Indian Premier League

‘Those three sixes proved to be the difference’: Ruturaj Gaikwad praises MS Dhoni’s epic cameo | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago04 mins

NEW DELHI: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad hailed the young wicketkeeper MS Dhoni for his exceptional performance, particularly his feat of hitting three successive sixes off Mumbai Indians (MI) captain Hardik Pandya at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.Gaikwad recognised Dhoni’s pivotal contribution, acknowledging that it ultimately made the decisive difference in the match.Dhoni scored 20 runs off four balls, and that proved to be the exact margin of victory for CSK.Set 207 for victory, five-time winners Mumbai finished on 186/6 even though Rohit Sharma raised his ton in 61 balls.IPL: POINTS TABLE | ORANGE CAP | PURPLE CAPDhoni arrived in the middle with the scorecard showing 186/4 in 19.2 overs, and in no time, vintage Dhoni (20 off 4 balls) made the scoreboard read 206/4 in the stipulated 20 overs, with the help of three massive sixes and a double off the last ball of the innings. “The young wicketkeeper scoring those three sixes helped us a lot, that proved to be the difference. We needed those 10-15 extra runs for this kind of venue. In the middle phase, Bumrah bowled really well. I feel we were spot on with our execution with the ball despite them scoring some great shots. I would have taken 6 overs 60 at the powerplay,” Gaikwad said at the post-match interaction.“You need to be on the mark with bowling and batting at this venue. Our Malinga bowled really well today, he nailed those yorkers. Not to forget, Tushar and Shardul also did well. (On plans ahead) I think we need to keep it simple, encourage all to be in a good headspace and continue the same way. Jinks was carrying a bit of a niggle, so thought it was better for him to open. I’m fine batting anywhere, plus it is the added responsibility as the team captain,” Gaikwad added.Gaikwad and the in-form Shivam Dube powered Chennai, who won their fifth title last year, to 206/4. Gaikwad hit 69 and Dube smashed an unbeaten 66 before warhorse M.S. Dhoni smashed three successive sixes in the 20th over to take Chennai past 200.Sri Lanka quick Matheesha Pathirana then took four wickets to push Mumbai to their fourth loss of the season.

Picture Perfect! Sachin Tendulkar hugs MS Dhoni after MI-CSK match | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: Irrespective of the match result in the IPL, the players’ camaraderie of the opposition camps often takes center stage. One such moment emerged after the Mumbai Indians-Chennai Super Kings match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.The two legends of the game, former CSK captain MS Dhoni and MI mentor Sachin Tendulkar were seen hugging each other graciously after the match.CSK put an end to MI’s home winning streak and secured their first away victory in this IPL season. Defending a total of 206 runs, they relied on superb defensive bowling. Matheesha Pathirana shone brightly, leading the charge with figures of 4 for 28 in his four overs.Despite Rohit Sharma’s magnificent unbeaten 105, Mumbai Indians fell short by 20 runs as they attempted to chase down a formidable target set by defending champions CSK in a clash between IPL giants.Even though Rohit raised his century off 61 balls, Mumbai concluded their innings at 186-6, unable to overhaul the target at their home ground, Wankhede Stadium. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad and the in-form Shivam Dube powered Chennai, who won their fifth title last year, to 206-4. Gaikwad hit 69 and Dube smashed an unbeaten 66 before warhorse MS Dhoni smashed three successive sixes in the 20th over to take Chennai past 200.Dhoni came in to bat with four balls left and scored 20. He smashed Mumbai skipper Hardik Pandya for three sixes and finished with a two to end a 26-run over.

MI vs CSK, IPL 2024 highlights: Matheesha Pathirana overshadows Rohit Sharma’s century as Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians by 20 runs | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago06 mins

