KKR gifts victory to CSK

KKR snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory, as they self destructed after Robin Uthappa had given the chase a quickfire start. At once stage it looked as if Gambhir's surprising decision to field first after winning the toss was a masterstroke, but KKR slumped from a comfortable 52/1 in 5 overs to 132/9 in 20 overs, falling short of CSK's total by 2 runs.It was the spinners, especially Ashwin, who turned the game on its head choking the batsmen and driving them to play loose shots.

                  The CSK openers, as usual, gave their team a flying start to put on 42 in 4.4 overs.before McCullum once again fell to a leg spiiner, Piyush Chawla this time.Dwayne Smith looked set to spend some time in the middle playing a steady innings but was run out by a direct him from Pathan.That wicket triggered a mini collapse as CSK went from 64/1 to 88/5.Brad Hogg and Pat Cummins bowled outstandingly to stiffle the run scoring, while Russell and Piyush Chawla took two wickets each.Even with Du Plessis staying at the crease till the end, CSK could only manage 134 in 20 overs.

                   KKR had the worst possible start, losing skipper Gambhir in the first over itself to Ishwar Pandey. Robin Uthappa decided to take on the bowling hitting the pace bowlers out of the attack.He was in sensational touch, but once again failed to build on a good start falling to the first ball he faced from Ashwin.Still KKR were in a commanding position to chase down the low total.The batsmen however gifted their wickets, after inviting pressure playing a number of dot balls. The spinners bowled well, but there was hardly any rotation of strike which sent the required run rate higher up,Danger man Andre Russell was run out and though Ryan Ten Doeschate made a late charge, CSK came out on top, as they do usually in these close matches.Dwayne bravo took three wickets but the star was Ashwin who took two wickets in the two overs he bowled, before he was forced out with injury.

Upbeat RCB looks to continue fine run against RR

Royal Challengers are back on their home turf as they are set to take on a Rajasthan Royals side that has seen their strong start to the season compromised by recent setbacks. Two losses and a washout leaves them a little short of confidence, but they are sitting pretty at second spot in the IPL table. However they will have to be back at their best to subdue the home crowd, whose side have been on the rise of late.

                        RCB have put the disappointments at the beginning of the season on the back seat, and notched up two impressive wins, one of which was against today's opponents.They bundled out RR for less than 100 in their previous encounter before achieving the target with 9 wickets in hand. Mitchell Starc showed what a difference a world class bowler can make as the entire bowling unit now looks pretty good. Chahal's injury is a concern and is still unsure whether he will be fit in time.The other confidence booster for RCB is the return of form of Gayle and Kohli. With AB set to come in at 3, RCB have finally got their best batsmen facing the larger number of balls.

                        Rajasthan Royals have seen a number of players going off form at the same time. The overseas players Chris Morris, Faulkner and Steve Smith have all under performed and too much is put on the shoulders on Rahane and Watson. The other bowlers have also struggled off late to pick up wickets.At a batsmen friendly pitch like the one at Bangalore, they will have to be brave enough to hit the right areas.Hooda might get a bat higher up the order to exploit the shorter boundaries. Tim Southee for Faulkner is a change which the team management will consider.

RCB go in to match as slight favourites.but have lost all three matches at home.RR meanwhile will look to get their stuttering season back on track with a victory to go back on top.

In form CSK eye top spot against KKR

CSK are looking pretty strong so far this season, with the only blemish the thrashing at the hands of RR, who moved into 1st position after their game against today's opponents was washed out.CSK can reclaim the top spot with a victory, while KKR will look to move within touching distance of the above teams, with a win of their own.

                           Either of Dwayne Smith and Brendon McCullum have managed to give CSK a good start in all of their matches, laying the foundation for the batsmen to build big scores. The rest of the batsmen have had their moments too and with the match being held at Chepauk, the spinners will have a big role to play.Ashish Nehra has been fantastic all season, and young Ishwar Pandey seems to be taking confidence from his new ball partner.

KKR have been inconsistent and their cause was not helped as the last match at home was called off without a bowl being bowled.Sunil Narine has been reported again, yet could take the field considering the spin friendly conditions.The batsmen sans Gambhir, have not been able to get the big scores in, and are counting on the sum of the parts to do the job.The bowling unit looks in much better shape though and the spinners will come handy.

CSK have won 8 matches on the trot at Chennai and KKR will have their work cut out if they are to come out on top.

Kings XI falters yet again as Warner, bowlers hands victory to SRH

The return to Mohali seemed to be working in favour of Kings XI, as they got the early wicket of Dhawan after skipper Bailey had won the toss and put in Sunrisers to bat. Despite Warner's quickfire 58, the bowlers were able to restrict SRH to a sub par score of 150/6. But two quick wickets rocked the KXIP chase, and though they made a late fightback, ultimately it proved too little too late.SRH winning the contest by 20 runs, with Trent Boult the MoM.

Sandeep Sharma started off superbly with a maiden over, that had Warner in a spot of bother more than once. Shikar Dhawan, fell trying to ease the pressure from the other end, gifting the wicket to Mitchell Johnson who was bowling the new ball for a change.Warner however took charge with a brisk half century, but yet again his side were not able to take full advantage.advantage. Naman Ojha and Moises Henriques struggled to get the big hits, with the latter not even having a strike rate of 100 after facing 32 balls.It was Ashish Reddy in the end who smashed 22 off 8 balls with two sixes who eventually helped SRH reach the 150 mark.

Glenn Maxwell was left out again and another big hitter Virender Sehwag was also dropped as Manan Vohra was finally handed a chance. In spite of the absence of the two big guns, the score was very much gettable. But.But KXIP, were dealt a double blow by the opening pace duo of Trent Boult and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. Vohra and then Shaun Marsh both played on to leave them at 13/2 in just 3.1 overs.Bailey came in and accelerated the scoring but was dismissed just when he was threatening to cut loose. Vijay was unfortunately run out, with Miller's wrong call leaving him stranded. When the South African also returned to the pavilion, it seemed just a matter of time before KXIP bundled over. But Saha and Axar Patel had other ideas, as they put on 44 in 29 balls to get their team a sniff at victory. Boult dropped a skier of Saha, but he more than made up for it in the 17th over dismissing both him and Patel to finish off Punjab.

Underachievers battle to gain credibility as KXIP hosts SRH

Both Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad were expected to do much better , than what their league positions show presently. Kings XI had a well settled team which did so well last season, while Sunrisers had strengthened their squad with some good purchases at the auctions. But both teams have struggled so far. Another loss will leave them with a mountain to climb, as far as qualifying for the latter stages is concerned.

