Indian IPL Cricket

English players should opt for IPL: McCullum

2008-06-14T21:21:00.001-07:00

London: New Zealand master blaster Brendon McCullum believes the Indian Premier League has more to offer England players than the big-money Stanford games.

McCullum has taken the shortest form of the game by storm, notching a staggering world record score of 158 not out from 73 balls in the IPL.

“I played with the likes of Sourav Ganguly and Ricky Ponting in the IPL and you can't help but develop when you train alongside those guys,” he said.

“The England guys would benefit for that reason. Financial gains are part of it but the best part is the experience,” The Sun quoted him, as saying.

Also read:
Mascarenhas says IPL was enjoyable experience England players to cash on T20 jackpot

“We're not jealous of the Stanford games. The ball is in the player’s court - if you perform you can earn lucrative contracts from cricket,” he added.

The big-hitting batsman is convinced his time in India has helped him to develop his game. And he reckons England's finest should now do the same. And with reported earnings of 350,000 pounds from his Kolkata Knightriders deal, rather than the winner-takes-all element of the Stanford games, it is easy to see why.

“Scores like the one I got for Kolkata don't come around everyday but I know I have more of the same in me. I'd be disappointed if people didn't see us as joint favourites. Ok, England has the momentum but this is where we are most comfortable,” he said.

“We're quietly confident and have a great chance to turn around our tour,” McCullum added.

Symonds in another walking controversy

2008-06-14T21:18:00.002-07:00

Sydney: Andrew Symonds is not a walker, but he also makes it a point to rub it in by acknowledging that he was out and it's for the umpire rule it.

The volatile Queenslander was involved in another walking controversy on the opening day of the third Test at Bridgetown, Barbados, when he was lucky not to have been given out by umpire Mark Benson after gloving Dwayne Bravo to wicketkeeper Dinesh Ramdin in Australia's first innings.

Benson refused to raise his finger and West Indian blood boiled and the Barbados crowd booed after Symonds' reprieve, reports The Australian.

It was a pivotal moment because Symonds, who was 14 at the time, went on to make 52 and lead a revival of sorts as Australia reached 226 for seven on a rain-reduced first day.

It was not the first time that Symonds, a confirmed non-walker, has been the beneficiary of a major umpiring blunder.

During the controversial Sydney Test last summer against India, Steve Bucknor ignored a blatant caught behind appeal when Symonds was 30. The Queenslander went on to make a match-turning 162 not out.

West Indies skipper Chris Gayle was refusing to let the Symonds incident sour a great day for his side.

"It's up to the individual what he wants to do at that particular time -- there is nothing we can do," Gayle said. "That's cricket.

"Sometimes it goes your way, there is nothing you can do about it, but carry on with the game."

Tribunal bans Shoaib for 18 months, fines Rs 7mn

2008-06-14T21:18:00.001-07:00

Karachi: Pakistan Cricket Board's appellate tribunal on Saturday reduced the five-year ban on Shoaib Akhtar to 18 months, while imposing a hefty Rs seven million fine on the maverick pacer.

Tribunal head Justice (rtd) Aftab Farrukh announced the decision after a hearing in Lahore which was attended by the fast bowler.

Shoaib had originally been banned for five years by the PCB for several disciplinary violations on April 1 after he lambasted the board for denying him a central contract.

He had also alleged that PCB chief Nasim Ashraf asked for money to get him signed up for the lucrative Indian Premier League. He later withdrew the comments after being threatened with a Rs 200 million defamation suit by the PCB.

The pacer then appealed against the ban and the tribunal suspended the punishment for a month to allow him to play in the IPL for the Kolkata Knight Riders.The tribunal resumed hearing last week and its members were divided on whether to uphold the ban, reduce it or lift it completely.

The reduced 18-month ban means that Akhtar would remain out of the national squad for the upcoming Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy to be held in Pakistan.

Pakistan beat India to lift Kitply Cup

2008-06-14T21:09:00.002-07:00

Dhaka: Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his teammates failed to climb the run-mountain as Pakistan shoved a 25-run defeat down India's throat to lift the cricket tri-series title here on Saturday.

Despite dominating the tournament with characteristic ruthlessness, the Indians failed when it mattered most and choked in the final to allow an under-pressure Pakistan avenge their league match defeat and run away with the silverware.

After twin tons by Salman Butt (129 retired hurt) and Younis Khan (108) propelled Pakistan to 315 for three, India faltered early in their chase and eventually folded for 290 in 48.2 overs.
Dhoni (64 off 59 balls) and Yuvraj Singh (59 off 56 balls) tried their best but their batting colleagues failed to convert the starts.

A strong start was pre-requisite for such a mammoth chase and with Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir (40 off 33 balls) in red hot form so far, India expected another solid foundation from the openers.

But law of averages finally caught up with Sehwag, who scratched around for his two runs before giving Shoaib Malik a simple catch off Sohail Tanvir at mid-off in the second over.

Rohit Sharma (24) joined Gambhir in the middle and kept India in the hunt with some fluent stroke-play. The duo seemed to have steadied the ship when Umar Gul came up with a two-wicket burst, removing both in successive overs.

Rohit's fluffed pull found Nasir Jamshed at deep backward square leg, while Gambhir cut it to backward point to the same substitute fielder to leave India reeling at 79 for three inside 13 overs.

Yusuf Pathan too could not convert and threw away his wicket after a run-a-ball 25, as did Suresh Raina (24) after the left-hander had put on 73 runs with Yuvraj. As long as Yuvraj was in the middle, India seemed right on course but Shahid Afridi had other ideas and he snared the left-hander in the 32nd over to jolt India. Yuvraj's 59-ball 56 included five boundaries, besides a six.

Dhoni and Irfan Pathan (28) kept India afloat for some more time but at the end of the day, it was simply not enough.

Earlier, Pakistan rode on a 205-run second wicket stand between Butt and Younis Khan to amass 315 for three.

With Pakistan Cricket Board chief Nasim Ashraf in attendance, Malik and his under-pressure teammates had extra reasons to put up a better show and they decided to take a slow but steady approach which clearly paid off.

The sedate start proved the lull before the storm and after Butt and Younis laid the perfect foundation for a big score, Misbah-ul-Haq threw his bat to good effect and chipped in with a 33-run cameo off just 21 balls as the side went past the 300-mark.
Dhoni used as many as eight bowlers, including Suresh Raina, but with little success.

After Shoaib Malik won the toss and decided to take first strike of the Sher-e-Bangla track, Pakistan decided to shun extravagance and keep enough wickets in hand to provide that late burst.

Butt curbed his natural aggression while Kamran Akmal (15) was straitjacketed. But with the first nine overs yielding just 29 runs, Akmal decided to break free and hit Irfan Pathan for a four but the pacer had his revenge in the next delivery as he sucked the batsman into tickling one behind the stumps where Mahendra Singh Dhoni took the catch. Butt had that fortune of the brave too as Rohit Sharma grassed one after the Pakistani had cut hard at a Praveen Kumar delivery while batting on 19.

Having found his feet, Younis stepped out to hit Virender Sehwag out of the park and he then slog-swept Piyush Chawla for a similar treatment to bring up the team's 150.

Though subdued compared to his elder partner, Butt helped himself to occasional boundaries as he cantered to his seventh ODI century, celebrating the feat by hitting Chawla over the ropes.

Younis too soon notched up his fourth ODI century, which came off 92 balls, but could add only eight more runs before offering a skier to Sehwag off Ishant Sharma to fall after a 99-ball knock which was studded with eight hits to the fence, besides three sixes.

Butt and Misbah then threw caution to the winds and went after the Indian bowlers, who, for the first time in the series, looked clueless. Butt eventually retired hurt in the 46th over but that was hardly a consolation for Dhoni's team as runs came thick and fast.

Gilchrist bowled over by IPL

2008-06-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

Melbourne: Adam Gilchrist is amazed by the ever-increasing love for cricket in India and compared the Indian Premier League (IPL) next to Sydney Olympics."It was quite overwhelming to see an event capture the attention and mindset and imagination of a country quite like it," Gilchrist was quoted as saying in The Australian Friday."The only thing I can think of that was comparable was maybe the Olympics when they were in Sydney. But the Olympics was about two weeks, this was 45 days every night," said the former Australia vice-captain.Gilchrist, who retired from all cricket in Australia at the end of last season, could not believe the passion and interest of Indians in cricket could go to another level with IPL."It felt like that at 8pm the whole country would tune in no matter what the game was or who was playing. It was front page of the papers every day. The whole concept will be looked back on as a landmark in the history of cricket.""The great discussion at the moment is whether we carve out a window (in international cricket) for the IPL. I envisage that potentially, within 10 years, it could be more a case of trying to carve out a window for international cricket as this format becomes more of a staple diet," Gilchrist said.

Salman, acrobats, laser show lend glamour to IPL final

2008-06-01T20:44:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: Though Shah Rukh Khan was not there, fellow Bollywood actor Salman Khan danced with a bevy of starlets to popular chartbusters amid razzmatazz, setting the tempo before the start of the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals here on Sunday.

Salman, always a crowd puller, had the audience swaying as he performed to songs from his forthcoming film with an entourage of 24 dancers in the background. Kim Sharma, Shamita Shetty, Dia Mirza and Sameera Reddy also shared the stage with him at the DY Patil Stadium in Nerul.

They also danced to the theme songs of the eight teams that participated in the first edition of the IPL.

His performance was followed by those from four trampoline acrobats, eight German wheels and eight German spinning wheels.

The multi-million-dollar IPL opened in Bangalore on April 18 with similar touches of glamour, leading to the 'cricketainment' that inaugurated the new chapter in the history of the game.

A laser show with 40 giant flames, followed by four para gliders and a fifth stunt man preceded the finale which had 16 dancers, all stunt artists.

Then it was the turn of the battery of IPL commentators, who made their presence felt in multi-coloured kurta-pyjamas.

Cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar led the team of commentators, which also had Ravi Shastri, Arun Lal, Damien Fleming of Australia and Rameez Raja from Pakistan.

Speeches from International Cricket Council (ICC) president David Morgan, Indian cricket board president Sharad Pawar and IPL chief Lalit Modi over, it was time for folk dances.

Chennai vs Rajasthan Final Images

2008-06-01T20:42:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan win inaugural IPL

2008-06-01T20:37:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings [Images] by three wickets (and off the last ball) in the final of the inaugural Indian Premier League [Images] at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday.
Scorecard
Chasing a target of 164, Rajasthan began on a disastrous note, losing three wickets inside seven overs with just 42 runs on the board.
Niraj Patel (2) was cleaned up by Manpreet Gony in the fourth over and Swapnil Asnodkar (29) and Kamran Akmal (6) were dismissed in the space of three balls (of an Albie Morkel over), the latter needlessly run-out.
However, the in-form duo of Shane Watson (28) and Yusuf Pathan (56) put on 65 runs in just 45 balls for the fourth wicket in a partnership that brought Rajasthan back in the game.
Watson was impressive in his 19-ball knock, which had three hits to the fence, before he was cleaned up by a beautiful delivery from Muralitharan.
The Sri Lankan also snapped up Mohammad Kaif (12) off his final delivery (the last ball of the 17th over) and Morkel dismissed Ravindra Jadeja (0) with the very next delivery to brighten Chennai's prospects.
Rajasthan were precariously placed at 139 for six, needing 25 runs with 17 balls left.
Then the worse happened. Pathan, who surived three chances to post his fourth half century of the tournament, saw his luck run out finally.
Pathan, whose 39-ball knock contained three hits to the fence and four huge ones over it, was run-out to a direct hit by Suresh Raina.
But Rajasthan captain Shane Warne [Images] was not to be denied his moment of glory.
Rajasthan needed 18 runs off the last two overs and eight from the final over, bowled by Lakshmipathy Balaji.
Warne (9 not out) and Sohail Tanvir [Images] (12 not out) took their team home, the latter hitting a boundary off the last ball.
Earlier, Rajasthan Royals [Images] used their bowling resources intelligently to restrict Chennai Super Kings to a modest 163 for five wickets.
Royals skipper Warne won the toss, asked the rival team to bat first and then captained the side imaginatively with his field placings and bowling changes, never allowing the Super Kings to settle down on a slow-pace track.
The Super Kings owed their score mainly to an enterprising 43 by in-form one-down batsman Suresh Raina, who faced only 30 balls while hitting two pulled sixes and a four.
The UP left-hander, back in the Indian one-day team, built on a decent start of 39 in 5.2 overs provided by Parthiv Patel (38 in 33 balls) and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16 in 14 balls).
But his dismissal in the 17th over, when he threatened to cut loose, derailed Chennai's plans for a more healthy total.
The most impressive bowler for the Royals was off-spinner Pathan, who grabbed three for 22 in two spells, while Watson accounted for the wicket of Raina.
The Super Kings, who had lost their two home and away ties earlier in the tournament against the same opposition, began their innings on a cautious note on a slow-paced track of low bounce on which the ball did not come on freely to the bat.
Parthiv and Sivaramakrishnan played it safe against Tanvir, who had grabbed six for 14 against them on May 4 at Jaipur.
Seeing the mood of the two openers, Warne removed the Pakistani left-arm pacer, the most successful bowler in the tournament, after only one over.
The run-rate perked up when Vidyut played an inside-out cover drive off Watson and then was lucky when his top-edge flew over the third man fence for a six.
Parthiv, coming into the match on the back of an unbeaten 51 last night in the semifinal against Punjab King's XI, was content to see off Tanvir by facing five dot balls and then hitting his first four. He was also lucky to see his top edge off Munaf Patel [Images] race to the fence.
Warne replaced Watson with Pathan after five overs, in which 39 runs were scored, and the move paid off immediately when Vidyut pulled a short ball for Jadeja to bring off a fine front-diving catch at mid-on.
Warne rung in quick bowling changes to unsettle the second wicket duo of Parthiv and fellow left-hander Raina, who had powered their team to a nine-wicket win over Punjab King's XI with an unbeaten century stand.
The 50 of the innings was raised in the seventh over and then Parthiv, after pulling off spinner Pathan for his fifth four, departed. He edged an attempted off-glide to wicket keeper Akmal who juggled with the ball before completing the catch.
In-form Raina, who made 54 not out against Deccan Chargers in his team's last preliminary phase tie and followed it up with 55 not out against Punjab, continued his good run by stroking the ball well. He was hardly troubled by the spinners and pulled the great Warne for a six.
Morkel (16) also pulled Warne disdainfully for a six into the stands in the 12th over after the first 10 had yielded 75 runs. The South African all-rounder also swung Pathan over mid-wicket for his second six before he got out in the same over, 13th of the innings.
In trying to repeat the shot he ballooned a catch to stumper Akmal who took a tumble over Mohd Kaif, who also went for the ball, while managing to hold on to the sphere to provide Pathan his third wicket.
The 100 came up in 80 balls after which Raina swung Siddharth Trivedi, bowling his second spell, for a six. Later skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] (29 not out in 17 balls) lofted Warne, bowling his last over, over the straight field for another six to take Chennai Super Kings to 117 for three with five overs remaining.
Raina fell in trying to clear the long off area and was caught just inside the rope by Jadeja after which Dhoni and Chamara Kapugedara added 20 runs before the latter holed out to the deep off Tanvir in the last over.
Dhoni, who hit a straight second six in Tanvir's last over, and S Badrinath (6) remained unbeaten at the end of the innings.
Rajasthan were without opener Graeme Smith [Images] and made two changes to the side which won the semifinal against Delhi Daredevils [Images] while Chennai retained the side that won them the semi final against Punjab King's XI.

