Madhwal 'Engineers' LSG Elimination, Takes MI Closer To IPL Summit Clash

Little known Uttarakhand engineer Akash Madhwal bowled a dream spell as his five-wicket haul took five-time champions Mumbai Indians one step closer to summit clash after thrashing Lucknow Super Giants by 81 runs in IPL Eliminator, on Wednesday. Mumbai Indians scored 182 for 8 in 20 overs and it seemed 15 short given explosive batting firepower of Lucknow but Madhwal's incredible figures of 3.3-0-5-5 and some terrific ground fielding led by skipper Rohit Sharma saw Gautam Gambhir mentored side crumble for a paltry 101 in 16.3 overs. There were three run-outs in what turned out to be a forgettable evening for the Sanjiv Goenka owned franchise.

MI will now take on Gujarat Titans on Friday in the second Qualifier in Ahmedabad to decide on Chennai Super Kings' opposition for the big final on Sunday.

If the first part of the evening belonged to a fiery Naveen ul Haq, whose 4 for 37 made everyone feel wary about MI's final score, Madhwal reassured the faith that his skipper showed in him.

The delivery that clinched the final was one bowled to dangerous Nicholas Pooran (0) from round the wicket. He delivered it from slightly wide off the crease and it shaped inward before nipping away with a touch extra bounce forcing the southpaw to edge it to Ishan Kishan behind the stumps.

That literally broke LSG's back and on either side of that wicket, Madhawal took four more to enhance his reputation having been a tennis ball cricketer till the age of 23.

Skipper Rohit, who has been pilloried for his fitness threw himself around and the relay throw to run Krishnappa Gowtham out was a fabulous effort.

Earlier, flamboyant Afghanistan seamer Naveen ul Haq picked up four wickets as Lucknow Super Giants managed to keep Mumbai Indians under-check at 182 for 8 in 20 overs.

Naveen, who has been under spotlight since his angry exchanges with Virat Kohli during a league game against RCB, was constantly booed by the Chepauk crowd but he did well enough to dismiss MI skipper Rohit (11 off 10 balls), batting mainstay Suryakumar Yadav (33 off 20 balls), last match's hero Cameron Green (41 off 23 balls) and the ever dangerous Tilak Verma (26 off 22 balls).

Naveen getting Surya and Green in one over could well prove to be decisive as MI were atleast 15 short of par-score. MI also needed to replace Surya with Impact Player Nehal Wadhera, whose 23 off 12 balls took them past 180-run mark.

Wadhera smacked a six and hit two fours in the final over bowled by Yash Thakur (3 for 34) to boost MI's score.

The impressive Moshin Khan (1-24) conceded only 6 runs in the penultimate over before Wadhera stepped up the pace in Thakur's next, the final over of the innings.

Skipper Rohit (11, 10 balls, 1x4, 1x6), who began slowly, fell trying to up the pace, jumping out to hit Naveen only to find Ayush Badoni in the way in the fourth over.

Yash Thakur struck in the next over, getting Ishan Kishan (15, 12 balls, 3x4) to nick one to the keeper.

Suryakumar and Green gave some momentum to the innings with a 66-run third wicket partnership in a little over six overs.

Green, who hammered a ton in the final league match against SRH, slammed six boundaries and 1 six while Yadav hit two maximums and an equal number of fours in his 20-ball knock. PTI SS KHS KHS

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

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Who Is Akash Madhwal? The Engineer Breaking IPL Bowling Records For MI

It was the Akash Madhwal show at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Wednesday as the young fast bowler picked up five wickets to guide Mumbai Indians to victory over Lucknow Super Giants in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 Eliminator. The figures of 5/5 in 3.3 overs was enough to put him in an elite list comprising of massive names like Anil Kumble and Jasprit Bumrah. However, just four years ago, Madhwal was playing tennis ball cricket and had never touched a red ball.

Madhwal, who studied engineering, became the first cricketer from the state of Uttarakhand to play in the IPL after he was picked by MI in 2022 as a replacement for the injured Suryakumar Yadav. 

In 2019, he caught the attention of the then Uttarakhand coach Wasim Jaffer and present coach Manish Jha and that resulted in the fast bowler starting his practice with the red ball.

What followed was a fairytale run for Madhwal in the domestic season and ahead of the 2023 domestic season, the fast bowler was rewarded for his efforts as Uttarakhand named him the white-ball skipper.

The MI bowler also has an interesting connection with India wicket-keeper batsman Rishabh Pant.

Both cricketers hail from the same area in from Uttarakhand and during his formative years, Madhwal also trained under Avtar Singh, the cricket coach who trained Pant before he moved to Delhi.

“He (Akash) was the part of the team last year as a support bowler, and once Jofra was gone and I knew he had skills and the character to do the job for us. Over the years we have seen many guys coming in from Mumbai Indians and playing for India,” MI skipper Rohit Sharma said after the match.

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CSK Enter Record-Extending 10th IPL Final With 15-Run Win Over GT

Chennai Super Kings tamed a tenacious Gujarat Giants by 15 runs on a sticky surface to enter their 10th IPL final at Chepauk on Tuesday and extend their remarkable consistency in the tournament. CSK did well to reach 172 for 7 on a slow pitch in Qualifier 1 after Hardik Pandya opted to bowl. Considering the conditions, it turned out to be much more than a competitive total as Gujarat Titans had a rare off day to end with 157 all out in 20 overs. Rashid Khan made the CSK fans nervous with a 16-ball 30 towards the end but it was not enough for the Titans.

However, the defending champions will got another shot to make a second successive final in Qualifier 2 on Friday.

CSK's master tactician M S Dhoni made the best use of home advantage to take the four time champions to a 10th final in 14 editions. CSK did not take part in 2016 and 2017 editions.

Left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja (4-0-18-2) did the star turn for the Super Kings with a brilliant spell during which he strangled the opposition batters to avenge the defeat suffered in the tournament opener. Matheesha Pathirana, Maheesh Theekshana and Deepal Chahar also finished with two wickets each.

Chasing 173, GT lost Wriddhiman Saha (12) in the third over.

Skipper Hardik Pandya (8) could not make much impact at number three, miscuing a cut off Theekshana for Jadeja to pouch a catch at point.

