BY SACNILK

Chennai Super Kings becomes the first team to reach into the final of the VIVO IPL 2018 after Faf du Plessis stunning 67* off 42 balls helped his team to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 2 wickets in the first qualifier at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Tuesday (May 22).## Sunrisers Hyderabad posts 139 on the board after putting to bat first. Thanks to Carlos Brathwaite's late blitz of 43* off 29 balls. In reply, CSK were struggling on 62 for 6 before du Plessis pulled out a stunning show and won it almost single handily for his team.## SRH off to a miserable start## After putting to bat first, Sunrisers lost Shikhar Dhawan on the very first ball of the innings. Deepak Chahar's inswinging got Dhawan out. However, Kane Williamson hit three back to back fours in first over and tried to give momentum to SRH innings. When they were looking to build a partnership Lungi Nagidi dismissed Goswami before Shardul Thakur trapped big fish in back to back overs. Williamson scored 24 off 15. After that, they kept losing wickets in regular space and at one stage they reduced to 88 for 6 after 15 overs.## Brathwaite's late assault kept SRH in the hunt## After losing 6 wickets on 88, Carlos Brathwaite took responsibility on his own shoulders and hammered 43 off 29 balls including one four and 4 sixes. He put on a 51-run stand off 30 balls with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He collected 20 runs from the last over Thakur with two sixes and a four.## CSK off to similar start to SRH## In reply to 140, CSK got off to very much similar start as SRH had started. First Bhuvneshwar got Shane Watson in 5th ball of the innings. After that Suresh Raina hit three fours to Sandeep Sharma before Siddarth Kaul bowled Raina and Ambati Rayudu out on back to back balls. Raina scored 22 while Rayudu could not open his account. After that, it was Rashid Khan who had almost won the game for SRH by picking MS Dhoni in 8th over.## Rashid Khan kept things tight further. In this process, he got another wicket this time he trapped Bravo in slip region. At one stage they reduced to 62 for 6 after 12.3 overs.## Du Plessis- finish it off in style## After losing 6 wickets, Plessis added 30 runs off 15 balls with Chahar for the 7 wickets. But he changed the game in 18th over where he scored 20 runs off Brathwaite with the help of 3 fours and a six. In that over he reached his first fifty of this IPL off just 37 balls. With 23 runs needed in two overs, Shardul Thakur joined the party with Plessis and hammered valuable 17 runs off Siddarth Kaul in 19th over. Only 6 required off the last over, Plessis hit the first ball for a six and helped CSK to reach their record 7th IPL final. Du Plessis hit 5 fours and 4 sixes in his match-winning knock and awarded Man Of The Match## Spinners day out## In a low scoring thriller, Ravindra Jadeja and Rashid Khan were the star performer with the balls. First Jadeja who conceded only 13 runs in his 4 overs and picked Manish Pandey while Rashid Khan finished his spell with the even more impressive figures of 4-0-11-2. Lungi Nagidi also bowled well and gave away only 20 runs in 4 overs and picked a wicket too.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

