Pune : Kolkata Knight Riders were found wanting on more than one front, but head coach Brendon McCullum singled out their struggles in the power play, as a disappointing IPL campaign neared its end.Former champions KKR suffered their seventh defeat on Saturday night, a 75-run drubbing by Lucknow Super Giants here."We struggled in the power play which has been a frustration for us throughout the season," McCullum said, adding that the team needs to find a way to be more aggressive without losing wickets in the first six overs.The Shreyas Iyer-led side now finds itself on the brink of elimination."We've been good throughout the middle phase and not too bad at the death," McCullum said at the post match press conference."But in the power play we've been a little stuck and we've to find a method to not lose many wickets and also throw a few punches and get a few boundaries," he reiterated.KKR have used several opening combinations this season but failed to find the one that clicks. Their openers have not been able to give kind of starts required for teams to win matches."If you look around other teams at the top of the table, one of their opening batters is also one of their highest run-scorers. It's an area we haven't been able to settle. Unfortunately, some of the guys haven't been in the form that they would have liked to."That happens, sometimes. In a quick tournament, you do have to sometimes change personnel. It's been a little frustrating. But the guys have been working really hard, it hasn't necessarily worked out for us but can't fault their effort."Taking about the chopping and changing of the playing XI throughout the season, the New Zealander said: "Few changes were forced upon us with overseas players joining in late in the tournament plus a couple of injuries and loss of form."It's not always easy but we need to find a method to deal with the attacks that come to us."KKR retained Venkatesh Iyer ahead of the auction but the all-rounder, who enjoyed a breakout last season, struggled to put up good performances with the bat and ball and was eventually dropped from the side."He did not get as many runs as he would have liked to. We were forced into a situation where we had to look for other options. That's disappointing for someone who has represented India in the last 7-8 months on the back of what was a very good IPL last time in the UAE."That's a little bit of frustrating for him as well. He is working hard at the nets, trying to get his form back. That will certainly be a consideration. He is certainly not out of contention for the games to come."McCullum feels teams have done their homework on the all-rounder and figured out how to play him."It's Venky's second year. Teams do a little bit more homework, it's been historically the case in this tournament even in international cricket."It's an opportunity for Venkatesh to work on his game and improve, to come back stronger."He is a real talent, has got a good head on his shoulders. I know he is determined to take that next step and start to perform more regularly," McCullum added—PTI

 Kolkata Knight Riders were found wanting on more than one front, but head coach Brendon McCullum singled out their struggles in the power play, as a disappointing IPL campaign neared its end.

McCullum rues KKR's power play struggles

Lucknow Super Giants : 176-7 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 50, Deepak Hood 41; Andre Russell 2/22) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (Andre Russell 45, Sunil Narine 22; Avesh Khan 3/19, Jason Holder 3/31) by 75 runs. A clinical all-round performance helped Lucknow Super Giants thrash Kolkata Knight Riders by 75 runs in the 53rd match of the IPL 2022 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, here on Saturday. A quickfire fifty from Quinton de Kock (50 off 29) and a vital knock by Deepak Hooda (41 off 27) guided Lucknow Super Giants to 176-7 in 20 overs, after being invited to bat first. Both De Kock and Hooda steadied Lucknow with a 71-run stand for the second wicket. Apart from them, the likes of Krunal Pandya (25 off 27), and Marcus Stoinis (28 off 14) also made some valuable contributions with the bat for LSG.On the other hand, Andre Russell (2/22) was the most successful bowler for KKR, while Sunil Narine (1/20), Tim Southee and Shivam Mavi (1/50) also chipped in with one wicket each. In reply, Andre Russell played an attacking knock (45 off 19) but he didn't get the required support from the other KKR batters. After Russell, Sunil Narine (22 off 12) was the second-highest scorer for KKR. In the end, Kolkata were bowled out for 101-10 in 14.3 overs, losing by a huge margin of 75 runs—IANS

 176-7 in 20 overs (Quinton de Kock 50, Deepak Hood 41; Andre Russell 2/22) beat Kolkata Knight Riders (Andre Russell 45, Sunil Narine 22; Avesh Khan 3/19, Jason Holder 3/31) by 75 runs.

 IPL 2022: Lucknow Super Giants hammer Kolkata Knight Riders by 75 runs

Brilliant knocks by Quinton de Kock and Deepak Hooda followed by a sensational performance by Avesh Khan (3/19) and Jason Holder (3/31) led Lucknow Super Giants to a dominating 75 run-win over Kolkata Knight Riders in the 53rd match of the IPL 2022 at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, here on Saturday.

