New Delhi, March 24: India legend MS Dhoni applauds the initiative of regional language commentary at the Indian Premier League (IPL) and revealed his appreciation for Bhojpuri commentary, calling it “energetic” and said it reminds him of old-school radio commentary.

Bhojpuri made its debut in the commentary feed during the IPL 2023 and took fans by storm. This year, the 18th season of the IPL is streaming live across 16 feeds, including 12 languages: English, Hindi, Marathi, Haryanvi, Bengali, Bhojpuri, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Gujarati and Punjabi on the digital streaming platform.

“I haven’t listened to regional language commentary much because when we watch live matches, replays are limited, and most of the commentary I hear is in English or Hindi. That helps us analyse the game better. Personally, I also like listening to what commentators say because most of them are former players. While I may be playing 17 games in a season, they cover hundreds of matches across different tournaments and countries. Their exposure to various situations and teams is immense.

“As players, we know our team’s strengths and weaknesses, but listening to commentary gives you an outsider’s perspective. It sparks new ideas – like ‘why don’t we try this approach?’ – which can then be evaluated based on intelligence and data to see if it fits within the team’s strategy.

“I haven’t heard a lot of regional commentary, but I know that Bihari (Bhojpuri) commentary is highly energetic. It reminds me of old-school radio commentary, where the commentators were very involved. I find that very interesting. Many people prefer to listen in their regional language – it’s their mother tongue, and they want to experience the game in that way. I would love to hear Haryanvi commentary because it’s quite unique,” Dhoni said on JisHotstar’s ‘The MS Dhoni Experience’.

Dhoni is playing in his 18th season in the tournament in 2025 and has so far played 265 games and scored 5,243 runs with 24 half-centuries to his name.

Visakhapatnam, March 24: Delhi Capitals will open their campaign against Lucknow Super Giants at ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on Monday.

After finishing sixth in IPL 2024, Delhi Capitals will aim to make a fresh start under new captain Axar Patel, while LSG will be led by newly appointed captain Rishabh Pant.

LSG have a superior head-to-head record against Delhi Capitals in the IPL, having won three of the five matches. However, the Capitals won both the matches last season.

When will DC vs LSG match take place?

The match will take place on Sunday. The match will begin at 7:30 PM IST, with the toss scheduled for 7 PM IST.

Where will DC vs LSG match take place?

The match will take place at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, Visakhapatnam.

Where will the live broadcast for DC vs LSG match be available?

The match will be broadcast live on the Star Sports Network.

Where will live streaming for DC vs LSG match be available?

The match will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.

Squads:

Delhi Capitals: KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel (c), Jake Fraser-McGurk, Faf du Plessis, Abishek Porel, Tristan Stubbs, Ashutosh Sharma, Mitchell Starc, Kuldeep Yadav, Mukesh Kumar, T Natarajan, Karun Nair, Mohit Sharma, Dushmantha Chameera, Ajay Jadav Mandal, Darshan Nalkande, Sameer Rizvi , Donovan Ferreira, Tripurana Vijay, Manvanth Kumar L, Vipraj Nigam, Madhav Tiwari

Lucknow Super Giants SquadRishabh Pant (c & wk), Arshin Kulkarni, Mitchell Marsh, Nicholas Pooran, Ayush Badoni, David Miller, Abdul Samad, Shardul Thakur, RS Hangargekar, Ravi Bishnoi, Shamar Joseph, Akash Deep, Shahbaz Ahmed, Manimaran Siddharth, Akash Maharaj Singh, Aiden Markram, Avesh Khan, Himmat Singh, Matthew Breetzke, Aryan Juyal, Yuvraj Chaudhary, Mayank Yadav, Prince Yadav, Digvesh Rathi.

Chennai, March 24: Former India cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu heaped praise on MS Dhoni’s longevity after the ex-CSK skipper pulled off a lightning-fast stumping in their IPL 2025 opener against Mumbai Indians. Sidhu even claimed Dhoni could still smash a half-century for CSK at 50.

Dhoni stumped Suryakumar Yadav when the MI captain failed to read Noor Ahmed’s googly as he tried to drag his backfoot back into the crease but could not do it as Dhoni was quick to collec the ball and took off the bails in his vintage style. This was Dhoni’s 44th stumping in the IPL.

“At 43 years old, he is still the best. He’s like old wine getting better with time. Just look at his fitness. A wicketkeeper’s survival depends on it, and Dhoni’s technique, combined with his effortless execution, is remarkable. The respect he has earned over the years is simply astounding,” Sidhu said on JioHotstar.

In a million-dollar gesture after CSK’s win, Dhoni shook hands with the opposition players, he then patted on 24-year-old Vignesh Puthur, a 24-year-old spinner, who created an impact on his IPL debut for Mumbai Indians.

“It was the sweetest and most heartwarming sight when he walked up to young Vignesh, patted him on the back, and encouraged him. That kind of motivation is like premium gasoline; it fuels a player to overcome life’s toughest challenges. Somewhere down the line, Dhoni has won hearts,” Sindhu noted.

Dhoni, who will turn 44 in July, is playing in his 18th straight IPL season, 16 of these representing CSK. He has so far played 264 games and scored 5243 runs, placing him sixth on the all-time run list, with 24 half-centuries to his name.

Hailing Dhoni’s fitness, Sindhu added, “He has nothing left to prove, yet people don’t want him to leave the game. And l’d bet my life on one thing-he might just be the only cricketer who could still score a half-century for Chennai Super Kings at 50!”

In the match, Rachin Ravindra and Ruturaj Gaikwad’s half-centuries guided CSK to a 4-wicket victory against MI at Chepauk on Sunday.

Ravindra played a crucial supporting role, finishing with 65 from 45 balls and sealing the win with a massive six off Mitchell Santner in the first delivery of the final over, despite wickets falling at the other end.

New Zealand cricketing legend Kane Williamson shared his thoughts on Rachin Ravindra’s innings and said, “His contribution was crucial, especially in the partnerships he built. Ruturaj played fluently, striking at 200 on a surface that wasn’t easy to bat on. However, the skill and temperament required on this wicket were exemplified by Rachin Ravindra.

“He anchored the innings and guided his team to victory, which was great to witness. It also served as a clear blueprint for Chennai at home.”