IPL

Kolkata Knight Riders saw off Rajasthan Royals by eight wickets to stay top of the table in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Sunday.

A 50 from Chris Lynn and 47 from Sunil Narine helped the Knight Riders overcome an impressive 73 with the bat from Rajasthan's Steve Smith.

The day started with Delhi Capitals beating winless Royal Bangalore Challengers by four wickets. Kagiso Rabada took a quartet of wickets late on to help the Capitals earn a third win of the season.

        

Sunday Scores

• Delhi Capitals (152-6) bt. Royal Challengers Bangalore (149-8)
• Kolkata Knight Riders (140-2) bt. Rajasthan Royals (139-3)

      

IPL 2019 Standings: Team, Played, Points, Net Run Rate

1. Kolkata Knight Riders: 5, 8, +1.058

2. Chennai Super Kings: 5, 8, +0.159

3. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 5, 6, +1.000

4. Mumbai Indians: 5, 6, +0.342

5. Delhi Capitals: 6, 6, +0.131

6. Kings XI Punjab: 5, 6, -0.094

7. Rajasthan Royals: 5, 2, -0.848

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 6, 0, -1.453

        

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 279

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 262

3. Shreyas Iyer (DC): 215

4. Andre Russell (KKR): 207

5. Virat Kohli (RCB): 203

      

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 11

2. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 9

3. Shreyas Gopal (RR): 8

4. Mohammad Nabi (SRH): 7

5. Imran Tahir (CSK): 7

6. Dwayne Bravo (CSK): 7

Full statistics, per the competition's official website.

      

Lynn was in a hard-slogging mood for the Knight Riders. He sent a delivery from Shreyas Gopal for six and hit a four during an over from Sudhesan Midhun.

Efforts like those helped Lynn bring up a familiar 50:

Chris Lynn at it again as he brings up a gritty FIFTY off 31 deliveries. This is his 7th half-century in #VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/fxRTHMCODI

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 7, 2019

It helped to have Narine doing his bit. The 30-year-old left-hander belted six fours and three sixes during a productive day at the wicket.

As ESPNcricinfo detailed, Lynn and Narine present problems for bowlers:

How do you bowl to these two? 🔥#RRvsKKR #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/mRBgfREQ8o

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 7, 2019

Rabada evened the fight for the bowlers earlier on when he added to his tally as the most prolific wicket-taker in the competition so far this season. His deliveries helped see off Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers.

Delhi benefited from Rabada saving his best bowling for the clutch moments of the match. He took three of his wickets in the 18th over of the opening innings.

Those contributions kept the Royal Challengers winless and Kohli suitably unimpressed:

Virat Kohli 🗣"We can't give excuses every day" https://t.co/MV08l2hvME #RCBvDC #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/wrtHSMis6Z

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 7, 2019

A 67 from the bat of Delhi skipper Shreyas Iyer only added to Kohli's misery. The solid score also moved Iyer up the standings among the highest run-scorers, although he's still someway behind prolific Sunrisers Hyderabad duo David Warner and Jonny Bairstow.

Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad by 40 runs in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Saturday. Alzarri Joseph starred on his debut, taking a record six wickets, while Kieron Pollard brought up a clutch 46 with the bat.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings saw off Kings XI Punjab by 22 runs with Faf du Plessis bringing up 54 as the victors maintained their spot atop the standings.

      

Saturday Scores

• Chennai Super Kings (160-3) bt. Kings XI Punjab (138-5)
• Mumbai Indians (136-7) bt. Sunrisers Hyderabad (96)

           

IPL 2019 Standings: Team—Played, Points, Net Run Rate

1. Chennai Super Kings: 5, 8, +0.159

2. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 5, 6, +1

3. Kolkata Knight Riders: 4, 6, +0.534

4. Mumbai Indians: 5, 6, +0.342 

5. Kings XI Punjab: 5, 6, -0.094

6. Delhi Capitals: 5, 4, +0.029

7. Rajasthan Royals: 4, 2, -0.333

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 5, 0, -1.616

       

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 279

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 262

3. Andre Russell (KKR): 207

4. Nitish Rana (KKR): 169

5. Sarfaraz Khan (KXIP): 165

                  

Full statistics, per the competition's official website.

        

Upcoming Fixtures

Sunday, April 7: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Delhi Capitals (4 p.m. IST/11:30 a.m. BST/6:30 a.m. ET), Rajasthan Royals vs. Kolkata Knight Riders (8 p.m. IST/2:30 p.m. BST/9:30 a.m. ET)

Monday, April 8: Kings XI Punjab vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad (8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET)

Tuesday, April 9: Chennai Super Kings vs. Kolkata Knight Riders (8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET)

Wednesday: April, 10: Mumbai Indians vs. Kings XI Punjab (8 p.m. IST/3:30 p.m. BST/10:30 a.m. ET)

         

Kings XI lost even though Sarfaraz Khan and KL Rahul each slogged their way to 50 runs.

FIFTY!@sarfankhan97 brings up his maiden #VIVOIPL half-century 👌👌 pic.twitter.com/dmwWRyaNAk

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

.@klrahul11 joins the party and brings up his FIFTY#KXIP 110/2 after 16 https://t.co/Dyq8Gkq4gZ pic.twitter.com/UcUHUmzlEh

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

A fine catch from Du Plessis sent Khan packing, while the South African also caught out Mayank Agarwal.