                   Kings XI will be relieved to be back to the familiar surroundings at Mohali, having lost all three matches at their makeshift home of Pune. Last season's finalists have found the going tough this season, with the stars of last season out of touch. Glenn Maxwell was even dropped, to make way for Bailey in the last match. Whether he makes his comeback tonight will largely depend on the team's decision on Mitchell Johnson.The pacer has once again gone into his periodic patches of woeful form, with his fielding also costing them big against CSK.Sandeep Sharma alone has looked good, with Anureet's wicket taking also dried up.

                   The one relief for Kings XI will be that their opponents are not much better themselves and an early breakthrough to disrupt the opening pair will go a long way in helping their cause. SRH's middle order and tailenders don't look dangerous at all with too much burden being put on the shoulders of Warner and Dhawan. The bowling looks fine, though Boult could make way again to accommodate another batsman.

Kings XI will have the slight advantage playing at Mohali where they won six and lost only once last season. I would like to see Maxwell being brought back in. The small break seemed to have done Chris Gayle good and I expect the same for Maxwell.
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Dardevils handed a Royal mauling at Delhi by RCB

If you thought yesterday's match between CSK and KXIP was one sided, it was miles away from what we witnessed at the FerozShah Kotla on Sunday.Virat Kohli made a triumphant return to his home city as his Royal Challengers Bangalore side were outright winners against a shell shocked Delhi Daredevils. After dismissing DD for less than 100, RCB romped home with a 10 wicket victory, with almost ten overs left to play.

                                Kohli made use his knowledge of the Kotla pitch to draft in Varun Aaron, who replaced RCB's leading wicket taker Y Chahal, who failed to recover from the injured finger he sustained against CSK. The quickie didn't disappoint his skipper, as he put in a MoM display, getting the crucial wickets of Y Singh and A Mathews.Iqbal Abdulla and D Wiese too picked up two wickets each while Starc went one better.

                                 RCB were a bit lucky though initially as the man in form Shreyas Iyer was unlucky to have been adjudged leg before off Starc.Duminy and M Agarwal seemed to have got things back on track, but once the DD skipper was dismissed, they were never able to recover. Varun Aaron was brought back into the attack and he picked up the two crucial wickets to all but finish Delhi's batting power.Kedar Jadhav managed to help DD reach 95, top scoring with 33.

                                 It was a situation tailor-made for Gayle to go berserk - and he did just that. 62 off 40 balls with four maximums. Well supported by Kohli who made 35, they barely had to break a sweat, as RCB climb upto fourth position in the table, just ahead of their opponets, on net run rate.

Bouyant RCB,DD go head to head

The second match on Sunday had Delhi Daredevils taking on Royal Challengers Bangalore at the FerozShah Kotla.With both teams coming on the back of victories in their previous matches, we have all the making for an intriguing contest.

                           JP Duminy and Shreyas Iyer took the match away from MI the other day, and were well backed by their bowlers, especially the spinners. Imran Thahir continued to pick up wickets and is the owner of the purple cap at present. Like SRH, the DD are light in the batting department and that could see the return of Manoj Tiwary to the starting line up. Dominic Joseph has been improving game on but will have a stern test against Gayle on his hands. Yuvraj Singh is still waiting for that big knock and the clash against his previous employers presents a juicy oppurtunity.

                            RCB outplayed the then table toppers Rajasthan Royals completely as their bowlers were able to restrict them to a low total before Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers completed the job in style. It remains to be seen whether the decision to bring AB in at three is a permanent one.Their batting looks so much healthier with such a proposition,The bowlers really impressed the other day with Chahal and Starc well supported by Harshal Patel and Iqbal Abdulla.

                            Clear skies will give us a full game of cricket and with two teams looking to push on and build up some momentum, lets hope the fans are not left disappointed.

                           

KKR, RR battle it out to get their campaign back on track - A preview

                 Defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders has endured a mixed campaign so far with three wins out of five, and will look to collect two points before they face the mighty CSK in back to back matches. They have home advantage as well as they face a Rajasthan Royal side which have lost two on the trot. Sunil Narine remains a doubt after being called for suspect action again. Predictions of thunderstorms and showers are another worrying factor for the Kolkata fans.

                 Gautam Gambhir has been in fine form for KKR, but the other batsmen haven't had big knocks to bolster their confidence. Shakib Al Hasan has been missed with bat and bowl, though Johan Botha had a good opening match against SRH.Sunil Narine's absence might not be such a huge factor considering his ineffectiveness so far. KKR have a variety of spin options to cover for the West Indian.Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel have been good as a pair, though the former needs to be more consistent.

                 Rajasthan Royals will look to arrest their slide in form at the eareliest as the slump has already seen them lose the first place in the standings to CSK. Rahane failed for once and the Royals batting never recovered after that. The bowlers had an off day as well as they were not able to provide any breakthroughs defending a small total against RCB. It will be interesting to see whether RR persist with the same line up or blood in new players to shake things.

 A good time for KKR to face the Royals or is it a wounded tiger waiting to strike back ? Lets wait and watch !!

                    

CSK thrashes KXIP to go top

                       The new Avengers hit the screens this weekend, and it seemed CSK gained inspiration from it, not that they needed any, to avenge for last season's hat-trick of losses against Kings XI Punjab. It was the most one sided contest of the season yet, as the CSK bastmen thrashed the KXIP bowling and then the bowlers decimated their batting to restrict them for less than 100.McCullum bagged the MoM award for a 44 ball 66, but it was a knock with many chances,as the KXIP fielders, especially Mitchell Johnson had a bizarre outing in the field.

                        MS Dhoni won the toss and had no hesitation in batting first, with the prospect of getting a big score for his bowlers to defend. Smith and McCullum set about doing just that, as they raced to 50 off just 4.4 overs.Smith smashing 20 off a Karanveer over. McCullum skied a ball off Anureet Singh, for what looked an easy catch but Mitchell Johnson dropped his first of the night. The bowler however came back strongly to dismiss Dwayne Smith. Suresh Raina looked out of touch and couldn't capitalise on his chances as he too was dropped by Johnson. He got a reprive early on as well when the umpire failed to hear the nick after he was caught behind.It was McCullum who did the brisk scoring topping with 66. Dhoni and Jadeja produced the final flourish as CSK piled on 192 in their 20 overs.