BY SACNILK

Kolkata Knight Riders became the third team after Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings to reach into the playoffs after they beat table toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad by five wickets at Rajiv Gandhi Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad on Saturday (May 19). They have now 16 points in 14 matches and likely to remain on 3rd spot. On the other hand, SRH will finish on the top spot despite losing their last three games.## The Dhawan-Goswami show## SRH, after winning the toss had opted to bat first. Alex Hales had dropped from this match and therefore Shreevats Goswami came out to open with Shikhar Dhawan. Dhawan (50) and Goswami (35) put KKR under pressure with a 79-run opening stand for the first wicket. KKR's bowling continued to struggle up front as Goswami took 20 runs off Andre Russell in the third over of the innings and gave SRH innings momentum.## The Duo also going with the healthy run rate before Kuldeep Yadav provided a much-needed breakthrough to KKR by dismissing Goswami caught at long on.## Williamson played a blitz before Narine and Krishna hit them back## After wicket of Goswami, inform Kane Williamson came to the crease and started his innings with a first ball boundary to Yadav. He showcases his big hitting ability by hitting a six to Yadav and 2 sixes to Javon Searles before caught out at the deep cover boundary. He made 36 off 17 balls.## After being 128 for 2 in 13 overs, SRH lost their way a bit and could manage only 80 runs in last 10 over. Courtesy some brilliant bowling by Prasidh Krishna and Sunil Narine. It was Krishna who dismissed well set Dhawan on 50 and brought back KKR into the game. He ended his spell by picking 3-wickets in last over and gave away just four runs. In his 4 overs, he conceded only 30 runs and picked four wickets. Sunil Narine also bowled well and ended with 1 for 23 in 4 overs. SRH, after a solid start, restricted to 172 for 9 after 20 overs.## KKR off to flier## Chasing 180, opener Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn gave KKR a flying start by adding 52-runs off 22 balls for the first wicket. Narine played a cameo of 29 off 10 balls including 4 fours and 2 sixes before he got out to Shakib Al Hasan. KKR scored 66 runs in the powerplay.## In this process, Chris Lynn reached to his half-century off 36 balls. He added 66-run with Robin Uthappa for the second wicket before he got out to Siddarth Kaul. He scored 55 off 43 balls including 4 fours and 3 sixes and awarded Man Of The Match.## Karthik take KKR through home## After wicket of Lynn, Uthappa carried the innings forward and scored 45 off 34 balls with the help of 3 fours and 2 sixes. He got out on 149 after that Dinesh Karthik comfortably took his team home with unbeaten 26 off 22 balls. KKR had won the match with two balls to spare.## Siddarth Kaul was the pickup bowler for SRH. He finished his spell with 4-0-26-2. ## For more and latest news about IPL 2018, stay tuned to us. ## Thanks for Reading!

BY SACNILK

Skipper Kane Williamson's 81 off 42 balls and Manish Pandey's 62 off 38 balls went in vain as Royal Challengers Bangalore beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 14-runs in yet another run-feast contest at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore on Thursday(May 17). This game was supposed to be a battle between bat and ball but it turned around between RCB and SRH. With this win, RCB boosted their chances to qualify for the playoffs.## The AB de Villiers and Moeen Ali show## Chinnaswamy crowd were on their feet when AB de Villiers walkout to the park. After losing the wicket of Virat Kohli, de Villiers had a huge responsibility to take RCB to a safe total. He did not take too much time to kickstart his innings. He hit his first boundary to Shakib Al Hasan behind point before lofting one over extra cover. The innings kept getting better with AB settling into his groove, depositing the ball into gaps with ease.## It was such his class which makes him a different player. He shows his 360° skill in 13th over when he shuffle-across and sent the ball out of the stadium. He reached to his fifty off just 32 balls and looking unstoppable before Rashid Khan brought back for his final over. AB got out in trying to clear the fence and holed out to a well-judged catch by Shikhar Dhawan at deep squire leg boundary. AB scored 69 off 39 balls including 12 fours and a six. And also awarded Man Of The Match for his stunning knock.## On the other hand, Moeen Ali joined the party with AB and scored his maiden IPL fifty. He has batted various position so far but in this match, he was sent after the dismissal of skipper Virat Kohli. After playing a few balls carefully, he welcomed Basil Thampi with back to back sixes and followed with another one Rashid Khan over long off. In this process, he reached to his fifty off just 25 balls. He and AB de Villiers added 107-run for the third wicket. After scoring 65 off 35 balls including 2 fours and y sixes, he got out to Rashid Khan.## The Grandhomme finish## After the dismissal of AB and Ali, RCB needed someone to carry the momentum which was given by the duo. Colin De Grandhomme took that responsibility and hammered 40 off 17 balls including 4 sixes and a four. Sarfaraz Khan also joined the party and blasted 22* off 8 balls including 3 fours and a six. The duo put 34 off 13 balls and lifted RCB to a massive total of 218 for 6 after 20 overs.## SRH had to fire and they did## To chase down 219, SRH needed their openers to fire. And they did the same by putting 47-run stand for the first wicket before Dhawan hot caught and bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal. He scored 18 off 15 balls with the help of two sixes. Alex Hales and Williamson carried the momentum but AB de Villiers took a stunner to dismissed Alex Hales. He made 37 off 24 balls including 2 fours 3 sixes.## Williamson strikes again along with Pandey## After losing two wickets on 64, SRH skipper Williamson and Manish Pandey kept their team in the game till the last over. Williamson, who is leading run-getter for his team, again lead from the front and took his team almost through the line. On the other hand, Manish Pandey who hasn't been good form before this match, find his lost touch. He started slowly but once he set he took RCB to all around the park. He got his third fifty of this IPL off 30 balls while Williamson reached to his 8th fifty in this season off 28 balls.## The duo put on a 153-run stand for the third wicket. But it was not proved enough as they fell short by 14-runs. It was also Tim Southee and Mohammad Siraj, who executed their yorkers well in the end and made it difficult for them to score runs.## Rashid's magic spell and a night to forget for Thampi## In a game where didn't want to bowl, Rashid Khan, nipped out the wicket of Kohli, de Villiers and Moeen Ali in his magic spell. He conceded only 27 runs in his four-over spell. He took also a one-handed stunner to dismissed De Grandhomme. While Rashid was the most economical bowler, Basil Thampi had the worst night with the ball. He conceded 19, 18, 14, 19 in his four overs respectively. He replaced Bhuvneshawar Kumar in the side but misfired horribly to concede 70 runs off his 4 overs and became the most expensive bowler in the history of the IPL.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for the reading.

