Tuesday 17 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 14th Match

17 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 14th Match
(Mumbai Indians vs Royal Challengers Bangalore at Mumbai)

Rohit, Lewis batter Royal Challengers in imposing win

MI vs RCB
213/6 (20) 167/8 (20)
MI won by 46 runs
Photo © BCCI

Ishan Kishan, the Mumbai Indians wicketkeeper, left the field in the 13th over of Royal Challengers Bangalore's innings after a throw from Hardik Pandya bounced awkwardly and hit him near his right eye. Aditya Tare took over as substitute keeper after Kishan went off the field, having shown signs of being in acute pain.

After the match, Mumbai captain Rohit Sharma said Kishan hadn't suffered any major injury. He said it was only swelling around the area of impact, and that he would be fine in a few days.

Rohit, Lewis batter Royal Challengers in imposing win (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Monday 16 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 13th Match

16 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 13th Match
(Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi Daredevils at Kolkata)

Rana and Russell hand Daredevils a drubbing

KKR vs DD
200/9 (20) 129/10 (14.2)
KKR won by 71 runs
Photo © BCCI

Is Andre Russell the most valuable T20 player in the world? He has the stats (and the Smart Stats) to back such a claim, and on Monday he added to his vast body of work with a brief and brutal assault that transformed the mood of what had until then been an edgy battle for first-innings points.

Russell came in with Kolkata Knight Riders 113 for 4 in the 14th over. He departed 22 balls later, having added 61 to his team's total in the company of the impressive Nitish Rana. He only faced 12 balls, but he hit six of them for six.

Rana and Russell hand Daredevils a drubbing (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Sunday 15 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 12th Match

15 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 12th Match
(Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings at Chandigarh)

Dhoni falls short in final over, Kings XI prevent a heist

KXIP vs CSK
197/7 (20) 193/5 (20)
KXIP won by 4 runs
Photo © BCCI

Prior to the start of the IPL, Kings XI Punjab captain R Ashwin promised unpredictability. One of those unpredictable decisions was bringing in Chris Gayle against a team he has struggled against, despite having three other openers in the team. That move paid rich dividends immediately: Gayle hammered a 33-ball 63, Kings XI blazed a 75-run Powerplay and a total of 197 proved four runs beyond Chennai Super Kings in their third final-over finish this season.

Early in Super Kings' chase, a steady approach had left them with 67 runs to get off the final four overs. But that strategy also meant they conserved resources for later, including MS Dhoni himself. Despite a stiff back, Dhoni turned back the clock to when he executed chases by putting himself in a head-to-head position with the bowler. Against Kings XI, it seemed like that scenario would never come. He was on 33 off 28 balls, with Super Kings requiring 65 off 21 balls. And then he began another assault, albeit a forced move, not a calculated one.

Dhoni falls short in final over, Kings XI prevent a heist (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Indian Premier League 2018 - 11th Match

15 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 11th Match
(Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals at Bengaluru)

Sanju Samson outguns RCB's batting might

RR vs RCB
217/4 (20) 198/6 (20)
RR won by 19 runs
Photo © BCCI

Sanju Samson's breath-taking 92 not out off 45 balls formed the centerpiece of Rajasthan Royals' 217 for 4, a score that proved too much for Royal Challengers Bangalore's formidable batting order even though Virat Kohli smashed his fastest IPL fifty.

Notably, it was also the first time a team had successfully defended a total in 10 full games this season. Royals had done it once previously as well, in a rain-shortened game against Delhi Daredevils.

Sanju Samson outguns RCB's batting might (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Saturday 14 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 10th Match

14 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 10th Match
(Kolkata Knight Riders vs Sunrisers Hyderabad at Kolkata)

Ex-Knight Rider Shakib leads Sunrisers to first win in Kolkata

KKR vs SRH
138/8 (20) 139/5 (19)
SRH won by 5 wickets
Photo © BCCI

The Match Day Runorder crew feel Kane Williamson and his side have immense bowling depth to keep stifling any opposition they come across

Sunrisers Hyderabad panicked and flailed in a chase again, but nowhere near as much as they had against Mumbai Indians on Thursday. Their captain Kane Williamson's half-century, and his 59-run stand with Shakib Al Hasan sealed yet another win that was set up by their bowlers, who had managed to keep Kolkata Knight Riders to 138 for 8 in 20 overs. It was Sunrisers' first away match of the season and their third victory in three games put them on top of the points table

Ex-Knight Rider Shakib leads Sunrisers to first win in Kolkata (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Indian Premier League 2018 - 9th Match

14 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 9th Match
(Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils at Mumbai)

Roy clinches thrilling win on Daredevils debut

MI vs DD
194/7 (20) 195/3 (20)
DD won by 7 wickets
Photo © BCCI

Delhi Daredevils 195 for 3 (Roy 91*, Pant 47, Krunal Pandya 2-21) beat Mumbai Indians 194 for 7 (Suryakumar 53, Lewis 48, Christian 2-35) by seven wickets

In the build-up, this was a clash between an established powerhouse and a team full of promising talent; in reality, it was a scrap between two sides searching for their first win in the season. And by the time it was done, Mumbai were left ruing a batting slide as Delhi Daredevils chased down 195 off the final ball.