Stage set for blockbuster finale

2008-06-01T04:50:00.002-07:00

Match factsSunday, June 1Start time 20.00 (local), 14.30 (GMT)
Shane Warne's leadership has been the story of the IPL (file photo) © Martin Williamson

The Big PictureAs the summer blockbuster comes to an end, two of its biggest superstars clash in the finale in Mumbai. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, captain of the Chennai Super Kings, is the highest-paid player in this league but his counterpart in the Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne, has delivered better results; his success at this year's tournament would be the equivalent of the box-office returns of a Shahrukh Khan starrer.
A win for Dhoni would justify his US$1.5m price tag but would also be a last-minute twist to the fairytale ending that would hand Warne the trophy. Warne's dual role as captain and coach of Rajasthan has been the story of the season: an entire team costing less than two-and-a-half times Dhoni's price, whose owner's low-budget strategy even got the thumbs down from the IPL's chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi, was moulded into a successful unit.
However, don't write off Dhoni just yet. His first stint as captain was at the World Twenty20 in South Africa, where an unfancied India claimed the title, and here his team were written off after the exodus of international stars, but Dhoni and Co have battled the odds to reach the final.
One factor in Chennai's favour is that Graeme Smith, whose batting has been the cornerstone of several Rajasthan innings, has been ruled out with a hamstring injury. Also, Rajasthan were routed by the Mumbai Indians at the DY Patil Sports Academy, the venue of the final, and Warne termed the surface "easily the worst of the IPL" as the ball stopped before coming on to the bat.
On form, Rajasthan are favourites and their confidence will be boosted by their two earlier victories against Chennai. However, after convincingly knocking out the formidable Kings XI Punjab in the semi-finals, Chennai won't be too worried about the underdog status.
Form (last five completed matches, most recent first)Rajasthan Royals: WLWWWChennai Super Kings: WWLLW
Watch out for ...
Dhoni v Warne: Both are unconventional captains. And both thrive in big-match situations.
Sohail Tanvir: Tanvir has been lethal in the tournament and Chennai are his favourite opponents - he has taken nine wickets in his previous two encounters against them.
Rajasthan's power-hitters v Muralitharan: Several of Rajasthan's big-strikers, including Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan, favour the arc between square leg and mid-on. How Muttiah Muralitharan handles the threat will be intriguing.
Team newsWarne termed the loss of Smith as "huge" but Kamran Akmal's presence softens the blow. Akmal's inclusion could force Mahesh Rawat, who was their wicketkeeper in the semi-final, to sit out. Niraj Patel, who has impressed in the limited opportunities he has got, could be drafted in to strengthen the batting order.
Rajasthan Royals (probable): 1 Niraj Patel, 2 Swapnil Asnodkar, 3 Kamran Akmal (wk), 4 Shane Watson, 5 Mohammad Kaif, 6 Yusuf Pathan, 7 Ravindra Jadeja 8 Sohail Tanvir, 9 Shane Warne (capt), 10 Siddharth Trivedi, 11 Munaf Patel.
Chennai are likely to retain their winning XI unless Dhoni decides to pick Joginder Sharma, who bowled that dramatic final over against Pakistan in the World Twenty20 final last year, over L Balaji, who had a poor outing in the semi-final.
Chennai Super Kings (probable): 1 Parthiv Patel (wk), 2 S Vidyut, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt) 5 Chamara Kapugedera, 6 S Badrinath, 7 Albie Morkel, 8 Manpreet Gony, 9 L Balaji/Joginder Sharma, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Makhaya Ntini.
Stats and trivia
Fifteen of Sohail Tanvir's 21 wickets have come during the last five overs of an innings, a period during which he's conceded only 5.85 an over, the best economy-rate among bowlers who've bowled at least 20 balls between overs 16-20.
After a lacklustre run, Suresh Raina has peaked at the right moment - his unbeaten fifties in the previous two games have secured important wins.
7.91 - The average run-rate at the DY Patil Stadium, where three IPL matches have been held. The average run-rate of the tournament is 8.31.
Quotes"I would be lying if I say I am not feeling the pressure, but we are ready for it [the final]."Mahendra Singh Dhoni after Chennai's emphatic semi-final victory
"The wicket at the DY Patil has helped seamers more. It's a bit up and down. We have a well-balanced attack to do well there."Shane Warne fancies his bowlers' chances
"On form [Rajasthan] Royals are on a roll but Chennai can be dangerous as they proved against us."Tom Moody, Kings XI Punjab coach, sits on the fence when asked to pick the IPL winner

Can Chennai halt Rajasthan's juggernaut?

2008-06-01T04:50:00.001-07:00

And so it is that the Indian Premier League's finale will feature the team that started off like an express train, and another that has enjoyed the smoothest ride through the six weeks. The wheels threatened to come off for the Chennai Super Kings after that 4-0 start, but they regrouped from the loss of their Australian contingent to stitch together the victories that have taken Mahendra Singh Dhoni to the threshold of another major Twenty20 triumph. The Rajasthan Royals were hammered in their opening game, but have since scripted the sort of fairytale that Eric the Eel and other underdogs could only dream about. Both demolished their semi-final opponents, and there will be no shortage of confidence on either side as two of the most intuitive leaders in the game face off for the sport's richest prize.
After thumping the Delhi Daredevils to take their deserved place in the final, Shane Warne had appeared quite indifferent when he was asked which team he would prefer to face. There was little doubt though that he expected it to be Kings XI Punjab. After all, of all the teams in the IPL, they had been most adept at absorbing pressure. The chase against Delhi in a game decided by Duckworth/Lewis had been timed to perfection, and they had also enjoyed a thrilling last-ball win against the Mumbai Indians.
But with Chennai reprising their early-season form, there was nothing majestic about the men from Punjab. With the stakes higher than ever, they took the pressure as well as a Coke can would a hobnailed boot. The established internationals like Yuvraj Singh and Mahela Jayawardene were the main culprits, and Dhoni could afford to stick to the tried-and-tested script after initially springing a surprise by throwing the new ball Muttiah Muralitharan's way.
It helped that his pace bowlers were absolutely outstanding. On a pitch that offered plenty of bounce, Makhaya Ntini was always going to be a factor, and so it proved. But it was Manpreet Gony, the son of Punjab in Chennai yellow, that took the vital wickets of Kumar Sangakkara and Yuvraj, bowling a maiden along the way. Throughout the tournament, his accuracy and consistency have been eye-catching, and in favourable conditions, he excelled by not getting carried away.
Gony and Ntini, supported splendidly by the ever-impressive Albie Morkel, will face their sternest test against a Rajasthan team that has already beaten them twice. Graeme Smith's muscular hitting may be missing, but in Kamran Akmal, Warne has a replacement who certainly doesn't lack flair or hitting ability. Shane Watson will be desperate to emphasise his most-valuable-player status in the game that matters most, while Swapnil Asnodkar and Niraj Patel will be encouraged to adapt the no-fear approach that has served them so well thus far.
Shane Watson will be desperate to emphasise his most-valuable-player status in the game that matters most (file photo) © AFP

The key to the contest will be Rajasthan's bowling, the most varied and effective in the competition. Sohail Tanvir has been the best new-ball bowler on view, while the heavy ball that Watson bowls was far too much for Delhi's star-studded batting to cope with. Siddharth Trivedi's changes of pace have been tough to get away, while Munaf Patel has eased back into the national reckoning with the accuracy that first caught the eye.
And then, there's Warne, the piper calling the tune. The rave reviews that his captaincy has earned have slightly obscured the fact that he also has 19 wickets for the tournament. On a helpful pitch, like the one he got in the semi-final, no one can rip a legbreak quite like he does. The straighter one has also fetched him wickets, as has the aura that appears to intimidate some batsmen even before they settle into the stance.
Both teams have got superb performances out of their Indian contingents. Suresh Raina, S Badrinath and the remodelled L Balaji have excelled for Chennai, while Warne has inspired top-drawer efforts from Ravindra Jadeja, Munaf, Trivedi and Asnodkar. Warne was insistent that it was the seven Indian players who were the real key to success. "You expect the four foreign guys to do a job," he said. "But it's the local players that can be the difference between winning and losing."
Dhoni, who has led India to victory at the World Twenty20 and in the CB Series, has had a charmed life as leader so far. But in Warne, he's up against perhaps the greatest big-match player there's ever been. It should be some contest.

BCCI to felicitate Kapil's Devils on June 22

2008-05-31T19:39:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The Cricket Board will celebrate the silver jubilee of India's only triumph in World Cup by holding a felicitation function in New Delhi on June 22 and triumphant captain Kapil Dev will be invited for it, its chief Sharad Pawar said here today.

"The felicitation function for the members of the 1983 World Cup winning team will be held at Taj Palace in New Delhi on June 22," Pawar said here after a book launch programme.

"Yes, Kapil Dev will be invited to attend it as he was the captain," Pawar said when specifically asked whether the great all-rounder, who has aligned himself with the 'rebel' Indian Cricket League, will be invited for the function.

Two other members, who are connected with ICL, Madan Lal and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, were also part of the history-making team on June 25 at Lord's.

Smith's non-availability is a huge loss: Warne

2008-05-31T19:37:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne today described as "huge loss" the non-availability of their opener Graeme Smith for tomorrow's Indian Premier League summit clash due a hamstring injury.

"It's unfortunate Graeme Smith has got injured. It's a huge loss for us. He's been in good form and one of the reasons for us being in the final. He's formed a successful opening combination with Swapnil Asnodkar, whom we call a Goa cannon," the leg spin legend said ahead of the tie.

"We have not yet decided who will open the innings tomorrow. We expect that person (either Kamran Akmal or Younis Khan) to step on to the plate and do well," he said.

Also read: Hamstring injury rules Smith out of IPL finals
Watson stars as Rajasthan Royals advance to IPL final

Warne said his team always focused on its own strengths rather than the opposition's and thus were not concerned who, from amongst Chennai Super Kings and Punjab King's XI, would line up against them at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai to fight for the top prize of $1.2 million.

"Both Chennai and Mohali are excellent teams and whoever comes through will give us a tough fight. We don't believe in focusing on the opposition and prefer to focus on our own strengths."

"If we play like we have done so far in the tournament, including yesterday (against Delhi Daredevils) then the results will be in our favour," said the former Australian Test and ODI player.

Warne said the support he and his team got from the Mumbai crowd last night against Virender Sehwag's Delhi was fantastic and probably had something to do with the fact that Sachin Tendulkar is his close friend. "The support we got yesterday was fantastic. It was a wonderful feeling that the crowd was behind us. Yes, Sachin is a very good friend of mine and this is Mumbai. I hope the crowd would continue to support us tomorrow," he said.

Warne said that the wicket at DY Patil would favour the pacers more than the track he encountered yesterday at the Wankhede Stadium in the semi final.

"The wicket yesterday helped spinners a lot. The ball was turning square. But the wicket at the D Y Patil has helped seamers more. It's a bit up and down. We have a well-balanced attack to do well there", he said though Rajasthan had lost their previous tie there to Mumbai Indians.

Warne said he would prefer a spinner to return with figures of 2 for 35 rather than 0 for 22, but others may have a different opinion.

"I think if the spinner can chip in with some wickets and end up with say 2 for 35 after the pace bowlers have taken early wickets, it's better than finishing with 0 for 22. But others may think differently," he said.

Warne also had a dig at the England and Wales Cricket Board for not allowing its players to play in the IPL by saying they should not keep their head buried in the sand and instead, look at the reality. "The IPL is here to stay. I hope the ECB sees its bright future and not have their head buried in the sand. There's no doubt that IPL is the best way to sell cricket worldwide," the leg spin legend said.

Warne again reiterated that the IPL's duration, 44 days in the first season, should be shortened to 30 days in future.

"The IPL should be held over just four weeks, starting in April and ending on May 1. Then all the players can be given 10 days' break before plunging into international cricket," he said.

Warne again emphasised that a coach was needed at the junior level to develop the cricketers and not at the international level.

"A coach is needed for the development of players at the junior level and also at the domestic cricket level, but not at the international level where there's nothing to do about technique but everything about man management."

"I borrow (former Aussie captain) Ian Chappell's words to say that a coach at the international level is what transports players from hotel to ground and back," he said.

Warne calls for shorter IPL

2008-05-31T19:35:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan Royals [Images] captain Shane Warne [Images] on Saturday suggested the Indian Premier League [Images] tournament be shortened to a month in the coming years.
"The IPL should be played for four weeks in April and the final on May 1. The ICC [Images] should make sure there is no international cricket during the period and all the international players should be available for the IPL," he said in Mumbai.
The current Indian Premier League Twenty20 tournament is spread over 44 days between April 18 to June 1 with every team playing a minimum of 14 games on a home and away basis. Many believe the tournament is too long and called for a reduction in the number of matches, which was also agreed to by Warne.
Stats: Marsh, Tanvir emerge top
The former Australia leg-spinner also came down heavily on the England [Images] and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for not letting their players take part in the IPL this year.
"I think the ECB has been very silly. They are not realising the broader picture of the IPL," Warne said.
The 38-year-old coach and captain of the team revealed the secret behind Rajasthan Royal's brilliant run in the tournament. Having just four days with the squad before the start of the IPL, Warne said he along with performance coach Jeremy Snape and director of coaching Darren Berry worked day and night to get an idea of what his players were capable of.
"When we reached here we wanted a background of all the players through the local coaches which unfortunately we didn't get. We played two practice games straight away and watched every player in detail as to how they approached the game, their shot making, running between the wickets, fitness and other aspects," he said.
IPL: Who did well and who didn't?
And after such a fine showing by all the youngsters, Warne is all praise for them.
"The young guys are not scared of reputations, whether it is [Mohammad] Asif or [Glenn] McGrath. They will look to smack them out of the ground. These young guys are making me feel young. Watching the young guys taking on the best in the world and also do well makes me feel good," he said.
"Ravindra Jadeja is a rockstar. He will be the next superstar for India. Asnodkar is a terrific shot maker. Yusuf Pathan is finally fulfilling his potential and he has been rewarded with a place in the Indian ODI side. It makes me proud as the captain of the Royals," the Aussie added.
Warne said every member of the team -- whether it is the youngsters or senior international players -- get equal treatment and that has been important in helping the team bind as a unit.
"Everyone is equal. There is no superstar treatment for anyone. If [Shane] Watson is late, he will be spoken to and the same for Swapnil [Asnodkar]. All are equal in our team," he said.
Despite his team crushing all the opponents and storming into the finals, the Aussie legend reveals there is still more to do. "I am not satisfied yet. I want to see them become the first team to win the IPL."
Warne also said he is keen to open a spin academy in India on the lines of the MRF Pace Academy that grooms young fast bowlers.
"I am impressed with Dennis Lillee and the MRF Pace Academy. They have done a good job and helped develop fast bowlers in India. I am looking to set up same sort of spin academy to help young spinners. I am impressed with the likes of Amit Mishra and Piyush Chawla [Images] and hope to help them in the future," the veteran said.
Contradicting reports that he is interested in making a comeback to international, Warne said: "I am happily retired and enjoying playing in the IPL. I am happy spending time with my kids. I am also doing business and playing more poker tournaments. I played in an era of Australian cricket when we were highly successful. I enjoyed my time in international cricket and now I am enjoying playing in the IPL."