                        The KXIP batting never really got going, with Virender Sehwag getting dismissed in the first over itself.The 31 run partnership for the second wicket between Murali Vijay, who top scored with 34, and last match's hero Shaun Marsh turned out to be their highest as wickets kept tumbling down.Ashish Nehra continued his dream run picking up two wickets, while the spinners got into the act as well with five wickets between them.

                          A confidence shattering loss for KXIP as they were pushed to the last place in the IPL standings, while Chennai are showing once again why they are the Super Kings in IPL, going top of the table.
                         

MI bowlers finally get their act together for win over SRH

Mumbai Indians overcame Sunrisers Hyderabad largely due to a good bowling effort by their overseas pacers, Malinga and McClenaghen.The SriLankan - Aussie pair took seven wickets between them as MI were able to successfully defend a sub par score of 157 setup by their batsmen. The Sunrisers Hyderabad's over dependence on the opening pair of Warner and Dhawan, was evident as their middle order were not able to build on a decent start given by the openers.

                             SRH opted for the pace duo of Steyn and Boult for the first time in the IPL as Henriques dropped to the bench.It was Steyn who got the breakthrough dismissing Parthiv Patel.U Chand failed again before Lendl Simmons, who survived a number of half chances, and skipper Rohit Sharma were able to bring up 100 in 12.3 overs. But just when MI were looking to break loose, the settled pair were dismissed in quick succession.The rest of the batsmen were unable to hit the big shots as SRH bowlers made a good comeback to restrict MI to 157. Simmons was the top scorer with 51, while Bhuvaneshwar Kumar was the pick of the bowlers with a tidy 3/26.

                              The SRH openers got off to a flier, but unlike in previous matches, it was Shikar Dhawan who took on the bowling to register a quick fire 42 off 29 balls.But when Warner was dismissed by Malinga, soon followed by Dhawan, MI could sense a big chance at exploiting the weak middle order. L Rahul and Bopara were made to eat up a number of deliveries in the middle overs, as they couldn't handle the pressure of the chase.Mathew McClaneghan can consider him unlucky that he didn't pick up the MoM award.He picked up the danger man Dhawan, Rahul and Bopara at crucial junctures in the game. The honour went to Malinga who returned for his final spell, picking up three wickets in an over and four in total. MI however will be pleased that the bowling finally rose up to the occasion to hand them just their second win of the season.

Match 24 preview - CSK vs KXIP

Chennai Super Kings meet their tormentors from last season as they welcome Kings XI Punjab in Saturday's second match. George Bailey led KXIP got the better of Dhoni & Co in all three meetings last season, with Glenn Maxwell tearing apart them in the league meetings, while,Sehwag and Vohra ruled in the eliminator to progress to the final. Rain forecasts in Chennai are a dampener to the clash, but lets hope the skies do't open up.

                        CSK recovered from their hiccup against RR, as they returned to winning ways at the expense of RCB. Suresh Raina was at his best as he stroked with ease for a 32 ball 62. He produced one of the most memorable IPL innings ever, when he smashed a 25 ball 87 and was dismissed by a run out. Dwayne Smith has looked steady, but McCullum has failed to fire in the last two matches, falling to leg spinners. Faf Du Plessis provided the finish last time out and with Dhoni and Dwayne Bravo too, they have a batting line up to fear.

                         Kings XI Punjab matches CSK with their batting strength on paper , but performances have not been  forthcoming. Only skipper Bailey has been among the runs on a regular basis, though his replacement in the last match Shaun Marsh produced a MoM display against RR.It remains to be seen how Kings XI asdjust their overseas composition to accommodate the two.Manan Vohra has still not got a chance, but the trio of Sehwag, Vijay and Saha needs to step up and give the team a good start.

                         Its the bowling department that worries both the teams. The CSK spinners are having a horrible time and its a surprise that they still hold a place in the starting XI.As for Punjab, Sandeep Sharma has been impressive this season too, but the other bowlers have failed to support him adequately, especially Mitchell Johnson who was supposed to spearhead the bowling. 

                         One of CSK's biggest strengths is their agility on the field, which reflects in excellent running between the wickets and outstanding catching which was on display in their match against RCB.Kings XI will have to show some of the form of last season though, if they are to overcome Dhoni's men at home.

                           

            

                        

Match 23 preview - MI vs SRH

Mumbai Indians, lying at the bottom of the table with just a solitary win in their six matches so far, will host the Sunrisers Hyderabad at the Wankhede stadium in the first match of the day.SRH come into the match, on the back of a morale boosting win over defending champions KKR,while MI couldnt build on their victory over RCB, as they were outplayed by Delhi Daredevils with Mumbai lad Shreyas Iyer playing a match winning knock.

                   Injuries have not helped MI cause with Aaron Finch and Corey Anderson ruled out of the campaign while Josh Hazelwood was kept off from taking part in the IPL by Cricket Australia.Colin Munro and Ben Hilfenhaus has been drafted in as replacements with the latter more likely to get an appearance considering MI's lacklustre bowling efforts. Only Harbhajan Singh seems to be a threat now, with Malinga playing the role of curtailing the runs rather than taking wickets.The batting also remains a worry, with the starts not getting converted to big scores. Rohit Sharma and Kieron Pollard as usual with much responsibility.

                  Their opponents SRH have their own share of problems, with the over dependency on their opening pair, especially Warner and struggling to get the balance of the team right. Kane Williamson, Eoin Morgan and Moises Henriques all have been tried for the fourth overseas spot, but none have clicked so far. They also face the Steyn vs Boult conundrum.The pacey track at Wankhede might tempt the SRH management to play the both of them. But that will add even more strain to the weak middle order for SRH. Warner has bagged the MoM award in both of SRH's victories and if he misses out, SRH seem to be in all sorts of trouble to build a big score.

                 

RCB upset RR with a commanding win

                              Its still early stages, but with the performances it was expected that Rajasthan Royals will have it easy against Royal Challengers Bangalore as they came visiting at Motera.The RCB bowlers put in their best display so far, picking up wickets at regular intervals to restrict the Royals to a paltry score of 130.Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers batted outstandingly to give RCB, only their second win of the season, with a little under four overs to spare.For Rajasthan, its their second loss on the trot and will have to stop the rut soon or suffer the same fate as last season.

