IPL

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.

Mumbai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings by 46 runs at the latter's Chepauk Stadium in the Indian Premier League on Friday. 

Mumbai set a total of 155 for four before producing a superb performance with the ball to bowl the hosts out for 109 in the 18th over.

It was Chennai's first defeat at home this season.

   

Standings

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

2. Mumbai Indians: 11, 14, +0.537

3. Delhi Capitals: 11, 14, +0.181

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 10, 10, +0.654

5. Kings XI Punjab: 11, 10, -0.117

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 11, 8, -0.050

7. Rajasthan Royals: 11, 8, -0.390

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

      

Top Run-Scorers (Average)

1. David Warner (SRH): 574 (71.75)

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445 (55.62)

3. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 444 (49.33)

4. KL Rahul (KXIP): 441 (55.12)

5. AB de Villiers (RCB): 414 (59.14)

   

Upcoming Schedule

Saturday, 27 April: Rajasthan Royals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunday, 28 April: Delhi Capitals vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Sunday, 28 April: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Mumbai Indians

Monday, 29 April: Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Kings XI Punjab

Tuesday, 30 April: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Rajasthan Royals

Complete schedules, results and statistics available on the official IPL website.

                      

Chennai won the toss and elected for Mumbai to bat first, and they were able to limit the visitors to an achievable target.

Rohit Sharma hit 67 from 48 balls, his best tally of the season, while Evin Lewis grabbed 32 and Hardik Pandya scored 23.

The damage could have been worse if not for Mitchell Santner:

Mitchell Santner finishes with impressive figures: 4-0-13-2

1⃣ -- 0 2 0 4 1 1
2⃣ -- W 0 0 1 0 1
3⃣ -- 0 0 0 1 0 1
4⃣ -- 1 W 0 0 0 0#IPL2019 #CSKvMI

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 26, 2019

Unfortunately for Chennai, Mumbai were even stronger with ball in hand.

Murali Vijay (38), Dwayne Bravo (20) and Mitchell Santner (22) were the only Chennai batsmen able to reach double figures, while Ambati Rayudu and Deepak Chahar were dismissed for ducks. 

As ESPNcricinfo's Bharath Seervi noted, Chennai sorely missed absent captain MS Dhoni:

CSK without Dhoni in IPL:

Played - 5
Lost - 4 (including a super over)#CSKvMI #Thala

— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) April 26, 2019

Krunal Pandya made amends for his dismissal for one at the crease by making a catch, claiming two wickets and giving up a measly seven runs from his three overs.

Lasith Malinga gave up 37 runs in 3.4 overs, but he also claimed four wickets.

Mumbai have now done the double over Chennai and sit two points behind them in second place.

The Rajasthan Royals moved off the bottom of the Indian Premier League on Thursday, as they beat the Kolkata Knight Riders by three wickets.

Batting first, the Knight Riders were able to post a total of 175 for six, largely down to a fine innings from captain Dinesh Karthik. The wicketkeeper made an unbeaten 97, with Kolkata's next highest scorer Nitish Rana earning 21.

In response, Rajasthan got off to a quick start, before a succession of wickets put them behind the rate required. With skipper Steve Smith (2) and the dangerous Ben Stokes (11) falling cheaply, a successful chase looked unlikely.

However, 47 from 17-year-old Riyan Parag and an unbeaten 27 from Jofra Archer saw Rajasthan over the line with five balls to spare.

Joffra Archer finishes match in sensational style! Unexpected result must say after KKR scored 170+. Rajasthan Royals deserve hugr credit for winning this match without major contributions from Rahane, Samson, Smith and Stokes. How about gutsy young Parag as MOM?

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) April 25, 2019

Nine to win off the last over...

Jofra Archer only needs two balls 😏

The coolest man in India 😎 pic.twitter.com/Uxdnmt4Av5

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) April 25, 2019

Here are the standings following Rajasthan's win, as well as the leaders in the individual categories after Thursday's encounter:

   

Standings

1. Chennai Super Kings: 11, 16, +0.091

2. Delhi Capitals: 11, 14, +0.181

3. Mumbai Indians: 10, 12, +0.357

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 10, 10, +0.654

5. Kings XI Punjab: 11, 10, -0.117

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 11, 8, -0.050

7. Rajasthan Royals: 11, 8, -0.390

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

      

Top Run-Scorers (Average)

1. David Warner (SRH): 574 (71.75)

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445 (55.62)

3. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 444 (49.33)

4. KL Rahul (KXIP): 441 (55.12)

5. AB de Villiers (RCB): 414 (59.14)

      

Top Wicket-Takers (Average)

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 23 (14.65)

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 16 (16.37)

3. Deepak Chahar (CSK): 14 (20.85)

4. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 14 (22.92)

5. Mohammed Shami (KXIP): 14 (28.64)

Complete results, schedules and statistics available on the official IPL website.

