Cricket
IPL 2025 Early Trends - Batters Dominate Like Never Before The last season of the IPL was a revolutionary one, witnessing an unprecedented domination of bat over ball- there were record totals, sixes galore and the run-rate soared higher and higher like never before. There was mayhem in the powerplay with teams like Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders redefined batting in the first six overs - incidentally, they were the two finalists last season. The 2025 edition has also started with a bang and if the first week is anything to go by, the bar has already been raised by the batters. We look at the early trends and numbers that define the first week in IPL 2025.
Note: All numbers updated till end of Match 10
Run-Rate at an all-time high
If the batters scaled K2 last season, they seem set to trek Mount Everest in IPL 2025! The collective run-rate in the first 10 matches this season is a stunning 9.91, a few notches higher than the 9.53 at the same point last year. There has been some outstanding hitting already in this edition. A total of 194 sixes were hammered in the first 10 encounters in IPL 2024. That number has been surpassed quite comfortably this season and stands at 204! The 200-run mark was breached five times in the first 10 matches in IPL 2024. It has already been crossed six times this season.
Powerplay Carnage
The major feature of IPL 2024 was the carnage witnessed in the powerplay.
Teams went helter-skelter in the first six overs with maximizing runs the mantra of the season. Conserving wickets and accelerating later was a thing of the past! The run-rate in the first six overs in the first 10 matches in IPL 2024 was 9.34 and there was a strong correlation between teams who maximized the powerplay and success - Sunrisers Hyderabad and Kolkata Knight Riders were the two most destructive teams in the powerplay and it was not a coincidence that they played each other in the final. Powerplay batting has been taken to another level this season with the average run-rate in the first six overs in the first 10 matches at a mind-boggling 10.2. Teams have already scored 70 or more six times in the tournament.
Chasing slight advantage
The team chasing has won six of the first 10 matches this season, keeping with the historic trend, where batting second has always been an advantage. However, batting second is the overwhelming preference this season with the captain winning the toss electing to chase on nine occasions!
Left-handers ruling the roost
The three leading run-getters so far this season are all left-handers. Five on the top 7 list are southpaws. Nicholas Pooran is the highest impact batter so far with two stunning performances to start his campaign for Lucknow Super Giants. He hammered a sensational 75 off just 30 deliveries against Delhi Capitals at Visakhapatnam before smashing 70 off just 26 deliveries in a successful 191-run chase against Sunrisers in Hyderabad. The feature of his batting has been the clean striking - Pooran has blasted a total of 13 sixes in his two innings this season!
Spinners more restrictive
Spinners have bagged 54 wickets so far this season at an average of 28.7, strike rate of 18.7 and economy of 9.18. The pacers, on the other hand, have picked 69 wickets at an average of 31.7, strike rate of 18.4 and economy of 10.28.
The struggle of the Big 3
Still early days but interesting trends are emerging in season 18 of the IPL. The Big 3 - Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders - who have 13 of the 17 titles between them - have had an indifferent start in the tournament. MI s batting has let them down in both matches and the bowling also lacks the firepower without Jasprit Bumrah. CSK have also struggled with the bat and depend heavily on Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top of the order. Defending champions, KKR, need their middle-order - the likes of Rinku Singh, Venkatesh Iyer and Andre Russell to fire if they are to compete with the more formidable batting line-ups like SRH, DC and LSG in the tournament. Like CSK, they have won one and lost one encounter. RCB and DC have looked to be the two best units so far this season and have won both their matches. Both the franchises are yet to win the IPL!
England Test captain Ben Stokes To Miss Early County Games In Fitness Battle Ben Stokes is not expected to play in the early rounds of the County Championship as he battles to be fit to lead England, his Durham coach Ryan Campbell said on Monday. The 33-year-old Test captain is recovering from hamstring surgery after breaking down in New Zealand in December, his second hamstring tear in five months. But the all-rounder is not yet ready for action in the four-day domestic championship, which starts on Friday. England host Zimbabwe in May, with a five-Test series against India to follow. Later in the year they head to Australia for a five-match Ashes series.
Durham have six matches in the top tier of the County Championship before the Zimbabwe Test.
Campbell, who is also without England quicks Brydon Carse (toe) and Mark Wood (knee), made it clear no risks would be taken.
When you look at Carse, Stokes and Wood, at this stage they re probably not likely to play for us. My expectation is that it ll be zero -- anything else is an added bonus, he said.
They re all coming back from serious injuries. The facts are that they need to get up and running by the time the Test matches start.
But what we know about Stokesy is that he s here nearly every single day working his butt off. The guy had hamstring surgery and was in the next day lifting weights, which I couldn t believe. He sets the bar, wherever he is.
Campbell has pledged to protect Carse, 29, who has impressed since making his Test debut against Pakistan in October 2024, taking 27 wickets at an average of 19.85 in five matches.
I think Brydon Carse is probably the number one priority for England right now, he said.
