Chennai, Oct 17 (Cricket news) A call on whether to retain Mahendra Singh Dhoni for the next season of the IPL will be taken only after knowing the rules of the system, a top Chennai Super Kings official said on Sunday.

The retention rules have not been laid down as yet and two more teams are set to be added in the 2022 edition.

"The rules of retention are not clear yet...We are not sure about the number of retentions that will be allowed. And a call on that will be made once the rules are known," the official told PTI when asked about the possibility of using a retention card to retain the talismanic Dhoni.

The iconic CSK skipper is the toast of the cricketing world after guiding the franchise to a fourth IPL title on Friday in Dubai. Earlier, Dhoni had said that he would like to create a roadmap for the next 10 years for CSK.

The skipper had said that he hadn't decided how he would fit into the retention scheme of things.

"Again I've said it before, it depends on the BCCI. With two new teams coming in, we have to decide what is good for CSK," he had said after his team defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in the IPL final.

"It's not about me being there in the top-three or four. It's about making a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn't suffer. The core group, we have to have a hard look to see who can contribute for the next 10 years," he had said.

The CSK official also said any celebrations by the team would wait till the captain returns after finishing his role as a mentor with the Indian T20 World Cup team in the UAE.

"The victory celebrations will have to wait for the return of Dhoni after he is done with the role as mentor of the Indian team for the T20 World Cup," he said. Meanwhile, CSK's star batter Ruturaj Gaikwad returned to Pune to a warm welcome on Sunday. The stylish right-hander had scored 635 runs to win the Orange cup for the highest run-getter in the just-concluded IPL.

A few of the CSK's city-based players are expected to reach Chennai on Monday.

Also Read : Proud to leave legacy behind? Still, I haven't left behind, says Dhoni as CSK fans cheer

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) The Indian Premier League has seen many youngsters grab the attention and find their way into the national squad. Sports always require the presence of youngsters in the team as they can bring in the energy and their physical superiority in the matches. This year, many uncapped players were present in the top performances and are predicted to enter the Indian national team in the coming years.

Rahul Tripathi: Kolkata Knight Riders

Rahul scored 397 runs in 17 matches for the team, he also crossed 1000 runs in IPL this season. He was the second highest run getter for the team behind Shubman Gill and scored two fifties along the way. Rahul’s best performance came in the match against Mumbai Indians where he scored 74* as the team chased the target of 155 in 16 overs.

Venkatesh Iyer: Kolkata Knight Riders

Venkatesh was playing his first IPL this season and he did not disappoint the team. He scored the most fifties for the team with four of them, he scored 370 runs in 10 matches and played a major role. He also took three wickets as he bowled almost 9 overs in the whole season and scored a fighting half century in the final. Venkatesh’s best performance came against Punjab Kings in which he opened the batting and scored 67 while also taking the wicket of KL Rahul in the last over of the match.

Arshdeep Singh: Punjab Kings

Arshdeep was the second highest wicket taker for Punjab behind Mohammad Shami. The 22 year old picked up 18 wickets in 12 twelve matches while bowling 88 dot balls. His best performance came against Rajasthan Royals where he picked up the third five wicket haul of the season which included a wicket of the last ball of the first innings.

Ravi Bishnoi: Punjab Kings

Ravi Bishnoi picked up 12 wickets in nine matches for Punjab and was one of the most economical bowlers in the league. He had an economy rate of 6.34 and his best performance came against Sunrisers Hyderabad in which he took the three wickets for 24 runs. The 21 year old leg spinner is known as an emerging spinner and will look to make his maiden appearance for the Indian team soon.

Also read: Top overseas players in this year’s Indian Premier League

Dubai, Oct 16 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum says young Venkatesh Iyer, with his flamboyance, played the role of a catalyst in turning around the fortunes of the side in the second leg of the just-concluded IPL here.

KKR was languishing at the seventh spot after the India leg was suspended in May this year due to COVID-19 outbreak in the tournament's bio-bubble, but the Eoin Morgan-led side made a fantastic turnaround in the UAE phase, finishing as runner-up after losing to Chennai Super Kings by 27 runs in the final on Friday night.

