IPL 2018: Sam Billings' 50, Jadeja's nerve help CSK beat KKR by 5 wickets

Chennai Super Kings pulled off another thriller while chasing IPL 2018 highest total against Kolkata Knight Riders, after CSK defeated Mumbai Indians in IPL 2018 opener on Bravo heroics

In the fifth match of the 11th season of Indian Premier League (IPL 2018), when M S Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings (CSK) play at their home ground of Chepauk in Chennai to take on Dinesh Karthik’s Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), they will do so with some amount of confidence – especially after having beaten defending champions Mumbai Indians on their own turf by 1 wicket in a thrilling contest on Saturday.

However, they will also try to look at and correct their flaws in the opening game of the tournament which necessitated some last-minute heroics by Dwayne Bravo to seal the match for them in a nail-biter finish. Besides, there is one setback that CSK have suffered due to the injury sustained by Kedar Jadhav – the all-rounder has been ruled out of the rest of IPL 2018 due to a hamstring injury.

For their part, KKR also won their opening match on Sunday against Virat Kohli’s Royal Challengers Bengal at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, by 4 wickets on Sunday.

Today’s CSK vs KKR match – a homecoming like no other as the 'Men in Yellow' play at M A Chidambaram Stadium for the first time since May 2015 – promises a treat to the legion of CSK fans. Ahead of their favourite team’s match, many loyal supporters turned up in huge numbers even to watch them train.

Meanwhile, it is pertinent to note that the CSK vs KKR match is being played in the shadow of some off-field issues and threats of disruption. Some political groups have been opposing IPL matches being played in Chennai against the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka Cauvery water sharing dispute. They are demanding that a Cauvery Management Board should be set up immediately and protesting the Narendra Modi-led central government’s failure to do so. They have threatened to disrupt any IPL proceedings.

With several fringe elements threatening to protest the IPL 2018 matches in Chennai over the Cauvery issue, security arrangements have been beefed up to prevent any untoward incident, according to the police. CSK CEO K S Viswanathan, however, said the team's home matches would go on according to schedule. The city police had been informed about the schedule and they would handle the situation accordingly, he added.

धोनी के इस्तीफे की वजह यह तो नहीं!

Breaking News : प्रशंसक, पूर्व खिलाड़ी और क्रिकेट से जुड़े तमाम लोग महेंद्र सिंह धोनी के उस हालिया फैसले पर हैरान रह गए, जब सभी प्रारूपों में भारत के सबसे सफल कप्तान ने सीमित ओवरों के खेल में भारत की कप्तानी छोड़ दी। लोगों ने हैरानी भरी प्रतिक्रिया देते हुए कहा कि धोनी से ऐसा क्यों किया? वहीं दूसरे लोग इस सवाल को दूसरे नजरिये से भी पूछ रहे हैं कि आखिर धोनी को ऐसा क्यों नहीं करना चाहिए था? दशक भर से देश की कप्तानी संभाल रहे धोनी का यही अंदाज रहा है कि उन्होंने निजी हितों पर टीम को ही हमेशा तरजीह दी है। निश्चित रूप से इस पहलू ने अहम भूमिका निभाई हो लेकिन पूरी कहानी यहीं खत्म नहीं हो जाती।

व्यावसायिक हितों जैसे शब्द की व्याख्या करते हुए लोढ़ा समिति की रिपोर्ट में दर्शाया गया, 'डी टीम का कप्तान है। साथ ही वह खेल प्रबंधन एजेंसी में सह-मालिक भी है, जो टीम के अन्य सदस्यों से जुड़े अनुबंधों को देखती है। डी हितों के टकराव से प्रभावित है।' रिपोर्ट में आगे कहा गया, 'इस मामले में जब असंदिग्ध साख वाले तमाम क्रिकेटरों से पड़ताल की गई कि कि आखिर हितों के टकराव की क्या स्थिति हो सकती है तो वे हैरान रह गए कि किसी हित टकराव वाली स्थिति के लिए कोई गलत काम जरूरी नहीं है। समिति ने संज्ञान लिया कि किसी पद पर बैठा व्यक्ति खेल में ईमानदारी का अवमूल्यन कर सकता है और ऐसे हालात इन आरोपों के लिहाज से उसे संवेदनशील बना सकते हैं।' अगर धोनी इस्तीफा नहीं देते तो वे इस प्रकार के परिदृश्य के काफी करीब नजर आते क्योंकि उन्हें 6 जनवरी को आगामी एकदिवसीय और टी 20 शृंखलाओं के लिए चयनकर्ताओं की बैठक में सक्रिय भूमिका निभानी पड़ती।