      

Thursday Recap

An otherwise poor batting performance from the Knight Riders was rescued by Karthik, as he delivered a captain's display.

He strode to the crease with his team toiling at 42 for three in the ninth over and struggled to find a consistent partner during his time out in the middle. Karthik wasn't deterred though, as he took it upon himself to propel Kolkata to a respectable total.

In his 50 balls, he struck an incredible nine sixes and seven fours, giving his team a crucial injection of momentum.

The CricViz Analyst summed up how varied his shot-making was and noted how well Karthik accelerated late on:

Excellent innings from @KKRiders's captain Dinesh Karthik. He scored 55 off 18 (at 18.33 rpo) at the death with only 5% false shots. Targeted Unadkat scoring 34 off 14. Scored at a strike rate of 258.3 through the on-side compared to 152.2 through the off-side. #IPL2019 #KKRvRR pic.twitter.com/SCllziMAH3

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 25, 2019

Per Broken Cricket, only one player has managed to make a better individual score than the captain's unbeaten 97 for Kolkata in the history of the IPL:

Highest score for KKR in IPL:

158* - McCullum (2008)
97* - Karthik (2019)
94 - Pandey (2014)

— Broken Cricket (@BrokenCricket) April 25, 2019

The fact that nobody was able to get close to Karthik's score meant that the Knight Riders were still vulnerable to a successful Rajasthan chase.

The Royals flew out of the traps too, with Ajinkya Rahane and Sanju Samson putting on 53 for the first wicket after just 5.2 overs. However, Rahane (34) fell and Samson (22) was out five balls later. Disappointing efforts from Smith and Stokes meant the impetus had gone from the chase.

Sunil Narine took the key wickets of Rahane and Smith, and he was brilliantly backed up by Piyush Chawla:

DYK? Piyush Chawla becomes the first #KKR bowler to take a three-wicket haul in an #IPL match this season!
Bowlers from the other seven sides have already managed to do this. #IPL2019#KKRvRR

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 25, 2019

Rajasthan's chase appeared to be fizzling out, although a mature knock from Parag ensured their chance remained. The teenager played sensibly early on, before taking a number of risks late in the innings, bringing the required rate down.

While he eventually fell for 47, he'd done enough to give the Royals an opportunity heading into the final two overs. The dynamic Archer was on hand to finish the job, as he hammered 27 from just 12 balls to give the Royals a much-needed win.

Royal Challengers Bangalore finally moved off the bottom of the table in the 2019 Indian Premier League as AB de Villiers inspired them to a 17-run win over Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday.

The South African's 44-ball 82 included seven sixes, and his key partnership with Marcus Stoinis (46 from 34) propelled RCB to a total of 202 for four.

Kings XI's chase was mightily impressive as their top five all reached double figures, but it finally fizzled out late on as they lost wickets at crucial moments.

A third win on the bounce for RCB means their play-off hopes remain intact.

Here are the latest standings and stats from the 2019 IPL (games played, points, net run rate):

1. Chennai Super Kings: 11, 16, +0.091

2. Delhi Capitals: 11, 14, +0.181

3. Mumbai Indians: 10, 12, +0.357

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 10, 10, +0.654

5. Kings XI Punjab: 11, 10, -0.117

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 10, 8, -0.013

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

8. Rajasthan Royals: 10, 6, -0.470

         

Top Run-Scorers (Average)

1. David Warner (SRH): 574 (71.75)

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445 (55.62)

3. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 444 (49.33)

4. KL Rahul (KXIP): 441 (55.12)

5. AB de Villiers (RCB): 414 (59.14)

                 

Top Wicket-Takers (Average)

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 23 (14.65)

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 16 (16.37)

3. Deepak Chahar (CSK): 14 (20.85)

4. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 14 (22.92)

5. Mohammed Shami (KXIP): 14 (28.64)

                             

IPL Schedule

Thursday, April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Rajasthan Royals

Friday, April 26: Chennai Super Kings vs. Mumbai Indians

Saturday, April 27: Rajasthan Royals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunday, April 28: Delhi Capitals vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Sunday, April 28: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Mumbai Indians

Full schedule, results and standings are available from the official IPL website.

De Villiers was irresistible in Bangalore on Wednesday, producing strokes few other players could even dream of:

Stop what you're doing.

