After a gap of 11 years, Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan is back with the Delhi Daredevils. Dhawan, who was a prominent figure of the Orange Army for the last few seasons, will represent the franchise of his hometown Delhi from IPL 2019 onwards. Dhawan had spent one season with Daredevils in 2008. He had managed to score 340 runs in 14 …

In a contest, naturally skewed towards batsmen, given the presence of shorter boundaries, power-plays and a natural urgency of batsmen (and their propensity to score), it’s exciting that a number of bowlers stood out in the IPL. In IPL 2018, there might have been stalwarts with the bat- Kane Williamson, Risabh Pant, KL Rahul and co.- who constructed skyscrapers with …

The IPL is to cricket what batting is to a T20 contest. It’s devastating. It’s shining. And above all, it complements the contemporary structure of the sport. While there was no dearth of good bowling performers in this IPL- the likes of Andrew Tye, Jofra Archer, Rashid Khan knocking down stumps like a hapless pack of falling timber- the batsmen …

MS Dhoni won the third title as skipper to highlight the importance of captaincy and the attributes that come along with it. The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 concluded on Sunday with Chennai Super Kings winning a third title in nine years. Kane Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad was thrashed by CSK after a blistering 117-run knock by Shane Watson. With IPL 2018 …

Sunrisers Hyderabad’s art of defending low scores was blown away by Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 at the Wankhede in Mumbai. The pulsating match saw classy CSK ride through Faf du Plessis to qualify for IPL 2018 final. The Orange Army was unable to defend 139 runs against CSK, whose return to IPL has gone off in a supreme …

Which team will come out on top in playoffs? This is a question that will be running around the fans head in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 playoffs. Four power-houses will be battling it all out in the 11th edition. The Qualifier 1 will be between the first two finishers Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings. An eliminator will …

Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab in match number 56 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 to finish second in the table. They will now face Sunrisers Hyderabad in Qualifier 1 on May 22. In pursuit of 154 runs in 20 overs, CSK chased down the target with five wickets to spare. MS Dhoni will be a happy …

What seemed till a week ago a clear, straightforward four-way battle into the playoffs involving King’s XI, CSK, SRH and KKR appears to have turned on its head with MI joining the run in its thumping of King’s XI and, Rajasthan Royals emerging in contention having clipped RCB’s wings. Sitting ahead of Mumbai Indians and King’s XI, although both seem …

Kolkata Knight Riders assured their place in the playoffs after a resounding win against the Sunrisers Hyderabad in match number 54 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. In pursuit of 173 runs, the Knights chased down the target in 19.4 overs with skipper Dinesh Karthik hitting the winning runs. KKR, who needed a win or have a better net …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 has entered its business end and teams are still fighting it out to make it to the playoffs. Only two teams, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad, have made the cut so far. Till now, only one team has been eliminated in the form of Delhi Daredevils. The rest five franchises are still in the …

Mumbai Indians leaped Kings XI Punjab into the fourth position of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 table after notching their sixth victory of the season. A three-run victory helped MI stay alive after overcoming KXIP in a thriller. KXIP slipped to fifth in the table and could not chase down 187-run target despite a classy 94 scored by their talisman …

Not a mighty mauler, not a batsman who’d give you nightmares on the cricket field, he’s someone who steadily collects runs. And often he collects runs quicker than the restlessness with which you fast forward a boring soap opera on television. Ever since Ajinkya Rahane appeared in the IPL, circa 2008, his average strike rate has been 120. If massive …

Jos Buttler’s sparkling form was something IPL 2018 needed. The Englishman’s shifting of gears from the middle-order to being an opener was the best decision Ajinkya Rahane took as the skipper of Rajasthan Royals. For a team that looked jaded after those early losses, Buttler’s energy gave a new look to the side and they turned a new leaf. Yes, …

Royal Challengers Bangalore inflicted the double over a sorry Kings XI Punjab in match number 48 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 in Indore. KXIP have been over-dependant on KL Rahul and Chris Gayle throughout the tournament and the duo stared briskly before getting out and from there on their batting failed miserably. RCB notched their second successive victory …

Rajasthan Royals overcame Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede in match number 47 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. This in turn has boosted their chance to qualify for the play-offs as they notched their sixth win of the tournament. It was Buttler’s heroics that was too hot to handle for MI as they now run the risk of being …

