CSK vs KKR (Agency Image)

Chennai Super Kings will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in a crucial Indian Premier League 2026 clash on April 14 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, with both teams desperate to turn their campaigns around. CSK come into the contest with renewed confidence after ending their losing streak against Delhi Capitals. The five-time champions appear to have found a new formula at Chepauk, relying more on pace and hard lengths rather than their traditional spin-heavy approach. The return to form of Sanju Samson, who struck a superb century in the last game, has further boosted their batting unit. KKR, meanwhile, remain the only winless side this season and are under pressure to finally open their account. Despite showing flashes of brilliance, including posting a 220-plus total against Mumbai Indians, they have failed to close out games. Batting inconsistencies, particularly from Finn Allen and Cameron Green, and concerns over their bowling resources have added to their struggles.

Pitch Report

The Chepauk surface is expected to be a black soil pitch offering good pace and bounce. Unlike the slower tracks of the past, recent matches suggest that batters can trust the surface, while pacers hitting hard lengths could play a key role again.

Chennai Weather Update

Conditions in Chennai are set to be warm and humid, with temperatures ranging between 28°C and 34°C. Humidity levels could go up to 85 percent, and dew is likely to play a significant role in the second innings, making chasing slightly easier.

Head-to-Head Record

CSK hold a clear advantage in this rivalry:

However, since 2022, both teams have been evenly matched with three wins each.

CSK vs KKR: Live Streaming details

The CSK vs KKRR clash will be held at the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai, with the match set to begin at 7:30 PM IST. The game will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network, while live streaming will be available on JioHotstar.

Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad (c), Sanju Samson (wk), Ayush Mhatre, Sarfaraz Khan, Dewald Brevis, Shivam Dube, Jamie Overton, Akeal Hosein, Noor Ahmad, Khaleel Ahmed, Anshul Kamboj, Gurjapneet SinghKolkata Knight Riders: Ajinkya Rahane (c), Finn Allen, Cameron Green, Angkrish Raghuvanshi (wk), Rinku Singh, Rovman Powell, Ramandeep Singh, Anukul Roy, Sunil Narine, Navdeep Saini, Kartik Tyagi, Vaibhav Arora With CSK looking to build momentum at home and KKR fighting to stay alive in the competition, this contest promises high stakes and plenty of drama under the Chennai lights.

The classy mare Pop Award heads back to Stakes racing this Saturday, as her co-trainer Lyn Tolson banks on the familiarity of her home track to mitigate the increased competition level.

The five-year-old makes her Mornington bow in the $200,000 Listed Hareeba Stakes (1200m), serving as the highlight sprint of the Mornington Cup meeting.

Pop Award resumed victorious at Flemington on March 28 in a 1100m mares’ handicap, positioning this weekend’s 1200m assignment, in Tolson’s opinion, as her strongest chance for feature honours locally.

“Mornington is her home track, so if we could draw a gate it’d be good,” Tolson, who trains in partnership with daughter Leonie Proctor, said.

“From what we can read, it’s going to be a bit stronger Hareeba than we’ve had, but you can’t keep them in cotton wool all the time at home in their box all the time, can you?”

Among the 27 nominations for the Hareeba Stakes are possible foes for Pop Award like Half-brothers Desert Lightning and Oak Hill, Punch Lane, Corniche, Big Swinger, Recommendation and Rosberg.

The daughter of Shamus Award goes for Listed win number two, building on her 1200m Regal Roller Stakes conquest at Caulfield last August.

That marked her finest result in six successes from 13 appearances.

Five races on Soft or Heavy going yielded three triumphs, and with showers forecast for Thursday and Friday, Tolson expects a boost.

“She does appreciate a bit of give in the track and she did a lot of racing last prep, when she wasn’t going any good, on firmer going and she just likes the sting out,” Tolson said.

“So, hopefully Mornington is not too hard, but she’s an honest mare and she’s trained on well from her last race.”

A good performance in the Hareeba Stakes might lead Pop Award to Adelaide for the $150,000 Group 3 Proud Miss Stakes (1200m) on May 9, Tolson indicated.

Visit leading racing betting markets ahead of the Hareeba Stakes.