                             The addition of Mitchell Starc certainly has added some belief to the RCB bowling unit no doubt, but what will really please Kohli is the how the others supported him. Chahal has been bowling well throughout the tournament, picking up two wickets tonight as well. Harshal Patel and Iqbal Abdulla bowled really well to starve the opposition of chances to hit big. Rajasthan for once didn't have the cushion of a solid opening stand as Rahane was out leg before wicket to Patel. Shane Watson too perished soon, looking to take the attack to Chahal.Steve Smith couldn't hit the big ones as he failed to convert the start. That he was the top scorer at just 31 runs, is a pointer to Rajasthan's troubles. Faulkner could have done some damage late on, but he was dismissed thanks to a diving one handed catch by Dinesh Karthick.

                          Chris Gayle made his comeback to the team and was looking bood hitting four boundaries, but was outfoxed by Shane Watson, looping a simple catch to the wicket keeper.But there were no further hiccups for RCB as skipper Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers, who finally got his chance to bat up the order played sensibly to ease their way to victory.Kohli looked in command the way he batted, while AB too stroked the ball around at will. The RR bowlers couldnt do any damage and looked short of ideas as they ran out of runs to defend. A surprisingly one sided affair, it turned out to be in the end.

                           Mitchell Starc picked up the MoM award for his figures of 3/22, but all his wickets came in the final two overs with the damage was already done by then.It seems RCB are faring better away from home with two wins in two, less pressure perhaps.As for RR, the demons of last season will be at the back of the heads of Dravid & Co and they will lose their top spot, if CSK beat KXIP later tonight.
                             

                                   

Battle 'Royal' as Rajasthan Royals hosts Royal Challengers Bangalore

Its a contest of contrasting fortunes as table toppers Rajasthan Royals, playing their third home match in a row, come up against Royal Challengers Bangalore who are languishing at the bottom of the IPL table with just 1 win in four games. RR themselves, lost their last match against Kings XI Punjab and will be looking to get back to winning ways against a Bangalore side low on confidence.

                              Shane Watson has made a brilliant comeback since his injury and with Rahane in outstanding form, the double R's will be banking on yet another good opening start to set the platform for the guys to follow. Steve Smith has been off colour of late, but is a good player of spin, one of RCB's bright spots in what has been a disappointing campaign so far. The other batsmen too have contributed in the few chances they have got.

                         The same cannot be said of their counterparts in the RCB side however. Dinesh Karthick has failed to live up to the huge price tag he commanded at the auctions. Him batting higher than AB De Villiers has also led to criticism of the Bangalore team management and rightly so. The best players simply need to bat the most number of balls. AB just hasnt had time to play himself in with the required rate soaring by the time he reaches the crease. Virat Kohli, might have scored a fifty in the last match, but he will be the first to admit it wasn't a good knock in the circumstances.It will be interesting to see whether Chris Gayle, who apparently dropped himself for the clash against CSK, comes back in.

                        RR have bowled well as a bowling unit, with Chris Morris and Pravin Tambe standing out. James Faulkner has been expensive and has looked short of form since a good opening game. They have a number of bowling options, sometimes a bit too many considering how Tambe has not bowled his full quota, sans one game. Kohli meanwhile is the farthest from that luxury, with his team's bowling causing headaches aplenty. The spin combo of Chahal and Iqbal Abdulla has been bowling well and the return of Mitchell Starc has sure added much needed firepower to the pace attack.

Duminy, Iyer powers DD to long elusive win at Ferozshah Kotla

Shreyas Iyer and JP Duminy produced a batting masterclass to setup the win for Delhi Daredevils against the Mumbai Indians. The win brings to the end the 9 match losing streak for DD at home and moves them into fourth position in the IPL table. For MI, who went into the match with an unchanged squad to the one that secured their first win of the season, none of the batsmen could built a substantial innings which is needed when chasing a big score like 191.

                            Things didn't start well for the Daredevils as they lost their opener Mayank Agarwal in just the third ball of the innings. Having replaced last match's top scorer Manoj Tiwary with S Nadeem , DD knew they were light in their batting and so the duo of Iyer and Duminy were very reserved in how they built their innings. They were clever to target the 4th and 5th bowling options which are pretty ordinary for MI. Duminy had hoiked J Bumrah for two sixes in the fourth over, but yet DD's score at the 10 over mark read 65/1. But with 6 overs yet to be bowled by the likes of Bumrah, Pandya and Pollard, Duminy and Iyer decided it was time to attack. The same number of runs came off the next five overs with even Harbhajan and McClenaghan feeling the heat once the duo got going. The 2nd wicket partnership was not broken until the 17 th over, when Iyer tried to be a little too cheeky against Malinga and had his stumps broken. But by then Iyer had made, 83 off just 56 balls and built a partnership of 154 with his skipper. The Delhi management took a wise decision to send in Angelo Mathews to counter his countrymen ahead of Yuvraj and he didn't disappoint with a 8 ball 17. 125 runs came off the final ten overs as DD finished their innings at 190, with Duminy undefeated at 78 off 50 balls.

                              The MI chase never really got going as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The openers Lendl Simmons and Parthiv Patel did manage to get a decent start but they both fell to outstanding fielding efforts. Simmons was the first to go as he skied one off the bowling of D Joseph. JP Duminy kept his eye on the ball at all times and adjusted his position accordingly to pull off a superb catch. Imran Thahir then caught one still running to cover the ground to dismiss Parthiv. Unmukt Chand and then Kieron Pollard were dismissed cheaply to once again thrust the responsibility on Rohit Sharma. He and Ambati Rayudu both got 30 but it was never going to be enough. Imran Thahir picked up three wickets in the 17th over to all but seal the match for DD. Amit Mishra bowled beautifully picking up two wickets.It was Shreyas Iyer who bagged his first MoM award, a superb talent staying true to his promise.

Match 21 preview - DD vs MI

The clash between Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians at the Ferozshah Kotla stadium in Delhi, presents a chance for teams to make up for lost opportunities and move up the IPL table. DD had their mini revival of two victories, since snapping that 11 match unbeaten run, brought to an abrupt end by KKR. MI meanwhile got their first win of the tournament against RCB, and with their batting looking dangerous, will look to pile on more misery at home for Delhi.

                               Delhi Daredevils sit in fifth position in the IPL table, and have had decent outings so far. Their batsmen failing to capitalise on good starts, led to DD's downfall in the last match against KKR.Shreyas Iyer is looking good to match the pre-tournament promise and Yuvraj looks as if a big innings is due soon. Duminy and Angelo Mathews have contributed with bat and bowl, but needs to be more consistent. The spin duo of Thahir and Mishra have been bowling well and is Delhi's main weapon. Zaheer Khan is back from injury, but not sure whether he will get a look in just yet.