With what he s shown in Test cricket, he s born for that sort of stuff. There s 11 Tests over the summer and winter, and I think he s going to be number one on England s list to make sure that he s ready to go for that.
Does that mean he s going to play for us? I m not so sure.... We ve known about his foot problems for a year now. It s not new, but he needs to get it right if he s going to be playing a lot of Test cricket.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Updated IPL 2025 Points Table After MI vs KKR Match, Orange Cap, Purple Cap Mumbai Indians registered their first points in the IPL 2025 in great fashion with a comprehensive show against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders. Ashwani Kumar s record four wicket-haul on IPL debut and Ryan Rickelton s 62 not out powered Mumbai Indians to an eight-wicket win. The 23-year-old Ashwani from Punjab s Jhanjeri became the first Indian ever to to take four wickets on IPL debut as he ended with figures of 3-0-24-4 to blow away KKR s star-studded batting lineup.
With the win, MI have climbed up to the sixth spot. KKR, on the other hand, are last in the points table. As far as the IPL s highest scorer is concerned, Lucknow Super Giants Nicholas Pooran holds the Orange Cap with a tally of 145. The highest wicket-taker currently is Chennai Super Kings Noor Ahmad, as he holds the Purple Cap with nine scalps.
With only four senior T20 matches in his kitty apart from four List A games and two Ranji Trophy matches, Ashwani s rich returns heralded the domination shown by MI s seamers.
Deepak Chahar (2/19), Trent Boult (1/23) and Hardik Pandya (1/10) ensured a collective bowling performance as KKR crumbled for the lowest total of this season, rolling over for just 116 in 16.2 overs.
Even as Rohit Sharma (13) endured another forgettable outing, Ryan Rickelton (62 not out off 41 balls, 4x4s, 5x6s) made his first impact on the IPL stage as Mumbai Indians went over the line with 7.1 overs to spare. Suryakumar Yadav hit a quick 9-ball 27 not out and ended the game with a six behind the wicket.
The left-handed South African Rickelton survived initial challenges from KKR pacers to fight back with a flurry of boundaries for his maiden half-century in the competition and helping his side record their first win of the season.
Left-arm seamer Ashwani accounted for Ajinkya Rahane (11), Rinku Singh (17), impact sub Manish Pandey (17) and Andre Russell (5) to break the Knight Riders back after Chahar and Boult made early inroads in the powerplay.
KKR had a forgettable start when their openers Quinton de Kock (1) and Sunil Narine (0) fell inside the first two overs and by the end of the powerplay, the visitors had limped to 41 for four.
Boult outsmarted Narine with a fuller one which swung away to clean him up in the first over.
In the next over, Chahar had de Kock caught at mid-off with Ashwani timing his jump perfectly to complete a sharp grab.
Rahane hit a six and a four to counterattack but perished soon after for Ashwani s maiden wicket on his first ball.
The Punjab seamer lured Rahane outside the off and KKR skipper obliged, albeit hitting in the air with the ball flying to deep backward point to Tilak Varma, who showed quick reflexes to complete the catch after the ball popped out.
Angkrish Raghuvanshi (26) looked the most promising when he began with a couple of attractive fours on both sides of the wicket and also hit Ashwani into the stands for one of the few sixes which KKR hit.
But Raghuvanshi was also guilty of throwing it away when he hit one short ball meekly off Hardik Pandya (1/10) and Naman Dhir did a fine job running from deep square leg to take the catch.
Pandey, pressed into service as an impact sub with KKR reeling at 45 for five, could not make the opportunity count and was cleaned up by Ashwani in the 11th over.
Dhir was in action again when Rinku danced down the track to smash a short ball from Ashwani two balls later but was caught at deep point and the MI fielder also took a fine diving catch in front of him at deep midwicket to dismiss Harshit Rana and help Vignesh Puthur add one wicket to his tally.
With PTI inputs
Ashwani Kumar Excels On Debut As MI Beat KKR To Register 1st Win In IPL 2025 Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Highlights, IPL 2025: Mumbai Indians (MI) thrashed Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) by eight wickets to notch up their first victory of IPL 2025. After restricting KKR to just 116, MI chased down 117 in just 12.5 overs, with Ryan Rickelton smashing a half-century and Suryakumar Yadav slamming a quickfire cameo. MI handed an IPL debut to 23-year-old pacer Ashwini Kumar, who picked up four wickets on his IPL debut, including dismissing Ajinkya Rahane on his very first ball. KKR were reduced to 45/5 after seven overs, and couldn t recover. Mumbai Indians soared up to sixth, while KKR are now rooted to the bottom of the IPL 2025 table. (SCORECARD)
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IPL 2025 - Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders Highlights, straight from Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai:
Brathwaite Steps Down As West Indies Test captain, Hope Appointed T20I Skipper Kraigg Brathwaite has stepped down as skipper of the West Indies Test team after four years in charge, Cricket West Indies (CWI) said on Monday after a shift in leadership roles saw Shai Hope taking over captaincy of the T20I side. Brathwaite, 32, was appointed as West Indies Test captain in place of Jason Holder in March 2021. Hope, who is also the team s ODI skipper, replaced Rovman Powell for T20I captaincy. Powell has led the T20 side since May 2023. In a statement, CWI said, Brathwaite wanted to ensure the team had a period of transition before his departure. As a result, he has submitted his resignation ahead of the home series against Australia, giving the new leadership time to establish itself.
