धोनी टीम के साथ दिल्ली नहीं गए:चेन्नई में ही चल रही उनकी रिहैब; एक साल पहले आखिरी मैच खेले
चेन्नई5 घंटे पहलेकॉपी लिंकचेन्नई सुपर किंग्स के फैंस धोनी के खेलने का इंतजार कर रहे…
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#CSK #IPL #Samson #Hosein #seal #comfortable #win #Super #Kings">MI vs CSK, IPL 2026: Samson, Hosein seal comfortable win for Super Kings
Sanju Samson laid the foundation by bettering his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics at the Wankhede Stadium with his second hundred of IPL 2026. And Akeal Hosein’s sensational spell sealed the deal as the marquee clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) turned into a cakewalk for the visitor on Thursday.
Samson’s fifth IPL hundred, coupled with Akeal producing arguably the spell of the season, left MI on the mat as CSK registered a thumping 103-run win. After posting 207 for six, CSK bundled MI out for 104 in 19 overs with little fuss, the chase never quite taking off.
Impact Player Akeal, drafted in for his new-ball utility, struck immediately. His first over saw MI’s Impact Player Danish Malewar edge one behind the stumps. Soon after, Quinton de Kock played on off Mukesh Choudhary — the pacer gesturing to the heavens in tribute to his mother, who passed away earlier in the week. In his next over, Akeal spun one in from leg stump to castle Naman Dhir. At 11 for three, MI was already on the ropes.
The Wankhede, packed and loud, found itself outnumbered and outvoiced by a sea of yellow. The onus fell on Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma but Akeal returned to break that resistance, sneaking one through Tilak’s defence. Alongside Noor Ahmad, he triggered a collapse — four wickets for three runs off nine balls — as MI slipped from 84 for three to 87 for seven. Shardul Thakur, on as a concussion substitute for Mitchell Santner, merely delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Samson had ensured that CSK had a big total to defend. Ruturaj Gaikwad started briskly before falling to Allah Ghazanfar while Shivam Dube struggled for timing. The rest of the top-order maintained strike rates above 150.
Samson, watchful early, opened up with precision later. On 85 at the start of the final over, he muscled one over deep midwicket off Krish Bhagat, then, after two dots, carved a wide ball over covers. Farming strike, he finished with a pull over square leg for a one-bounce four — a flourish that helped him celebrate the milestone in style and push MI on the back foot.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
Sanju Samson laid the foundation by bettering his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics at the Wankhede Stadium with his second hundred of IPL 2026. And Akeal Hosein’s sensational spell sealed the deal as the marquee clash between Mumbai Indians (MI) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) turned into a cakewalk for the visitor on Thursday.
Samson’s fifth IPL hundred, coupled with Akeal producing arguably the spell of the season, left MI on the mat as CSK registered a thumping 103-run win. After posting 207 for six, CSK bundled MI out for 104 in 19 overs with little fuss, the chase never quite taking off.
Impact Player Akeal, drafted in for his new-ball utility, struck immediately. His first over saw MI’s Impact Player Danish Malewar edge one behind the stumps. Soon after, Quinton de Kock played on off Mukesh Choudhary — the pacer gesturing to the heavens in tribute to his mother, who passed away earlier in the week. In his next over, Akeal spun one in from leg stump to castle Naman Dhir. At 11 for three, MI was already on the ropes.
The Wankhede, packed and loud, found itself outnumbered and outvoiced by a sea of yellow. The onus fell on Suryakumar Yadav and Tilak Varma but Akeal returned to break that resistance, sneaking one through Tilak’s defence. Alongside Noor Ahmad, he triggered a collapse — four wickets for three runs off nine balls — as MI slipped from 84 for three to 87 for seven. Shardul Thakur, on as a concussion substitute for Mitchell Santner, merely delayed the inevitable.
Earlier, Samson had ensured that CSK had a big total to defend. Ruturaj Gaikwad started briskly before falling to Allah Ghazanfar while Shivam Dube struggled for timing. The rest of the top-order maintained strike rates above 150.
Samson, watchful early, opened up with precision later. On 85 at the start of the final over, he muscled one over deep midwicket off Krish Bhagat, then, after two dots, carved a wide ball over covers. Farming strike, he finished with a pull over square leg for a one-bounce four — a flourish that helped him celebrate the milestone in style and push MI on the back foot.