It took solid work at the wicket from Du Plessis to put Chennai into a winning position, with his efforts later ably supported by skipper MS Dhoni's 37 not out.

Later, Mumbai's case wasn't helped by Rohit Sharma's wicket falling early.

Rohit Sharma gone!

It's that man again, Mohammad Nabi with yet another wicket. https://t.co/rtpoUMGat1 #SRHvMI #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/El4Ld8zDOz

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 6, 2019

Suryakumar Yadav went soon after, being ruled lbw from a tricky delivery by Sandeep Sharma. Mumbai were 30-2 but also lost Quinton de Kock, who had posted 19 before being caught out by Deepak Hooda.

Things got worse for Mumbai as Sunrisers already looked likely winners.

Kaul picks up his second as Krunal falls. In comes Pollard 👀

Projected score: 117 according to Forecaster at the end of 12 overs. https://t.co/rtpoUMGat1 #SRHvMI #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/83HRIdZZoh

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 6, 2019

Yet just as the match appeared to be slipping away, Pollard began piling up the runs for Mumbai. The experienced all-rounder produced some memorable shots, including a one-handed six, before the break:

Innings Break!

What an innings from the big man Pollard as he scores a 46* off 26 deliveries. The @mipaltan post a total of 136/7 on board.

Will the @SunRisers chase this down? pic.twitter.com/Dtro8tvfMz

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

Mumbai took a significant wicket when Jonny Bairstow was caught out by Rahul Chahar. Bairstow's early dismissal quickly broke up the prolific partnership with David Warner.

The latter's wicket soon fell when he was bowled by Joseph. It was a memorable moment on an impressive debut.

How good was that first over from Alzarri Joseph?#SRH 39/2 after 6 overs pic.twitter.com/QNFylh7BNV

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

Mumbai now had firm control of the match with the Sunrisers slumped at 33-2. Vijay Shankar was the next to go, as Joseph continued to deliver.

Things continued to go downhill for Sunrisers, who next lost Manish Pandey after a smart catch at mid-wicket from Sharma. Meanwhile, Mumbai continued to get joy from the young bowlers in the lineup:

A brilliant outing for young Rahul Chahar as he finishes with figures of 2/21 👏👏#SRH 76/5 after 14 overs pic.twitter.com/1kU4FMjch1

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 6, 2019

Joseph soon took two more wickets, stumping Hooda before seeing off Bhuvneshwar Kumar to make history.

Make that six!

Alzarri Joseph's 6 for 12 on debut are now the best ever bowling figures in IPL history! #IPL2019 #SRHvMI https://t.co/S5PgX2aIDF pic.twitter.com/X5KCcEnJ97

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 6, 2019

Those contributions helped close out Mumbai's second win in a row and third of the season overall. Sunrisers never recovered from seeing league-leading run-scorers Bairstow and Warner walk early in the innings.

An inspired innings from Andre Russell saw the Kolkata Knight Riders earn a dramatic five-wicket win over the Royal Challengers Bangalore on Friday in the Indian Premier League.

Virat Kohli typically led the way for Bangalore after they were made to bat first, making a sparkling 84 from 49 balls. The skipper was supported by AB de Villiers, who hammered 63 and helped the Royal Challengers reach a massive score of 205 for three.

In response, Kolkata started well. However, they lagged behind the required rate after Pawan Negi took the crucial wickets of Robin Uthappa and Chris Lynn.

When Russell arrived at the crease, Kolkata's chances appeared to be all but dead. However, he struck an incredible 48 from just 13 balls—including seven sixes—to see the Knight Riders to one of the most thrilling wins in this year's competition.

1️⃣6️⃣6️⃣6️⃣4️⃣6️⃣

ANDRE RUSSELL HAS SMASHED IT KKR'S WAY🔥https://t.co/pIqIiFcyTf #RCBvsKKR #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/pACbQJ58ul

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 5, 2019

Andre Russell is just ridiculous!!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

— Sam Billings (@sambillings) April 5, 2019

Before this year no one had ever got 53 off the last 3 overs to win an IPL game. Thanks to Andre Russell, KKR have done that twice already - both *easily* in the end. Russell is redefining what is attainable - and considered normal - in T20.

— Tim Wigmore (@timwig) April 5, 2019

Here is how things are shaping up in the IPL after Friday's clash, as well as the latest individual standings for batsmen and bowlers.

   

IPL Latest Standings

(Games played, points, net run rate)

1. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 4, 6, +1.780

2. Kolkata Knight Riders: 4, 6, +0.534

3. Kings XI Punjab: 4, 6, +0.164

4. Chennai Super Kings: 3, 6, -0.084

5. Delhi Capitals: 5, 4, +0.029

6. Mumbai Indians: 4, 4, -0.087

7. Rajasthan Royals: 4, 2, -0.333

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 5, 0, -1.616

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH): 264

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH): 246

3. Andre Russell (KKR): 207

4. Nitish Rana (KKR): 169

5. Parthiv Patel (RCB): 163

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB): 9

2. Imran Tahir (CSK): 7

3. Kagiso Rabada (DC): 7

4. Dwayne Bravo (CSK): 7

5. Mohammad Nabi (SRH): 6

For the stats in full, visit the IPL website.