This series will be particularly special, allowing Brathwaite, who is two matches shy of 100 Test matches, to double down on his batting without added responsibility. A new Test captain will be announced shortly.
The West Indies are scheduled to play Australia in a home series in June-July, marking the start of a new ICC World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.
CWI extends its deepest gratitude to Kraigg Brathwaite for his years of service as captain, recognising his dedication to West Indies cricket and his leadership in guiding the Test team to significant milestones. A new captain will be named in the coming weeks, the board said.
During Brathwaite s tenure, the West Indies earned their first Test victory in Australia in 27 years with a thrilling eight-run win in Brisbane last year.
Earlier this year, he led the team to a memorable Test win in Pakistan to level the series, a first in 34 years.
His captaincy also saw the West Indies beat England at home in 2022 and secure a 2-0 series win over Bangladesh during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021.
Didn t Have Lunch.. : Ashwani Kumar s 1st Reaction After Dream IPL Debut Ashwani Kumar had an IPL debut for the ages for Mumbai Indians against Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Monday. The 23-year-old Ashwani accounted for Ajinkya Rahane (11), Rinku Singh (17), impact sub Manish Pandey (17) and Andre Russell (5) to break the Knight Riders back after Deepak Chahar (2/19) and Trent Boult (1/23) made early inroads in the powerplay. With that stellar effort, Ashwani became the first Indian to take four wickets in his maiden IPL outing.
Ashwani is from a town called Jhanjeri, near Chandigarh. He has a really good and deceptive bouncer. Known for his pace variations, Ashwani also had a very good wide yorker and impressed in the Sher E Punjab T20 Trophy last year, where he closed out plenty of matches with his effective death bowling. Ashwani made a brilliant start, dismissing KKR captain Ajinkya Rahane on his very first ball in the IPL.
I felt very good, there was pressure but the team environment helped me to settle down. I didn t have lunch today, I only ate a banana, there was some pressure so I didn t feel hungry. I made a bit of plan, they (team management) told that it s debut match so enjoy yourself and back your skills. The captain also played his role, Hardik bhai told me to bowl it into the wicket. Everyone in the village will be watching me play, I got my opportunity today and I m very happy, Ashwani said in the mid-innings break.
Ashwani Kumar has only played four senior T20 matches prior to his IPL debut, in addition to 2 Ranji Trophy and 4 List A matches. Today is the first time ever that Ashwani has picked 4 wickets in a match. His previous best was 3/37 in List A cricket and 1/19 in T20 cricket. He s the 1st Indian ever to take 4 wickets on IPL debut.
Who Is Ashwani Kumar: MI Pacer Who Became 1st To Pick 4 Wickets On IPL Debut Ashwani Kumar started his IPL career on the perfect note as the 23-year-old pacer took the wicket of Ajinkya Rahane with his very first ball on debut. Ashwani was included in the Mumbai Indians playing XI in place of Satyanarayana Raju and repaid the team s faith by dismissing the Kolkata Knight Riders captain. Rahane miscued his shot completely and the ball went to Tilak Varma at deep backward point. Tilak did fumble at first but was able to complete the catch as Ashwani started his celebration.
That was just the beginning as the youngster went on to take the wickets of Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey and Andre Russell. It was the first time that an Indian bowler took 4 wickets on IPL debut.
Born in Mohali, Ashwani grabbed headlines with his performances in the Sher-e-Punjab T20 tournament. The young fast bowler is well known for his bowling in the death overs and he was bought by Mumbai Indians for Rs 30 lakh during the IPL 2025 mega auction. In 2024, he was a part of the Punjab Kings squad but did not feature in a single game for the franchise.
He made his debut for Punjab in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2022 and played four matches. He took three wicket at an economy of 8.5 during the tournament.
He has also played two First-Class matches and four List A games for Punjab.
Coming to the match, former skipper Rohit Sharma was demoted to the substitutes bench as Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders.
While Rohit was relegated to the role of Impact Substitute, Mumbai brought in Will Jacks and also handed a debut to left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar. Vignesh Puthur also found a place in the playing XI and will most likely make way for Rohit Sharma when MI launch their chase.
KKR, as was expected, brought back Sunil Narine into the playing XI in place of Moeen Ali. Narine had withdrawn from their last match against the Rajasthan Royals due to illness.