Sri Lanka's limited overs teams' captain Dasun Shanaka (17) could not get going as well and his reverse sweep off Jadeja landed in the hands of Theekshana.

Jadeja made things tougher for GT by castling the dangerous David Miller (4) to leave the opposition at 88 for 4 in the 13th over. The Titans slipped further when Rahul Tewatia was bowled by Theekshana for 3.

Earlier, the Super Kings batters had a tough time on a slow pitch as they were not able to force the pace.

Dhoni lasted only 2 balls for his 1 run, much to the disappointment of an adoring Chepauk crowd.

For the home team, Ruturaj Gaikwad was the best batter, scoring a superb 60 off 44 while the others could not make a substantial contribution.

Pacer Mohammed Shami (2 for 28 in 4 overs) was the best bowler while Mohit Sharma (2/31) also picked up two wickets. Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed scalped a wicket each and put pressure on the batters in the middle overs.

Gaikwad had a stroke of luck when he was caught by Shubman Gill off Darshan Nalkande only for the delivery to be declared a no-ball. He capitalised on the let-off and played some superb shots. The very next ball after he got a reprieve, he smacked a six and hit a four from the next delivery.

The in-form Gaikwad did not get bogged down against the spin of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, the key bowlers for GT. He scored freely against all the bowlers and got CSK off to a brisk start with 49 being scored in the powerplay.

Gaikwad appeared to slow down after having outscored his opening partner Devon Conway with whom he shared yet another half-century stand. He fell trying to force the pace, to a catch by David Miller off Mohit Sharma. Ajinkya Rahane (17 off 10) hit one six before being Nalkande's only scalp as the scoring slowed down.

Conway was not his usual fluent self and struggled with his timing all though his innings.

Ambati Rayudu (17 off 9) crossed the 6,000 IPL-run mark during the course of his cameo.

The home team did well to collect 35 runs off the last three overs.

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Chahar Attempts To Run Out Shankar At Non-Striker's End, Dhoni's Reacts

The high-profile IPL 2023 Qualifier 1 between Chennai Super Kings and Gujarat Titans could have been witness to a cheeky run out on Tuesday. After CSK had set GT a 173-run target, the defending champions lost quite a few wickets as Vijay Shankar came on to bat. On the second ball of the 14th over, CSK pacer Chahar attempted a run out at the non-striker's end with Shankar being the target. However, Shankar wasn't backing up. Though Chahar removed the bails, it resulted in nothing and even Dhoni could be seen smiling. 

pic.twitter.com/vemi6M3DEK

— Out Of Context Cricket (@GemsOfCricket) May 23, 2023

Deepak Chahar attempts a run out at the non striker's end. pic.twitter.com/tw9AZUhFXD

— Mufaddal Vohra (@mufaddal_vohra) May 23, 2023

The reaction from Dhoni when Deepak Chahar tried to run-out Vijay Shankar in non-striker end. pic.twitter.com/JONVlgCu1m

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) May 23, 2023

A disciplined bowling performance by the Gujarat Titans on a tricky surface helped the defending champions restrict Chennai Super Kings to 172 for 7 in Qualifier 1 of the Indian Premier League  on Tuesday. Put in to bat by GT captain Hardik Pandya, the Super Kings batters had a tough time on a slow pitch as they were not able to force the pace.

Talismanic skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lasted only 2 balls for his 1 run, much to the disappointment of an adoring Chepauk crowd.

For the home team, Ruturaj Gaikwad was the best batter, scoring a superb 60 off 44 while the others could not make a substantial contribution.

Pacer Mohammed Shami (2 for 28 in 4 overs) was the best bowler while Mohit Sharma (2/31) also picked up two wickets. Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed scalped a wicket each and put pressure on the batters in the middle overs.

Gaikwad had a stroke of luck when he was caught by Shubman Gill off Darshan Nalkande only for the delivery to be declared a no-ball. He capitalised on the let-off and played some superb shots. The very next ball after he got a reprieve, he smacked a six and hit a four from the next delivery.

The in-form Gaikwad did not get bogged down against the spin of Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmed, the key bowlers for GT. He scored freely against all the bowlers and got CSK off to a brisk start with 49 being scored in the powerplay.

Gaikwad appeared to slow down after having outscored his opening partner Devon Conway with whom he shared yet another half-century stand. He fell trying to force the pace, to a catch by David Miller off Mohit Sharma. Ajinkya Rahane (17 off 10), who came in at No.4, hit one six before being Nalkande's only scalp as the scoring slowed down.

Conway was not his usual fluent self and struggled with his timing all though his innings.

Ambati Rayudu (17 off 9) crossed the 6,000 IPL-run mark during the course of his cameo.

The home team did well to collect 35 runs off the last three overs.

With PTI inputs

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"I Love How He...": Australia Great Dissects Gill's Phenomenal Batting

Virat Kohli pulled off a string of records en-route his second successive century of the IPL 2023 against Gujarat Titans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday night, but Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) failed to make it to the play-offs of the tournament as Titans opener Shubman Gill helped his side pull off a brilliant six-wicket win with five balls to spare, leaving the home supporters stunned. Gill not only matched Kohli shot for shot, he ended up with a better strike rate that was crucial to his team's near-perfect chase. He was ably supported by Vijay Shankar, who came in as an impact player and hammered 53 off 35 balls. His innings was laced with seven boundaries and a couple of sixes.

RCB's loss meant that Mumbai Indians (MI), who had earlier in the day beaten Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, moved into the plays-offs by virtue of finishing fourth on the table with 16 points. RCB, on the other hand, ended up finishing sixth in the tournament on 14 points behind Rajasthan Royals.

The Titans, who topped the table with 20 points will now play Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 on Tuesday while MI will lock horns with Lucknow Super Giants in the Eliminator a day later.

Former Australia pacer Brett Lee was all praise for Gill, saying on JioCinema: "He hit eight sixes. I love how he goes on the leg side. He finds power. That he can do and access because he's got strong wrists and he's got beautiful timing."

Gill and Shankar put on a century stand and Lee said: "123 off 71 balls, that was the partnership that broke the back of the RCB bowlers. Yes, it was a wet ball, conditions didn't really favour the bowlers but you got to give credit where credit is due. They both batted beautifully."

