Cricket

Mumbai Indians qualified for their fifth Indian Premier League final on Tuesday after they beat Chennai Super Kings by six wickets to contest for a fourth championship.

The visitors completed a successful chase of 132 in 18 overs, and it was Mumbai's bowling corps that limited the Chennai attack to put that number within sight. 

The Super Kings will play the winner of Wednesday's Delhi Capitals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad matchup in the second qualifier on Friday.

Hyderabad's chances of advancing have been dented by the losses of David Warner and Jonny Bairstow, however, after they left to join Australia's and England's 2019 ICC World Cup squad, respectively. Warner leads the IPL scoring charts by almost 100 runs but will not add to his tally again this season.

Delhi fast bowler Rabada sits on 25 wickets this term, but again the team has lost one of their biggest weapons after he flew home before the World Cup due to a back injury.

       

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 692

2. KL Rahul (KXIP): 593

3. Andre Russell (KKR): 510

4. Quinton de Kock (MI): 500

5. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 490

6. Shikhar Dhawan (DC): 486

7. Virat Kohli (RCB): 464

8. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445

9. AB de Villiers (RCB): 442

10. Shreyas Iyer (DC): 442

      

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 25

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 23

3. Shreyas Gopal (RR): 20

4. Mohammed Shami (KXIP): 19

5. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 18

6. Jasprit Bumrah (MI): 17

7. Deepak Chahar (CSK): 17

8. Khaleel Ahmed (SRH): 17

9. Rashid Khan (SRH): 15

10. Ravichandran Ashwin (KXIP): 15

Stats via IPLT20.com.

      

Warner Bows Out on Top; Tahir Targets Purple Cap

Warner's quest for a third Orange Cap has been such a success that the top run-scorer award looks likely to be his even though he'll miss Hyderabad's knockout-stage run.

His season total of 692 is at least 99 runs more than any other player:

.@davidwarner31 - The Man, The Myth, The Legend! 🧡#OrangeArmy #RiseWithUs #DavidWarner pic.twitter.com/Mw6rNEouOo

— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 30, 2019

KL Rahul sits second with 593 runs, but Kings XI Punjab are out of the competition. The next-highest scorers are Andre Russell of Kolkata Knight Riders (on 510 but also out) and Quinton de Kock of Mumbai Indians, but the latter would need to score almost 200 runs in Sunday's final to win the Orange Cap.

The ICC T20 World Cup Twitter account recently lauded Warner's consistent striking form over this IPL season:

David Warner's scores in this year's @ipl:

85
69
100*
10
15
70*
51
50
67
57
37
81

👀 pic.twitter.com/a62kAhvG91

— T20 World Cup (@T20WorldCup) April 30, 2019

Hyderabad bowler Rashid Khan is among the IPL's top 10 wicket-takers with 15 this campaign, and he was saddened to lose his team-mate ahead of such a key part of the season:

Safe flight my bro @davidwarner31.We are already missing you it was an absolutely pleasure to play together again and 1 thing I will miss a lot while you were telling me in ground MASHALLAH and INSHALLAH . See u soon in World Cup . @SunRisers @IPL pic.twitter.com/ENMv3vYDBS

— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) April 30, 2019

Delhi have made it into the play-offs in their first season since rebranding as the Capitals, and Rabada had been a major driving force in keeping their opponents at bay in 2019.

Chennai's Tahir will have at least one more game this season and is only two wickets off Rabada, meaning the South African could be a prime pick for the Purple Cap if the Super Kings can qualify for the final.

Statistician Mohandas Menon praised the veteran's evergreen standards at the crease (Tahir turned 40 in March):

Most #IPL wickets after the age of 40
28 - Pravin Tambe (33 matches)
24 - Shane Warne (27)
23 - Brad Hogg (21)
19 - Imran Tahir (13*)#CSKvMI#IPL2019#IPLPlayoffs

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) May 7, 2019

None of the other contenders within sight have a strong claim for the Purple Cap crown, with Mumbai star Jasprit Bumrah playing catch-up on 17 wickets and only one game remaining.

Mumbai Indians finished top of the 2019 Indian Premier League table ahead of the playoffs after beating Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets.

The winners will be joined in the playoffs by a Chennai Super Kings side beaten by Kings XI Punjab earlier in the day. A defeat by six wickets is hardly the ideal way for the defending champions to prepare for the next stage of the competition.