                                 Mumbai Indians have decided to tackle their problems head on, batting with attacking intent in their last two matches to set up big totals. Corey Anderson however has been ruled out of the season which is a big blow for MI no doubt. They will miss his all round capabilities, especially with Pollard not bowling as much as before. However the West Indian has been devastating with the bat and so is the skipper Rohit Sharma. Harbhajan Singh has been the stand out bowler for MI with seven wickets and has chipped in with the bat as well.MI needs more contribution from the other players though if they have to continue their comeback effort.

Raina, Nehra the heroes for CSK as Gayle-less RCB lose at home third time running

The fans at Bangalore were in for a shock as Chris Gayle was dropped from the RCB side to face CSK.With the match taking place at the M Chinnaswamy stadium, which delivers a run feast every time, it was a move which no doubt was a huge relief for Dhoni & Co. Sureh Raina finally came good with a bullish 62, assisted by Dwayne Smith and Faf Du Plessis, setting up a target of 182 for the home team. Ashish Nehra then produced one of the best bowling displays in IPL history - 10/4 in four overs and was unlucky not to get the MoM award.CSK proved how good a fielding side they are with two spectacular catches by Du Plesssis and Bravo and the brilliant run out of AB De Villiers effected by Dhoni after a wayward throw to the stumps.

                                        Slight drizzles forced a 25 min delay before the start of the match, but luckily no overs were cut short. Brendon McCullum once again fell to a leg spinner early on, as Y Chahal first frustrated him with two dot balls in the second, before the Kiwi skipper sliced the ball to point for an easy catch. Smith however went about business as usual and built a 58 run stand for the third wicket with Raina.The third wicket partnership however was the game changer as CSK amassed 54 runs in 4 overs, with Dhoni a mere spectator. It was Raina who called the shots as he got stuck into the RCB bowlers. He hit Chahal for three sixes on the trot and was out attempting another one over long off. His 62 came off 32 balls and apart from initial few balls, looked in complete control. CSK then suffered a mini collapse as Dhoni and Jadeja fell with the addition of only 11 runs. It was Faf Du Plessis' 18 ball 33 which ultimately got CSK to 181.The spin duo of Iqbal Abdulla and Y Chahal took 5 betweens them and were crucial in restricting the opponents to a score of less than 200.

                                         A score in excess of 180 have been scored  in the second innings 10 times at the venue, and with big hitters in the side, RCB had reason enough to be confident. They had a solid start too as Bisla and Russouw hit 31 in the first three overs. Ashish Nehra then striked a double blow sending both openers back to the pavillion.Bisla can consider him unlucky as he was out by Du Plessis' one handed effort.Kohli and Dinesh Karthick, who yet again came in ahead of De Villiers struggled to get things going.In spite of a 17 run over off Ashwin, the partnership could only muster 28 runs in 26 balls. De Villiers struck two meaty blows but his stay was cut short by a piece of magic from MS Dhoni.AB was send back by Kohli after calling for a second run initially and when the throw from Smith was a little ahead of the stumps, it seemed the chance was missed. But Dhoni collected and flung the ball briskly to run AB out. None of the other players could manage a massive knock which was required in the circumstances and even though Kohli managed to get to his fifty, it was never good enough , as RCB fell short by 27 runs.

Leaving you with some images of the match.

SRH prevails over KKR in rain affected match

Rain played its part in the first match of the day at Vishakapattanam as the hosts SRH won its first match at home in three attempts.David Warner led front the front with a 55 ball 91, but it was the miserly bowling at the death bowlers which enabled SRH to win after KKR was set a revised target of 118 in 12 overs. KKR would be disappointed they couldn't chase down the total in a shortened game, especially after both their openers were let off by some ordinary catching from Sunrisers.

                                          Gautam Gambhir decided to open the bowling with Johan Botha, playing his first match of the season, coming into the side for Ten Doeschate. THe SRH openers , Warner and Dhawan however were up to the task and played the ball on merit. Not taking undue risks, they took their time to settle before Warner unleashed his array of strokes. Botha was the standout bowler giving away only 26 off his 4 overs, while Andre Russell was strangely given only one over, that too the 19th. The opening stand of Dhawan and Warner lasted for 14 overs in which they piled up 130 runs, so it was really surprising why the West Indian all rounder was not given a try. Warner was eventually dismissed by Morne Morkel, and the SRH middle order couldn't push on towards the end, managing only 45 in the last 6 overs to finish at 176/4.

                                            Huge clouds at gathered at the break and in no time the rains started, initially a drizzle which became a downpour. An hour and 30 minutes were lost but the groundsmen were able to achieve conditions enough for a 12 over match with a revised target of 118. With KKR batsmen in good nick and 10 wickets to achieve the target, SRH would have started regretting their score which was at least 20 runs short than they would have liked. Dale Steyn charged in with purpose, but the SRH fielders didn't help his cause. Uthappa was first dropped at slips by Lokesh Rahul and then Gambhir by Pravin Kumar at third man region, both sitters.The KKR skipper however was not able to capitalise and was bowled by Praveen Kumar. Robin Uthappa looked in fine touch flicking two sixes on the leg side, but was out attempting a similar shot off Henriques. Andre Russell came into join Manish Pandey at the crease with overs starting to run out for KKR. Russell hit two sixes and a four to get to 19 in 9 balls and it seemed KKR had the measure of the SRH bowlers. But the dismissal of Russell in a 7 run over changed the complexion of the game. Five runs in the next over bowled by B Kumar and the pressure was getting to KKR. Yusuf Pathan & Manish Pandey couldn't get the ball from under the bat, as BK & PK bowled a length similar to how Malinga & Kulashekara bowled in the T20 World Cup final last year.KKR eventually fell short by 17 runs, with David Warner picking up the MoM award

Star studded battle on the cards as RCB face CSK

When these two South Indian teams go head to head at Bangalore, it presents arguably the biggest collection of superstars on the field in IPL matches. RCB with Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers face off against the likes of Brendon McCullum, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni, Dwayne Smith. The crowd will have their money worth especially with a run feast expected as in the RCB's previous home fixture against MI. RCB lost that day and with CSK also looking to get back to winning ways after their defeat against RR, a fiery contest is on the cards.