Talk about manifestation, and Praful Hinge‘s dream IPL debut on Monday will now stand as a shining example. Playing his first IPL match for Sunrisers Hyderabad, the Vidarbha bowler picked up 4/34 against Rajasthan Royals, with three of those wickets coming in the first over. Hinge is now the first bowler in the 19-year history of the IPL to take three wickets in the opening over of a match. His final figures are also the second-best by an Indian debutant in IPL history.

Hinge ran through RR’s in-form top order in a stunning opening spell of 2-0-6-4, which paved the way for SRH’s emphatic 57-run victory and handed Rajasthan their first defeat in five matches.

“I had written this somewhere – that I will take four to five wickets on my debut. I thought of dominating the powerplay. I believe in it (manifestation),” Hinge told the broadcaster after the match.

“At the age of 13, I started playing cricket. I didn’t know what leather-ball cricket was. I asked my father to enroll me in a club, but he said I was too young. Then he just took me there, and I kept playing after that. I want to dedicate this award to my family.”

A true match-winner’s mindset

Praful Hinge on his spectacular #TATAIPL debut

Scorecard https://t.co/xGTDdKbXpY#KhelBindaas | #SRHvRR | @SunRisers pic.twitter.com/8Bon31A3WQ

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— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) April 13, 2026

Hinge’s three-wicket burst in the first over effectively dismantled the table-toppers’ chase of 217 before it even began. The pacer revealed that he had already planned the dismissal of RR’s young sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi with a bouncer.

“Vaibhav Sooryavanshi’s wicket was the best. He is in form. I had told a few people, main isko pehle ball pe bouncer daalke out karunga (I’ll bowl a bouncer to him and get him out on the first ball). Or even if it’s any ball, I just wanted to get him out first ball. Varun Aaron (our bowling coach) helped me plan it, so thank you,” he said.

Performance that worth of every praise pic.twitter.com/P10leLcbEl

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— SunRisers Hyderabad (@SunRisers) April 13, 2026

Hinge’s four-wicket haul was complemented by an impressive spell from fellow debutant pacer Sakib Hussain, who returned figures of 4/24.

“Every player hopes for a debut like this, so it feels really good. I’m very happy. The SRH bowling coach informed me a day before the game that I would be playing. From then on, my focus was simply on performing well. Mentally, I prepared myself to give my best,” Hussain said.

“Varun (Aaron) bhai has been working with me for the past four years. Whatever improvement you see in my bowling is because of him. I give him full credit. It felt amazing – having such a performance on debut is very special,” he added. 

With PTI inputs

Featured Video Of The Day

Delhi vs Mumbai IPL 2026: Fans Flood Arun Jaitley Stadium for High-Voltage Clash

The draft is fast approaching, and I’m on record with my opinion that trading down from 18th overall could be the smart move for the Minnesota Vikings this year. Who are the best options in the Vikings draft that could be available later in the first round if acting general manager Rob Brzezinski does pull the trigger on a trade? That’s what we will look at today.

Five Prospects Who Fit Minnesota after a Trade Back

I’m not convinced the value will be there for the Vikings at 18, and if there is an offensive tackle, edge defender, or wide receiver on the board that another team is desperate for. The trade down could be worthwhile, and the Vikings could pick up the same player or one of similar ability somewhere in the 20s range, especially with the kind of positions that are most pressing for the team – defensive tackle, defensive back, linebacker.

Emmanuel McNeill-Warren (S) Toledo

There is a big Harrison Smith-shaped hole in the Vikings’ secondary right now, so it comes as no surprise that safety has probably been the most mocked position for the Vikings this year. Caleb Downs is going to be out of the Vikings’ reach, and since the combine, Dillon Thieneman might be too.

That leaves Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who I believe would be a big reach at 18, but becomes a better option if Minnesota has traded into the back end of the first round.

McNeill-Warren is a big, explosive safety with a useful knack for creating turnovers. He projects as a potential impact starter in a box role. One of my reservations is that Josh Metellus‘ role, and the Vikings’ look, are short of a free safety who can play deep unless Jay Ward is ready to step up.

The trade back to potentially add even more options on Day 2 makes me more comfortable, and the Vikings get a good player who Brian Flores should enjoy working with.