Chennai beat Punjab Photos

2008-05-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

Delhi vs Rajasthan Imgaes

2008-05-31T19:28:00.001-07:00

Chennai Super Kings outclass Kings XI Punjab to enter final

2008-05-31T19:26:00.000-07:00

Chennai Super Kings [Images] drubbed Kings XI Punjab [Images] by nine wickets in a lop-sided contest in Mumbai on Saturday night to storm into Sunday's final against table toppers Rajasthan Royals [Images].
Scorecard Images
After restricting the Punjab side to a meagre 112 for eight, the Chennai side romped home riding on a second wicket stand of 102 runs between opener Parthiv Patel (51 off 48 balls) and Suresh Raina (55 off 34 balls) at the Wankhede Stadium.
The best chance for Kings XI, after putting up a pathetic batting display on winning the toss, was to strike a few early blows.
They managed to dismiss opener S Vidyut cheaply for six to reduce Chennai to 14 for one, but then the left-handed combination of Patel and the more aggressive Raina took control of the proceedings.
Warne calls for shorter IPL
They made runs at a comfortable pace and raced past the finish line in 14.5 overs to complete a thumping victory.
Tomorrow's summit clash for the top prize of USD 1.2 million between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, who had beaten Delhi Daredevils [Images] in an equally comprehensive fashion by 105 runs in the first semi-final last night, would be held at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
Vidyut mistimed a pull off Irfan Pathan [Images] and put up a dolly catch to short mid wicket to bring in Raina, included in the Indian ODI team for next month's Bangladesh tri-series and the subsequent Asia Cup.
The UP batsman carried on his good showing in their last league tie with some attacking shots in the company of only a slightly more sedate Patel, who hit eight fours, and the duo carried on merrily towards the victory target.
IPL: Who did well, and who didn't?
Raina smote four sixes on the way to his half century, one of them off James Hopes which went over the roof of stadium, besides striking four fours to completely dominate the rival bowling attack.
Earlier, Chennai pace attack ripped apart the strong Punjab top-order batting and restricted them to a paltry total.
Everything went wrong for Kings XI Punjab after captain Yuvraj Singh [Images] opted to bat first on winning the toss and half their side was back in the dug-out with only 40 on the board on a seaming track.
Poor batting coupled with some good seam bowling undid the Punjab side.
Man of the match Makhaya Ntini [Images] and Manpreet Singh Gony rocked the high-flying Kings XI Punjab side with a double strike each which reduced Yuvraj Singh-led team to a pathetic 34 for four in the sixth over.
BCCI to felicitate Kapil's Devils
Ntini started the domination of the ball over the bat when he had James Hopes caught behind chasing an outswinger for two in the second over.
Then Gony dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in similar fashion, caught by wicket keeper Parthiv Patel to leave Punjab at a shaky 2 for 11.
Things became grimmer when Kings XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh pulled Gony, who bowled an excellent four-over spell for figures of 2 for 14, straight to Muttiah Muralitharan at wide mid-on to leave them gasping at 28 for three.
But the biggest blow was when South African pacer Ntini dismissed Punjab batting mainstay Marsh in his third over.
Stats: Marsh, Tanvir emerge top
The left-handed opener from Western Australia attempted to pull a ball from wide of his stumps but only managed to get an under-edge that crashed on to the stumps to the absolute delight of the Chennai Super Kings players.
Down in the dumps, Punjab lost Irfan Pathan in a horrible mix up with Mahela Jayawardene [Images] who refused to respond to the former's call for a third run. The long throw from Ntini, who dived to stop a boundary, came handy for running out Irfan when he was stranded at mid-pitch.
Punjab, tottering at 40 for five at Pathan's dismissal, lost their sixth wicket when Jayawardene, with his poise upset at Pathan's run-out and open show of anger while walking back, tried to glide Albie Morkel and top-edged to Patel who grabbed his third catch.
Images: Chennai beat Punjab
At 45 for six there was a possibility of Punjab doing worse than what Kolkata Knight Riders [Images] had done (67 all out; the lowest score of IPL) against Mumbai Indians [Images] at the same venue on May 16.
This was averted with Wilkin Mota (25 off 26 balls) and Ramesh Powar [Images] (28 off 22 balls; 1X6; 4X4) leading the way by adding 35 runs for the eighth wicket.
The duo took advantage of some below-par performance by the Chennai team in the field to take the score close to 100 before Mota was out.
Powar helped boost the tally by creaming Balaji for three fours in the last over from which 14 runs were scored.
Ntini got 2 for 23 in his four overs bowled on the trot, Morkel ended up with 2 for 27 while Muralitharan, who bowled the first over of the innings, finished with 1 for 19

Akram backing India to win Asia Cup

2008-05-30T12:09:00.001-07:00

Lahore: For ex-Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram, India are the hot favourites in the Asia Cup to be played in Pakistan from June 25 to July 6.

"Though Karachi's hot weather will be an additional rival for the participating teams in the Asia Cup, I see India as hot favourites for the event," the Dawn quoted Akram as saying.

This would be the first time Pakistan would be hosting the three-side tournament, including Bangladesh.

Speaking to reporters at the Gaddafi Stadium on Monday evening, he said he would like to coach Pakistan's national side if the PCB offered the assignment to him.

"I feel honoured if the PCB offers me any assignment as I believe the country gave me a lot and it is our duty to return to it. If the PCB offers me any assignment I will consider it but keeping in mind my other commitments. And if I have time I will be happy to make contribution for Pakistan cricket," he added.

Over the past few days, reports in the local press had suggested that the PCB was considering installing him as the new coach in place of Geoff Lawson.

About Lawson, who is currently in Australia on holidays, Wasim said no doubt Lawson's track record of 11 consecutive ODI victories was good, but added that the coach should reach Pakistan well before the team's departure to Bangladesh for the three-nation tournament to be held there from June 8.

Lawson is scheduled to return here on June 3 before Pakistan team leaves for Bangladesh, three days later.

On the occasion, Wasim also criticised the extended duration of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL). "I have never seen such a long tournament in my life," he said.

He praised the performance of Pakistan's young all-rounder Sohail Tanvir in the IPL and added the bowler had a good future.

Yusuf Pathan, Ojha new faces in squad for tri-series

2008-05-30T12:06:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Baroda all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and young Hyderabad left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha were today rewarded for their impressive showing in the Indian Premier League by being named in India's 15-member cricket squad for for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan.

The national selectors also recalled talented Uttar Pradesh batsman Suresh Raina in the squad for both the tournaments, while ignoring senior pros Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid, icon players in the ongoing IPL, for the second tri-series in succession. Sachin Tendulkar had already been ruled out of both the tournaments because of a groin injury.

The 21-year-old Raina, who last played a ODI in January, 2007, edged out other contenders like his Chennai Super Kings teammate Subramaniam Badrinath, Delhi's Shikhar Dhawan and Hyderabad's Venugopal Rao who have done well in the IPL.

The selectors have put a question mark on the ODI career of both former captains Dravid and Ganguly, who had earlier been dropped for the previous tri-series won by the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side in Australia for the first time ever, by leaving them out of the limited overs loop again.

The teams for the June 8-14 triangular ODI event in Bangladesh, also featuring the hosts and Pakistan, and the June 24-July 6 Asia Cup in Pakistan were announced by Cricket Board's secretary Niranjan Shah after a selection committee meeting which lasted about one hour.

The selectors made five changes in the team that created history under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership by winning the tri-series in Australia for the first time ever in March. Tendulkar, who has not yet recovered fully from his groin injury that forced him to miss two home Tests against South Africa and the first seven IPL games for Mumbai Indians, the banned Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Dinesh Karthik and Manoj Tiwary were those left out of that squad.

Sending out a strong message, Harbhajan, banned by BCCI for five ODIs for slapping Sreesanth after the IPL game between his team (Mumbai Indians) and Kings XI Punjab at Mohali on April 25, was left out of the Asia Cup squad though he would have served out his ban after India's first two ties in Pakistan.
The thrust of the selectors seems clearly on youth with Yusuf, elder brother of Irfan, being 25 years of age and Ojha, 21. Raina, who has played 36 ODIs, is only 21.

Yusuf's performance as a hard-hitting top order batsman for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL, after a lone appearance in the final of the T20 World Cup in South Africa against Pakistan which India won to be crowned the format's emperors last September, seems to have swung things in his favour.

The Baroda player can also bowl flat off breaks and has come into the squad for the utility value he brings to the side.

Ojha is not very experienced even at the first class level, having played only 30 matches, but the unavailability of the more experienced Murali Kartik, due to an injury sustained in the IPL, has giving him a chance to show his mettle at the international level.

With both Tendulkar and Ganguly not in the squad, Virender Sehwag and his Delhi teammate Gautam Gambhir, who is also in very good form, are the two specialist openers. The spin department lacks experience with young Piyush Chawla, who has been quite impressive in the IPL, and Ojha being the two specialist spinners.

The pace department, however, looks quite good with Ishant Sharma, S Sreesanth, RP Singh, Irfan Pathan and Praveen Kumar having to share the pace load.

The team: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt), Yuvraj Singh (Vice-capt), Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Irfan Pathan, Robin Uthappa, Suresh Raina, S Sreesanth, Yusuf Pathan, Ishant Sharma, Praveen Kumar, R P Singh, Piyush Chawla and Pragyan Ojha.

Kings XI confident of beating Super Kings: Yuvraj

2008-05-30T12:04:00.000-07:00

Mumbai: Despite losing both their previous IPL matches to Chennai Super Kings, Kings XI Punjab were going into tomorrow's semi finals against the same opposition with a measure of confidence, team captain Yuvraj Singh and coach Tom Moody said today.

"It's a different ground (Wankhede Stadium) and circumstances are different. We are coming into the game with greater confidence and will be looking to do our best with ball, bat and on the field," the lanky Australia-born Moody said.

Yuvraj said the team had learnt valuable lessons from their losses to Chennai at home and in the latter's backyard (Chidambaram Stadium) and were keen not to commit the same mistakes.

"We will try not to make the same errors again and will see where the opposition falters and try and take advantage," the stylish left-handed batsman said.

"Our confidence is high with the way we are playing and if we execute our plans properly tomorrow, no doubt we can win," the King's XI skipper said.

Also read:
Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings are evenly matched We have the psychological edge: Wessels
About his own form with the bat, Yuvraj said the good run he had in their last game would stand him in good stead.

"I had some good form in the last game. It has come at the right time ahead of the semi finals," he said referring to his knock of 49 in 16 balls.

Yuvraj Singh backed his bowling attack by saying it had performed well barring the odd game.

"Our bowlers have bowled well. It's just that the wickets were flat. The attack might have faltered on one or two games, but our bowlers are doing a great job," Yuvraj said.

Yuvraj praised the batting of Shaun Marsh, who has accumulated nearly 600 runs in only ten games. "It's been great to watch him and he's an important member of the team. We hope he does well tomorrow also," he said about the Western Australian left-handed opener's superb show thus far.

Yuvraj also played down his earlier comments criticising the Mumbai crowd and said he was confident they would support his team in the semis.

"My comments have been blown out of proportion. I had only said (after the thrilling one-run win over Mumbai Indians team at this venue) that they should not criticize Indian players. The public here is good and I'm sure at least half of them will support us in our game".

Yuvraj sounded upbeat that many more youngsters would be working hard through domestic and international cricket to make it to the IPL.

"Lot of youngsters who could have come in had to go for international duty and I'm sure many would work harder to come in to the IPL next year," he explained.

Talking about the aspect of coaching in a T20 tournament, Moody said that it was not easy to improve the players' skills. "It's just about trying to get the players as close as possible to each other and getting them to play together. Most of the players have not even seen each other before and at times have seen them only on television. There's not enough time to up skills but you can only help with improving technique and innovation," the Kings XI coach said.

Moody said it was not proper to judge a coach's worth after only one year of IPL.

"It's not about the coach but about the players. It's just about creating the right environment about the players. You can't judge a coach in the first year of the IPL," he said, adding it would be ideal to do so after a couple of years.

Watson stars as Rajasthan Royals advance to IPL final

2008-05-30T12:03:00.000-07:00

Shane Watson starred with bat and ball as Rajasthan Royals overwhelmed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in the first semi-finals of the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai on Friday night. The Royals will now face the winner of the second semi-finals between Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings on Saturday night in Sunday's final.

Watson and Yusuf Pathan scored half-centuries each as the Royals, who were asked to bat first, amassed 192 for 9 in their allotted 20 overs as none of the Daredevils' bowlers made an impression. The Royals were given a steady start by Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar as the duo put on 65 runs for the first wicket in just under seven overs.

Smith, who was hampered by a hamstring injury and had Mohammad Kaif running for him mid-way through his knock, started slowly, but then shifted gears as he hit five boundaries enroute to scoring 25 in 21 balls. Asnodkar was the more aggressive of the opening duo as he hit six boundaries and a massive six in his 21-ball knock of 39 runs. Farveez Maharoof then got the much-needed breakthroughs for the Daredevils as he dismissed Smith and Asnodkar in the space of three balls, and then accounted for pinch-hitter Sohail Tanvir (5) in the ninth over of the Royals' innings to finish with figures of 3-34 in the match.

