Sports

Former India cricketer MS Dhoni (left) is Honey Singh’s favourite cricketer. (PTI Photos)

Yo Yo Honey Singh has revealed that MS Dhoni is his favorite cricketer, explaining that he became a die-hard fan after meeting him. The singer and music producer shared this during his ongoing “Millionaire Tour” in Kolkata.
Honey Singh stated that before Dhoni, he was a huge Sachin Tendulkar fan.
“Mai sabse tagda fan agar cricket mein hua hoon toh woh Tendulkar Sir ka hua hoon (If I have ever been the strongest fan of anyone in cricket, it has been of Sachin Tendulkar Sir),” he said at the concert.
Honey Singh then revealed when he switched his allegiance to MS Dhoni.
“Personally, jab mai mila toh mai khatarnak fan ho gaya Dhoni paaji ka. Uske jaisa insaan maine apni zindagi mein nahin dekha. Samandar hai woh, samandar (When I personally met Dhoni, I became a die-hard fan of his. I have never seen anyone like him in my life. He is an ocean),” Honey Singh said.
Chennai Super Kings, who are struggling in the IPL, will face Kolkata Knight Riders on Friday.
CSK will have to correct their course to return to winning ways, and as has been the case in recent weeks, much of the focus will again be on veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who smashed a 12-ball 27 against PBKS with three sixes and a four.
Dhoni has recently been criticized for his perceived lack of intent. However, against Punjab Kings, the 43-year-old seemed to turn back the clock with his explosive batting.
With four consecutive defeats, Chennai will attempt to return to winning ways on Friday against the defending champions, Kolkata Knight Riders, at Chepauk.
Dhoni is the sixth-highest run-scorer in the tournament’s history, with 5,346 runs at an average of 39.31 and a strike rate of over 137, including 24 fifties and a best score of 84. In IPL 2025, Dhoni has scored 103 runs in five innings at an average of 51.50 and a strike rate of over 153.73; his best score is 30.”

Rajasthan Royals head coach Rahul Dravid© BCCI

A beleaguered Chennai Super Kings will have their task cut out against Kolkata Knight Riders as they look to break a frustrating run of defeats in front of their loyal but success-deprived supporters in the ongoing Indian Premier League in Chennai on Friday (April 11, 2025).

Heading into the critical game, in which a loss could spell more trouble for CSK, the home team is taking some solace from the batters’ impressive show in the last match against Punjab Kings, which they lost by 18 runs after being set a stiff target of 219 in Mullanpur.

CSK are now hoping for a change in fortune at Chepauk, which has so far this season not afforded them the advantage it has been know to give in the past, something that has also forced longtime coach Stephen Fleming to express his frustration after a massive loss against Royal Challengers Bengaluru some days back.

CSK did not enjoy home advantage at Chepauk, which has been a significant factor in their previous success. The pitch has changed significantly, making it harder for them to read and adapt to.

For CSK to change the tide, they have no option but to try and get acclimatised to the conditions here, and their spinners will have to find ways to succeed at a venue in which they have dominated for a prolonged period.

CSK will have to do course correction in order to get back to winning ways and as has been the case in last couple of weeks, a lot of the focus will again be on veteran Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who smashed a 12-ball 27 against PBKS with three sixes and a four.

The likes of Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Shivam Dube will be entering the match on the back of some welcome runs, and that is one positive for CSK in these difficult times.

After his failure against PBKS, skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad will however look to fire on Friday while hoping for useful contributions from his colleagues in the top and middle-order.

The bowling will more or less remain the same with Khaleel Ahmed, Mukesh Choudhary and Matheesha Pathirana handling the pace department and the trio of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Noor Ahmad hoping to work their magic with their spin bowling.

Kolkata Knight Riders’ Ajinkya Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer take a run during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens
| Photo Credit:
K.R. Deepak

As far as the Knight Riders are concerned, they will be smarting from their narrow loss against Lucknow Super Giants three days back, and will look to get back to winning ways before it gets too late for the defending champions.

Their bowlers were taken to the task by LSG batters at Eden Gardens and they will hope for a much-improved performance at Chepauk, while the batting unit will bank on the likes of Quinton de Kock, Sunil Narine, skipper Ajinkya Rahane, Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Andre Russell and Rinku Singh to fire and lead their resurgence.

