IPL win: Dhoni says fitness counts, not age, of CSK's 30-plus brigade

Chennai Super Kings' fairy tale comeback is a proof that fitness matter more than age, said skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni after guiding his team to a third IPL 2018 title.

At the auction, CSK were criticised for picking up nine players in their 30s including Shane Watson and Ambati Rayudu, who eventually were instrumental in the team's triumph.

"We talked a lot about age but what matters is the fitness. Rayudu, for example, is 32, he's someone who is fit, covers a lot of ground. Even if he plays a few games where he spends a lot of time on the ground and in the field, he never complains. So it is the fitness that really matters more than the age aspect," said the 36-year-old Dhoni after the crushing win over SRH.

"What captains want is players who move well in the field. It doesn't matter which year a player is born in, whether you are 19 or 20 - you have to be agile. You have to accept your shortcomings.

"For example, if I push Watson to stop a single, there is a very good chance that he'll burst his hamstring and won't be available for the next game. So what you tell yourselves is that they have to commit and try, but there's no point getting injured for a single," said Dhoni before adding the CSK squad will be heading to Chennai tomorrow for further celebrations.

IPL 2018, CSK vs DD: Consistent Chennai face Delhi in dead rubber today

In the 52nd match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Delhi Daredevils led by Shreyas Iyer at Ferozshah Kotla ground in New Delhi. A formidable Chennai Super Kings will be aiming to tie up loose ends ahead of the playoffs when they take on a listless Delhi Daredevils in a rare dead rubber of IPL 2018. With CSK comfortably qualifying for the playoffs, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led squad is eyeing the top spot on the Vivo IPL points table alongside Sunrisers Hyderabad, whom they defeated comprehensively in their previous game.

The last two games at Ferozshah Kotla was high scoring and the target in excess of 170 was chased easily. In today’s IPL match between Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils (CSK vs DD) Kolta’s pitch will be run feast and the team batting second has a clear advantage. The weather in New Delhi has been changing is past few weeks and today’s IPL match will be affected by rain.

The consistency CSK have shown in IPL 2018 after missing out in the previous two seasons is commendable and it seems they were never out of action. They have been solid even against the mighty Sunrisers Hyderabad, who arguably have the best bowling attack in IPL 2018.

IPL 2018, CSK vs KKR: Rampaging Chennai look to spoil Kolkata homecoming

In the 33rd match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Chennai Super Kings (CSK) will take on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Chennai Super Kings, who have looked a class apart so far, will start as hot favourites against Kolkata Knight Riders. CSK are right at the top of the Vivo IPL points table while Kolkata Knight Riders are placed at fourth position.

Back in the IPL after a two-year hiatus, the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led outfit have till now won six games out of eight and just lost two. Dhoni has led from the front, playing some blistering knocks including a 22-ball 51 in the previous game against Delhi Daredevils which CSK won by 13 runs. MS Dhoni has looked every inch like his old self with 286 runs in eight matches at 71.50. Dhoni rolled back the years with his 44-ball 79 against Kings XI Punjab, showcasing some of his trademark shots and showing glimpses of the flair which made him one of the best finishers of limited-overs cricket. Though CSK lost that game, they never looked like a team struggling to get going in IPL 2018. Besides Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu has been superb with the bat as well, amassing 370 runs at 46.25. In the last four matches, Rayudu has scores of 41, 46, 82 and 79.

Also, Veteran Australian opener Shane Watson has looked good too with a century to his name against Rajasthan Royals, a team he won the inaugural IPL with in 2008. Watson's 40-ball 78 in the last encounter underlined the fact that his big-hitting skills are still in the right place despite being on the wrong side of 30 and along with South African skipper Faf Du Plessis, they make a deadly combination at the top of the batting line-up.

Overconfidence, injury, dropped catch: Story of SRH's first IPL 2018 loss

Who starts an IPL match as the favourite is both a matter of perception and numbers on paper. The real pressure is on the team that knows it is entering the game as the favourite. Similar was the case with Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) in its Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) match against King XI Punjab (KXIP) in Mohali on April 19. On paper, having won all the three matches played till then, SRH were the clear favourites. However, after beating Chennai Super Kings in a nail-biter and Chirs Gayle's fired-up performance, even KXIP looked no less, especially as they were playing on their home ground.

Playing at IS Bindra Stadium in Mohali on Thursday, Kings XI Punjab won the toss and decided to bat first. From that moment, a series of unfortunate events kept catching SRH every now and then. KXIP's Chirs Gayle, it seemed, picked up his innings from where he had left it in the previous match against Chennai Super Kings. He took some time to settle down and it did seem that SRH bowlers might get the better of him. But that was not meant to be. Rashid Khan did trouble him a little in his first over, as Gayle did not read him well and edged one to the keeper. Luckily for him, Wriddhman Saha dropped it.

IPL 2018: Will Chennai Super Kings beat Rajasthan Royals in Pune today?

Rajasthan Royals (RR) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK), the two franchises that are returning in Indian Premier League 2018 after serving a two-year ban in the aftermath of the 2013 spot-fixing scandal, will come face-to-face for the first time at Maharashtra Cricket Association (MCA) Stadium in Pune on April 20. After losing their previous Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) clash by a whisker, CSK will aim to start off with a win against Rajasthan Royals at their new home ground -- all Chennai matches have had to be moved out of their original home venue of Chepauk Stadium amid a political unrest over the Cauvery water-sharing issue. With two wins and two defeats, Ajinkya Rahane-led Rajasthan Royals are placed fifth with four points in Vivo IPL points table, while the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings also have an equal number of points after two wins from three matches, they are ranked fourth. A win at MCA Stadium will consolidate their position in the Vivo IPL points table.

Rajasthan Royals, under new captain Ajinkya Rahane, had a bad start to the campaign but they did well later with two back-to-back wins, before Kolkata Knight Riders outclassed them by seven wickets in their previous match. On a slow wicket, Rajasthan Royals failed to stitch partnerships and ended up with a below-par total of 160-8 on the scoreboard, which KKR chased down with ease, losing just three wickets. 

Will miss playing in Chennai: CSK players disappointed over venue shift

Chennai Super Kings players took to social media to express their disappointment a day after BCCI was forced to shift the franchise's remaining home fixtures to Pune in the 11th Indian Premier League.

"Very sad for our team @ChennaiIPL and the fans here in Chennai that we won't be playing anymore games here this season. The atmosphere last game was incredible. Let's hope this situation in Tamil Nadu is sorted out asap," tweeted Former Australian cricketer Shane Watson, who was signed by CSK this season.

"Will miss playing on our home ground and entertaining our #Chennai fans this season...You are always in our hearts. On to #Pune now! #IPL2018" Indian batsman Suresh Raina said.

Yesterday, the Tamil Nadu state administration had expressed its inability to ensure adequate security arrangements for the IPL matches amidst the ongoing Cauvery water dispute.