 IPL 2022: De Kock, Hooda, and bowlers propel Lucknow to top spot with 75-run win over KKR 

Mumbai :&nbsp;Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson lost his 10th toss of IPL 2022 when his Punjab Kings counterpart Mayank Agarwal said they would like to bat first.But Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shimron Hetmyer, with some help from Yuzvendra Chahal's three wickets, ensured that Rajasthan ended on the winning side, their first in a chase in IPL 2022 with the loss in the toss just left purely for academic interest.The start of the tournament hadn't been ideal for Jaiswal after being retained by Rajasthan ahead of the mega auction. Scores of 20, 1 and 4 in the first three matches meant Jaiswal had been benched in favour of another left-handed opener, Devdutt Padikkal.Now, after almost a month, Jaiswal was slotted into the eleven in place of Karun Nair with Padikkal pushed to middle-order.It helped that Jaiswal set the tone for Rajasthan's chase through cuts on the off-side and a glorious picked-up six off his pads over deep square-leg off Sandeep Sharma in the opening over.With Buttler tearing into Kagiso Rabada and falling to him eventually, Jaiswal would keep the scoring rate of Rajasthan up after taking another boundary off Sharma in power-play.But the standout boundary from his knock, laced with nine fours and two sixes, was a gorgeous inside-out lofted six over extra cover on a leg-stump ball from leg-spinner Rahul Chahar that easily cleared the long off-side boundary, which saw him get 48 runs from that area."I think the one I hit Rahul Chahar over the covers. I just tried to keep it simple -- good cricketing shots," were Jaiswal's words after the match.Another boundary of Jaiswal which showed his witty play was playing a silken late cut to a yorker outside off from Sharma to run it in the gap between wicket-keeper and short third man.From being 22 off 14 balls in power-play, Jaiswal opened up after the fielding restrictions were lifted to get 46 runs off just 27 balls. It also helped that Jaiswal was able to face much of the bowlers who weren't Kagiso Rabada or Arshdeep Singh.Though Jaiswal fell to Arshdeep eventually, Hetmyer, who has made a name for himself as a designated finisher for Rajasthan, stepped up to ensure that Rajasthan didn't lose their way, something which happened to Gujarat Titans against Mumbai Indians on Friday.With Padikkal struggling to get going and 47 runs needed off the last five overs, Hetmyer clipped Rabada through fine leg and cracked successive boundaries in the arc between mid-wicket and long-on.Hetmyer and Padikkal took four and six respectively off Rabada to make the equation really easy for Rajasthan. Arshdeep nailed his yorkers in a top-class 19th over and got Padikkal out with a low full toss chipped to cover.Hetmyer dispatched Chahar for a six over wide long-on and finished off the chase with a single in the same region to seal Rajasthan's first win of the tournament in a chase.But the match will be remembered for Jaiswal, who dedicated the knock to Rajasthan's director of cricket Zubin Bharucha for helping and motivating him in the time he was out of the eleven."I want to dedicate this innings to Zubin sir. He has helped me a lot during all the times, whenever I was sitting with him, when I was down."He has been pushing me always. It's been a pleasure to perform like this. He has motivated me a lot, pushing me everyday like 'you can do it, you'll do it, just keep working hard.' I'll just keep doing what I'm doing, I'll try my best."Rajasthan will be hoping that Jaiswal and Hetmyer would be at their best when the playoffs come, to turn the tide in their favour—IANS&nbsp;

 Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson lost his 10th toss of IPL 2022 when his Punjab Kings counterpart Mayank Agarwal said they would like to bat first.

IPL Turning Point: Jaiswal, Hetmyer turn the tide in Rajasthan's favour against Punjab

&nbsp;Mumbai : A clinical all-round performance helped Chennai Super Kings thrash Delhi Capitals by 91 runs in the 55th match of the IPL 2022 at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Stadium, here on Sunday.An excellent half-century from Devon Conway (87 off 49) powered Chennai Super Kings to 208-6 against Delhi Capitals in 20 overs, after being invited to bat first.Apart from Conway, Ruturaj Gaikwad (41 off 33) and Shivam Dube (32 off 19) also made vital contributions with the bat for CSK. Lower down the order, M.S Dhoni (21 off 8) and Moeen Ali (9 off 4) gave the finishing touches to Chennai’s innings.Anrich Nortje (3/42), Khaleel Ahmed (2/28), and Mitchell Marsh (1/34) were the wicket-takers for Delhi.In reply, the likes of David Warner (19 off 12), Mitchell Marsh (25 off 20), and Rishabh Pant 21 off 11) got quick-fire starts but they couldn’t play big innings for Delhi. In the end, Delhi were bowled out for 117 in 17.4 overs, losing by a huge margin of 91 runs.Moeen Ali (3/13) was the star performer with the ball for CSK while Dwayne Bravo (2/24), Mukesh Choudhary (2/22), Simarjeet Singh (2/27) and Maheesh Theekshana (1/29) also picked crucial wickets.Brief scores: Chennai Super Kings 208/6 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 87, Ruturaj Gaikwad 41; Anrich Nortje 3/42, Khaleel Ahmed 2/28) lost to Delhi Capitals 117 all-out in 17.4 overs (Mitchell Marsh 25, Rishabh Pant 21; Moeen Ali 3/13) by 91 runs—IANS

