BY SACNILK

Former India captain and two-time World Cup winner, Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday (August 15) via an Instagram post.## "Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout. from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired (sic)", read his post of the formal announcement.## View this post on Instagram Thanks a lot for ur love and support throughout.from 1929 hrs consider me as Retired A post shared by M S Dhoni (@mahi7781) on Aug 15, 2020 at 7:01am PDT ## Dhoni had earlier already quit Test cricket in 2014 after the Melbourne Test on the tour of Australia and had handed over ODI and T20I captaincy to Virat Kohli in January 2017.## In nearly 16 years at the highest level, Dhoni led India through its most successful era and has the 2007 T20 World Cup, 2011 ODI World Cup, and the 2013 Champions Trophy in his cabinet.## Dhoni's last ODI came against New Zealand in the semi-final of the world cup 2019 in which he finished with a fighting 72-ball 50 but his innings proved insufficient in the end. It was Dhoni's 350th ODI and he finished with 10,773 runs at an average of 50.57 in ODI career which lasts long almost 15-years. He is the fifth Indian to surpass the 10k-run mark in the 50-over format. The wicketkeeper-batsman also has 229 ODI sixes - the most for an Indian batsman.## Dhoni had captained India in 200 ODIs in which India won 110 matches while 74 defeats, 5 tied, 11 NR were also to his name. His 200th ODI captaincy assignment came in the Asia Cup 2018 encounter against Afghanistan after Rohit Sharma which ended in a tie. ## In T20Is, Dhoni played 98 games, scoring 1617 runs at a strike rate of 126.13. In the shortest format of the game, he led India in 72 matches of which 42 matches India ended as a winner. More importantly, he led India to glory in the inaugural World T20 in 2007. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Former team India and one of the most successful captains in white-ball cricket, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has turned 39 today (July 7). Fans and sports stars including team India captain Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ravi Shastri, and others across the country are pouring birthday wishes on the captain cool.## Here is what people have to say on MS Dhoni's birthday -## Happy birthday @msdhoni !May God bless you with good health and happiness in life.Have a great year ahead. pic.twitter.com/pGLRQYGzTh— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) July 7, 2020 ## Happy b'day Mahi bhai. Wish you good health and happiness always. God bless you 🙏😃 pic.twitter.com/i9zR4Zb5A3— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) July 7, 2020 ## Cooling off with Mr Cool. Happy birthday @msdhoni. pic.twitter.com/fZQgGGRcD4— Rohit Sharma (@ImRo45) July 7, 2020 ## Once in a generation, a player comes and a nation connects with him, think of him as a member of their family, kuch bahut apna sa lagta hai. Happy Birthday to a man who is the world ( Dhoni-ya ) for his many admirers. #HappyBirthdayDhoni pic.twitter.com/T9Bj7G32BI— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) July 7, 2020 ## Happy Birthday Youngster! Have an absolute blast Legend 🙏 #mahendrasinghdhoni #MSDhonibirthday #HBDDhoni #Dhoni pic.twitter.com/B4lzLbPAdt— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) July 7, 2020 ## A small try to make your birthday little more special. My best friend, teammate and captain, Happy Birthday Mahi Bhai @msdhoni Thank You @InsideCricket07 for making it happen. #HappyBirthdayDhoni pic.twitter.com/xfiakfh8Ai— IamKedar (@JadhavKedar) July 7, 2020 ## Happy Birthday @msdhoni sir. Wish you lots of happiness on your special day. Have a great day and an even more successful year ahead! 🙂— Smriti Mandhana (@mandhana_smriti) July 7, 2020 ## One man, countless moments of joy! 🇮🇳🙌Let’s celebrate @msdhoni's birthday by revisiting some of his monstrous sixes! 📽️💪#HappyBirthdayDhoni— BCCI (@BCCI) July 6, 2020 ## Wish you a very happy birthday Dhoni bhai. Have a good one! 😊@msdhoni— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) July 7, 2020 ## Wishing a very Happy Birthday to the Captain cool, @msdhoni.Hope to see you soon on the field with those helicopter shots 😄#HappyBirthdayDhoni pic.twitter.com/VVaWWVSNWu— Kidambi Srikanth (@srikidambi) July 7, 2020 ## Birthday greetings to the legend of the game @msdhoni bhaiya. #MSDhonibirthday #DhoniBirthdayCelebrations pic.twitter.com/TEBko7FfMB— Hima (@HimaDas8) July 7, 2020 ## 🏆 2007 ICC Men's T20 World Cup 🏆 2011 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 🏆 2013 ICC Champions Trophy Happy birthday to one of India's greatest captains of all time, MS Dhoni 🤩 pic.twitter.com/XWRlV63D36— ICC (@ICC) July 7, 2020 ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Former South Africa captain and one of the best batsmen of all-time, AB de Villiers said that he is a better batsman than Indian captain Virat Kohli when it comes to changing the game quicker. However, he also said that Kohli is a more reliable batsman than him as the later likes to bat deeper in the innings. ## While talking to Harsha Bhogle on a Cricbuzz in Conversation episode on Wednesday, de Villiers said, "We take on different bowlers. I personally like to attack a little earlier, not to show weakness early on. I am earlier to the trigger. I want the bowlers to feel early on that it will be trouble if I’m allowed to bat for 5 overs".