AB de Villiers has just hit a cricket ball out of the stadium without even looking at it.pic.twitter.com/ZnaA89wNYu

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) April 24, 2019

He came to the crease in the fourth over after RCB had been put in to bat and skipper Virat Kohli had fallen to Mohammed Shami for 13.

Despite their best efforts, Kings XI could not remove him.

Opener Parthiv Patel fell for an invaluable 43 in the seventh over before Moeen Ali and Akshdeep Nath went cheaply.

Before the midway point of RCB's innings, Stoinis joined De Villiers at the crease with their team at 81 for four, and the fireworks started.

The duo's 121-run partnership was the turning point of the match as they produced some huge hitting late on to get RCB past the 200 mark:

18th over - 16 runs
19th over - 21 runs
20th over - 27 runs

64 off the last 3 overs and #RCB finish with 202/4. AB de Villiers 82* | Stoinis 46* #RCBvKXIP #IPL2019 https://t.co/Z136YWvAwB

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 24, 2019

In response, KXIP matched their opponents blow-for-blow, hitting 68 in the powerplay for the loss of just one wicket where RCB had returned 70.

KL Rahul (42 from 27), Chris Gayle (23 from 10), Mayank Agarwal (35 from 21), David Miller (24 from 25) and Nicholas Pooran (46 from 28) all contributed for Kings XI.

When Pooran departed late on, the visitors were at 176 for five but still in with a chance of victory.

However, Ravi Ashwin and Hardus Viljoen both fell in the final over to leave KXIP some way short of the target.   

Shane Watson's 53-ball 96 inspired Chennai Super Kings to a six-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Tuesday that saw them move back to the top of the 2019 Indian Premier League.

The Sunrisers set 176 for victory—David Warner hit 57 and Manish Pandey returned 83—Suresh Raina also provided a useful 38 as Chennai triumphed with a ball to spare in front of their home fans at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium.

It ended a run of two defeats on the bounce for Chennai and put them on the verge of qualifying for the knockout stages.

Here are the latest standings and stats:

                 

IPL 2019 Standings (Games Played, Points, Net Run Rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 11, 16, +0.091

2. Delhi Capitals: 11, 14, +0.181

3. Mumbai Indians: 10, 12, +0.357

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 10, 10, +0.654

5. Kings XI Punjab: 10, 10, -0.044

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 10, 8, -0.013

7. Rajasthan Royals: 10, 6, -0.470

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 10, 6, -0.836

         

Top Run-Scorers (Average)

1. David Warner (SRH): 574 (71.75)

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445 (55.62)

3. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 421 (52.62)

4. Shikhar Dhawan (DC): 401 (40.10)

5. KL Rahul (KXIP): 399 (57.00)

                 

Top Wicket-Takers (Average)

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 23 (14.65)

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 16 (16.37)

3. Deepak Chahar (CSK): 14 (20.85)

4. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 14 (21.00)

5. Mohammed Shami (KXIP): 13 (26.76)

                             

IPL Schedule

Wednesday, April 24: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Kings XI Punjab

Thursday, April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Rajasthan Royals

Friday, April 26: Chennai Super Kings vs. Mumbai Indians

Saturday, April 27: Rajasthan Royals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunday, April 28: Delhi Capitals vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Sunday, April 28: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Mumbai Indians

Full schedule, results and standings are available from the official IPL website.

After winning the toss and opting to field, CSK picked up a huge early scalp as Jonny Bairstow was caught behind by MS Dhoni for a duck midway through the second over.

It was the only thing the hosts had to celebrate for some time, though, as Warner and Pandey piled on the runs.

Warner notched up yet another half-century and was ably assisted by Pandey:

David Warner has now made 48 scores of 50 or more in #IPL cricket.

Nobody has more. @SunRisers #CSKvSRH

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 23, 2019

But the Australian opener was then stumped by Dhoni in the 14th over leave his side 120 for two.

Pandey finished unbeaten and played an excellent innings with seven fours and three sixes. But a total of 175 for three was never going to be unbeatable.

A slow start to CSK's innings included the dismissal of Faf du Plessis for one in the third over.

It looked as though Chennai would finish the powerplay lagging some way behind the 54 for one mark set by SH.

But then Raina hit Sandeep Sharma for 22—four fours and a six—off the sixth over to propel his side to 49 for one.

Watson found some of his best form at the perfect moment as he set up CSK for victory with six sixes and nine fours in his innings:

https://twitter.com/benjonescricket/status/1120744701664157697

He fell to Bhuvneshwar Kumar in the 18th over to leave the hosts 160 for three, and CSK made heavy work of closing out the match.