"He (Iyer) will be challenged to change his methods at times too. He might not necessarily be the most consistent because of his flamboyancy. But I hope he remains the Venkatesh Iyer that we have seen so far," McCullum said at the post-match press conference.

"He's got an enormous future in this game and he's a very intelligent man. He was a big catalyst for our turnaround this season." McCullum said Iyer's has been "incredible story" after the lanky southpaw from Indore amassed 370 runs from 10 games this season.

"But look, Venkatesh Iyer has been quite an incredible story. Looking back, he was actually going to play the last game, the next game when we were in India. In a funny way, the break came at a good time there," he said.

"It gave him an opportunity to just get another couple of months of cricket under his belt, to understand that his opportunities weren't too far away," said the former New Zealand wicket-keeper.

Himself a big advocate of aggressive brand of cricket, McCullum felt Iyer should not change his attacking game.

"For him, it was a matter of bringing the game which he owns – the Venkatesh Iyer game plan to the table, which is aggressive intent.

"He's a big presence, he's a tall man. He plays the game with a bit of a cavalier kind of streak. And that is so important that he holds on to it," said the KKR head coach.

Asked about Iyer's chances of featuring in KKR's retention list next season, McCullum quipped: "Look, we will deal with it next season.".

Also Read : Outplayed by very good CSK, says McCullum; explains why Russell missed final

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 15 (Cricket news) Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his inimitable style kept questions on his IPL retirement open-ended but did admit that a lot of things will depend on the kind of retention policy that BCCI puts in place for the big auction next year.

Dhoni, who is set to join the Indian team as 'Mentor' for the T20 World Cup, spoke about how he would like to create a roadmap for the next 10 years of IPL that Chennai Super Kings will be playing.

When asked if he was proud to have left a legacy behind in the 12 seasons for CSK, Dhoni assured his million fans with a wide grin, "Still I haven't left behind...." But he said that he hasn't decided how he would fit into the retention scheme of things.

"Again I've said it before, it depends on BCCI. With two new teams coming in......we have to decide what is good for CSK," the skipper said after his team won the fourth IPL title by beating Kolkata Knight Riders in the final.

"It's not about me being there in top-three or four. It's about making a strong core to ensure the franchise doesn't suffer. The core group, we have to have a hard look to see who can contribute for the next 10 years," he added.

Dhoni was happy that a lot of individual match-winners have got CSK to their fourth trophy.

"We had match winners coming game after game and doing really well. Every final is special, if you look at stats, we may say we're the most consistent team to lose the final too. I feel it's important to come back strong, especially in the knockouts," he said.

Dhoni also made it clear that he is not very much into team meetings as the average attention span during these meetings are 20 minutes.

"Frankly no chats, we don't talk a lot (meetings). It's more one-on-one, our practice sessions are meeting sessions. The moment you get into a team room, it brings about different pressure. Our practice sessions have been good." The 'Thala' had a message for the CSK fans.

"I would love to thank the fans, wherever we've played, even when we were in South Africa, we've always had a good number of CSK fans. That is what you crave for. Thanks to all of them, it feels like we're playing in Chennai. Hopefully we'll be back in Chennai for the fans." He also at the start praised KKR for a fine show as they came back from two points in seven games to reach the final which is an achievement in itself.

"Before I start talking about CSK, need to talk about KKR. Difficult to come back and do what they have, if any team deserved to win the IPL, it's KKR. Huge credit to the coaches, team and support staff. The break really helped them."

Also Read : Rewarding to ward off criticism and finish 4-year cycle with trophy: Fleming

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) With the IPL coming to an end yesterday, there were a lot of overseas players who have performed well with the bat and ball. The battle for the orange cap was a matter of 3, 4 runs as in the bowling section there was a clear winner even before the final match. Harshal Patel dominated the bowling charts as Ruturaj Gaikwad took on the run getters, it was overall the Indians on the top this edition. There were a few overseas players who were in the race for the purple and orange cap.

Faf du Plessis: Chennai Super Kings

The attacking right hander played his best in the final as he finished the season with 633 runs in 16 matches with six fifties and was only two runs behind Orange cap winner Gaikwad. Faf du Plessis has been one of the best overseas batters in the side and was the leading run getter for the team last year.