BY SACNILK

Chennai Super Kings beat table topper Sunrisers Hyderabad by 8-wickets after Ambati Rayudu's maiden IPL ton at Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium, Pune on Sunday (May 13). Ambati Rayudu and Shane Watson provided a solid start to CSK after Shikhar Dhawan and Kane Williamson's 123-run stand lifted SRH to 179 after 20 overs. CSK chased down the target with one over to spare.## Ambati Rayudu- The show-stopper## Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu gave CSK a solid start by putting 134-run stand for the first wicket. However, Watson ran out himself after scoring 57 off 35 balls. But Ambati Rayudu was the show-stopper for the CSK. He not only scored his maiden IPL century but also guided CSK through home comfortably by remaining not out on 100. None of the SRH bowler could make an impact against him. He reached to his fifty off 31 balls with a massive six to Siddarth Kaul.## Before that, both Rayudu and Watson took on Bowlers. In second over of the innings, Rayudu hit first six of the innings to Bhuvneshwar Kumar and after that Watson followed up by two back to back sixes to Sandeep Sharma. CSK completed their 50 in just sixth over. Rayudu celebrated it with 2 fours and a six to Kaul.## After losing Watson, Suresh Raina couldn't do much and got out to Sandeep Sharma after scoring 2 off 3 balls. The wicket of Raina brought Dhoni on the crease and Both Dhoni and Rayudu put 43-run stand for the 3rd wicket and took CSK home with 6 balls to spare. In this process, Rayudu completed his first century off 62 balls with the help of 7 fours and 7 sixes.## Dhawan, Williamson strikes again## After putting to Sunrisers bat first, CSK gave them early blow as Deepak Chaher celebrated his comeback by picking Alex Hales in fourth over of the innings. Hales fell cheaply after scoring only 2 off 9 balls. But after that it was all Dhawan and Williamson show. Dhawan followed his unbeaten 92 off 50 balls at the other with stunning 79 off 49 balls. On the other hand, skipper Williamson also continued his fine form with 51 off 39 balls. The duo put on a thrilling 123 off 75 balls before Shikhar Dhawan handed a simple catch to Harbhajan Singh of DJ Bravo. Williamson also lost his concentration and followed Dhawan on first ball of the next over as Bravo took a brilliant diving catch to sent back Williamson.##Manish Pandey's struggle continued in to this match## When Williamson got out, SRH were 141 for 3 after 16 overs. However, Manish Pandey again failed to make his mark as he could manage to score only 5 off 6 balls. He had been struggling to score throughout in this IPL. It was one of those days when he couldn't connect the ball. It seemed that it wasn't his day as he dropped Dhoni at long boundary while Fielding.## However, Deepak Hooda provided finishing touch to SRH with a cameo of 21 off 11 balls including a four and six. And lifted SRH to 179 after 20 overs.## Ambati Rayudu awarded Man Of The Match for his stunning knock. He is also on the fourth number in highest run-getter in this IPL with 535 runs to his name in 12 innings.## For more updates and news, stay tuned to us.## Thanks for reading.