Roy clinches thrilling win on Daredevils debut (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Friday 13 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 8th Match

13 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 8th Match
(Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab at Bengaluru)

Umesh, de Villiers carry RCB past Kings XI

KXIP vs RCB
155/10 (19.2) 159/6 (19.3)
RCB won by 4 wickets
Photo © BCCI

Deep Dasgupta joins the Matchday Runorder crew to review the match between Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore

Royal Challengers Bangalore collected two points against Kings XI Punjab, extending the streak of chasing teams winning full-length matches at IPL 2018. Umesh Yadav's three wickets in one over set the game up for the hosts early on, after which the South African duo of Quinton de Kock and AB de Villiers overcame a slight hiccup to take them to a relatively comfortable four-wicket win. The win meant RCB had arrested a five-match losing streak at the Chinnaswamy from 2017.

Umesh, de Villiers carry RCB past Kings XI (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Thursday 12 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 7th Match

12 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 7th Match
(Sunrisers Hyderabad vs Mumbai Indians at Hyderabad)

Frazzled Sunrisers squeeze home in last-ball thriller

MI vs SRH
147/8 (20) 151/9 (20)
SRH won by 1 wicket
Photo © BCCI

Mumbai Indians wove magic yet again at the venue of their unprecedented third IPL triumph to come back from the dead, but were still pipped at the finish line by Deepak Hooda, the man whom Sunrisers Hyderabad doled out INR 3.6 crore (USD 562,000 approx) for at the auction.

His unbeaten 32 included a sensational final-over six off a wide yorker off Ben Cutting that reduced the equation to five off five balls. A wide and three singles reduced it to one needed off the final delivery. Billy Stanlake, the No. 11, nervously examined the closed-in field, contemplated his options and then hoicked the slower delivery to the midwicket fence to script a one-wicket win and send a strong crowd of 30,000 into delirium.

Frazzled Sunrisers squeeze home in last-ball thriller (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Wednesday 11 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 6th Match

11 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 6th Match
(Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils at Jaipur)

Royals return home with rain-hit victory

RR vs DD
153/5 (17.5/20) 60/4 (6/6)
RR won by 10 runs (D/L method)
Photo © BCCI

Rajasthan Royals returned to their fortress in Jaipur to rain, but managed to squeeze out a win by stifling Delhi Daredevils in a six-over chase. Chasing 71, Daredevils finished on 60 for 4 in damp conditions at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium and lost their seventh game in a row to Royals.

After Royals batted 17.5 overs for their 153, after which rain halted play for more than two hours, Daredevils came out to bat at nearly midnight. Ben Laughlin, who played a key role in Adelaide Strikers' BBL triumph in February, took two wickets in two stellar overs for Royals, denying Daredevils any momentum whatsoever in an innings in which they needed to hit from the onset. The first Laughlin over cost just five runs, leaving Daredevils with 42 to get off three. The wicket of Glenn Maxwell in the following over effectively ended the contest.

Royals return home with rain-hit victory (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI

Tuesday 10 April 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 5th Match

10 Apr 2018

Indian Premier League 2018 - 5th Match
(Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders at Chennai)

CSK chase 203 in blockbuster finish to homecoming

KKR vs CSK
202/6 (20) 205/5 (19.5)
CSK won by 5 wickets
Photo © BCCI

A chaotic start welcomed Chennai Super Kings back to the MA Chidambaram Stadium: protests and a delayed toss due to the late arrival of match officials. The end was even more frenetic, as Super Kings hunted down 17 off the final over, bowled by Vinay Kumar, to edge a high-scoring thriller and keep the IPL's trend of successful chases this season alive.

Chasing 203 after Andre Russell blitzed 88 off 36 balls, the highest score by a No. 7 batsman or lower in the IPL, Super Kings' pursuit ebbed and flowed until the final over. Super Kings were given an imperative, rapid start by Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, whose 75-run opening stand off 35 balls brought the voice of a subdued home crowd back. Then MS Dhoni's 25 off 28 pushed Knight Riders ahead once more as the required rate soared.

CSK chase 203 in blockbuster finish to homecoming (espncricinfo): Read More >>
Photo © BCCI