CSK are placed ninth in the standings after four losses and a solitary win, while KKR are in sixth position with two wins and three defeats in five matches.

Teams

Kolkata Knight Riders: Quinton de Kock (wk), Sunil Narine, Ajinkya Rahane (c), Angkrish Raghuvanshi, Venkatesh Iyer, Rinku Singh, Manish Pandey, Andre Russell, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Spencer Johnson, Varun Chakaravarthy, Anrich Nortje, Vaibhav Arora, Anukul Roy, Luvnith Sisodia, Moeen Ali, Rovman Powell, Mayank Markande, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Chetan Sakariya.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Shivam Dube, Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin, Devon Conway, Syed Khaleel Ahmed, Rachin Ravindra, Rahul Tripathi, Vijay Shankar, Sam Curran, Shaik Rashid, Anshul Kamboj, Mukesh Choudhary, Deepak Hooda, Gurjanpreet Singh, Nathan Ellis, Jamie Overton, Kamlesh Nagarkoti, Ramakrishnan Ghosh, Shreyas Gopal, Vansh Bedi, Andre Siddarth.

Match starts at 7.30 pm.

Former cricketer-turned-commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu has rooted for Punjab Kings opener Priyansh Arya to represent India in the international circuit for a long time following his blitzkrieg against Chennai Super Kings in the ongoing edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025. When Punjab were looking like a lost cause, dwindling at 83/5, with defeat staring at their face, Priyansh raised the tempo with a memorable outing with the bat. With the odds stacked against Punjab, he tore through Chennai’s star-studded bowling unit, featuring Matheesha Pathirana, Noor Ahmad, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.

The 24-year-old rode on luck and saw Chennai flooring his catch twice as he walloped to a 39-ball century, his first in the cash-rich league. Priyansh’s effortless strokeplay and belligerent approach, combined with finishing touches from Shashank Singh (52*) and Marco Jansen (34*), inspired PBKS to muscle its way to a daunting 219/6.

For Sidhu, who has seen various prospects develop, shine and leave in the world of cricket, Priyansh emerges as the second player who lives up to his criteria of being a “miracle” after the legendary ‘Master Blaster’ Sachin Tendulkar.

“Priyansh Arya will play for India for a long time. After Sachin Tendulkar, he is the second player who is a miracle (Sachin ke baad doosra khilaadi ha jo chamatkar ha) because today he scored a century in a tough situation. Look at the bowlers he faced; he scored a century at a 250-strike rate,” Sidhu said in a video he posted on Instagram.

“When Shreyas, Nehal, and Prabhsimran were dismissed, he scored runs with his strong wrists. The way he scores sixes on point and covers, he covered all ranges. Pathirana, Jadjea, Ashwin and Noor were the bowlers in front of him. He won a lost match for Punjab,” he added.

After Priyansh’s rollicking 103(42), featuring nine maximums, the onus fell on Punjab’s bowling unit to ensure Chennai continued its journey of chasing its first 180-plus targets since 2018.

Despite an imposing start from Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra, Chennai fell 18 runs short of victory and surrendered to its fourth consecutive defeat in the ongoing season.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Photo Source: @FCBarcelona on X