Here it is the #VIVOIPL Points Table after the league stage.

Onto the Playoffs now 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/FULlVTcOFJ

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019

Mumbai's win was aided by a solid 30 from Quinton de Kock, who remains one of the most-prolific run-scorers in the league. Kings XI pair Lokesh Rahul and Chris Gayle are also in the mix, with the former adding 71 to his tally.

      

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 692

2. Lokesh Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 593

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 510

4. Quinton de Kock, Mumbai Indians: 492

5. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab: 490

        

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals: 25

2. Imran Tahir, Chennai Super Kings: 21

3. Shreyas Gopal, Rajasthan Royals: 20

4. Mohammed Shami, Kings XI Punjab: 19

5. Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 18

        

Best Batting Averages

1. MS Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings: 122.66

2. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 69.20

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 56.66

4. Jonny Bairstow, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 55.62

5. Lokesh Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 53.90

      

Best Bowling Averages

1. Anukul Roy, Mumbai Indians: 11.00

2. Jagadeesha Suchith, Delhi Capitals: 14.00

3. Alzarri Joseph, Mumbai Indians: 14.50

4. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals: 14.72

5. Khaleel Ahmed, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 15.47

All statistics, per the IPL official website.

        

While De Kock's performance at the wicket helped, Mumbai's triumph was more about an impressive outing for the bowlers. The Indians controlled Kolkata's batting order, with Hardik Pandya taking a pair of wickets, including that of Chris Lynn.

Hardik Pandya is the Man of the Match for his bowling figures of 2/20 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/mnFxBgKe08

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019

Even the Knight Riders' big-hitters struggled to get on track. A notable wicket fell when Andre Russell was sent packing after being caught by De Kock off a delivery from Lasith Malinga.

Lasith Malinga is our key performer for the @mipaltan for his game-changing bowling figures of 3/35 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/T57tLsUCXI

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 5, 2019

Robin Uthappa managed to put 40 runs on the board, but his total owed more to sudden strikes rather than consistency with the bat:

Robin Uthappa has hit three sixes, but his strike rate is just 90, 12 balls to go... https://t.co/rDdsETDLRH #MIvKKR #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/4kH1ObdAMI

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 5, 2019

Earlier, Rahul's seven fours and five sixes powered Kings XI past the Super Kings. He was buoyed by a decent 28 from Gayle, who sent two beyond the boundary.

Sam Curran stepped up against skipper MS Dhoni and Co., taking the wickets of Faf du Plessis and Shane Watson. Du Plessis had put up 96 before he was bowled.

Curran's delivery also proved too much for Suresh Raina, who was caught by Mohammed Shami. The latter also claimed a pair of wickets as Chennai's vulnerabilities were exposed, offering hope for the rest of the contenders before the playoffs.

Royal Challengers Bangalore and Delhi Capitals won their last Indian Premier League group-stage matches on Saturday, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad and Rajasthan Royals, respectively.

In the first match of the day, Delhi (121/5) cruised to a five-wicket (with 23 balls remaining) win, easily chasing down the target set by Rajasthan (115/9).

Bangalore (178/6) left it late to beat Hyderabad (175/7) by four wickets with four balls remaining in the late contest. The Sunrisers' defeat means they can still miss out on the play-offs, with the fifth-placed Kolkata Knight Riders facing the Mumbai Indians on Sunday.

                  

Standings (Rank, Team, Played, Net Run Rate, Points):

1. Chennai Super Kings, 13, +0.209, 18*

2. Delhi Capitals, 14, +0.044, 18*

3. Mumbai Indians, 13, +0.321, 16*

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad, 14, +0.577, 12

5. Kolkata Knight Riders, 13, +0.173, 12

6. Rajasthan Royals, 14, -0.449, 11

7. Royal Challengers Bangalore, 14, -0.607, 11

8. Kings XI Punjab, 13, -0.351, 10

*Denotes teams to have qualified for playoffs.

             

Top Run-Scorers

David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad, 692

KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab, 522

Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders, 510

Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals, 486

Virat Kholi, Royal Challengers Bangalore, 464

               

Kings XI will face the Super Kings and the Indians take on the Knight Riders on Sunday in the last matches before the play-offs.

