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IPL 2025: MS Dhoni the finisher falls short as Rajasthan Royals prevail against Chennai Super Kings | Cricket News – The Times of India

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IPL 2025: MS Dhoni the finisher falls short as Rajasthan Royals prevail against Chennai Super Kings | Cricket News – The Times of India


MS Dhoni (BCCI/IPL Photo)

NEW DELHI: MS Dhoni on strike. 20 runs needed off the last over. The weight of expectations from thousands of roaring CSK fans. A nightmare scenario for any bowler, but Rajasthan Royals’ medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma rose to the occasion with nerves of steel.
Defending a total against the ultimate last-over finisher is no small task, and the tension was palpable as Sandeep was handed the ball for the final over. He started with a wide, adding to the drama, but what followed stunned the Guwahati crowd into silence.
On the next delivery, Sandeep bowled a low full toss, and Dhoni, attempting to muscle it across the leg side, made solid contact. But stationed at deep mid-wicket was Shimron Hetmyer, who sprinted to his left and pulled off a stunning low catch. The stadium, which had erupted moments earlier, fell into an eerie hush as Dhoni stood motionless, processing his dismissal.
Sandeep, overwhelmed by the moment, folded his hands and looked up, thanking the almighty. His teammates rushed in to celebrate, knowing they had sealed a crucial victory. Rajasthan Royals had conquered the Dhoni factor, clinching the match by six runs.
CSK fans had hoped for a vintage Dhoni-Jadeja rescue act with 45 needed off the last three overs.
Dhoni, under scrutiny for batting at No. 9 in the previous match, promoted himself to No. 7 this time but struggled to find the boundary. In the 18th over, bowled by Maheesh Theekshana, he faced three deliveries and could only manage three runs, further increasing the pressure.

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The spark finally came in the penultimate over when Dhoni hammered Tushar Deshpande for a boundary off the first ball and followed it up with a huge six. The crowd found its voice again as CSK needed 20 off the last six balls.
With Dhoni in full flow, many believed the script was set for another magical finish. But Sandeep Sharma had other plans. Keeping his composure, he executed his deliveries to perfection, starting with Dhoni’s dismissal and ensuring CSK never recovered from the setback.
Earlier in the match, Rajasthan Royals posted 182/9, led by Riyan Parag’s 37 and Nitish Rana’s explosive 81. CSK, despite Ruturaj Gaikwad’s 63, fell just short, thanks to Sandeep’s brilliance at the death.
With this thrilling victory, Rajasthan Royals gained crucial momentum and will now shift their focus to their next clash against Punjab Kings on Saturday.


Get the latest IPL 2025 updates on Times of India, including match schedules, team squads, points table and IPL live score for CSK, MI, RCB, KKR, SRH, LSG, DC, GT, PBKS, and RR. Don’t miss the list of players in the race for IPL Orange Cap and IPL Purple cap.





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Mohammed Shami calls Hardik Pandya ‘bhai’ and asks for his autograph – WATCH – The Times of India

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Mohammed Shami and Hardik Pandya (Image credit: Mumbai Indians)

NEW DELHI: Rohit Sharma struck his second consecutive half-century and stitched a crucial 53-run stand with Suryakumar Yadav (40*), powering Mumbai Indians to a dominant seven-wicket victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL on Wednesday. Chasing a modest target of 144, Mumbai wrapped up the win in just 15.4 overs, marking their fourth straight win and third successful chase in a row.
The chase was anchored by Rohit, who was at his fluent best with a 46-ball 70. He took charge early, launching Pat Cummins over deep square leg for a six and following it up with a crisp four in the third over.
Showing great awareness of the flat Hyderabad pitch, Rohit—who came in as an impact sub—was quick to capitalize, especially when Jaydev Unadkat took the pace off the ball. A powerful lofted six over cover in the fourth over set the tone for what would be a commanding innings.
Rohit’s composed yet aggressive approach, blending caution with controlled aggression, proved too good for the SRH bowlers. With Suryakumar complementing him well, the result was never in doubt.

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Earlier, Sunrisers Hyderabad, after a poor start, were bailed out by Heinrich Klaasen’s counter-attacking 71 off 44 balls. He shared a 99-run partnership with Abhinav Manohar (43 off 37), helping SRH recover to 143/8. Despite their efforts, it proved too little against a resurgent Mumbai side.
In a light-hearted post-match moment, SRH pacer Mohammad Shami was seen taking Hardik Pandya’s autograph on an ICC Champions Trophy 2025 jersey. Both players were part of India’s victorious campaign, where they beat New Zealand by four wickets in the final held in Dubai.
Mumbai, now with back-to-back wins over SRH this season, continue to build strong momentum in their campaign.





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Daily Quiz | Sachin Tendulkar’s IPL performance

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IPL 2025 | Ishan Kishan’s bizarre dismissal in SRH-MI clash raises eyebrows

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Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Ishan Kishan
| Photo Credit: Reuters

India wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan’s bizarre caught-behind when his bat did not come in contact with the ball during an embarrassing SRH batting collapse on Wednesday (April 23, 2025) caught the eye in the IPL clash against Mumbai Indians.

Left-hander Kishan, who had just opened his account in the previous over, tried to work pacer Deepak Chahar’s first delivery, which was drifting down the leg side. The ball was collected by MI wicketkeeper Ryan Rickelton and neither him nor the bowler showed any inclination to appeal for a caught behind.

On-field umpire Vinod Seshan was also close to declaring it a wide. But, to everyone’s surprise, Kishan walked away, indicating he had edged it to the keeper.

Surprised by the batter’s move, Seshan too raised his finger.

Kishan’s gesture had MI skipper Hardik Pandya — who had appealed half-heartedly — pat the left-hander on his helmet and shoulders.

Mumbai Indians skipper Hardik Pandya interacts with Sunrisers Hyderabad batsman Ishan Kishan as the latter returns after being dismissed during the IPL match on April 23, 2025
| Photo Credit:
K.V.S. Giri

Replays showed the ball was drifting away from Kishan’s bat when it passed the left-hander, and there was no spike on the UltraEdge either.

It is believed that, on most occasions, a batter comes to know whether he has edged the ball or not. But given the situation SRH are in on the points table — they are placed ninth — they needed to make the most of a flat batting wicket. Kishan’s dismissal saw SRH slump to 9/2 in the third over.

“You think you have seen it all after all these years and yet I must admit the Ishan Kishan’s dismissal leaves me perplexed,” wrote commentator Harsha Bhogle on X, expressing his surprise at the turn of events.





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