Nitish Rana and Rinku Singh revived the Kolkata Knight Riders' run chase as Chennai Super Kings desperately searched for a breakthrough in the IPL 2023 encounter at Chepauk on Sunday. The pair added 99 runs for the fourth wicket after early blows by Deepak Chahar had reduced KKR to 33/3 in 4.3 overs. Earlier, Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine helped KKR restrict CSK at 144/6 in 20 overs after opting to bat. Ravindra Jadeja and Shivam Dube added 68 runs for the sixth wicket. Dube returned unbeaten on 48 off 34 balls. KKR won the match and made themselves available for the playoff race. Read the Match report of the CSK vs KKR clash and share your thoughts in the comments.

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CSK vs KKR: IPL 2023 Match Report

Chennai Super Kings won the toss & decided to bat first. Ruturaj Gaikwad and Conway started the proceedings with the bat while Vaibhav Arora started with the new ball. Gaikwad got off to a fiery start with a couple of boundaries. Conway on the other side, took time to settle in according to the pitch. Varun Chakaravarathy came up with a huge wicket of Gaikwad in the fourth over. He sent Gaikwad home for 17. His wicket brought Rahane onto the pitch. Conway & Rahane reconstructed the inning but Varun Chakaravarthy came up with another answer for that. He dismissed Rahane for 16 runs in the eighth over as Chennai Super Kings lost their second wicket at the score of 61 runs.

Shardul Thakur scalped the wicket of Devon Conway in the 10th over and CSK fell into complete trouble. Conway failed to boost his inning and lost his wicket for 30 runs. Sunil Narine then sent Raydu back to the dugout in the next over for only 4 runs. Narine gave another blow by dismissing Moeen Ali in the same over. Shivam Dube came and Jadeja took charge and tried to construct a partnership.

Shivam Dube smacked some big hits while Jadeja gave him support with singles and doubles. Dube missed out on his half-century by only 2 runs as he didn't get the strike in the last over for too long. Jadeja couldn't boost his inning and lost his wicket after scoring 20 runs in 24 deliveries. MS Dhoni came into the middle but KKR bowled brilliantly in the last two overs which helped them to restrict CSK from scoring boundaries. Dube returned with 48* while Varun & Narine ended their spell with two wickets each. Shardul and Vaibhav got one wicket each which was enough to restrict CSK from getting past 150 on a sluggish pitch of Chepauk.

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CSK vs KKR: IPL 2023 Match Report

Kolkata had a poor start during the chase. Gurbaz (1) lost his wicket in the third over to Chahar who was a little bit lucky as Deshpande took a brilliant catch at the boundary line. Roy (12) showed positive intent but he too departed early. Chahar gave a brilliant possible start to CSK by dismissing 3 top-order batters of KKR. He also dismissed Venkatesh Iyer (9) in his third over inside the powerplay.

Rinku Singh and skipper Nitish Rana tried to start a partnership and they successfully did so. They slowly progressed toward the target. There was a chance to dismiss one of the batters but Pathirana dropped the catch. It would have shifted the momentum once again in favour of Chennai Super Kings. Rinku Singh was scoring boundaries for fun as he got used to the pitch. Later, Rana joined the party with some boundaries too. Both the batters completed their half-centuries and completed a 99-run partnership. However, Moeen Ali broke the partnership by dismissing Rinku Singh (54) for a runout.

It didn't matter for KKR as they were too close for the victory. CSK's spin magic failed to do wonders in their home ground and it went in favour of Kolkata Knight Riders. KKR won the match by 6 wickets and kept their hopes alive for the playoffs.

Abhimanyu Easwaran was named the captain of the India A team for the tour of England as the BCCI announced the India A squad for the upcoming tour starting from 30th May 2025. 

India A will play two first-class matches against the England Lions at Canterbury and Northampton. Then they will play a practice match against the senior Indian team to prepare them for the big series against England. 

Karun Nair was rewarded for his excellent domestic form as he made a return to the India A side. His performance for the A side might decide whether he will be given a chance for the senior team or not.

Abishek Porel, who was named in the last India A's tour to Australia, has been replaced by Ishan Kishan in the side.

Shubman Gill and Sai Sudharsan, who will be busy in the Indian Premier League for the Gujarat Titans, will join the squad from the second match. 

India A squad for the England tour

India A squad: Abhimanyu Easwaran (C), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Karun Nair, Dhruv Jurel (VC) (WK), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Shardul Thakur, Ishan Kishan (WK), Manav Suthar, Tanush Kotian, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep, Harshit Rana, Anshul Kamboj, Khaleel Ahmed, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Sarfaraz Khan, Tushar Deshpande, Harsh Dubey

India A' schedule for the England tour

Cricket has always been a bridge across cultures, a phenomenon that connects players with fans from all around the world. Situations often force people to migrate from one country to the other. There have been instances when cricketers were born in different nations but ultimately played for a different country.

Let's take a look at the cricket facts of cricketers who didn't play for their country.

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Cricket Facts | Cricketers who didn't play for their country

5. Glenn Phillips (South Africa-born)

New Zealand cricket all-rounder Glenn Philips moved from East London, South Africa to New Zealand at the age of five. He pursued his education in New Zealand, where he began his cricket journey. Having made his domestic debut with Auckland, he signed with Otago to play alongside his brother, Dale Phillips, in 2022. Interestingly, he made his international debut against South Africa, the country where he was born.