Also read:
Rajasthan Royals favourites against Delhi Daredevils Yusuf Pathan, Ojha new faces in squad for tri-series

The Royals had to consolidate after the fall of three quick wickets, and man-of-the match Watson and Mohammad Kaif did that by adding 52 runs for the fourth wicket in under five over. Watson took the initiative back for his team as he hit two consecutive sixes in the 11th over of the innings bowled by V Yo Mahesh, who took a couple of wickets but conceded 50 runs in his four overs. Kaif's contribution to the partnership was only 12 runs and he was the fourth wicket to fall when he was clean bowled by Amit Mishra (2-37).

Watson and Pathan then stepped up the ante and the partnership was just starting to look dangerous when Mishra had the Australian all-rounder stumped by Dinesh Karthik as the Royals lost their fifth wicket with 155 runs on the board after 16 overs. Watson made 52 runs in only 29 balls, and his knock contained four hits to the fence and three over it. Yusuf who was named in India's squad for the Bangladesh tri-series and Asia Cup earlier in the day celebrated his call-up by hitting three boundaries and four massive sixes in his 21-ball knock of 45 runs before he was run out with only two balls left in the Royals' innings.

The Daredevils were never in the hunt as they lost wickets at regular intervals to be bundled out for 87 in 16.2 overs. Tillakratne Dilshan (33) was the only batsman to take the fight to the Royals even as wickets kept falling like nine pins at the other end.

Watson (3-10) started the slide by dismissing the Daredevils in-form top three batsmen -- Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan -- to leave the Delhi team reeling at 24 for 3 after 5.2 overs. Sehwag was well-caught by Tanvir in the deep, while substitute fielder Taruwar Kohli took a blinder to get rid of Gambhir (11) and Dhawan offered a straightforward catch to Ravindra Jadeja to leave the run-chase in shambles.

Munaf Patel then joined the party as he had Manoj Tiwary caught by Asnodkar at mid-on to reduce the Daredevils to 28 for 4. Dilshan and Dinesh Karthik then put together the best partnership of the innings -- 27 runs for the fifth wicket -- before the latter was caught by Mohammad Kaif to give Siddarth Trivedi his only wicket of the match. Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne (2-21) then dismissed Maharoof and Dilshan in the space of four balls to reduce the Daredevils to 76 for 7 in the 13th over.

Patel then returned to dismiss Mishra and Yo Mahesh in quick succession to finish with figures of 3-17 in his allotted four overs, before a smart piece of thinking by wicket-keeper Mahesh Rawat led to the run-out of Mohammad Asif to set off scenes of celebration in the Rajasthan Royals' dug-out.

CSA offers contract to IPL hit Morkel

2008-05-29T19:42:00.002-07:00

Durban: Lauding Albie Morkel's "stand-out" performance in the Indian Premier League, Cricket South Africa has handed the lanky all-rounder a national contract that takes effect from next month.

Morkel joins fellow all-rounder Robin Peterson and batsman Neil McKenzie as the three new players awarded contracts by the national cricket body.

"His record earned him a contract with the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League and he has been a stand-out player in getting them through to the semi-finals," Cricket South Africa CEO Gerald Majola said in a statement.

"His improving value to the Proteas is illustrated by his batting strike rate of 154.34 (213 runs at an average of 35.50) an d his bowling economy rate of 8.61 (11 wickets at 28.18) in this competition," he added.

The latest contracts bring the number of contracted players under Cricket South Africa to 18.

"After close examination of the talent available and the needs of the Proteas, it was felt that Neil, Albie and Robin would fill the identified gaps and should be drawn in as contracted players," Majola said.

"We are confident that they will add much value as CSA contracted players, and we look forward to the Proteas providing another highly successful season," he added.

McKenzie, coming into the team in the second half of the season for Tests against the West Indies, Bangladesh and India, finished top of the batting averages (621 runs at 77.62) with two big centuries against Bangladesh and India.

He also featured in the world record first wicket partnership of 415 with skipper Graeme Smith.

Peterson played in the Test series against Bangladesh and took his first five-wicket haul at this level and six wickets in the second Test overall.

IPL twice a year not a good idea, says Sehwag

2008-05-29T19:42:00.001-07:00

New Dekhi: As the Indian Premier League authorities toy with the idea of hosting the cash-rich extravaganza twice a year from 2011, Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag warns it may lead to premature retirements among the top players. IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi, in a recent interview, said for the first three editions, IPL would remain an annual event but after that, he would like to see the Twenty20 league twice a year, starting in May and September.

Sehwag, however, is apprehensive about the move, which he fears may not augur well for the game. "I think having it twice a year might trigger premature retirements," he told reporters here today.

Sehwag believes the hype and hoopla around IPL notwithstanding, people still put international cricket ahead of the Twenty20 extravaganza and it would be difficult to squeeze in two IPL seasons in an already crammed international calendar. "I think before they think about introducing a second IPL in the same year, they would have to see the schedule.

The fact remains that people at large crave more for international cricket than IPL -- be it India vs Pakistan or England vs Australia. "I guess they would have to find at least four months to accommodate two IPLs, which would not be an easy task," Sehwag explained.

Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings are evenly matched

2008-05-29T19:41:00.001-07:00

Kings XI Punjab and Chennai Super Kings have had contrasting paths to the semifinals of the Indian Premier League. While Yuvraj Singh-led Kings XI ensured their place in the knockout stage with some games left, the MS Dhoni-led Super Kings left it until their last game in the league stage to qualify for the semifinals.

Kings XI after a slow start in the league stage came into their own as they won 10 of their last 12 matches after ending up on the wrong side of the result in the first two encounters against the Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

On the other hand, the Super Kings who had a tremendous start to the IPL lost their way after the departure of Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey and Jacob Oram as the team struggled to come up with the ideal playing XI.

The Super Kings though won both their league games against Kings XI and these two victories should give the Chennai side the psychological edge going into the semifinals on Saturday night, but based on recent performances and the composition of the squads, the teams look to be evenly matched as they look to book themselves a place in the final of the inaugural IPL.

The wins and losses in the league stages though important don't hold any water in the knockout stages as it comes down to which team plays better and is able to hold its nerve in the three-four hours that the game lasts.

For the record, Kings XI Punjab with 10 wins in their 14 league matches finished second in the points table, while Chennai Super Kings won eight of their games to finish third-best after the round robin stage.

Both Kings XI and Chennai Super Kings have terrific batting line-ups but the Punjab side has the edge in the bowling department with a balanced attack and the fact that three of their bowlers are in the top-10 wicket takers' list in the IPL indicates their ability to take wickets at regular intervals.

Also read: Road to the IPL semi-finals: Kings XI and Super Kings
Kings XI though have a better opening combination in Shaun Marsh and James Hopes as compared to the Super Kings' Parthiv Patel and Stephen Fleming. Marsh, who has been one of the success stories of the IPL, not only has won five man-of-the-match awards in the 10 matches he has played but also has the orange cap for being the leading run-scorer in the tournament.

During the course of his 115 against Rajasthan Royals on Wednesday night, Marsh went past Delhi Daredevils opening batsman Gautam Gambhir's aggregate of 523 runs in the IPL. Marsh has now scored 593 runs with a highest score of 115 at an average of 74.12 and a strike rate of 139.85, and six of his 10 innings have been scores of 50 and above.

Even should Marsh and Hopes fail, Kings XI Punjab have the likes of Kumar Sangakkara, captain Yuvraj Singh, Mahela Jayawardene and Luke Pomersbach to get them to a competitive total.

Sangakkara had to miss a few league matches because of a rib injury, but has been in scintallating form since he has returned to the playing XI, and the Sri Lankan wicket-keeper has scored 317 runs from eight innings with a highest score of 94 and a strike rate of 163.40.

Yuvraj has had a rather quiet tournament so far but gave an indication of the damage he can do in this format of the game on Wednesday night against Rajasthan Royals when he scored a blistering 49 runs in only 16 balls.

Hopes has been expensive with the ball, but has scored 219 runs in 10 matches at a strike rate of 153.14, while Pomersbach who has been dismissed only once in his five innings has 152 runs to his name at a strike rate of 153.53.

Kings XI bowlers S Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla and Irfan Pathan all feature in the top-10 wicket takers list with Sreesanth featuring second on the list with 19 wickets from 14 matches at an economy rate of 8.67.

Yuvraj has done well to show his confidence in Chawla, and the young leg-spinner has justified his skipper's faith by picking up 17 wickets at an economy rate of 8.31. Chawla has also enhanced his reputation through the IPL and has been marked for greater success by most cricketing experts who have been commentators at the IPL.

Irfan has been unable to take too many wickets in recent matches but still has 14 wickets to his name at an impressive economy rate of 6.65. VRV Singh has been a tad too expensive but has played a supporting act to the trio with 12 wickets from as many matches, and burly off-spinner Ramesh Powar who has done well in the limited opportunities he has got completes the balanced Kings XI Punjab bowling attack.

On the other hand, Super Kings captain MS Dhoni has consistently maintained that his team's strength is its batting and the bowling is Chennai's weak link.

And, looking at the figures one does feel that Dhoni has a point here because Manpreet Gony, who is the leading wicket-taker for his team has taken 14 wickets in as many games at an economy rate of 7.67 and strike rate of 22.2.

Albie Morkel with 13 wickets from 11 matches and L Balaji with 11 wickets from seven matches have bowled well in patches but have conceded over 8.50 runs per over. Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan was expected to be the trump card for Chennai with the ball but he has managed to take only eight wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 6.92.

Dhoni would be hoping that his bowlers do a better job in the semi-finals and the final should the Super Kings get there.

With the bat, Dhoni and Suresh Raina who have both scored over 300 runs in the IPL have been the most consistent performers with the bat for the Super Kings, with Morkel, Patel and Fleming also chipping in.

Dhoni has made 385 runs in 13 innings at an average of 38.50 and a strike rate of 131.39, while Raina who hit the winning shot against Deccan Chargers that sent the Super Kings into the semis has scored 323 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 139.82.

However, the opening combination of Fleming and Patel has been unable to take advantage of the powerplay in the first six overs as can be gauged by the fact that while the former has a strike rate of 118.78 from 10 matches, India's former wicket-keeper batsman has scored his 213 runs at a strike rate of only 98.61.

Dhoni would do well to think of trying out a different opening combination in Morkel and Fleming for the semi-finals clash and move Patel lower down the order as a positive start would prove to be crucial in a knockout game.

The bowlers would also have to raise their game to either restrict the strong Kings XI batting line-up or bowl them out quickly should the Punjab side bat second.

The stage is set for a cracker of a contest and it is going to come down to the teams' ability to hold their nerves in crunch situations and not to get overawed by the moment. This match is too close to call, but I feel Kings XI Punjab go into the match holding a marginal edge over Chennai Super Kings.

Rajasthan Royals favourites against Delhi Daredevils

2008-05-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Despite the 41-runs loss to Kings XI Punjab on Wednesday night, Rajasthan Royals would be the favourites in the first semi-finals of the Indian Premier League against Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai tomorrow.

Shane Warne-led Royals have by far been the most consistent and well-oiled unit on display in the IPL and finished the league stage atop the points table with 11 wins from 14 matches.The Royals were thrashed by the Daredevils in their first match in the tournament, but since then have been a transformed unit under Warne's leadership as almost every member of the squad has contributed to their team's victories.

The Daredevils, however, have the Royals to thank for qualifying for the knockout stage as their place in the semis was assured only after the Rajasthan team defeated Mumbai Indians in a last-ball thriller on Monday night.

Also read: Road to the IPL semi-finals: Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils

Warne had himself acknowledged in the early part of the IPL that the Royals are a young and inexperienced team, but he added the squad has the desire to win at all costs. The legendary Australian leg-spinner has been well supported by South African captain Graeme Smith and the support staff in Darren Barry and Jeremy Snape as the Royals have run through superior opposition with ease in the tournament thus far.

Warne's astute leadership in the IPL has led to speculations in cricketing circles that he could well may be the best skipper that Australia didn't have. And, that could well be true based on how Warne has made the best use of limited resources at his disposal and made his team a force to reckon with. Every player in the Royals team from proven internationals like Smith, Shane Watson, Sohail Tanvir and Kamran Akmal to virtual unknowns like Yusuf Pathan, Swapnil Asnodkar, Siddarth Trivedi and Ravindra Jadeja have all chipped in to help their team's cause. And, even Munaf Patel who has in the past been accused of lack of speed around the field along with questions raised about his attitude, has surprised one and all by the commitment he has shown in the IPL throwing himself while fielding and for the most part bowling with probing accuracy picking up 11 wickets from 13 matches.

Smith, Asnodkar and Yusuf have all been devastating with the bat at the top of the order and Watson with his all-round performance has proved he can do wonders if he remains injury-free. Smith has played with maturity allowing Asnodkar and Yusuf to hit the big shots as he has focussed on ensuring the team doesn't lose too many early wicket. The South African captain is a naturally attacking batsman but in the IPL his strike rate of 121.99 reflects the type of knocks he has played. He is also one of the leading run-scorers in the IPL with 416 runs from 10 matches at an average of 52 and a highest score of 91. Asnodkar has scored 244 runs in seven innings but his strike rate of 127.08 doesn't quite reflect the damaging effect he has had on the opposition at the top of the order. Yusuf is the third-highest scorer for the Royals with 334 runs in 13 innings at an average of 27.83 and a strike rate of 182.51 and has also performed reasonably with the ball to finally break out of his younger brother (Irfan Pathan)'s shadow. Yusuf doesn't move his feet much and has a technique of his own, but when he hits the ball it usually goes a long distance.

Jadeja and N Patel have done well in the limited opportunities they have had in the middle, but Mohammad Kaif has been the biggest disappointment for the Royals. Kaif was the sole experienced Indian batsman in the line-up and would have hoped to do well in the IPL to stake a claim for a place in the national team but he has managed to score only 152 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 100.66. He would be hoping to make amends in the knockout stage as he is a vital cog in the Royals' wheel.

Watson has made a remarkable comeback to competitive cricket after yet another injury lay-off scoring 392 runs in 13 innings at an average of 49 and a strike rate of 149.04 apart from picking up 13 wickets at an economy rate of 7.29. Warne has described Watson as the "player of the IPL" on at least a couple of occasions, and the all-rounder has done justice to that tag with some memorable performances.

With the ball Warne, Tanvir and Trivedi have contributed immensely to the team's cause with the captain taking 17 wickets in 13 matches at an economy rate of 7.93 while the young Trivedi has given a good account of himself capturing 12 wickets from 13 matches. But, the standout bowler for the Royals has ben Tanvir, whose 21 wickets have come in only 9 matches at a strike rate of 10 and economy rate of 5.97. And, the Royals would be hoping that these players continue their impressive performances for a couple more matches.