## "Virat is a more reliable batsman. He’s the one you want to bat for 15 overs. I am better in a way I could change the game quicker, have an injection that could swing the game. So together we are a nice combo", he added.## Also Read - Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers picked India-South Africa combined ODI XI ## AB de Villiers and Virat Kohli are two of the most successful players in the history of the Indian Premier League. Playing for the Royal Challengers Banglore, the duo has played some of the best knocks and has been involved in many great partnerships in the IPL. They are the only two players with two 200+ partnerships in the T20s.## It is not a secret anymore that Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers shared a great bond of friendship. They have often seen talking about how they enjoy batting with each other and enjoy each other's company. De Villiers also believes that Kohli would belong to the category of great batsmen because of how he raises his game when his team needs him to bail them out. ## Harsha Bhogle also asked him to pick his all-time IPL XI and not to forget to pick himself. De Villiers, while picking his team, named MS Dhoni to lead his all-time best IPL XI and the reason he gave for picking Dhoni as captain that Dhoni is one of the most successful skippers of all time in the white-ball format.## For openers, the star batsman picked Virendra Sehwag and Rohit Sharma while Virat Kohli will be at number 3 followed by himself at number 4. Among the bowlers, he picked Kagiso Rabada and Jasprit Bumrah along Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan. ## Here is AB's complete team: Virendra Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (C & WC), Ben Stokes, Ravindra Jadeja, Rashid Khan, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Kagiso Rabada. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Ravichandran Ashwin is one of the finest off-spinners India has ever produced. His willingness to learn different things and look ahead of the game makes him a stand out performer. However, things were not the same at the beginning of his career. He had to work hard in the first-class cricket before he was picked by MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League in 2008 that changed his life forever. ## However, before becoming MS Dhoni's go-to man, the captain cool had a little idea about the then Ravichandran Ashwin who was looking to make his impact on the big stars like Matthew Hayden or Michael Hussey and the captain MS Dhoni himself. ## Talking to Harsha Bhogle in the episode of Cricbuzz in Conversation, Ashwin said, "The first thought that entered my head was that I will show these people who I am."## "I don't know if it's bullish or if its arrogance. People can talk and relate it to so many things but that's just the way I was. If I bowled to Hayden in the nets, I wanted him to play me and go back and think, how am I going to play this guy in the nets the next day. That's the impact I wanted to leave. Nobody was giving me a chance in hell to say ok Ashwin will play alongside Muralitharan or ahead of Muralitharan," he added. ## At the time when the great Muthiah Muralitharan was at his peak and was the first choice spinner of CSK, Ashwin used to thought that he could go ahead of Murli, such madness he had back then. ## "Murali is one of the greatest bowlers to have walked this planet. I thought I'll get there ahead of him one day, it was a madness of my head. Surely it was also a madness of the process I'd put myself through."## It might have seemed madness at that time, but Ravichandran Ashwin has somehow proved himself by becoming one of the leading wicket-takers in the world today, also equalling Muralitharan's feat of becoming the joint-fastest to take 350 wickets in just 66 Tests. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Team India captain Virat Kohli has credited Mahendra Singh Dhoni in becoming the captain of the team by playing an important role. During a live chat session on Instagram with his teammate Ravichandran Ashwin, Kohli said that MS Dhoni had a lot of confidence in him that he can do it after him. ## Kohli took over as the full-time Test captain when Dhoni retired from the longest format midway through India's tour of Australia in 2014-15 and later became captain across formats when Dhoni quit his limited-overs post in early 2017.