 A clinical all-round performance helped Chennai Super Kings thrash Delhi Capitals by 91 runs in the 55th match of the IPL 2022 at the Dr. D.Y. Patil Stadium, here on Sunday.

 IPL 2022: Chennai Super Kings thrash Delhi Capitals by 91 runs 

Pune: Leg-spinner Rashid Khan claimed 4/24, and Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2/7) and Yash Dayal (2/24) complemented his efforts as Gujarat Titans bundled out Lucknow Super Giants for 82 in 13.5 over to script a 62-run victory in a low-scoring encounter in IPL 2022 and clinched their berth in the playoffs in Pune on Tuesday.Rashid Khan and the Gujarat bowlers got into the act after Shubman Gill (63 not out) struck a fighting half-century to help Gujarat Titans reach 144/4 in 20 overs, a score that turned out to be enough on a pitch on which the ball was gripping and coming off slow.Gujarat bowlers sent down some good line and length and struck at regular intervals as Lucknow Super Giants never recovered from the blows as they slumped to a big defeat.Rashid Khan claimed his first four-fer in IPL 2022 as he claimed the wickets of Deepak Hooda (27), Krunal Pandya (5), Ayush Badoni (8) and Jason Holder (1) in 3.5 overs.The leg-spinner from Afghanistan got into the act after pacers Mohammed Shami, who again got Lucknow skipper and his India teammate K. L Rahul (8) cheaply, and Yash Dayal sent back Quintan de Kock (11) and debutant Karan Sharma (4) to reduce Lucknow Super Giants to 33/3 in 6th over.Rashid enticed Krunal Pandya and Ayush Badoni to step out of the crease and Wriddhiman Saha got the bails off in a flash to leave the batsmen stranded in no-man's land. He then bamboozled Jason Holder with a well-disguised leg-break and the West Indies batter just missed it and was rapped on his back leg.In between, Marcus Stoinis was run-out going for a non-existent second run and Lucknow were down to 70/8. Deepak Hooda, who had held one end up till now, tried to give Rashid the charge in a desperate attempt but his sweep shot ballooned high for keeper Wriddhiman Saha to complete a well-judged catch.Avesh Khan struck two successive sixes off Rashid Khan before he was given out caught behind on DRS after Saha convinced Hardik Pandya to go to the video umpire, who detected a faint edge.Lucknow thus slumped to their lowest total of IPL 2022 and the first below-hundred score of the event as Gujarat Titans emerged deserved winners.Earlier, Gill waged a lone battle as other Gujarat batters found the going tough against a disciplined LSG bowling attack after skipper Hardik Pandya won the toss and chose to bat first. Pandya wanted to test his batters' ability to set up a good total. Tested they were but while Gill passed that test in flying colours, others failed to rise to the occasion.Shubman Gill struck a fighting unbeaten 63 but clinical bowling, especially by pacers Mohsin Khan, Avesh Khan, and Krunal Pandya, helped Lucknow Super Giants restrict Gujarat Titans to a below-par 144/4 in their 20 overs.In the crucial top-of-the-table clash, Gill, who completed his half-century in 42 deliveries, paced his innings well to remain unbeaten with 63 off 49 deliveries, hitting seven fours. He had two vital partnerships -- 52 with David Miller (26) for the fourth wicket and an unbeaten 41 runs for the fifth with Rahul Tewatia (22 not out) as Gujarat could not break the shackles against disciplined bowling by Lucknow Super Giants.For Lucknow Super Giants Avesh Khan finished with 2/26 while Mohsin Khan (1/18 off four overs) and Krunal Pandya (0/24 off his quota) applied the brakes on the Gujarat innings.How good was the bowling could be guaged by the fact that Gujarat could manage only one six and just 15 boundaries in 20 overs.Gill kept the Gujarat Titans innings together as he held one end up after the Lucknow Super Giants struck early blows.Gujarat scored 35/2 in the Powerplay, their lowest total in the first six overs in IPL 2022 so far. They found the going tough as the Lucknow bowlers, especially their medium pacers, bowled a super line and length -- short of length and on the stumps.With batting on the pitch a bit difficult as the ball was gripping and coming slow off the surface, Gujarat landed in trouble as they lost Wriddhiman Saha and Matthew Wade with 24 runs on the scorebaord. Young left-arm pacer Mohsin Khan bowled a brilliant spell of three overs as he troubled the batters with his line, length and the angles he created.Saha was out trying to boost the scoring rate, after hitting a four off Dushmantha Chameera, he was out for five, caught by Avesh Khan off Mohsin Khan, top-edging a leg cutter to mid-on.Matthew Wade struck two successive boundaries off Chameera but was out in the next over to Avesh Khan for 10 and when skipper Hardik Pandya (11) slashed at a short, wide loosener on the first delivery by Avesh Khan after the first strategic break, only to edge it back to Quinton de Kock, Gujarat were in trouble, down to 51/3 in the 10th over.Gill struck Chamera for boundaries off succesive balls and in the 17th over he also reverse swept Krunal Pandya for a four and tonked Avesh Khan to the fence in the 10th over.David Miller and Gill helped Gujarat recover with a 52-run partnership for the fourth wicket. They played cautiously, did not take many risks and dealt mostly in ones and twos. Miller's two boundaries, a four and a six came off Jason Holder -- the four off a short, wide one which was cut with soft hands to beat the sweeper and the six over extra-cover off a full and wide one that was driven flat over extra-cover.But Holder had the last laugh as he got Miller with a short, wide, slower one that the batter slashed down the throat of deep third man. Rahul Tewatia landed a few lusty blows towards the end of the innings, hitting four boundaries in his 16-ball 22 not out as Gujarat reached a below-par score that they may find difficult to defend.Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 144/4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 63 not out, David Miller 26, Rahul Tewatia 22 not out; Avesh Khan 2/26) beat Lucknow Super Giants 82 all out in 13.5 overs (Deepak Hooda 27; Rashid Khan 4/24, Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore 2/7)—IANS