Speaking about Kohli's ton, former India Test captain Anil Kumble said on JioCinema: "You could see that passion and hunger. Today was an important innings for RCB, no other batsman was going well today. Faf du Plessis is a very good player but after he got out quick the pressure was on Virat Kohli. But with that pressure and responsibility he scored a great century."

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IPL 2023: Record Alert! Kohli Surpasses Gayle To Achieve Mammoth Feat

Virat Kohli was the lone ranger as his second successive century powered Royal Challengers Bangalore to a challenging 197 for five in their must-win final IPL league game against Gujarat Titans here on Sunday. With the rain gods threatening to spoil RCB's play-off plans during the day, the match that started half an hour late saw Kohli (101 not out off 61 balls) bring back his 2016 avatar. He held all the aces during his knock that had 13 fours and a six. His innings was priceless in the context that none of the other RCB batters could even reach 30 and just like the good old days, 'King Kohli' set the narrative by playing with line, length and minds of the bowlers.

This is his seventh IPL hundred and he has now surpassed Chris Gayle as the batter with highest number of tournament tons.

Considering that the Chinnaswamy Stadium is known for batting belters, the final total, though competitive enough, could still be about 10 runs below par.

Kohli and skipper Faf Du Plessis (28) got off to a rollicking start, with a flurry of boundaries against Mohammed Shami (1/39 in 4 overs) and the already distraught Yash Dayal in the powerplay.

They were dispatched for as many as nine boundaries which prompted Hardik Pandya to quickly press his main weapon, Rashid Khan (1/24 in 4 overs), into action to stem the flow of runs.

After conceding 62 runs in six powerplay overs, Rashid and his 'left-arm mirror image' Noor Ahmed (2/39 in 4 overs) put the brakes on the scoring.

Noor dismissed du Plessis while he tried to hit him inside in a freakish manner. The edge hit Wriddhiman Saha's pads and lobbed up for Rahul Tewatia to complete an easy catch.

Glenn Maxwell started off well but Rashid bowled one that was fast and full and just broke back enough to breach the defence of the batter as RCB suddenly found themselves in a rut.

It became worse when Noor dragged Mahipal Lomror with one that turned the other way and Saha completed a leg-side stumping with the finesse that is associated with him for years now.

Michael Bracewell (26), however, took some pressure off Kohli at the other end with Mohit Sharma's slower balls not working well on this occasion.

In his first three overs, he was hit for seven fours and it was Shami who got Bracewell before he could inflict more damage and Dayal had something finally going for him when Dinesh Karthik's woeful season got worse.

But Kohli continued to fight.

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Updated IPL Points Table, Orange, Purple Cap List After KKR vs LSG Match

Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) survived Rinku Singh's onslaught to edge out Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by one run, and booked their place in the IPL 2023 playoffs. The win took LSG to 17 points from 14 league matches, while KKR's hopes of reaching the playoffs were dashed with this defeat. LSG remain in the third spot, three points ahead of fourth-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore. However, their win was not enough to take them above CSK, who registered a big win over Delhi Capitals earlier on the day to secure their playoff spot.

Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the points table. GT will take on CSK in Qualifier 1, while LSG will face either RCB, RR or MI in Eliminator 1.

The final round of matches on Sunday will decide which team will take the final spot in the playoffs.

Orange Cap Standings:

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis has a firm grip over the Orange Cap, having scored 702 runs in 13 matches. RR's Yashasvi Jaiswal is second in the list with 625 runs in 14 matches.

Jaiswal is followed by CSK opening batter Devon Conway (585 runs in 14 matches) and Gujarat Titans opener Shubman Gill (576 runs in 13 matches). RCB stalwart Virat Kohli completes the top 5 with 538 runs in 13 matches.

Purple Cap Standings:

The Purple Cap standings are led by the Gujarat Titans duo of Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan. Both have 23 scalps each to their name in 13 matches apiece. Rajasthan Royals spinner Yuzvendra Chahal slots in at the No. 3 spot with 21 wickets in 14 matches. 

Mumbai Indians' veteran spinner Piyush Chawla is sitting on 20 wickets from 13 matches. Completing the top 5 is KKR spinner Tushar Deshpande with 20 scalps in 14 matches. 

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IPL 2023: LSG Edge Out KKR By One Run To Seal IPL 2023 Playoff Berth

Lucknow Super Giants defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by one run in their final league game to qualify for the IPL play-offs at Eden Gardens on Saturday. Nicholas Pooran smashed a 30-ball 58 to take Lucknow Super Giants to a competitive 176 for eight after being sent in to bat. LSG lost wickets at regular intervals to reel at 73 for five in 10.1 overs before Pooran and Ayush Badoni shared 74 runs for the sixth wicket to lay the base for the total.

But then LSG witnessed another batting collapse to be restricted before Krishnappa Gowtham played a short little unbeaten 4-ball 11-run cameo to give LSG bowlers something to defend.

For KKR, Shardul Thakur (2/27), Sunil Narine (2/28) and Vaibhav Arora (2/30) scalped two wickets apiece.

Chasing, Rinku Singh remained unbeaten on 67 off 33 balls while Jason Roy made 28-ball 45 up the order but it was not enough as KKR could manage 175 for seven.

Ravi Bishnoi (2/23) and Yash Thakur (2/31) picked up two wickets each for LSG.

Brief Scores: Lucknow Super Giants: 176 for 8 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 58; Shardul Thakur 2/27, Sunil Narine 2/28, Vaibhav Arora 2/30) vs KKR. PTI SSC Kolkata Knight Riders: 175 for 7 in 20 overs (Rinku Singh 67 not out, Jason Roy 45; Ravi Bishnoi 2/33, Yash Thakur 2/31).

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Amid Retirement Buzz, CSK Coach's Honest Take On MS Dhoni's Future

Amid the buzz over Chennai Super Kings skipper MS Dhoni's retirement from the Indian Premier League, CSK's batting coach Mike Hussey has shed some light ahead of their clash against the Delhi Capitals on Saturday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. In the pre-match conference, Hussey said that the only person who knows about Dhoni's retirement from IPL is MS himself.

"That is the thing we have not spoken about. Whether he is playing his last IPL or not only he knows. We have no idea. He is hitting sixes and finishing off games," Hussey said in the pre-match conference.

