Category: Sports

New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings defeated Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in an IPL 2025 match. MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 26 runs from 11 balls proved decisive, prompting praise from former Indian cricketer Harbhajan Singh.

Former Chennai Super Kings spinner commented on MS Dhoni’s altered demeanor while captaining the team and expressed his pleasure at Dhoni’s recent higher batting position. Dhoni’s previous appearances at number nine in the batting order this season had drawn criticism from some commentators.

With 56 runs needed from 30 balls, MS Dhoni and Shivam Dube guided Chennai Super Kings to a victory against LSG. Their unbeaten 57-run partnership secured the team’s second win of the season.

“MS Dhoni is Baahubali. The captain showed the world what he could do when he came out to bat higher up the order. No.9 doesn’t suit him at all. He came in the right position against the Lucknow Super Giants. He batted superbly. He scored his own runs and helped Shivam Dube as well. Dhoni has the Midas touch. He turned back the clock. The bowling changes were brilliant. Nothing changed much. He just became the captain, and everything has changed. When he is the captain, everything looks different. He bats differently, too,” Harbhajan said on his YouTube channel.

“We say this because he knows what to do. He came to bat at the right place and time, putting the pressure back on Lucknow. He scored 26 runs off 11 balls and took the pressure right off. When Dhoni takes the captaincy role, he is completely different. The team under him plays differently. Well done to CSK. Congratulations to Dhoni,” he added.

MS Dhoni achieved a significant milestone in the match against Lucknow, becoming the first wicketkeeper to record over 200 dismissals in IPL. This achievement was secured following his stumping of Ayush Badoni.

Near the end of the match, MS Dhoni’s unexpected underarm throw resulted in the run-out of Abdul Samad at the non-striker’s end.

“Even his run-out of Abdul Samad. He has the luck factor as well. The luck factor does wonders for him. When Dhoni is there, anything is possible,” said Harbhajan.

Chennai Super Kings’ victory over Lucknow Super Giants did not alter their position at the bottom of the points table; they remain there with four points from seven games.

Chennai Super Kings will play Mumbai Indians in Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on Sunday, April 20th.

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New Delhi: In a thrilling turn of events at New Chandigarh, Punjab Kings pulled off the impossible — successfully defending a paltry 111 runs against the Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2025. This wasn’t just a win, it was history in the making, as Punjab Kings now hold the record for defending the lowest total ever in the history of the IPL.

Punjab’s Batting Collapse: 111 All Out in 15.3 Overs
Opting to bat first, Punjab Kings had a promising start thanks to Prabhsimran Singh, who blazed his way to 30 off just 15 balls, hitting 3 sixes and 2 fours. Priyansh Arya chipped in with 22 off 12, but once the openers fell, the rest of the lineup crumbled like a deck of cards.

Harshit Rana was the wrecker-in-chief with figures of 3/24, claiming big scalps including Shreyas Iyer and Prabhsimran. Varun Chakaravarthy and Sunil Narine spun a web around the middle order, while Punjab kept losing wickets in clusters. From 54/1, they were bowled out for 111 in 15.3 overs — a score that looked miles short even on a two-paced surface.

KKR’s Top Order Shocked Early
But cricket, especially T20 cricket, is full of surprises. KKR’s chase started in chaos. Both openers — Sunil Narine and Quinton de Kock — were dismissed within the first two overs. Marco Jansen and Xavier Bartlett struck early to jolt Kolkata.

Captain Ajinkya Rahane and youngster Angkrish Raghuvanshi tried to rebuild but the scoring rate was stifled. Once Rahane fell LBW to Yuzvendra Chahal, the pressure only mounted.

Yuzvendra Chahal’s Game-Changing Spell
Veteran leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal produced a match-winning spell, grabbing 4 wickets for 28 runs. He dismissed Raghuvanshi, Rinku Singh, and Ramandeep Singh in quick succession to dismantle KKR’s middle order. The turning point was his back-to-back strikes in the 12th over that left Kolkata reeling.

