IPL 2018: Shubman, Karthik power KKR to 6-wicket victory against CSK

In the 33rd match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018), Kolkata Knight Riders beat Chennai Supers Kings by 6 wickets, thanks to Shubman Gill's half-century

In the 33rd match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL) 2018, Kolkata tasted victory at home as youngster Shubhman Gill shined with the bat and scored his maiden half century. With the win, KKR move to third position in the VIVO IPL 2018 points table. Gill contributed with a significant knock that sealed the victory for the host side. The bowlers did not get much help from the pitch but still, wickets fell at regular intervals for both sides. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the toss and asked Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to bat first at the Eden Gardens.

Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis opened for CSK and the batsmen did not face much resistance from the bowlers. Soon, there came a turn as Faf Du Plessis was trapped under experienced leg-spinner Piyush Chawla's googly. It was a smooth sailing for Chennai during the major portion of their batting. Chennai crossed the 100-run mark in the 12th over and Kuldeep yadav got the better of Raina in the same over. Sunil Narine struck a blow to Chennai by removing in-form Ambati Rayudu at a cheaper score this time. Dhoni swung into action and kept sending the ball into the crowd, during the process he got a lifeline too as he was dropped in the 18th over. Chennai put up a target of 178 runs.

Chasing a target of 178 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders openers Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn came to bat and Lungi Ngidi got an early breakthrough as Lynn walked back towards pavilion in the first over. Robin Uthappa replaced Lynn, Narine got two consecutive lifelines, courtesy below-par efforts from Ravindra Jadeja who dropped him twice in the second over. After Narine, Shubhman Gill and Rinku Singh kept the fight alive for a brief. Gill continued scoring runs for the team and made his fifty, Karthik gave him company and contributed 45 runs.

Kolkata Knight Riders innings update: Over by over

Kolkata Knight Riders playing XI for today's match: Chris Lynn, Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa, Dinesh Karthik(w/c), Rinku Singh, Shubman Gill, Andre Russell, Shivam Mavi, Piyush Chawla, Mitchell Johnson, Kuldeep Yadav. Change: Nitish Rana out, Rinku Singh in.

Over 1: Lungi Ngidi to Chris Lynn, started off with a bouncer, dot ball. Another dot ball followed by 2 consecutive sixes. Dot ball. Loud appeal umpire declines and Dhoni took a DRS and yes its OUT as Ngidi gave CSK first breakthrough. KKR: 12/1

Over 2: KM Asif to Sunil Narine, started off with bouncer, no run. Top edge for no run. Dot ball followed by a six over Long-on of another short ball. Ball in air and Jadeja dropped it, unbelievable and 2nd drop by Jadeja of two consecutive balls. KKR: 18-1

Over 3: Ngidi continues, Glanced for four by Uthappa. CSK: 32-1

Over 4: Watson comes to bowl, single. Another single. Dot ball. Uthappa pulls but for no run. Played towards third man for one. Narine swings and gets the top edge, goes for four. KKR: 39-1

IPL 2018: Dhoni does it with trademark 6, CSK back on top of points table

Ambati Rayudu and MS Dhoni led the chase of 206 and made sure CSK cross the line in the end. CSK beat RCB by 5 wickets. CSK are now on the top of VIVO IPL points table

Chasing a huge total of 206, Chennai Super Kings' captain Mahendra Singh Dhoniand Ambati Rayudu held their nerves after wickets fell in the initial overs. Rayudu made a brilliant 82 runs to make the chase possible. CSK beat Royal Challengers Banglore by 5 wickets with two balls to spare. Dwayne Bravo hit some good shots in the last over to make it easy for MSD to hit the winning shot. With this win, CSK goes on the top of VIVO IPL points table. RCB could not bowl well in the final overs, despite having built pressure on CSK by reducing them to 74-4. The partnership between Ambati Rayudu and Dhoni turned it around for CSK. Siraj gave a few extras in the penultimate over. Prior to that, Negi bowled a costly over that brought down the required run rate.