(With IANS inputs)
Rohit Sharma Not Part Of MI s 1st Playing XI vs KKR. Reason Is... Former skipper Rohit Sharma was demoted to the substitutes bench as Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to bowl first against Kolkata Knight Riders in Match 12 of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 at the Wankhede Stadium on Monday. While Rohit was relegated to the role of Impact Substitute, Mumbai Indians brought in Will Jacks and also handed a debut to left-arm seamer Ashwani Kumar. Vignesh Puthur also found a place in the playing XI and will most likely make way for Rohit Sharma when MI launch their chase.
KKR, as was expected, brought back Sunil Narine into the playing XI in place of Moeen Ali. Narine had withdrawn from their last match against the Rajasthan Royals due to illness.
Explaining the rationale behind opting to field first, Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya said they want to make first use of the first wicket and extract early swing, with dew expected to come into play later in the evening.
Pandya plays down Mumbai losing the first two matches and says it is a long tournament. He hoped that things would take a turn for the better for his team tonight and said they would have to play better cricket if they were to do that.
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane said he would have also liked to bowl first, but was a little unsure. So, he felt it was a good toss to lose. He said they have a good bowling attack to defend a total.
Playing XIs:
Mumbai Indians: Ryan Rickelton (wk), Will Jacks, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya (c), Naman Dhir, Mitchell Santner, Deepak Chahar, Trent Boult, Ashwani Kumar, Vignesh Puthur.
Impact subs: Rohit Sharma, Corbin Bosch, Raj Bawa, Robin Minz, Satyanarayana Raju
Kolkata Knight Riders: Sunil Narine, Quinton de Kock (wk), Ajinkya Rahane (c), Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Spencer Johnson, Harshit Rana, Varun Chakravarthy.
Impact subs: Anrich Nortje, Manish Pandey, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia.
Painful To Watch : Ambati Rayudu s Honest Admission On CSK s Horrid Start An iconic franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL), Chennai Super Kings are off to a tough start to the 2025 campaign, losing two of the first three games. The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rachin Ravindra and a few others have managed to score some runs but other around them have struggled to contribute. In the bowling department, Noor Ahmed has been CSK s finest performer but others haven t some as much consistency. But, where CSK have let their fans down the most, is arguably the fielding department.
Even former CSK star Ambati Rayudu, a part of the IPL commentary panel this season, said that it has been painful for him to watch how Ruturaj s men have conducted themselves in the field in the first three matches.
When you re playing a close game, these one-percenters really matter. We saw quite a few incredible catches in this match-it s rare to see that! On the other hand, Chennai Super Kings didn t field well at all, except for maybe one or two stops in the infield. Rajasthan Royals were really up for it, and this shows that fielding is not just about having a young side-it s about anticipation and awareness. Riyan Parag s catch, when Shivam Dube was going strong, was a real game-changer, Rayudu said on JioHotStar.
Chennai Super Kings have never been known for their fielding - maybe in their earlier years - but what they ve done in their first two matches this season has been quite poor. Dropping easy chances and struggling in the outfield - these are areas they need to address quickly. Some of CSK s mistakes were quite painful to watch, he said.
Even Gaikwad said at the post-match presentation ceremony that fielding has been a concern for the franchise, with players leaking roughly 8-10 runs extra.
CSK are next scheduled to take on the high-flying Delhi Capitals on April 05.
RR Players Remove Caps While Meeting Dhoni. Internet Says, Great Gesture MS Dhoni is 43 and is still playing in the IPL. While his impact in the role may not be the same as what it was a few years agro, his presence cant be ignored. Wherever Chennai Super Kings play, MS Dhoni fans crowd the stadium. The same was visible in Guwahati where CSK lost to Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. While RR had Assam s own Riyan Parag as captain, the fans of MS Dhoni were there in huge number too. Even the RR players showed huge respect as they removed their caps while meeting Dhoni.
After the match, Rajasthan Royals Players took off their caps to greet Dhoni
Great gesture by Young RJ team
#CSKvsRR pic.twitter.com/85sTOPCU1a
Meanwhile, there has been a lot of discussion on MS Dhoni not batting higher up the order despite CSK being in trouble. Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming revealed he can t bat ten overs running full stick as his knee remains dodgy and the former captain decides on his batting position based on the match situation, revealed .
The 43-year-old Dhoni had faced criticism for batting at number 9 during CSK s 50-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk last week.
On Sunday, the CSK talisman walked out at number 7 with the team needing 54 off 25 balls but could manage just 16 runs off 11 balls as they suffered a six-run loss to Rajasthan Royals.
It s a time thing. MS judges it. His body, his knees aren t what they used to be. He s moving okay but there s still a nutrition aspect to it. He can t bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us, Fleming said at the post-match press conference.
If the game s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he s balancing that. I said it last year, he s too valuable to us, (with his) leadership and wicket keeping, to throw him in at 9- 10 overs.
He s actually never done that. So look, from around 13, 14 overs he s looking to go, depending on who s in. RR racked up 79 for 1 in the powerplay compared to CSK s 42-1 and Fleming admitted they lost the match in the powerplays.