 Leg-spinner Rashid Khan claimed 4/24, and Ravisrinivasan Sai Kishore (2/7) and Yash Dayal (2/24) complemented his efforts as Gujarat Titans bundled out Lucknow Super Giants for 82 in 13.5 over to script a 62-run victory in a low-scoring encounter in IPL 2022 and clinched their berth in the playoffs in Pune on Tuesday.

 IPL 2022: Rashid Khan's 4/24, Gill's 63 not out help Gujarat Titans beat LSG, qualify for playoffs

Mumbai: Riding on Mitchell Marsh's all-round heroics, Delhi Capitals got their act together in the nick of time to upstage Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets and keep their IPL playoffs hopes alive here on Wednesday.After their bowlers restricted RR to 160 for six, Marsh's 62-ball 89 and David Warner's unbeaten 52 off 41 balls helped the Capitals complete the task with 11 balls to spare for their sixth win of the season that saw the team suffer setbacks both on and off the field, including multiple Covid cases in its camp.With the ball, Marsh had picked up the two important wickets of Yashasvi Jaiswal (19) and Ravichandran Ashwin (50). Then, he smashed seven sixes and five fours to emerge as the night's hero.DC lost Srikar Bharat in only the second ball of their innings to Trent Boult, who conceded just one run in the first over.That was followed by a maiden over by Prasidh Krishna and then the Kiwi speedster bowled another economical over as DC struggled to force the pace early on, reaching five for one in three overs.The introduction of Ashwin saw Marsh launching the off-spinner over long-off for a six. Marsh did the same to Prasidh, hitting him for a maximum over fine-leg to give the much-needed impetus to the DC innings.There was more to come from the willow of Marsh as he smashed Kuldeep Sen for two sixes and a similar treatment was given to Ashwin as the ball, despite Jos Buttler's effort in the deep, sailed over long-on for a maximum, bringing up the Australian all-rounder's fifty.By the time the 143-run stand was broken by Yuzvendra Chahal with the wicket of Marsh, the match was almost in DC's bag.Earlier, striking at better than most of the top batters, premier off-spinner Ashwin recorded his first half-century in T20 cricket.Ashwin made a 38-ball 50, while Devdutt Padikkal struck 48 in 30 deliveries after RR were asked to bat first.The Capitals were off to fine start as left-arm pacer Chetan Sakariya (2/23), playing the must-win game in place of Khaleel Ahmed, dismissed RR's top batter Jos Buttler (7) cheaply in the third over.Looking to play it over the infield, Buttler hit a fairly full-length delivery straight to Shardul Thakur.With Buttler gone early, DC were on top and looked to assert their dominance at the DY Patel Sports Complex. They gave very little away and kept RR to 43 for one in the six power play overs.This was after DC skipper Rishabh Pant decided against a review despite a strong appeal by Sakariya for a caught behind in the first over.Replays confirmed that Pant was right in not opting for a review.Coming off his blazing half-century in the previous game, Yashasvi Jaiswal produced a lovely on-drive off Anrich Nortje (2/39) and then smashed the South African pacer for a six over third man.Jaiswal (19) impressed again, but not for long as Mitchell Marsh (2/25) cramped him up for room with a bouncer, paving the way for the left-handed Devdutt Padikkal to join Ashwin in the middle.Looking confident after having hitting a few boundaries, including two maximums and a ramp shot over keeper Pant, Ashwin went along nicely and brought up his half-century in 38 balls.However, the premier off-spinner got out soon after reaching the landmark with Marsh coming back into the attack to give DC the breakthrough.Meanwhile, Padikkal smashed Axar Patel for two sixes -- one over deep backyard point and another over long-on -- as RR looked to force the pace.Padikkal then scored two successive fours off Marsh, even as Nortje had RR skipper Sanju Samson (6) caught by Shardul Thakur at mid-wicket.As the DC players rejoiced, Kuldeep Yadav was seen walking off the ground holding his left shoulder, having hurt himself while going for a catch in the previous over.Riyan Parag hit Nortje for a massive six before Sakariya cut short his brief stay in the middle, and Padikkal too followed suit, thanks to brilliant catch running by substitute fielder Kamlesh Nagarkoti—PTI

