"No Excuses For This": Ravi Shastri Rips Into CSK Crawl To 103/9 vs KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders produced an inspired bowling effort to restrict Chennai Super Kings to a lowly 103 for 9 in an Indian Premier League match here on Friday. Sent into bat, CSK never really got going as they lost wickets at regular intervals to be limited to their lowest total at home. Shivam Dube ( 31 not out), Vijay Shankar (29) and Rahul Tripathi (16) were the main run getters for CSK.

"No excuses for this," Ravi Shastri was blunt in his analysis while doing commentary for Star Sports.

Sunil Narine didn't concede a single boundary in his miserly spell of 3-13 as a clinical performance of Kolkata Knight Riders' bowlers helped them restrict a listless Chennai Super Kings to a below-par 103/9, their lowest total at their home venue MA Chidambaram Stadium, here on Friday.

On a black-soil pitch, spin dictated terms from the word go, Narine, Varun Chakaravarthy and Moeen Ali, brought to counter left-handed batters, picked six wickets collectively as CSK's batting never got going.

CSK wanted to bat first after losing the toss, but didn't take full advantage of their decision as they could never break free from the disciplined bowling by KKR bowlers. It took Shivam Dube's unbeaten 29-ball 31 to save CSK from being all out for their lowest total (79) in IPL's history.

Devon Conway began by taking two boundaries off pacer Vaibhav Arora, before being dismissed for 12 when his attempt to reverse-sweep off Moeen resulted in him being trapped lbw in a wicket-maiden over. In the next over, CSK were dealt another blow when Rachin Ravindra miscued a slog off Harshit Rana and was caught at cover.

KKR could have got another wicket if Vijay Shankar wasn't dropped by Moeen at mid-off when on zero. From there, Shankar pulled and lofted Chakaravarthy for boundaries, before hoicking Moeen over mid-wicket for six. Shankar's charmed life continued when Venkatesh Iyer dropped him at mid-wicket on 20.

With PTI and IANS inputs 

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/0wdyYbj

Dhoni's Reaction After Replacing Gaikwad As CSK Captain: "Had No..."

MS Dhoni will once again lead Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. When CSK get down to action against Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL 2025 match in Chennai on Friday, all eyes will be on the most successful IPL captain - MS Dhoni. However, the situation that CSK find itself in is not at all ideal. The five-time champions have lost four out of five matches, they are placed 9th in the 10-team league and now regular captain Ruturaj Gaikwad is also out due to an elbow injury. In this scenario, MS Dhoni steps in to revive CSK's campaign.   

CSK coach Stephen Fleming said MS Dhoni was not at all averse to the idea of leading CSK again. 

"He had no hesitation to step up and help guide us out of this if we can," Fleming said. "So that was never a doubt. We'll look at replacements. We've got some good players in the squad that have been with us a while, so we'll look from within first. But yeah, there is an opportunity to see how we can enhance the squad probably moving forward into subsequent years."

Dhoni had previously captained CSK from 2008 till 2023 and won five IPL titles. He handed over the captaincy to Gaikwad ahead of the 2024 season. Gaikwad sustained the blow when he was hit by a short ball from Jofra Archer on March 30, and since then he has played two games.

"We have an uncapped player, MS Dhoni, who will take over as captain for the remainder of the IPL," Fleming told mediapersons ahead of the match against KKR on Friday.

"He got hit in Guwahati (vs RR). He's been operating with an amount of pain. We got an X-ray, which was inconclusive, and we had an MRI, which revealed a fracture in his elbow, in the radial neck," Fleming said.

While Gaikwad played through pain against Delhi Capitals and Punjab Kings, the CSK medical team could only get his MRI done after the swelling subsided.

"So we're disappointed and feel for him. We appreciate the efforts that he's gone to in terms of trying to play, but, he will be out of the tournament.

While Gaikwad has easily been the best batter in the last five games, he has often been left frustrated by a floundering top order and below-par show by the middle order, where CSK haven't been able to chase anything in excess of 180.

CSK doesn't have too many options now apart from bringing back Rahul Tripathi in the top-three although he has looked terribly out of place so far.

Deepak Hooda, one of the seasoned CSK players, can come in the middle order.

CSK can also look at the untested Delhi boy Vansh Bedi to do some power hitting.

The Chennai team is entitled to a substitute player and it could be Mumbai teenager Ayush Mhatre filling in that slot. 

With PTI inputs

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/XkZdzlN

Kohli's Rs 110 Crore 8-Year Contract With Puma Ends, Star Set To Join...