    

Friday Recap

After winning the toss, Kolkata made the decision to field first, allowing Kohli and Bangalore's star-studded batting lineup the chance to play first on the wicket as they chased their first win in IPL 2019.

For Kohli, it was the perfect chance to stand up and lead the way for his struggling team. He seized the opportunity and played a gem of an innings.

The Cricket Professor noted the captain was trying to take an aggressive approach from the off:

Virat Kohli is flying out of the blocks so far. He's attacked 80% of his deliveries, the most he has gone after in any Powerplay in #IPL2019. #RCBvKKR

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 5, 2019

Although Bangalore lost Parthiv Patel after a clunky 25, Kohli continued to play his shots and cause big issues for the Knight Riders bowling attack. When De Villiers joined him at the crease and settled quickly, the Royal Challengers had two high-class players at either end.

The duo put on an impressive 108 for the second wicket as Kohli crunched the ball to all corners of the Chinnaswamy. Sports statistician Mohandas Menon noted the India star enjoys batting with the South African:

Ninth time Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers have 50+ scores for RCB in same inns.
Previous eight RCB won 6, lost 2#RCBvKKR#IPL2019

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 5, 2019

The competition's Twitter account broke down Kohli's innings:

No prizes for guessing who our key performer for the first innings is 😎😎 pic.twitter.com/QnlWYwfwXt

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 5, 2019

Virat Kohli (5087*) now leading run-getter in #IPL, just went past Suresh Raina's tally of 5086 runs.#RCBvKKR#IPL2019

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) April 5, 2019

Despite his departure for 84, De Villiers helped keep momentum up before he too fell for 63. It was Marcus Stoinis who added the finishing touch to ensure the batting total surpassed 200, as the Australian hammered an unbeaten 28 from 13 balls.

After Kolkata watched their bowling attack get blown away, the pressure was heaved on their batsmen.

Despite losing Sunil Narine cheaply, Lynn and Uthappa were able to keep the Knight Riders in touch with the required run rate. However, with just one ball remaining until the midway point of the innings, Uthappa holed out off the bowling of Negi for 33.

In his next over, Negi bowled Lynn for 43, leaving Kolkata in a challenging position at 108 for three. Commentator Harsha Bhogle commented on what felt like a big turning point in the game:

Kohli has taken time to bring Negi on but he is changing the game for him. This is serious turn

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 5, 2019

Their innings started to peter out as batsmen took risks with the rate required creeping and then careering up. When Kolkata captain Dinesh Karthik was dismissed in the 17th over, the team's hopes looked dashed.

However, Russell came to the crease and played one of the finest finishing knocks in the history of the IPL to somehow haul his team to a win. The Jamaican took apart the bowling of Stoinis and Tim Southee, with each of his seven sixes ramping up the nervousness in the Bangalore bowling attack.

In the end, such was the destructiveness of Russell's knock, his team were able to celebrate a win with five balls to spare.

Virat Kohli became the Indian Premier League's all-time leading run-scorer on Friday, but some late heroics from Andre Russell ensured his great knock was for naught, as Kolkata Knight Riders, at 206 for five, beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (205 for three) by five wickets. 

Kohli made IPL and T20 history, overtaking Suresh Raina in total IPL runs and becoming only the second Indian batsman to score 8,000 runs in the short format:

Leading run-scorers in #IPL:
5087* Virat Kohli
5086 Suresh Raina
4600 Rohit Sharma
4278 David Warner
4242 Robin Uthappa#RCBvKKR #IPL2019

— Rajneesh Gupta (@rgcricket) April 5, 2019

Virat Kohli becomes the second Indian batsman after Suresh Raina to complete 8,000 T20 runs. He is the second quickest after Gayle to achieve the milestone in-terms of innings.#RCBvKKR

— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) April 5, 2019

His 84 from 49 balls helped lead to a target of 206 for Kolkata, who fell well behind the required run rate until Russell went off for 48 runs from just 13 balls. It was more heartbreak for the home fans, as Royal Challengers remain the only winless team in this year's tournament.

    

IPL Latest Standings

(Games played, points, net run rate)

1. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 4, 6, +1.780

2. Kolkata Knight Riders: 5, 6, +0.534

3. Kings XI Punjab: 4, 6, +0.164

4. Chennai Super Kings: 3, 6, -0.084

5. Delhi Capitals: 5, 4, +0.029

6. Mumbai Indians: 4, 4, -0.087

7. Rajasthan Royals: 4, 2, -0.333

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 5, 0, -1.616

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH), 264

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH), 246

3. Andre Russell (KKR), 207

4. Nitish Rana (KKR), 169

5. Parthiv Patel (RCB), 163

Updated Schedule

Saturday, April 6: CSK vs. KXIP, SRH vs. MI

Sunday, April 7: RCB vs. DC, RR vs. KKR

Monday, April 8: KXIP vs. SRH

Tuesday, April 9: CSK vs. KKR

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

   

Winless Bangalore were powered by their partnership of Kohli and AB de Villiers, finding plenty of success against Kolkata's spinners for the bulk of their innings.