 Riding on Mitchell Marsh's all-round heroics, Delhi Capitals got their act together in the nick of time to upstage Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets and keep their IPL playoffs hopes alive here on Wednesday.

IPL 2022: DC beat RR by 8 wickets

Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants by 24 runs in their Indian Premier League match here on Sunday. Opting to bat, the Royals posted 178 for 6 with Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scoring with 41 off 29 balls, while Devdutt Padikkal and captain Sanju Samson chipped in with 39 and 32 respectively.Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets for 31 runs for LSG.Chasing the target, LSG were restricted to 154 for 8. Deepak Hooda top-scored for LSG with 59 off 39 balls while Marcus Stoinis contributed 27. Trent Boult, Obed McCoy and Prasidh Krishna grabbed two wickets apiece while Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravichandran Ashwin got one each for the Royals. Brief Scores: Rajasthan Royals: 178 for 6 in 20 overs (Yashasvi Jaiswal 41, Devdutt Padikkal 39; Ravi Bishnoi 2/31). Lucknow Super Giants: 154 for 8 in 20 overs (Deepak Hooda 59; Trent Boult 2/18, Obed McCoy 2/35, Prasidh Krishna 2/32).—PTI

 Rajasthan Royals beat Lucknow Super Giants by 24 runs in their Indian Premier League match here on Sunday.

All-round RR humble LSG by 24 runs, inch closer to play-offs

Mumbai: Chasing a par-target of 179, Lucknow Super Giants slumped to 29/3 in the sixth over. Boult made the breakthrough for Rajasthan Royals with two wickets in the first two deliveries of the third over. Quinton de Kock (7) was the first to go as he slashed at a wide one and James Neesham took a sharp catch at point. On the next ball, Ayush Badoni (0) was out, trapped lbw by a delivery that pitched on the middle and swung in a bit. Badoni reviewed it but could not get the umpire to change the decision.Earlier, Rajasthan Royals too lost an early wicket when Jos Buttler was out in the third over with the score on 11. But they did not lose their next wicket — Sanju Samson (32) — till the ninth over, as the Rajasthan Royals skipper raised 64 runs for the second wicket with Yashasvi Jaiswal (41) to take his team to 75/1 before he got out.In contrast, Lucknow Super Giants were reduced to 15/2 and when skipper KL Rahul was out after making 10 off 19 balls, they slumped to 29/3. They recovered a bit, thanks to a 65-run partnership between Deepak Hooda (59 off 39 balls) and Krunal Pandya (25 off 23). Marcus Stoinis too struck a 17-ball 27, but in the end that was not enough as they fell short by 24 runs. The initial wickets meant that LSG were always behind the asking rate — they were 34/3 at the end of the powerplay as compared to 51/1 by Rajasthan Royals. Though thanks to Hooda and Pandya, they managed to score 73/1 as compared to 79/3 by Rajasthan Royals, the gap just widened with each passing over. And though both the teams scored nearly the same number of runs — 48/2 for RR and 47/4 for LSG — in the slog overs, the backlog from the powerplay and middle overs was too much to overcome and they ended their innings at 154/8 in their allotted 20 overs.—IANS

Chasing a par-target of 179, Lucknow Super Giants slumped to 29/3 in the sixth over. Boult made the breakthrough for Rajasthan Royals with two wickets in the first two deliveries of the third over.