Glenn Maxwell: Royal Challengers Bangalore

One of the most attacking T20 batters in the world, Maxwell was the leading run getter for his team as he scored 513 runs in 15 matches with an average of 42.75. The right hander was on top in the final stages of the league even though the team fell in the eliminators. He was the only overseas batsmen other than du Plessis to score six fifties this season.

Sunil Narine: Kolkata Knight Riders

Narine was the most economical bowler this season who have bowled more than 30 overs. His economy rate was 6.44 and took 16 wickets in four matches. He and Varun Chakrvarthy were leading the spin attack for Kolkata, Narine was the star in the eliminator match for the team as he got crucial wickets while giving away few runs.

Anrich Nortje: Delhi Capitals

Although Anrich only played 8 matches for Delhi, he was one of the most economical bowlers in the league and was the most economical fast bowler. His economy rate was 6.16 and regularly topped the fastest balls chart. The Delhi team had the best pace attack as the trio of Avesh Khan, Kagiso Rabada and Anrich delivered the team when it needed the most. Anrich took 12 wickets this season and bowled around 150 km/ hour.

Also read: Harshal Patel sweeps IPL individual honours for season, including MVP

Dubai, Oct 15 (Cricket news) Dwayne Bravo said as it should be said, "Experience beats youth any day".

The West Indies all-rounder once again played his part to perfection in Chennai Super King's fourth Indian Premier League title triumph and summed up the journey of his side which his team-mate Moeen Ali termed "humble and grounded".

Deepak Chahar, on his part, said the love and loyalty for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni made the players push the envelope a little harder.

"It's about the belief in the squad from management, owners. After last season, I was really disappointed. We owed it to the franchise, the fans to come up with a better performance. I don't get nervous (coming into a final)," Bravo said after the match.

"I have had good performance in different phases of the tournament. Faf and Ruturaj standout for us. To have these two guys scoring over 500 runs together. Experience beats youth any day," he said.

England all-rounder Moeen expressed his gratitude when he wasn't dropped after a few indifferent games.

"I can't describe how I'm feeling. To do it with this franchise is great. I could've been dropped a couple of games ago. It's such a grounded and humble team," said Moeen.

Ravindra Jadeja on his part said: "That catch of Venkatesh Iyer changed it for us. Mr DJ Bravo is going to entertain us all night. It's time for him to change his name from 'Champion' to 'Sir Champion'." Robin Uthappa, who joined the party late, also spoke about how CSK made players secure.

"I've voiced over and over again that in this team, there's secure atmosphere, lot of communication between players and support staff. I believe its the players who aren't playing in the XI that make the atmosphere within the group." Australia pacer Josh Hazlewood credited Bravo for getting into the T20 bowling groove.

"It's fantastic. Full credit to the guys, who have been on top. It's exciting. We've got a such a senior team, and having DJ (Bravo) has been really helpful.

"A bit of downtime, and I'm straight for the World Cup. Perfect preparation really, and I am looking forward to it."

Also Read : Dwayne Bravo looks to break Lasith Malinga’s record in IPL final

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 16 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders head coach Brendon McCullum conceded that his team was outplayed by a very good Chennai Super Kings side in the IPL final but also blamed an underwhelming middle-order batting performance for the comprehensive loss.

MCullum also stated that explosive batter Andre Russell could not make the XI despite working hard to be match-fit after a hamstring injury.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni led Chennai Super Kings to their fourth Indian Premier League title, outwitting Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in a one-sided final on Friday.

"It's a shame that we fell short, but we were outplayed by a very good CSK side today," McCullum said at the post-match press conference.

Kolkata suffered a middle-order collapse and when asked whether the problem lay precisely there, McCullum agreed.

"Yeah, I think, that's a fair assessment." "I think, our bowling group did really good job, we fielded well and our top-order batting was superb, but unfortunately we weren't quite able to get the real impact through our middle-order players "...there is a lot of experience there and they did not have the greatest of tournaments and that can happen at times," lamented McCullum.

"...but again I am just really proud of all the guys for their efforts and what a story it was to go as close as we did after being under the pump half way through the," he added.

The former New Zealand mainstay said the campaign has been fulfilling in more ways than one.

"...more positives than negatives, that is for sure and we walk away with our head held high," he asserted.