Kohli, in particular, stood out, serving up another steady outing that saw him become the IPL's all-time leading run-scorer.

Cricbuzz described his performance as a "masterclass":

The 108-run partnership between Kohli and de Villiers has been broken, courtesy Kuldeep's blinder off his own bowling.

Kohli's masterclass comes to an end. OUT for 84

RCB - 172/2 (17.1) https://t.co/NNOpW7VRoP #RCBvsKKR #IPL2019

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 5, 2019

Knight Riders' spinners eventually got to Kohli and De Villiers, but the two combined for 147 of Bangalore's 205 runs, giving RCB a solid total to defend.

Opener Chris Lynn made a solid start to the chase, but Kolkata couldn't push their run rate up during the middle overs, as Bangalore did a great job limiting the boundary shots. Robin Uthappa hit six fours, but his team-mates couldn't follow suit.

KKR needed 112 from 60 before losing Lynn and Uthappa, at which point the chase seemed to fall apart. Russell hit back-to-back sixes in the 18th over to add some late drama, however, before exploding in the 19th.

Four sixes and a four tied the match and drew plenty of praise from astonished fans:

When is a game out of bounds for Andre Russell?

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) April 5, 2019

He didn't get to close the show himself, as Shubman Gill scored a single run on the first delivery of the 20th over to keep Bangalore winless.

The win moved Kolkata in a four-way tie for first place in the standings.

Jonny Bairstow produced a quick-fire batting performance as Delhi Capitals were defeated by Sunrisers Hyderabad in the 2019 Indian Premier League on Thursday. 

The England international was ruthless as Hyderabad chased down the Capitals' disappointing total of 129 for eight.

Sunrisers won by five wickets, with Bairstow out for 48 after being trapped leg before wicket. The victory places Hyderabad at the top of the IPL.

                                  

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

1. Sunrisers Hyderabad: 4, 6, +1.780

2. Kings XI Punjab: 4, 6, +0.164

3. Chennai Super Kings: 3, 6, -0.084

4. Kolkata Knight Riders: 3, 4, +0.555

5. Delhi Capitals: 5, 4, +0.029

6. Mumbai Indians: 4, 4, -0.087

7. Rajasthan Royals: 4, 2, 0.333

8. Royal Challengers Bangalore: 4, 0, -1.901

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH), 264

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH), 246

3. Andre Russell (KKR), 159

4. Rishabh Pant (DC), 158

5. Shikhar Dhawan (DC), 152     

Updated Schedule

Friday, April 5: RCB vs. KKR

Saturday, April 6: CSK vs. KXIP, SRH vs. MI

Sunday, April 7: RCB vs. DC, RR vs. KKR

                     

Thursday Recap

Delhi struggled in their attempt to put runs on the board as the visiting party produced bowling success.

The hosts' middle order could not get going, and Delhi failed to deal with spin on a slow pitch at the Kotla with plenty of cracks.

Captain Shreyas Iyer offered Delhi hope with three fours and a total of 43 from 41 balls, but the Sunrisers stuck to their game plan.

The bowlers shared the wickets evenly and consistently, with Rashid Khan claiming Iyer's stumps.

Delhi's tail wagged to provide a respectable score. Axar Patel's late stand of 23 from 13 saved his side's blushes.

The IPL highlighted the away team's opening success:

Innings Break!

Clinical bowling from @SunRisers as they restrict the Delhi Capitals to a total of 129/8 in 20 overs.

Scorecard - https://t.co/eCgmofbt5n #DCvSRH pic.twitter.com/lWNnGRYBEJ

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 4, 2019

After losing the toss, Sunrisers came out of the blocks fast with David Warner and Bairstow at the crease, and it was the Englishman who took the bull by the horns. The wicket-keeper smashed 17 runs off his first 11 balls, finding the boundary as Delhi failed to provide an answer.

Sandeep Lamichhane wasted a referral as he attempted to remove Bairstow, and it was clear the Sunrisers had the mental edge in the encounter.

BT Sport Cricket shared footage of Bairstow's explosive stand:

Jonny Bairstow very nearly crushing a six out of the stadium 😳

Immediately backs it up with a tidy boundary...

Start as you mean to go on 🔥#VivoIPL pic.twitter.com/vsVTbddmBr

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) April 4, 2019

Bairstow finally fell to an LBW decision, and Delhi removed Warner in quick succession.

The Australian failed to find the boundary and was walking back to the pavilion after scoring only 10 before being caught.

Hyderabad wobbled after losing their openers but the Capitals struggled to make inroads.

Mohammad Nabi saw his team home by putting up a decisive 17 with an over to spare.

The Chennai Super Kings' winning start to the season came to an end after they lost at Mumbai Indians by 37 runs on Wednesday and dropped from the top of the 2019 Indian Premier League table.

Mumbai's middle order came to their rescue after the team opened 103-3, rallying to finish on 170-5 and giving themselves a fighting chance at their second victory of the campaign. Suryakumar Yadav (59) and Krunal Pandya (42) combined for 101 runs between them, while younger brother Hardik Pandya contributed 25 off eight balls.

The younger Pandya sibling then played his hand in restricting Chennai and matched masterful Lasith Malinga in bowling out three of their batsmen, while Australian Jason Behrendorff took two wickets at Wankhede Stadium.