If you analyse the game it s probably the two power plays. Our power play with the ball went for the best part of 80 runs and we were only able to manage early 40s, he said.
So that s on the scoreboard the big difference and we were also sloppy in the field compared to Rajasthan who were outstanding. So that would be the two immediate takeaways. Reflecting on the key moments, Fleming said: I think (Riyan) Parag s catch was the turning point in the match. The Dube match-up was going our way but he (Wanindu Hasaranga) had courage. You can t deny that and he certainly gave the ball air.
Sometimes you give the ball air and in this competition you can go the distance but he had the courage to do that and Gaikwad s wicket as well was very clever. So he held his nerve and had a good day.
With PTI inputs
If You re Winning 2 Out Of 10... : Pujara Blasts SRH After Loss Against DC Sunrisers Hyderabad slumped to their second loss in a row as the Pat Cummins-led side was defeated by Delhi Capitals on Sunday. Despite having one of the most explosive batting lineups in IPL 2025, SRH were not able to cross the 200-run mark and DC ended up chasing the target with 7 wickets in hand. Indian cricket team batter Cheteshwar Pujara questioned Sunrisers approach in the competition following the loss and wondered if they have any Plan B if case their initial plan fails. In their last two matches, almost all SRH batters adopted an aggressive approach from the get go and Pujara believes that it was not the smart approach and asked for the side to show more consistency going forward.
Firstly I was really surprised they chose to bat first (against DC). When you re playing an afternoon game, you know that the pitch will be slightly on the slower side, that s when you normally prefer to bowl and that s an ideal time to bowl, not an ideal time to bat. I thought they should have bowled first. But talking about their batting, I think they go too hard and they were not smart enough today, Pujara said on ESPNcricinfo s TimeOut show.
What is your success then. If you are just winning two out of 10, then it doesn t make sense. You need to win more number of games. You need to show that consistency again and again. Last season we saw that they played brilliantly throughout the league phase but what if one game goes wrong for you in the knockouts, then you are not able to have a plan, he added.
Ian Bishop, the former West Indies fast bowler, believes wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen should have batted for a longer period and that the side needs one batter to take time to settle at the crease instead of going hard from the word go.
Those are experiences that I hope they will be learning, even Pat Cummins who says keep going hard , as they go through the season. I look at Klaasen s dismissal, I think even Heinrich should know his power and if he was to stay and bat a little bit deeper, he will score at a huge tempo.
It s still early in the season, but they (SRH) have got to start understanding that if Aniket gets going, we can spend some time there with him as deep as we bat and just soak it up just a little bit more. It s not to consolidate for five-six overs, but it s just maybe to manage for about three, four, five bowls, maybe even an over, we re not talking consolidation for a long period, he concluded.
(With IANS inputs)
Pujara Doubts Dhoni, Jadeja s Game Plan vs RR, Asks Tough Questions Did the Chennai Super Kings leave it too late to chase down the target of 183 runs against Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match on Sunday? If MS Dhoni is in the middle, no chase is impossible, as history suggests, but a lot has changed over the last 2-3 years. Dhoni and Jadeja were in the middle for the last 4 overs, with CSK needing 54 runs. Not an impossible task from this position but the duo took their time to settle in.
Dhoni and Jadeja rotated strike and tried to hit some shots too but the chase quickly became a lot more tricky, with the team needing 39 runs from the final two overs to win the match. While no one in the cricket world is unaware of Dhoni s tendency to take the chase deep, former West Indies cricketer Ian Bishop and India s Test specialist Cheteshwar Pujara don t think they should ve done that against the Royals.
One of the reasons I ve understood in the past is that you put more pressure on the less experienced bowler, and that s when you can deliver. But things have changed. Now, the bowlers are a lot smarter. Even someone like Sandeep Sharma is executing his yorkers well. Whereas five years down the line, if he was bowling the same over, he might have made a few more errors. And that s where CSK have pressure, Bishop said in a chat on ESPNCricinfo.
Pujara, on the other hand, feels CSK had the opportunity to accelerate when Dhoni and Jadeja started forming a partnership. The fact that they didn t go hard made the target too big in the end.
They left it a little longer. They could have accelerated when Jadeja and MS were batting, they could have gone hard a little earlier. But there are two sides to it. If one of them had gotten out, then things would have been different, he said.
Pujara also urged CSK skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad to include New Zealand opening batter Devon Conway in the playing XI going forward.
I felt that overall, in this game, CSK s batting lineup was vulnerable. We have seen that there were not enough batters in the middle order who were batting well. So I think it s high time that they look at a different batting combination because Jamie Overton hasn t bowled well, Rahul Tripathi has been struggling a bit. So that s where I think Conway should come in.
Dhoni Can t Bat 10 Overs : CSK Coach Gives Blunt Verdict On Star s Fitness Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming has explained MS Dhoni s batting arrivals saying that they should not expect the former skipper to walk in to bat around the 9th or 10th over mark in the ongoing IPL 2025 season following their six-run loss against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday. Coming to bat at No. 7, Dhoni scored just 16 runs off 11 balls while chasing 183 at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati as CSK suffered their second successive loss of the season.
