Chennai Super Kings have opted to bowl first in their bid to secure a much-needed morale-boosting win against Royal Challengers Bangalore, who are eyeing a provisional playoff spot. But beyond the tactical battle between the two sides, this IPL 2025 clash on Saturday offers the rare spectacle of Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni facing off, potentially for the final time in the league. Looking at the situation, a win for RCB would take them to 16 points, putting them in a commanding position to qualify for the playoffs with three matches still to go. This would virtually seal their entry into the next stage, making them a formidable force in the competition’s closing weeks. For CSK, a victory would serve more than just a points boost. With their playoff hopes all but extinguished, a win would instill belief that they could finish the season on a high, avoid finishing at the bottom of the table, and perhaps find a little late-season momentum. However, this hope is inextricably tied to the performances of their two iconic leaders, Kohli and Dhoni, whose longstanding rivalry and camaraderie have been one of Indian cricket’s most fascinating narratives. At the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Kohli is in red-hot form, having registered four half-centuries in his last five innings. With 443 runs to his name, the former RCB captain is firmly in the race for the Orange Cap and will be looking to play another masterful innings to help his side inch closer to playoff qualification. Support from his fellow batters, including No. 3 Devdutt Padikkal, who has contributed two half-centuries in his last two outings, will be crucial. Kohli will also be hoping for more consistency from his opening partner, Phil Salt, to ease the burden on his shoulders. Additionally, RCB will be keen to see skipper Rajat Patidar rediscover his early-season form, as his last meaningful innings came seven matches ago. However, Patidar’s task could be made easier by a struggling CSK bowling attack, with the exceptions of pacer Khaleel Ahmed and spinner Noor Ahmad. But the challenge will be no less for CSK's batters, who have endured a collective dip in form this season. Against RCB's potent bowling attack—comprised of Josh Hazlewood, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Krunal Pandya, and Suyash Sharma, they will need to find a way to counter their limitations. CSK will rely heavily on players like Ayush Mhatre, Sam Curran, Dewald Brevis, and Shivam Dube to fire with the bat and provide Dhoni the platform to play his trademark late-innings cameos. In previous seasons, Dhoni’s rapid 30s have turned middling totals into competitive ones, but with the top order underperforming, his quick-fire knocks have lost much of their impact this year. For the large and passionate CSK fanbase, the presence of both Kohli and Dhoni on the field, particularly given Dhoni’s comments about his future participation in IPL 2026 depending on his physical condition, will be a poignant reminder of the days when the two stalwarts led India to many victories together. This match may be the last time we see them battle it out in the IPL, making it all the more special for fans and players alike.
03 May,2025 07:20 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondentAs IPL 2025 heats up, the upcoming match between Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Chennai Super Kings promises to be more than just another contest for points. A few visuals surfaced on social media showing RCB fans distributing a never-seen-before CSK jersey intended to mock the five-time IPL champions. The jersey, black and white in color, features the years '2016-17', which correspond to the two seasons CSK were suspended from the IPL due to the spot-fixing scandal. While Mid-Day could not verify the authenticity of these visuals, numerous social media users have suggested that these jerseys are being sold outside the Chinnaswamy Stadium ahead of the match. RCB fans distributing jail jersey's outside chinnaswamy 🤣They are not holding back😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/mxcHM1m4nD — Oxygen (@NationOxygen18) May 3, 2025 selling 2 year’s ban jail jersey’s outside chinnaswamy 🤣#CSKvsRCB #RCBvsCSK pic.twitter.com/1uR6yawJlA — Harryy P🎀🐐 (@harrryp33) May 3, 2025 Interestingly, this is also widely seen as a response to the CSK fans' taunts during RCB's recent visit to Chepauk, where they mockingly distributed red-coloured lollipops. The phrase 'Ee Sala Cup Lollipopu', meaning 'This year, the cup is ours', was used by CSK fans, making fun of RCB's war cry, 'Ee Sala Cup Namde', which translates to 'This year, the cup is ours'. RCB, meanwhile, find themselves with a provisional playoff berth within reach, while CSK, who have already been knocked out of the playoff race, are desperately in need of a morale-boosting win. However, beyond the team objectives, this match holds the potential for a historic encounter, as Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni, two of the biggest icons in Indian cricket, face off once again, possibly for the final time in the IPL. From a strategic standpoint, RCB can extend their tally to 16 points with a victory, a position that would make their qualification for the playoffs nearly secure, with three matches still to play. On the other hand, a win for CSK, though unlikely to secure their spot in the qualifiers, would help them gain some much-needed momentum. It would also enable them to finish somewhere in the mid-table, avoiding the embarrassment of finishing last in the standings.