Barcelona got a foot inside the semifinals of the Champions League after their commanding 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinal first leg on Wednesday.
The Barca dominance was led by Robert Lewandowski‘s double strike, which has put the Spanish giants on the verge of their first semifinal appearance in the tournament since 2019
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The victory also extended Barca’s unbeaten run to 23 matches.
The five-time champions initiated the scoring through the in-form Raphinha, before Lewandowski reached his remarkable 40-goal milestone for the season with two clinical finishes.
Young sensation Lamine Yamal showcased an exceptional performance throughout the match, skilfully adding Barcelona’s fourth goal as Dortmund struggled to contain the onslaught.
Barcelona, whose last Champions League triumph came in 2015, will travel to Germany next Tuesday, aiming to secure a semi-final place against either Inter Milan or Bayern Munich.
Barcelona, the current leaders of La Liga, dominated early and broke the deadlock after 25 minutes. A precise free-kick from Lopez found Inigo Martinez at the far post, who directed it to Pau Cubarsi, setting up a goal-bound attempt. Raphinha, the competition’s leading marksman, ensured the ball crossed the line by sliding in to claim his 12th goal, though Cubarsi’s initial shot was already destined for the net.
The Brazilian winger waited anxiously as VAR officials verified he was not offside.
Before half-time, Serhou Guirassy missed two clear opportunities to equalise for the away side.
Niko Kovac’s Dortmund faced consequences for Guirassy’s missed opportunities when Lewandowski scored his 10th goal of the tournament in the early stages of the second half.
Three minutes after the break, Yamal delivered a cross to Raphinha, who directed a header towards Lewandowski at the far post, allowing him to score from close range beneath the crossbar.
Barcelona continued their pursuit of a decisive third goal, with Lopez hitting the post and narrowly missing the target. The breakthrough arrived in the 66th minute when Lopez assisted Lewandowski, who found the net with a powerful shot at the near post.
The former Dortmund forward’s strike marked his 29th goal in 28 matches against his previous club, while also bringing his Barcelona tally to 99 since his arrival in 2022.
Yamal, who consistently troubled Dortmund’s defence throughout the match, rightfully scored after the visitors left significant gaps, allowing Raphinha to set him up for a clear shot on goal.
The sole concern for Barcelona emerged when Yamal requested a substitution near the end, though he appeared cheerful while receiving applause from the crowd.
Barcelona’s pursuit of four trophies this season appears promising, given their impressive display in this match.

Yashasvi Jaiswal in action during IPL 2025© AFP

Rajasthan Royals’ captain Sanju Samson and Gujarat Titans’ captain Shubman Gill shake hands before the Indian Premier League cricket match between Gujarat Titans and Rajasthan Royals at Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedaba(AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)
| Photo Credit: AP

Rajasthan Royals skipper Sanju Samson has been asked to pay a hefty fine of ₹24 lakh after his team maintained a slow over-rate during their match against Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League here.

Gujarat Titans won the match by 58 runs. Set a target of 218, the Royals were all out for 159 in 19.2 overs at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Wednesday (April 9, 2025).

“Rajasthan Royals captain Sanju Samson has been fined after his team maintained a slow over-rate during Match No. 23 of the TATA Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 against Gujarat Titans at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad,” the IPL said in a statement on Thursday.

“As this was his team’s second offence of the season under Article 2.22 of the IPL’s Code of Conduct, which pertains to minimum over-rate offences, Samson was fined INR 24 lakhs.

“The rest of the members of the playing XI, including the Impact Player, will be fined either INR six lakhs or 25 per cent of their respective match fees, whichever is lesser,” it added in the statement.

Currently, GT lead the pecking order with four wins and a solitary loss in five matches, while RR are placed way down at seventh position with two victories and three defeats in five games.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru’s Virat Kohli plays a shot during an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 cricket match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. (PTI Photo)

Virat Kohli was amused watching his 14-year-old post-match interview from 2011, where he received his first Player of the Match award.
In that game against Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals), he scored 56 off 38 balls, including eight fours and two sixes, helping Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) chase down 162.
During the post-match presentation, a young Kohli stated, “To be honest, I didn’t plan to bat like that. But when I started hitting the ball well, I took charge from Chris. That was the plan in the middle, so he could play himself in, and I could go for my shots because I was hitting it well.”

Upon viewing the clip on JioHotstar’s ’18 Calling 18′, Kohli was incredulous. “I don’t even know what I said. You guys brought it here from somewhere,” he told host Jatin Sapru.
“Chris could play himself in? Wow! Look at the delusion!” Kohli remarked. “Since the social media boom, fans have started analysing players’ quotes, which has become way too twisted.”
The 36-year-old is in good form this IPL, with 164 runs, including two half-centuries, at a 154.70 strike rate.
Virat Kohli completed 13,000 runs in T20 cricket on Monday, becoming only the fifth player and first Indian to do so. Virat reached this milestone during his side’s IPL match against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede Stadium on Monday.
Virat is the sixth-highest run-getter in the tournament so far. Now, in 403 T20s, Virat has made 13,050 runs at an average of 41.56, with nine centuries and 99 fifties to his name.
RCB has had a strong start, winning three of their four games, placing them third in the points table.
RCB plays Delhi Capitals at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Thursday.