NEW DELHI: Matheesha Pathirana and the timeless MS Dhoni dealt decisive blows as Chennai Super Kings triumphed over Mumbai Indians by a margin of 20 runs, despite Rohit Sharma‘s resilient, unbeaten 105 in their clash in the Indian Premier League on Sunday.Dhoni’s onslaught of three consecutive sixes in the final over, bowled by Hardik Pandya, propelled CSK to a commanding total of 206 for four, with Dhoni himself reaching 20 not out from just four deliveries.Pathirana’s stellar performance, claiming 4 wickets for 28 runs, effectively curbed MI’s chase, restricting them to 186 for six. Rohit showcased his brilliance with only his second IPL century and first since 2012, smashing 11 boundaries and five maximums in his 63-ball innings. However, his remarkable innings lacked support from the rest of the MI lineup, despite the favorable batting conditions at the Wankhede Stadium.The defending champions, CSK, secured their first away victory of the season, propelling them to third place with eight points, while MI suffered their fourth defeat in six matches, languishing at the eighth position in the standings.In a game wherein the loudest cheers were reserved for Dhoni, Mumbai skipper Pandya continued to get booed intermittently. There were, though, a section of fans cheering him on at least once, like they did in the last game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.Unlike CSK, who got their majority of runs in the last 10 overs (136), Mumbai Indians remained in the hunt of in the initial part through Rohit’s sustained acceleration and some handy contributions from others.Once again, Rohit set the platform for Mumbai with a sturdy 70-run stand in seven overs with Ishan Kishan, who raced to 23 off 15 balls (3x4s, 1x6s).With MI on charge, pacer Pathirana produced a two-wicket over after the powerplay accounting for Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav (0), getting him caught at third man with Mustafizur Rahman producing a juggling act at the ropes to complete the catch. Tilak Varma aided Rohit with a 20-ball 31 laced with five fours, adding 60 off 38 balls for the third wicket, but Pathirana’s return broke their stand.However, it was the Mumbai duo of Shardul Thakur and Tushar Deshpande tilted the game in favour of CSK, producing two tight overs which broke the back of MI’s chase.Pandya fell for just two but consumed six balls and Tim David hammered a couple of sixes but failed to capitalise. Amid all this, Rohit remained stuck at the other end watching the game slip away despite his best effort.Earlier. Dhoni’s ballistic 20 garnished forceful fifties by Shivam Dube and Ruturaj Gaikwad as Chennai Super Kings powered to a strong 206 for four.Dube (66 not out, 10×4, 2×6) and Gaikwad (69), who milked 90 runs off a mere 45 balls for the third wicket, gave Chennai innings steam in the initial and middle passages of the play before Dhoni mesmerized a packed Wankhede with vintage shot-making. The former CSK skipper hammered three consecutive sixes off MI skipper Pandya (2/43) to help his side collect 26 runs off the final over.Dhoni’s stunning knock – which had the balls sailing over long-off, wide long-on and deep square leg – also pushed Chennai past the 200-run mark, which did appear tough until that final over.Even though he could not push beyond 69, which came off 40 balls with five sixes and as many boundaries, Gaikwad appeared in prime form.The CSK skipper hit through the line effortlessly to clear ropes and when the MI bowlers challenged him by angling their deliveries into his body, Gaikwad improvised to find his runs without taking any unwanted risks.Dube remained unbeaten on 66 off 38 balls, studded with 10 fours and two sixes.(With inputs from PTI)

"It's good news for Punjab as well as India": Aakash Chopra on Arsdeep Singh's performance | Cricket

They are just one knock away: Bangar on PBKS top-order | Cricket

Danijones7 months ago07 mins

Mullanpur [India], : The Punjab Kings were unable to get past the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League encounter on Saturday at the new PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, losing the low-scoring thriller by three wickets. HT Image The bowling attack showed tremendous fighting spirit taking the match to the last over. High-intensity spells from Kagiso Rabada who recorded 2/18 in his four overs, and the stand-in Captain Sam Curran, who picked 2 wickets and gave just 25 runs in his 4 overs, ensured that the home side stretched the match till the final ball. Unlock exclusive access to the story of India’s general elections, only on the HT App. Download Now! At the post-match press conference, Punjab Kings Head of Cricket Development Sanjay Bangar praised the side for battling it out in the middle till the end. “We have been pretty consistent with the team that we have played. Most of our games have gone to the last over. We have been extremely competitive. Even tonight, at one point it felt that the game would be over soon. But the way the fielders hung on, and the bowlers kept pegging on, it just shows the character that the team possesses,” Bangar said “So yes, we are not getting the results, but it’s the kind of character and the kind of fight that is being shown by the team that is exemplary,” he added. Punjab missed skipper Shikhar Dhawan on Saturday as the opener was ruled out due to an injury. Bangar gave an update on Dhawan and said, “Well, unfortunately, we missed out on Shikhar because he has a shoulder injury. We will have to wait and see how he responds to the treatment. It seems that he could be out of action for at least 7-10 days.” Curran led the side as Captain in Dhawan’s absence on Saturday and Bangar explained that the England allrounder was always Punjab Kings’ first choice to be the stand-in Captain in case Dhawan is unavailable for any reason. “Our thought was always that because Sam has led the team in the previous year as well, he would be the stand-in Captain. He was late to arrive from the UK because of which, he wanted to have a few sessions in before the start of the season. Hence, we could not send him to Chennai for the inauguration of the season and Jitesh Sharma was sent in his place as Dhawan’s replacement for the photoshoot,” Bangar said on the subject. Punjab opener Jonny Bairstow has scored 96 runs in 6 games so far this season. On being asked about his form, the former Indian cricketer backed Bairstow and the top order to fire soon. “Yeah, it is certainly a cause of concern that the top order is not making enough runs for us but they are trying hard. They are applying themselves. All games in Mullanpur have been low-scoring games because of how the wicket behaves. In the first six overs with the new ball, the wicket tends to just lag a little bit and there is uneven bounce as well. That is another contributing factor because of which, not only for us but also for the visiting teams, the top order is facing issues here,” Bangar said. “We are constantly having conversations about what are the scoring options on such tracks and that is where the boys are putting in a lot of effort. Currently, it’s not coming off, but I am pretty sure that they are just one knock away,” he added. Bangar also praised Ashutosh Sharma, who scored an unbeaten 31 off 16 balls on the night, helping Punjab post a challenging total, and also praised Jitesh Sharma who had injured an eyebrow while training, but still batted and kept the wickets throughout the match on Saturday. “Credit to Ashutosh for the way again he is batted in the last four or five overs. Jitesh Sharma, who fought through the injury that he had. He had 15 stitches on his eyebrow, so he also contributed at a crucial juncture of the game. So these are boys of immense character and we certainly look at those positives, when we look at this game and wait for the next one to come,” he signed off. Punjab Kings will take on Mumbai Indians on Thursday, th at 19:30 hrs IST. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