But they eventually got over the line to return to the top of the standings. 

Delhi Capitals moved to the top of the 2019 IPL Standings on Monday after a six-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals:

📷 Rishabh Pant looking at where Delhi Capitals are headed - to the top of the #IPL2019 table!https://t.co/NTKHcddpzP #RRvDC pic.twitter.com/cjSF4zRhes

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 22, 2019

Rishabh Pant's 78 helped Delhi Capitals pick up their seventh win of the season despite Ajinkya Rahane hitting his second IPL century for Rajasthan Royals.

    

IPL 2019 Standings (Games Played, Points, Net Run Rate)

1. Delhi Capitals: 11, 14, +0.181

2. Chennai Super Kings: 10, 14, +0.087

3. Mumbai Indians: 10, 12, +0.357

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 9, 10, +0.737

5. Kings XI Punjab: 10, 10, -0.044

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 10, 8, -0.013

7. Rajasthan Royals: 10, 6, -0.470

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 10, 6, -0.836

        

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 517

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445

3. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 421

4. Shikhar Dhawan (DC): 401

5. KL Rahul (KXIP): 399

6. Andre Russell (KKR): 392

   

IPL Schedule

Tuesday, April 23: Chennai Super Kings vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Wednesday, April 24: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Kings XI Punjab

Thursday, April 25: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Rajasthan Royals

Friday, April 26: Chennai Super Kings vs. Mumbai Indians

Saturday, April 27: Rajasthan Royals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad

Sunday, April 28: Delhi Capitals vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Sunday, April 28: Kolkata Knight Riders vs. Mumbai Indians

Full schedule, results and standings are available from the official IPL website.

     

Monday Recap

Rajasthan Royals were sent in to bat by Delhi Capitals after losing the toss and managed 191 for the loss of just six wickets.

Rahane was the star man with an unbeaten 105:

Brilliant CENTURY for @ajinkyarahane88 👏👏

His 2nd in #VIVOIPL 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/JvR3qZRBoS

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 22, 2019

Captain Steve Smith maintained his good form with a half-century and shared an important 130-run stand with Rahane.

However, it was another tough day for Ashton Turner, who picked up an unwanted record after departing for yet another duck:

Ashton Turner is now the first player in Twenty20 history to bag a duck in five consecutive innings.

0 (1) vs DC
0 (1) vs MI
0 (1) vs KXIP
0 (5) vs India
0 (1) vs Strikers#IPL2019 #RRvDC

— Sampath Bandarupalli (@SampathStats) April 22, 2019

Delhi Capitals sent in Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw to lead the chase and got off to a strong start. Dhawan hit his fourth half-century of the season on his way to 54 off 27 balls:

Dhawan steps down to Shreyas Gopal but misses, stumped for 54https://t.co/NTKHcddpzP #IPL2019 #RRvDC pic.twitter.com/If4TQzrH1F

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 22, 2019

Shaw and Rishabh Pant then struck up a fine partnership to send Delhi on their way to victory.

Shreyas Gopal struck to remove Shaw for 42, leading Delhi Capitals needing 17 from two overs to win.

Pant was the man to deliver the win, ending on 78 off 36 balls to secure victory in their first meeting of the season with Rajasthan Royals and seal top spot in the table.

Chennai Super Kings lost back-to-back games for the first time in 2019 after falling at the Indian Premier League's bottom outfit, Royal Challengers Bangalore, on Sunday

MS Dhoni struck an excellent 84 for the 2019 IPL leaders but couldn't hold Chennai from falling against Royal Challengers, who were pleased to have AB de Villiers back after he missed their previous game.

Sunrisers Hyderabad moved back into the top four after Jonny Bairstow and David Warner shone for a combined 147 runs and guided the hosts to a nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders.

The 2016 champions clinched back-to-back IPL wins for the first time in more than two weeks and are now only two points off second-place Mumbai Indians with one game in hand.

        

IPL 2019 Standings (Games Played, Points, Net Run Rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 10, 14, +0.087

2. Mumbai Indians: 10, 12, +0.357

3. Delhi Capitals: 10, 12, +0.160

4. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 9, 10, +0.737

5. Kings XI Punjab: 10, 10, -0.044

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 10, 8, -0.013

7. Rajasthan Royals: 9, 6, -0.474

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 10, 6, -0.836

      

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 517

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 445

3. Chris Gayle (KXIP): 421

4. KL Rahul (KXIP): 399

5. Andre Russell (KKR): 392

      

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 21

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 16

3. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 14

4. Mohammed Shami (KXIP): 13

5. Deepak Chahar (CSK): 13

      

Best Batting Average

1. MS Dhoni (CSK): 104.66

2. David Warner (SRH): 73.85

3. Andre Russell (KKR): 65.33

4. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 63.57

5. KL Rahul (KXIP): 57.00

       

Best Bowling Average

1. Harbhajan Singh (CSK): 11.71

2. Khaleel Ahmed (SRH): 12.14

3. Mohammad Nabi (SRH): 12.42

4. Imran Tahir (CSK): 14.00

5. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 14.28

Full statistics, per the competition's official website.