   

Rajasthan's season came to an unimpressive end at the hands of Delhi on Saturday, per ESPN Cricinfo:

A few hiccups along the way but Pant ensures Rajasthan's eliminationhttps://t.co/97JPqCeQ2A #DCvRR pic.twitter.com/pquJSomo9T

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 4, 2019

Royals captain Ajinkya Rahane decided to bat at the toss and paid dearly for that choice. He scored just two runs from four balls, setting the tone for a disappointing innings from the visitors. Riyan Parag scored 50 from 49, but only Liam Livingstone (14) and Shreyas Gopal (12) added double-digit runs for a team total of 115.

Amit Mishra led the way for Delhi's bowlers, taking three wickets and giving up just 17 runs.

Rishabh Pant powered the chase with an unbeaten 53 and thanked the Delhi crowd after the contest:

Finishing the last home game with a win.Thanks for supporting us you guys ! 🙏 one for kila kotla 💓 #yehainaidilli pic.twitter.com/6nk42NuMgx

— Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) May 4, 2019

Delhi moved up to second place with the win and will finish there if Kolkata beat Mumbai on Sunday.

In the second match of the day, Kane Williamson's unbeaten 70 from 43 balls played a key role in Hyderabad's total of 175. The last over was a brutal one for the hosts:

Last over of #SRH's innings: 6 4 6 4 2 2NB 1 4

That carnage from Kane Williamson was ______!

Fill in the blank and watch #RCBvSRH NOW on Star Sports! #GameBanayegaName #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/6vSQAoE6cc

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) May 4, 2019

Bangalore had a solid innings with the bat themselves, however, and soon closed in on the target. There was late drama in the 19th over when Khaleel Ahmed took two wickets, but back-to-back fours from Umesh Yadav ended the contest with four balls remaining.

Shimron Hetmyer was the main main in the chase, scoring 75 from 47.

Hyderabad will now have to wait for the result of Sunday's match between Mumbai and Kolkata to learn their play-off fate; they will qualify with an Indians win.

Kings XI Punjab were defeated by Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in the Indian Premier League on Friday. 

KXIP set a target of 183 for six in their innings, but the visitors were ruthless as opportunities presented themselves in Chandigarh.

KKR remained motivated at the crease and finished the run chase with two overs to spare.

The defeat all but extinguishes Punjab's realistic hopes of a play-off spot but the dream continues for Kolkata.

                 

IPL Latest Standings (Games played, points, net run rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 13, 18, +0.209

2. Mumbai Indians: 13, 16, +0.321

3. Delhi Capitals: 13, 16, -0.096

4: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 13, 12, +0.653

5. Kolkata Knight Riders: 13, 12, +0.173

6. Rajasthan Royals: 13, 11, -0.321

7. Kings XI Punjab: 13, 10, -0.351

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 13, 9, -0.694

                                                                      

Highest Run-Scorers

1. David Warner, SRH: 692

2. KL Rahul, KXIP: 522

3. Andre Russell, KKR: 510

4. Shikhar Dhawan, DC: 470

5. Quinton de Kock, MI: 462

                

Top Batting Averages

1. MS Dhoni, CSK: 119.33

2. David Warner, SRH: 69.20

2. Andre Russell, KKR: 63.75

4. Jonny Bairstow, SRH: 55.62

5. Marcus Stoinis, RCB: 52.75

               

Best Batting Strike Rates

1. Andre Russell, KKR: 205.64

2. Hardik Pandya, MI: 198.95

3. Sunil Narine, KKR: 166.27

4. Moeen Ali, RCB: 165.41

5. Rishabh Pant, DC: 161.11

              

Most Wickets

1. Kagiso Rabada, DC: 25

2. Imran Tahir, CSK: 21

3. Shreyas Gopal, RR: 18

4. Yuzvendra Chahal, RCB: 17

5. Mohammed Shami, KXIP: 17

                                   

Best Bowling Averages

1. Anukul Roy, MI: 11.00

2. Oshane Thomas, RR: 13.20

3. Jagadeesha Suchith, DC: 14.00

4. Alzarri Joseph, MI: 14.50

5. Kagiso Rabada, DC: 14.72

                                       

Upcoming Matches

Saturday, May 4: DC vs. RR, RCB vs. SRH

Sunday, May 5: KXIP vs. CSK, MI vs KKR                                  

(All statistics, per the IPL's official website)

                  

Friday Recap

KXIP would have been satisfied with their first-innings haul, but their opponents were smooth as they chased with vigour.

Chris Gayle was disappointing after scoring only 14 from 14 for the hosts but the middle order stood firm and secured a good run-rate.