Published on Apr 23, 2026
Sanju Samson laid the foundation by bettering his T20 World Cup semifinal heroics at the Wankhede Stadium with…
Sports news
#IPL #dont #doubt #Ruturaj #matter #time #fires #CSK #bowling #coach #Simons">IPL 2026 — We don’t doubt Ruturaj, just a matter of time when he fires: CSK bowling coach Simons
A captain, they say, must lead from the front. By that measure, Ruturaj Gaikwad has endured a quiet start to the Indian Premier League 2026. But Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach Eric Simons insists there is little concern within the camp over the skipper’s lean run.
“It’s a cliché that class is permanent. Tilak (Varma) had been struggling, hadn’t he? And then he has gone and played an incredible knock. We don’t doubt Rutu at all and he doesn’t doubt himself,” Simons said on Wednesday, on the eve of CSK’s marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.
The numbers underline the lull. Gaikwad has managed 82 runs off 73 balls across six innings — returns that have mirrored CSK’s broader struggles at the top. The absence of a consistent anchor has hurt a batting unit that’s still searching for stability.
Preview | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings: a familiar rivalry seeks new relevance
Yet, within the dressing room, the view remains unchanged: it is a matter of time.
“For us, it’s just a moment that that breakout comes. Maybe it’s a shot, maybe it’s something that gets through a gap and he is away,” Simons said. “He is a very calm man. He has got a lot of self-confidence. He knows his game particularly well. It just hasn’t paid off for him up to this stage.”
Simons emphasised that Gaikwad’s mindset remains intact, even if the returns haven’t followed.
“We have had no concerns about his frame of mind. It’s just a matter of when, not if he comes to the fore again.”
On Thursday night at the Wankhede Stadium, both CSK and its captain will hope that moment arrives.
Published on Apr 22, 2026
A captain, they say, must lead from the front. By that measure, Ruturaj Gaikwad has endured a quiet start to the Indian Premier League 2026. But Chennai Super Kings’ bowling coach Eric Simons insists there is little concern within the camp over the skipper’s lean run.
“It’s a cliché that class is permanent. Tilak (Varma) had been struggling, hadn’t he? And then he has gone and played an incredible knock. We don’t doubt Rutu at all and he doesn’t doubt himself,” Simons said on Wednesday, on the eve of CSK’s marquee clash against Mumbai Indians.
The numbers underline the lull. Gaikwad has managed 82 runs off 73 balls across six innings — returns that have mirrored CSK’s broader struggles at the top. The absence of a consistent anchor has hurt a batting unit that’s still searching for stability.
Preview | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings: a familiar rivalry seeks new relevance
Yet, within the dressing room, the view remains unchanged: it is a matter of time.
“For us, it’s just a moment that that breakout comes. Maybe it’s a shot, maybe it’s something that gets through a gap and he is away,” Simons said. “He is a very calm man. He has got a lot of self-confidence. He knows his game particularly well. It just hasn’t paid off for him up to this stage.”
Simons emphasised that Gaikwad’s mindset remains intact, even if the returns haven’t followed.
“We have had no concerns about his frame of mind. It’s just a matter of when, not if he comes to the fore again.”
On Thursday night at the Wankhede Stadium, both CSK and its captain will hope that moment arrives.
Published on Apr 22, 2026
A captain, they say, must lead from the front. By that measure, Ruturaj Gaikwad has…
Sports news
#IPL #CSK #Sacrifice #Bowler #Fit #Dhoni">IPL 2026: Will CSK Sacrifice a Bowler to Fit Dhoni In?
After an underwhelming start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has steadied itself, registering back-to-back wins for the first time since 2024.
That upturn has coincided with a sense of continuity. The clash against Kolkata Knight Riders marked the first time this season that CSK fielded an unchanged playing XII, retaining the same combination that faced Delhi Capitals in the previous game. Four pacers and two frontline spinners, with West Indian Akeal Hosein slotted in as the Impact Player, has given the five-time champion balance.
But that balance may not last.