 IPL Turning Point: Boult's double-strike and mounting pressure lead to LSG's 24-run defeat

Mumbai: For inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, the equation is pretty straightforward in their last league match of 2022 season against the Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday. A win would set up their showdown against Gujarat Titans in the Qualifier 1 on May 24. But if they lose, they would end up in the Eliminator to be held a day later. The chances for Rajasthan to click in all departments of the game against Chennai have been further boosted by the return of their finisher Shimron Hetmyer, who missed the last two matches due to the birth of his child.With all members of the squad available for Rajasthan, former South Africa skipper Graeme Smith feels that the men in pink and blue should look to put up a comprehensive show against Chennai to sign off from the league stage of IPL 2022 on a high."They've played good cricket, they've found the form. Hetmyer is back after the birth of his first child so that's a positive. They would just be hoping that they click in all the departments against CSK. The top two will need to give them a good start," said Smith on Cricket Live show on Star Sports. Further talking about the flying start Rajasthan will need against Chennai, Smith specifically backed opener and top run-scorer Jos Buttler (627 runs in 13 matches at 52.25) to get another dominating knock. "Jos Buttler should look to get another big knock under the belt. We've all talked about the importance of finishing in the top two and giving yourself an extra chance of playing in the knockouts. So that will be key for Rajasthan as well."Agreeing with Smith's views, former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh stated that it will be a disappointment for Rajasthan if they don't emerge victorious over Chennai and miss out on finishing in top two of points table. "It is a golden chance for Rajasthan Royals to finish in the top two and give them an extra shot at fighting for the trophy. Beating Chennai Super Kings is never easy for any team but Royals will be disappointed if they fail to win as they'll lose the opportunity."—IANS

For inaugural IPL champions Rajasthan Royals, the equation is pretty straightforward in their last league match of 2022 season against the Chennai Super Kings at the Brabourne Stadium on Friday.

RR would be hoping to click in all departments against CSK: Smith

Mumbai: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday confirmed he will be playing for CSK in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The 40-year-old star batter of CSK announced this during the toss against Rajasthan Royals on Friday. The game against Rajasthan Royals is the last fixture for CSK in this edition of IPL.The CSK, which has won IPL four times with Dhoni has captain, has not made it to playoffs this time.Asked if the fans will see him in the yellow jersey again after this IPL season, Dhoni said "it will it be unfair to not play in Chennai and say thank you". "Definitely. It's a simple reason.. it will be unfair to not play in Chennai and say thank you. Mumbai is one place, whereas as a team and as an individual, I have got a lot of love and affection. But it wouldn't be nice to the CSK fans," MS Dhoni said. He hoped that the teams will be travelling to different venues during next year's IPL."And also, hopefully, next year there will be an opportunity where the teams will be travelling so it will be alike thank you to all the different places where we will be playing games at different venues. Whether it will be my last year or not that's a big question, because you know we can't really predict something two years down the line, but definitely, I'll be working hard to come back strong next year," he added. In the ongoing IPL 2022, MS Dhoni had stepped down as the skipper of CSK, passing the reins to all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja. This led to speculations of this being the final IPL season for Dhoni. However, Dhoni was reappointed as the skipper after Jadeja stepped down mid-way through the tournament.—ANI

Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday confirmed he will be playing for CSK in the next edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

MS Dhoni confirms he will play for CSK in IPL 2023

New Delhi: Delhi Police has busted an Indian Premier League (IPL) gambling racket and arrested six people in connection, an official said on Sunday. The accused were identified as Rahul Garg (30), Kunal Garg (30), Sanjeev Kumar (50), Ashok Sharma (51), Dharmatma Sharma (46) and Kanhaiya (21). Furnishing details, Deputy Commissioner of Police (outer district) Sameer Sharma said a tip-off was received on May 15 that gambling activities on the IPL cricket matches were going on at Chander Vihar, Phase-III, Nihal Vihar and if timely raid be conducted they can be arrested red-handed. Subsequently, a police team was constituted which investigated and found that gambling was being done in one building in the aforesaid area.Thereafter, the team raided the said premises in which six people were found gambling using Laptops and other electronic devices. "All of them were apprehended," DCP Sharma said. From the spot, the police seized two laptops, three internet routers, two LED TV's, voice recorders, call merger microphones, Rs 74,740 in cash, 10 mobile phones, two notebooks having record of gambling and one suitcase gambling device in which five mobile phones were attached. The police have registered an FIR under section 3, 4, 9 and 55 of the Gambling Act at Nihal Vihar police station and arrested all the accused persons. Further probe is on.—IANS

Delhi Police has busted an Indian Premier League (IPL) gambling racket and arrested six people in connection, an official said on Sunday. 