Nicolas Pooran was impressive at No. 4 as he finished two runs short of his half-century off just 27 balls before losing his wicket.

Sam Curran went one better than his team-mate with a solid 55 from only 24, closing out the innings in the final overs as he survived a dropped catch.

The IPL highlighted Curran's excellent knock:

Sam Curran is our key performer for the #KXIP innings for his quick-fire 55* off 24 deliveries.#KXIPvKKR pic.twitter.com/uET5m9gtZm

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 3, 2019

The total of 183 was well earned but the visitors quickly went to work to reduce the target.

Chris Lynn was in no mood to take his time at the crease for KKR, and the 29-year-old Australian added 46 from 22 before being caught and bowled by Andrew Tye.

Opener Shubman Gill accelerated the run chase with incredible timing. The Punjab-born 19-year-old appeared impossible to beat as he protected his stumps.

Home fans started to filter out early as KKR continued to find the boundary with little reply from the bowling unit, and the atmosphere was subdued in the final five overs.

It was left to Dinesh Karthik to smash a pair of boundaries for the win with plenty of room to spare.

Gill ended with 65 from 49, and the teenager's technique continues to impress as his team fight for the last play-off berth.

Mumbai Indians needed a super over to beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Thursday, gaining play-off qualification. 

The Indians had set a modest total of 165 for five but the Sunrisers struggled to put weight into their batting effort to seal a win.

Hyderabad forced a super over as they tied the game from the final delivery but the Indians grabbed the points as they won the shootout.

Quinton de Kock was in superb form for the winners and his knock of 69 guided his side to their first-innings total.

                                

IPL Latest Standings (Games played, points, net run rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 13, 18, +0.209

2. Mumbai Indians: 13, 16, +0.321

3. Delhi Capitals: 13, 16, -0.096

4: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 13, 12, +0.653

5. Rajasthan Royals: 13, 11, -0.321

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 12, 10, +0.100

7. Kings XI Punjab: 12, 10, -0.296

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 13, 9, -0.694

                                 

Highest Run-Scorers

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 692

2. KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 520

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 486

4. Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals: 470

5. Quinton de Kock, Mumbai Indians: 462

                

Upcoming Matches

Friday, May 3: KXIP vs. KKR

Saturday, May 4: DC vs. RR, RCB vs. SRH

Sunday, May 5: KXIP vs. CSK, MI vs KKR                                  

(All statistics, per the IPL's official website)

                  

Thursday Recap

As the hosts won the toss and took the crease to open the match, they would have hoped for a bigger total to test the visiting party.

The Indians set a score of 165, but at a run rate of 8.10, the Sunrisers would have been encouraged.

De Kock's display was a saving grace for Mumbai, with the South African hitting 69 from 58 balls, taking him to fifth in the IPL scoring charts.

The 26-year-old smashed eight boundaries on his way to his total as his team-mates struggled to match his standard.

The IPL highlighted the player's performance:

Unbeaten 69 from QDK in the @mipaltan innings.

Will this turn out to be a match winning innings by the opener? pic.twitter.com/cWHE8r2AVf

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 2, 2019

Captain Rohit Sharma reached a conservative total of 24 as he despatched five fours in his opener's slot. Khaleel Ahmed gave an impressive bowling display for Hyderabad, claiming three wickets for 42.

The Sunrisers came into bat with an air of calmness about their play, and they took the option to chip away at their target rather than blasting their way forward.

Tension was clearly present from the Mumbai crowd, and Manish Pandey got down to work for SRH after openers Wriddhiman Saha and Martin Guptill lost their wickets for 25 and 15, respectively.

Pandey hit six boundaries to take his team past 100 runs. The Sunrisers had to score 61 from the final 36 balls to claim the win.

Hyderabad's middle order struggled to add sufficient runs but Pandey stood firm during the chase.

However, the Mumbai bowling remained disciplined and economical, and Sunrisers allowed too many dot balls in the closing stages.

Hyderabad forced a dramatic super over with a final six off the last ball but the effort wasn't enough to claim an away win.

Pandey was run out with the first ball as he tiredly chased a second run, and SRH made nine runs to set the target.

Mumbai quickly reached their goal and booked their place in the play-offs, climbing up to second in the standings.

Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Capitals by 80 runs in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Wednesday. MS Dhoni was in peak form during the battle of the top two.