McCullum also explained why Russell, who was recovering from a hamstring injury, could not make it to the summit clash.

"...Andre obviously had a hamstring tear early on in the competition. He worked unbelievably hard to try and get himself available. He was still at risk there. And it was a risk, I felt in a final, we just couldn't afford to take," the former wicketkeeper-batter explained.

"And then we had another hamstring issue with Rahul Tripathi, so, look, such is the nature of hamstrings that he was never really sure whether they are going to be fully healed or not, and it's such a big risk.

"...in the end we decided to go for the guys who had done so well for us to get into the final and I am really proud of all their achievements," he added.

McCullum also lavished praise on the in-form Venkatesh Iyer, who played a key role in the team making it to the summit clash.

Kolkata were languishing at the seventh spot after the India leg of the IPL was suspended, but in a remarkable turn of fortunes, the Eoin Morgan-led side ended up second.

Iyer amassed 370 runs from the 10 games that he played in the 2021 season and the head coach termed his story as an incredible one.

Also Read : We are extremely proud of fight we have shown: KKR captain Morgan

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 15 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders failed in their bid to win their third Indian Premier League title here on Friday but captain Eoin Morgan said that he is "extremely proud" of the fight put up by his men after being down and out during the first phase.

KKR lost the IPL summit clash by 27 runs to Chennai Super Kings who grabbed their fourth title in the process.

"We are extremely proud of the fight we have shown. The character and fight is trademark. Guys fought incredibly hard and performed," Morgan said after the final.

"Iyer and Gill have been outstanding. Ventakesh is new to this platform. They have been the cornerstone of our batting. Tripathi left everything out there today. Unfortunately, he picked up an injury." Morgan also said the team owners -- Shah Rukh, Venky -- have been outstanding in their support.

KKR were impressive during the second leg of the IPL in the UAE, winning five league matches out of seven as they sneaked into the play-offs by edging out defending champions Mumbai Indians on net run rate.

KKR head coach Brendon McCullum echoed Morgan's views.

"We are super proud of what all the guys did. Congratulations to Super Kings, and their leaders. Just an amazing journey, and some things we can remember for a long time," he said, reflecting on his side's performance in the tournament.

"When you fall at final hurdle, there is always a sense of what if. The way the guys stepped up and performed - particularly the young Indian guys. Big shout out to the owners, they give us immense support." CSK opener and Player of the Match Faf du Plessis said Indian cricket is blessed with talent.

"Gaikwad is a special talent. Indian cricket is blessed with talent. He is getting better. He's got a super, bright future ahead of him. I have had a word with him, but I don't think he needs me," said the South African who scored 86 off 59 balls to help CSK post 192 for 3.

"I am really grateful for today. It was also my 100th game in the IPL. I have loved my time here. I have done almost ten years here - two seasons were a bit of a break. No. 4 in the trophy cabinet is really good."

Also Read : Harshal Patel sweeps IPL individual honours for season, including MVP

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 16 (Cricket news) Chennai Super Kings head coach Stephen Fleming is a proud and satisfied man after his old brigade warded off criticism to end their four-year Indian Premier League cycle with a "rewarding" title.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni played his part to perfection in an extraordinary script as he led an ageing CSK to their fourth IPL title, outwitting Kolkata Knight Riders by 27 runs in a one-sided final on Friday night.

"There was criticism about the age of our squad but it's rewarding to finish the four-year cycle with the trophy," Fleming said.

"Experience is important, guys who have been there and done it before add so much. We don't get too deep into analytics and numbers, we go with gut feel and developing relationships with players. It's old school but it works for us." Fleming said all the four IPL titles are special to him but the current one holds greater significance as it was bagged by an ageing side, who were written off at the start of the tournament.

"It is very hard to rank them (the titles). It is also special because you work so hard and the result of a lot of hard work, so they (the titles) are all very special," Fleming said at the post-match press conference.

"I think, the one win in 2018, coming back, was very emotional but there is a lot of hard work in this one. I don't think a lot of people had any hopes from us to be able to maintain our competitiveness during this cycle. We were pretty much written off.

"So, there is little bit of satisfaction around that and a lot of pride in what the players have been able to achieve and maintain the standards over a number of months and that was a challenge for an ageing side. I am really proud about what they did and in the way they played," he added.