Maxwell & Jansen Seal the Deal
Glenn Maxwell, who had a quiet day with the bat, turned up with the ball and removed Venkatesh Iyer with a clever off-break. Meanwhile, Marco Jansen returned to the attack and cleaned up Andre Russell to end all hopes of a KKR fightback.

Punjab’s Magical Bowling Comeback
It was a total team effort with the ball. Jansen’s 3/17, Bartlett’s early breakthrough, Chahal’s spin magic, and Arshdeep’s tidy finishing spell choked the KKR lineup completely. From being written off at the halfway mark, Punjab Kings turned the tables dramatically.

IPL History Rewritten
With this win, Punjab Kings etched their name in IPL history, defending the lowest total ever in the league’s 17-season-long legacy. The previous record stood at 116, but Punjab’s 111 has now set a new benchmark for resilience and belief.

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Karachi Kings will take on Lahore Qalandars in match no. 6 of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2025 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Tuesday. Both Karachi and Lahore have won one match each but Shaheen Shah Afridi’s Qalandars have played a couple of games.

David Warner-led Karachi Kings made a sensational start to PSL 2025, stunning Mohammad Rizwan’s Multan Sultans after chasing down a massive 235-run target thanks to England batter James Vince’s tremendous century. The Kings also enjoy a distinct head-to-head advantage, having won 13 matches and lost 6 times to Lahore Qalandars till date.

However, Shaheen Afridi’s side are coming into this contest full of confidence have thrashed Quetta Gladiators by 79 runs in their last match. They had started off in PSL 2025 with a disappointing eight-wicket loss at the hands of Islamabad United in the opening match of the season.

The Kings have also won the last five matches between the two sides, including wins by 2 wickets and 3 wickets in PSL 2024 edition.

 

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The #KingsSquad is geared up! #YehHaiKarachi | #KarachiKings | #KKvLQ pic.twitter.com/g0aiB25GaC

— Karachi Kings (@KarachiKingsARY) April 15, 2025

Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars PSL 2025 Match No. 6 Details

Venue: National Stadium, Karachi

Date & Time: April 15, 830pm IST onwards

Live Streaming and TV details: Sony Sports Network and FanCode website and app

KK vs LQ PSL 2025 Match No. 6 Dream11 Prediction

Wicketkeepers: Sam Billings, Tim Seifert

Batters: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, David Warner, James Vince

All-rounders: Daryl Mitchell, Sikandar Raza

Bowlers: Rishad Hossain, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Adam Milne

Captain: Fakhar Zaman

Vice-captain: David Warner

KK vs LQ PSL 2025 Match No 6 Predicted 11

Karachi Kings: Tim Seifert (wk), David Warner (c), Irfan Khan, James Vince, Shan Masood, Fawad Ali, Khushdil Shah, Adam Milne, Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali, Zahid Mahmood

Lahore Qalandars: Sam Billings (wk), Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Daryl Mitchell, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rishad Hossain, Jahandad Khan, Asif Afridi, Shaheen Shah Afridi (c), Haris Rauf

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New Delhi: Chennai Super Kings (CSK) broke a five-game losing streak on April 14th, 2025, defeating the Lucknow Super Giants by five wickets in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match. After an opening victory, CSK had suffered five consecutive losses. Bowling first, they limited Lucknow to 166/7, before successfully chasing the total with three balls remaining. This win secured two crucial points for the team.

Facing a challenging situation at 111/5 needing 56 runs from 30 balls, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) received a boost when MS Dhoni joined Shivam Dube. Their unbroken partnership secured CSK’s win.

Suryakumar Yadav, captain of India’s T20I team and Mumbai Indians batsman, posted a congratulatory message on Instagram celebrating Chennai Super Kings‘ victory. His post included a photo of Dhoni and Dube and quoted a line from the movie “MS Dhoni: The Untold Story.”