The Daredevils, on the other hand have relied mainly on theirr top three batsmen -- Gautam Gambhir, captain Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan to post competitive totals on the scoreboard. The Delhi team's middle-order has failed to impress in most of the matches and looks highly suspect despite the presence of international stars like AB De Villiers and Shoaib Malik, and the Royals would give themselves a good chance of bundling out the Daredevils for a low score if they get these three batsmen early in the innings. Gambhir has continued his good form over the last year and has added to his stature as the best Twenty20 batsman in India enroute to scoring 523 runs in 13 innings with a highest score of 86 at an average of 43.58 and a strike rate of 143.68.

Sehwag has scored his 403 runs at a strike rate of 186.57 and an average of 36.63. The Daredevils captain has played some terrific knocks in the IPL and his team would be hoping that he plays a typical Viru-like innings on the morrow. Dhawan, meanwhile, has used the big stage well as he has given ample proof of his talent as well as his ability to cope with pressure situations. The young Delhi lad has 335 runs from 13 innings at a strike rate of 118.37 to show for his efforts in the IPL thus far and it shouldn't be too long before Dhawan is seen in national colours.

The Daredevils bowling attack has been well-led by the retired Australian pace great Glenn McGrath who has featured in all his team's matches taking 12 wickets at an economy rate of 6.31. McGrath has shown that a year away from the game hasn't done a thing to his bowling form and miserly nature with the ball. He has been well supported by V Yo Mahesh (14 wickets in 10 matches) and F Maharoof (12 wickets in 9 matches), but the elbow injury to Pakistani pacer Mohammad Asif has dented the Daredevils' attack to an extent. Pradeep Sangwan, one of the stars for India in the team's successful under-19 campaign earlier this year has impressed in patches.

Amit Mishra has been the lone spinner in the Daredevils' ranks to make an impression as not only has he taken nine wickets in five matches at an economy rate of 6.31, but is also one of the three bowlers to take a hat-trick in the IPL. Mishra would be expected to perform an important role with the ball tomorrow and it would be interesting to watch how Sehwag utilises his spin trump card.

The Daredevils would have to play exceptionally well to book their berth in the final of the tournamnet, while Rajasthan Royals will have to shrug off the loss to Kings XI Punjab and focus on doing the basics right if they want to feature in the last match of the inaugural IPL season on Sunday night.

Tough task for selectors in ODI squad selection

2008-05-29T19:38:00.001-07:00

Mumbai: The national selection panel meets here on Friday to pick the team for next month's ODI tri-series in Bangladesh and the subsequent Asia Cup in Pakistan amid speculation that youngsters who have done well in the Indian Premier League might be given a chance.

The tri-series in Bangladesh will be held from June 8-14 and would be followed by the Asia Cup in Pakistan. The five-member selection panel led by Chief Selector Dilip Vengsarkar will also have to decide on the fate of senior players Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly.

The two former India skippers were not picked for the last ODI series played by India, the triangular series in Australia that India won for the first time by a comprehensive 2-0 margin over the reigning world champions in this format of the game.

A lot would depend on what ODI captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni wishes as also the inputs from coach Gary Kirsten. The duo is scheduled to attend the meeting at the Cricket Board's headquarters here.

The Bangalore and Kolkata teams led by Dravid and Ganguly failed to sparkle in the IPL and have been knocked out of the competition before the semi-final stage.

The two senior batsmen put up a mixed show with the bat, but what may tilt the scales against their inclusion could be the fact that both are not the fleetest of fielders as compared to younger rivals.

'I made the right choice in acquiring a franchise' - Mallya

2008-05-29T19:37:00.001-07:00

Vijay Mallya, the owner of the Bangalore Royal Challengers, has responded to the widespread criticism he received for his remark that his biggest mistake was to trust Rahul Dravid with team selection, by expressing support for his team.
"I have read all the reports in the media over [the last] few days with considerable dismay. Matters are not only being blown extravagantly out of proportion but my initial comments in response to Charu Sharma have been twisted and turned in a bizarre manner," Mallya said. "The Royal Challengers is my team and I have full confidence in them. Admittedly, there are issues on team composition and non-performance but I hope that I can enjoy the legitimate privacy of sorting out issues within my own squad."
He was confident the team would get over its performance in this IPL season and come back stronger in subsequent editions. "I continue to believe that I made the right choice in acquiring an IPL franchise which will create great value going forward," Mallya said. "I like winning but losing round one doesn't mean that I have lost the fight."
Mallya's public statement came a day after Anil Kumble, India's Test captain and a member of the Bangalore team, said it was time the "people who matter" understood what sport was all about. Mallya had publicly criticised the team leadership - Charu Sharma, the sacked chief executive, and captain, Dravid - for the selection of the squad, which has performed poorly in the IPL.

No reward for coming first

2008-05-29T19:36:00.001-07:00

In just over 48 hours, a team that lost nearly 50% of its league matches could be crowned champions of the inaugural Indian Premier League. A competition spanning six weeks, nearly as long as the much-criticised World Cup in the Caribbean, will finally reach its climax at two venues that none of the four semi-finalists call home. The Rajasthan Royals, perfect over seven games in Jaipur, go into their semi-final against the Delhi Daredevils with no reward whatsoever for that pristine home record. The fact that they won four more games over the regular season also counts for nothing. So, what sort of league are we talking about here?
Traditionally, there are two kinds. The classic variety, still found in European football, has the teams playing a fixed number of matches, home and away. The team that accumulates the most points is crowned champions. If there's a tie, goal difference settles it [England] or it goes down to your head-to-head record [Spain]. Either way, the best team invariably wins.
The second kind is the American league, and the dedication to Mammon dictates a convoluted finale that involves wild-cards and play-offs. Even there though, there's a sense of fairness, and reward for excellence during the course of the regular season. The teams with the best records get home-field advantage throughout the play-offs, and only in the case of American Football's Superbowl is the final game played at a neutral venue. The chances of a mediocre team coming through to upset a champion side are slim to non-existent, though once in a generation you'll get a Joe Namath or an Eli Manning inspiring a David outfit against the heavily favoured Goliath.
Unfortunately, the IPL offers no sort of protection to the best teams in the competition. Rajasthan and Punjab have clearly been the pick of the eight teams, and there would be no complaints at all if they were to contest the final. Instead, two teams, Chennai Super Kings and Delhi, who lost six of their 14 games could slip in through the back door thanks to the semi-finals being one-off games played at a neutral venue.
It doesn't help that the event was hopelessly compromised by the initial bidding process for the franchises. Whoever bid most [it happened to be Reliance shelling out $111.9 million for Mumbai] also won the right to stage the semi-finals and the final, while the second-highest bid won Vijay Mallya and the Bangalore Royal Challengers the opening game.
In the larger scheme of things, the opening ceremony, however many lasers, dancers or cheerleaders you muster up, is an irrelevance. That certainly isn't true for the semi-finals and the final. After beating Mumbai in Jaipur last Monday, Shane Warne was understandably worked up about the possibility of Mumbai sneaking into the last four. "If Mumbai sneak in, they get a home semi-final, despite having scraped through," he said. "I can't see any advantage for finishing on top.
"The top two sides should have home-ground advantage." No one, certainly no one that matters in the IPL, was listening though, and so it is that Rajasthan will play out their last-four clash 1000km removed from the passionate support that was such a factor in that perfect home run.
Warne's views were echoed by another antipodean legend, Martin Crowe, chief cricket officer of the Royal Challengers. If anything, his suggestion was even more radical. "With an eight-team format, I would look at the top team going into final and second and third-placed teams playing off on the home ground of the second-placed side," he said. "The Rajasthan Royals have won the league, they might get smashed in the semi and I think they deserve to be in the final. And with television, it's been condensed to have the semis and the final at one venue, back to back. That doesn't make sense to anyone except the television people."
Few events are perfect at the first time of asking, and we can only hope that this eyesore is fixed in time for next year. If not, you might just get the very ugly sight of a team that lost six or seven regular-season games walking away with the big trophy. Under the watchful gaze of the floodlight towers, that really would be daylight robbery.

'Dravid had the seventh best side to work with' - Crowe

2008-05-29T19:35:00.001-07:00

Martin Crowe, Bangalore Royal Challengers' chief cricket officer, has said that "everything went wrong" with their campaign in the first season of the IPL and that they have to start afresh next year.
Crowe cited team composition, lack of preparation for key players coming out of a Test series, and poor practice facilities at the home ground as reasons for the poor performance. He also said that the team management, him included, had to share the blame and that the franchise had to bring in players with the skills required to excel in the Twenty20 format.
"There is no one or particular area that deserves more blame than anyone else," Crowe told Cricinfo. "People speculated at the start what type of team we were [a Test side] and that's the way it has turned out. We didn't have Twenty20 batsmen. The composition of the team, the fact that key players were coming out of a Test series and had just one day to prepare.
"Our facilities at the home ground were poor - we got the worst practice facilities that I have ever seen in 25 years of international cricket so preparing was even harder. That was acknowledged after two or three practice sessions. Venkatesh Prasad was unplayable. It was up and down and doing things. It's not the reason but it's a reason. As for the wicket in the middle, you can see by the scores."
Crowe said that the think-tank tried all combinations but nothing worked. "We as management also have to take blame. I am sort of involved in the three-year plan but I understand that I have been long way away from the goal. I accept that, with the changes made, I could be one of them. We got off on the back end of a [Brendon] McCullum whirlwind in the opening game and we didn't recover from it. We tried everything, every player in every combination simply because no one was putting the hand up. There is nothing to be proud of apart from, obviously, there has been some hard work that went in."
According to Crowe, the way forward was to recruit players who would be suitable to Twenty20 cricket. "Those in charge have a choice: They can start again, which is what I would do. I think you have to go in with a clean sheet and look at bringing players that would be suitable for IPL. Get as many new Twenty20 recruits as possible. Brijesh Patel is the CEO and it will be his responsibility to see who would be available and how he can build the resources within the side. We would get back Bracken but I guess we need to reduce the squad to 18 or 20, which most teams have realised."
Crowe felt Rahul Dravid grew as a Twenty20 cricketer, tried hard to adapt as a captain but "at the end of the day he had the seventh best side to work with". Crowe said it was Dravid's decision whether to continue as a captain next season.
"Rahul was very open, he knew his limitations being a 35-year old, he wished he were ten years younger but he went out there and gave 110%. You can see that in his batting, he tried his best on the field and sometimes in this sort of the game, for some one like Shane Warne it [captaincy] comes naturally and for some others it doesn't. Rahul is some one that would take due consideration of whether he is suited to continue or whether he needs it anymore. But I have no doubt that he would come back and make a contribution with the bat."
Crowe said franchise owner Vijay Mallya's decision to sack the chief executive Charu Sharma was the reaction of a "disappointed owner". "He was there from the start; he was fully involved and I think he ought to put it as a bad year and make a fresh start. I am sure he will make decisions accordingly to get us back into contention for the second year."
However, he said he didn't understand the sacking of Sharma. "That was something we never understood inside the team. That's a different issue. We don't know what that was about."
Crowe also felt the initial focus was too much on entertainment rather than cricket and that hit the team hard. "There was lots of emphasis on the opening ceremony; we were not allowed inside the stadium. We were practising under the trees in the back portion, those were the things we were dealing at the time and they didn't feel alright. It's all about momentum and we never got any momentum."

Marsh, Tanvir emerge on top

2008-05-29T19:33:00.000-07:00

Despite losing the last match of the league stage in the Indian Premier League [Images] Twenty20 tournament, Rajasthan Royals [Images] finished on top of the table with 22 points from 14 matches. Kings XI Punjab finished second with 20 points.
In the first semi-final on Friday, the Rajasthan Royals will take on fourth-placed Delhi Daredevils [Images], while, on Saturday, second-placed Kings XI Punjab meet Chennai Super Kings in the second semi-final.
IPL: Reports Points Schedule
Shaun Marsh of Kings XI Punjab hit a super century against Rajasthan Royals in the last league match to emerge on top in the batsmen's standings for the Orange Cap with a score of 593 runs from 10 matches. Delhi Daredevils' Gautam Gambhir [Images], who was in the lead for a while, is in second place with 523 runs. Mumbai Indians' [Images] Sanath Jayasuriya is in third place with 514 runs.
Also read: Eight lessons from the IPL auction
Sohail Tanvir of Rajasthan Royals continues to lead the bowlers' standings for the Purple Cap with 21 wickets from nine matches. S. Sreesanth [Images] of Kings XI Punjab is in the second spot with 19 wickets from 14 games. Rajasthan Royals' captain Shane Warne [Images] is in the third place with 17 wickets, the same as fourth placed Piyush Chawla of the Kings XI Punjab but Warne's economy of 7.93 is better than 8.31 of Chawla.