## "I was always inclined towards taking responsibility. After that it was all about just wanting to play, wanting to be in the XI regularly. I didn't play all the games, but I wanted to be discussed, that 'whether this guy is good enough to play or not.' That is a transition that slowly happens," Kohli said.## The Indian captain also revealed that because of his interest in the game, he used to discuss a lot of things with MS Dhoni when he was not captain. Because Dhoni had observed him closely, it helped him become the captain of the side. ## "Then with your interest in the game, you start talking to the captain regularly. I was always in MS's ear, standing next to him, saying, 'We can do this, we can do that.' He would deny a lot of things but he would discuss a lot of things as well. I think he got a lot of confidence that I can do this after him".## "A large portion of me becoming captain was also to do with him observing me for a long period of time. It can't just happen that he goes and the selectors say, 'Okay you become captain.' Obviously the guy who is there takes responsibility and says, 'Okay I think this is the next guy. I will tell you how it is going.' And then slowly that transition is formed. He played a big role in that, and that trust you have to build over six-seven years. It doesn't happen overnight, it's a process," Kohli added.## A lot of credit of team India's success in recent times goes to Virat Kohli who has transformed the team. One of the biggest wins of team India under Kohli when India created history by winning the test series against Australia in Australia for the first time which came 4 years later of him becoming the test captain. ## Stay tuned...

BY SACNILK

Virat Kohli adds another star to his already aligned hat as he becomes India's most successful captain in Test format. After beating West Indies in the second Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica, he surpassed former captain MS Dhoni's record of 27 wins in 60 matches on 2 September 2019. To go past Dhoni, Kohli needed only 48 Test to set a new record.## "It's a by-product of the quality team we have here (becoming the most successful Indian captain). If we didn't have the bowlers we have, these results wouldn't have been possible. If you see these guys running in - Shami's spell today, Bumrah after having a small niggle, Ishant bowling his heart out, Jadeja bowling a long spell. Captaincy is just a C in front of your name. It's the collective effort that matters," Kohli said in the presentation ceremony.## Most Test wins for India captains:## 28 - VIRAT KOHLI (48 Tests)## 27 - MS Dhoni (60)## 21 - Sourav Ganguly (49)## 14 - Mohd Azharuddin (47)## It is India's 8th consecutive Test series win against West Indies. West Indies last beat India in 2002 under Carl Hooper when they won 5-match series by 2-1 in their home soil. Since then, West Indies has not won a single Test whereas lost 14 in this period against India.## India beat West Indies comprehensively by 2-0 to go on top of the ICC World Test Championship with 120 points. India whitewashed the Carrabian side on this tour. Having beaten them in T20Is and ODIs (3-0 & 2-0) earlier, India is now unbeaten post the World Cup heartbreak to New Zealand in the Semi-final.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Another season of Indian Premier League is just one match away from reaching to its conclusion. The final is set to take place on Sunday (May 12) at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad between the two most successful teams of the IPL history and three times champions each, Chennai Super Kings and Mumbai Indians.## Here is our team of the tournament:## 1. David Warner (SRH)## It has been a quite emotional season for the Australian left-hander who was making his comeback after missing out the previous season due to the Newlands' ball-tampering scandal last year. But he returned and returned with a bang. Smashing 692 runs in 12 innings with an average of 69.20 and strike rate of 143.87 including a century and 8 fifties. This year, he paired with England's Jonny Bairstow and both were quite sensational together. Even in 2017, Warner was the highest run-getter of the tournament with 641 runs 14 innings.## 2. KL Rahul (KXIP)## After getting a slow start in the first few matches, KL Rahul really took off and saw his 2018 version after that. Despite Kings XI Punjab not making to the playoffs just like the previous season, Rahul has had an impressive season with the bat. He smashed 593 runs in 14 innings with an average of 53.91 and strike rate of 135.38. He managed to get those runs with the help of a century and 6 half-centuries.