                                Virat Kohli will be glad to finally have Mitchell Starc back from injury. The leading wicket taker in the World Cup and the current No 1 ODI bowler, is sure to add some fire to the what has been an ordinary bowling attack. Gayle will look to bury the demons of the last game to give RCB a good start. Virat Kohli needs to convert the starts he is getting while De Villiers has to bat up the order to have some time in the middle before he can go kamikaze,David Wiese had a dream IPL debut against MI, picking up 4 wickets and a quickfire 40+ score and adds depth to the batting.

                                 The CSK  top order had a rare off day as their three match winning run came to an end against RR. But they will cherish the batting deck at Bangalore. They have some really big hitters and with short boundaries, runs are expected to flow. Dwayne Bravo adds so much balance to the CSK side with his death bowling and useful batting. The CSK bowling have struggled on the large, especially Ashwin who has bowled only three overs i the last two matches, Ravindra Jadeja has been woefully out of form, and if it continues, Irfan Pathan is sure to get a chance, pretty soon.

KKR gunning for 2nd spot with win over struggling SRH

Sunrisers Hyderabad take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the first match of the Wednesday double header at their not so lucky home ground in Vishakapattanam. Having lost both matches in front of their own fans, SRH will be hoping their overseas players can come good to overturn their fortunes, having won just one of their four matches. KKR, on the other hand, are looking confident, and barring the sole loss to Gayle-inspired RCB, sit pretty in 3rd spot in the IPL table.

                             The SRH problems arise from the fact that none of their players have had massive impact. They have been good in bits n piece but that match winning performance has been missing. Still searching for the winning combination, especially the fourth overseas player slot. Morgan's failure could once again open the door for Kane Williamson or we could catch first glimpse of Moises Henriques. The bowlers have been tidy, but without much success. The batting too has failed to fire.They need to fight the right balance soon enough to avoid sliding down the table.

                              KKR's triumph last season was mainly built around three players - Sunil Narine, Robin Uthappa and Shakib Al Hasan. The West Indian mystery spinner had to change his action since, and though economical, has picked up only two wickets. Uthappa is failing to built to his starts and Shakib is away on international duty. That KKR has won three and lost only once, speaks volumes of their strength. Skipper Gautam Gambhir has led from the front, with three half centuries and aggressive captaincy on the field. Yusuf Pathan and Suryakumar Yadav have chipped in with useful contributions, while Andre Russell has taken over the role of all rounder. Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel are a potent opening bowling combination, picking up wickets at crucial junctures of the game. All seems well for KKR, and if Narine can get back to his best, they could go an yet another remarkable run. 

Kings halt Rajasthan juggernaut in super over

Shaun Marsh made a triumphant return to the Kings XI Punjab side, hitting a 40 ball 65 and then three boundaries in the super over to bag the MoM award. There was plenty of drama in the super overs for both sides as Miller and Watson were dismissed off the first balls, followed by a boundary off a no ball. Kings XI who batted first manged to get 15 runs, while RR lost their two allotted wickets for just 5 runs with Johnson castling Watson and Faulkner run out brilliantly by Saha. The strange decision of bringing in Hooda to bowl in the 18th over, with Tambe having 1 over, means Watson has to shoulder a major part of the blame for the loss.

Marsh, who was playing only because captain George Bailey was injured, batted with ease making one wonder why he was kept out in the first place.David Miller was at his devastating best too as he helped Punjab to match the 191 run mark set by RR. Ajinkya Rahane continued his fine form top scoring for the Royals with 74 runs. Shane Watson, who struggled to get going early on in the innings, hit Shivam Sharma, who came into the side for Gurkeerat Singh, for 18 runs in his first over.Breezy knocks from Hooda, Karun Nair and Stuart Binny made up for the loss of Watson and Smith and things looked bright for a sixth win on the trot for RR.The fifth

It looked the case,when Punjab were reduced to 59/3 in 9 overs, including the wicket of  Glenn Maxwell.Both the openers were run out,Sehwag for nought and Murali Vijay by leg spinner Rahul Tewatia who showed quick thinking to flick the bails at the non striker's end, after the ball was hit back to him by Marsh. Tewatia then got the wicket for which he was brought into the team, as Maxwell's struggles against the leggies continued. The left handed duo of Miller and Marsh however batted with ease, as they bridged the gap between runs required and balls remaining. Marsh was outfoxed by Tambe and it looked done and dusted. Miller then upped the ante and was given a gift by Watson in the form of Hooda being given the 18th over. Hooda did get his man, but not before hitting two maximums. Kings XI still needed 26 to win of the final overs. The pressure was getting to the Royals with Smith and Samson missing easy chances for run outs and it proved costly as Saha, Axar Patel and Mitchell Johnson were able to move the game into the super over, where they prevailed.

Match 18 preview - Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab

Rajasthan Roayals has been on song so far with five wins out of five, a run which started against tonight's opposition. The Royals come up against the Kings XI Punjab side, this time at Motera stadium in Ahmedabad, where CSK were blown away on Sunday. Kings XI have endured a torrid run at their temporary home Pune, where they have lost three and will welcome the change of scenery, but not the opposition they face.

                                                    RR have been going from strength to strength since their opening match against Punjab, and with the return of Shane Watson, have bolstered their options with a solid all rounder. Rahane leads the batting charts and with Watson and Smith, forms a formidable trio up front. The big hitting Hooda wasn't even needed with the bat in the last two matches. There is no shortage of options with the ball either with upto 8 bowlers, including Steve Smith. The fact that none of the RR bowlers have featured in the top wicket takers chart of the season so far, is proof how well they are bowling as a unit.Faulkner was their man when the two teams met earlier, picking up 3 wickets and a close to a fifty runs.He hasnt been in form lately, but this could be the game to turn things around.

                                                    Kings XI, on the other hand, have been brought down to earth after a stupendous season last year,One win from four matches sees them sitting at sixth position in the IPL table. Their biggest worry has been the batting, especially the hard hitters Glenn Maxwell and David Miller.Skipper George Bailey has had to rescue the innings more often than he would have liked. The Indian pace duo of Sandeep Sharma and Anureet Singh have been terrific, picking up seven wickets each. But they need to be backed up well, especially the fifth bowler option. Mitchell Johnson has struggled big time, with only one wicket in four matches. He could be replaced by an Indian bowler with David Miller coming back in to fill the fourth overseas spot.

