Cricket

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) registered a resounding 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) on Sunday, thanks to a brilliant 98 from captain Ruturaj Gaikwad and a clinical bowling performance led by Tushar Deshpande.Gaikwad, who missed out on a century by a whisker, anchored CSK's innings with a 54-ball knock that included 10 fours and three sixes. He shared a crucial 107-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell, who contributed a valuable 52 off 32 balls. Shivam Dube's unbeaten 39 off 20 balls propelled CSK to a formidable 212 for three.In response, SRH's batting faltered under the pressure of Deshpande's early three-wicket burst. The pacer removed Travis Head, Anmolpreet Singh, and Abhishek Sharma in quick succession, leaving SRH reeling at 40 for 3. Nitish Reddy and Aiden Markram attempted to rebuild the innings, but Ravindra Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana struck to leave SRH in tatters at 85 for 5.Heinrich Klaasen and Abdul Samad tried to salvage the situation, but the CSK bowlers maintained a tight grip on the game. Jadeja bowled an economical spell of 4-0-22-1, while Shardul Thakur frustrated the batters with his wide outside off deliveries. Mitchell took five catches in the outfield as SRH were eventually bowled out for 134 in 18.5 overs.Gaikwad's innings was the cornerstone of CSK's success. The skipper played aggressively from the outset, hitting boundaries at will. He brought up his 17th IPL half-century off just 27 deliveries and looked set for a second consecutive century. However, the heat and humidity of Chennai seemed to take its toll as he was dismissed in the final over.The victory ended CSK's two-game losing streak and lifted them to third place in the IPL standings with 10 points. SRH, also with 10 points, dropped to fourth after their fourth loss.

Sunrisers Hyderabad's Batting Woes Continue in Crushing Defeat to Chennai Super KingsAfter a promising start to their Indian Premier League (IPL) campaign, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) have hit a roadblock, suffering their second consecutive defeat at the hands of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) on Sunday. The 78-run loss at the Chepauk Stadium exposed SRH's batting frailties, which have plagued them throughout the season.Chasing a daunting target of 213, SRH's batsmen failed to rise to the occasion. The team's ultra-cautious approach backfired, as they struggled to keep up with the required run rate. Pacer Tushar Deshpande's three-wicket burst with the new ball and the middle-overs squeeze from CSK's bowlers proved too much for SRH to handle.SRH skipper Pat Cummins admitted that his team was outplayed and will look to bounce back stronger in their next game. "We thought chasing was our best chance to win, but unfortunately, it didn't come off tonight," said Cummins. "I thought they obviously batted well, but with our batting lineup, the wicket was playing pretty well, so I thought we had a good chance."Despite the defeat, Cummins remains confident in his team's batting lineup. "I think we are pretty happy with how the batting lineup is going," he said. "Nothing went right for us today, but everyone in that lineup has won a game for us at some point this season."CSK, on the other hand, returned to winning ways with a clinical performance. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad's belligerent 98 was the cornerstone of their innings, while Daryl Mitchell and Shivam Dube provided valuable contributions. The CSK bowlers then put up a disciplined display, led by Deshpande's impressive spell.The defeat leaves SRH with a 2-3 record, while CSK improves to 5-2. Both teams will be looking to maintain their momentum in their upcoming matches.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) emerged victorious in their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 matches on Sunday, boosting their playoff aspirations.RCB's ResurgenceRCB kept their playoff hopes alive with a dominant nine-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans. Will Jacks and Virat Kohli played pivotal roles in the triumph. Jacks smashed a blistering century (100* off 41), including 10 sixes, while Kohli contributed an unbeaten 70 off 44. Their partnership of 169 runs propelled RCB to the target of 201 with 24 balls to spare.Despite the win, RCB remains at the bottom of the IPL 2024 points table. However, they can still qualify for the playoffs if they win all their remaining matches.CSK's RiseCSK moved up to third in the points table with a comprehensive 78-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad. Skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad narrowly missed his second consecutive IPL century, scoring 98 off 54 balls. Daryl Mitchell also chipped in with a valuable 52.Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana were the stars with the ball for CSK. Deshpande claimed four wickets for 27 runs, while Pathirana took two for 17. Their combined efforts restricted SRH to 134 all out in 18.5 overs.Key Takeaways* RCB's victory keeps their playoff hopes alive, while CSK strengthens their position in the top four.* Will Jacks' century and Virat Kohli's improved form were crucial for RCB's success.* Tushar Deshpande and Matheesha Pathirana's bowling performances played a significant role in CSK's win.* The IPL 2024 playoff race remains intense, with several teams vying for the top four spots.

Warwickshire's hopes of salvaging a draw against Nottinghamshire were boosted on the third day of their Vitality Championship clash at Edgbaston, as rain washed out the first two sessions and limited play to just 35 overs.Resuming on 71 for 3, Warwickshire advanced their first innings to 175 for 5, with Ed Barnard anchoring the innings with a studious 69 (142 balls). The former Worcestershire player reached his half-century in 100 balls and shared a crucial 84-run partnership with Jake Bethell (38 not out).Nottinghamshire's bowlers, led by Dillon Pennington (3 for 40), toiled hard on a placid pitch that offered little assistance. However, Barnard's resolute batting and Bethell's newfound patience frustrated their efforts to force a result.The visitors had earlier posted a formidable 400 all out, thanks to a brilliant double-century from Ben Duckett (218). Despite the excellent bowling conditions on the second afternoon, Warwickshire's bowlers were unable to replicate their success on the third day, as the cloud cover lifted and the pitch behaved well.With the follow-on target set at 251, Warwickshire need just 76 more runs to reach safety on the final morning. If they can achieve that, a draw, which has always been the most likely outcome, will become a certainty.However, Nottinghamshire still harbor a glimmer of hope. If their seamers can make early inroads tomorrow, they could put the home side under pressure and potentially force a result.