In the game against Royal Challengers Bengaluru, Dhoni came to bat at No. 9 after Ravichandran Ashwin even when CSK were reeling at 80/6 after 13 overs. The situation was not ideal for Dhoni to inflict a turnaround, but he played a 16-ball 30 not out cameo laced with three fours and two sixes. However, the move to send Dhoni in at the fag end of the innings was not welcomed by many including former players, commentators and fans.
Defending his shift in the batting order, Fleming claimed that the 43-year-old veteran s body is not what it used to be especially his knees after undergoing a left knee operation following the end of the IPL 2023.
Yeah, it s a time thing. His body... his knees aren t what they used to be, and he s moving okay, but there s still an attrition aspect to it. He can t bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us. If the game s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier, and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he s balancing that, Fleming said in the post-match press conference.
Further speaking about Dhoni s value in the franchise, Fleming added, I said it last year; he s too valuable to us, leadership and wicket-keeping, to throw him in nine-ten overs. He has actually never done that. So, look, from around 13-14 overs, he s looking to go depending on who s in.
CSK are currently placed seventh in the points table with two points in three games. The Chennai-based franchise will take on Delhi Capitals at MA Chidambaram Stadium on April 5.
Big Decision Pending For RR, Sanju Samson Can Only Keep Wickets If... Sanju Samson flew to Bengaluru from Guwahati on Monday to seek clearance from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Centre of Excellence (CoE) for keeping wickets in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Samson has so far played in the tournament as a sole batter coming in as an impact substitute with Riyan Parag leading the franchise. The wicketkeeper-batter was only granted a temporary go-ahead to play in the ongoing IPL following surgery on his right index finger.
Now, he will undergo testing by the Sport Science wing at the CoE and request approval to resume his full duties. If granted permission to keep wickets, Sanju will also return as skipper, Cricbuzz reported.
Samson handed over the captaincy to Parag for the first three matches of the season after confirming his participation as a pure batter for the said duration. With his thumb injury healed fully, Samson is expected to don the wicketkeeping gloves and return as captain in Rajasthan s next game.
He will seek clearance to do so for the remaining games and is expected to be back as skipper from the RR s next match, which is nearly a week away, the report quoted a source as saying.
Samson has accumulated scores of 66 (against SRH), 13 (against KKR), and 20 (against CSK) in the three matches he s played so far. In his absence, Dhruv Jurel has taken over the wicketkeeping responsibilities for the team.
The Royals have had a mixed start to their IPL campaign, suffering defeats in their first two matches before securing a win against Chennai Super Kings in Guwahati on Sunday night.
Their next match will be an away fixture against Punjab Kings on April 5, followed by another away game against Gujarat Titans in Ahmedabad on April 9. The team will then return to their home base in Jaipur, where they will face Royal Challengers Bengaluru on April 13.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Varun Chakravarthy Makes His Wicket-Target Clear For IPL: Kohli And... Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) spinner Varun Chakravarthy is looking forward to clinching the wickets of India captain Rohit Sharma and star batter Virat Kohli in the ongoing IPL 2025 season. Asked about the batters he would most like to dismiss in IPL 2025, Chakravarthy named his teammates, including the legendary batting duo of Rohit and Kohli among others. Definitely any batsman who is in great form. Players like Heinrich Klaasen, Nicholas Pooran, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Suryakumar Yadav - these guys are all the star players. I would be very happy if I could pick their wickets, he said on JioHotstar s special show Gen Bold .
The spinner, who has bagged three wickets in two matches so far, will have the chance to grab the wickets of Rohit and Suryakumar Yadav when they take on Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
The 33-year-old has been in exceptional form after finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker in India s title-winning Champions trophy campaign in Dubai earlier this month. He was also part of KKR s triumph in the last edition of the cash-rich league.
Reflecting on his learnings from the season, Chakravarthy said, The lesson is that you can have a great previous tournament, but again you have to start from scratch. That s what cricket teaches you. You can have fantastic two or three tournaments, but in the next one, you have to start from zero. So, that s what I m preparing for - starting from scratch.
Discussing his approach to critical in-game situations, Chakravarthy shared the wisdom gained from playing high-pressure matches.
What I have learned till now is to just keep things very simple - don t try to do something very different, don t try to bowl a magic ball or create a magic moment. The most impactful thing you can do is stick to your basics, do them well, and execute them properly, he said.
As one of KKR s key bowlers, the spinner spoke about managing the expectations that come with IPL. Expectations have always been there from the first game I played, and it s not just for me - it s for every cricketer in the IPL. That s how it is; it s part and parcel of playing competitive cricket. So, you just need to focus on your process and not think too far ahead, he said.