The Super Kings' skipper put up 44 runs and improved the best average in the league. Meanwhile, Shikhar Dhawan put 19 runs to his tally as one of the highest run-scorers in this season's competition, even though he couldn't prevent Delhi from slipping to defeat.

It means the Super Kings continue to lead the way in the standings, while the Capitals missed the chance to go top, although both teams have already qualified for the playoffs:

#CSK bossing the #VIVOIPL Points Table 😎 pic.twitter.com/ZueJX2JbHE

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2019

Highest Run-Scorers

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 692

2. KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 520

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 486

4. Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals: 470

5. Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 448

   

Top Batting Averages

1. MS Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings: 119.33

2. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 69.42

3. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 69.20

4. KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 57.77

5. Jonny Bairstow, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 55.62

   

Best Bowling Averages

1. Anukul Roy, Mumbai Indians: 11.00

2. Oshane Thomas, Rajasthan Royals: 13.20

3. Jagadeesha Suchith, Delhi Capitals: 14.00

4. Alzarri Joseph, Mumbai Indians: 14.50

5. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals: 14.72

   

All statistics, per the league's official website.

Chennai were soon on the way to amassing a strong total after Faf du Plessis clocked 39 runs off 41 deliveries. A pair of fours and two sixes helped the South African thrive at the wicket until Dhawan caught him out.

Suresh Raina's 59 included sending eight deliveries to the boundary. He made the most of facing 37 deliveries before Dhawan snatched another smart catch to send him packing.

Suresh Raina is our key performer for the @ChennaiIPL for his fluent half-century off 37 deliveries 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/MhftdWs9c7

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2019

That's FIFTY for @ImRaina. Half-century No.37th in #VIVOIPL 👌👏 pic.twitter.com/6ewj19ajFu

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2019

Fortunately for the Super Kings, Dhoni was in prolific form, piling up a quartet of fours and three sixes. Those contributions sent Dhoni en route to a solid 44 not out.

Dynamite Dhoni 💣https://t.co/e59qmdjVRL #CSKvDC #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/cG9SJFwArM

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 1, 2019

Having been set a gaudy total of 180 to chase, the Capitals were always facing an uphill battle.

So it proved as Delhi's innings endured a rough start when Prithvi Shaw was caught out by Raina. Taking hits out of the sky has become a specialty for Raina:

That's 💯 catches in #VIVOIPL for @ImRaina 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/XtaKmJ7Zn0

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) May 1, 2019

The Capitals forced some momentum when Dhawan and Shreyas Iyer began putting up runs in bunches. Iyer sent deliveries from Deepak Chahar for a four and a six before adding another four, while Dhawan added 10 runs to the board.

Dhawan was looking dangerous, so Harbhajan Singh's spinning delivery proved timely. Iyer stayed in until he'd clocked up 44 runs before he was stumped by Dhoni after another spinner from Ravindra Jadeja.

It was soon time for Purple Cap contender Imran Tahir to get in on the act as he helped claim the wickets of Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel and Sherfane Rutherford. One more tricky ball in from Tahir helped Dhoni earn himself another catch, this time condemning Amit Mishra to an early exit.

Run Boy Run 🎵

Go look it up, we're pretty sure it's Imran Tahir's favourite trackhttps://t.co/e59qmdjVRL #CSKvDC #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/xB7zFLhRor

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) May 1, 2019

The combination of deadly bowling and resourceful fielding meant the Capitals never looked like completing the chase.

There were extraordinary scenes as Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Royals was abandoned after rain triggered a reduced-over match in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

Torrential rain and lightning turned the game into a five-over shootout, with the Chinnaswamy Stadium remaining packed for the conclusion. The boundary was peppered by both teams, but further bad weather forced the sides to share a point as the rain fell again.

The no-contest means RCB's season is over as they are unable to progress from the bottom of the standings into a play-off berth, while RR still have a remote chance of finishing in the top four.

                

IPL Latest Standings (Games played, points, net run rate)

1. Delhi Capitals: 12, 16, +0.233

2. Chennai Super Kings: 12, 16, -0.113

3. Mumbai Indians: 12, 14, +0.347

4: Sunrisers Hyderabad: 12, 12, +0.709

5. Rajasthan Royals: 13, 11, -0.321

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 12, 10, +0.1

7. Kings XI Punjab: 12, 10, -0.296

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 13, 9, -0.694

      

Top Run-Scorers (Averages)

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 692 (69.20)

2. KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 520 (57.77)

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 486 (69.42)

4. Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals: 451 (41.00)

5. Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 448 (34.46)

6. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab: 448 (44.80)

      

Schedule

Wednesday: CSK vs. DC

Thursday: MI vs. SRH

Friday: KXIP vs. KKR

All statistics, per the IPL's official website.