The imminent return of former skipper M.S. Dhoni, currently recovering from a calf strain and expected to be available for the April 18 fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, complicates the equation.
One option is to deploy Dhoni as an Impact Player. That, however, would likely come at the cost of a pacer, potentially Gurjapneet Singh. The knock-on effect is significant: Shivam Dube, who has bowled just 42 balls in the IPL since 2022, would effectively become the sixth bowling option.
Since 2024, Dhoni has largely operated in the lower order, batting at No. 7 or 8 with a clear brief to maximise the death overs. In that season, he scored 161 runs in 14 matches, striking at over 220 with an average of 53.67.
But the following season, when he briefly resumed captaincy in Gaikwad’s absence, saw a sharp drop. Both his strike rate and average nearly halved, exposing the risks of relying on him beyond a narrowly defined finishing role.
If Dhoni is to return as an Impact Player, that role clarity becomes crucial. He cannot drift into a situational hitter; he has to be a designated finisher.
The alternative is more direct: bring Dhoni into the XI at the expense of either Dube or Sarfaraz Khan.
On current form, Sarfaraz (122 runs @182) makes the stronger case. He has outscored Dube (102 runs @154) this season while maintaining a better strike rate. But the decision is not purely statistical. Dube’s ability to counter spin offers flexibility, especially against teams that stack their attack with slow bowlers.
Dhoni, meanwhile, has shown vulnerability against spin in recent years. Since 2020, he has averaged 25.6 with a strike rate of 95.88 against it; numbers that sit at odds with the demands of a modern finisher. Opposition teams have increasingly responded by holding back an over or two of spin specifically for his arrival, further narrowing his scoring windows late in the innings.
Which leaves CSK with a familiar dilemma, dressed in a new context. Does it preserve a functioning combination or disrupt it for a specialist role that may no longer be as reliable?
Published on Apr 15, 2026
After an underwhelming start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has steadied itself, registering back-to-back wins for the first time since 2024.
That upturn has coincided with a sense of continuity. The clash against Kolkata Knight Riders marked the first time this season that CSK fielded an unchanged playing XII, retaining the same combination that faced Delhi Capitals in the previous game. Four pacers and two frontline spinners, with West Indian Akeal Hosein slotted in as the Impact Player, has given the five-time champion balance.
But that balance may not last.
The imminent return of former skipper M.S. Dhoni, currently recovering from a calf strain and expected to be available for the April 18 fixture against Sunrisers Hyderabad, complicates the equation.
One option is to deploy Dhoni as an Impact Player. That, however, would likely come at the cost of a pacer, potentially Gurjapneet Singh. The knock-on effect is significant: Shivam Dube, who has bowled just 42 balls in the IPL since 2022, would effectively become the sixth bowling option.
Since 2024, Dhoni has largely operated in the lower order, batting at No. 7 or 8 with a clear brief to maximise the death overs. In that season, he scored 161 runs in 14 matches, striking at over 220 with an average of 53.67.
But the following season, when he briefly resumed captaincy in Gaikwad’s absence, saw a sharp drop. Both his strike rate and average nearly halved, exposing the risks of relying on him beyond a narrowly defined finishing role.
If Dhoni is to return as an Impact Player, that role clarity becomes crucial. He cannot drift into a situational hitter; he has to be a designated finisher.
The alternative is more direct: bring Dhoni into the XI at the expense of either Dube or Sarfaraz Khan.
On current form, Sarfaraz (122 runs @182) makes the stronger case. He has outscored Dube (102 runs @154) this season while maintaining a better strike rate. But the decision is not purely statistical. Dube’s ability to counter spin offers flexibility, especially against teams that stack their attack with slow bowlers.
Dhoni, meanwhile, has shown vulnerability against spin in recent years. Since 2020, he has averaged 25.6 with a strike rate of 95.88 against it; numbers that sit at odds with the demands of a modern finisher. Opposition teams have increasingly responded by holding back an over or two of spin specifically for his arrival, further narrowing his scoring windows late in the innings.
Which leaves CSK with a familiar dilemma, dressed in a new context. Does it preserve a functioning combination or disrupt it for a specialist role that may no longer be as reliable?
Published on Apr 15, 2026
After an underwhelming start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season, Chennai Super Kings…