Team effort helps KKR overcome DD with ease

Gautam Gambhir led KKR to a victory at his home ground of FerozShah Kotla over Delhi Daredevils who suffered their ninth straight loss in front of their own fans. The KKR bowlers did the job early on, with Umesh Yadav, Morkel and Piyush Chawla grabbing two wickets each to restrict DD to just 146/8. Gambhir, Suryakumar Yadav and Yusuf Pathan did their jobs well as KKR won by 6 wickets, their third in four matches. For DD, none of the players stood out, especially the batsmen who couldn't convert their starts into big scores.

                                      Gambhir, Delhi Ranji team skipper, knows this ground better than most, but he himself suggested that he had never seen a wicket like the one on offer yesterday. With both captains unsure how the pitch would play, the toss was crucial. In what was a sign of things to come, it was the KKR skipper who made the right call and decided to ball. The fast bowling duo of Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav steamed in and the former accounted for Mayank Agarwal in the second over itself. Sunil Narine got the wicket of the dangerous JP Duminy.Shreyas Iyer who had done well to get to 31 played a loose shot to Piyush Chawla and got castled. Manoj Tiwary, playing against his former team batted intelligently and was the top scorer for DD with 32. Yuvraj Singh was out stumped in a comical manner, off the bowling off Chawla. Yuvi attempted a sweep and ventured out of the crease without looking where the ball was. Uthappa managed to flick the bails at the second attempt for a crucial blow.Mathews and Kedhar Jadav hit Narine of all people for 31 in his last 9 balls, but couldnt get the others away as DD could only manage 146. Umesh Yadav was the pick of the bowlers with 2/18 in his four overs.

                                      The KKR openers batted with caution knowing the target wasn't daunting, playing shots along the ground. The fifth over bowled by Dominic Joseph, however gave a glimmer of hope for the home crowd as Uthappa and then Manish Pandey was dismissed. But Suryakumar Yadav came in to assist his skipper and put on a 48 run partnership which was ended by Courter Nile. But DD still needed more wickets to pose a challenge and that was never to be. Yusuf Pathan batted sensibly to get near the target. Gambhir, who scored his third halk\f century in four matches, was dismissed with three runs to get, a mere consolation for DD. An easy chase in the end, and a good team effort by KKR.

                                      

Match 17 preview - DD vs KKR

Delhi Daredevils managed to end their 11 match losing streak all right, but are faced with yet another infamous record. They have lost at their home ground in the last eight games and so Duminy & Co will be looking to end this drought as well with the new found momentum in the side. Back to back wins have lifted them upto fourth place in the IPL table, but will have their work cut out against the defending champions, the Kolkata Knight Riders.

                              DD look like a team on the rise with their pace attack the only real worry,The Indian openers have been on song , Duminy leading well with both bat and bowl, the spin duo of Mishra and Thahir bowling well in tandem - all pointing to a team which can pose a challenge. With Shami ruled out for the entirety of this season, Courter Nile and Mathews need to shoulder the responsibility with much more precision. If Yuvraj too plays like his old self, the DD will take some stopping.
                   
                               The DD batting will be tested by a side which have versatility as one of their key strengths. Last match was proof enough. In spite of losing half their side with over 100 runs still to get, Andre Russell played a tremendous knock to help them achieve the target. Along with him, the pace attack is headed by Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel ,the pair having previously spearheaded the bowling for DD. Gautam Gambhir himself is ex-DD and will look to leave a mark against his former employees.Sunil Narine looks like getting back to his best slowly but steadily. Ominous signs indeed.

MI edge out RCB in run feast for maiden win

With boundaries as short as 60m and a batting deck to match the quick outfields, a run feast was expected by the Bangalore crowd.Boy, they got one big time, but not the result they would have hoped for.MI finally got off the mark in this IPL season, while the bowling headaches continue for Kohli & Co.

                         MI showed in their last match against CSK that they are gonna bat their way out of trouble.There was no batting collapse at the top and this allowed Mumbai Indians to plunder runs at will against the weak RCB bowling.Lendl Simmons and Unmukt Chand struck half centuries, the latter his first IPL fifty. Chand was the most impressive of the two, as he looked in command all through his innings staying towards the end, assisting Rohit Sharma as MI were pushing for a par 200 score.The MI skipper looked in awesome touch as he hit 42 off just 15 balls.David Wiese picked up 3 wickets in the 19th over and MI looked set to miss the 200 run mark. But debutant H Pandya's two sixes in six malls helped MI post 209. Chahal was once again the pick of the bowlers for RCB while Wiese picked up four wickets. Abu Nechim and Varun Aaron once again leaked runs aplenty and you wonder how giving any other a rookie a chance isn't a better option.

                       A score in excess of 200 normally gives room for comfort, but MI's bowling frailties coupled with the batting strength of RCB, it was going to be tough defending the score at Bangalore. While everybody expected fireworks from Gayle, what we got to witness was the extreme opposite. It was one of the strangest T20 innings you could imagine, considering the circumstances.Gayle got 10 off 24 balls, that too after two dropped chances.The game was really lost then n there, but for some big hitting from AB De Villiers and Wiese, RCB managed to get close to the target.AB's innings was truly remarkable, 41 off just 11 balls. Bumrah, who had bowled four consecutive wides at the start of his spell, got the prize wicket of AB, but it was Harbhajan Singh, playing his 100th IPL match, who bowled with guile to finish with MoM figures of 3/27 in 4 overs.A late onslaught by Wiese and Iqbal Abdulla proved too little too late as MI ended their 4 match losing streak to win by 18 runs.

CSK humbled as Rajasthan make it five in a row

With both teams coming in to the match with unbeaten record in the season so far, it was going to be a battle of strength between CSK's batting firepower and the RR's bowling variations. That's exactly where the match was decided.The Royals made early inroads dismissing the top order cheaply and curtailed the big hits towards the end. The ever consistent Ajinkya Rahane and returning skipper Shane Watson then produced a batting masterclass to give RR a comfortable win.

                                          MS Dhoni having won the toss decided to bat, maybe keeping the very hot conditions in mind. Watson though was upto the task, as he rotated the bowlers regularly, and it worked out beautifully for RR. Pravin Tambe got rid of Brendon McCullum, who was looking to dominate the bowling early on. Raina and Du Plessis also perished soon. With wickets falling around him, Smith curtailed his attacking instincts, but still managing a solid 40 off 29 balls. He was dismissed in the first ball after the first strategic time-out and with no recognised batsmen to follow, the CSK pair of Dhoni and Bravo had to steady things first. It was Bravo who got things moving, finding the gaps in the field to perfection. That Bravo managed 62 off 36 balls with just one hit over the ropes, is proof of how intelligently he played. But the heat tired him towards the end, ad with Dhoni not connecting with the ball at all, CSK could manage only 156/4.