Fleming said the title was a recognition of the hardwork the ageing squad has put in and hinted that there will be a few changes in the team next year.

"There is emotion around, I think when you get to an end of a cycle, you are not going to get some players back, so there (was) some emotions around these last games. When you win it, it is celebration and also recognition of what players have put in," he said.

"Chennai always had a system or belief that you maintain players and keep them with you for a long period of time, you get the best out of them. There are some players that have been with us for a long time.

"It will be interesting to see over the next few months how it pans out but most teams are probably going to have a bit of change to them." The former New Zealand captain, who also won his fourth title with CSK as head coach, said the opening partnership between Faf Du Plessis and young Ruturaj Gaikwad was one of the reasons for the team's success.

He also lavished praise on Ruturaj, who emerged as the highest run-getter this season.

"Yeah, I do (see him as the next star of Indian cricket). He (Ruturaj) is an absolute superstar already in my eyes. When we introduced him last year, people were little bit critical but we (had) such high expectations from him.

"We are really delighted that he finished off the season so well. He is a wonderful kid," said Fleming about the Pune-based opener.

"His craft this year, he mastered opening batting. With him and Faf (Du Plessis) to score that many runs, it's one of the real reasons we won the IPL."

Also Read : BCCI extends deadline for purchasing tender document for new IPL teams

News Source : PTI

Dubai, Oct 15 (Cricket news) Following is a list of individual honours that were awarded away at the end of the 14th Indian Premier League, in which Chennai Super Kings emerged as the champions after beating Kolkata Knight Riders in final.

#Gamechanger of the Season, Most Valuable Player of the Season and Purple Cap: Harshal Patel (Royal Challengers Bangalore) for 32 wickets in 15 games, the most this season, including one five-wicket haul, and one four-wicket haul.

#Emerging Player of the season and Orange Cap: Ruturaj Gaikwad of the Chennai Super Kings for his 635 runs, including four half centuries and one hundred.

#FairPlay Award: Rajasthan Royals #Catch of the Season: Ravi Bishnoi (Punjab Kings) for taking Sunil Narine's catch in Ahmedabad with a full length dive at deep mid-wicket.

#Super striker of the season: Shimron Hetmyer (Delhi Capitals) for his strike rate of 168.

#Most Sixes in the Season: KL Rahul (Punjab Kings) with 30 sixes.

Also Read : Karthik reprimanded for breaching IPL code of conduct

News Source : PTI

(Cricket news) It is going to be a Goliath vs Goliath clash between the nine time finalist CSK and the two champions KKR in a mouth watering match. Both teams heading into the match will be equally stacked up as the teams are trying script a comeback story of their own, KKR this first half of the season looked down and out but have miraculously won 7 out their 9 matches in UAE, whereas CSK will look to do a complete 180 and win this years trophy after finishing bottom of the league last season in 2020.

KKR will get an added boost ahead of the final as Andre Russell will be fit for the final, KKR management provided an update saying Russell will be in the mix for the final after suffering a hamstring injury against CSK. For KKR this season, the turning point in all the recent matches have been the middle overs, they have picked up 29 wickets in 9 innings along with that they have also managed to score the most runs from overs 7-15 in the UAE leg. KKR’s revelation, Venkatesh Iyer will again be the man to watch out for as he along with Shubmann Gill at the top have given blistering starts to the team which help the middle order to play fearless cricket, a trend that will look to continue in the final. The key to success for KKR has been their lethal spin duo of Sunil Narine and Varun Chakravarthy who are the most economical bowlers this season.

For KKR it is key for them to get the openers early as Sunil Narine has dismissed Faf Du Plessis twice at strike rate of 67, a match up Eoin Morgan and Brendon McCullum will certainly be aware of and we might see Narine bowl in the powerplay. Another strategy punt the KKR think tank will use is bowling short to Ruturaj Gaikwad, 19 short or short-of-length balls have been bowled to him out of which he has been dismissed three times, a weakness surely Lockie Ferguson and Shivam Mavi will utilise.