Punjab beat Rajasthan Images

2008-05-29T19:31:00.001-07:00

Mumbai beat Bangalore Photos

2008-05-29T19:28:00.001-07:00

Punjab end league phase on a winning note, beat Rajasthan by 41 runs

2008-05-29T19:26:00.001-07:00

Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals [Images] by 41 runs in the last league match of the Indian Premier League [Images] at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.
Points table Scorecard Images
The win, Punjab's 10th in 14 matches, had no effect whatsoever on the league standings though. Rajasthan, despite suffering what was their third loss in 14 matches, finished on top of the table with 22 points, two ahead of second-placed Punjab.
Chasing a mammoth 222 to win, and with Graeme Smith [Images] and Swapnil Asnodkar being rested, Rajasthan got off to a terrible start losing Mohammad Kaif (1) and Younis Khan (3) inside five overs.
Niraj Patel (57) and Shane Watson (22) put on 49 runs for the third wicket before the former, who was again impressive in his 39-ball knock that contained 10 boundaries, was cleaned up by Piyush Chawla.
Watson also fell to Chawla, while trying to accelerate, but thereafter Yusuf Pathan (39) and Kamran Akmal (24) treated the crowd with some exquisite hitting.
The brief stand (33 runs) ended when Akmal, whose eight-ball knock included a four and three huge sixes off Sreesanth [Images], became Chawla's third victim.
Mumbai sign off with a win Images
Rajasthan needed 61 runs off the final three overs, and that, proved to be a tough ask, much tougher than their initial target.
Yusuf Pathan's 15-ball knock, that contained three hits to the fence and three huge ones over it, was brilliantly caught by Shaun Marsh off James Hopes in the penultimate over. Hopes also caught Dinesh Salunkhe (6) off his own bowling in the same over.
Rajasthan needed 44 off the last over from Irfan. And they got just two.
Rajasthan ended at 180 for seven.
Earlier, Marsh notched up his maiden IPL century to power Kings XI Punjab to a massive 221 for three.
The left-handed Australian was in a furious mood and punished all the rival bowlers to all corners of the park as he produced a scintillating 115-run knock off just 69 balls.
His amazing century, sixth of the tournament, was studded with 11 fours and seven sixes.
Mohali may be denied tax exemption, free security
Marsh went back to the hut in the last over while trying to smash Watson for a big shot.
Skipper Yuvraj Singh's [Images] late blitzkrieg helped the team get past 200 run-mark. He hit a blazing 16-ball 49-run cameo before getting run out on the last ball of the innings.
The Punjab southpaw smashed two four and half a dozen sixes, including three consecutive in Siddharth Trivedi's over and shared a 80-run stand with Marsh for the second wicket.
Earlier, Marsh together with opening partner Hopes (51), who hit an elegant half-century, provided a rollicking start to the Punjab team after being sent in to bat by rival skipper.
Together they put up 133 runs for the opening wicket, which was best for the Kings XI Punjab in the tournament.
Marsh was at his best as he displayed an array for mesmerising shots all around the park.
The left-handed Aussie played furious cut shots, elegant straight and cover drives, fierce pulls and raced away to his sixth half-century of the tournament in just 27 balls.
He pulled leg-spinner Salunkhe for a boundary on the leg side to get to his fifty and in the process became the highest run-getter in the tournament.
I'm not making money from IPL: Lalit Modi
All the bowlers were at his mercy as he hit them at will, giving enough headache to Watson, who was leading the side in the absence of Shane Warne [Images].
He brought up his hundred after facing 58 balls when he got a single off Pankaj Singh's over, 17th of the innings.
Hopes did not get much strike initially and played a second fiddle to Marsh yet played an important part in laying the strong foudation for the big score.
Hopes opened up later and hit paceman Trivedi for three consecutive boundaries in the 11th over to bring the 100 for the hosts off just 63 balls.
He then lofted Yusuf Pathan for a huge six on the leg side in the 12th over and stole a couple a ball later to reach his third IPL fifty consuming just 30 balls.
However he fell to the same bowler when he tried to hit him for the maximum, did not connect well, and ended up in the hands of Salunkhe in the deep.
But by then he added 133 runs with Marsh in 13.4 overs, decimating the rival attack with his individual 35-ball 51-run knock, including seven fours and a six.

Mohali may be deprived of tax exemption, free security

2008-05-28T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Punjab Government will have a "re-look" at the free security and entertainment tax exemption granted to Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) for hosting cricket matches at the Mohali stadium, including the on-going Indian Premier League [Images].
This was stated by chief minister Prakash Singh Badal who was answering questions relating to the Mohali police slapping a bill of Rs 1.88 crore on the PCA for providing security for the IPL matches following the Ness Wadia-SSP RS Khatra spat and the Association refusing to pay the bill saying it is a "non-profit making bodies discharging public functions".
Tickets for IPL semis exorbitantly priced
Initially, Badal said it is the duty of the state to provide security at various functions, including social, political and sports.
On the spat between Kings Punjab team co-owner Ness Wadia and Khatra, he said, "It has been sorted out" and laughed away further queries on free security issue.
But when media persons persisted with the questions relating to free security and tax exemption saying various match staging centres, including Mumbai Kolkata and Chennai, were paying for the security provided by the state police, Badal sought to know the media's views.
After some media persons said the PCA should be charged since it is making huge profit through various activities, including selling liquor, Badal said, "I will re-look into the aspect of free security and tax exemption."
"When you [media] have given the consent it [charging for security and tax] will be done," he said.
Wadia had allegedly accused Mohali's SSP and his cops of stealing liquor and T-shirts and calling him a "mean and lowly person" after which the police issued a bill for Rs 1.88 crore for the IPL matches at the PCA stadium in Mohali.
PCA chief I S Bindra on his part said, "Let me make it abundantly clear to everyone that we are a non-profit making public body and that is why we get income tax and entertainment duty exemption," and questioned how the Mohali police could "demand money after the event is held".
"We always pay for certain items and pay for the police welfare fund and provide free meals to cops on duty," he said.
The SSP has lodged a written complaint with the local deputy commissioner against Wadia charging him with having humiliated him and levelled allegations against the police.
Mohali's deputy commissioner has now registered a complaint with the state's Home Secretary for further action in to the matter.

Mumbai sign off with a win

2008-05-28T10:17:00.000-07:00

The semifinal door had already been slammed on them but Mumbai Indians [Images] at least had the consolation of signing off with a win as they spanked Bangalore Royal Challengers [Images] by nine wickets in an inconsequential rain-truncated match in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Scorecard Points table
Chasing 123 to win from 18 overs, the Mumbai side cruised to 126 for one in 16 overs with Sanath Jayasuriya (54) and Sachin Tendulkar [Images] (40 not out) scoring bulk of the runs.
Earlier, Dilhara Fernando (4-18) mowed down the Bangalore top order while Dwayne Smith (3-26) wrecked the middle as Mumbai Indians restricted the hosts to a meagre 122 for nine in 18 overs.
Chasing 123, Jayasuriya and Tendulkar decided to wrap it up early and the Sri Lankan especially went berserk.
Jayasuriya smote Praveen Kumar for a massive six in the third over before tormenting R Vinay Kumar, who was hit for two successive sixes, followed by a boundary in the action-packed eighth over.
Anil Kumble [Images] could not escape Jayasuriya's wrath either as the left-hander first hit the spinner for back-to-back fours and then hit him for his 31st six of the tournament.
Dale Steyn finally halted the rampaging Sri Lankan in the 12th over when Jayasuriya was caught at sweeper cover.
The damage, however, had already been done and Jayasuriya not only featured in a 96-run opening stand but also dominated it with his scintillating strokeplay en route to a 37-ball blitzkrieg that included fours boundaries and as many sixes.
Tendulkar, on his part, mixed caution with aggression during his 42-ball unbeaten stay which yielded 40 runs with the help of four fours and a six.
Tendulkar swept Anil Kumble for two successive fours to seal the match.
Robin Uthappa remained unbeaten on 19.
Earlier put into bat in the rain-curtailed match, the Rahul Dravid-led Bangalore Royal Challengers got off to a decent start with Mark Boucher [Images] (18) and Sreevats Goswami (20) putting together 35 runs before first change bowler Fernando dealt double blows in the sixth over.
The strapping Sri Lankan drew first blood by removing Boucher and three balls later, Misbah-ul-Haq (0) was on his way back to pavilion after yet another misadventure.
In his next over, Goswami became Fernando's third victim and then it was Smith's turn to join the party.
The West Indian removed Cameron White (26) just when the Australian youngster looked threatening, while Virat Kohli (0) fell to Ashish Nehra, as the hosts lost their top half with 76 runs on the board in the 13th over.
Wickets kept tumbling with Smith removing Rahul Dravid [Images] (11) and B Akhil (5) in the 14th over and Praveen Kumar (8) was run out in the last ball of the innings.
The hosts owed it to R Vinay Kumar's handy 23 off 17 balls as they crawled past the 100-mark.

Chennai beat Hyderabad

2008-05-28T10:04:00.000-07:00

Chennai book semi-final berth

2008-05-28T10:01:00.000-07:00

Chennai Super Kings beat Deccan Chargers by seven wickets in their Indian Premier League [Images] match in Hyderabad on Tuesday to book the final berth in the semi-finals.
Scorecard Points Images
Chennai's win ended the hopes of the Mumbai Indians [Images] of making it to the last four.
The win, Chennai's eighth in 14 matches, moved them up to third in the table on 16 points, one ahead of Delhi (15). The Hyderabad team, meanwhile, lost for the 12th time in 14 matches and finished with the wooden spoon.
Chasing 148 to win, Chennai lost openers Parthiv Patel (20) and Stephen Fleming [Images] (14) by the ninth over but thereafter captain Mahendra Shingh Dhoni [Images] (37 of 25 balls) came into the crease and helped Suresh Raina (54 not out) put on 56 runs for the third wicket, a partnership that steadied the Chennai ship.
Dhoni was dismissed by Pragyan Ojha but Albie Morkel (12 not out) and Raina saw their team home with four balls to spare.
Earlier, a heroic 76-run fourth-wicket partnership between Y Venugopal Rao and D Ravi Teja [Images] propelled Deccan Chargers to 147 for eight.
I'm not making money from IPL: Lalit Modi
Rao (46) and Teja (40) joined hands when their team was stuttering at 57 for three, after deciding to bat on a good batting pitch.
Only Rao and Teja batted with guile and grit as all other batsmen struggled to find rhythm and big hitters like Herschelle Gibbs [Images] (8) and Shahid Afridi [Images] (1) disappointed once again.
Rao's 46-ball knock, which included three fours and one six, was mixture of aggression and caution while Teja was furious right from the word go. Teja hit four fours and a six in his 28-ball knock.
Once the duo departed, the hosts wickets fell one after another as they crumbled under pressure of putting up a big total.
Gibbs found it tough to negotiate a disciplined pace attack on a bouncy wicket and eventually departed while trying to break the shackles.
Tickets for SF exorbiatntly priced
The South African slashed one off compatriot Makhaya Ntitni over the point region but only managed a thick edge which was accepted gleefully by L Balaji at third-man.
Skipper Adam Gilchrist [Images] (5) perished in the same way when he tried to loft a good length delivery by Manpreet Gony and just managed an outside edge, which flew to third man Abhinav Mukund.
Runs were tough to come from the blade as first five overs fetched just 18 runs and that too at the cost of two wickets.
Rao and Scott Styris (20) then steadied the rocking boat by weaving a 39-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was undone by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.
One of the best wins of my career: Warne
Styris, who played some good shots in his short knock, gave charge to Muralitharan but missed the line completely and was bowled by Sri Lankan.
All the bowlers from the visiting side kept a tight line until Balaji was hit for 14 runs in the 14th over, which also witnessed first six of the innings.
Albie Morkel and Balaji took two-wickets each while Ntini, Goni and Muralitharan claimed one wicket each.
Chennai team needs to win the match to seal the last semifinal spot in the tournament while the hosts now would try to win their first match at home

Tickets for IPL semis exorbitantly priced

2008-05-27T09:02:00.000-07:00

The tickets for the Indian Premier League [Images] semi-final matches, to be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 30 and 31, are going to cost the cricket fans dear with the rates fixed between Rs 1000 and Rs 12000 for most stands barring the popular East Lower.
The costliest ticket for the matches is the one which gains the fan entry into the Garware club house, the upper tier to the left of the players' dressing rooms, and is priced at a whopping Rs 12,000, according to Mumbai Cricket Association sources.
This is double the amount the fans paid for the matches during the league stages.
Similarly the cost of the MCA Guest Stand ticket has also been doubled to Rs 6,000 while the fans occupying the Sachin Tendulkar [Images] stand on the northwestern part of the stadium would have to cough up Rs 2000, four times what they had paid for the earlier ties held at this venue, while the North central stand ticket has been priced at Rs 4000.
The Sunil Gavaskar [Images] stand tickets, the upper tier of the East Stand with corporate boxes, would cost Rs 5000 each while tickets for the Vijay Merchant Stand (upper and lower) have been priced at Rs 10000 and Rs 1000 respectively, the sources said.
"We have maintained the price for the East lower stand at Rs 250 and they have all been sold out," the sources said, a surprise considering the fact that the host team - Mumbai Indians [Images] - have not yet qualified for the knock-out stage of the Twenty20 League.

Rajasthan beat Mumbai Pics

2008-05-26T19:31:00.001-07:00

Rajasthan secure top spot with last-ball win

2008-05-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan Royals 146 for 5 (Niraj Patel 40*) beat Mumbai Indians 145 for 7 (Jayasuriya 38, Tanvir 4-14) by five wickets Scorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Sohail Tanvir took an impressive 4-14 to become the tournament's highest wicket-taker © AFP

The Mumbai Indians lost their third successive nail-biter to leave their semi-final hopes hanging by a thread. Rajasthan Royals needed 43 off the final three overs to protect their 100% home record and youngsters Niraj Patel and Ravindra Jadeja kept their nerve - while several more experienced Mumbai players lost theirs - to win it off the final ball.
The real winners, though, were Delhi Daredevils, who became the third team to qualify for the semi-finals. Mumbai must now hope Chennai Super Kings lose against Deccan Chargers on Tuesday to stay in contention.
When Shane Watson was dismissed with 69 runs needed off 48 balls, Mumbai were in command; Rajasthan had no big-name batsman to follow and the pitch was not conducive to stroke-making. It got better for the visitors as the bowlers maintained their tight line and length and runs came mainly in singles. With Niraj and Jadeja hardly threatening, the equation became a difficult 43 off the final three.
The 18th over, from Ashish Nehra saw a streaky inside-edge for four and a misdirected yorker deflected off the pads to the fine-leg boundary left Rajasthan needing 34 off the last two. The penultimate over, bowled by Rohan Raje, yielded 17; Jadeja clubbed the first ball over cover for six and the rest was a mix of singles, twos, threes and a no-ball. The final delivery should have gone only for a couple, but shoddy work at the bowler's end - one among Mumbai's several elementary fielding errors - gave away a crucial, extra run.
Fifteen to get off six balls. Four came off the first two balls from Dilhara Fernando and, with 11 needed off four and two rookies against a wealth of experience, you'd bet on Mumbai to edge it. Then followed a flat, powerful six over long-on from Niraj, but, with only two scored off the next two, three were needed from the final ball. Fernando, an experienced international, then sent down a leg-side wide and Niraj mistimed the last delivery to mid-on. Only one run should have been taken but the batsmen chanced their luck and set off for the second. Sanath Jayasuriya, another veteran, fumbled the throw from the deep to fluff a simple run-out opportunity and hand Rajasthan yet another victory.
The chase of 146 began with some uncontrolled across-the-line heaves and suicidal running; Kamran Akmal punished Ashish Nehra's wide deliveries and picked off two boundaries off Shaun Pollock but was run out when he made the basic error of not dragging his bat into the crease. A couple of wickets more, a few more boundaries and another comical run-out, Mohammad Kaif stranded yards out. Then Sachin Tendulkar, running across from midwicket, pulled off a blinder to send back Watson in Raje's next over. That was when Rajasthan, as they have through the tournament, found new heroes to bail them out in Niraj and Jadeja.
After choosing to field on a pitch keeping low, Rajasthan restricted Mumbai to 145 - and even that modest total was reached thanks to Yogesh Takawale's eight-ball 24 in the final over, off Watson. Rajasthan's bowlers held sway for most of the innings, and Man-of-the-Match Sohail Tanvir reinforced his status as the tournament's best bowler with a four-wicket haul that earned him the purple cap.
Mumbai struggled to find momentum from the start, and the opening pair of Jayasuriya and Tendulkar were stifled by the new-ball bowlers to such an extent that only 29 runs, and two boundaries, came in the Powerplay. Yusuf Pathan, bowling flat and quick, and Siddharth Trivedi also kept Mumbai in check before Shane Warne came into the attack for his much-anticipated showdown with Tendulkar. Warne varied his flight well but was competently handled by Tendulkar, who kept tucking him away to the leg side.
Only 60 came off the first ten overs, and Jayasuriya, trying to provide some impetus, had a bit of luck with a couple of boundaries before pulling straight to midwicket. Things were to get worse for Mumbai as Tendulkar offered Trivedi a simple return catch and Robin Uthappa was smartly stumped by Akmal off Warne after a short, uneasy stay at the crease.
Abhishek Nayar's three off-side boundaries pushed them along but, just as the innings was gathering some momentum, Tanvir ran through the Mumbai middle-order, taking four wickets in two overs. Then came Takawale's flurry but it was inadequate as Rajasthan again dug deep to pull off an improbable win.