Hampshire's hopes of avoiding defeat against reigning champions Surrey dwindled on the third day of their Vitality County Championship clash at the Kia Oval. Despite battling through a rain-affected day, Hampshire still trail by 92 runs with five wickets remaining in their second innings.Resuming on 31 for 2, Hampshire lost three top-order wickets in quick succession. Nick Gubbins was caught behind off Dan Worrall, while Tom Prest and James Vince fell to Gus Atkinson and Kemar Roach respectively. Vince, who had shown resilience and quality in his innings of 26, was particularly crucial for Hampshire.The early wickets left Hampshire in a precarious position at 87 for 5. However, Liam Dawson (18 not out) and Ben Brown (7 not out) showed some resistance in the final overs, seeing out the day with Surrey's seamers still in control.The day's play was significantly impacted by rain. Heavy overnight rain ruled out any cricket before lunch, while further showers in the afternoon delayed the start of play. When play finally commenced at 4.30pm, Hampshire faced an uphill battle against Surrey's formidable pace attack.Worrall struck early, removing Gubbins with just ten balls bowled. Prest, who had been dropped on 22, added only one run before being caught by Ollie Pope. Vince's dismissal to Roach was a major blow for Hampshire, as he had been their most reliable batsman in the second innings.Despite the setbacks, Hampshire showed some fight in the face of adversity. Prest and Vince had put on a gritty 46-run stand, while Dawson and Brown showed some resilience in the final overs. However, Hampshire still face a significant challenge to avoid defeat on the final day.

Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi have been proposed as the venues for the 2025 Champions Trophy, according to the initial draft schedule submitted by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to the International Cricket Council (ICC). The tournament is scheduled for mid-February, and the PCB is working to upgrade the venues in preparation for the first ICC event in Pakistan in nearly three decades.Pakistan, the defending champions, will host the eight-team tournament over two weeks. The exact dates are yet to be determined. The PCB finalized the venues and schedule after an ICC team conducted inspections."We've sent the schedule for the matches in Pakistan for the ICC Champions Trophy," said PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi. "The ICC's security team came and we had a very good meeting. They looked at arrangements here and we'll also share stadium upgrade plans with them. We're continuously in touch with the ICC. We are trying to ensure we host a very good tournament in Pakistan."The schedule will likely be influenced by India's participation. ESPNcricinfo reports that the initial draft has all games, including India's, being played in Pakistan.However, the fate of India's games depends on the political climate between the two countries and whether the Indian government grants permission for the BCCI to send its team to Pakistan. India has not toured Pakistan since the 2008 Asia Cup due to frosty relations between the governments.Pakistan last hosted an ICC event in 1996, when they co-hosted the ODI World Cup with India and Sri Lanka. Since then, security concerns have prevented teams from touring Pakistan.The Champions Trophy will be the centerpiece of a busy home season for Pakistan, which will also host South Africa and New Zealand for an ODI tri-series before the ICC event. The PCB will need to find an appropriate window for the 10th season of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), which could clash with other T20 leagues.The PCB acknowledges the need to improve the stadiums in Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi, which have not had significant upgrades in recent years."If you look at Gaddafi [stadium in Lahore], it is good, but the viewing experience is not great for cricket. Football maybe, not cricket," said Naqvi. "We need to improve facilities in the stadiums, where there are some old problems. [The National Stadium in] Karachi is in bad shape. So on May 7th, we'll finalise bids from international companies who will come and help us design. We will work with local consultants as well. We are already late but we need to do these upgrades in four-five months. It will be a very tough test but we can do it."

The Lions have emerged victorious in the CSA T20 Challenge, securing their second trophy of the season after their triumph in the first-class competition. This latest victory comes just days before the announcement of South Africa's T20 World Cup squad, with several Lions players vying for inclusion.Ryan Rickelton and Reeza Hendricks, the second and third-highest run-scorers in the tournament, are among the Lions players in contention for the provisional squad. Hendricks played a pivotal role in the final, anchoring the successful chase of 166 with an unbeaten 73 off 52 balls. His half-century was his fourth of the campaign, placing him just one run behind Rickelton on the run charts.The Lions' triumph was not without its challenges. After electing to bowl first, they had the Dolphins in trouble at 103 for 6 in the 15th over. However, Jason Smith's first fifty of the campaign and a 57-run seventh-wicket partnership with Eathan Bosch propelled the Dolphins to a competitive score.Crucially, Smith scored 24 runs off legspinner Nqabayomzi Peter's final over, marking the first time in the competition that Peter had conceded more than 30 runs. Despite finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker with 20 at an average of 9.50, Peter's performance in the final was a slight blemish on his otherwise impressive tournament.Left-arm spinner Bjorn Fortuin, who led the Lions in this tournament, could also be in contention for South Africa's T20 World Cup plans. He took 2 for 24 in the final and maintained an economy rate of 5.85 across their 16 matches. His consistency mirrored that of the Lions, who won 10 of their 14 group matches and earned the right to host a home semi and final.Despite losing Rickelton, Rassie van der Dussen, and Temba Bavuma early in their chase, the Lions remained composed. Hendricks and Wiaan Mulder put on 85 for the fourth wicket, with Mulder bringing up his first half-century of the tournament to guide the Lions to victory.