        

Sunrisers Hyderabad (161/1) bt. Kolkata Knight Riders (159/8) by Nine Wickets

Kolkata Knight Riders faded under pressure from Hyderabad duo Bairstow and Warner, who made light work of the visitors' 159 total and ended their innings in 15 overs.

Bairstow finished unbeaten on 80 runs off 43 balls, while Warner was their only batsman to be dismissed by Prithvi Raj after he notched 67 from 38.

The Hyderabad duo are again displaying the kind of form capable of leading a team to the IPL crown, and cricket statistician Sarang Bhalerao pointed out Warner as a frequent feature in their best run displays:

SRH have registered 100+ opening partnerships 10 times in the IPL.
David Warner has been involved in all 10 100+ opening partnerships (6 with Dhawan and 4 with Bairstow)
Warner for SRH
Innings: 68
50+ scores: 34
A 50+ score every second innings@SunRisers #superstar #SRHvKKR

— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) April 21, 2019

Warner leads the charge for this season's Orange Cap with a total of 517 runs, with Bairstow following in second with 445 of his own. 

Their partnership this season has already written its way into the Indian Premier League history books after nine matches, per Cricbuzz:

Most runs by an opening pair in a season (IPL)

733 Warner - Bairstow (2019)
731 Warner - Dhawan (2016)
655 Warner - Dhawan (2017)
646 Warner - Dhawan (2015)#SRHvKKR #IPL2019 #IPL

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 21, 2019

Khaleel Ahmed made a key dent in Kolkata's innings and hit Sunil Narine's leg-stump for the first of his three wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar took another two to bring his tally for the season up to seven.

Chris Lynn was slow off the wicket and required 47 balls to reach 51, while heavy-hitter Andre Russell was again too late in the order to have an impact and finished with only 15 runs.

        

Royal Challengers Bangalore (161/7) bt. Chennai Super Kings (160/8) by One Run

Bangalore succeeded in pulling off a giant-slaying at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, as Dhoni fell just short of what would have been an incredible comeback effort against Bangalore's 161.

Parthiv Patel contributed 53 off 37 balls, while Royal Challengers' middle order held a strong average, a total that ended up evading Dhoni at his best, per ESPNcricinfo:

MS Dhoni career-best IPL score comes in a losing effort, a top knock nonetheless 👏https://t.co/yaPNi5ezxk #RCBvCSK #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/X1dMJtwnWe

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 21, 2019

Former India captain Kris Srikkanth was among those who paid tribute to the veteran:

What a knock by @msdhoni , you just feel for him after being so close yet so far! almost pulled of a miracle but now the cracks in CSKs batting is clear, need someone to support him up the order. What a match in the end #CSKvsRCB #Ipl2019

— Kris Srikkanth (@KrisSrikkanth) April 21, 2019

Instances when MS Dhoni has remained unbeaten in a run-chase and CSK losing in the IPL

63* v Mumbai Indians in 2013
42* v Kings XI Punjab in 2014
79* v Kings XI Punjab in 2018
84* v Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2019

Total 24 instances, his team has won 20 times!#RCBvCSK

— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) April 21, 2019

Man of the Match Patel spoke to ESPNcricinfo after the result and said:

"I think it was great the way we started. The ball was sticking on to the wicket but we soon realised it wasn't a 200-run wicket. I have been batting well, was talking to coaches. I chose my bowlers and took singles off the others. Last ball, I knew there was only chance if they get beaten. We were trying to let Umesh bowl outside off, and I had my gloves off and luckily it came off well."

Bangalore's prospects are looking up once again after collecting successive victories for the first time this campaign, not to mention all three of their wins over their last four matches.

Dale Steyn and Umesh Yadav each took two wickets, restricting Shane Watson and Faf du Plessis to just five runs apiece and putting the pressure on Dhoni to mastermind any comeback almost single-handedly.

Mumbai Indians missed the chance to go level on points with Chennai Super Kings at the top of the 2019 Indian Premier League after losing to Rajasthan Royals by five wickets on Saturday.