धोनी अपने बचपन के दोस्त अरुण पांडेय के साथ मिलकर रिति स्‍पोर्ट्स मैनेजमेंट नाम की एजेंसी चलाते हैं, जो खुद धोनी सहित दर्जन भर मशहूर शख्सियतों के विज्ञापन अनुबंधों का काम देखती है। इसके साथ के एल राहुल, भुवनेश्वर कुमार, प्रज्ञान ओझा और मोहित शर्मा जैसे खिलाड़ी जुड़े हुए हैं। इनमें राहुल और भुवनेश्वर एकदिवसीय क्रिकेट टीम का हिस्सा भी हैं। साथ ही धोनी लंबे समय से ऐसी टीम के कप्तान भी रहे हैं, जिसमें नियमित रूप से रवींद्र जाडेजा और सुरेश रैना की मौजूदगी रही। यह तथ्य भी किसी से छिपा नहीं रहा कि ये दोनों खिलाड़ी भी उस समय रिति स्पोट्र्स मैनेजमेंट के साथ थे। रैना ने जहां वर्ष 2015 में रिति के साथ अपना करार खत्म कर लिया, वहीं जडेजा ने पिछले साल अक्टूबर में ही रिति को अलविदा कह दिया। Read more

Is Virat Kohli signing up as brand ambassador for Puma?

Latest News : Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli may tie up with sportswear brand Puma following the end of his three-year endorsement deal with rival Adidas.

Kohli and Adidas parted ways amicably in November 2016 and highly placed sources say the cricketer has been on the lookout for a sportswear sponsorship since then.

As things stand, Virat Kohli has 16 brands in his endorsement portfolio, including bat sponsor MRF. A potential sportswear deal then with Kohli will include one which involves other parts of his kit, namely his shoes, pads and gloves. Even then, Kohli is unlikely to go below the Rs 10 crore a year that Adidas paid him for three years.

A mail sent to Puma India elicited no response till the time of going to press. Kohli’s manager Bunty Sajdeh, who is chief executive officer of Cornerstone Sports and Entertainment, said the news was speculative and there was no truth in it.

While Puma has had a brand endorser in cricketer Yuvraj Singh since November 2011, the last few months has not seen much activity from the two. Apart from wearing Puma shoes, pads and gloves, the brand features on Singh’s bat, considered the most prized asset in a sportswear deal. Read Full Story >>>

Mahendra Singh Dhoni steps down as India ODI, T20 captain

He will however be available for selection for 3-match ODI, T20 series against England

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has stepped down as skipper of India's limited overs sides, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced on Wednesday.

Dhoni, however, will be available for selection for the three-match One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International series against England, starting January 15.

"Mahendra Singh Dhoni has informed the BCCI, that he wishes to step down as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team from the One Day Internationals and the T20 Internationals formats of the game," a statement from the board read.

"He will be available for the selection for the One Day and T20I series against England and the same has been conveyed to the Senior Selection Committee."

Commenting on the development, BCCI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rahul Johri said: "On behalf of every Indian cricket fan and the BCCI, I would like to thank M.S. Dhoni for his outstanding contribution as the captain of the Indian team across all formats." Read More

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Asia Cup win: India well on track for World T20, says MS Dhoni

As India lifted the Asia Cup trophy without losing a single match in the tournament, skipper MS Dhoni said they were well on track for the World Twenty20, beginning in two days time.

India were dominant in their win against Bangladesh in the final, chasing 121 with eight wickets in hand and seven balls to spare. Click Here