Earlier, Quick wickets and a few runouts helped CSK restrict RCB to 205 when they could have crossed 220 easily. Some brilliant bowling at the death helped CSK's cause. However, Washington Sundar hit it well and helped RCB touch 200 mark. CSK will now need 206 to win.

Earlier, After a brilliant start given by AB De Villers and Quinton De Kock, RCB seemed to lose their way as wickets fell in packs. ABD, De Kock, Cory Anderson fell in back to back overs. Imran Tahir scalped ABD and Cory.

Chennai Super Kings innings update: Over by over

Over 1: Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson open the batting for CSK. Pawan Negi starts off the bowling. Six, what a shot by Watson. He is gone. Caught at mid-off

Over 2: Brilliant bowling by Umesh Yadav. Just two from it.

Over 3: Washington Sundar into the attack, Ambati Rayudu hits for a huge six, and here is one more. CSK: 24-1

Over 5: Siraj is in the attack. Good batting. CSK: 50-1

Over 6: Umesh continues, leading edge of Raina's bat, gone. Sam Billings is the new man in. Huge appeal for LBW, turned down. Flicked for four. Oh, that was a ripper, bisected Billings into half. CSK: 55-2

Over 7: Yuzvendra Chahal is into the attack, Swept by Billings for four. Billings steps out and misses, stumped. Ravindra Jadeja is new man in. CSK: 61-3

Over 8: Umesh is back, very good line. Dealing in singles. CSK: 66-3

Over 9: Chahal continues, Rayudu sweeps and misses. SIX. WIDE. Jadeja is bowled. CSK: 74-4

Over 10: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the new man. Wacks a huge six.

Over 11: Chahal continues. Double. Single to Dhoni. NO BALL, FREE HIT. CSK: 90-4

Over 12: Corey Anderson is the new bowler. Huge appeal for LBW, reviewed. Turned down. SIX. Single to end the over. CSK: 101-4

Over 13: Chahal continues, single to Dhoni. Dot ball. Boundaries are not coming easily. CSK: 107-4

Over 14: Negi continues, bowls a half volley, goes for six, and again. Dot ball. One run. Now Rayudu hits for a six, brings up his 50. CSK: 126:4

Over 15: Mohammad Siraj is back. Rayudu wacks for a six. Single. Another dot. CSK 135-4

Over 16: Corey continues, Rayudu hits high in the air, dropped by Yadav. WIDE. Flat six by Rayudu. Six again. CSK: 151-4.

IPL 2018: Amid Cauvery protest, CSK seek perfect return to Chepauk vs KKR

Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders win their respective first encounter against Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

In the fifth match of the 11th season of Indian Premier League (IPL 2018), when M S Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) play at their home ground of Chepauk in Chennai to take on Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they will do so with some amount of confidence – especially after having beaten defending champions Mumbai Indians on their own turf by 1 wicket in a thrilling contest on Saturday.

However, they will also try to look at and correct their flaws in the opening game of the tournament which necessitated some last-minute heroics by Dwayne Bravo to seal the match for them in a nail-biter finish. Besides, there is one setback that CSK have suffered due to the injury sustained by Kedar Jadhav – the all-rounder has been ruled out of the rest of IPL 2018 due to a hamstring injury.

For their part, KKR also won their opening match on Sunday against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengal at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, by 4 wickets on Sunday.

ALSO READ: IPL 2018: To wear or not to wear black bands? Cauvery shadow over CSK match

Today’s CSK vs KKR match – a homecoming like no other as the 'Men in Yellow' play at M A Chidambaram Stadium for the first time since May 2015 – promises a treat to the legion of CSK fans. Ahead of their favourite team’s match, many loyal supporters turned up in huge numbers even to watch them train.

Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the CSK vs KKR match is being played in the shadow of some off-field issues and threats of disruption. Some political groups have been opposing IPL matches being played in Chennai against the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka Cauvery water sharing dispute. They are demanding that a Cauvery Management Board should be set up immediately and protesting the Narendra Modi-led central government’s failure to do so. They have threatened to disrupt any IPL proceedings.

With several fringe elements threatening to protest the IPL 2018 matches in Chennai over the Cauvery issue, security arrangements have been beefed up to prevent any untoward incident, according to the police. CSK CEO K S Viswanathan, however, said the team's home matches would go on according to schedule. The city police had been informed about the schedule and they would handle the situation accordingly, he added.