                                         

Tuesday Recap

Fans were on their feet as the players treated them to a dramatic game despite the inclement conditions in Bangalore. Play finally got under way as the weather settled, and the Royals opted to bowl as they looked for quick success.

RCB were in trouble after finding the boundary from the opening deliveries, and Shreyas Gopal was the bowling hero as he collected a dramatic hat-trick.

The all-rounder claimed the consecutive wickets of Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis, with captain Steven Smith celebrating with his right-handed leg-breaker as he caught the hat-trick ball.

Wickets tumbled as RCB swung wildly in order to hit boundaries, and the hosts reached 62 for seven during their five overs at the crease.

The IPL highlighted Gopal's display in the first innings:

Putting the brakes on #RCB's start, Shreyas Gopal is our game changer for the first innings for his hat-trick 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/CjIRWJ4OSi

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 30, 2019

RR protected their wicket with aplomb, but their lack of adrenaline kept them just outside the required run rate.

Sanju Samson and Liam Livingstone combined for 29 from 16 balls, and the home supporters were nervous as their bowlers failed to take a wicket. A huge six by Samson silenced the crowd, and the Royals reached 40 without loss as they picked up their pace towards their target.

The visitors needed 23 from the final two overs, and Kohli spread the field as they tempted their opponents to smash the ball.

Samson was caught for 28 by Pawan Negi, but then the skies opened once again as rain forced the game to end in a no-contest.

David Warner signed off his 2019 Indian Premier League campaign with a typically supreme 81 to help Sunrisers Hyderabad to a thumping 45-run victory over Kings XI Punjab on Monday.

The opener is now leaving India to join up with Australia's pre-World Cup camp, and he will be sorely missed by Sunrisers, who tightened their grip on fourth spot with Monday's win.

Warner's knock, which came off 56 balls and included nine boundaries, set the foundations for Hyderabad to finish on 212-6 from their 20 overs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium.

In response, KL Rahul hit a fine 56-ball 79, but KXIP could only manage 167-8, and they sit sixth in the table with two games remaining of the regular season.

Here is what the complete standings look like (played, won, points, net run rate):

1. Delhi Capitals: 12, 8, 16, +0.233

2. Chennai Super Kings: 12, 8, 16, -0.113

3. Mumbai Indians: 12, 7, 14, +0.347

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 12, 6, 12, +0.709

5. Kolkata Knight Riders: 12, 5, 10, +0.100

6. Kings XI Punjab: 12, 5, 10, -0.296

7. Rajasthan Royals: 12, 5, 10, -0.321

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 12, 4, 8, -0.694

                  

Top Run-Scorers (Averages)

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 692 (69.20)

2. KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 520 (57.77)

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 486 (69.42)

4. Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals: 451 (41.00)

5. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab: 448 (44.80)

                        

Top Wicket-Takers (Averages)

1. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals: 25 (14.72)

2. Imran Tahir, Chennai Super Kings: 17 (17.58)

3. Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 16 (22.62)

4. Mohammed Shami, Kings XI Punjab: 16 (27.31)

5. Shreyas Gopal, Rajasthan Royals: 15 (20.93)

All statistics, per the league's official website.

            

Warner is arguably the best IPL batsman of all time, and his ninth score of 50 or over this season was the key knock in Monday's match:

David 'Unstoppable' Warner #IPL2019 #SRHvKXIP pic.twitter.com/Yii6CwgpQt

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 29, 2019

In the last four seasons of IPL, David Warner has passed 50 in 22 of his innings. No other batsman has done so more regularly - and Warner missed the entirety of the 2018 season. #IPL2019 #SRHvKXIP

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 29, 2019

It set Sunrisers up to post a match-winning total after they had been put in to bat.

The 32-year-old was ably assisted by Wriddhiman Saha (28 runs from 13 balls) and Manish Pandey (36 from 25), so when Warner did finally fall to Ravi Ashwin in the 16th over, SH were 163-3.

Some big-hitting from the lower order propelled the hosts past the 200-mark and set a daunting target for KXIP to chase.