None of those featuring on Wednesday come close to matching the running total of Sunrisers Hyderabad star David Warner, who has 254 runs to his name—56 more than any other player. Yuzvendra Chahal of Royal Challengers Bangalore is the league's wicket leader with eight so far.

Wednesday's hosts also had special reason to celebrate their latest IPL victory: 

100th IPL victory for @mipaltan 🙌🙌#VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/qkUFzrL6jW

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2019

The Super Kings wilted in one of the IPL's biggest rivalries and have now lost five of the past six meetings between these two teams.

        

Standings (Games played, points, net run rate)

1. KXIP—4, 6, +0.164

2. CSK—3, 6, -0.084

3. SRH—3, 4, +2.111

4. KKR—3, 4, +0.555

5. DC—4, 4, +0.215

6. MI—4, 4, -0.087

7. RR—4, 2, 0.333

8. RCB—4, 0, -1.901

          

Top Run-Scorers—Overall

1. David Warner (SRH)—254

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH)—198

3. Andre Russell (KKR)—159

4. Rishabh Pant (DC)—153

5. Shikhar Dhawan (DC)—140

          

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB)—8

2. Imran Tahir (CSK)—7

3. Dwayne Bravo (CSK)—7

4. Kagiso Rabada (DC)—6

5. Shreyas Gopal (RR)—6

Visit the official IPL website to view the standings in full.

       

Indians Ignite Super Kings Fire in Style

Mumbai appear to have unearthed some mental hold over Chennai after summoning the strength to upset the top team in India and clinch their first home win of the season in the process.

The Pandya brothers were a key component in tightening their grip in this rivalry over recent years, as were Kieron Pollard and Yadav. 

Krunal Pandya was called on to bat in the ninth over and impressed with a crucial score of 42 runs, without which Mumbai would have lost the match. He praised the team for their response to a slow start, piling praise on younger brother Hardik (25) and Pollard (17), who ended on the crease, per ESPN Cricinfo:

"Good total from where we were. Ending up around 170 is a good score on this pitch. It's slightly sticky and the ball is not coming on to the bat. Surya and I anchored the innings and in the end it was something special from Pollard and Hardik.

"It was difficult initially, the ball was swinging and seaming as well. But you have to deal with that as a player. Impressed with the way Hardik is preparing, but the way he's batting is not new to me. I've seen him hitting it like this for the past many years."

Wednesday's display was the elder Pandya's highest-scoring performance of the season so far. His brother Hardik, meanwhile, quadrupled his wicket tally for the campaign in one evening and was named man of the match:

Hardik Pandya is adjudged the Man of the Match for his brilliant innings of 25* off 8 deliveries and bowling figures of 3/20 👏👏#VIVOIPL #MIvCSK pic.twitter.com/doSW8t1l5t

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 3, 2019

The Super Kings struggled to take wickets—none of their bowlers got more than one—but looked content to let the Indians run themselves down. They had 103 runs at the end of the 16th over but came upon a lethal patch of form to finish, per Cricbuzz:

Deepak Chahar to Suryakumar Yadav - 4⃣4⃣4⃣. Six boundaries scored in the last two overs and all the pressure created by the CSK's new ball bowlers has been released as Mumbai have broken the shackles -- 39/1 (5) https://t.co/apdCVpqAnY #MIvCSK #IPL2019

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) April 3, 2019

The guests looked stifled in their innings and hit only four sixes, with Mumbai's bowlers carrying on the momentum of their later batsmen and refusing to give up big scores.

Pollard also contributed an early catch-of-the-season contender to take Chennai veteran Suresh Raina out of the running, per cricket analyst Sarang Bhalerao:

Kieron Pollard at Wankhede Stadium in IPL

2013: Took a blinder of Shaun Marsh at long-on

2019: Takes an amazing catch of Suresh Raina at sweeper cover

In 2013, Pollard dropped three catches off three successive balls of Michael Hussey. #MIvCSK

— Sarang Bhalerao (@bhaleraosarang) April 3, 2019

Mumbai moved up to sixth in the standings with their second win of the season, while Chennai drop to second and now sit behind Kings XI Punjab on run rate.

Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore are now the only side left without a win in the 2019 Indian Premier League after their seven-wicket loss to Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday.

RCB were put in to bat and could only muster a total of 158-4 from their 20 overs in Jaipur.

Jos Buttler led the chase with a 43-ball 59, and Rajasthan always looked in control as they aimed for their first win of the tournament.

Rahul Tripathi hit a six off the penultimate ball of the innings to seal the victory and condemn Bangalore to their fourth defeat in a row.

               

Standings

1. CSK—3, 6, +0.507

2. KXIP—4, 6, +0.164

3. SRH—3, 4, +2.111

4. KKR—3, 4, +0.555

5. DC—4, 4, +0.215

6. RR—4, 2, 0.333

7. MI—3, 2, -0.750

8. RCB—4, 0, -1.901

             

Top Run-Scorers—Overall

1. David Warner (SRH)—254

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH)—198

3. Andre Russell (KKR)—159

4. Rishabh Pant (DC)—153

5. Shikhar Dhawan (DC)—140

          

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB)—8

2. Imran Tahir (CSK)—6

3. Shreyas Gopal (RR)—6

4. Kagiso Rabada (DC)—6

5. Dwayne Bravo (CSK)—6

                 

For the statistics in full for the 2019 Indian Premier League, visit the competition website.