A few day's earlier, superstar of Tamil films-turned-politician Rajinikanth had urged CSK players to wear black badges while playing their match against KKR to protest the Centre's apathy to the Cauvery issue. (more)

धोनी के इस्तीफे की वजह यह तो नहीं!

Breaking News : प्रशंसक, पूर्व खिलाड़ी और क्रिकेट से जुड़े तमाम लोग महेंद्र सिंह धोनी के उस हालिया फैसले पर हैरान रह गए, जब सभी प्रारूपों में भारत के सबसे सफल कप्तान ने सीमित ओवरों के खेल में भारत की कप्तानी छोड़ दी। लोगों ने हैरानी भरी प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए कहा कि धोनी से ऐसा क्यों किया? वहीं दूसरे लोग इस सवाल को दूसरे नजरिये से भी पूछ रहे हैं कि आखिर धोनी को ऐसा क्यों नहीं करना चाहिए था? दशक भर से देश की कप्तानी संभाल रहे धोनी का यही अंदाज रहा है कि उन्होंने निजी हितों पर टीम को ही हमेशा तरजीह दी है। निश्चित रूप से इस पहलू ने अहम भूमिका निभाई हो लेकिन पूरी कहानी यहीं खत्म नहीं हो जाती।

व्यावसायिक हितों जैसे शब्द की व्याख्या करते हुए लोढ़ा समिति की रिपोर्ट में दर्शाया गया, 'डी टीम का कप्तान है। साथ ही वह खेल प्रबंधन एजेंसी में सह-मालिक भी है, जो टीम के अन्य सदस्यों से जुड़े अनुबंधों को देखती है। डी हितों के टकराव से प्रभावित है।' रिपोर्ट में आगे कहा गया, 'इस मामले में जब असंदिग्ध साख वाले तमाम क्रिकेटरों से पड़ताल की गई कि कि आखिर हितों के टकराव की क्या स्थिति हो सकती है तो वे हैरान रह गए कि किसी हित टकराव वाली स्थिति के लिए कोई गलत काम जरूरी नहीं है। समिति ने संज्ञान लिया कि किसी पद पर बैठा व्यक्ति खेल में ईमानदारी का अवमूल्यन कर सकता है और ऐसे हालात इन आरोपों के लिहाज से उसे संवेदनशील बना सकते हैं।' अगर धोनी इस्तीफा नहीं देते तो वे इस प्रकार के परिदृश्य के काफी करीब नजर आते क्योंकि उन्हें 6 जनवरी को आगामी एकदिवसीय और टी 20 शृंखलाओं के लिए चयनकर्ताओं की बैठक में सक्रिय भूमिका निभानी पड़ती।

धोनी अपने बचपन के दोस्त अरुण पांडेय के साथ मिलकर रिति स्‍पोर्ट्स मैनेजमेंट नाम की एजेंसी चलाते हैं, जो खुद धोनी सहित दर्जन भर मशहूर शख्सियतों के विज्ञापन अनुबंधों का काम देखती है। इसके साथ के एल राहुल, भुवनेश्वर कुमार, प्रज्ञान ओझा और मोहित शर्मा जैसे खिलाड़ी जुड़े हुए हैं। इनमें राहुल और भुवनेश्वर एकदिवसीय क्रिकेट टीम का हिस्सा भी हैं। साथ ही धोनी लंबे समय से ऐसी टीम के कप्तान भी रहे हैं, जिसमें नियमित रूप से रवींद्र जाडेजा और सुरेश रैना की मौजूदगी रही। यह तथ्य भी किसी से छिपा नहीं रहा कि ये दोनों खिलाड़ी भी उस समय रिति स्पोट्र्स मैनेजमेंट के साथ थे। रैना ने जहां वर्ष 2015 में रिति के साथ अपना करार खत्म कर लिया, वहीं जडेजा ने पिछले साल अक्टूबर में ही रिति को अलविदा कह दिया। Read more

How Virat Kohli cracked the Rs 100-crore league

Virat Kohli is today, without doubt, India's premier human brand. And, that transformation, the meteoric rise, has taken place between Diwali (October 2015) and Holi (March 2016). Kohli's rankings were on the ascendant for the last three to four years, but he remained in the shadow of his captain and senior team mate, MS Dhoni. Besides sportsmen, typically lag the Bollywood troika of the Khans and Mr. Bachchan when it comes to celebrity rankings. But Kohli has managed to change all that.

