for six.

In reply, Rahul (82) and De Kock (54) batted with authority during their match-winning alliance of 134, the highest partnership for any wicket at the Ekana Stadium, as LSG scored 180 for 2 in 19 overs to recover from back-to-back loss and consolidate their position in the table.

CSK, who came into the match with twin wins, on the other hand, slumped to their third loss in this IPL.

Guilty of not capitalising on his starts, Rahul finally lived up to the expectations, smashing nine fours and three sixes in 53 balls, while De Kock overcame a scratchy start to hit five fours and a six in his 43-ball knock.

Chasing 177, Rahul was the aggressor as he played some magnificent strokes to give LSG a flying start.

The skipper was harsh on Deepak Chahar as he pulled the pacer for a six, before slapping him for another maximum over cover. He also hit him for a four off a slower delivery.

Rahul also produced a punch off the backfoot for a boundary off pacer Mustafizur Rahman as runs came thick and fast.

De Kock too smashed Tushar Deshpande for a maximum over deep midwicket as the powerplay yielded 54 for 0.

Rahul next sent a short-pitched ball from pacer Matheesha Pathirana over the third man for another maximum and the bowler was left further demoralised when he dropped De Kock's catch at short third man off Jadeja in the ninth over.

After 10 overs, LSG were 89 for no loss.

Rahul notched up his 35th fifty with a four off Jadeja in the 11th over and then picked up another boundary to complete a 100-run opening stand with De Kock.

De Kock, who was subdued in the last three games, then reached his fifty in the 15th over with a single off Mustafizur, who removed him in the last ball.

However, Nicholas Pooran came out with all cylinders blazing, slamming Pathirana for a maximum, before sending Mustafizur on a leather hunt.

A one-handed catch from Jadeja finally ended Rahul's fabulous knock but it was too late as Pooran (23 not out) and Marcus Stoinis (8 not out) knocked off the remaining runs.

Earlier, Rahul was spot on with his bowling changes as the pacers put the CSK batters under pressure initially before spinner Krunal Pandya tightened the noose in the middle overs.

Opener Rachin Ravindra's (0) awful run continued as left-arm pacer Mohsin rattled his stumps, while Ruturaj Gaikwad (17) fell to Yash Thakur, who induced an outside edge from the CSK skipper.

Rahane (36), who opened the innings again, played some exquisite shots, pulling LSG debutant Matt Henry for the first six of their innings as 13 came off that over.

The Mumbaikar also carted two fours off Thakur to accumulate another 13 runs in the fifth over.

Jadeja, promoted to no. 4, picked a boundary off Henry in the next over as CSK scored 52 for 2 in the first six overs.

Owing to the slowness of the track, LSG skipper immediately introduced spinners Krunal and Bishnoi and the former struck in his second over, cleaning up Rahane.

CSK's man-in-form Shivam Dube too failed to fire with Stoinis (1/7) justifying Rahul's decision to hand over the ball to him, striking in his first ball as the left-handed batter sliced one up in the air.

Krunal then returned to dismiss impact player Sameer Rizvi, who paid the price for his premeditated dance down the track as CSK lost half their side with 90 on board.

Jadeja, who played some cracking sweep shots, held one end up and completed his fifty with a six off Mohsin to bring out his trademark sword-wielding celebration.

Rahul's decision to give another over to Bishnoi, however, backfired as Moeen slammed three sixes as 19 came off the 18th over before perishing.

LSG paid the price for a sloppy overrate as Dhoni slammed a four and a six off Mohsin before smashing Thakur for another maximum. He finished the innings with two more fours as 19 came off the last over.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Will India's 156.7 Kmph Pace Sensation Return vs CSK? LSG Coach Says...

Young fast bowler Mayank Yadav has been a revelation for Lucknow Super Giants in the ongoing IPL 2024 as he produced a sensational match-winning performance on his debut. Mayank, who bowled the fastest delivery of this year's competition at 156.7 Kmph, followed it up with another three-wicket haul that guided his team to victory against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. However, a side strain during the game against Gujarat Titans came as a big blow to the youngster and since then, he has not featured in the competition till now. Ahead of LSG's game against Chennai Super Kings, LSG assistant coach Lance Klusener provided a massive fitness update on Mayank and when he can potentially make his return.

“I am not sure regarding his participation in tomorrow's match against Chennai. He has been bowling in the nets but his fitness is our priority. But can't say anything regarding his participation,” Klusener said.

Earlier, LSG took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to post a video showing Mayank Yadav bowling at nets ahead of the huge clash against Chennai Super Kings.

"Phir se udd chala," the caption said.

Meanwhile, former Australia cricketer Tom Moody backed Mayank Yadav to be in contention for a spot in the India squad for the T20 World Cup 2024.

"He is definitely in the conversation. Whether you take that risk punting on him or not is another conversation because you also need to consider what skillset you need in that reserve fast bowler - is it someone who is a powerplay bowler, or someone who has the ability to bowl at the death, all those subtle skillsets are important when you are talking about a T20 World Cup," said Moody.

Former New Zealand pacer Mitchell McClenaghan also echoed a similar sentiment.

"If his form continues throughout this tournament, the World Cup starts six days after the IPL, I think it would be crazy not to look at the players who are in form going into that tournament," McClenaghan said.

"He may not have the caps behind him, but if he continues this vein of form and can keep his pace up throughout the whole tournament and keep winning games - he has won two games in a row, his first two games - then you are right in the mix. Long shot but you would not say never," he added.

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