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: Shubman, Karthik power KKR to 6-wicket victory against CSK

In the 33rd match of the VIVO Indian Premier League (IPL 2018, Kolkata tasted victory at home as youngster Shubhman Gill shined with the bat and scored his maiden half century. With the win, KKR move to third position in the VIVO IPL points table. Gill contributed with a significant knock that sealed the victory for the host side. The bowlers did not get much help from the pitch but still, wickets fell at regular intervals for both sides. Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) won the toss and asked Chennai Super Kings (CSK) to bat first at the Eden Gardens.

Shane Watson and Faf Du Plessis opened for CSK and the batsmen did not face much resistance from the bowlers. Soon, there came a turn as Faf Du Plessis was trapped under experienced leg-spinner Piyush Chawla's googly. It was a smooth sailing for Chennai during the major portion of their batting. Chennai crossed the 100-run mark in the 12th over and Kuldeep yadav got the better of Raina in the same over. Sunil Narine struck a blow to Chennai by removing in-form Ambati Rayudu at a cheaper score this time. Dhoni swung into action and kept sending the ball into the crowd, during the process he got a lifeline too as he was dropped in the 18th over. Chennai put up a target of 178 runs.

Chasing a target of 178 runs, Kolkata Knight Riders openers Sunil Narine and Chris Lynn came to bat and Lungi Ngidi got an early breakthrough as Lynn walked back towards pavilion in the first over. Robin Uthappa replaced Lynn, Narine got two consecutive lifelines, courtesy below-par efforts from Ravindra Jadeja who dropped him twice in the second over. After Narine, Shubhman Gill and Rinku Singh kept the fight alive for a brief. Gill continued scoring runs for the team and made his fifty, Karthik gave him company and contributed 45 runs.

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.

IPL 2018, RCB vs CSK: Expect some bling as Chennai, Bangalore renew rivalry

In the 24th match of Vivo Indian Premier League (IPL 2018) Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are set to renew their intense rivalry after two years. The teams will face each other at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru from 8 pm today. Chennai Super Kings will see today’s match as an opportunity to return to the top of the Vivo IPL points table.

With CSK absent from the two previous seasons of IPL, fans on either side were robbed of IPL's most celebrated rivalry. Though Mahendra Singh Dhoni's CSK lead Virat Kohli's RCB 13-7 in overall head-to-head records, the two teams have won three games each of the seven played at the high-scoring M Chinnaswamy Stadium so far. One of the games producied no result. As for IPL 2018, Dhoni's men have seemed much better than RCB, winning four of the five games they have played so far. The Virat Kohli-captained RCB, which have won two of their five matches, would be eager to win today and maintain the momentum after their win against Delhi Daredevils at home in the 19th match of IPL 2018.

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.