IPL: CSK crush DC by 77 runs to enter play-offs
New Delhi, May 20: Chennai Super Kings crushed Delhi Capitals by 77 runs to clinch a place in the Indian Premier League play-offs, here on Saturday.
CSK ended their 14-match league campaign with 17 points and that is good enough to seal a last-four berth.
Batting first, opener Devon Conway's 87 off only 51 balls and Ruturaj Gaikwad's smashing 79 off 50 deliveries ensured a healthy 223 for 3 CSK.
Conway's innings comprised 11 fours and three sixes while Gaikwad hit seven sixes apart from three boundaries as they added 141 for the opening stand.
In reply, DC managed only 146 for 9 with skipper David Warner's 86 off 58 balls being the only saving grace.
Deepak Chahar ended with 3/22 from 4 overs while Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana got two wickets apiece.
DC ended the campaign with 10 points and will have to wait till Sunday to find out if they ended last or second last depending on Sunrisers Hyderabad's result.
Brief Scores:
CSK 223 for 3 in 20 overs (Devon Conway 87 off 51 balls, Ruturaj Gaikwad 79 off 50 balls, Khaleel Ahmed 1/45, Anrich Nortje 1/43).
DC 146 for 9 in 20 overs (David Warner 86 off 58 balls, Deepak Chahar 3/22). CSK won by 77 runs.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
You cannot compare one generation of cricketers with another, says Kapil Dev
New Delhi, Jan 13: It is needless to compare two generations of players and pass a judgement on who was better, legendary cricketer Kapil Dev said on Monday and refused to get into a debate if BCCI selectors were right in excluding Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rishabh Pant from the T20I squad for the five-match series against England.
Kapil bowled nearly 300 overs during the 1991-92 Test series against Australia and in the same rubber he became the first Indian to take 400 wickets in the traditional format apart from contributing with the bat in the team's cause.
India pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah could not bowl in the second innings of the fifth Border-Gavaskar Test recently because of back spasms. India lost the five-match series 1-3. The 31-year-old Bumrah bowled more than 150 overs and emerged the highest wicket-taker on both sides with 32 scalps.
"Please don't compare. You cannot compare one generation with another. That is not required. Today, players are scoring 300 runs in a day. It didn't happen during our time. So don't compare the two (generations)," said Kapil during an event hosted by the Professional Golf Tour of India (PGTI) of which he is the president.
The 1983 World Cup-winning skipper also added that one should not question the judgement of the selectors as they would have arrived at the decision to not play Jaiswal and Pant after giving it a thought.
The two cricketers played all five Tests during the gruelling Australia series, with Jaiswal (391) emerging the second-highest run-getter, second only to Travis Head (448).
Asked if it was the right decision to drop two for the home series, Kapil said, "How can I comment on the judgement of others? I think the selectors would have though about it."
"So, if I say something it would be criticising them. I don't want to criticise them. They (selectors) are a group of people who must have planned and thought about that."
With batting stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli dishing out below-par performances in Australia, and talks of whether it's time for them to retire swirling, Kapil said the decision should be left to them.
"They are very big players. Let's hope when they think it's the right time to play, when they think it's not, they will call it off," said Kapil, in response to a question whether they should be there for the Test series in England later this year.
With Bumrah taking over the captaincy from Rohit in the fifth BGT Test at Sydney and talks on whether he should be given a long stint to prove himself going forward, Kapil said, "If he has been given the opportunity (to lead the side), then give him some time also."