Kayden McDonald (DT) – Ohio State

The Vikings could use a big nose tackle who is dominant against the run, and Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald can provide that.

At 6’2 and 326 lbs, McDonald is a big, powerful man who showcased elite run defense in college, where his Pro Football Focus run-defense grade of 91.2 ranked first among qualifying FBS interior defenders. He backed that up with top-tier stability, landing in the 99th percentile in run-stop rate. 

The story with pass-rush is not so elite; he will look to use his size to cause a nuisance rather than have a clear, effective pass-rush plan. The latter is where the big money lies, which is why going early – or even middle – of the first round feels like a reach.

Trading back and filling a need feels better, and the Vikings could certainly use some elite run-stuffing in the middle of their DL. McDonald might be my favorite of these options if it comes with the right trade package.

Caleb Banks (DT) – Florida

Earlier in the draft process, Caleb Banks was my guy, and after a phenomenal performance at the combine, I was ready to nail my colors to the Banks mast and proclaim this is the guy the Vikings should draft. Then the news broke that Banks had broken his foot going into the combine, which made his performance even more incredible.

However, for a player who already has an extensive injury history at 23 years old, it was a major blow to his draft stock. Banks undoubtedly has the talent, length, and strength to be a great player, who should be well-suited to a 3-4 scheme like the Vikings run. In that role, he can occupy space, shed blocks, and contribute as a complementary pass rusher.

That sort of role takes him out of the top end of the first round that he was once looking at, but he could be worth the gamble late in the first.

Avieon Terrell (CB) – Clemson

The Vikings have put together a group of cornerbacks who aren’t quite good enough to be great for one reason or another. Clemson CB Avieon Terrell could be another player to fit that description.

He has elite football IQ and playmaking instincts, but his lack of length and height of 5’11 likely puts a ceiling on his overall effectiveness – see Byron Murphy. He can certainly be a starting-level player and would add depth for the Vikings at an important position, where he would probably operate from the slot,  at least early in his career. Minnesota gets more value for drafting Terrell if they had traded back.

Colton Hood (CB) – Tennessee

The Vikings have been on the search for a lockdown corner ever since Xavier Rhodes lost his mojo – and that will soon be a decade ago. Colton Hood has the potential to be that guy, but with only one full season as a starter at the collegiate level, that is more of a prediction than a certainty.

He is of a talented size and length that teams desire, but at just 21, his inexperience has seen inconsistency in his play. He will need to finish his development in the pro ranks, which has his draft prospects pegged as a late first- or early second-rounder. A trade back would put him in the Vikings range, and he would be an intriguing prospect for coach Flores to work with.

Proud UK Viking. Family Man. Enjoy writing about my team. Away from football an advocate for autism acceptance.

Man Utd lost 2-1 to Leeds in the Premier League and here are how the players rated at Old Trafford.

Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat to Leeds in the Premier League on Monday evening. The visitors had a two-goal advantage at half-time after a brace from Noah Okafor, and it got worse for United in the second half.

Lisandro Martinez was shown a straight red card for violent conduct, putting Leeds in a strong position to claim three points, but Casemiro scored a header in the 69th minute to give hope of a comeback.

United pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not find another goal.

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This is how the players rated at Old Trafford:

Senne Lammens

Made an excellent save with his legs to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin from point-blank range within the first few minutes, but he could do nothing about Leeds’ goals. 6

Noussair Mazraoui

Spent the first half of the season playing as a right-sided centre-back and hasn’t looked his best since playing as a natural right-back. Did not look comfortable and was eventually replaced. 4

Lisandro Martinez

Looked short of match practice and attempted a shocking pass for Leeds’ second goal before making a great recovery on the stroke of half-time. Then he was sent off. It was a soft decision, but it was daft from Martinez. 3

Leny Yoro

Has spoken about how much Maguire helps him when they play together, and he suffered a tad without him in the team. But the Frenchman was not the worst of the back four by any means. 5

Luke Shaw

Was shown a booking at the start of the first half, forcing him to defend conservatively for a large chunk of the game. Was better than Mazraoui on the opposite side and made a few good passes. 5