"From my point of view as a batting coach, he is still batting really well. He is still motivated to keep coming into the training and working on his game, he is hitting the ball well. We have seen him lighting up the innings and finish things off really well. He has still got that six-hitting ability. So, while he is enjoying it and still contributing to the team, then there is no reason why he cannot keep going, maybe for another 5 years (chuckles)... we do not know it is all up to MS," he added.

Dhoni has been one of the key reasons for the support CSK get in every match they play irrespective of the stadium. Even if he pops on the screen for a moment, his name starts to echo around the entire stadium.

Even CSK all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja jokingly remarked that he keeps hearing people chanting skipper MS Dhoni's name and when he bats up the order, crowds wait for him to get out so that they can get to see the legendary wicketkeeper bat.

Hussey reflected on the support that CSK gets because of Dhoni.

"First of all the support we have got as a team because of MS is amazing. Not everybody gets that. It lifts you as a team and the support MS Dhoni has earned is incredible"

Throughout the IPL, Dhoni has played the role of a finisher for the last two or three balls. He has been troubled by a knee injury and he revealed that he asked his teammates to not make him run a lot after their victory against DC.

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Watch: Kohli Wows All With Monstrous 103m Six On Way To 6th IPL Century

Virat Kohli put on a show on Thursday as he slammed a record-equalling sixth century to power Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) to a win in their do-or-die game against SunRisere Hyderabad. Kohli slammed 100 off just 63 balls, smashing 12 fours and four sixes, as RCB chased down 187 with four balls and eight wickets to spare. Needing a win to stay alive in the playoffs race, Kohli and Faf du Plessis (71 off 47) added 172 runs for the opening wicket, the most by an opening pair during the ongoing tournamet.

Kohli clobbered a huge six to level his RCB teammate Chris Gayle's record of six IPL centuries. However, Kohli hit a 103m six in the ninth over, which was the highlight of his match-winning knock.

MONSTROUS!@imVkohli goes BIG, launching a 103m six deep into the stands!

The platform is set. Will @RCBTweets get a vital win?

Tune-in to #SRHvRCB at #IPLonStar, LIVE now on Star Sports Network#BetterTogether pic.twitter.com/wGL02oCMN7

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 18, 2023

Kohli conjured up a magical hundred to steal the thunder from Heinrich Klaasen's maiden IPL ton as RCB stayed in contention for a play-off berth.

Klaasen displayed his big-hitting prowess, slamming six sixes and eight fours during his scintillating 51-ball 104-run knock to lift SRH to 186 for five from 28 for 2 in the fifth over.

But Kohli (100) had other plans as he and du Plessis (71) helped RCB chase down the target with their magnificent ball-striking on way to a 172-run opening stand, the highest partnership of the season, as they romped home with four balls to spare.

Following the victory, RCB climbed to the fourth spot due to their better net run rate although they are tied with Mumbai Indians on 14 points.

They will, however, have to win their next match to stay in the mix as Chennai Super Kings and Lucknow Super Giants are at 15 points with one match to go.

(With PTI Inputs)

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Kohli Equals Gayle's Record Of Most IPL Centuries With Majestic Ton

Virat Kohli was at his best on Thursday night and the world rejoiced. To top it all, the batting great hit his sixth IPL century off just 62 balls in an IPL 2023 match against SunRisers Hyderabad to equal West Indies great Chris Gayle's feat of most number of tons in the premier T20 competition. Against SRH, Kohli was at his aggressive best eight from the word go and the fans present lapped up every moment of the feat. This was also the first time in IPL history that a century was scored in both innings in an IPL match. Earlier, Heinrich Klaasen hot a ton for SRH to help his team set a 187-run target for RCB.

In-form Heinrich Klaasen displayed his big-hitting prowess on way to his maiden IPL hundred as Sunrisers Hyderabad recovered from a poor start to post 186 for five against Royal Challengers Bangalore in a crucial match here on Thursday.

The keeper-batter had six hits over the fence and eight across it during his scintillating 51-ball knock. He forged a 76-run partnership with Aiden Markram (18) before adding another 74 off 36 balls with Harry Brook (27 not out) to take SRH to a competitive total.

Already out of playoff race, SRH once again had a poor start after being asked to take first strike by RCB skipper Faf du Plessis.

As has been the case this season, Rahul Tripathi (15) and Abhishek Sharma (11) frittered away reasonably good starts, leaving Sunrisers at 28 for 2 in the fifth over.

SRH scored just 11 in three overs before the openers milked Wayne Parnell for 16 runs.

However, off-spinner Michael Bracewell struck twice, removing both the openers in his first three balls. While Abhishek hit straight to Lomror at cover, Tripathi found the fine leg fielder off his slog paddle sweep.

Klaasen hammered three fours off Shahbaz Ahmed to power the Sunrisers to 49 for 2 in the powerplay.

Klassen rocked back and pulled every time the ball was short as Bracewell and Harshal Patel was sent across the ropes, while Karn Sharma was dispatched for a 74-metre six.

Karn Sharma was then punished for bowling over-pitched with Klaasen depositing him into the stands. The South African completed his fifty in 24 balls.

While Klaasen was in full flow, Markram managed just run-a-ball 18 before his off stump was pegged back by Shahbaz while he looked for a reverse hit.

Back in the playing XI, Brook then picked up a four and six off Karn Sharma, who bled 21 runs, with Klaasen too lifting him over cover.

Du Plessis' decision to make Shahbaz bowl the 17th over backfired as Klaasen clobbered the first two balls over the bowler's head, while Brook sent one fine.

Parnell nailed the yorkers to concede just seven runs in the next over but Klaasen then plundered Harshal over his head to bring up his hundred. He was dismissed one ball latter while looking for another big shot.

Mohammed Siraj conceded just four runs and took a wicket in the last over.

With PTI inputs

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DC All But Eliminate PBKS From Play-Offs Race Despite Livingstone Heroics

Beleaguered Delhi Capitals finally came out all guns blazing as they played party poopers to all but knock Punjab Kings out of play-off contention with a 15-run victory in the IPL, on Wednesday. Already out of the playoff race, Delhi Capitals finally came to the party in their penultimate match of the season to post an imposing 213/2 after PBKS opted to bowl.

Rilee Rossouw exhibited some exceptional strokeplay in a 37-ball 82 not out, while Prithvi Shaw (54; 38b) also slammed a fifty on his comeback after about a month as DC scored their first 200-plus total of this season.