Virat Kohli's long-time association with sports apparel giant Puma has ended, according to several reports. "Sports brand PUMA India confirms the end of its longtime partnership with cricketer and brand ambassador Virat Kohli. PUMA wishes Virat the best for his future endeavours and said it was a wonderful association with him spanning over several years, many outstanding campaigns, and path-breaking product collaborations. As a sports brand, PUMA will continue to actively invest in the next generation of athletes and aggressively build the future of the sporting ecosystem in India," a Puma spokesperson reportedly said. 

According to a report in livemint.com, Kohli is going to join sports athleisure firm Agilitas. According to the report, "Agilitas was founded in 2023 by former Puma India and South-East Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly. The company makes and retails sportswear goods in India and abroad. Last year, Agilitas acquired long-term licence rights for Italian sports brand Lotto in India, Australia, and South Africa."

The report further claimed: "Virat Kohli is reportedly in talks to invest in Agilitas after concluding his eight-year contract with Puma. The announcement is expected soon, coinciding with the IPL, as Kohli aims to create a global sportswear identity."

Virat Kohli has emphasised how the IPL's format and dynamic structure have influenced his T20 game.

While speaking on Jio Hotstar, Kohli highlighted the unique mental and competitive challenges of the IPL and emphasised its dynamic nature compared to shorter bilateral series.

He described how the constantly changing points table created different kinds of pressure, whether it was maintaining a lead, bouncing back from a slump, or battling for a playoff spot. This dynamic environment pushed players to adapt and evolve their T20 skills, ultimately driving them to improve constantly.

"IPL challenges you in a very unique way because of how the tournament is structured. It's not like a short bilateral series; it spans several weeks, and your position on the points table keeps shifting. That constantly changing scenario brings different kinds of pressure. When you are at the top, there's the pressure to maintain that lead. If you're near the bottom, you need extra motivation to bounce back. And if you're somewhere in the middle, where you need to win, say, three out of five games, even a single loss can suddenly add a lot of pressure. This dynamic nature of the tournament pushes you mentally and competitively in various ways other formats don't. It's also driven me to improve and evolve my T20 skill set constantly," Virat Kohli said while speaking on '18 Calling 18' on JioHotstar.

With ANI inputs 

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/cUEy0X7

"Maybe I'll Get Another Chance": Sarfaraz Ahmed Hopes To Make A Comeback

Former Pakistan skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed is undoubtedly one of the best players of the country. Making his debut in 2007 in an ODI match against India, Sarfaraz went on to score 2315 runs in ODIs, 3031 runs in Tests, and 818 runs in T20Is. Under his captaincy, Pakistan also clinched the 2017 Champions Trophy title after defeating India in the summit clash. However, Sarfaraz last played for Pakistan in December 2023 in a Test match against Australia and has apparently fallen out of the scheme of things.

Ahead of the 10th edition of the Pakistan Super League, Sarfaraz also joined Quetta Gladiators as the team director. Recently, he also opened up on the speculations about his international retirement.

"I haven't announced my retirement yet. When someone has played cricket all their life, it obviously hurts to stay away from the game. There comes a time when every player has to step away from cricket, but I try to make the most of whatever matches I get," said Sarfaraz in an interview with Cricket Pakistan.

Keeping his hopes of a comeback alive, the 37-year-old batter stated that he would be giving his 100 per cent if he still get's a chance.

"I still keep some hope alive that maybe I'll get another chance. I never said that I have to play for Pakistan - of course, it's every player's dream to represent their country. I just want to perform well in whatever cricket I play and give my 100 percent," said Sarfaraz.

"When I feel the moment has arrived, I'll say it myself - yes, my cricket is over now," he added.

The 37-year-old has represented Pakistan in 54 Tests, 117 ODIs and 61 T20Is, amassing 6,164 runs across the three formats, including six centuries and 32 fifties.

It was under his leadership, that Pakistan lifted their maiden ICC Champions Trophy in 2017 by overwhelming arch-rival India with a stunning 180-run victory in a blockbuster final.

With Sarfaraz at the helm, Pakistan stood victorious in 11 consecutive T20I series, the most by any captain from the country.

Since then, he has slowly found himself on the sidelines, bidding his time for a possible breakthrough. He made his last Test appearance in 2023 in Australia.

(With ANI Inputs)

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/Ti4YMOH

Virat Kohli's Surprising Instagram Act Has Internet Saying: "Finally..."