It was another blistering innings from a man in form. Ambati Rayudu scored the fourth century of the Indian Premier League 2018 as Chennai Super Kings handed Sunrisers Hyderabad their third defeat of the campaign. Ton-up Rayudu fashioned CSK victory over SRH with a stunning unbeaten 100 runs. CSK raced to 16 points this season and are on the brink …

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab in match number 44 of the Indian Premier League 2018 in Indore to move back to the top four position in the Indian Premier League 2018 table. Onus to the KKR batsmen after they hit 245/6 and beat the host by 31 runs in the end in a gruelling encounter. KKR outwit KXIP …

Delhi Daredevils have been knocked out of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 season, but in another overwhelming season, they will feel hearted with the progress of three of their youngsters. That’s something for them to build upon and lay their foundation on in years to come. DD’s young Indian batting trio are, certainly, stars for the future. The likes …

Game by game, it is becoming a familiar story for the Sunrisers Hyderabad. One familiar batsman in Kane Williamson does enough to get them to a total, and then it is the bowlers, who get on the field and defend no matter what the score is. The headline story is SRH maintain 100% record in defending totals. How about that for …

The eastern giants handed the reins of the captaincy to Dinesh Karthik and gave him the requisite freedom to express himself and guide youngsters. KKR skipper Dinesh Karthik deserves the plaudits to lead the side in the way he has. Ten matches into the Indian Premier League 2018 season for Kolkata Knight Riders and the confidence of Karthik has stayed intact …

Kings XI Punjab notched their sixth victory in the Indian Premier League to beat the struggling Rajasthan Royals in match number 38 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. Classy KL Rahul helped KXIP outsmart Royals as his side won the match by six wickets to keep their position intact in the top four of the IPL table. In pursuit …

Mumbai Indians handed Kolkata Knight Riders yet another loss in the meeting between the two sides in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 at the Wankhede stadium. With this win, MI continued their dominance over Knights. They are also alive in the tournament and now need to win their next four in order to progress to the playoffs. In pursuit …

Nine games and top of the table, Sunrisers Hyderabad are in a world of their own and credit to the form they have been in. It was another top striking performance for the Orange Army as they stitched another win against a struggling Delhi Daredevils in the Indians Premier League (IPL) 2018. A last-over victory for SRH ensured a seven-wicket …

Chennai Super Kings trounced Royal Challengers Bangalore in match number 35 of the Indian Premier League 2018 in a doubleheader Saturday in Pune. It was those match of sorts when the CSK bowlers stunned the star-studded RCB batting before the regular in-form stalwarts sealed the tie. Fans witnessed all-round CSK inflicting misery on RCB as the latter’s inconsistency grew wider. …

Mumbai Indians notched their third victory out of nine matches to go fifth in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 and in turn stayed alive after beating Kings XI Punjab by six wickets. The holders in pursuit of 175 runs from 20 overs, surpassed the target in style. Suryakumar Yadav scored another fifty besides impressive looking cameos from Rohit Sharma and …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 has reached its midway amidst plenty of excitement and action with several players staking their claim to be amongst the top. Some fresh faces have come up, besides several regulars upping the ante in getting wickets freely. Half way through, who are the most influential bowlers in IPL 2018? The IPL, over the years, has …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 has reached its midway amidst plenty of excitement and action with several players staking their claim to be amongst the top. Some fresh faces have come up, besides several regulars upping the ante in getting runs freely. Who Have Been The Most Influential Batsmen In IPL 2018? The IPL, over the years, has maintained its strength …

Given his form prior to the IPL 2018- where he didn’t have the brightest results in Big Bash League, Shane Watson was surely lame and dull, a bit like Tuesdays. They are miles away from the happy approaching weekends. But now, in IPL 2018, the Australian all-rounder is making every game he features in a fancy Friday. He’s struck a …

What can be said about the Chennai Super Kings? One more victory and domination personified by the ‘Men in Yellow’. The hosts rode on Shane Watson and MS Dhoni’s magic to beat Delhi Daredevils in match number 30 of 2018 Indian Premier League. MS Dhoni raked up the performance as CSK went on top of the table after toppling Sunrisers Hyderabad. …

Fuelled by yet another stellar bowling display by their bowlers, the Sunrisers Hyderabad overcame the threat of posting yet again a modest total as they humbled Rajasthan by 11 runs. Moreover, Rajasthan’s loss, another on home soil at the Sawai Mansingh meant that the Ajinkya Rahane-led team have now come against desperate times, in registering their fourth loss in seven …