Kings XI lost Chris Gayle for four in just the third over:

Chris Gayle hasn't mastered the big chase yethttps://t.co/j867flZ62w #SRHvKXIP #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/j8Kpjdifs4

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 29, 2019

And they never truly looked like knocking off the runs after returning just 44 in the powerplay—SH had hit 77.

Rahul's was a mightily impressive innings as he hit four fours and five sixes in a blistering 95 minutes at the crease:

KL Rahul's scores while chasing in IPL, from last season onwards:

51
60
32
84*
95*
66
94
1
71*
55
71*
42
79

10 50s in 13 inns.
801 runs at ave 89 and SR 151.99

No batsman has scored that many runs and fifties while chasing in the last 2 seasons. #SRHvKXIP

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) April 29, 2019

But the quick turnover of his batting partners meant KXIP could never find the rhythm their chase needed if it was to be successful.

Khaleel Ahmed and Rashid Khan did the damage for Sunrisers with the ball as they took three wickets apiece, the latter particularly impressing with an economy rate of just 5.25. 

Delhi Capitals booked their spot in the play-offs of the 2019 Indian Premier League and moved to the top of the table as they beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 16 runs on Sunday.

RCB, meanwhile, stayed at the foot of the standings, and their play-off hopes are now all but finished.

There is huge congestion in the middle of the table, though, after Kolkata Knight Riders moved onto 10 points by beating Mumbai Indians by 34 runs.

Here is what the standings look like following Sunday's two matches (played, won, points, net run rate):

1. Delhi Capitals: 12, 8, 16, +0.233

2. Chennai Super Kings: 12, 8, 16, -0.113

3. Mumbai Indians: 12, 7, 14, +0.347

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 11, 5, 10, +0.559

5. Kolkata Knight Riders: 12, 5, 10, +0.100

6. Kings XI Punjab: 11, 5, 10, -0.117

7. Rajasthan Royals: 12, 5, 10, -0.321

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 12, 4, 8, -0.694

               

Top Run-Scorers (Averages)

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 611 (67.88)

2. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders: 486 (69.42)

3. Shikhar Dhawan, Delhi Capitals: 451 (41.00)

4. Jonny Bairstow, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 445 (55.62)

5. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab: 444 (49.33)

                    

Top Wicket-Takers (Averages)

1. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals: 25 (14.72)

2. Imran Tahir, Chennai Super Kings: 17 (17.58)

3. Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 16 (22.62)

4. Shreyas Gopal, Rajasthan Royals: 15 (20.93)

5. Deepak Chahar, Chennai Super Kings: 15 (22.53)

All statistics, per the league's official website.

Delhi won the toss and opted to bat at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Openers Prithvi Shaw and Shikhar Dhawan set up a good base for the hosts, hitting 35 off the first three-and-a-half overs before the former was dismissed by Umesh Yadav.

Dhawan and captain Shreyas Iyer both reached the half-century mark before falling in the 50s:

Shikhar Dhawan - Runs in the last four IPL seasons

2016 - 501
2017 - 479
2018 - 496
2019 - 451

Since the start of IPL 2016, Dhawan has scored 1927 runs with 16 fifty-plus scored in 59 inns. Only Kohli (2211) & Warner (2100) have scored more runs in the timeline #IPL2019 #DDvRCB

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 28, 2019

Despite a solid start, Delhi's scoring slowed significantly, with Rishabh Pant and Colin Ingram both falling cheaply.

When Axar Patel joined Sherfane Rutherford at the crease with 19 deliveries to go, Delhi were 141 for five. 

The pair duly added 46 together to get the hosts to a decent total of 187 for five.

It was by no means out of reach for RCB, and Parthiv Patel and Virat Kohli put on 63 before the loss of the first wicket in the sixth over.

However, both were out before the eighth over was completed, and although AB de Villiers and Shivam Dube combined for 41, RCB fell behind the rate and could not recover.

Mumbai Indians, meanwhile, never had a chance in their chase after KKR had set a target of 233 for victory.

Openers Shubman Gill (76 runs from 45 balls) and Chris Lynn (54 from 29) both made valuable contributions after Kolkata were put into bat.