                                  

Upcoming Fixtures

Wednesday, April 3: Mumbai Indians vs. Chennai Super Kings 

Thursday, April 4: Delhi Capitals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad 

Friday, April 5: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

                      

Kohli is far from the only RCB player to blame for their poor start to the campaign, but he has yet to get going in the IPL this year.

Opening the batting, the India captain managed 23 off 24 balls before he was dismissed by Shreyas Gopal:

That is the fourth time Kohli has been dismissed by a googly in his T20 career. Kohli averages 56.20 against leg breaks but just 18.25 against googlies. Excellent aggressive bowling from Gopal. #IPL #RRvRCB @rajasthanroyals @RCBTweets

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 2, 2019

Gopal also did for AB De Villiers, RCB's other superstar, for 13 to claim an impressive double:

There are 19 instances of a bowler dismissing Virat Kohli & AB de Villiers in the same innings in IPL - Shreyas Gopal only the second bowler to do so twice after RCB's current bowling coach Ashish Nehra. #RRvRCB

— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) April 2, 2019

Parthiv Patel's 41-ball 67 and Marcus Stoinis' useful 31 were the key knocks for RCB, while Moeen Ali hit 18 off nine to move the total to 158.

It never looked enough, though, especially when Buttler came out firing.

Bangalore needed a big score after loading their lineup with batsmen:

https://twitter.com/fwildecricket/status/1113136665789435905

But their inability yet again to control proceedings in the powerplay meant they were on the back foot from the start:

RCB and the Powerplay haven't been the best of friends lately

What can they do better?https://t.co/OrjwD8z1TP #RRvRCB #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/zHIgKKBg8H

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) April 2, 2019

Buttler's was the key innings for the Royals and included eight fours and a six.

He did not win the match on his own, though, as Steve Smith (38 from 31 balls) and Tripathi (34 from 32) played their parts.

Rajasthan may have only won with a ball to spare, but they always looked in control, and Tripathi's maximum with the scores level added an emphatic flourish to the finish. 

The Delhi Capitals missed the chance to move to the top of the Indian Premier League on Monday, as they were beaten by 14 runs by Kings XI Punjab.

Delhi were decent with the ball, with Chris Morris taking three wickets for 30 runs. He was well supported by Kagiso Rabada and Sandeep Lamichane, who each took two wickets, as the Capitals were able to limit Kings XI to 166 for nine.

The Delhi chase got off to the worst possible start when they lost Prithvi Shaw on the first ball of the innings. They did recover well after steady knocks from Rishabh Pant and Colin Ingram, although the dismissal of the former prompted a flurry of wickets.

Late on, Sam Curran was inspired with the ball for Kings XI, taking four wickets for the loss of 11 runs and registering a hat-trick.

Here are the overall standings following Monday's match, as well as a look at some of the individual categories.

   

Standings

1. CSK—3, 6, +0.507

2. KXIP—4, 6, +0.164

3. SRH—3, 4, +2.111

4. KKR—3, 4, +0.555

5. DC—4, 4, +0.215

6. MI—3, 2, -0.750

7. RR—3, 0, -0.575

8. RCB—3, 0, -2.413

          

Top Run-Scorers—Overall, Average

1. David Warner (SRH)—254, 127.00

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH)—198, 66.00

3. Andre Russell (KKR)—159, 79.50

4. Rishabh Pant (DC)—153, 51.00

5. Shikhar Dhawan (DC)—140, 35.00

       

Top Wicket-Takers

1. Imran Tahir (CSK)—6

2. Yuzvendra Chahal (RCB)—6

3. Kagiso Rabada (DC)—6

4. Dwayne Bravo (CSK)—6

5. Sam Curran (KXIP)—6

  

For the statistics in full for the 2019 Indian Premier League, visit the competition website.

     

Monday Recap

There was a blow for Kings XI prior to this match, as their destructive opener Chris Gayle was left out due to injury. 

Delhi won the toss and opted to field, setting up a chance for their bowlers to do some early damage.

Morris was the standout man for the Capitals, as he dislodged the dangerous KL Rahul in the second over for just 15. Lamichane then pinned Curran in front LBW, meaning both openers were back in the dugout inside four overs.

Per The Cricket Professor, Delhi's bowlers have been exceptional early on so far in the IPL:

The wicket of Rahul was the 7th @DelhiCapitals have taken in the Powerplay of this year's IPL. Their strike rate in this phase is the best in the competition. #IPL pic.twitter.com/p5dAydcos1

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) April 1, 2019

From that point on, Kings XI found it tough to inject any impetus into their batting. Eventually, a partnership of 62 between David Miller (43) and Sarfaraz Khan (39) helped them post a respectable total of 166.

The Capitals paid tribute to the form of Lamichane in 2019 at the midpoint of the match:

Most wickets in T20s as a spinner in 2019:

2⃣7⃣- @IamSandeep25
2⃣6⃣- Shahid Afridi
2⃣5⃣- Rashid Khan
2⃣4⃣- Shakib Al Hasan#KXIPvDC #ThisIsNewDelhi #DelhiCapitals#IPL #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/CzQMBDbqBi

— Delhi Capitals (@DelhiCapitals) April 1, 2019

Although Delhi were favourites after that bowling effort, their start was hindered by the first-ball dismissal of Shaw, who fell to the bowling of Ravichandran Ashwin.