                                         Watson, who was playing his first match of the tournament, came in to open the innings with Rahane. The duo batted with utmost ease as they made light work of the CSK bowling which looked toothless.Watson especially took a liking for the spinners as they were never allowed to settle.Dhoni too looked short of ideas as the Indo-Aussie batting pair put up 144 runs for the first wicket, a record for RR. Both hit brilliant 70's with Watson being dismissed just 13 runs shy of the target. Rahane remained unbeaten and sits comfortably at the top of the batting charts at the moment.
                     It was a thrashing no doubt for CSK, a rare off day, while the Royals juggernaut rolls on. 

Match 16 preview - RCB vs MI

RCB will take on MI in the second match of the day tonight at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. MI have lost all their four games so far while RCB lost their second game after wining their opening game against KKR. Both the teams have a weak bowling line up and will bank on their batting to see them through. 

                                             Once again, the burden rests on the shoulders of Gayle, De Villiers and Kohli. With the rest of the batting not firing and Mitchell Starc missing, the team lacks the balance and it will take a big knock from one of those three to give them a chance. The palyers brought in to fill the gaps which were evident last season, Dinesh Karthick and Darren Sammy haven't taken their chances so far. Chahal has been the lone shining star in the bowling department.

                                              MI find themselves in familiar territory with four losses in their opening four matches. The  bowlers were left deflated after the smashing at the hands of the CSK batsmen. Pollard , Corey Anderson and Rohit Sharma has had two successes each so far and has helped them post decent totals.But the bowling have let them down big time, especially Malinga. MI also need to arrest the unwanted trend of batting collapses early on. 

                                              

Battle of the table toppers as RR face CSK

The two teams who have set the pace early on in the IPL season, come head to head as Rajasthan Royals face Chennai Super Kings at the Sardar Patel Stadium here in Ahmedabad. With two unbeaten teams, its a contest of contrasts  between the star studded CSK team and the team of equals RR. If the match lives up to the expectations , we can have a cracker at our hands. \

                      Both the teams have employed the same starting 11 in their victories so far. Unless the fit again Shane Watson decides to play, we should see no hage in those line ups. CSK have been destructive in their outings so far, with the opening duo of McCullum and Dwayne Smith in brutal form. With other big hitters in their ranks, it will be intersting to see what unfolds when they come up against a team which has four bowlers in the top 5 of best economy rates in the IPL season 8. This surely will decide the outcome of the match. The Chennai bowling doesn't ooze confidence and with Rahane and Smith in good form, could give a good run for their money. Watson coming in will undoubtedly provide them with good strength, but it remains to be seen whether RR will change their winning combination.

Andre Russell the hero as KKR beats Punjab

Continuing the theme of the day, in which JP Duminy put in an allround performance to guide DD to a win single handedly, KKR had Andre Russell to thank for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with a brutal 36 ball 66 which guided them to an improbable victory. The hard hitting West Indian who scalped 2 wickets with the ball, made a mockery of the Kings XI bowlers who had reduced KKR to 60/5 chasing 159. Sandeep Sharma bowled beautifully picking up 4 wickets, but none of the other bowlers managed to help his cause.

                                                          Kings XI Punjab themselves suffered a batting collapse earlier on, with the three KKR quickies picking a wicket each to reduce Punjab to 27/3 in the fifth over. Glenn Maxwell and George Bailey though went about the innings in their usual style, not allowing the pressure to build up. Maxwell curbed his natural instincts to some extent, playing sensibly while Bailey once again donned the role of playing throughout the innings, helping his team to 155 off their 20 overs. Their scoring was restricted mainly due to Sunil Narine, who seem like getting back to his miserly best after every match, giving away just 17 runs in his 4 overs.

                                                         KKR came in to bat, with a clear plan in mind. Gambhir would look to play through the innings while the others will look to get the move on. They did get the run rate they were looking for, but it came at a price. Half of their side were back in the pavillion after 8 overs with 60 runs on board. Sandeep Sharma bowled beautifully, reminding us of his exploits in the last season, picking up 2 wickets a piece at either end to finish off his quota. Punjab were undoubtedly on top, but that's where their joy ended. Andre Russell came and was brutal in his onslaught as he hammered the Punjab bowlers to all parts of the ground. The more fancied Yusuf Pathan was left a bystander as the West Indian allrounder spared no one in a 95 run partnership, that all but ensured victory for KKR.

Duminy's allround heroics helps DD overcome SRH

JP Duminy, led from the front in all departments of the game to lead Delhi Daredevils to their second win in two matches. With a gutsy 54, 4 wickets and a catch, it was certainly a day to remember for the South African T20 skipper. DD certainly seem to have turned the corner, after ending their losing streak a couple of days ago.

                                             On a pitch with uneven bounce, DD started out their innings o a bad note losing the man in form Mayank Agarwal in the third over. Shreyas Iyer and JP Duminy batted commendably to accelerate the score on the sluggish surface.The Indian rookie showed why he he is considered a future prospect, picking up the bad balls to hit, clearing the ropes 5 times in his 40 ball 60. When he was dismissed DD were comfortably placed at 93/2 in 11 overs and looked set for a huge total. Duminy who played the support role till then, took on the bowling and reached his half century but was out bowled by Steyn trying a fancy leg sweep. Buvaneshwar Kumar bowled excellently at the death, restricting the scoring to cut short the target by 10-15 runs.\

                                             The Sunrisers Hyderabad openers started with caution, but then exploded with both Warner and Dhawan hitting three boundaries in an over, enabling SRH to reach 50/0 in 6 overs. Just when it seemed SRH would make light work of the chase, JP Duminy dismissed both the openers to change the complexion of the game. Bopara and L Rahul did well to steady the run chase, but Duminy once again came in to dismiss Bopara and the Eoin Morgan to dent the chance of an SRH victory. A late blitz by Karn Sharma and Ashish Reddy reignited chances of a victory though, and it took a brilliant fielding effort at the boundary by Mayank Agarwal to help DD win in the end. With 7 runs required of 2balls, Karn hit the ball beautifully over the cover region for what seemed destined for a six, but for Agarwal pulling the ball back in at full stretch.If not for that, Duminy's dream day could have been spoilt and landed DD yet another painful loss.