One of KKR s strongest bowling duos, Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine, have developed a strong understanding over the years. Acknowledging Narine s impact on his growth at KKR, Chakravarthy said, Now that I ve played five years alongside him - this is my sixth year with him - we don t need to communicate as much anymore. He doesn t have to spoon-feed me. Whatever I can learn, I can just observe what he is doing.
Of course, if I have doubts, I always go up to him and talk to him. We have always bowled well in tandem, and he has been the most valuable player in T20 cricket from the very beginning. Even this year, he will be the MVP.
Harbhajan Reveals Stunning Stat That Tarnishes Dhoni s Chasemaster Image Former Indian cricket team skipper MS Dhoni is widely regarded as one of the best finishers in the game. However, in the recent past, he has failed to successfully complete run chases on multiple occasions for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL. The situation was once again the same on Sunday as he slammed 16 off 11 balls against Rajasthan Royals but was dismissed on the first ball of the final over as his team fell short of the target. Following the loss, his former teammate - Harbhajan Singh - revealed a stat that massively tarnishes his image of a chasemaster . Harbhajan said that Dhoni seems to be a problem for CSK at this moment and his numbers are not helping his case at all.
I would like to present some stats. Dhoni sahab bahut bade khiladi hain, par jab who aaye hain, match khatam ho chuka tha (Dhoni has been a great player, but by the time he came out to bat, the match was all but over). Whenever Dhoni has chased since IPL 2023 in winning causes, he has scored just 3 runs in 9 balls, without a single boundary or six. But in losing causes, Dhoni has scored 166 runs in 84 balls with 13 fours and 13 sixes. This means that Dhoni averages just 8 in matches CSK have won while in the games lost, his average is 49. Who wants to look at matches where they lost? And this, I think, is a major issue CSK needs to fix, Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.
The team management needs to look at this differently. Send Dhoni up and leave him alone. Tell him to smash, because if he scores runs, then that would matter. Otherwise, there isn t much to nitpick. He still smashes them but these stats aren t materialising, the former Indian cricket team spinner added.
Bumrah On Borderline Of A Fracture : BCCI Sent You Can t Do That Message The IPL 2025 first two round of matches are already over, yet there is no sign of Jasprit Bumrah. The fast bowler has been missing from action from January when he suffered an issue in his back from the Australia Tour. He missed the India vs England series, the Champions Trophy and there is still no clarity on when Jasprit Bumrah will be back in IPL 2025 for Mumbai Indians. Immediately after the IPL 2025 which ends in the last week of May, Indian cricket team will fly out to England a Test series starting June third week.
Former New Zealand pacer Shane Bond, who has worked with Jasprit Bumrah at Mumbai Indians and is currently with Rajasthan Royals, says that too much load must not be put on Bumrah, like it was done during the Australia Tour.
While speaking on if Bumrah should change something about his bowling , Bond opined: I don t think so. He had the [2023] surgery, but he played all that [Australia] Test series, performed unbelievably. At the end of the day, he just bowled too much over a one-month period. And it hasn t cracked, he hasn t got a fracture, he is on the borderline of a fracture, Bond told ESPN Cricinfo.
But what India would have learned is, if you then look at a five-Test match series in England and they do the same thing, they are probably going to get the same result. So you can t do that. You need a squad of bowlers where you can sort of pick and choose.
Because if you lose him, you have got T20 World Cups, you ve got 50-overs World Cups and he s an important member across all formats, IPL, all that sort of stuff.
Bond added that in Australia, the sheer number of overs that he bowled over the course of five Tests - 151.2 - caused Bumrah s injury.
In Australia it was just the sheer volume of overs that got him in the end - in those five Test matches his performance was ridiculous, and they leaned on him a lot and I think he might ve bowled 50 overs in a Test match. You are not going to avoid an injury, you are just trying to avoid the really bad ones, and I m hoping Bumrah can avoid another one of these, Bond said.
And I suppose the lesson is, you can t have him bowl that many overs again in a Test match. Forty-five might be the top, and we can t risk it because he s too valuable. And I m sure they have got all those things considered around the bowling loads and they would have reflected on why he s had that injury. He s a professional, Boomsy, he does everything right. All you are trying to do is prevent that... you are not going to avoid an injury, you are just trying to avoid the really bad ones, and I m hoping he can avoid another one of these.
Flintoff s Eldest Son Corey Signs Two-Year Rookie Contract With Kent Corey, the eldest of former England skipper Andrew Flintoff, has signed a two-year rookie contract with Kent. Corey, a fast-bowling all-rounder just like his father, follows his younger brother Rocky into playing county cricket in England. The 19-year-old had made waves by representing Lancashire s age groups and Academy teams, as well as representing the North at the Bunbury cricket festival in 2021 and featuring for Lancashire s Second XI last year. But his progress was halted by a stress fracture in his back.
With his deal at Lancashire expiring, Flintoff was seen training with Kent s first-team this week and bowled four overs in the club s latest two-day warm-up match against Essex at The Spitfire Ground, St Lawrence on Friday.