Virat Kohli is one of the most followed celebrities across social media platforms. He has 271 million followers on Instagram, while in X he has 67.7 million followers. He is among the top athletes in the world, when it comes to brand endorsements. On Wednesday, Kohli removed promotional post in his Instagram account to the reels section. While no reason was given, the act got the internet intrigued. Kohli had retired from T20 Internationals in the middle of last year after helping India win their second T20 World Cup in the Americas, having played 125 matches to score 4,188 runs with one century and 38 fifties at an average of 48.69 and strike rate of 137.04.

Virat Kohli's Instagram feed is now ad-free. pic.twitter.com/efjLhdmB2s

— Prathamesh Avachare (@onlyprathamesh) April 8, 2025

Virat Kohli's Instagram feed is now ad-free. pic.twitter.com/efjLhdmB2s

— Prathamesh Avachare (@onlyprathamesh) April 8, 2025

Go & Check #ViratKohli Instagram.
All the Ads have been removed... Finally. pic.twitter.com/7mDkaCVm5h

— Arabh /- (@arabhroy_) April 8, 2025

Virat kohli has deleted 191 ad posts from his instagram account in the last 30 Days pic.twitter.com/t9IkrOnlfw

— (@marco_VK_) April 9, 2025

Virat Kohli on Monday became the first Indian to complete 13,000 runs in T20 cricket during the Indian Premier League contest between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians here.
Kohli reached the landmark with his second half-century this IPL season to become only the fifth batter overall to have scored 13,000 runs in the shortest format of the game.

The right-handed modern day great achieved the feat in a little over 400 matches in his career.

He is the third-highest run scorer in T20Is after Rohit Sharma (4,231 runs) and Pakistan's Babar Azam (4,223).

Rohit is the second in the list among highest run-scorers in overall T20 cricket with 11,851 runs in 451 matches.

Overall, Kohli had scored 12,983 runs before the IPL clash on Monday with nine centuries and 98 fifties at an average of 38.93 and strike rate of over 132.

The IPL season-opening contest between RCB and Kolkata Knight Riders on March 23 was Kohli's 400th game in the shortest format.

Chris Gayle leads the list of highest run-scorers in T20 cricket with 14,562 in 463 matches, followed by Alex Hales at the second spot with 13,610 runs, Shoaib Malik at third with 13,557 runs in 555 matches and Kieron Pollard at the fourth position with 13,537 runs in 695 matches.

With PTI inputs 

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/fbiI5tg

IPL 2025 Points Table: GT Go Top Of Table With Win Over RR

Sai Sudharsan's classy fifty combined with a collective bowling effort powered Gujarat Titans to a commanding 58-run win over Rajasthan Royals in their IPL clash in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. Sudharsan lit up the evening with a dazzling 53-ball 82, while explosive cameos from Jos Buttler (36), Shahrukh Khan (36), and Rahul Tewatia (24) propelled GT to a formidable 217/6. The bowlers then kept chipping away, striking at regular intervals to keep Rajasthan on the back foot despite fighting knocks from Shimron Hetmyer (52) and skipper Sanju Samson (41). The visitors were eventually bowled out for 159 in 19.1 overs.

Sudharsan was in sublime touch, effortlessly finding gaps and punishing anything loose. His fluent knock, laced with eight boundaries and three sixes, formed the bedrock of GT's imposing total.

Defending 217, pacers Mohammed Siraj (1/30) and Arshad Khan (1/19) struck early to give GT the perfect start.

Arshad drew first blood, removing the dangerous Yashasvi Jaiswal (6) who slashed at a wide one and picked out Rashid Khan at deep third.

List of batters with most runs -

In the very next over, Nitish Rana (1) attempted an upper-cut off Siraj but met the same fate, guiding it straight to the fielder at deep third man.

But Samson and Riyan Parag (26) launched a fiery counterattack. Parag smoked three no-look sixes, while Samson dispatched anything loose to the boundary with casual ease, taking RR to 57/2 in the powerplay.

The momentum swung again as Impact Sub Kulwant Khejroliya (1/29) had Parag caught by Buttler, before Rashid Khan removed Dhruv Jurel (5) to leave Rajasthan tottering at 68/4.

Samson and Hetmyer added 48 runs to keep hopes alive, but Prasidh Krishna (3/24) dealt the killer blow.

He first dismissed Samson as the wicketkeeper tried to steer one behind square but only managed to skew it high towards Sai Kishore, who held on calmly at the edge of the circle.