Shikhar Dhawan (30) and Shreyas Iyer (28) were able to steady the Delhi ship. When they departed, Pant and Ingram were able to inject some more impetus into the chase, keeping Delhi in touch with the required rate.

When Pant eventually fell for a rapid 39 off 26 balls Delhi only required 23 runs off 20 balls. However, the dismissal was the trigger for a Capitals collapse, as Morris was run out on the next ball and Ingram fell to Curran for 38 in the following over.

Per former England captain Michael Vaughan, Delhi have a reputation for these types of meltdowns:

Good to see the Delhi Daredevils are back playing tonight .... !!! #IPL2019

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) April 1, 2019

When Curran struck again three balls later, suddenly Kings XI were in control, as the run rate rocketed into double figures. Sreshth Shah summed up an awful spell for the Capitals:

Delhi Capitals have now lost five wickets for four runs in their last 13 deliveries. Proper, proper choke. #IPL2019 #KXIPvDC

— Sreshth Shah (@sreshthx) April 1, 2019

Curran continued to show why there is so much excitement over his potential as he wrapped up the match in the final over, completing his hat-trick in the process:

SAM CURRAN YOU BEAUTY!

A HAT-TRICK FOR THE 20-YEAR-OLD 🙌

What a special player. What a special game. pic.twitter.com/032RIPEpNx

— Cricket on TNT Sports (@cricketontnt) April 1, 2019

Kings XI will have been delighted to get a win on the board without a player as important as Gayle and will be equally thrilled by how Curran was able to thrive at a high-pressure point in the game.

David Warner and Jonny Bairstow put on a clinic at the top of the Sunrisers Hyderabad order on Sunday as their 185-run opening stand set up a crushing 118-run victory over Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Both hit centuries, Warner finishing unbeaten on 100 after Bairstow had been dismissed for 114 off 56 balls, his maiden IPL ton.

The pair set a new record for an IPL opening partnership and have now passed a century together in all three of Sunrisers' IPL games so far this season:

Warner & Bairstow's stand of 185 is the highest opening partnership in the history of the IPL, going past the 184* stand between Gambhir & Lynn v Gujarat Lion in IPL 2017. #IPL2019 #SRHvRCB

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) March 31, 2019

Unsurprisingly, the pair sit atop the standings for most runs scored so far in the 2019 IPL, and Sunrisers are now second in the standings.

        

IPL 2019 Standings: Team—Played, Points, Net Run Rate

1. CSK—3, 6, +0.507

2. SRH—3, 4, +2.111

3. KKR—3, 4, +0.555

4. DC—3, 4, +0.519

5. KXIP—3, 4, -0.008

6. MI—3, 2, -0.750

7. RR—3, 0, -0.575

8. RCB—3, 0, -2.413

                  

Top Run-Scorers

1. David Warner (SRH)—254

2. Jonny Bairstow (SRH)—198

3. Andre Russell (KKR)—163

4. Sanju Samson (RR)—140

5. Chris Gayle (KXIP)—139

                  

For the statistics in full for the 2019 Indian Premier League, visit the competition website.

                

Upcoming Fixtures

Monday, April 1: Kings XI Punjab vs. Delhi Capitals 

Tuesday, April 2: Rajasthan Royals vs. Royal Challengers Bangalore

Wednesday, April 3: Mumbai Indians vs. Chennai Super Kings 

Thursday, April 4: Delhi Capitals vs. Sunrisers Hyderabad 

Friday, April 5: Royal Challengers Bangalore vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

                      

Sunday Recap

Warner and Bairstow's phenomenal partnership set up a total of 231 for two for Hyderabad from 20 overs, and RCB were all out for just 113 in response.

Virat Kohli and AB De Villiers managed just four runs between them in the middle order amid a shambolic performance for Bangalore:

'All of Bangalore's pre-season strategies are in tatters' reckons @MichaelVaughan on #CricbuzzCommBox #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/5HSwAGD7lF

— Cricbuzz (@cricbuzz) March 31, 2019

In contrast, Sunrisers' top pair were phenomenal as they hit 17 fours and 12 sixes between them:

Two contrasting but brilliant hundreds from Warner & Bairstow. Bairstow scored 90 (79%) out of his 114 runs in boundaries, attacked 70% deliveries. Warner scored 50 runs in ones (24) and twos (13) & played only 5% false shots - the third most secure IPL hundred. #IPL2019 #SRHvRCB pic.twitter.com/QqK3xArar8

— The CricViz Analyst (@cricvizanalyst) March 31, 2019

Warner and Bairstow will be on either side of the Ashes divide when Australia visit England in the summer, but for now, they are combining brilliantly as opening partners.

In Sunday's second match, Chennai Super Kings made it three wins from three as they beat Rajasthan Royals by eight runs.