Steven Smith's unbeaten 59 proved decisive for the Royals and justified the decision to have Smith replace Ajinkya Rahane as captain, which was announced earlier in the day.

Mumbai's Quinton de Kock made 65 to move into the league's top run-scorers despite being on the losing end.

It was a similar story for Chris Gayle, who put up 69 in Kings XI Punjab's five-wicket defeat to Delhi Capitals, who responded well after being set a total of 163 to chase.

Skipper Shreyas Iyer was the hero with the bat after an unbeaten 58.

                   

Saturday Scores

• Rajasthan Royals (162-5) bt. Mumbai Indians (161-5)
• Delhi Capitals (166-5) bt. Kings XI Punjab (163-7)

Sweet victory for the @DelhiCapitals who are at the No.3 rank on the #VIVOIPL points table. pic.twitter.com/zja6gJx7PU

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2019

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad: 450

2. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab: 421

3. KL Rahul, Kings XI Punjab: 399

4. Virat Kohli, Royal Challengers Bangalore: 378

5. Quinton de Kock, Mumbai Indians: 378

                  

Upcoming Fixtures

Sunday, 21 April

• Sunrisers Hyderabad vs. Kolkata Knight Riders: 4 p.m. IST/11:30 a.m. BST
• Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Chennai Super Kings: 8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST

                

Monday, 22 April

• Rajasthan Royals vs. Delhi Capitals: 8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST

                

Tuesday, 23 April

• Chennai Super Kings vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST

                

Wednesday, 24 April

• Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Kings XI Punjab: 8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST

              

The decision to make Smith captain paid off handsomely for the Royals, as the 29-year-old added to his already impressive list of half-century outings:

FIFTY!

Steve Smith brings up his 7th #VIVOIPL half-century 🙌🙌#RR 145/3 after 17 overs. pic.twitter.com/Suslc9gq9n

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2019

Smith was also aided by a useful outing from 17-year-old Riyan Parag, who hit 43:

17-year-old Riyan Parag impressed with 43, but is needlessly run out with 15 to get#RRvMI #IPL2019 https://t.co/EpEtJJm7XJ pic.twitter.com/aoLiUqkzHF

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 20, 2019

Smith and Parag combined to make the efforts of De Kock irrelevant. 

Skipper Rohit Sharma was a notable wicket, departing with just five runs on the board after he was out caught and bowled by Shreyas Gopal. The 25-year-old also helped see off De Kock, with Ben Stokes taking the catch.

Later, Gayle got Kings XI rolling with six fours and five sixes on his way to 69 runs off 37 balls.

They also helped Gayle put the pressure on Sunrisers Hyderabad star David Warner in the race for the Orange Cap.

Chris Gayle is our key performer for the @lionsdenkxip innings for his knock of 69 off 37 deliveries.#DCvKXIP pic.twitter.com/WzzmIJNH7f

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2019

To their credit, the Royals quickly set about the chase. They were helped by a useful second-wicket combination between Iyer and Shikhar Dhawan worth 92 runs:

That's a 50-run partnership between @SDhawan25 & Shreyas Iyer.#DC 78/1 after 8.3 overs pic.twitter.com/ErgQT8kNDg

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 20, 2019

It wasn't long before Dhawan had brought up a steady half-century, eventually departing with 56 off 41 balls:

SHIKHAR DHAWAN -- 35th IPL FIFTY

6 fours | 1 six #IPL2019 #DCvKXIP pic.twitter.com/5Hz49mQGGd

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 20, 2019

Ravichandran Ashwin's fine catch dispatched Dhawan off the bowling of Hardus Viljoen, but Iyer soon completed his own 50. He stayed at the wicket to see out a win that keeps the Capitals third but increases the pressure on Mumbai and the Super Kings at the top of the table.

Royal Challengers Bangalore won their second game of the 2019 Indian Premier League season, beating Kolkata Knight Riders by 10 runs on Friday in a vital clash between two of the division's bottom teams.

After opening their season with a strong record at home, the Knight Riders have now lost two games back-to-back at Eden Gardens in Kolkata and have suffered a bump in their push for the play-offs.

Virat Kohli hit a century off 58 balls and starred alongside Moeen Ali (66 runs) as Bangalore won from a lead of 213 to climb within four points of Kolkata.

Andre Russell was held back until sixth in Kolkata's batting order but came up with 65 runs off 25 balls when he was called upon, second only to Nitish Rana (85 runs off 46 balls) among the Knight Riders. Sunil Narine's 18 was the only other run score to break double digits among Kolkata's order. 