Krishna then returned to snare Hetmyer.

List of bowlers with most wickets -

Earlier, after leaking plenty of runs initially in the IPL, Jofra Archer (1/30) is well and truly back to his best.

With the new ball in hand, he cranked it up to 152.3 kph in his first over, then returned in his second to clean up Shubman Gill (2) with a steaming 147.7 kph inswinger that beat the inside edge and crashed into Gill's off stump.

Archer then greeted Buttler with a sharp bouncer, but the former England captain responded a couple of balls later with a crisp four to the deep-cover boundary.

With Sudharsan taking charge, Buttler joined the party with back-to-back boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi (0/38) in the seventh over.

In the next over, he sliced Maheesh Theekshana (2/54) through the off side for a four, before lofting him straight down the ground for another boundary.

But Theekshana had the last laugh, trapping Buttler leg-before, ending an 80-run partnership.

Rajasthan skipper Sanju Samson immediately turned back to Archer in a bid to stem the flow of runs, and the Barbados-born pacer repaid the faith with a tight over that went for just six.

But Shahrukh exploded into action in the very next over, slamming consecutive boundaries before muscling one over deep extra cover to inject some much needed momentum into the GT innings.

The boundaries kept coming as Shahrukh went after Theekshana in the 14th over that yielded 16 runs.

Royals responded by striking twice in quick succession, removing Shahrukh and Sherfane Rutherford (7) to pull things back.

Sudharsan was handed a life on 81 but couldn't make much of the reprieve, as Tushar Deshpande induced a thin edge to send him back in the dugout.

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

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/dRstriA

IPL 2025 Points Table: Big Day For LSG; CSK Stay In Bottom Two

Priyansh Arya set the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season on fire, slamming the fastest century by an uncapped player in IPL history as Punjab Kings (PBKS) beat Chennai Super Kings (CSK) by 18 runs. Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) fell short by 4 runs in their chase of 239 against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). Five teams now sit on 6 points each, with KKR the best team on 4 points. CSK continue to languish near the bottom after their fourth successive defeat in IPL 2025. They're in ninth.

LSG's overseas stars Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh are runaway leaders in the IPL Orange Cap race, after slamming 87* and 81 respectively against KKR. Noor Ahmad continues to lead the Purple Cap race, with Mitchell Starc and Khaleel Ahmed close behind.

Rookie opener Priyansh Arya delivered on his high promise with a sensational hundred before the bowlers survived M S Dhoni's late onslaught to script an 18-run win for Punjab Kings over Chennai Super Kings in the IPL here on Tuesday.

Priyansh (103 off 42) powered Punjab Kings to 219 for six, the highest total at the venue, after the hosts lost half their side inside the first eight overs. CSK batters have not been good enough thus far in the season but the likes of Devon Conway (69 off 49 retired out), Rachin Ravindra (36 off 23) and Shivam Dube (42 off 27) were able to take the game deep on this occasion. However, CSK fell short and ended at 201 for five.

It was CSK's fourth loss in five games while Punjab Kings recorded their third win in four matches.

The equation for CSK came down to 75 runs off the last 30 balls. Much to the delight of fans present at the venue, Dhoni (27 off 12) came to bat at number five after Dube's fall in the 16th over.

It was Lockie Ferguson's turn to bowl the 18th over and that was when Dhoni provided a glimmer of hope for CSK with two sixes off as many balls. However, 43 off the last 12 balls ended up being too much for the away team.

The night belonged to Priyansh, the 24-year-old from Delhi who rose to prominence with six sixes in an over in a local league last year.

He flaunted his special six-hitting skills on the national stage to lift Punjab Kings to an above par total. His knock included seven boundaries and nine hits over the fence.

Earlier in the day, explosive knocks from Nicholas Pooran and Mitchell Marsh set up a tense four-run win for Lucknow Super Giants in a high-scoring IPL clash against Kolkata Knight Riders on Tuesday.

Marsh smashed 81 for his fourth half-century of the tournament and Pooran an unbeaten 36-ball 87 to fire Lucknow to 238-3 at Kolkata's Eden Gardens.

Kolkata mounted a strong reply as skipper Ajinkya Rahane struck 61 off 35 balls and Rinku Singh blasted an unbeaten 38 in a late blitz, but the home team finished on 234-7.

Lucknow have three wins from five matches. Kolkata, who won their third IPL title last year, have three defeats from their five outings.

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

from NDTV Sports-Cricket https://ift.tt/3WCfXt6