In response, PBKS managed just 198/8 in the stipulated 20 overs despite all the fielding harakiri committed by DC.

Englishman Liam Livingstone slammed a 48-ball 94, studded with five fours and as many as nine sixes, but it was not enough as the total proved too much.

While Delhi now are ninth on the table after a consolation win, Punjab Kings due to this heavy defeat stay put on 12 after 13 games and even a win in the last match and a 14-point finish might not be enough as the net run-rate -0.308 only added insult to injury.

The Preity Zinta co-owned side since their 2014 final appearance, have not even made it to last four stage for nine years in a row.

But DC's fielding effort did give them enough chances.

As many as three catches were dropped including Livingstone on three, and Taide on 35, both in the bowling of Kuldeep Yadav who returned with 0/21 from his three overs.

They also missed two run-out chances when both the batters, Livingstone and Taide, were out of the crease but DC could not manage to hit the stumps on a sloppy outing.

PBKS took a tactical decision to retire out rookie Atharva Taide after his 42-ball 55 (5x4, 2x6) as he simply found it difficult to get going after first part of the innings.

Livingstone kept the PBKS run chase going racing to a 30-ball fifty, his sixth of the tournament as he brought the equation down to 38 from last two overs from being an near impossible 79 from four overs.

The Englishman turned it on in style in the 17th over when Khaleel started off with no-ball for height as he leaked 20 runs.

Three sixes off Mukesh Kumar in the next over put the equation on course for PBKS before Anrich Nortje, who had dropped Livingstone early on, redeemed himself with a perfect penultimate over.

Nortje conceded just five runs and cleaned up Sam Curran (11), while PBKS lost another when Harpreet Brar was run out.

DC bowlers stifled PBKS' tall chase early on with leftarm seamer Khaleel Ahmed starting off with a maiden, while Ishant Sharma dismissing Dhawan off the first ball.

From 10/1 in three overs, PBKS duo Prabhsimran and Atharva finally stepped it up with five boundaries (4x4, 1x6) in a row across two overs.

Already out of playoff race, DC got off to a flying start with Prithvi Shaw smashing a 54 on his comeback after nearly a month.

Shaw, who made his last appearance in this season's IPL against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 20, returned to form to post a 35-ball 50, his first in 13 IPL innings.

Shaw copped body blows from Rabada en route his 38-ball knock (7x4, 1x6) as he along with his skipper David Warner (46 from 31b; 5x4, 2x6) gave their best start of the season.

The duo put together a 94-run opening stand, their highest this season before Rossouw took charge of the proceedings with his maiden IPL fifty that came off 25 balls.

Rossouw took charge when he sent his South African teammate into the orbit with a six over long-off.

He followed it up with a boundary and then a sublime pick-up six over deep square leg as there was no looking back for the South African from there on.

Rabada went on to concede 36 from his three overs, while Sam Curran took 2/36.

From a sedate six for no loss in two overs, DC raced to 61 without losing a wicket in the powerplay with Warner and Shaw putting up their highest opening partnership this season after PBKS opted to bowl.

This was the second instance when DC did not lose a wicket inside the powerplay this season.

DC got going when Warner whacked Curran for back-to-back boundaries before taking on Rabada.

Shaw pulled Rabada for a boundary before Warner took on the South African pacer with two sixes in three balls in a 17-run over.

They cruised to 50 inside five overs as Warner and Shaw took on the Punjab bowlers.

Nothing went in PBKS' favour on Wednesday, with Rahul Chahar dropping a sitter to give Warner a reprieve on 39. The Aussie was done in by a spectacular catch by Shikhar Dhawan but by then DC were on course for their first 200-plus total this season.

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Ireland Star Displaces Kohli, De Kock After Entering Top 10 ODI Ranking

Young Ireland cricketer Harry Tector has made it to the top-10 in the latest ICC men's ODI batting rankings following his career-best 140 in the second match of the 50-over series against Bangladesh in Chelmsford. The 23-year-old ended the series as the leading run-getter with 206 runs from three games and is placed seventh, having displaced India's Virat Kohli and South Africa's Quinton de Kock, who have dropped one place each to eighth and ninth respectively.

Young India top-order batter Shubman Gill continues to hold the No. 5 position in the rankings, which is led by Pakistan's Babar Azam.

Tector seventh place on the rankings, following a jump of 72 rating points, is the best by an Ireland batter.

The right-handed batter's new rating of 722 points is also the highest an Ireland male batter has ever achieved in ODI cricket.

Besides, Kohli and de Kock, Tector is also ahead of India all-format captain Rohit Sharma (10th), Australia's Steve Smith (11th) and Jos Buttler (15th).

Former England skipper Eoin Morgan reached 712 points in 2019 but by that time he was playing for England. Among Irish players, the highest was Paul Stirling, who reached 697 points in June 2021.

Tector will get an opportunity to further improve his ranking when Ireland take part in the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in June-July.

"He's (Tector) just got all the attributes to go on and be one of the greats of Irish cricket and I hope that we can help him on his way, and he continues to put in scores for us," Ireland skipper Andy Balbirnie was quoted as saying by ICC.

"The more runs he gets for us, the better place we're going to be."

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Watch: Shikhar Dhawan Takes Stunning Diving Catch To Dismiss David Warner

It was a brilliant batting effort by Delhi Capitals against Punjab Kings in an IPL 2023 game in Dharamsala on Wednesday. Top-order batter Rilee Rossouw found his mojo to slam his maiden IPL fifty as Delhi Capitals finally came to the party to post 213 for two against Punjab Kings. Already out of playoff race, Delhi Capitals got off to a flying start with Prithvi Shaw smashing a 54 on his comeback after nearly a month. Shaw, who made his last appearance in this season's IPL against Kolkata Knight Riders on April 20, returned to form to post a 35-ball 50, his first in 13 IPL innings.

Shaw copped body blows from Rabada en route his 38-ball knock (7x4, 1x6) as he along with his skipper David Warner (46 from 31b; 5x4, 2x6) gave their best start of the season. Warner departed when Dhawan caught him brilliantly off Sam Curran. Against a slower ball, Warner top-edged as Dhawan came running from covers and dived to take a stunning catch.