03 May,2025 07:09 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondentAs the high-profile IPL 2025 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings approaches, several key players are on the brink of breaking significant records, adding an extra layer of excitement to the encounter. Let’s take a look at some of the milestones that could be achieved during this much-anticipated clash: MS Dhoni needs three maximums to reach 350 T20 sixes One of the most formidable figures in T20 cricket, MS Dhoni is just three sixes away from achieving the remarkable milestone of 350 sixes in T20 cricket. Having played 401 matches in his illustrious career, Dhoni has already struck 347 maximums. Known for his explosive hitting, especially in the death overs, the CSK captain could etch his name further into the record books with this achievement. MS Dhoni four stumpings away to complete 50 stumpings in IPL The legendary wicketkeeper-batter is also on the verge of another record, his 50th stumping in IPL history. With 46 stumpings to his name across his 18-year IPL career, Dhoni is just four stumpings away from becoming the first player in the league’s history to reach this milestone. A truly iconic figure in the IPL, he has achieved this feat while playing for CSK and the now-defunct Rising Pune Supergiants. Ravindra Jadeja needs one wicket to complete 150 scalps for CSK in T20s Ravindra Jadeja, the seasoned left-arm spinner, is on the cusp of taking his 150th wicket for CSK in T20 cricket. Having represented the franchise in 196 matches, Jadeja has picked up 149 wickets. With his ability to control the game in the middle overs, it’s only a matter of time before he achieves this milestone, further solidifying his legacy as one of CSK’s greatest all-rounders. Sam Curran needs eight runs to cross 1000 IPL runs English all-rounder Sam Curran, who has played for both CSK and Punjab Kings, is just eight runs shy of completing 1,000 runs in the IPL. With 992 runs in 63 matches, Curran has made a significant impact with his dynamic batting and handy contributions with the ball. The upcoming match presents a perfect opportunity for him to reach this career milestone. Virat Kohli needs one maximum to complete 300 sixes for RCB in T20s Virat Kohli, the stalwart of RCB, is just one six away from completing 300 sixes in T20 cricket for his franchise. With 299 sixes to his name, Kohli, who has played 277 matches for RCB, has already amassed over 8,800 runs in T20 cricket. He’s poised to achieve this feat and continue to add to his legendary career. Phil Salt needs three maximums to reach 50 sixes in IPL RCB’s opening batter Phil Salt has impressed with his aggressive approach in the IPL. Having struck 47 sixes in just 30 matches, Salt is just three maximums away from completing 50 sixes in the tournament. Known for his attacking style, he has made a mark across multiple franchises, including RCB, KKR, and DC. Krunal Pandya needs two catches to complete 50 catches in IPL RCB’s all-rounder Krunal Pandya is closing in on a remarkable fielding record. Having taken 48 catches in 137 IPL matches for MI, LSG, and RCB, Pandya is just two catches away from reaching 50. His consistency in the field, combined with his contributions with bat and ball, makes him an invaluable asset to his team.
03 May,2025 06:38 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondentSunrisers Hyderabad captain Pat Cummins couldn’t help but burst into laughter during a bizarre moment in their IPL 2025 clash against Gujarat Titans on Friday. The amusing incident occurred when the third umpire mistakenly reviewed the wrong delivery during a wide-ball review, prompting light-hearted reactions from both Cummins and bowler Jaydev Unadkat. The episode unfolded in the 15th over of Gujarat Titans’ innings when Unadkat bowled a delivery that was adjudged wide by on-field umpire K Swaroopanand. Unconvinced by the call, Cummins, in agreement with Unadkat, immediately opted for the Decision Review System (DRS) to challenge the ruling. However, due to a broadcasting error, the third umpire ended up reviewing a different ball altogether. The mix-up led to an unexpected moment of levity on the field, with Cummins and Unadkat sharing a chuckle over the confusion. Though the review did not yield the intended outcome, the incident served as a rare comic relief in an otherwise intense contest. pic.twitter.com/Ng6GV0Cai0 — Spot-On Entertainment (@SpotOnEntertai1) May 2, 2025 Meanwhile, the Sunrisers bowlers found little joy on a batting-friendly Ahmedabad surface. Gujarat Titans capitalised on the conditions to post a commanding total, thanks to a top-order blitz led by their in-form batters. Opening the innings, Sai Sudharsan set the tone with an aggressive 48 off just 23 deliveries, finding gaps with precision and punishing anything short or wide. His captain and opening partner, Shubman Gill, continued his rich vein of form with a commanding 76 from 38 balls, displaying a mix of elegance and power. Gill’s strokeplay kept the scoreboard ticking briskly as the Titans raced to a strong foundation. At number three, Jos Buttler added further misery to the SRH bowlers by smashing a flamboyant half-century, during which he also surpassed the milestone of 4,000 IPL runs. Sunrisers Hyderabad did manage to pick up a few breakthroughs, with young leg-spinner Zeeshan Ansari claiming the vital wicket of Sudharsan. Later, a sharp piece of fielding from Harshal Patel, assisted by wicketkeeper Heinrich Klaasen, resulted in the runout of Gill, denying him a well-deserved century. However, those efforts were not enough to prevent Gujarat from seizing control early, setting up a mammoth target for the visitors to chase.