Dale Steyn made his first appearance for Royal Challengers Bangalore since 2010 and took two wickets, while team-mate Kohli soared in the batting and moved to third in the Orange Cap race on 378 runs this year.

      

IPL 2019 Standings (Games Played, Points, Net Run Rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 9, 14, +0.101

2. Mumbai Indians: 9, 12, +0.442

3. Delhi Capitals: 9, 10, +0.146

4. Kings XI Punjab: 9, 10, -0.015

5. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 8, 8, +0.549

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 9, 8, +0.262

7. Rajasthan Royals: 8, 4, -0.589

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 9, 4, -0.944

      

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 450

2. Lokesh Rahul (KXIP): 387

3. Virat Kohli (RCB): 378

4. Andre Russell (KKR): 377

5. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 365

     

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 19

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 15

3. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 13

4. Mohammed Shami (KXIP): 12

5. Deepak Chahar (CSK): 11

    Ravichindran Ashwin (KXIP): 11

    Chris Morris (DC): 11

      

Best Batting Average

1. MS Dhoni (CSK): 76.66

2. Andre Russell (KKR): 75.40

3. David Warner (SRH): 75.00

4. Ravindra Jadeja (CSK): 65.00

5. KL Rahul (KXIP): 64.50

       

Best Bowling Average

1. Harbhajan Singh (CSK): 11.71

2. Mohammad Nabi (SRH): 12.42

3. Imran Tahir (CSK): 12.86

4. Khaleel Ahmed (SRH): 13.00

5. Alzarri Joseph (MI): 14.50

Full statistics, per the competition's official website.

        

Royal Challengers Bangalore (213-4) def. Kolkata Knight Riders (203-5) by 10 Runs

Kohli is in his seventh season as Royal Challengers captain and played to that specification in Kolkata, hitting a game-deciding century in foreign territory to collect what could prove to be a crucial victory.

Royal Challengers Bangalore can reach a maximum of 14 points this season—the same tally leaders Chennai Super Kings currently boast—if they win each of their remaining five games. The play-offs still look a tall order, but Friday's performance at least gives them a glimmer of hope.

Each of their five batsmen scored runs in the double digits, though Ali's was the only other to exceed the 17-run mark.

Kohli's century stood as the highlight of the day and etched his name even further into the history books as Bangalore's most effective tun-scoring captain, per statistician Rajneesh Gupta:

Most 100s in #IPL as captain:
5 Virat Kohli
4 All others combined#KKRvRCB #IPL2019

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) April 19, 2019

Cricbuzz noted his particular penchant for playing well against Kolkata:

Virat Kohli's last three innings against #KKR--

68* (44) @ Bangalore 2018
84 (49) @ Bangalore 2019
100 (58) @ Kolkata 2019 **#IPL2019 #KKRvRCB

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 19, 2019

Kohli spoke to Pommie Mbangwa of ESPN Cricinfo after the result and said his ton was for team-mate AB de Villiers, who was absent on Friday:

"Before leaving, I told AB I will get a hundred for you, so he must be pretty happy. In the end, death overs will be difficult. The ball travels quickly, and the pitch is hard, and Russell is hitting the ball as well as anyone I know has. But Steyn used his experience well, and that allowed Saini to also follow up. Picking up wickets is crucial, and we did that today."

The 213 they amassed is the highest run total Bangalore have managed to score in nine games this season, and their bowling provided a comfortable enough safeguard against the chase.

Steyn, 35, has represented the now-defunct Gujarat Lions and Sunrisers Hyderabad in the years since he left Bangalore for the first time in 2010, and the franchise was happy to have their veteran back on Friday.

Cricket writer Sreshth Shah illustrated how long he was absent from the squad:

The last time Dale Steyn played for RCB, Virat Kohli was yet to make his Test debut. #IPL2019 #KKRvRCB

— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) April 19, 2019

While his Royal Challengers hiatus may have lasted close to nine years, Steyn's immediate performance and removal of Chris Lynn at Eden Gardens was like he'd never been far from their lineup:

Dale Steyn's return with the ball to RCB --

1st ball to Lynn - Catch dropped
2nd ball to Lynn - Caught at mid-off#KKR : 6/1 (1 over) .. https://t.co/DvKAGTyjS6 #IPL2019 #KKRvRCB

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 19, 2019

Bangalore scored 91 points in their last five overs, but Kolkata needed to score 93 in their last five if they were to overturn the deficit, a fate that didn't appear likely going off Friday's earlier form.

Russell gave it his best go and scored 65 runs off only 25 balls—moving him within one run of Kohli in the Orange Cap race—while team-mate Rana added a season's best of 85.