Absolutely Stunning!

DO NOT MISS this brilliant catch from @PunjabKingsIPL captain @SDhawan25

A much-needed breakthrough for #PBKS

Follow the match https://t.co/lZunU0I4OY #TATAIPL | #PBKSvDC pic.twitter.com/3j8NqsKJk8

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 17, 2023

The duo put together a 94-run opening stand, their highest this season before Rossouw took charge of the proceedings with his maiden IPL fifty that came off 25 balls.

Rossouw took charge when he sent his South African teammate into the orbit with a six over long-off.

He followed it up with a boundary and then a sublime pick-up six over deep square leg as there was no looking back for the South African from there on.

Rabada went on to concede 36 from his three overs, while Sam Curran took 2/36.

From a sedate six for no loss in two overs, DC raced to 61 without losing a wicket in the powerplay with Warner and Shaw putting up their highest opening partnership this season after PBKS opted to bowl.

This was the second instance when DC did not lose a wicket inside the powerplay this season.

DC got going when Warner whacked Curran for back-to-back boundaries before taking on Rabada.

Shaw pulled Rabada for a boundary before Warner took on the South African pacer with two sixes in three balls in a 17-run over.

They cruised to 50 inside five overs as Warner and Shaw took on the Punjab bowlers.

Nothing went in PBKS' favour on Wednesday, with Rahul Chahar dropping a sitter to give Warner a reprieve on 39. The Aussie was done in by a spectacular catch by Shikhar Dhawan but by then DC were on course for a 200-plus total.

With PTI inputs

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Updated IPL Points Table, Orange Cap, Purple Cap List After LSG vs MI Game

Lucknow Super Giants stepped up their game when it mattered the most as they edged past five-time champions Mumbai Indians to take a step closer to the IPL 2023 playoffs. Mohsin Khan made a fine comeback from a long injury lay-off as the left-arm pacer defended 11 runs off the final over against the destructive Tim David to hand Lucknow Super Giants a five-run win over Mumbai Indians in the IPL on Tuesday.

Marcus Stoinis flaunted his raw power on way to an unbeaten 89 off 47 balls as LSG recovered from a poor start to post 177 for three after Mumbai opted to bowl. Mumbai were on course for a comfortable win but fluffed the chase in the second half of the innings to end with 172 for five in 20 overs.

Mohsin, who missed the whole of domestic season due to a shoulder injury, helped LSG take a major step towards a top-four finish by holding nerve in the final over. Mumbai too remain in contention for a play-off spot despite the loss.

Orange Cap, Purple Cap

Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Faf du Plessis contenues to lead the highest run-scorers' list with a tally of 631 in 12 matches. In the highest wicket-takers' list, Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan hold the top two places with 23 scalps each.

Chasing 178 was not going to easy on this pitch but Rohit Sharma (37 off 25) and Ishan Kishan (59 off 39) raised possibility of a comfortable chase with a 90-run opening wicket stand off 58 balls.

Kishan looked in menacing touch while Rohit hit two sublime sixes to give a strong indication that he was back to his best.

However, both fell to leggie Ravi Bishnoi in his successive overs as the hosts were back into the game.

Going for shots from ball one was not the best option on this surface and even the usually unstoppable Suryakumar Yadav experienced that in the middle. A master at extracting runs behind the wicket, he went for his trademark scoop shot off pacer Yash Thakur but ended up hitting it back to the stumps.

Mumbai needed 53 off the last 30 balls and with Nehal Wadhera and Tim David in the middle and Cameron Green yet to come, there was arsenal left in the tank.

However, David could not finish the game like he did against Rajasthan Royals earlier in the competition.

Earlier, Stoinis smashed eight sixes in his belligerent knock and shared an 82 run partnership with stand-in skipper Krunal Pandya (49 retired hurt) after LSG found themselves reeling at 35 for three in the seventh over.

As it has been the case through the season, batters had a tough time on a two paced surface.

LSG made a questionable call to leave out their leading run getter of the season, Kyle Myers, and the move did not work. Replacing him at the top, Deepak Hooda (5) was undone by a slower ball from Jason Behrendorff The next ball from the left-arm pacer was angled away and Prerak Mankad got a faint touch on way to the wicketkeeper while trying to run towards the third man.

The situation got worse for LSG when Quinton de Kock (16 off 15) fell in the seventh over to leave the home team reeling in the seventh over.

De Kock went for the drive off a googly from the wily Piyush Chawla but ended up getting caught behind.

The onus was on the big-hitting Stoinis and Krunal to resurrect the innings and they did that with a gritty stand before the latter got retired hurt after being seen in a bit of discomfort in the 16th over.

After that it was all Stoinis, who began his innings with massive sixes off spinners Hrithik Shokeen and Chawla in successive overs.

Stroke making was tough in the prevailing conditions but Stoinis used his brute force to get the much needed boundaries and sixes.

The 18th over bowled by Jordan yielded 24 runs with the England pacer spraying it all over the place. He failed to nail his yorker and Stoinis was quick to dispatch his two balls for massive sixes down the ground besides collecting three fours off the short balls.

He finished the innings with a one-handed six off Akash Madhwal.

Mumbai leaked 54 runs in the last three overs.

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Krunal's Decision To Leave Field Called 'Cheating'. Ashwin's Retort Sharp

Marcus Stoinis gave the Krunal Pandya-led Lucknow Super Giants a boost with an unbeaten 89 against Mumbai Indians in an IPL 2023 match in Lucknow on Tuesday. While Stoinis was going hammer and tongs, Pandya too looked solid as he played the anchor role. He was batting on 49 off 42 balls at the end of the 16th over when he could be seen hobbling. Before the start of the next over, he left the field. While rules permit for a batter to be retired out, in which a batter can declare himself out anytime during his innings, there was confusion whether Krunal Pandya was retired hurt or retired out.

Even India star spinner R Ashwin tweeted: "Retired out? #LSGvsMI #KrunalPandya"

Retired out? #LSGvsMI #KrunalPandya

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) May 16, 2023

The tweet has a sharp reply from a user, saying: "Utterly cheating" 

To which, Ashwin commented: "The rules permit you to do it! There is no cheating"

The rules permit you to do it! There is no cheating

— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) May 16, 2023

Pandya later came on to the field to lead the side during LSG's bowling.