“Mahi bhai- Strike dega toh tum bana lega? Dube – Try kar lenge. Mahi bhai – Try karna hai toh hum hi kar lete hai. Tum bas runout mat karwa dena. (Dhoni – Will win the match if I give you the strike? Dube – I will try. Dhoni – I can also try then. You just don’t get me run out),” read the caption.

Neeraj Pandey‘s 2016 biopic of MS Dhoni, starring Sushant Singh Rajput, is a well-known film. In a recent match, Shivam Dube scored 43 runs (not out) from 37 balls, and Dhoni contributed an unbeaten 26 from just 11 balls, earning him the Player of the Match award—a record for the oldest IPL recipient of this honor.

Dhoni expressed satisfaction with his team’s victory, emphasizing the importance of wins in tournaments. He acknowledged previous setbacks, attributing them to various factors, and highlighted the positive impact of this win on team morale and future improvement. He also noted the challenging nature of the match, suggesting a degree of divine intervention in their earlier struggles.

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Punjab Kings will go up against Kolkata Knight Riders in match No. 31 of the IPL 2025 season at the new PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh, on Tuesday. Both the sides are on six points currently and a win for either side will vault them to top four position for the Playoffs race.

It’s not often that a team loses after posting a massive total like 245, but Punjab Kings were left stunned by Abhishek Sharma’s explosive 141 off just 55 balls in their previous match against Sunrisers Hyderabad. Despite captain Shreyas Iyer’s fireworks — an impressive 82 off 36 balls — the PBKS skipper could only manage a rueful smile at the end as his bowlers were dismantled by Abhishek’s blitz.

The carnage took place on a batting paradise at Hyderabad’s Uppal Stadium, where the flat track offers little respite for bowlers and no total feels safe. On Tuesday, however, Punjab return to their home ground in Mullanpur — another venue that has favoured high scores, with both games there so far witnessing 200+ first-innings totals.

This sets up a tricky dilemma for the team management. Should they stick with flat batting-friendly conditions, knowing their bowling might not be able to defend even 220? Or should they opt for a surface with some grip and variable bounce, which could just as easily backfire?

Their biggest concern is the bowling unit, especially the spinners. Yuzvendra Chahal and Glenn Maxwell were taken apart in the last match, conceding 96 runs in just seven overs between them. Chahal, once a reliable T20 performer, has struggled this season — leaking runs at an economy rate of 11.13 and managing just two wickets in five matches. His wide, loopy leg-breaks have been easy pickings for batters.

Worryingly, no Punjab bowler has maintained an economy below nine this season — a stat head coach Ricky Ponting will not be pleased with.

Opting for a spin-friendly surface at Mullanpur could also be risky, as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) possess arguably the most well-rounded spin attack in the league. Varun Chakravarthy, one of India’s most improved T20 spinners, thrives on such pitches, and Sunil Narine, though past his prime, remains highly effective in slow conditions.

KKR are dangerous on all surfaces — be it flat or slow — and their thumping win over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk has given them a major confidence boost. For Punjab, much rests on the shoulders of captain Shreyas Iyer, who has been the standout with the bat, scoring 250 runs and three fifties in five games. But unless their bowling attack finds answers — and quickly — even his heroics might not be enough to turn things around.

 

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Our Knights celebrated Poila Boishakh over a special lunch prepared with love by @itcroyalbengal and ITC Sonar pic.twitter.com/MMf9WseHrZ

— KolkataKnightRiders (@KKRiders) April 15, 2025

Punjab Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders IPL 2025 Match No. 31 Details

Venue: New PCA Stadium, Mullanpur, New Chandigarh

Date & Time: April 15, 730pm IST onwards

Live Streaming and TV details: Star Sports Network and JioHotstar website and app.

PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 Match No. 31 Dream11 Prediction

Wicketkeepers: Quinton de Kock, Prabhsimran Singh

Batters: Rinku Singh, Shreyas Iyer, Marcus Stoinis

All-rounders: Sunil Narine, Glenn Maxwell, Marco Jansen

Bowlers: Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Arshdeep Singh

Captain: Sunil Narine

Vice-captain: Glenn Maxwell

PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 Match No 31 Predicted 12

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai/Aaron Hardie, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur

Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy

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Punjab Kings will face off against Kolkata Knight Riders in match No. 31 of the IPL 2025 at the New PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh on Tuesday. While PBKS faced a disappointing loss even after posting a massive 245-run score in their last match, Ajinkya Rahane’s KKR are coming into this contest full of confidence with win over Chennai Super Kings at Chepauk.

Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS, though, will have to rethink their playing 11 with New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson ruled out of the entire IPL 2025 season. All-rounders Azmatullah Omarzai or Aaron Hardie might come into the side to replace Ferguson.

PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 Match No. 31 LIVE Score and Updates HERE –

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New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is once again being seen in his vintage avatar — the ‘best finisher’, the ‘Mahi is on fire’ mode, and the calm and composed ‘Captain Cool’. On Monday, he led Chennai Super Kings to victory against Lucknow Super Giants — the very team owned by Sanjiv Goenka, who had once ousted Dhoni unceremoniously from his old team and stripped him of the captaincy.

After Monday’s match, an interesting moment was witnessed — a meeting between Dhoni and Goenka.

Following the win over Lucknow Super Giants, Dhoni was seen chatting with Sanjiv Goenka, the owner of the opposing team. Photos and videos of their conversation have been circulating on social media. During this interaction, Lucknow captain Rishabh Pant was also present.

Dhoni was once a part of Sanjiv Goenka’s IPL team — not just a player, but also the captain. Goenka, who now owns Lucknow Super Giants, previously owned the Rising Pune Supergiants.

That team only played for two seasons before being disbanded. It debuted in the 2016 IPL season with Dhoni as captain. But before the 2017 season, Goenka suddenly removed Dhoni from the team’s leadership.

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Ms dhoni chatting with sanjeev goenka… the old flashback #cskvslsg #LSGvsCSK pic.twitter.com/CMpEQTPvgN

— gαנαℓ (@Gajal_Dalmia) April 14, 2025

As for Monday’s match, Lucknow Super Giants batted first and posted 166 runs for 7 wickets in their 20 overs. Captain Rishabh Pant scored 63 off 49 balls, while Mitchell Marsh contributed 30 off 25. Ravindra Jadeja and Matheesha Pathirana took 2 wickets each.

In response, Chennai Super Kings chased down the target with a 5-wicket win, thanks to MS Dhoni’s quickfire unbeaten 26 and Shivam Dube’s unbeaten 43. Rachin Ravindra scored 37 and Shaik Rasheed made 27 runs for Chennai. Ravi Bishnoi claimed 2 wickets for Lucknow.

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Shreyas Iyer’s Punjab Kings and Ajinkya Rahane-led Kolkata Knight Riders will both like to jump into the playoff positions on the IPL 2025 Points Table as they face off in match No. 31 at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh on Tuesday. The home side are coming into the clash on the back of disappointing loss at the hands of Sunrisers Hyderabad, when they failed to defend a massive total.

Skipper Iyer was in brilliant form with the bat, smashing 82 off 36 balls to power his side to 245 for 6. Young opener Priyansh Arya continued his destructive form, scoring 36 with a strike-rate of 276 following his brilliant maiden century against CSK in their last home match.

The home side, though, have suffered a major blow with pacer Lockie Ferguson ruled of the remaining IPL 2025 season with injury after just bowling a couple of ball in the last match vs SRH. In his absence, PBKS could either pick Australian pacer Xavier Bartlett or pace-bowling all-rounder like Azmatullah Omarzai or Aaron Hardie.

Defending champions KKR, on the other hand, are coming into this match with an impressive win over CSK in Chepauk. However the spin bowling options for skipper Ajinkya Rahane could prove to be rather ineffective on the pitches in Mullanpur where slow bowlers are averaging over 30.

The Knight Riders hold a massive 21-12 advantage over Punjab Kings when it comes to head-to-head contests between both sides but since 2020, the two sides have won four matches each.