Casemiro

Didn’t provide much defensive cover in a disappointing first half, but he scored his eighth goal of the season to give United hope of getting a point. Has just three more games to play at Old Trafford, and his aerial presence will be missed. 7

Manuel Ugarte

Showed why he had not played for Carrick until facing Leeds, failing to stop the cross into the box for the opening goal and prompting groans from the stands for a few misplaced passes. Has started 10 games for United this season, winning just once. 3

Bruno Fernandes

Fernandes looked frustrated from the outset and tried to get on the ball as much as possible, with varying success. However, he played a wonderful cross into the box for Casemiro’s goal to make it 2-1. 7

Amad

Looked the most likely to score for large parts of the game. Forced the first save from Darlow and tested Leeds with a decent corner, which led to Casemiro’s goal. 6

Matheus Cunha

Was booked for diving but came within inches of scoring in the 35th minute. Helped to whip up the crowd when he latched onto a pass from Shaw to shoot in the second half. Didn’t stop running. 6

Benjamin Sesko

Didn’t offer much at all throughout the first half, but came close to scoring at the Stretford End when play resumed after the interval, when his looped effort was headed away from the goal line. Almost scored with a header in the 84th minute. 6

Subs

Bryan Mbeumo

Looked dangerous when he got on the ball. 6

Diogo Dalot

An improvement on Mazraoui. 6

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Manchester United boss Michael Carrick says Lisandro Martinez’s red card for pulling Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair was a “shocking decision” during a 2-1 defeat by Leeds United.

MATCH REPORT: Manchester United 1-2 Leeds United

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Michael Carrick described the second-half dismissal of Lisandro Martinez as “absolutely shocking” after his side’s Champions League push was checked by a 2-1 home defeat to Roses rivals Leeds.

Noah Okafor struck twice inside the opening 30 minutes to spark wild scenes among Leeds’ travelling fans before Martinez was sent off 11 minutes into the second period after a VAR intervention for tugging on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s hair.

United’s 10 men rallied after the break and pulled one back through Casemiro’s 59th-minute header, but Leeds held on for their first league win at Old Trafford in 45 years.

Carrick was furious that referee Paul Tierney was asked to view the pitchside monitor before showing Martinez a red card.

United’s interim head coach said: “He goes to grab his shirt and ends up touching his hair and the bobble comes out and you end up getting a red card for it.

“It’s not aggressive, there’s no jolt, there’s no tug, no sudden movement. He kind of touches it and glances through it.

“We’ve got to be careful where the game’s going if we’re giving red cards for that.

“Two arms in the face for their first goal and that’s deemed alright. It’s a shocking decision, an absolutely shocking decision.”

United lost at home for the first time under Carrick after five straight wins and he also felt Okafor’s opening goal should have been disallowed for Calvert-Lewin’s challenge on Leny Yoro in the build-up.

Carrick added: “I have to say, the goal itself, Leny Yoro gets a forearm smash on the back of the head, which is worth looking at again.

“I don’t know how that doesn’t get overturned. What are we getting sending-offs for? It’s a clear forearm smash on the back of his head.”

Leeds climbed six points clear of the relegation zone after their second away win of the season and their first in the Premier League at Old Trafford.

The West Yorkshire club have not won in the league at their fiercest rivals since 1981, while it was their first victory against United since their FA Cup win there in 2010.

Boss Daniel Farke could not hide his delight, saying: “I’m of course very proud, I think it’s our first win in the Premier League ever here at Old Trafford and our first win in four decades in the league.

“It feels outstanding. It’s ‘crunch-time’ period, we’re playing a bit under pressure.

“We missed too many of our chances, could have buried the game before. We had to dig in, but no question we deserved to win the game.”

Leeds face Wolves at Elland Road on Saturday when they can climb nine points clear of the bottom three.

The German added: “We’re working a little bit to get rid of this old narrative that ‘Leeds are falling apart again’.

“It feels like under pressure we really deliver. Nothing is achieved yet, I’m not over confident or celebrating.

“We’re proud of the win, but don’t forget where we’re coming from. We have to stay on it. I don’t want to celebrate too much.”

Michael Carrick suffered the worst defeat of his Man Utd interim tenure, losing 2-1 to Leeds in the Premier League on Monday night.