SRK: Ganguly and I are not fighting

2008-05-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Shah Rukh Khan has put to rest all rumours about a rift between Kolkata Knight Riders [Images] captain Saurav Ganguly [Images], and himself.
"Saurav and I are good friends. There is no problem between Saurav, John [Buchanan, coach for the Knight Riders] and me," he says. "Certain sections of the press have misquoted me on this. I do not think that I need to justify that we are a team. I am too old in this business of winning and losing. I do not think that I need someone coming and telling me about anti-corruption after 40 days into the tournament. I own the Knight Riders and I have paid them to win. Now, if they are losing, does that mean that I am paying them to lose?
"There is more to life than just winning. I read somwhere that I was kicking chairs. I have seen too many victories and losses, and I'm too old in this game to react like this," he continues. "When we won, it was said 'Prince and King ruled.' Now that we are not doing well, they assume that somthing must me wrong between Saurav and me. I would like to clarify that nothing is wrong. Saurav has sent me messages asking me to clarify to all that we are friends. We are not fighting, the team is not going to be sold. John is not angry with Saurav. Saurav is not angry with me. I am not kicking chairs. There are no issues. Yes, I do have certian issues with the IPL on the code of conduct. That needs to be clarified. Only then will I go to the matches."

Delhi beat Mumbai Photos

2008-05-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

Bangalore down Hyderabad

2008-05-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

The top order of the Bangalore Royal Challengers [Images] clicked in unison as Rahul Dravid's [Images] men chalked out a five-wicket win with one over to spare against lowly Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League [Images] battle between the laggards in Hyderabad on Sunday.
With this win, the Bangalore side avoided the ignominy of finishing last in the IPL, while the Deccan Chargers could not avoid the wooden spoon.
Scorecard
Chasing 166 for victory, Jacques Kallis [Images] (31), Misbah-ul-Haq (34), Dravid (31), Cameron White (31 not out) and B Akhil (27 not out) came up with timely cameos as the side reached 171 for five in 19 overs.
Akhil smashed three sixes in the 19th over, bowled by Chamara Silva, en route to his unbeaten 27 off just seven balls to seal the issue.
Earlier, Herschelle Gibbs [Images] (47) and Adam Gilchrist [Images] (47) gave a rollicking start but Deccan Chargers lost the plot towards the end and folded for 165 in exactly 20 overs.
Bangalore's reply got off to a poor start as Wasim Jaffer [Images] (5) fell early but Kallis and Misbah stemmed the rot, scoring at a lively rate. Misbah was more impressive of the two but like Kallis, who was run out, the Pakistani too could not convert the start and fell to Ravi Teja [Images] after a 28-ball 34 that included four boundaries and a six.
Next man in Dravid too looked in good nick as he went after the hosts bowlers and by the time he fell to Sanjay Bangar, the Bangalore captain had contributed 31 off 21 balls that kept the side right on course.
Down the order, White and Akhil completed the formality without much ado to carve out a win with one over to go.
Earlier, deciding to bat first, the Gilchrist-Gibbs duo overcame a subdued start and came down hard on the Bangalore attack. But once they departed in a space of seven balls, the home team witnessed a batting collapse with only Y Venugopal Rao (26) and Rohit Sharma (17) managing double figures.
Dravid sprang a surprise by opening the attack with Anil Kumble [Images] and the leggie didn't disappoint either, as he kept it tight, while Dale Steyn too proved a miser.
But once they were taken off, Gilchrist and Gibbs imposed them on the visitors. Vinay Kumar and B Akhil came in for some harsh treatment from the duo as the Deccan Chargers reached the 100-mark in the 11th overs without losing a wicket.
On his return, Kumble drew first blood when Sreevats Goswami stumped Gibbs and in the next over, Gilchrist fell to Vinay Kumar to join his opening partner in the hut.
Gibbs' 34-ball 47 included six fours and two sixes, while Gilchrist hit four boundaries and two sixes en route to his 37-ball 46.
Wickets kept tumbling and Rohit's exit further complicated things for the Deccan Chargers. Venugopal hit Kumble for two sixes and a boundary in his last over before Vinay Kumar cut short his stay.
The Deccan Chargers in fact lost their last nine wickets for just 56 runs in less than eight overs.

Why Rajasthan have been such a force

2008-05-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

With the league stage of the IPL drawing to a close, there's enough data on teams to analyse the strengths and weaknesses of each. Which ones have capitalised the most on the Powerplay overs, with both bat and ball? Which ones have been the strongest through the middle overs, and which the best at the finish? The numbers tell the story.
Gautam Gambhir's performances have been a huge factor in Delhi's superb display at the start of their innings © Getty Images
The powerful startersWith Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan regularly among the wickets, and Shaun Marsh in terrific touch with the bat, Kings XI Punjab have been among the best teams at the start of an innings with both bat and ball. Their batsmen average more than 40 runs per wicket during the Powerplay overs (the first six of the innings) at a run-rate of more than 8.5, while the bowlers have taken 23 wickets during this period, which is second only to Kolkata's 25 during the Powerplays. The difference between Punjab's batting and bowling quotient (calculated by multiplying the average by the runs scored/ conceded per ball) is 26.45, easily higher than the rest.
Delhi Daredevils are up there too, thanks to an outstanding top three of Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Shikhar Dhawan, who have put Delhi on course with the bat, and Glenn McGrath's impeccable performances with the new ball. They have lost just 16 wickets during the Powerplays, which is second only to Punjab's 14.
At the other end of the spectrum are Bangalore Royal Challengers, for whom not much has gone right during this tournament. Their starts - with both bat and ball - have been particularly dismal. They've lost 26 wickets during the first six overs, at an average and scoring-rate that have ensured absolutely no momentum. For a team that has Dale Steyn, Zaheer Khan and Praveen Kumar as their pace attack, they've been hugely disappointing with the ball, taking just 12 wickets during the Powerplays, the least by any team. Steyn has taken only seven wickets in eight games, while Zaheer has leaked 8.50 runs per over for his 13 wickets.
Strong in the middleRajasthan Royals haven't been exceptional at the start with either bat or ball, but their strengths have been the middle and final overs. They've scored at a fair clip in the overs between 7 and 14, but their real heroes have been their bowlers during this period. Shane Warne and Co have taken 27 wickets in the middle overs, which is the highest by any team during this period. Ten of Warne's 14 wickets have come during this period, at a cost of 17.40 runs per wicket and an excellent economy-rate of 6.69 runs per over.
Delhi and Punjab haven't done badly during this period either, but Chennai Super Kings, who are third on the points table, languish in second-last position in the calculations in both the first six and the middle overs. Their problem has primarily been the inability to take wickets: during the Powerplays they've managed just 16 wickets in 12 games, and they've taken an equal number of wickets during the middle overs as well, at an exorbitant average of 49.75 runs per wicket. Their bowling index (average multiplied by runs conceded per ball) is 68.87, easily the worst among all teams. Their batsmen have done reasonably well - their batting index is third among the eight teams - but the lack of bowling ability finds them in seventh place overall. The only team that lags behind them is Bangalore, who have lost 28 wickets during the middle overs, easily the highest among all teams.
Finishing with a flourishAfter dominating the middle overs, Rajasthan have also gone on to finish innings better than the other sides. They've only lost 18 wickets during the last six overs of their innings, while their bowlers have taken 32. Shane Watson has led the way with the bat, scoring 92 runs from 46 deliveries during this period, while Mohammad Kaif (63 from 34) and Yusuf Pathan (41 from 19) haven't done badly either. Delhi have been outstanding with the ball during the last six, taking 35 wickets, but their batsmen haven't had as much success, averaging just 15.71 runs per wicket at less than nine per over.
Apart from Rajasthan, the other team that has impressed in the final overs is Chennai. Their bowlers have snaffled 33 wickets at a reasonably economical rate, while their batsmen have turned it on, scoring at 10.10 runs per over in the last six, thanks largely to S Badrinath - who has scored 105 off 52 balls - and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (182 off 111).
This is also the only parameter on which Bangalore aren't right at the bottom of the pile. That spot goes to the Deccan Chargers, who have leaked runs at 11.31 per over. Andrew Symonds has been the worst offender, going for 38 in 11 balls, while D Kalyankrishna has given away 51 in 18.

Karthik gives Delhi a life

2008-05-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

Delhi Daredevils 179 for 5 (Karthik 56*) beat Mumbai Indians 176 for 8 (Jayasuriya 66, Uthappa 46, Mahesh 4-36) by five wicketsScorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Dinesh Karthik and the Delhi Daredevils' misfiring middle order came good when it mattered to clinch a thrilling five-wicket victory and keep their semi-finals hopes alive. Coming in with the team wobbling at 89 for 4, Karthik blitzed a classy 32-ball 56 to take Delhi past the Mumbai Indians' 176 with one ball to spare.
Mumbai are three points behind Delhi and two behind the Chennai Super Kings, who have two a game against the lowly Deccan Chargers, and may need to win both their remaining matches, including a tough one away against table-topping Rajasthan Royals, to make it to the final four.
Full report to follow
Sanath Jayasuriya blasted 66 off 42 balls (file photo) © Getty Images

20 overs Mumbai Indians 176 for 8 (Jayasuriya 66, Uthappa 46, Mahesh 4-36) v Delhi Daredevils
Sanath Jayasuriya's assault gave the Mumbai Indians an explosive start to their innings but his team-mates failed to build on it and a fightback by the Delhi Daredevils restricted them to 176 for 8. Yo Mahesh epitomised Delhi's combative spirit, recovering from a mauling in his first over to finish with four wickets.
Delhi, for whom this is a must-win game, looked to their spearhead Glenn McGrath for the breakthrough. However, Jayasuriya and Tendulkar negotiated him with ease and set about dismantling the others. Jayasuriya, typically scoring heavily square of the wicket, took Brett Geeves, playing only his second IPL match, to task - a couple of leg-side boundaries in his first over were followed by an effortless slice over backward point for six and a powerful across-the-line shot past long-on for four.
Mahesh was brought into the attack but two towering sixes and an edge past the wicketkeeper for four kept the run-rate galloping. Delhi's semi-final hopes were further dented when Dinesh Karthik, standing up to Farveez Maharoof, missed a leg-side stumping with Tendulkar overbalancing. The next ball was disdainfully swatted for six by Jayasuriya and the score read 70 for no loss after seven.
The breakthrough came when Tendulkar inside-edged Mahesh onto his stumps and, with Maharoof sending down a clever mix of slower balls and yorkers, the brakes were applied. The only blemish in Maharoof's miserly spell was a number of leg-side wides - perhaps going overboard in his attempt to deny Jayasuriya any width.
Amit Mishra, whose googlies the batsmen found hard to read, kept the runs in check but a poor over from Geeves released the pressure and soon Mishra too was punished, a short ball clobbered by Jayasuriya over midwicket. Just as Mumbai seemed to have regained their momentum, though, they were again pegged back by Mahesh, whose slow offcutter saw Dwayne Smith hole out to mid-off. Mishra then picked up the big wicket of Jayasuriya, who perished attempting his sixth six and when the hard-hitting Abhishek Nayar fell four balls later, Mumbai had slipped to 114 for 4.
It required Robin Uthappa's stunning 23-ball 46 to lift them to a competitive score. Uthappa, who has flickered through this tournament, combined some delicate glides past third man with his signature paddle sweeps as well as some full-blooded blows over midwicket and long-on to plunder 31 runs off the last two overs.
Both sides received a boost earlier in the day with the Chennai Super Kings fluffing their chance to seal a semi-final berth against the Rajasthan Royals. At the halfway stage, the match remains evenly balanced and the battle between Shaun Pollock and the Delhi top-order could well determine which teams grab the two remaining semi-final spots.

Rajasthan beat Chennai

2008-05-24T11:11:00.002-07:00

Royals hold off Chennai challenge

2008-05-24T11:11:00.001-07:00

Albie Morkel (71) and Parthiv Patel's (54) half centuries went in vain as Chennai Super Kings lost the plot towards the end to suffer a 10-run defeat against Rajasthan Royals [Images] in the Indian Premier League [Images] match in Chennai on Saturday.
- Scorecard
After Graeme Smith [Images] (91) and Kamran Akmal (53) had led the Royals to a huge total of 211 for five, the Super Kings replied by the taking the visiting bowlers by the scruff of their neck.
Suresh Raina, with 45 from 24 balls; (6x4, 2x6), did most of the damage early on.
Super Kings were cruising at 157 for three at the end of 15 overs but failed to get 55 from the last five overs with seven wickets in hand to cement their semi-final berth.
With 14 points from 13 matches, the MS Dhoni-led side will have to win their last match against Deccan Chargers on May 27 in Hyderabad to make the grade.
The home team's run chase began shakily with opener Stephen Fleming [Images] out cheaply for seven in the second over but his partner Parthiv and Raina kept on getting the big runs.
The duo shared a quickfire stand of 70 runs off 41 balls for the second wicket to keep them in the hunt before Morkel woke up from the initial slumber to join the party.
Raina plundered 15 runs out of 19 in the third over off Munaf Patel [Images] and then sent Sohail Tanvir scurrying for cover by taking 14 runs in the fifth over.
With Raina going after the bowlers, Parthiv played second fiddle to great effect before Shane Warne [Images] broke the partnership in his second over and ninth of the home team innings.
Warne lured Raina to play forward and the young batsman misread the turn and lobbed to deep mid wicket where Mohd Kaif made no mistake in taking a clean catch.
Parthiv survived for another six overs and accumulated runs to share a 73-run stand for the third wicket along with Morkel who opened up later in his innings, belting Yusuf Pathan for 15 runs in his third over.
With the team at 157 for 3 at the end of 15 overs, the hosts were in for a chance to tame the Royals.
They needed 47 runs from four overs and Dhoni [Images] hit two fours off Munaf Patel to inch closer to the target only to fall in the 18th over for 12 (8 balls; 2X4), caught by Mohammed Kaif at mid off of a slower delivery from Sohail Tanvir.
In the last over, needing 15 runs to win, Chennai lost Morkel in the penultimate ball of the innings after making 71 (40 balls; 6X4 and 4X6) and Abhinav Mukund run out in the last ball.
Tanvir was the wrecker-in-chief with figures of 4-0-33-3 while Warne claimed two wickets for 35.
Morkel was, however, adjudged man of the match for his 71 and and 2 for 35.
Earlier, Graeme Smith led a batting assault with a blistering 51-ball 91 and, backed up by an equally explosive 28-ball 53 by Kamran Akmal, helped table toppers Rajasthan Royals post a huge 211 for 5.
Electing to bat after winning the toss, the rampaging Royals, who brought in four new faces, sent Super Kings bowlers on a leather hunt.
Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar plundered 127 runs for the first wicket, second highest IPL opening stand, from just 67 balls to lay the foundation for a big total.
The duo were in such an attacking mood that they reached 50-run mark in just 4.5 overs and coasted to 100 in 9.4 overs.
The home team had to toil till the 12th over for their first success when Asnodkar was run out for 44 (27 ball; 5X4, 2X6), failing to beat an MS Dhoni-Parthiv Patel combine.
Smith continued in his attacking mode but was unlucky to miss a hundred by nine runs after batting so beautifully.
Smith's superb 91 came off 51 balls with the help of nine fours and a six.
The next two batsmen -- Yusuf Pathan (6) and Mohd. Kaif (10) -- did not contribute much, both falling to Albie Morkel and the run rate dipped as the visitors scored just 44 from the last five overs.
Pakistani Kamran Akmal, who had not done much in the tournament so far, then smashed 53 (28 balls; 3x6; 4x4) to take the score past 200.
Morkel was the most successful Chennai bowler with 2 for 35 while Raina claimed one wicket for 20.