CSK will have Suresh Raina back from injury but is unlikely to make the playing XI as Robin Uthappa showed his class and temperament last match which will most likely keep in the lineup. CSK will again rely heavily on their openers Ruturaj Gaikwad and Faf Du Plessis to give them a good start and mostly defy KKRs lethal spin duo from picking up crucial wickets. CSK will need their bowling line up to pick up wickets early in the powerplay in order to expose KKR’s fragile middle order, the likes of Eoin Morgan and Dinesh Karthik haven’t really been amongst the runs as CSK bowlers can expose this weakness. 

CSK openers have made 1150 runs in this year's IPL which is the most by any IPL team this season, both the openers have a strike rate of almost 140 against pacer. For CSK the main reason for success has been Stephen Fleming's mantra of having distinguished roles in the team like Deepak Chahar: new ball, Ruturaj Gaikwad: anchor, Faf du Plessis: enforcer, Moeen Ali: aggressor, Dwayne Bravo: death bowling and Josh Hazlewood: hard lengths.

Pitch and weather report; An urge to win the toss and bowl first will likely continue as 9 out of 12 matches have been won by sides chasing, but out of all the UAE venues, Dubai has been the most batting friendly track. The pitch may offer something for the pacers up front but as the ball will get old spinners will come into play. The temperature is going to hover around 32 degrees with no chances of rain as of now.

Head to head: CSK 16 - 8 KKR, the last match they played CSK narrowly beat KKR by 2 wickets as Ravindra Jadeja was man of the match with 22 (8) & 1/21 

Interesting facts:

• Andre Russell has 300 runs against CSK in 10 innings with a strike rate of 169.49
• MS Dhoni has an average of 35.57 and with a strike rate of 150 in IPL finals
• Ruturaj Gaikwad needs 23 runs to overtake KL Rahul for the orange cap
• The team chasing has won the last eight games in Dubai
• Knight Riders have restricted their opponents to under 140 in five of the six games they have bowled first in the UAE leg of IPL 2021.
• Moeen has been the most economical spinner so far this season, going at just 6.4, better than the likes of Varun Chakravarthy and Narine.

What to expect: KKR have six wins in UAE all have come in run chases, CSK have lost 5 matches this season all have come while setting targets. On the other hand CSK have a 100% chasing record this season, winning six out of six. Neither team has a particular advantage in this venue as both the teams have a 50% record of wins and loses in the Dubai International stadium. The last time they faced each other in the final KKR came out on top at Chepauk.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders to face Chennai Super Kings in IPL final

What the Captains said: "It's the full team (effort). It was the first time we didn't qualify last year and emotions were quite high, but whatever games we had towards the end of last year, we made the most of it. A lot of batters made the most of that. That's the reason we have come back strongly, but credit goes to the support staff and everyone in the team. Without that character, we couldn't have come back like this." - MS Dhoni.  

“Six off two [against DC in Q2], the odds were probably in favour of the bowling side, but Rahul Tripathi has done superbly well for us. It's a nice insight into our team culture - the young guys coming in feel free to express themselves. The backroom staff have created an environment for them to do this. With the squad we have, there's expectation. Hopefully we can implement all that we've strategized. We would like to keep going, playing against CSK, one of the best franchises in IPL history." - Eoin Morgan.

Probable XI for KKR:

1 Venkatesh Iyer, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Nitish Rana, 4 Rahul Tripathi, 5 Eoin Morgan (capt), 6 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 7 Shakib Al Hasan/Andre Russell , 8 Sunil Narine, 9 Shivam Mavi, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Lockie Ferguson

Probable XI for CSK:

1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Faf du Plessis, 3 Moeen Ali, 4 Robin Uthappa, 5 Ambati Rayudu, 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Shardul Thakur, 10 Deepak Chahar, 11 Josh Hazlewood

(Cricket news) Dwayne Bravo has become a regular feature in the top wicket takers of the Indian Premier League. He has now taken 166 wickets in 150 matches and is joint second on the list of all time wicket takers along with Amit Mishra who has played 154 matches. Lasith Malinga is on top with 170 wickets from 122 matches and the top five list has bowlers from four different teams. 

