Chennai Super Kings assistant bowling coach Sridharan Sriram revealed that Noor Ahmad benefited from a detailed discussion with MS Dhoni during a net session, where he was advised to work on his leg-breaks.Noor delivered a match-winning performance with figures of 3/21 in four overs as Chennai Super Kings defeated Kolkata Knight Riders in their IPL 2026 match on Tuesday. He played a key role in breaking the middle order as Kolkata lost control of the chase.After the match, Sriram spoke about the adjustments Noor made and the role Dhoni played in his preparation.“It was good. The wicket helped today. There was a little bit of turn for him. The other wickets are quite flat, but today it was a little slower through the air. There was more side spin on the ball and more drop,” Sriram said.“That is something he has been working on. Even MS had a long chat with him in one of the practice sessions, especially about getting his leg-break going. I think it was very helpful today, and the results were there to see,” he added.Sriram stressed on the importance of getting deviation off the pitch for spinners.“I think to be able to get some deviation off the surface is very important. I think that is what he’s been working on. Everybody accepts there are going to be days when the wickets are going to be very flat.“But still looking to be aggressive, putting revs on the ball and getting the ball to spin will definitely help him a lot, and that’s where you can induce mistakes. Because once you start to get defensive, then the batters are going to get on top of you,” he said.Noor has taken four wickets in five matches this season, with three of them coming in this game. According to the coaching staff, the nature of the pitches earlier in the tournament also played a role in his limited returns.Chasing 193, Kolkata were 79/3 in the 10th over before Noor struck in the 11th over. He dismissed Ajinkya Rahane and Cameron Green on consecutive deliveries to reduce them to 85/5.Rovman Powell, who hit an unbeaten 31, and Ramandeep Singh (35) attempted to revive the chase but could never keep up with the asking rate.

NEW DELHI: The anticipation was sky-high as fans waited to see their superstar MS Dhoni in action in IPL 2026, but the wait continues. When Ruturaj Gaikwad walked out for the toss alongside Ajinkya Rahane at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, fans were hoping to hear the words: “MS Dhoni will play today.”But that announcement never came.Dhoni, who was seen batting in the nets on Monday ahead of the CSK vs KKR clash, is still in recovery.KKR Ajinkya Rahane won the toss and opted to field against CSK.“Looking to bowl first. I think the last game was really good for us. Unfortunately, the result didn’t go our way. But I thought the kind of cricket we played, guys are getting that confidence from the last game. It’s all about starting fresh. It’s important when things are not going your way, it’s important to have that belief, stay positive and having those small, small moments in T20 format is really important. So, now looking forward to this game, we’ll start off really well with the ball and then look to chase down the target,” Rahane said during the toss. “Yes, absolutely. The kind of knock Mukul played at the night was fantastic. I mean, it’s going to happen in this format. As I said, it’s all about belief. You know, guys are working really hard. For us, what matters is, putting those hard efforts, focusing on the control levels as players and, you know, having that belief in each and every individual. As I said, the combination looked really good for us in the last game. So, yeah, thinking about this game and just wanted to be in the moment. I mean, it is challenging after the mega auction to find the right balance and obviously the flow players are going through the injuries, players are unavailable. Tonight, just one change for us. Varun Chakaravarthy is fit. He’s come in in place of Navdeep Saini,” he said. Gaikwad, on the other hand, did not provide any update on MS Dhoni’s fitness and opted to stick with the same playing XI.“Yes, we would have bowled first as well. But as I said, you know, The wicket hasn’t changed much throughout the course of the game. So not much of a difference. Definitely putting a big total on the scoreboard first innings will be challenging, but as I said, you know, it looks a really good surface. Yes, as I said, even in the post-match as well, I felt the bowling was really good defending 210, you know, against a strong DC side. Gave us a lot of confidence and you know, even the fielding unit was charged up. We saved a few runs and that is how I think collectively we did really well,” Gaikwad said. “Really exciting today as well. We got a job to do and everyone is feeling confident. And mentioning about combinations today, Ajinkya, I think even in your case, you seem to be getting the balance right now. Yes, I think we are slowly getting it right. You know, Brevis coming back and you know, J&P giving that crucial overs in the between as well. So I think we are slowly, slowly getting the right combination and it is just about delivering each and every game and staying consistent. And what is your combination for today’s game? We are going with the same team,” he said. CSK have played five matches so far this season, including this clash, and Dhoni has missed all of them due to a calf strain.On March 28, CSK had stated that Dhoni would be sidelined for the first two weeks of the tournament and would undergo rehabilitation. While that period has now ended, he is yet to regain full match fitness.Dhoni has also not travelled with the squad for away fixtures this season.In 278 IPL matches, Dhoni has scored 5,439 runs in 242 innings at an average of 38.30 and a strike rate of 137.45, including 24 fifties, with a highest score of 84*. He is currently the sixth-highest run-scorer in IPL history.Last season, when CSK finished at the bottom of the table, he managed 196 runs in 13 innings at an average of 24.50 and a strike rate of over 135, with a top score of 30.Kolkata Knight Riders (Playing XI): Ajinkya Rahane(c), Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi(w), Rovman Powell, Rinku Singh, Sunil Narine, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Varun Chakaravarthy, Vaibhav Arora, Kartik TyagiChennai Super Kings (Playing XI): Sanju Samson(w), Ruturaj Gaikwad(c), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Shivam Dube, Dewald Brevis, Jamie Overton, Noor Ahmad, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet Singh, Khaleel Ahmed

Mukul Choudhary (Image credit: BCCI/IPL)

NEW DELHI: Lucknow Super Giants’ rising star Mukul Choudhary became an overnight sensation after scripting a stunning last-ball win against Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. Chasing 182, LSG were in deep trouble at 128 for seven in the 16th over. With the game slipping away, the 21-year-old decided to take matters into his own hands.On a surface that KKR skipper Ajinkya Rahane later described as “not easy to play big shots,” Mukul unleashed a breathtaking assault, smashing seven sixes in a fearless display. Remarkably, it was only his third IPL game – and just his second match under lights.“When Ayush bhai (Ayush Badoni) got out, I knew I had to take responsibility. I just wanted to take the game close, I wasn’t thinking about winning or losing,” Mukul said after the match.Having grown up watching MS Dhoni finish games, Mukul lived that dream at Eden Gardens. The youngster from Rajasthan hammered 30 runs in the final two overs, sealing a memorable win in a last-ball thriller.Born in Jhunjhunu, Mukul’s unbeaten 54 off 27 balls stood out not just for the power-hitting, but also for the composure he showed under pressure. He credited his captain Rishabh Pant for keeping him calm in the tense chase.