## 3. Shreyas Iyer (DC)## It's been a landmark year for Shreyas Iyer not only as a batsman but also as a captain. Under Shreyas Iyer's captaincy, Delhi Capitals reached to the playoffs for the first time since 2012. However, he couldn't take DC to its first final but did remarkably well to take a young side to thus far. He impressed with the bat as well and smashed 463 runs in 16 innings with an average of 30.86 and hit 3 fifties.## 4. Rishabh Pant (DC)## The 21-year old may have not matured enough but had won Delhi Capitals 3 or 4 matches singlehandedly. The second highest run-getter of 2018, Rishabh Pant smashed the second fastest fifty (18 balls) of the tournament. Pant scored 488 runs in 16 innings with the thunderous strike rate of 162.66.## 5. Andre Russell (KKR)## Not many have the power of winning the game from the almost dead situation unless he is Andre Russell. The IPL 2019 will be remembered for Russell's brutal striking. The big man from West Indies was in different zone throughout the season and made 510 runs in 13 innings with the strike rate of 204.81. In first few matches, his scores were 49* off 19 balls vs SRH, 48 off 17 balls vs KXIP, 62 off 28 balls vs DC, 48* off 13 balls vs RCB. Quite unimaginable!## 6. MS Dhoni (CSK)## When it comes to finishing the game, no one knows better than MS Dhoni how to do that. Against Royal Challengers Bangalore when CSK needed 26 to win off the last 6 balls, Dhoni nearly did something unthinkable as CSK remained just two runs short of the target. Well, on the bigger note, CSK will play its 8th final out of the 10 seasons they played and the skipper played an important role in that with 414 runs in 11 innings with an average of 103.50 and strike rate of 137.54.## 7. Hardik Pandya (MI)## One of Mumbai Indians' key players Hardik Pandya has emerged as the genuine all-rounder this season. He seems to be the only competitor of Andre Russell in terms of the strike rate. His best effort came against Kolkata Knight Riders when he blasted 91 off 34 balls in chasing 233. However, Mumbai Indians couldn't cross the line but by then, Pandya has already played one of the best knocks in IPL history. He has scored 386 runs in 14 innings with the strike rate of 193 and also been impressive with his bowling as well and picked 14 wickets in 15 matches.## 8. Shreyas Gopal (RR)## The only bowler to take the wickets of Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers in the same innings on three occasions, Shreyas Gopal has been the biggest positive for Rajasthan Royals this year. He is also the contender of the emerging player of the tournament. In 14 matches, Gopal picked 20 wickets including the hat-trick against RCB.## 9. Imran Tahir (CSK)## With one of the trademark celebrations after taking the wicket, Imran Tahir has played an important role in CSK's success this year. His economy rate (6.65) has been one of the best in IPL 2019. In 16 matches so far, Tahir has picked 24 wickets and only behind his fellow countryman Kagiso Rabada.## 10. Kagiso Rabada (DC)## The champion bowler from South Africa is the leading wicket-taker with 25 wickets in 12 matches. The world saw his brilliance when he defended 10 runs against the likes of Russell in the super over. However, an injury ended his memorable season with DC but he ensured that DC reached to the playoffs for the first time since 2012.## 11. Jasprit Bumrah (MI)## No playing XI is complete without Jasprit Bumrah who's brilliance with new balls as well as in the death is unbelievable. It was Bumrah who played the biggest part in Mumbai Indians' title triumph against Chennai Super Kings with the figures of 4-0-14-2. Mumbai Indians were restricted to below par total but Bumrah, with his brilliance in the death overs denied CSK to win as MI completed narrowest 1-run win to lift the title for the record 4th time. Bumrah ended the season with 19 wickets in 16 matches with an outstanding economy of 6.63.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

The Kolhi we all know and the Kohli who was 10 years back, there have a lot been changed. Every youngster needs support and Kohli was lucky enough to have MS Dhoni when he started his international career. However, the ranked 1 batsman didn't take much time to show his class at the big stage but it was crucial for him that someone like Dhoni has always his back.## The current India captain in an interview given to 'India Today', expressed his gratitude towards the former captain MS Dhoni for his support in the difficult time and now, as the role has reversed, he is not going to back down from supporting veteran despite the recent criticism Dhoni has faced.## "It's unfortunate to see so many people going after him. For me, loyalty matters the most," Kohli's words showed his reverence for his first international captain. When I walked into the team he had the option of trying someone else after a few games, although I grabbed my chances for me to get that kind of backing, it was very crucial for me. Also, he gave me an opportunity to bat at No 3 because not many youngsters get to play at No 3," the skipper recalled his formative days in international cricket", Kohli said.