But it was Andre Russell who provided the fireworks as he hit 80 off 40 balls, smashing eight sixes and six fours:

By his standards this season, a slow fifty for Andre Russell (off 30 balls) https://t.co/6Vco8yVcuj #KKRvMI #IPL pic.twitter.com/phrKv1CQue

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 28, 2019

Dinesh Karthik's 15 runs from seven balls propelled KKR to a stunning total of 232 for two:

Andre Russell comes in at No. 3 and smashes his highest score of the season!

KKR's 232 for 2 is the highest total of #IPL2019 https://t.co/6Vco8yVcuj #KKRvMI pic.twitter.com/Fa3JNDLrWd

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 28, 2019

In response, Mumbai never had enough. Hardik Pandya did his best from No. 6 as he hit a superb 34-ball 94. But the Indians were never nearly on track to compete after managing just 41 runs in the powerplay. 

Rajasthan Royals beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by seven wickets in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Saturday. Sunrisers lost despite David Warner adding to his lead as the top run-scorer in the competition.

Meanwhile, Shreyas Gopal added a pair of wickets to close the gap on those atop the Purple Cap standings.

The Royals can still make the playoffs, while leaders Chennai Super Kings are already there:

.@ChennaiIPL the first team to make the playoffs in #IPL2019 👏

That's ten straight seasons they've made it to the final four! pic.twitter.com/Iz9tpCgvAl

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 27, 2019

Saturday Score

• Rajasthan Royals (161-3) beat Sunrisers Hyderabad (160-8)

Standings (Played, Won, Points, Net Run-Rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 12, 8, 16, -0.113

2. Mumbai Indians: 11, 7, 14, +0.537

3. Delhi Capitals: 11, 7, 14, +0.181

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 11, 5, 10, +0.559

5. Kings XI Punjab: 11, 5, 10, -0.117

6. Rajasthan Royals: 12, 5, 10, -0.321

7. Kolkata Knight Riders: 11, 4, 8, -0.050

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 11, 4, 8, -0.683

     

Top Run-Scorers (Averages)

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 611 (67.88)

2. Jonny Bairstow, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 445 (55.62)

3. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab: 444 (49.33)

4. Lokesh Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 441 (55.12)

5. AB de Villiers, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 414 (59.14)

      

Top Wicket-Takers (Averages)

1. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals: 23 (14.65)

2. Imran Tahir, Chennai Super Kings: 17 (17.58)

3. Shreyas Gopal, Rajasthan Royals: 15 (20.93)

4. Deepak Chahar, Chennai Super Kings: 15 (22.53)

5. Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 14 (22.92)

All statistics, per the league's official website.

Sunrisers got a solid opening innings from Warner, who made 37 runs from 32 balls. While his scoring wasn't spectacular, Warner added a decent tally to help cement his place atop the league's most-prolific run-scorers.

Warner's place as the Orange Cap leader isn't under immediate threat, but Sunrisers were still thankful for the 61 Manish Pandey put up. Nine fours helped make up his impressive effort before he was caught out by Sanju Samson off a delivery by Gopal.

The latter had already sent Hyderabad skipper Kane Williamson packing and remains in the mix to finish with the most wickets taken this season, even though the Delhi Capitals' Kagiso Rabada has a healthy lead.

Rajasthan made quick work of piling up runs. The Royals were aided by Liam Livingstone's swift and prolific start:

4️⃣ 0 6️⃣ 0 4️⃣ 6️⃣

Liam Livingstone goes after Siddarth Kaul; Rajasthan Royals 60/0 after the Powerplay #RRvSRH #IPL https://t.co/pD8EsakzEj

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 27, 2019

The Englishman eventually went out to a Wriddhiman Saha catch but not before putting a respectable total:

Liam Livingstone departs after a well made 44.#RR 78/1 after 9.1 overs https://t.co/OEXxBLSdy9 pic.twitter.com/lqm2xIzOXd

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 27, 2019

Livingstone's departure was the cue for Samson and skipper Steven Smith to go on the attack. They both sent deliveries from Rashid Khan to fours.

Smith sent two more balls to the boundary as the Royals closed in on completing their chase. It took a smart catch at fine leg by Siddarth Kaul to end Smith's day.

Fortunately, Ashton Turner surprised more than a few by finally getting comfortable at the wicket:

Ashton Turner is finally off the mark after 5 successive ducks in T20 cricket

Gets a warm round of applause from his team-mates and Warner too #RRvSRH #IPL2019 #IPL

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 27, 2019

A four from Samson proved enough for the Royals to see things out with five deliveries to spare.