Rohit Sharma becomes first Indian to achieve this massive feat in T20 cricket | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma‘s ability to hit sixes consistently makes him one of the most prolific hitters in the modern game. And the Indian skipper on Sunday owned the record of becoming the first batter from the country to hit 500 sixes in T20 cricket.Mumbai Indians’ batter Rohit got to the milestone during the IPL 2024 match against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede Stadium when he smacked Ravindra Jadeja for a slog sweep. The list is led by West Indies legend Chris Gayle, who had smashed 1056 sixes in 463 matches. Rohit’s former MI’s teammate and current batting coach Kieron Pollard is second with 860 maximums in 625 matches in 660 matches.Batters with 500 or more sixes in Men’s T20 cricket 1056 – Chris Gayle 860 – Kieron Pollard 678 – Andre Russell 548 – Colin Munro 500* – Rohit Sharma Earlier in the match, Rohit faced an embarrassing situation as his trousers slipped during fielding.The incident happened during the 12th over of the innings when Rohit’s pants slipped off while attempting to take a diving catch of CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, leading to laughter from the crowd. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t hold onto the catch, and the mishap with his pants added to the amusement.Rohit also spoke about his future and said he plans to “continue for a few more years” as he “really” wants to win the 2027 ODI World Cup after the trophy slipped through his grip thanks to just “one bad day” in the mega-event’s 2023 edition. The 36-year-old Rohit was part of India’s 2007 T20 World Cup victory, but he counts the 50-over showpiece as the real stuff. He was left heartbroken when that opportunity was missed following the team’s final loss to Australia last year in Ahmedabad.“I haven’t really thought about retirement. But, I don’t know where life takes you. I am playing well at the moment and I am thinking of continuing for a few more years. I really want to win that World Cup,” he said in a YouTube chat show ‘Breakfast With Champions’ that was also attended by British pop singer Ed Sheeran.

Oops! Rohit Sharma’s trousers slip during fielding, video goes viral. Watch | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: In a hilarious on-field moment, Rohit Sharma faced an embarrassing situation as his trousers slipped during fielding in the Mumbai Indians-Chennai Super Kings IPL match at the iconic Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. The incident happened during the 12th over of the innings when Rohit’s pants slipped off while attempting to take a diving catch of CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad, leading to laughter from the crowd. Despite his efforts, he couldn’t hold onto the catch, and the mishap with his pants added to the amusement. The video swiftly circulated across social media platforms, drawing attention and amusement from cricket fans worldwide. Rohit’s unexpected wardrobe malfunction during the game sparked a flurry of reactions and comments online, with many sharing the video and expressing amusement at the incident.Despite the momentary embarrassment, Rohit’s incident became a trending topic, highlighting the unpredictable and light-hearted moments that often accompany the intensity of cricket matches.

Huge! MS Dhoni only second player after Virat Kohli to… | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni achieved a huge milestone by becoming only the second player in the history of T20 cricket to play 250 matches for a single team. The Sunday match between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians marked Dhoni’s 250th appearance for the team.Dhoni’s total of 250 matches for CSK comprises 24 appearances he made in the Champions League T20.Dhoni returned to the hallowed turf of Wankhede for the first time ever as a non-captain of the CSK, potentially in his last IPL season.It was his first appearance as a player for any team since November 2005. Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru captain Virat Kohli was the first player to have reached the milestone of playing 250 matches for a team.IPL 2024 Orange Cap | IPL 2024 Purple Cap | IPL 2024 Points tableKohli, who has been associated with the franchise since the inception of the IPL in 2008, played 243 matches for RCB in the league so far with an additional 15 outings in the CLT20.Dhoni entered CSK during the IPL 2008 mega-auction, assuming the captaincy. He later played for Rising Pune Supergiant in 2016 and 2017 before returning to CSK as their top choice in the IPL 2018 mega-auction. His loyalty continued as he was retained before the IPL 2022 mega-auction as well.Dhoni guided CSK to five IPL titles in 2010, 2011, 2018, 2021 and 2023. He relinquished CSK captaincy before the start of the IPL 2024 and handed over the reins to Ruturaj Gaikwad.