## Even when Kohli is the captain of the ship, he has never hesitated to talk to Dhoni in crunch match situations and that where Kohli believes that they have a lot of respect for each other.## "It's just about the field placements and bowling changes and we say you know the angles, you know the pace of the pitch and that's why there is so much of trust and respect between the two of us. He is one person, who literally knows the game inside out. He understands the game from 'Ball 1 to Ball 300 (50 overs) on the field. I won't say it a luxury to have him but I am fortunate to have a mind like that from behind the stumps," Kohli said.## While the World Cup squad of India has announced, Virat Kohli feels that this is the most balanced team they could have picked. "We are very happy with 15 that we have. This is the most balanced side we could have thought of because everyone is in a good space".## The skipper said that the atmosphere in the dressing room is pretty chilled and relaxed. He himself along with MS Dhoni and vice-captain Rohit Sharma has made sure that the dressing room is in good shape.## "I think the whole management group, the way they have handled the entire group, it creates a good environment where everyone is relaxed. Our change room is like a living room, chilled out with everyone relaxed. "Indian team has to be paramount and everyone and players responded in a very positive manner right from the management, myself, Mahi bhai being the senior most guy and everyone. There is one goal and everyone is in sync with that goal." While the World Cup now occupies his mind space, he said that he doesn't need to switch buttons as the intensity always remains the same," He said.## Talking about the pressure of the World Cup Kohli said, "In 2011, I was not involved in a lot of things, was not involved in a lot of meetings, the pressures that come along. At this point in time, it's going to be different. Even in 2015, I wasn't involved to an extent where I had to be part of everything that is going on.## "To understand the magnitude of a tournament like this from a captain's point of view is a different ball game. I won't say that I will look to do something different just because its a World Cup. Fortunately, I am in the mindset, I don't have to pick myself up for a series, because I always have the same intensity and drive to take the team over the line".## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

MS Dhoni is the only captain in the history of the IPL who has won 100 or more matches as CSK captain. However, among the top 10 most successful captains in IPL, Rohit Sharma has the best win percentage. ## Here is the list of TOP 10 captains with most wins in IPL SNPlayerMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 1. MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS) 184 107 76 0 1 58.46 2. Gautam Gambhir (DD, KKR) 129 71 57 1 0 55.42 3. Rohit Sharma (MI) 113 66 43 4 0 60.17 4. Virat Kohli (RCB) 120 55 58 3 4 48.70 5. Adam Gilchrist (DC, KXIP) 74 35 39 0 0 47.29 6. Sachin Tendulkar (MI) 51 30 21 0 0 58.82 7. Shane Warne (RR) 55 30 24 0 1 55.45 8. David Warner (DD, SRH) 56 29 26 1 0 52.67 9. Virendra Sehwag (DD, KXIP) 53 28 24 0 1 53.77 10. R Dravid (RR, RCB) 48 22 26 0 0 45.83 ## DC - Deccan Chargers## Note - Data as of 21 October 2020.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Indian Premier League has seen so many captains over the last 12 years. Some have been so successful and become the synonym of success while some couldn't make their mark at the biggest stage. It is often said that a captain is as good as a team but sometimes, a good captain makes a team look good with his smart moves during the game.## In IPL, a few captains have been able to change that scenario and have been so successful with even an ordinary team. Now, the question should be raised who is the best captain among them? Well, for that we need to look back at the records.## Here is the list of TOP 5 most successful captain in IPL (accroding to win %, 50+ matches):## 1. MS Dhoni (CSK, RPS) - Mahendra Singh Dhoni doesn't need the second introduction. He is the only captain in IPL to win 100 matches as captain. There are only a few captains in the world who have been as successful as MS Dhoni. He is the only captain in the world who has won T20I World Cup, 50-over World Cup and Champions Trophy as captain and without a doubt has one of the smartest minds in cricket.## Chennai Super Kings has become a brand in the IPL and MS Dhoni is probably the biggest reason for that. He is captaining CSK since the first season (2008) and has led his side winning the title on three occasions while four times CSK has been runner-up in nine seasons they have played. There is no other team being as successful as CSK and Dhoni without a doubt is the main reason for it.