Sunrisers Hyderabad may have lost David Warner before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 season started. There was an atmosphere of vulnerability losing a skipper, who brought a title and consistency in the ranks. Eight matches into the season, 12 points and top of the table. Credit to skipper Kane Williamson for getting the best out of SRH. The Orange army is …

To point out West Indies’s current ODI performances and subsequent form, you need to turn into a scuba diving instructor. You need to dive deep into the debris lying at the bottom of the ocean, dirtied by a debris of inconsistencies and a brand of incoherent cricket. That’s how low they have sunk in a game they were once, right …

This was a rare win of sorts for Mumbai Indians and a much needed too. That, coming against Chennai Super Kings, in the Indian Premier League 2018, will give the side massive confidence going forward. What an occasion for Rohit Sharma’s side in Pune, where they spoilt Chennai’s party. An all-round performance helped MI outclass CSK with skipper Sharma leading …

The Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 season is reportedly set to use a new format regarding transfers that will be occurring mid way across the T20 global league. Known as the mid-season transfer window, it could be a blessing for teams and players like wise. So like football, the IPL too will now have a transfer window in between the …

Sunrisers Hyderabad produced another superb spell of bowling as they rode through Rashid Khan to overpower Kings XI Punjab in another low scoring affair. The win helped Kane Williamson’s side go second in the table after clinching a fifth victory in seven matches in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 season. Rashid Khan (3/19) in four overs ripped apart R Ashwin’s …

At the conclusion of the highly-anticipated CSK versus RCB contest, David Lloyd got it absolutely right when he said that MS Dhoni has done it so many times for his team and he did it again here today. The only thing that matters- when Dhoni is out in the middle- is that how cold-bloodedly does he eliminate his opponents. Without …

When Delhi Daredevils got Gautam Gambhir back at the helm to lead them this season in the Indian Premier League 2018, it looked like a match made in heaven. A Knight for seven years, Gambhir chose his city team Delhi. Six matches into the season, the question arises what next for Gautam Gambhir and Delhi Daredevils? The veteran southpaw stepped …

It was one of those low scoring games at the Wankhede and on a day when Sachin Tendulkar celebrated his birthday, it wasn’t quite the gift he desired. Sunrisers Hyderabad pounced on sorry Mumbai Indians handing them a deafening blow with qualification hopes for the Indian Premier League playoffs now in doubts. MI batted poorly against an SRH line-up that …

Chennai Super Kings have given haters the medicine and a fitting reply to trolls on social media after earlier having been laughed at for selecting many players above the age of 30 in the Indian Premier League 2018 auction. Five games into the 11th edition of the season, the MS Dhoni-led side is second in the IPL table. The gamble …

When you are chained at the bottom of an ocean, gasping for desperate attempts to free yourself, there’s only possibility. Doesn’t make sense to debate what that really is. But there’s certainty that in the aftermath of their harrowing 4 run-loss to King’s XI, another defeat on home turf, Delhi Daredevils might be considering themselves in similar position. In lighter …

True success, they say, is best measured when others bask in the glory of your triumph, instead of you rejoicing in your own success. A game that had so many tense moments and turnarounds as to be featuring in IPL’s best slugfests. To come out of the shadow of other star performers of the match-Jofra Archer, Surya Kumar Yadav and …

In Jaipur, on April 22, 2018- Rajasthan Royals weren’t playing just a league game. They were engaged in a face-saving effort, having lost their last two previous games, including a crushing loss to Kolkata Knight Riders at their home. A third loss would’ve meant that they would have had to face the ignominy of being placed where Delhi Daredevils are. …

Is Chennai Super Kings an unstoppable force? So far in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, they have looked as the complete team. Four wins from five matches and sitting pretty at top of the table, MS Dhoni’s troops have been in a zone much for others to catch up and follow. The manner in which CSK downed SRH showed …

After a rich 2017 campaign for the Rising Pune Supergiant, Ben Stokes once again was auctioned to become the costliest player in the Indian Premier League 2018 season. Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals returned, and the latter broke the banks to get Stokes for a whopping Rs 12.5 crore. That comes after the player last season was bought for …

In a rail-curtailed game at the Eden Gardens, King’s XI held the edge powered by another Gayle special, they pipped the Kolkata Knight Riders by 9 wickets. In a run-fest on Saturday, a total of whopping 317 runs were scored inside just 32 overs. Although the lion’s share of runs belonged to the usual suspects from the victorious King’s XI …