 IPL gambling racket busted in Delhi, 6 arrested

Mumbai: &nbsp;Several Chennai Super Kings players have conceded following the team's failed campaign in IPL 2022 that they "did not play" to their expectations, which ultimately contributed to the four-time IPL champions finishing a dismal ninth this season. The Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led defending champions won just four of their 14 league games, finishing only above five-time IPL winners Mumbai Indians. "Many people would be saying that we did not have luck going our way or we did not have things going our way. I would be very honest and tell them that we did not play to our expectations. But, as I said, we have to accept things and move forward," said CSK opener Ruturaj Gaikwad, the Orange Cap winner for scoring the most runs (635) in the 2021 IPL season.One of the main reasons for CSK's poor performance this season was Gaikwad's indifferent form, but the 25-year-old Maharashtra cricketer said that the team will come back stronger next season."You (CSK fans) have our backs. We will come out of this year really stronger next year," he added.CSK's prolific run-getter, New Zealand's Devon Conway, told CSK TV that, "We all know it wasn't quite our year this time. We can accept that and move on. We will bounce back next year. It's not because of lack of trying or practice, we just didn't quite play at our best this year. Things will be better next year, for sure."Young right-arm pace bowler Simarjeet Singh indicated that during the latter part of the IPL 2022 season, self-doubts had started creeping into the minds of the players after a series of losses in spite of due processes being followed. "When you lose, even if the process that you followed was the right one, you tend to question it. In hindsight, you feel as if you could have done things in a different way. But, we all are trying to learn something from this. From every game, if we try to extract as many learnings as possible, that will hold us in good stead," said Singh.Sri Lankan pace bowler Maheesh Theekshana felt that despite the failed season, it was important the players don't lose trust in their ability ahead of the next IPL season. "All the guys really did well, but we were not consistent. Like MS Dhoni says, trust in your ability, do what you can do, result does not matter. The process matters," said Theekshana. On a positive note, batter Shivam Dube, who played some good innings, said, "The story is not complete yet. It is not over."—IANS

Several Chennai Super Kings players have conceded following the team's failed campaign in IPL 2022 that they "did not play" to their expectations, which ultimately contributed to the four-time IPL champions finishing a dismal ninth this season.

CSK players concede they had self-doubts after a string of losses

Mumbai: Jos Buttler extended his dream run this season with a record-equalling fourth hundred as Rajasthan Royals produced a ruthless performance to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets in Qualifier 2, in Ahmedabad on Friday, and reach their first IPL final.Pacer Prasidh Krishna (3/22) came back strongly from the hammering he received in the last game against Gujarat Titans to help Rajasthan Royals restrict RCB to 157 for 8 despite a stellar 42-ball 58 from Rajat Patidar.<img src="https://im.rediff.com/cricket/2022/may/27hazlewood.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900">Buttler (106 not out off 60 balls), the leading run-getter of the tournament by a fair distance, then toyed with the RCB attack to ensure the Royals romped to victory in 18.1 overs. It was only fitting that he hit the winning runs, clobbering Harshal Patel for his sixth maximum.With his special innings, Buttler matched Virat Kohli for most hundreds in a single season. Kohli achieved the feat in 2016.Rajasthan Royals, who will take on IPL debutants Gujarat Titans in the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, will be looking to emulate the special feat of the 2008 team which won the title under the inspirational leadership of the late Shane Warne in the inaugural edition 14 seasons ago.The pitch offered extra bounce, but after Buttler provided a flying start in the company of Yashasvi Jaiswal (21 off 13 balls), the Royals had the game in the bag.RCB, who raised hopes of a long-awaited title with a resurgent run, committed too many errors after Royals put them in to bat.After a below-par batting effort, their bowlers ran out of ideas against a marauding Buttler. Mohammad Siraj ended a forgettable IPL campaign on a dismal note. He leaked 31 runs in his first two overs, allowing the Royals to run away with game.Buttler crossed the 800-run mark this season and dispatched bowlers to all corners in his match-winning effort, comprising sixes and fours.Jaiswal, who smashed Siraj for two sixes and a four in the opening over, too played his part as the Royals raced to 67 for 1 in the power-play.<img src="https://im.rediff.com/cricket/2022/may/patidar50.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900">Earlier, pacer Prasidh Krishna came back strongly from the hammering he received in the last game to help the Royals restrict Royal Challengers Bangalore to 157 for 8. Patidar extended his stellar run in the IPL with a 42-ball 58 but his effort was the lone bright spot of the RCB innings as the other batters struggled on a pitch that offered extra bounce to the pacers.Royals gained the upper hand by taking five wickets in the last five overs that went for only 34 runs. After smashing a sensational hundred in the Eliminator, Patidar played with supreme confidence after high-profile openers Virat Kohli (7) and Faf fu Plessis (25) failed to come up with impactful knocks.Rajasthan Royals' pace duo of Trent Boult (1/28) and Krishna (3/22) were impressive throughout the innings. While Boult got his in-swingers going in the powerplay, Krishna, who had a horror night against Gujarat Titans in Qualifier 1, got the ball to rise sharply from good length. Kohli started with a spectacular six off Boult, a whip over deep square leg, before falling to a loose shot off Krishna.<img src="https://im.rediff.com/cricket/2022/may/mccoywkt2.jpg?w=670&amp;h=900">It was a wide ball that rose sharply and Kohli played away from his body to edge it to the wicketkeeper. The extra bounce contributed to his dismissal. Patidar joined du Plessis in the middle and again played as if he was batting on a different surface. He was dropped by Riyan Parag at backward point early in the innings after he collected two fours off Krishna in the same over. Both were delightful strokes, the first being a cracking cut shot before a stunning back-foot punch between the cover and backward point.He also went after star spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs and brought up his fifty with a clean strike over long-off. Glenn Maxwell hit a six against Ashwin and Chahal before Boult outsmarted him. Boult invited him to pull over deep fine leg and the Australian failed to clear the boundary, Obed McCoy taking a brilliant catch. The Royals bowlers were able to stifle RCB in the death overs. Krishna, hammered for three straight sixes in the final over against Gujarat, lifted his game in the slog overs as well to dismiss the in-form Dinesh Karthik and Wanindu Hasaranga off successive balls.—PTI