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2008-19 174 104 69 0 1 60.11 ## 2. Sachin Tendulkar (MI) - The legend of the game and arguably the greatest batsman after Sir Don Bradman, Sachin Tendulkar is one of only two Indian players who has won player of the tournament award in IPL. He was the first ever captain for Mumbai Indians and captained for three years.## However, Mumbai Indians couldn't win during Tendulkar's captaincy period but he led MI to the finals in 2010 only to lose against Chennai Super Kings. One of the icon players, Sachin Tendulkar was the player of the tournament in 2010.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2008-11 51 30 21 0 0 58.82 ## 3. Rohit Sharma (MI) - Mumbai Indians is probably the only team who has dominated Chennai Super Kings and has been the most successful team since Rohit Sharma has taken the captaincy in 2013. The team has seen some great players like Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shaun Pollack but they couldn't take the team to glory until Rohit takes the charge.## Since 2013, Mumbai Indians has won three titles in 2013, 2015, and 2017. Rohit Sharma also has similarities of Dhoni who keep his head calm under pressure and that helped him become one of the most successful captains in IPL history.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2013-19 104 60 42 2 0 58.65 ## 4. Shane Warne (RR) - The first ever captain to lift an IPL Trophy, Shane Warne took an ordinary team Rajasthan Royals to glory. A team without star players has its name in the history book. Shane Warne showed the world that even without star players can reach the heights. However, 2008 success is alone standing glory for RR as they could never repeat the same kind of success again.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2008-11 55 30 24 1 0 55.45 ## 5. Gautam Gambir (DD, KKR) - Gautam Gambhir started his IPL career with Delhi Daredevils. And soon become captain after the first season. However, he couldn't be successful with DD as captain. Time changes and he was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders in 2011 and immediately given the captaincy. In his first attempt as KKR captain, he led his side to playoffs.## KKR's 2011 performance was enough to prove Gambhir's potential as captain and didn't take a long time to convert his potential into glory. In 2012 and 2014, Gambhir led KKR to title triumph and became KKR's most loved face. There is no doubt Gambhir has been the Piccaso of KKR's IPL journey.## A statical view at his captaincy record in IPL## SpanMatchesWonLostTiedNRWin % 2009-18 129 71 57 1 0 55.42 ## Note - Data as of 13th May 2019 ## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Defending and three-time champions Chennai Super Kings will start their campaign against the Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Banglore in the opener of the Indian Premier League 2019 at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on 23rd March.## Here is the CSK's schedule for the IPL 2019 Match No.DateOpponentVanueH/A 1st Mar 23, Sat Royal Challangers Bangalore MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 5th Mar 26, Tue Delhi Capitals Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi A 12th Mar 31, Sun Rajasthan Royals MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 15th Apr 03, Wed Mumbai Indians Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai A 18th Apr 06, Sat Kings XI Punjab MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 23rd Apr 09, Tue Kolkata Knight Riders MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 25th Apr 11, Thu Rajasthan Royals Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur A 29th Apr 14, Sun Kolkata Knight Riders Eden Gardens, Kolkata A 33rd Apr 17, Wed Sunrisers Hyderabad Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad A 39th Apr 21, Sun Royal Challengers Bangalore M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru A 41st Apr 23, Tue Sunrisers Hyderabad MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 44th Apr 26, Fri Mumbai Indians MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 50th May 01, Wed Delhi Capitals MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai H 55th May 05, Sun Kings XI Punjab Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium, Mohali A ## CSK's Team Squad BatsmenAll-RoundersWicket-KeepersBowlers Suresh Raina Shane Watson MS Dhoni Harbhajan Singh Faf du Plessis Kedar Jadhav Sam Billings Mohit Sharma Ambati Rayudu Dwayne Bravo Narayan Jagadeesan Karn Sharma Murli Vijay Ravindra Jadeja Deepak Chahar Dhruv Shorey David Willey Shardul Thakur Ruturaj Gaikwad Mitchell Santner KM Asif Chaitanya Bishnoi Imran Tahir Monu Kumar ## Probable Playing XI:-## Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (C & WK), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Imran Tahir, Mohit Sharma, Deepak Chahar.## Follow for more...