03 May,2025 05:12 PM IST | Ahmedabad | mid-day online correspondentRecord-breaking ton by 14-year-old Vaibhav SuryavanshiFourteen-year-old Vaibhav Suryavanshi made headlines by becoming the youngest player to score a century in T20 cricket. The Rajasthan Royals (RR) opener stunned the cricketing world by smashing a 38-ball 101 against Gujarat Titans (GT) in Jaipur on Monday. Suryavanshi’s century came off just 35 balls, making it the fastest ton by an Indian in IPL history, and the second-fastest overall, behind Chris Gayle’s 30-ball ton for Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) against Pune Warriors India in 2013. The Bihar southpaw's innings included 11 towering sixes off experienced Indian pacers Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Siraj, spinner Washington Sundar and Afghanistan fast bowler Karim Janat. He also smashed 30 runs off Janat — the most in an over in this edition of the IPL. His blistering knock helped RR chase GT’s 209-4 in just 15.5 overs. Second IPL hat-trick for Yuzvendra ChahalLeg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal delivered a magical performance against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Wednesday, claiming four wickets in an over, including a hat-trick. His second IPL hat-trick helped Punjab Kings (PBKS) secure a four-wicket win. Chahal, who went wicketless in his first two overs(0-23), returned to bowl the penultimate over. The 34-year-old was put under pressure after conceding a six to CSK skipper MS Dhoni, but the veteran leg-spinner bounced back by having Dhoni caught at long-off. His hat-trick included the wickets of Deepak Hooda, Impact Substitute Anshul Kamboj and Noor Ahmad. Chahal’s 4-32 ensured CSK collapsed to 190 after they looked set to easily go past 200. Overall, Chahal is the third player to claim two or more hat-tricks in the IPL after former leggie Amit Mishra (3) and former all-rounder Yuvraj Singh (2). Record 150th win for MIMumbai Indians (MI), IPL’s most successful franchise, became the first team to register 150 wins in the tournament. The five-time IPL champions achieved this feat during their dominant 54-run victory over Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) at the Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Their victory over RR on Thursday took their overall tally to 151 wins in 272 matches. CSK are the second-best team with 140 wins from 249 games. The game against LSG also saw pacer Jasprit Bumrah (174; latest tally is 176 wickets) surpass former speedster Lasith Malinga (170 wickets) as MI’s leading wicket-taker. This week also saw Hardik Pandya’s side beating RR at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur for the first time since 2012. Former champs CSK, RR knocked out of Playoff raceWith 19 matches to go before the league stage ends, IPL-18 saw two former champions, CSK and RR, knocked out of the Playoffs race within a span of two days. On Wednesday, five-time winners CSK were dealt a big blow after they went down to PBKS by four wickets. The defeat left CSK languishing at the bottom of the table, with just two wins from 10 matches. Just 24 hours later in Jaipur, RR suffered a crushing 100-run defeat at home against MI. RR have won just three out of 11 games so far and are placed eighth in the points table. RCB make history with six consecutive away winsRCB scripted history this year by becoming the first team to win all six consecutive away matches. Their latest away win came against Delhi Capitals at Feroz Shah Kotla, where they beat the hosts by six wickets with nine balls to spare. The Rajat Patidar-led side began their campaign with a victory over defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening encounter at Eden Gardens. Their next away assignment was against CSK in Chennai, which they won comfortably by 50 runs. The three-time IPL finalists later went on to beat MI, RR and PBKS in their own dens. RCB will be desperate to become the first team to make it a perfect seven when they face LSG in an away encounter on May 9.