4. Ish Sodhi (India-born)

Inderbir Singh 'Ish' Sodhi was born in Ludhiana, India, on October 31, 1992, and spent his early years in New Zealand. He made his New Zealand debut as a leg-spinner in 2013, and since then, he has been a reliable performer in limited-overs forms, contributing significantly to the country's T20 World Cup campaigns.

3. Devon Conway (South Africa-born)

After playing for Gauteng and the Highveld Lions, Devon Conway moved to New Zealand in 2017 and made an immediate impact. He was the leading run-scorer in both the 2018-19 Plunket Shield (659) and 2018-19 Super Smash (363). Conway became eligible to play for New Zealand in August 2020 and has since become a key player for them across all formats. He averages 36.72 after 27 Tests and has also made 36 ODI and 50 T20I appearances.

2. Marnus Labuschagne (South Africa-born)

Marnus Labuschagne was born in Klerksdorp, in South Africa. His family moved to Australia when he was 10. Labuschagne made his Australia debut in Tests in 2018, after Steve Smith suffered an injury during the Ashes tour. Since then the prolific batter has emulated the batting prowess of his best friend and has not looked back. 

Speaking of his impressive international cricket career for Australia, Marnus Labuschagne has played 57 Tests, scoring 4396 runs with 11 centuries, and played 63 ODIs, scoring 1869 runs with two centuries. He has also played one T20I match.

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1. Ben Stokes (New Zealand-born)

Ben Stokes was born in Christchurch, New Zealand, in June 1991. His family moved to Cumbria when Stokes was 12 years old after his father was appointed head coach at Workington Town Rugby League Club.

Stokes has played for England in all three formats. Stokes is regarded as one of England's greatest all-rounders in the history of the sport. In domestic cricket, he represents Durham and has played in multiple Twenty20 leagues around the world. He was part of the England team that won the 2019 Cricket World Cup and 2022 T20 World Cup.

The excitement of IPL 2025 is set to begin once again on May 17. However, the availability of foreign players has been a major challenge for many teams after the one-week postponement.

Many foreign players have returned to India for the remaining matches of IPL, but some have completely refused to come this season. One of them is the name of Australian legend Mitchell Starc. Starc was part of the Delhi Capitals team in IPL 2025.

Also Read: KKR Redefines Matchday Atmosphere with Unmatched Tifo Displays during IPL 2025

Starc returned due to India-Pakistan tension

However, Mitchell Starc returned to Australia due to tensions between India and Pakistan. Starc was also involved in the match when there was a sudden blackout in the match between Punjab Kings and Delhi Capitals in Dharamsala.

Many foreign players who played in this match were in shock, but now the situation has become normal and the tournament is starting again. In such a situation, there are many foreign players who have returned.

There is talk of imposing a penalty on Starc

Mitchell Starc was an important player for Delhi Capitals in IPL 2025, but Starc may be in trouble due to his non-return in the remaining matches. Starc was bought by Delhi Capitals for Rs 11.75 crore in the mega auction.

In such a situation, it is believed that the Delhi Capitals team can deduct the auction fee if he does not return for the remaining matches of the season, for which the Australian bowler is also said to be ready.

According to the report, Mitchell Starc may face a penalty of 400000 Australian dollars i.e. Rs 3.92 crore if he does not return to IPL 2025. This amount will be deducted from his auction fee.

Also Read: IPL 2025: Here are the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament

Starc's performance in IPL 2025

Talking about Starc's performance in IPL 2025, he has taken 14 wickets in 11 matches for Delhi Capitals at an economy rate of 10.16. Starc bowled very economically this season. So, his return could prove to be a big loss for Delhi Capitals as the team is in dire need of wins to make it to the top four of the tournament. 

Delhi Capitals are currently fifth on the IPL 2025 Points Table and are among the four contenders for the playoffs’ spot. They have three matches remaining, and a win in at least two of them will take them closer to the qualification. Winning all three, will guarantee a top four finish.

The City of Joy lived up to its billing during the IPL 2025 season as the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) turned Eden Gardens into a pulsating theatre of colour, creativity, and fandom.

The defending champions took fan experience to new heights by unveiling an unprecedented 14 different tifos across 7 home matches, setting a cultural benchmark not just in the IPL, but in Indian sport.

A ‘tifo’ often refers to a choreographed visual display, typically involving large banners, flags, or signs, performed by sports fans.

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From electrifying player-centric designs to moments to commemorate the ‘home of champions’, KKR delivered multiple tifos throughout the season, with the marquee clash against Chennai Super Kings (CSK) at the Eden Gardens witnessing a staggering seven unique tifos being unfurled.

Each tifo was conceptualised and executed to reflect the ethos of the franchise, reflecting fearlessness, expressiveness, and a deep connection to its city and its supporters, while also carrying the famous ‘Korbo, Lorbo, Jeetbo’ motto.

The unveiling of multiple tifos throughout the season not only added to the matchday experience but also reiterated KKR's commitment to their fans and the atmosphere at Eden Gardens. The initiative not only celebrated the team but also paid tribute to the loyal Knight Riders’ fan base, who have consistently packed the stands and brought the fortress to life.

As IPL 2025 faced disruptions and was suspended on 9th May, 2025, most of the overseas players returned back to their respective home countries.

The tournament is set to resume from 17th May, 2025, and it raises a crucial question about how many overseas players can rejoin their franchises.

Given their international commitments and other issues, check out the overseas players who might not come for the remainder of the tournament in IPL 2025 for each team.

IPL 2025 Points Table

Firstly, see where each team stands before the tournament resumes.

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Overseas players return status for the remainder of IPL 2025