BY SACNILK

Chennai Super Kings (CSK) has been one of the most consistent teams of the Indian Premier League over the 9 of 11 IPL seasons and probably are the most favorite to win its 12th edition if odds aren't derived. CSK has been the mixture of youth and experience that make them one of the most invincible teams of the biggest T20 tournament.## CSK with Shane Watson, Faf du Plessis, and Suresh Raina have one of the best and lethal top orders in IPL. With MS Dhoni's presence in the middle order along with Ambati Rayudu and Kedar Jadhav make CSK one of the most balanced sides who have the all-rounders like Ravindra Jadeja and Dwayne Bravo. Bowling has always been looked weakness of CSK on paper but there is something about MS Dhoni who brings out the best of an ordinary bowler.## CSK have participated in 9 out of 11 seasons and have reached in the final for 7 times of which they have won 3 times. They couldn't take part in 2016, and 2017 season due to ban. But they return in grand style to win the title for the 3rd time in 2018. However, there are five players who can win CSK their 4th title and will be the key for the men in yellow for the upcoming addition.## Here is the list of 5 players to watch out for in IPL 2019 (CSK):## 1. Shane Watson (All-Rounder) - Shane Watson was probably the biggest star for CSK's fairy-tale title triumph last year. With 555 runs in 15 innings, he was CSK's second highest run scorer after Ambati Rayudu. With his vast experience of playing in the IPL, he will be one to watch out for in the 12th season of Indian Premier League.## A statical view at his IPL career (Batting)## YearMatchesInningsRunsH.S.10050S.R. 2018 15 15 555 117* 2 2 154.59 Overall 117 113 3,177 117* 4 16 141.20 ## Bowling## YearMatchesInningsWicketsBBI5-WicketsEcon 2018 15 11 6 - 0 8.96 Overall 117 105 92 4/29 0 7.93 ## 2. Suresh Raina (Batsman) - Suresh Raina with average 400 runs in every season is probably the most consistent batsman ever in Indian Premier League history. He has been always been the backbone of Chennai Super Kings and has played an important role in all three CSK's title triumph. Though the chances are very thin this tournament could be the turning point for his international career as he is currently out of the Indian team.## A statical view at his IPL career## YearMatchesInningsRunsH.S.10050S.R. 2018 15 15 445 75* 0 4 132.44 Overall 176 172 4,985 117* 1 35 138.43 ## 3. MS Dhoni (Wk-Batsman) - With world cup just around the corner, MS Dhoni's form will be the key for India's hope of winning the cup. Dhoni has been playing well but his ability to score quickly in the last overs somehow has gone. He hasn't been able to finish the game. However, since Australia tour last year, he is slowly getting back into that rhythm and hence, this tournament is going to be vital for his own confidence.## A statical view at his IPL career## YearMatchesInningsRunsH.S.10050S.R. 2018 16 15 455 79* 0 3 150.66 Overall 175 158 4,016 79* 0 20 138.20 ## 4. Dwayne Bravo (ALL-Rounder) - Dwayne Bravo has been one of the most consistent players for CSK. He can be lethal with the bat and equally effective with the ball, especially in death overs. In a match last year against Mumbai Indians, he smashed 25-ball fifty and gave his side a win which at one stage was looking almost impossible. He has been MS Dhoni's one of the most trustworthy foreign players and will have shown that trust again if CSK eying 4th title win.## A statical view at his IPL career (Batting)#### YearMatchesInningsRunsH.S.10050S.R. 2018 16 10 141 68 0 1 154.94 Overall 122 93 1,403 70 0 5 128.72 ## Bowling## YearMatchesInningsWicketsBBI5-WicketsEcon 2018 16 16 14 - 0 9.96 Overall 122 119 136 4/22 0 8.44 ## 5. Lungi Ngidi (Bowler) - Lungi Ngidi made his debut in IPL last year and was mighty impressive for the men in yellow. His ability to hit the deck hard and swing the ball in both ways makes him players to watch out for in IPL 2019.## A statical view at his IPL career## YearMatchesInningsWicketsBBI5-WicketsEcon 2018 7 7 11 4/10 0 6.0 ## Follow for more...