 

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— Punjab Kings (@PunjabKingsIPL) April 14, 2025

Here are all the details about PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31…

When is PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 going to take place?

The PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 will take place on Tuesday, April 15.

Where is PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 going to take place?

The PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 will be held at the PCA Stadium in Mullanpur, New Chandigarh.

What time will PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 start?

The PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 will begin at 730pm IST. The toss for the match will be held at 7pm.

Where can I watch PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 on TV in India?

The PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 will be available LIVE on TV on Star Sports network channels in India.

How can I watch livestreaming of PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 for FREE in India?

The PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 will be available for livestreaming for FREE on JioHotstar website and app.

PBKS vs KKR IPL 2025 match No. 31 Predicted 12

Punjab Kings: Prabhsimran Singh (wk), Priyansh Arya, Shreyas Iyer (c), Nehal Wadhera, Shashank Singh, Glenn Maxwell, Marcus Stoinis, Azmatullah Omarzai/Aaron Hardie, Marco Jansen, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Yash Thakur

Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Moeen Ali, Harshit Rana, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy

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New Delhi: The Mumbai Indians secured a narrow 12-run victory over the Delhi Capitals in a closely fought IPL 2025 match played in Delhi on Sunday. Despite a strong batting performance by Delhi, spearheaded by Karun Nair, and a seemingly comfortable position needing 61 runs from 7 overs at 145/4, a strategic ball change requested by Mumbai Indians and expertly executed by Rohit Sharma swung the momentum, resulting in Mumbai’s win.

During the 14th over, Rohit Sharma instructed Karn Sharma to request a new ball. This was in response to the effects of dew, leveraging a new IPL rule allowing a ball change after the 10th over of the second innings. The ball change resulted in a quick succession of dismissals.

“A crucial ploy by Rohit Sharma turned a loss into win. DC was running away with the game. Karun Nair was batting brilliantly. Nobody was able to stop him. He was playing like Pushpa, spreading like wildfire. In the 13th over, it seemed like DC would win. But just then Rohit asked the head coach, Mahela Jayawardene, to employ spinners and bring Karn Sharma into the attack. I think Mahela Jayawardene did not agree with Rohit Sharma. If they had gone with what Jayawardene had to say, the Mumbai Indians would have also lost this game. Rohit Sharma was there, he had the best move. He is the captain. He always thinks like a captain. A captain is always the captain, and his tactical acumen helped Mumbai win,” said Harbhajan on his YouTube channel.

“Karn Sharma came into the attack and took three wickets, turning the game’s tide. It was a gold move. This wouldn’t have happened when Tilak Varma retired against Lucknow and Mitchell Santner was sent in if Rohit Sharma had been in the dugout. Mahela Jayawardene made a bad move. Rohit was incredible against Delhi Capitals. Sometimes, the coaches must keep their egos aside and consider how the team can benefit. I hope Rohit Sharma keeps sharing his inputs from the dugout,” Harbhajan added.

Rohit Sharma’s poor IPL form persisted, as he underperformed in Sunday’s match against Delhi Capitals despite favorable playing conditions.

Rohit and Ryan Rickelton launched a strong offensive against the leading team, capitalizing on advantageous conditions. Rohit Sharma’s powerful hitting against Mitchell Starc in the second over suggested a return to peak form.

Rohit Sharma appeared poised for a lengthy innings after hitting two fours and a six. However, attempting to combine cautious play with aggressive shots, he ultimately faltered.

Veteran opener Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 18 runs off 12 balls after missing a sweep shot. This represents another low score for the batsman.

Rohit Sharma’s recent struggles have resulted in him having the second-worst batting average among openers with at least 25 innings since the 2023 IPL.

Rohit Sharma’s recent IPL performance has been underwhelming. Despite scoring 805 runs overall since the start of the 2023 season, his average of 24.39 is the second-lowest among openers, exceeded only by Wriddhiman Saha. His average is particularly low this season, with only 56 runs at an average of 11.20, compared to his 507 runs at 20.28 in previous matches.

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