It was insufficient, however, and Kolkata will lick their wounds ahead of a tough trip to Sunrisers Hyderabad on Sunday, the same day Bangalore are set to host leaders Chennai in a make-or-break fixture.

Mumbai Indians leapfrogged Delhi Capitals and moved up to second in the Indian Premier League after they beat their hosts by 40 runs on Thursday following another late batting surge from the Pandya brothers.

Siblings Hardik, 25, and Krunal, 28, came up with a combined 69 runs between them late in the order to bolster Mumbai's lead after they elected to bat first.

Kieron Pollard faced only three balls and was again an unusual absentee for the visiting team at Feroz Shah Kotla Ground in Delhi, though Mumbai's impressive bowling corps were deserving of their credit.

Only four Delhi batsmen managed to record runs in the double digits, though Kagiso Rabada took two wickets to bring his total up to 19 for the season and improve his lead in the race for the Purple Cap.

       

IPL 2019 Standings (Games Played, Points, Net Run Rate)

1. Chennai Super Kings: 9, 14, +0.101

2. Mumbai Indians: 9, 12, +0.442

3. Delhi Capitals: 9, 10, +0.146

4. Kings XI Punjab: 9, 10, -0.015

5. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 8, 8, +0.549

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: 8, 8, +0.350

7. Rajasthan Royals: 8, 4, -0.589

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 8, 2, -1.114

       

Most Runs

1. David Warner (SRH) 450

2. Lokesh Rahul (KXIP) 387

3. Jonny Bairstow (SRH) 365

4. Chris Gayle (KXIP) 352

5. Quinton de Kock (MI) 313

    

Upcoming Fixtures

Friday, April 19

KKR vs. RCB, 3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET

        

Saturday, April 20

RR vs. MI, 11:30 a.m. BST/6:30 a.m. ET

DC vs. KXP, 3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET

         

Sunday, April 21

SRH vs. KKR, 11:30 a.m. BST/6:30 a.m. ET

RCB vs. CSK, 3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET

Complete results, schedules and leaders available on the IPL's official website.

      

Mumbai Indians (168-5) bt. Delhi Capitals (128-9) by 40 runs

Mumbai made the most of Chennai's loss against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Wednesday and moved within two points of the Indian Premier League leaders after a confident win in foreign territory.

Quinton de Kock (35) showed promise alongside Rohit Sharma (30) in Mumbai's opening pair and recorded 65 runs between them, but there were signs of uncertainty after a not-so-encouraging middle order.

Hardik and Krunal Pandya helped see to it that the Indians ended their innings with more pep in their step, and Cricbuzz's panel discussed the intimidating effect the younger brother is having on enemy bowlers:

On @PlayMPL presents #CricbuzzLIVE, our panelists list down the reasons why bowlers struggle against Hardik Pandya and talk about the mindset of a finisher. pic.twitter.com/htn7jhJ1V4

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 18, 2019

De Kock's tally of 35 runs took him up to 313 for the season and fifth in the Orange Cap stakes. He spoke to ESPN Cricinfo after the result and suggested there's still work to do despite his side moving up to second:

"After the first over, we knew it was slow and sticky. We just needed to rotate the strike, and to keep some wickets in hand for the end. It was not really a wicket where you can walk in and play shots from ball one. I think we are slowly but surely starting to find some rhythm. We are getting to know what our strengths are as a team. (how to keep wicket) Horrible [laughs]. Just something that we are not used to."

Suryakumar Yadav also helped their total with 26 runs, but Rabada removed him and Hardik from the running to limit what could have been an even bigger chase.

The younger Pandya sibling has been a revitalising force for Mumbai in his fifth IPL season, and his late-order helpings have been prolific so far this season:

Hardik Pandya cameos in IPL 2019 #DCvMI #IPL2019 #IPL
32(14)*v RCB
31(19) v KXIP
25(8)* v CSK
28(11)*v RR
37(16)*v KXIP
32(15) v DC

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 18, 2019

Delhi struggled to get off the ground in any meaningful way in their innings, though Rahul Chahar's three wickets for Mumbai were another factor in their chase attempt falling well short, per sportswriter Amol Karhadkar:

Rahul Chahar has been excellent right through the season, without much rewards when it comes to the last column. The leggie has wickets as well to show for his effort #DCvMI

— Amol Karhadkar (@karhacter) April 18, 2019

Jasprit Bumrah took another two wickets, while Lasith Malinga and the Pandya siblings were also each responsible for one wicket apiece.

Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore pick back up the Indian Premier League schedule on Friday as sixth meets eighth in an early battle to hit back from a disappointing start to 2019.