Lucknow Super Giants create an unwanted first in eight-wicket mauling by Kolkata Knight Riders | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Opening batter Phil Salt smashed a fiery unbeaten 47-ball 89 after pacer Mitchell Starc‘s superb spell as Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday began their five-match home stretch with a lop-sided eight-wicket win over Lucknow Super Giants at the Eden Gardens.After an all-round bowling display restricted Lucknow to a below-par 161 for 7, the Kolkata batters made light work of the chase, accomplishing the target with 26 balls to spare.The defeat for KL Rahul’s Lucknow turned out to be the first-ever against Kolkata in the IPL.Prior to the heavy defeat on Sunday, Lucknow had met Kolkata thrice in the IPL and had a 100 percent record against the Men in Purple.On all the other three past occasions, Lucknow won the game batting first.As KKR registered their first-ever win over LSG in four matches, they also became the second team after Delhi Capitals this season to chase down a 160-plus total against LSG.Prior to the defeats against DC and KKR, LSG had won each of the 13 IPL matches while defending a 160-plus total.After the defeat, skipper KL Rahul admitted that the defeat was a proper hammering and will be tough to digest for the team. “One of those days, it was a proper hammering. Games like these are tough to digest and we have seen in IPL and every team goes through that. We will try and work out what went wrong and come back better. Not panicking (about back-to-back losses), need to figure out where we went wrong and the last couple of games we haven’t been able to get past 160 and that’s something we want to see and be better at it,” Rahul said after the defeat.With three defeats and an equal number of wins in six games, Lucknow currently sit at the sixth spot on the points table.KKR, on the other hand have 4 wins in 5 matches and are at second spot.

Cheteshwar Pujara set to join Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2024? Star batter’s cryptic post leaves fans guessing | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago02 mins

NEW DELHI: India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was a member of the Chennai Super Kings squad in 2021 but didn’t make an appearance in any game for the team led by MS Dhoni, which eventually secured the title. Despite being part of four IPL franchises since 2010, Pujara on Sunday shared a cryptic post, sparking speculation among fans about his potential return to the Yellow jersey ahead of the mouth-watering clash between Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede Stadium.Puraja took to social media platform and wrote “#SupperKings looking forward to join you guys this season!”. Pujara’s post went viral in no time and left the fans speculating that the Test stalwart will once again don the Yellow jersey. Pujara kicked off his IPL journey in 2010 with the Kolkata Knight Riders before representing the Royal Challengers Bangalore from 2011 to 2013. Subsequently, he played for the Punjab Kings (formerly Kings XI Punjab) in 2014, and in 2021, he joined CSK for one season. During the period from 2010 to 2014, Pujara featured in 30 matches, scoring 390 runs, including one half-century to his name.

‘CSK aur MI ke baad toh apna hi…’: Sanju Samson’s witty ‘viewership’ remark | Cricket News

Danijones7 months ago03 mins

NEW DELHI: Having won five titles each, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians are the two most successful teams in the IPL. Renowned for their stellar lineup including icons like MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah, they remain the most sought after franchises in the league.In the IPL, close match finishes are a hallmark of the tournament’s thrilling action. With teams evenly matched and top players showcasing their skills, matches often go down to the wire, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the last ball is bowled or the last run is scored.IPL 2024 Orange Cap| IPL 2024 Purple Cap | IPL 204 Points tableThe match between Punjab Kings and Rajasthan Royals on Saturday is the latest example of a nail-biting finish that saw RR hunt down a small 148-run target on the penultimate delivery of the match.After the match, players from both teams gathered for a chat and reflected on the intense contest. Sanju Samson joined the group, which included Yuzvendra Chahal, Jitesh Sharma, Prabhsimran Singh, Sandeep Sharma, and Harpreet Brar, and lightened the mood with a humourous remark. “CSK aur MI ke toh baad apna hi viewership hai,” joked Samson, responding to Chahal’s recollection of the close battles between PBKS and RR.Punjab Kings shared the video of players’ chat on their X handle.Talking about the match, Shimron Hetmyer’s explosive 27 runs off 10 balls helped Rajasthan Royals edge out Punjab Kings with a three-wicket win in Mullanpur.Hetmyer’s spell at the crease, laced with three sixes, brought Rajasthan past Punjab’s 147-8 with only one ball to spare, cementing the side’s place at the top of the table with only one loss from the season so far.