Spinners are ruling the roost in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 and two bowlers amongst them are young guns from Afghanistan. That brings a lot of awe and inspiration for the young pair, who have got the tricks and trades to get batsmen thinking. Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman are those shining lights bringing a lot of variety …

Mumbai Indians defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore at the Wankhede in match number 14 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. The hosts, who lit their previous three matches of the season, decimated Virat Kohli’s side by 46 runs after riding on a supreme 94 by Rohit Sharma. MI scored a mammoth 213/6 in 20 overs and in pursuit of the …

Bamboozler on the cricket pitch and consultant off it, it’s Muralitharan’s magnanimity in the sport that should perhaps be regarded in the same breadth as his awe-inspiring statistical feats. But despite his contributions, is he generating the right noises? Respected by rivals, regarded by contemporaries While there may be divergent views assessing Murali’s move- some spotting the urgency to make …

Chris Gayle announced his return in style as Kings XI Punjab handed Chennai Super Kings their first loss of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018 at Mohali after clinching a narrow four-run win. The hosts survived an onslaught from MS Dhoni, who showed he still has the intent of going big in an unbeaten 44-ball 79. In the end, KXIP …

One feels for the Mumbai Indians. For the third match in a row in Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, the Rohit Sharma-led team lost a thriller. This was another last ball loss for MI after they underwent the same against Sunrisers Hyderabad. That, in turn, handed a remarkable win for Delhi Daredevils at the Wankhede in match No. 9 on Saturday. …

The Indian Premier League 2018 dished out another thrilling blockbuster as Sunrisers Hyderabad beat Mumbai Indians by one wicket at home. Oh! It was a special game that had all the elements of a perfect T20 boiler and it was worth every penny fans had spent to watch two big teams fight it out. Although it was a relatively low-scoring …

No shenanigans, pure batting ecstasy: Brendon McCullum It’s April 8, 2012. RCB have been sent into bat by KKR. De Kock, fails to fire, and is sent back to the dug-out. Next up is Virat Kohli. For some reason, perhaps stranger than Bermuda triangle mystery, he can hardly put bat to ball. The wicket is slow to bat on and …

When you need 25 runs off the final over, you know that it’s been a rather hard day in the field. But then, what bothers you the most is that you aren’t totally at fault as the rain played out and impacted the contest in a big way. With these thoughts in mind, clearly, the unhappiest man at the conclusion …

With Indian Premier League (IPL) returning to Chennai after a period of two years, it was once again a happy time for thousands of die-hard supporters. But after one game, the joy of watching CSK’s home games at Chepauk is over for the fans. This comes after the Chennai police’s decision of not being able to provide adequate security measures …

In the IPL, there’s no such thing as a must-win game in the league stages. But common wisdom suggests, the earlier a team gains momentum through collecting an early win, the better its chances for the playoffs. Having lost a game apiece, both Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils will visibly be on the edge as they collide in Match 6 …

Being seated in the Sawai Mansingh stadium brings a different world, a world of difference away from the palpable excitement of watching truly India’s favorite sport in Mumbai’s Wankhede or Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla. The Sawai Mansingh Stadium: A royal throne of cricket in desert-land For a change, there is heat but more of it in the weather. The loudness …

Chennai Super Kings registered its second victory on the trot after defining the art of chase once again in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. After a classy win against Mumbai Indians in the opener, MS Dhoni’s CSK downed Kolkata Knight Riders chasing a target of 203 runs at the M Chidambaram stadium. Oh! It was one hell of …

When Andre Russell was out of cricket for 365 days in 2017- there wasn’t much public knowledge of his whereabouts. Other than knowing that it was repentance or something of that sort that he might have been feeling, you didn’t know where he’d been? Then suddenly emerged pictures of his private wedding. Nonetheless, that might have been a tough year, …

There’s no particular age to succeed in T20s, they say. Dwayne Bravo, who is nearing 35 is in full aplomb. Samuel Badree, at 37 is fitter and renders commendable performances in most outings than most other 20-somethings in the game. We have the likes of Dhoni and Nehra running on even terms with other salubrious talents to extend their cricketing …

Sunrisers Hyderabad decimated Rajasthan Royals by nine wickets to register a victory in their maiden match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018. In pursuit of 126 runs, SRH chased down the target comfortably in just 15.5 overs. Shikhar Dhawan scored a brilliant unbeaten 77 and was well supported by Kane Williamson (36*). The hosts rode on an all-round show at home and this will give …