03 May,2025 07:16 AM IST | Mumbai | Rohan KoliThe England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on Friday banned transgenders from competing in women’s and girls’ matches with immediate effect, complying with a recent Supreme Court ruling that excludes them from the legal definition of women. The ECB’s decision came less than 24 hours after the Football Association (FA) took a similar resolution. “With immediate effect, only those whose biological sex is female will be eligible to play in women’s cricket and girls’ cricket matches. Transgender women and girls can continue playing in open and mixed cricket,” the ECB statement said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 07:13 AM IST | London | PTIIndia T20I skipper Suryakumar Yadav was named icon player for the Triumph Knights Mumbai NorthEast, while Shreyas Iyer went to SoBo Mumbai Falcons in the icon players draft for the T20 Mumbai League on Friday. The eight-team tournament will be played here at Wankhede Stadium (May 26-June 8). Mumbai’s Ranji Trophy captain Ajinkya Rahane will play for Namo Bandra Blasters, while India all-rounder Shivam Dube has been named in the roster for Arcs Andheri. Indian Test batter Sarfaraz Khan went to Aakash Tigers Mumbai Western Suburbs, while Tushar Deshpande was allotted to Mumbai South Central Maratha Royals. Shardul Thakur was allotted to Eagle Thane Strikers and Prithvi Shaw went to North Mumbai Panthers. After getting almost 2,800 registrations for the third edition of the T20 Mumbai League, the player auction will be from a pruned list of 400 players on May 7, said MCA chief AjinkyaNaik. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | PTISeamer Malki Madara picked a superb 4-50 in just her second 50-over game, before Harshitha Samarawickrama top-scored with 77 to help Sri Lanka register a five-wicket win over South Africa to grab their first win of the women’s ODI tri-series at the R Premadasa Stadium here on Friday. SA finished at 235-9 in their 50 overs. Harshitha and Kavisha Dilhari (61) put on a stand of 128 runs to help SL seal victory with 21 balls to spare. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 07:12 AM IST | Colombo | Agencies1 RR retained Sanju Samson, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer and Sandeep Sharma (for a total of R79 crore), but all have been inconsistent. 2 RR let go of prominent match-winners like Jos Buttler, Trent Boult, Yuzvendra Chahal 3 Skipper Sanju Samson missed the first three matches due to an index finger fracture suffered while on national duty. Then, against Delhi Capitakls, he picked up an abdominal tear and had to retire hurt. RR badly missed his leadership and runs. 4 Riyan Parag was elevated to the captaincy, but he failed to lead by example. He managed to score just 280 runs in 11 matches. 5 Having spent the bulk of their auction purse on batters, RR could not pick a potent bowling attack. Jofra Archer (10 wkts in 11 matches), Sandeep Sharma (9 wkts in 10 matches), Wanindu Hasaranga (10 wkts in 8 matches) and mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana (10 wkts in 10 matches) all could’ve performed better.
03 May,2025 07:12 AM IST | Mumbai | A CorrespondentUndeterred by their hopes of securing an IPL playoffs berth this seasons going up in smoke, Rajasthan Royals fielding coach Dishant Yagnik asserted that his side will keep backing youngsters despite criticism over releasing superstars like Jos Buttler and Trent Boult ahead of the mega auction. Asked about the difference between last year’s star-studded team and this editions relatively young and inexperienced side, Yagnik replied, “There’s a great point in your question about star [players]. Whenever a new player arrives, he is not a star but he is made into one.” “Last year, the players we had were not stars when they entered the team but they became stars and now the players that we have got in the team, we will make them stars. We don’t buy superstars, we make superstars and this is our tagline,” he said at the post-match media conference. The Royals were in contention for a final berth last year before finishing third on the table with 17 points from 14 games. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 07:10 AM IST | Jaipur | PTIAfter Mumbai Indians (MI) stormed to the top of the points table with a 100-run thrashing of Rajasthan Royals (RR), skipper Hardik Pandya said going back to playing cricket with a simpler approach has worked very well for the side. Another half-ton for Rohit At the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, thanks to 61 and 53 from Ryan Rickleton and Rohit Sharma, respectively, and 48 not out each by Suryakumar Yadav and captain Pandya, Mumbai Indians posted a mammoth 217-2. The bowlers then turned the heat on in their bowling efforts to bowl out a listless RR for 117 in 16.1 overs and get a win in Jaipur for the first time since 2012. With their sixth consecutive win in IPL 2025, MI have solidified their standing as title contenders. MI skipper Hardik Pandya during his unbeaten 48 against RR in Jaipur on Thursday. Pic/PTI “The way we batted, and we were clinical with the ball — so absolutely [a perfect game]. We could have got another 15 runs. What we said to each other was play percentage shots. Surya and I said there’s value for shots... Ro and Ryan batted the same way. “I think it was absolutely fantastic. It is never about people getting chances; it’s about what is required in the situation. People are going back to batsmanship. As a group, the way we batted was proper batsmanship. I don’t know who all to mention [among the bowlers]. Everyone is really clear. We’re going back to simple cricket, and it’s working for that. We want to take it game by game, and be humble and disciplined,” said Pandya at the post-match presentation ceremony. Rickelton happy Rickelton, who was named Player of the Match, said it was an awesome night for him to perform for MI. “I have family here as well, come up this week. Really good week. It was a bit of a slow start. We’re clicking nicely as a partnership together. With the weather looming around, we were unsure.” “That’s probably the thing about the IPL [adapting to the conditions]. I was guilty in the first quarter of the tournament in trying to do too much. We have such a think tank, senior players, and management group.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
03 May,2025 07:10 AM IST | Jaipur | IANSADVERTISEMENT