Bravo made his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians and after three seasons moved to Chennai Super Kings. He has also played for Gujarat Lions and has only missed one season 2017 so far in the league history. Bravo held the record for most wickets in a season in the league which Harshal Patel equalled this season and took 32 wickets for Chennai in the 2013 season in 18 matches. He has been a major part of Chennai’s bowling attack since his inclusion in the squad.

Bravo turned 38 a week ago but is still one of the most sought after T20 players in the world. A handy batsmen who can hit the ball long, has also shone through his fielding exploits and as a bowler he can give breakthroughs as he has proved to be a consistent wicket taker. Bravo’s slower balls have been his strengths as it reduces the run flow and has been a threat especially in the death overs. He bowls around 130- 135 km/ hour with variations coming in every ball.

This season, Bravo has played 10 matches for Chennai while taking 13 wickets at an economy of 8.36. His best performance came against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the second phase where he took three wickets for 24 runs in four overs. Bravo took the wickets of Virat Kohli and in the last over took two wickets with the crucial strike of Glenn Maxwell while giving two runs. He has been expensive in the last three matches, giving away 83 runs in 40 balls while taking two wickets.

Bravo can play a major role in the final as he has played over 500 matches in T20 for more than fifteen teams. He is also the leading wicket taker in T20s overall and will look to break Malinga’s record or finish as the second highest wicket taker in IPL. His experience will be a major boost for the side and can trouble the Kolkata players with the bat and the ball along with being a wall in the field.

Also read: Kolkata Knight Riders to face Chennai Super Kings in IPL final

Sharjah, Oct 14 (Cricket news) Delhi Capitals captain Rishabh Pant on Thursday said he is proud of his side despite its ouster from the IPL after a close loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 and described his teammates as "exceptional warriors".

Delhi lost by three wickets, primarily undone by an underwhelming batting show which put up just 135 runs on the board for KKR to chase.

Delhi fought hard with the ball but KKR edged home with one ball to spare after losing five wickets for seven runs at one stage.

"It ended in heartbreak last night, but I could not be more proud of leading this team of exceptional warriors. We battled hard through the season, and while we may have fallen short on some days, we always gave 100 per cent," Pant tweeted.

"To the owners, management, staff, my teammates and most importantly, our passionate fans, I want to say thank you from my heart. You all made this season special. We will come back stronger," he said.

Two-time champions KKR will face three-time winners Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash in Dubai on Friday.

Also Read : We were outplayed, but would love to have most players back next season: Ponting

News Source : PTI

Sharjah, Oct 14 (Cricket news) Kolkata Knight Riders opener Venkatesh Iyer has credited the side's terrific turnaround in the the second leg of the IPL to the positive intent shown on and off the field by the players and management.

After an underwhelming first half where they lost five of their seven games, KKR won all nine of their matches in the second leg in the UAE to reach the final.

The two-time champions will take on Chennai Super Kings in the summit clash in Dubai after their three-wicket win over Delhi Capitals in the second qualifier on Wednesday.

"The brand of cricket that the KKR is playing and by KKR I just don't mean the cricketers who are playing out there but the entire management.

"They way we are thinking, the way we are going about the things that are the real turn around for us," Iyer told KKR chief mentor David Hussey in a video posted on IPL's website.

"The intent we are showing not just on the field but off the field is that what brought us here," he added.

Chasing a modest target of 136, Iyer smashed a 41-ball 55 and, alongside Shubhman Gill (46), set up KKR's win over DC.

"I wasn't chasing 136, I just went out there to bat. I just wanted to play first play six overs and see what the situation is. That brough the best," he said.

Asked about the final against CSK on Friday in Dubai, he said: "I am not going to treat it as a final or big game. I will just play my game and give my best and that hat the entire team is going to do."

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Dubai, Oct 14 (Cricket news) Mahendra Singh Dhoni's astute captaincy in canary yellow will be Chennai Super Kings' biggest weapon against a clinical Kolkata Knight Riders, whose troika of top-notch spinners promise to hold the aces in the high-octane Indian Premier League final here on Friday.

If numbers are anything to go by, then CSK, in their astonishing ninth final appearance in 12 editions (they were suspended in two), are certain to start favourites against Kolkata Knight Riders on 'Dussera' day but in terms of trophies, there isn't much of a difference.

CSK have three titles with five final defeats while KKR have won both their finals under the mercurial Gautam Gambhir. No team has mastered the art of reaching finals like Dhoni's CSK.