Marcus Stoinis flaunted his raw power on way to a career-best 89 not out in the IPL as Lucknow Super Giants recovered from a poor start to post 177 for three against Mumbai Indians on a challenging pitch on Tuesday. Stoinis smashed seven sixes in his belligerent 47-ball effort and shared an 82 run stand with stand in skipper Krunal Pandya (49 retired hurt) after LSG found themselves reeling at 35 for three in the seventh over.

As it has been the case through the season, batters had a tough time on a two paced surface.

LSG made a questionable call to leave out their leading run getter of the season, Kyle Myers, and the move did not work. Replacing him at the top, Deepak Hooda (5) was undone by a slower ball from Jason Behrendorff The next ball from the left-arm pacer was angled away and Prerak Mankad got a faint touch on way to the wicketkeeper while trying to run towards the third man.

The situation got worse for LSG when Quinton de Kock (16 off 15) fell in the seventh over to leave the home team reeling in the seventh over.

De Kock went for the drive off a googly from the wily Piyush Chawla but ended up getting caught behind.

The onus was on the big-hitting Stoinis and Krunal to resurrect the innings and they did that with a gritty stand before the latter got retired hurt after being seen in a bit of discomfort in the 16th over.

After that it was all Stoinis, who began his innings with massive sixes off spinners Hrithik Shokeen and Chawla in successive overs.

Stroke making was tough in the prevailing conditions but Stoinis used his brute force to get the much needed boundaries and sixes.

With PTI inputs

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Gujarat Titans Enter Qualifier 1 Of IPL 2023 With 34-Run Win Over SRH

Shubman Gill hit his maiden IPL century as Gujarat Titans became the first team to seal a place in the play-offs of the ongoing edition with a convincing 34-run win over Sunrisers Hyderabad in Ahmedabad on Monday. Gill slammed 101 off just 58 balls with the help of 13 fours and one six, and added 147 runs for the second wicket with Sai Sudharsan (47 off 36 balls), to power GT to 188 for nine despite a late comeback by Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/30). With the bat, SRH were never in the hunt as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals to be restricted to 154 for nine.

Heinrich Klaasen (66 off 44) played a lone hand for SRH, while Mohammed Shami (4/21) and Mohit Sharma (4/28) picked up four wickets apiece to shine with the ball for GT.

SRH were off to a disastrous start, losing the wickets of Anmolpreet Singh, Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi inside the third over, with the scoreboard reading just 12.

It became worse for SRH in their must-win game as Shami picked up his third wicket in the form of rival skipper Aiden Markram an over later, and then, Mohit dismissed Sanvir Singh and Abdul Samad in the seventh over to reduce the visitors to 49 for six.

This season's campaign was as good as over for SRH as Marco Jansen became Mohit's third victim in the ninth over.

Reeling at 59 for seven, SRH finally managed a partnership through Klaasen and Bhuvneshwar (27), the duo adding 68 runs for the eighth wicket.

Earlier, sent into bat GT suffered an early blow as they lost Wriddhiman Saha for a duck in the third ball of the innings, nicking one to Abhishek Sharma at second slip.

After a sedate start, GT broke the shackles in the third over with Gill and Sudharsan hitting Bhuvneshwar for three exquisite boundaries to pick up 15 runs.

Having found his touch, the in-form Gill pulled, drove and flicked to collect four consecutive boundaries off Fazalhaq Farooqi.

Both Sudharsan and Gill dealt in boundaries to take GT to 65 for one in six overs.

Gill, in particular, was at his attacking best as he continued his onslaught and pulled SRH skipper Markram for two consecutive fours in the seventh over and then struck Mayank Markande for two more boundaries.

At the end of the 10th over, GT were 103 for one.

It was mayhem thereafter with Gill and Sudharsan going hammer and tongs to maintain a healthy run rate of over 10 till 14 overs.

Sudharsan finally departed in the 15th over, caught by T Natarajan at backward point off the bowling of Marco Jansen.

GT skipper Hardik Pandya didn't last long, giving a straightforward catch to Rahul Tripathi at point, handing Bhuvneshwar his second scalp of the day.

David Miller perished in the next over while attempting a big hit. Rahul Tewatia was the next to depart as SRH picked up four wickets in four overs.

Gill, however, went about his business and brought up his century in 56 balls with a single to long-off in the 19th over. But soon after raising his ton, Gill perished in the opening ball of the final over, caught by Samad off Bhuvneshwar.

Rashid Khan got a thick edge in the next ball and Noor Ahmad also departed during an excellent final over by Bhuvneshwar.

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

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Watch: Crazy Last Over As Pandya's GT Lose 4 Wickets Courtesy Bhuvneshwar

For most part of Gujarat Titans' innings against SunRisers Hyderabad, the Hardik Pandya-led side looked to be complete control after they batted first. There was a brilliant century by Shubman Gill while Sai Sudharshan provided fireworks too. Everything seemed to be going really smoothly for the defending champions until the last over happened. SRH's veteran pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar stepped up his game when it mattered as GT lost four wickets in six balls to be restricted below 190. On the first ball centurion Gill was caught out followed by Rashid Khan on a duck. Though Bhuvneshwar missed a hat-trick, he affected a team hat-trick as his brilliant fielding got Noor Ahmad run out. Then on the fifth ball of the last over, Bhuvneshwar completed his five-wicket haul with the wicket of Mohammed Shami.

Watch: Crazy Last Over As Pandya's GT Lose 4 Wickets Courtesy Bhuvneshwar

A team hattrick & a -wicket haul - this final over was a Bhuvi masterclass!

#GTvSRH #IPLonJioCinema #TATAIPL #IPL2023 #EveryGameMatters @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/fNkl8KZ3Ea

— JioCinema (@JioCinema) May 15, 2023

Talking about the game, Shubman Gill hit his maiden IPL century to single-handedly power defending champions Gujarat Titans to 188 for nine despite a late comeback by Sunrisers Hyderabad's Bhuvneshwar Kumar (5/30) on Monday. Gill slammed 101 off just 58 balls with the help of 13 fours and one six, and added 147 runs for the second wicket with Sai Sudharsan (47 off 36 balls).

Both Sudharsan and Gill then dealt in boundaries to take GT to 65 for one in six overs.