The Royals won the toss in Chennai and opted to field first, and Super Kings captain MS Dhoni played the key innings with a 46-ball 75, hitting three sixes off the last three balls of the innings:

MS Dhoni's innings

First 30 balls: 33
Next 16 balls: 42 #CSKvRR #IPL2019 https://t.co/FacpwZraXL pic.twitter.com/T7Zvh03hA8

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 31, 2019

CSK ended their 20 overs on 175 for five, setting a target for Rajasthan that proved just out of reach.

The Royals made a poor start in their chase as Ajinkya Rahane, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson all fell cheaply.

Ben Stokes, Steve Smith, Rahul Tripathi and Jofra Archer all made decent contributions to get the Royals back on track, but they fell just short in the end. 

Kings XI Punjab picked up their second win of the 2019 Indian Premier League season on Saturday, beating Mumbai Indians by a convincing eight wickets.

Delhi Capitals were also victorious, as they overcame Kolkata Knight Riders by three runs in the Super Over after a thrilling game ended in a tie:

Kagiso Rabada backs up Prithvi Shaw's chase efforts with a superb Super Over! https://t.co/j5Of0fbc1j #IPL2019 #DCvKKR pic.twitter.com/TJEdOrpV25

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 30, 2019

     

IPL 2019 Standings: Team—Played, Points, Net Run Rate

1. Kolkata Knight Riders—3, 4, +0.555

2. Delhi Capitals—3, 4, +0.519

3. Chennai Super Kings—2, 4, +0.495

4. Kings XI Punjab—3, 4, -0.008

5. Sunrisers Hyderabad—2, 2, +0.190

6. Mumbai Indians—3, 2, -0.750

7. Royal Challengers Bangalore—2, 0, -0.575

8. Rajasthan Royals—2, 0, -0.672

     

Most Runs

1. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (163)

2. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad (154)

3. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab (139)

4. Nitish Rana, Kolkata Knight Riders (132)

5. Sanju Samson, Rajasthan Royals (132)

    

Most Wickets

1. Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers Bangalore (5)

2. Kagiso Rabada, Delhi Capitals (5)

3. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (5)

4. Imran Tahir, Chennai Super Kings (4)

5. Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians (4)

   

Best Batting Strike Rate

1. Andre Russell, Kolkata Knight Riders (243.28)

2. Rishabh Pant, Delhi Capitals (207.27)

3. David Warner, Sunrisers Hyderabad (171.11)

4. Prithvi Shaw, Delhi Capitals (168.83)

5. Chris Gayle, Kings XI Punjab (165.47)

All statistics per the IPL official website. 

     

Saturday Recap

Kings XI Punjab opted to bowl first and saw Rohit Sharma and Quinton de Kock make a promising start to take Mumbai Indians to 62/1 after just six overs.

However, Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav were then dismissed in quick succession to stall Mumbai's progress.

De Kock did his best for Mumbai Indians, hitting his first half-century of the season on his way to scoring 60, before being trapped lbw by Mohammed Shami:

Innings Break!

A gritty knock of 60 from QDK followed by a quick fire innings from Hardik, help @mipaltan post a total of 176/7 in 20 overs.

Will the @lionsdenkxip chase this down? #KXIPvMI pic.twitter.com/ytLuLDft4w

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2019

Hardik Pandya hit 31 off 19 balls to help Mumbai to 176/7 but was dismissed by Shami, who claimed two wickets along with Hardus Viljoen and Murugan Ashwin.

Kings XI then chased down their target with eight balls to spare. KL Rahul and Chris Gayle sent them on their way with a fine start to put victory in sight.

Gayle hit a succession of sixes until he was dismissed for 40 by Krunal Pandya:

Chris Gayle becomes the first to 300 sixes in the IPL... the others are yet to get to 200 😮 https://t.co/sXKJ33erhy #KXIP #IPL2019 pic.twitter.com/bJqGURNQRF

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) March 30, 2019

Rahul managed an unbeaten 72 and was well-supported by Mayank Agarwal and David Miller, as Kings XI Punjab made it two wins from three games.

Saturday's second match saw plenty of high-quality action in an exhilarating game that produced the IPL's first Super Over of 2019.

Kolkata Knight Riders went into bat and suffered a poor start after slipping to 61/5.

They rallied to give Delhi Capitals a target of 186 to chase, with 124 of those runs coming from their last 10.5 overs.

Prithvi Shaw looked set to give Delhi Capitals victory, hitting 99 off 51 balls to leave them needing just 12 runs to win off nine balls and with six wickets left:

Looks to me like India have found the new @virendersehwag in @PrithviShaw ... #IPL2019

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) March 30, 2019

Delhi went into the final over needing just six runs to win, but Kolkata Knight Riders hung on with Kuldeep Yadav bowling brilliantly to send the game into a Super Over.

Yet Kolkata could not do quite enough to go and and take the win, despite Delhi Capitals only scoring 10 runs in the Super Over.

Kagiso Rabada produced a sensational final over for Delhi, restricting Kolkata to 7/1 and just three off their last five balls to clinch the win: 

Take a bow @KagisoRabada25. What an over from the young lad as the @DelhiCapitals defend 10 runs in the Super Over#VIVOIPL pic.twitter.com/HRFWqFP0Mu

— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) March 30, 2019

It was a nail-biting end to a dramatic day of action, as Delhi Capitals held on for the victory that hands Kolkata their first defeat of the season so far.