Former champions Rajasthan Royals (RR), who suffered a heart-wrenching 11-run defeat at the hands of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Thursday, are virtually eliminated from the playoff contention in IPL 2025.
Despite Dhoni's brief fireworks, his inability to deliver a decisive finish raised critical questions about CSK's batting strategy.
Wicket-keeper/batter Jitesh Sharma attributed his his recent success in the shortest format to the efforts put in by Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik, who believes that Jitesh can be a true '360' degree player.
Axar Patel's inclusive captaincy style has played a massive role in Delhi Capitals blazing start to this IPL season, reckons the team's assistant coach Matthew Mott.
Kolkata Knight Riders all-rounder Venkatesh Iyer has stated that he is prepared to lead the team in IPL 2025, despite having no previous captaincy experience.
Sai Sudharsan upstaged some of the world's top batters as he topped the run scoring charts, while Prasidh Krishna was the most successful bowler of the season.
The young left-arm pacer held his nerve in a tense finish to bowl RCB to a narrow two-run victory in a high-scoring game.
Although Kohli and Krunal made the chase look simple, it was anything but, especially on a pitch that offered some help for the bowlers.
Delhi Capitals mentor Kevin Pietersen believes that KL Rahul is the best option to bat at number four and keep wickets for India in the next T20 World Cup.
Mandhana had led RCB to the WPL triumph last year, the team's first title in franchise cricket.
A match defined by mistakes - 11 dropped catches, several misfields, and one team punished more heavily than the other.
IMAGES from the IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Chennai Super Kings played at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Wednesday
Delhi Capitals will be aiming to claim the top spot, while UP Warriorz will be desperate to register their first victory of the season when the two sides face off in the Women's Premier League in Bengaluru on Saturday.
The third edition of the Women's Premier League (WPL) will be played across four cities - Baroda, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Lucknow - from February 14 to March 15, 2025.
Tim Watts had his fan boy moment on Friday when he caught up with Virat Kohli during the Indian team's visit to Parliament house in Canberra.
Gujarat Titans (GT) defeated Mumbai Indians (MI) by three wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a dramatic Indian Premier League match at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on Tuesday.
M S Dhoni may bat at No.7 or No. 8, which will allow him to showcase his big-hitting prowess at the back end of the innings, says former international Robin Uthappa.
Last year's runner-up Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) suffered a heartbreaking exit from the IPL 2025 play-off race after rain washed out their must-win game against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Hyderabad on Monday.
It was a day to remember for RCB wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharma, who had his gloves full-and delivered with aplomb.
RCB will have to play five games inside 13 days against MI (away), Delhi Capitals (home), Rajasthan Royals (away) and Punjab Kings (home).
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India's mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy believes the IPL presents a different challenge, stating that it's a "different beast".
Varun Chakravarthy, a key player for both the Indian team and the Kolkata Knight Riders, emphasizes the importance of consistency and reveals he is working on new variations to his spin bowling.
This is SRH's second overseas investment after owning the Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20.
'I have always played wherever the team wanted me to play. Team thinking has always come first.'
All-rounder Krunal Pandya starred with a four-wicket haul, including three in the last over, to help RCB beat Mumbai Indians by 12 runs.
Venkatesh, one of the marquee players this season, was bought back by KKR for a massive Rs 23.75 crores, making him one of the most expensive players in the league.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) have begun their pre-season preparations with a week-long domestic players' training stint in Mumbai, ahead of their main camp in Kolkata starting March 12 at Eden Gardens. The Mumbai camp, running from February 21-28, features nine domestic players, including Venkatesh Iyer, who was re-signed by KKR for a staggering Rs 23.75 crore after being released, making him the third most expensive player in the IPL auction.
For the home side, it has been a season of mixed returns so far. After early defeats to Royal Challengers Bengaluru and Mumbai Indians, KKR roared back to form in their last outing -- a commanding win over Sunrisers Hyderabad.
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'These are areas that we're trying to tidy up and try and be much more consistent all around.'
Krunal Pandya might just be the X-factor RCB have long been searching for in their quest for a maiden IPL title.
'This is going to be my 14th year in the IPL. I've played with them outside of IPL as well. It's like a family-based team for me. Every time I play with the Knight Riders logo, it feels like this is where I belong.'
CSK head coach Stephen Fleming said Mahendra Singh Dhoni is 'still going strong' and putting an end to the former skipper's run in the IPL is not a role assigned to him.
'We missed out on Ravichandran Ashwin, but we have a strong pace attack.'
Here are how the bowlers fared in Guwahati...
Riding high on their new-found confidence, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be hoping to finally get it right at home and keep their play-off hopes alive when they take on a struggling Rajasthan Royals in their IPL match in Kolkata on Sunday.
Royal Challengers Bengaluru mentor Dinesh Karthik conceded that his side has received a 'challenging' pitch at the Chinnaswamy Stadium this season despite asking for a batting friendly surface.
The common theme in their opening game defeats was how the seemingly powerful batting and bowling units of KKR and RR failed to fire.
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