“I m delighted to be joining Kent to continue my development as a player under Adam Hollioake and the excellent coaching staff here. The lads in the dressing room have been so welcoming to me this week and there s a great atmosphere here.
“I m excited for what s next for me and I know that Kent is the right place for me to make the step up to first-team cricket,” said Corey in a statement issued by the club on Monday.
The deal with Kent will also allow Corey to play for the county around his University studies for at least the next two seasons. “Corey is an extremely exciting young player and has great all-round ability to score runs and take wickets.
“He is a very hard worker and I know that he is extremely determined to make a name for himself in professional cricket. We re delighted that he feels that he can do this as a Kent cricketer,” said Simon Cook, Kent s Director of Cricket.
Flintoff made 227 appearances for England across all three formats between 1998 and 2009 and was widely regarded as one of their best ever all-rounders to have ever played international cricket.
In the last few years, he has been in various coaching set-ups and was head coach of England Lions, where Rocky, who signed a deal with Lancashire, scored a hundred against a Cricket Australia XI in Brisbane in January.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
First Time In IPL History: MS Dhoni Achieves Never-Done-Before Feat For CSK MS Dhoni scripted history by becoming the first Indian batter ever to score 200 IPL sixes after celebrating his 30th birthday. Although Chennai Super Kings slumped to a narrow loss against Rajasthan Royals in their IPL 2025 encounter, Dhoni slammed a six off Tushar Deshpande in the 19th over of the match to etch his name in history books. Overall, Dhoni is only the second player to achieve the feat after Chris Gayle who slammed 347 sixes after turning 30. Rohit Sharma (113), Ambati Rayudu (109), and Dinesh Karthik (104) are the only Indians to score more than 100 sixes after turning 30.
Dhoni can t bat ten overs running full stick as his knee remains dodgy and the former captain decides on his batting position based on the match situation, revealed CSK coach Stephen Fleming.
The 43-year-old Dhoni had faced criticism for batting at number 9 during CSK s 50-run loss to Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Chepauk last week.
On Sunday, the CSK talisman walked out at number 7 with the team needing 54 off 25 balls but could manage just 16 runs off 11 balls as they suffered a six-run loss to Rajasthan Royals.
It s a time thing. MS judges it. His body, his knees aren t what they used to be. He s moving okay but there s still a nutrition aspect to it. He can t bat 10 overs running full stick. So he will gauge on the day what he can give us, Fleming said at the post-match press conference.
If the game s in the balance like today, he will go a little bit earlier and he backs other players when other opportunities are up. So he s balancing that. I said it last year, he s too valuable to us, (with his) leadership and wicket keeping, to throw him in at 9- 10 overs.
He s actually never done that. So look, from around 13, 14 overs he s looking to go, depending on who s in.
(With PTI inputs)
Riyan Parag Target Of Internet Yet Again - This Time For Phone Throw Incident Riyan Parag s captaincy stint with the Rajasthan Royals yielded its first win for the franchise at the IPL 2025 as it won against Chennai Super Kings by six runs. With Sanju Samson s role limited in the initial matches for RR due to injury, Parag was chosen as the leader. The Assam-born star has been a constant for RR over the past few years. Though he had his share of critics, regular good performances in the domestic competitions saw his stock rise. In fact in IPL 2024, he ended up scoring 573 in 16 matches at an average of 52.09 with a strike-rate of 149.22.
This season Parag has not started on a good note scoring 37 in three matches. To add to the woes. Parag was trolled for a phone throw incident. A video from after the RR vs CSK match in Guwahati on Sunday, which has gone viral, shows Parag clicking a selfie with the Barsapara Cricket Stadium s ground-staff. After the photo is taken, Parag playfully throws the phone at the staff s direction. This act did not please some social media users.
Attitude Performance pic.twitter.com/tNBZgSpRMA
— Sonu (@heyysonu_) March 31, 2025Riyan Parag showing Unnecessary Attitude in front of our Assam Police Officers.
He thinks he is the main character pic.twitter.com/hBRhBFXmRd
Riyan parag you have to learn many things as a player also pic.twitter.com/uKDj96lmw3
— SmithianEra (@NivedhM38443) March 31, 2025What a reckless behaviour by Riyan Parag pic.twitter.com/chaqOpnPOI
— Che(@ChekrishnaCk) March 31, 2025If the trolling wasn t enough, Riyan Parag has been fined Rs 12 lakh for maintaining a slow over-rate during their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match against Chennai Super Kings on Sunday.
IPL released a statement on Monday to confirm that the Royals skipper breached the Code of Conduct and received a penalty as a result.
Riyan Parag, Captain, Rajasthan Royals has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match 11 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Chennai Super Kings at the ACA Stadium, Guwahati on 30th March, 2025, IPL said in a statement.
As this was his team s first offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Parag was fined INR 12 lakhs, the statement concluded.
Riyan became the second captain to be fined in the ongoing edition of the cash-rich league after Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya. He incurred a similar fine for MI s slow over-rate against Gujarat Titans.