22:13, 13 Apr 2026Updated 22:30, 13 Apr 2026

Lisandro Martinez stared into space, seemingly in disbelief that he’d been sent off for yanking on Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s ponytail. Substitute Joshua Zirkzee escorted his teammate back to the dressing room.

Michael Carrick looked furious with the decision on the touchline, and a yellow card was brandished in the direction of the United dug-out for the protests. Manuel Ugarte watched it all unfold just yards away.

United were not at the races from the first whistle against Leeds on Monday night, but starting Ugarte and Martinez were perhaps the biggest reasons for the second defeat of Carrick’s interim tenure.

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Kobbie Mainoo was absent due to a small injury picked up in training. Ugarte came into the starting team with an awful record; he’d won just one game from nine as a starter this season, having lost against Grimsby Town, Manchester City, Brentford, Aston Villa and Brighton.

Ugarte had not started under Carrick until facing Leeds, and the reason for his peripheral squad role was laid bare five minutes into the game when he allowed Jayden Bogle to cross into the box for Noah Okafor’s goal.

United fans soon let Ugarte know how they felt, groaning as he delayed build-up play by standing over the ball for too long. There were louder murmurs of discontent when Ugarte butchered a pass into the box at the end of the first half, which prompted Luke Shaw to shake his head.

Something has gone hugely wrong if Ugarte is still at United next term. He has regressed in his second campaign and wasn’t performing at a high level to begin with. United must cut their losses and recoup whatever they can from the £42.3million they splashed to sign him from PSG.

Carrick may also regret the decision to start Martinez after a lay-off. The defender last played against West Ham on February 10 but came straight back into the team after recovering from injury.

Leeds’ second goal was like a Benny Hill sketch. Martinez tried to play out from the back, sending a hospital pass to Casemiro, and the subsequent attempts to clear the danger were unsuccessful.

Martinez at least redeemed himself on the stroke of half-time when he made a superb recovery to deny Leeds a three-goal advantage, but pulling on Calvert-Lewin’s hair was a daft thing to do.

VAR reviewed the incident and Martinez was shown a straight red for violent conduct. It was clear to see it was not a violent act, but Martinez was sent off because of the precedent set by the PGMOL.

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United organised a training camp in the Republic of Ireland during their 24-day break between games, whereas Leeds visited Old Trafford on the back of a spirited win against West Ham in the FA Cup. “We’re the famous Leeds United and we’re going to Wembley,” was aired in the away section.

United’s trip to Ireland was described as a chance for Carrick to oversee an “intense” training period with his squad. There was nothing intense about United’s performance in a disastrous first half.

The Reds have been impacted by playing so few fixtures this season, which has made it difficult to build rhythm, but United only have themselves to blame for failing to qualify for Europe and exiting both domestic cup competitions at the first opportunity.

Nemanja Vidic and Sir Jim Ratcliffe were in the directors’ box. Ratcliffe sat with his arms crossed, and Carrick cut the same frustrated figure on the touchline as Leeds fans celebrated Okafor’s deflected second goal.

United needed the crowd to help them dig deep when they trailed by two goals, and the fans played their part. Old Trafford erupted when Casemiro headed in at the Stretford End to make it 2-1, and the result would have been different if the Brazilian hadn’t been denied another headed goal on the goal line with just minutes of normal time remaining.

The silver lining for Carrick is his side’s positive response to the sending off, but United ultimately missed an opportunity to put three points between themselves and Aston Villa in the battle to finish third in the top flight. Leeds manager Daniel Farke fell to his knees on the touchline after the final whistle.

Ruben Amorim’s final game in charge of United came against Leeds in January. Amorim talked himself out of his job during an explosive post-match press conference at Elland Road, and Carrick arrived 10 days later.

When Amorim burned his bridges with United’s hierarchy. United were in sixth position, 11 points adrift of Aston Villa in third, but Carrick has dragged United up the table, meaning United are now above Villa on goal difference, and securing a return to the Champions League is close to guaranteed.

United have six games remaining this season and must return to the form they showed in the first few weeks of Carrick’s tenure to ensure a return to Europe’s elite competition.

And although there wasn’t much doubt, Ugarte is not a player worthy of the Champions League.

Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package

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Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.

Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.

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