The World Cup T-20 ignited Brand Virat Kohli. I studied the brand's evolution on 64 parameters and found that the rise in valuations is quite unprecedented. I have been tracking personality brands for well over a decade and such a major metamorphosis in a brand's attribute wheel, that too in such a short period, has rarely been observed. One reason is, of course, the phenomenal exposure that live television provides today. As a result after the T-20 matches, Virat's explosive batting and soaring sixes - not to forget his nimble running between the wickets - were seared into public memory.

When I finished one round of field studies in October-November last year, over a sample of over 2,500 respondents across five cities, Kohli was not in the position he is today. I then ran a purposive sample just after the World Cup T-20. In the interim six months, he had zoomed to the top, leaving Salman Khan who was top-of-the-pops in the last round way behind.

What makes Virat so special? When we look at his brand map, we find that his scores have zoomed on parameters labelled tough, dynamic, innovative and reliable. Kohli is regarded as progressive and contemporary, but most importantly, he is rated very high on being distinctive, stylish and prestigious. On most of these attributes his scores have doubled in a mere six months; that too across gender, demographics and geographies.

Judging by these responses, there is obviously more to Brand Virat than just his cricket. The fact that he is no longer seen to be arrogant (as he was perceived in his early years) is interesting. He is believed, on the contrary, to be very approachable and straight-forward, which means that his behaviour, on-field and off-the-field, is being closely watched by millions of his fans. His flying a kiss off his bat to then lady love Anushka; his bowing to icon Sachin Tendulkar in the pavilion on achieving a batting milestone; his appeal to everyone on social media to not troll his 'ex' - these actions seem to have endeared him to many. And for brand managers all around the world, these are all indicators of the making of a brand that transcends mere power drives and lofted maximums.Read More.

IPL Gov Council to discuss moving 10th edition abroad: BCCI secretary

IPL Gov Council to discuss moving 10th edition abroad: BCCI secretary

The members of the Indian Premier League's governing council are likely to deliberate on whether the 2017 edition of the cash-rich tourney can be held abroad, BCCI secretary Anurag Thakur revealed Thursday.

"The IPL governing council will be looking at the venues in India and abroad. We have to check the availability of the venues and prevailing conditions," Thakur told a select gathering of journalists during an interaction at the BCCI's Delhi headquarters today.

Read more from our special coverage on "IPL"

• Citing drought, PIL seeks shifting of IPL matches from Raipur
• Problems related to IPL affect the franchises: Preity Zinta
• Bombay HC allows BCCI to hold May 1 IPL match in Pune
• Happy, united, young goes the IPL chant
• Branding googlies for late entrants

IPL has been twice played outside India both being assembly election years. In 2009, the league was moved for the entire duration to South Africa, while in 2014, it was shifted to the United Arab Emirates for the first 15 days.

That the BCCI top brass is deliberating on the issue was clear when BCCI treasurer Aniruddh Chaudhary had tweeted four days back: "Very soon IPL may be played outside the country, if this goes on. Loss to the GDP would not be insignificant."

The IPL has been rocked by one controversy after another from its inception year but during this edition, the spate of Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed by various organisations has thrown the itinerary into disarray.

Already 12 IPL matches have been moved out of drought-hit Maharashtra on the Bombay High Court's directive after a PIL was filed claiming that a substantial quantity of water was being used in maintaining the various cricket stadiums in the state.

"I have asked the state units to check water-harvesting structure," Thakur said.

The BCCI secretary also said in no uncertain terms that if the Lodha Committee recommendations pertaining to curtailment of advertisement is implemented, then it will have a sharp negative impact on BCCI's revenue structure.

Read More.