But KKR will definitely be in the hunt since they won one of the most exciting high-scoring summit clash back in 2012 where they chased a target of 190 with two balls to spare.

On Friday, CSK's chances of winning a fourth title will depend on how well they handle the 12 overs from KKR's spin trio of Varun Chakravarthy (economy rate 6.40), Shakib Al Hasan (ER:6.64) and Sunil Narine (ER:6.44), who have been outstanding in this tournament.

In fact, Shakib's all-round abilities have provided more balance to KKR during the business end once Andre Russell sustained a hamstring injury.

However, the final match comes with its own set of pressures and how these three perform when put under the pump will be the key against a team of battle-hardened "been there done that" professionals.

Dhoni's captaincy mantra is simple -- rely on experience as IPL is not a finishing school or place to groom youngsters however talented they may be.

He groomed Ruturaj Gaikwad when the pressure of qualification was off his back in 2020 and the Pune lad has played freely.

He has scored three half centuries and with his rise, Dhoni laid the groundwork for not just next year but many more to come fr his franchise.

It shouldn't surprise anyone if Gaikwad becomes the next CSK captain once Dhoni calls time on IPL, which could be next year or the year after that.

No one knows the drifts and patterns of IPL more than India's most revered white-ball captain.

He understands that for IPL consistency, one needs experienced players primarily along with one or two talented youngsters.

Therefore, the job that Suresh Raina used to do during his initial years, is now being done by the young Gaikwad, who has scored an astounding 600 plus runs in the tournament with a match to go.

Hell or high water, CSK's batting will revolve around Gaikwad, who if all goes well, will surely be one of the biggest all-format batting stars in the post Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma era.

There is abundant experience in the CSK ranks. The skipper himself is on the other side of 40 with Dwayne Bravo at 38, Faf du Plessis at 37, Ambati Rayudu (36) Robin Uthappa a few weeks short of his 36th birthday along with Moeen Ali (34) and Ravindra Jadeja (32).

Add to it, three mid-level experienced internationals like Josh Hazlewood, Deepak Chahar and Shardul Thakur, who understand the pressure situations well and CSK seem immune to big match pressure Dhoni is a master at maneuvering resources. An example of it this IPL was his "right-hand man" and a true-blue IPL legend Raina being dropped.

The former India player looked distinctly overweight and completely out of touch and the ruthless operator replaced him with Uthappa, who had a big role in winning the game against Delhi Capitals with that resounding start to the chase.

The Knight Riders, on the other hand, also have a captain who has won a World Cup and has been at the heart of England team's transformation as white ball captain.

Many believe that Russell the batter should replace Morgan, who has had an awful IPL with the willow.

Bur it's the leadership that has stood the test of time as he has marshalled his available resources well. He stuck with Shubman Gill as an opener and the youngster has had a decent run.

The faith shown in Venkatesh Iyer will also benefit the Indian white-ball team while Narine the bowler found his mojo under him with constant support after remodelled action.

Morgan is as quiet and as unexpressive as Dhoni even in testing times and it would be a contest of two ticking brains trying to gauge the next move in what promises to be a mouth-watering three-hour battle.

Teams: Kolkata Knight Riders: Eoin Morgan (Captain), Dinesh Karthik, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karun Nair, Nitish Rana, Rahul Tripathy, Shubman Gill, Harbhajan Singh, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Kuldeep Yadav, Lockie Ferguson, Pawan Negi, M Prasidh Krishna, Sandeep Warrier, Shivam Dube, Tim Southee, Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy, Andre Russel, Ben Cutting, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Venkatesh Iyer, Sheldon Jackson, Tim Seifert.

Chennai Super Kings: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, KM Asif, Deepak Chahar, Dwayne Bravo, Faf du Plessis, Imran Tahir, N Jagadeesan, Karn Sharma, Lungi Ngidi, Mitchell Santner, Ravindra Jadeja, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shardul Thakur, R Sai Kishore, Moeen Ali, K Gowtham, Cheteshwar Pujara, Harishankar Reddy, Bhagath Varma, C Hari Nishaanth.

Match Starts: 7:30 pm IST.

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News Source : PTI