Jos Buttler extended his dream run this season with a record-equalling fourth hundred as Rajasthan Royals produced a ruthless performance to beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by seven wickets in Qualifier 2, in Ahmedabad on Friday, and reach their first IPL final.

QUALIFIER 2 PIX: Buttler catapults Rajasthan Royals to IPL final

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Titans batter Matthew Wade has conceded that personally the IPL 2022 season hasn't gone the way he would have wanted, even though the team has made it to the final in its first year. The 34-year-old Australian wicketkeeper-batter endured a frustrating IPL 2022 before finally scoring a circumspect 35 (off 30 deliveries) as the Titans overhauled Rajasthan Royals' total in Qualifier 1 to secure a place in the IPL 2022 final. Wade said he was feeling frustrated until he scored a commendable 35 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata in Qualifier 1."It's been a frustrating tournament personally; I've been hitting the ball well, especially since I came back into the team. It just hasn't quite clicked, I found the fielders a little bit, just found ways to get out but I've played enough to know that happens for periods of time throughout T20 especially, but you've just got to stay brave and keep swinging the bat like you know you can swing it," Wade told cricket.com.au ahead of the IPL 2022 final against Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday.Wade returned to playing in the IPL after 11 years, having played three games for Delhi Daredevils (Delhi Capitals) in 2011. While the Australian has reached double digits in all but two of his nine innings this IPL season, the 35 against Rajasthan has been his highest score. He was also not in the playing XI for six matches following a run of poor scores as the Hardik Pandya-led Titans included an extra bowler. "As a player, if there's a legitimate reason that you're not playing then it's quite easy and the reason that I was left out at that particular time is Hardik (Pandya) got injured so we were short a bowler," Wade explained, according to the report."We basically went a batter short and took a little bit of pump with Rashid (Khan) batting seven, which paid off in spades; he's (Rashid) been amazing at seven so that was kind of why I initially went out of the team and then the way that Rashid, (David) Miller and (Rahul) Tewatia were batting, there was no reason to play the extra batter," added Wade. Wade said that in the years to come, he would be comfortable playing franchise cricket if he gets the opportunity but if not, he won't chase them. "I'm not chasing franchise cricket so much, if it comes my way and I can play it, then I'll play it. If this is it for me -- one year, two years, three years at IPL -- it doesn't worry me too much. If I can play them out of the Australian season then I'm probably more leaning down that path at the moment," added Wade. "I just want to be comfortable, spend a little bit of time with my family after the World Cup and see where the last few years of my career is going to be."—IANS

 Gujarat Titans batter Matthew Wade has conceded that personally the IPL 2022 season hasn't gone the way he would have wanted, even though the team has made it to the final in its first year.

The Hawk

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