Gill, in particular, was at his attacking best as he continued his onslaught and pulled SRH skipper Aiden Markram for for two consecutive fours in the seventh over and then struck Markande for two more boundaries in the next over.

At the end of the 10th over, GT were 103 for one.

It was mayhem thereafter with Gill and Sudharsan going hammer and tongs to maintain a healthy run rate of over 10 till 14 overs.

Sudharsan finally departed in the 15th over, caught by T Natarajan at backward point off the bowling of Marco Jansen.

GT skipper Hardik Pandya didn't last long, giving a straightforward catch to Rahu Tripathi at point, handing Bhuvneshwar his second scalp of the day.

David Miller perished in the next over while attempting a big hit. Rahul Tewatia was the next to depart as SRH picked up four wickets in four overs.

Gill, however, went about his business and brought up his century in 56 balls with a single to long-off in the 19th over.

With PTI inputs

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Watch: Gavaskar Runs To Dhoni After CSK Game, Takes His Autograph On Shirt

MS Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings (CSK) were comprehensively beaten by Kolkata Knight Riders in their last home game of IPL 2023 on Sunday. Chasing a target of 145, KKR crossed the finishing line with six wickets and nine balls to spare, with captain Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh scoring match-winning half-centuries. Rana remained unbeaten on 57 off 44 balls while Rinku made 54 off 43 deliveries to set up KKR's chase after they lost their first three wickets for 33 runs inside the fifth over. 

While Rana and Rinku's partnership was one of the highlights, the moment of the night came after the match.

As Dhoni and CSK players were doing a lap around the Chepauk to give goodies to the fans, former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, who is currently part of the commentary team for IPL 2023, ran towards the CSK captain and took his autograph on his shirt.

pic.twitter.com/S3xigpaSqy

— DHONI GIFS(@Dhoni_Gifs) May 14, 2023

Dhoni and Gavaskar shared a hug after the same moment.

After getting Dhoni's autograph on his shirt, Gavaskar said on-air: "Please give me a new pink shirt for the remaining games".

KKR finished at 147 for four in 18.3 overs with Rana leading from the front after making the most of a dropped chance.

KKR's cause was helped to a large extent by a superb bowling effort earlier by spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, who did superbly and picked up two wickets each.

The defeat also puts on hold CSK's chances of sealing a play-off berth as the home side is in second spot with 15 points.

KKR, on the other hand, moved to 12 points with a match to play but their hopes rest on other results.

(With AFP Inputs)

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IPL 2023: Rinku Singh, Nitish Rana Star In KKR's 6-Wicket Win Over CSK

Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh slammed fifties apiece en route to a 99-run match-winning stand to guide Kolkata Knight Riders to a comfortable six-wicket win over Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match at Chepauk on Sunday. Rana remained unbeaten on 57 off 44 balls while Rinku made 54 off 43 deliveries to set up KKR's chase of 145 runs after they lost their first three wickets for 33 runs inside the fifth over. KKR finished at 147 for four in 18.3 overs with Rana leading from the front after making the most of a dropped chance.

KKR's cause was helped to a large extent by a superb bowling effort earlier by spin duo of Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, who did superbly and picked up two wickets each.

The defeat also puts on hold CSK's chances of sealing a play-off berth as the home side is in second spot with 15 points.

KKR, on the other hand, moved to 12 points with a match to play but their hopes rest on other results.

Rana and Rinku, both left-handers, showed necessary skills and patience on a tacky pitch to negate the impact of CSK spinners after the home team had posted a moderate 144 for six in 20 overs.

The match-winning partnership between Rana and Rinku ended when the latter was run out by a direct hit from Moeen Ali.

CSK spinners -- Ravindra Jadeja, Maheesh Theekshana and Moeen -- could not do any damage after Deepak Chahar had provided the initial breakthroughs to leave KKR at 33 for 3.

CSK struck an early blow when Chahar got Rahmanullah Gurbaz (1) as he failed to keep his square-drive down and was well caught by Tushar Deshpande close to the boundary.

After six overs, KKR were 46 for three with Chahar having picked up all the three wickets to fall -- Gurbaz, Jason Roy (12) and Venkatesh Iyer (9).

Rana got a life on 18 when Matheesha Pathirana dropped a catch running in from the boundary off Moeen.

In the 13th over bowled by Moeen, Rana played two superb shots on the off-side to pick up boundaries and followed it up with a few more cracking strikes in the 15th over by Maheesh Theekshana.

Earlier, talismanic Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to drop down the order backfired as CSK lost wickets at regular intervals to be restricted to the modest score.

Dhoni, who came out to bat no.7 position, remained unbeaten on 2 off 3 balls.

Opting to bat, CSK were 72 for five in in the 11th over before Shivam Dube underlined his utility, hammering a 34-ball 48 (1x4, 3x6s) to help the hosts somewhat recuperate in the company of Ravindra Jadeja (20 off 24).

The duo shared 68-run stand for the sixth wicket to take CSK close to the 150-run mark, which at one point of time looked out of reach on a sluggish pitch.

Spin duo of Narine (2/15) and Chakravarthy (2/36) were the pick of the bowlers for KKR and they were ably supported by Shardul Thakur (3-0-15-1) did and Vaibhav Arora (1/30).

CSK were 99 for five after 16 overs as KKR bowlers, especially the spinners, kept things tight and struck at regular intervals.

Narine and Chakravarthy did the damage in the middle of the innings before Dube and Jadeja launched a fightback.

After a quick start, Chakravarthy broke through for KKR, getting Ruturaj Gaikwad (17, 13 balls, 2x4) to edge one to Arora in the fourth over as CSK raced away to 31 in the fourth over.

Devon Conway and Ajinkya Rahane maintained the pace of scoring, despite not going bang-bang, and scored 52 runs in the first six overs.

Conway earned a reprieve when he got a LBW decision overturned via DRS after being adjudged out off Chakravarthy.

Rahane fell trying to force the pace, unable to clear the boundary off Chakravarthy.

Conway top-edged a pull to Rinku Singh in the deep off Thakur after making 30. Ambati Rayudu's poor season continued as he fell for just 4 to give Narine his first wicket.

The West Indian spinner then castled a struggling Moeen (1) to reduce CSK to 72 for 5 in the 11th over.

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

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