Hyderabad vs Punjab

2008-05-24T11:08:00.000-07:00

Marsh, Sangakkara help Punjab beat Hyderabad

2008-05-24T11:07:00.001-07:00

Shaun Marsh and Kumar Sangakkara hit brisk half-centuries as Kings XI Punjab beat Deccan Chargers by six wickets in an inconsequential Indian Premier League [Images] match in Mohali on Friday night.
- Scorecard Points table Slideshow
Chasing 176 for victory, the duo put on an 84-run stand before Sangakkara departed. The Sri Lankan had a little earlier brought up his third fifty of the tournament off only 23 balls. It included six fours and two sixes. But he was out soon after trying to hoist Rohit Sharma and caught in the deep by Chamara Silva.
Next man Yuvraj (17) hit two fours but failed to get the elevation while attempting another and was caught on the boundary brilliantly by R P Singh off the bowling of Pragyan Ojha.
Marsh, who blasted an unbeaten 85 off 62 balls in his first match in the IPL to give the Punjab team a comfortable victory win while chasing 165 when the teams met in Hyderabad earlier in the tournament, departed soon after, caught by Herschelle Gibbs [Images] at long on off the bowling of Scott Styris for 60. The Australian opener's runs came off 46 balls and included three fours and as many sixes.
Luke Pomersbach, who came in at the fall off Marsh's wicket, lasted 12 deliveries but scored a four and six before he was dismissed, caught by Rohit Sharma off Ojha for 13.
Punjab needed 24 off 16 at this stage. Mahela Jayawardene [Images] (14 not out) and Piyush Chawla (16 not out) ensured no further damage was done as hosts won for the ninth time in 12 matches to cement second place on the table.
The Hyderabad side, having lost 10 of their 12 matches, remain firmly rooted at the bottom of the table.
Earlier, riding on a spirited opening by skipper Adam Gilchrist [Images], Deccan Chargers posted a competitive 175.
Gilchrist hit a 42-ball 50, aided by six boundaries and a huge six, and also paired up with South African Herschelle Gibbs to carve out an impressive partnership of 79 runs to lay a strong foundation for the Hyderabad team which lost only four wickets in their stipulated 20 overs.
Gibbs scored 44 off 34 balls, before spinner Gagandeep Singh bowled him out after Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh [Images] won the toss and put the Deccan Chargers in to bat.
After both the openers were back to the pavilion, the momentum of the Deccan's innings was maintained by Rohit Sharma, who came out with an impressive half century in just 27 deliveries, hitting out three boundaries and four sixes.
Kings XI Punjab bowlers proved expensive, as S Sreesanth [Images] and VRV Singh gave 29 and 40 runs respectively.
Besides, Sreesanth and Singh, Ramesh Power and Gagandeep Singh got one wicket each.

'They should have just asked for 12 blondes'

2008-05-24T11:06:00.000-07:00

For the two cheerleaders from London [Images] who have levelled charges of racism at event marketing company Wizcraft, their experience may have left them shaken but they insist it is not an "indictment" of India. Both girls claimed it was an "isolated incident" and that they are yet to experience racism elsewhere in India.
"I don't believe India is racist," Ellesha Newton, one of the girls, said in a matter-of-fact manner.
Newton and Sherinne Anderson, who alleged that they were asked to leave the Mohali ground without performing on April 19 because their "skin is too dark", addressed the press in Mumbai on Thursday along with Jorge Aldana, director of Fierce Performance Production, which employs the girls as dancers. Wizcraft has been hired by actress Preity Zinta [Images] for her Indian Premier League [Images] team, the Punjab Kings XI.
After being removed from the grounds, Newton told rediff.com that a Wizcraft employee used the highly derogatory term "nigger" as part of his explanation for why the girls couldn't perform. "Of course," she explained, "tears soon followed. I was in a state of shock." When asked if there were witnesses, both Newton and Anderson answered in the affirmative. Not only did fellow teammates see and hear the dispute, they said, but members of the crowd also overhead the offensive comments and saw them sobbing.
"It was our second day in India, and our first match," recalled Newton. "Everything was fine the night before, when we had practice." But the next day, when the girls took the field before the Yuvraj Singh-led Kings XI in the April 19 match against the Chennai Super Kings, they were "asked to leave" the grounds prematurely. When they asked why, Wizcraft employees, they alleged, told them that their skin colour was "too dark", they said.
When Aldana found the girls upset, he became incensed, and demanded that they be allowed to perform. Anderson said, "My heart wasn't really in it after that. But Jorge wanted us to, so we did." Newton added, "I was horrified (to go back on the grounds)."
"They should have just asked for 12 blondes," Aldana said grimly. "I feel horrible that they had to experience this. This sort of situation should never occur again."
For both girls, it's their second trip to India. Earlier, they had come to dance in Bollywood films, including Akshay Kumar's [Images] Singh is King.
Sabbas Joseph, director, Wizcraft, is incredulous at the girls' claims. "It's a simple attempt to extort money; it's been going on for the last two days" he told rediff.com "The allegations are baseless. If not, why has it taken over a month for them to come forward? They're manipulating the media."
"It's not about the money," Aldana countered, dismissing the extortion charge. "We just want an apology. I've been SMSing and calling the directors (of Wizcraft) all day. It's complete disrespect." While Joseph insisted he felt sorry for the two girls, he said, "their manager is to blame," before again reiterating that no racially motivated incident took place on the 19th. "We're a reputable company and we have employees trained to deal with international performers," he said.
Aldana said the contract he had with Wizcraft was breached, and that the girls were supposed to be flown home to England [Images]. "Now I have these girls here in India," he mentioned, adding that they will have to foot their own bill home. He alleged that Wizcraft being a much larger company than his, is trying to use superior resources to avoid honouring the agreement.
Preity Zinta was not available for comment, but Aldana claimed to be in touch with her. "She's been very supportive," he said. "She's looking into this. Again, we want everyone to know that this is not about India or Indians. We love India. This is about a single company."

Delhi-Kolkata tie abandoned

2008-05-22T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Indian Premier League [Images] match between Delhi Daredevils [Images] and Kolkata Knight Riders [Images] at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday was called off because of rains.
Both the teams were awarded a point each following the abandonment.
Delhi moved up to fourth in the table, one point ahead of Mumabi but having played two games more. They face Mumbai in their final match at the same venue.
Kolkata's points tally is now 11 from 13 matches and they are out of contention for a semi-final spot
Earlier, a steady drizzle delayed the start of the match and the umpires subsequently decided no play was possible after inspecting the conditions..
The tie had immense importance for both teams, with the Virender Sehwag-led hosts needing a win to brighten their chance of a semi-final berth.
In contrast, the Kolkata side, led by Sourav Ganguly [Images], were in an unenviable position, where their semi-final hopes existed only in complicated calculations.

Rajasthan beat Kolkata

2008-05-21T20:57:00.000-07:00

Punjab beat Mumbai

2008-05-21T20:55:00.001-07:00

Bangalore beat Chennai

2008-05-21T20:53:00.001-07:00

Kumble inspires Bangalore to stunning win

2008-05-21T20:49:00.001-07:00

Bangalore Royal Challengers 126 for 8 (Dravid 47, Morkel 4-32, Gony 2-11) beat Chennai Super Kings 112 for 8 (Fleming 45, Kumble 3-14) by 14 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Anil Kumble's 3 for 14, the best figures for the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL, played a big part in the upset win (file photo) © AFP

This was Chokers' Day. A few hours after the Mumbai Indians collapsed from a winning position, thereby denting their semi-final chances, the Chennai Super Kings outdid them as panic struck at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. The Bangalore Royal Challengers seemed certain to crash to their sixth successive defeat but even they might struggle to fathom how they pulled off this robbery.
It was one-way traffic for most of the game. Chasing a modest 127, Chennai appeared to be in cruise control at 60 for no loss, and later at 85 for 2, but Stephen Fleming's dismissal induced some panic. Anil Kumble's inspirational 3 for 14, the best figures for Bangalore in the IPL, played a part before Dale Steyn turned the heat on the lower order. The pitch hardly played a part in this low-scoring match - one where both sets of batsmen tried their best to outdo themselves in throwing it away.
Chennai are still in with a good chance of making the semi-finals but this shock defeat yet again exposed their batting's frailty. Fleming and Parthiv Patel got them off to a rollicking start, cutting and pulling with ease, and there appeared to be no demons in the pitch. Fleming was in fine touch, even against spin, but he refused to ride his luck after Vinay Kumar bowled him off a no-ball. He was out two balls later - sweeping a fast one from Kumble straight into the hands of B Akhil at deep square leg.
That was enough to open up the weaknesses in the middle order. Chennai have been over-reliant on S Badrinath and Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the two frittered it away, triggering a wave of recklessness. Dhoni, who promoted himself to No.3, struggled with his timing before a frustrated loft landed in Kumble's hands at long-on. Badrinath tried a perilous sweep against Kumble, one where he moved across the stumps, and he was to regret it soon as the ball hit him plumb in front.
Albie Morkel and S Vidyut fell to Steyn's pull-trap - both top-edges that reeked of complacency against a bowler who was cranking it up to 145kph - and one only needed to look at the Bangalore fielders' expression to understand how surprised they were. The startling freeze ended amid farcical scenes - Suresh Raina appeared to be in a daze against his Uttar Pradesh state-mate, Praveen Kumar, and even declined a single when they needed an improbable 16 off 5 balls.
Bangalore were pleasantly stunned to end up as party-poopers. Their batsmen let them down earlier in the day with an insipid display. One might have expected them to express themselves more freely, now that they're out of contention for a semi-final slot, but they continued to plumb the depths.
Manpreet Gony and Morkel led a purposeful Chennai bowling effort, utilising the nip in the air, and were backed up by some electric fielding and catching. Bangalore, who chose to bat, never managed any sort of momentum - they even endured a 44-ball phase without a boundary - and the fact that they were the slowest side to reach a 100 summed up the inertia.
Gony has enhanced his reputation with every game and it was some sight to see the crowd chant his name in unison. He struck with his fourth ball: pitching it short of a length and angling away from the right-hander, he induced an edge from Jacques Kallis. He forced another edge out of Shreevats Goswami - Gony's timely maiden forced him into an indiscreet drive in the bowler's next over. Goswami, rooted to the crease, nicked to the wicketkeeper and walked even as the umpire, I Shivram, failed to detect the edge.
Virat Kohli and Misbah-ul-Haq were undone by a couple of sensational catches - Morkel back-pedalling and completing a skier inches from the square-leg boundary, hurting his head in the process, and Parthiv Patel, behind the stumps, pulling off a full-length dive to complete a one-handed take.
It was again left to Rahul Dravid to survey the debris and he took his time to consolidate. Five fours reeled off his bat towards the end but Mark Boucher's dismissal - just when it appeared as if they would string together a partnership - hurt them. Dravid couldn't last the distance - Dhoni pulled off a fine catch at cover - and the tail didn't have much of a chance with Morkel keeping it straight. Kumar's 11-ball 21 was a feeble attempt at making a match out of it but little would he have imagined bowling the last over to win his side the match.

Punjab edge past Mumbai in a thriller

2008-05-21T20:48:00.000-07:00

Kings XI Punjab halted Mumbai Indians' [Images] six-match winning streak with a thrilling one-run victory off the last ball in the Indian Premier League [Images] match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday evening.
In a frenzied final phase of the match, the home team, chasing the visitors' 189 for four, was dismissed for 188, their last six wickets falling in three overs.
Scorecard Images Points table
The victory, their third in a row, virtually put Punjab XI into the semi-finals, leaving Mumbai Indians on 12 points from 11 matches, with the difficult task of winning at least two of their last three away outings to make it to the last four.
Mumbai Indians also lost their away match to the visitors in Mohali on April 25.
Cruising to victory with captain Sachin Tendulkar [Images] (64) on song, Mumbai Indians suddenly lost the plot and a clutch of wickets -- mostly to run-outs -- saw them end up on the losing side.
From 159 for three in 16.5 overs, the home team slumped to 188 all out when last man Vikrant Yeligati was run-out at the non-striker's end by a superb piece of fielding by Punjab XI skipper Yuvraj Singh [Images] when two runs were needed off the final ball.
Five batsmen were run-out in the innings, and among those the most crucial dismissal was that of Tendulkar, who got mixed up with Robin Uthappa's yes-no call and was stranded out of the crease at the non-striker's end.
Mumbai Indians lost Shaun Pollock [Images] and Uthappa quickly and the loss of three wickets in just seven balls unnerved the rest of the batsmen, who took enormous risks and failed.
Taking centre stage after the fall of swashbuckling opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya (20) in the third over, Tendulkar played the anchor role, hitting 12 fours off 46 balls, before being run-out off the last ball of the 17th over.
Mumbai Indians lost their way after his dismissal, and that of Pollock, out first ball after top-edging Yuvraj to third man.
Tendulkar, playing in only his fourth IPL tie after missing the first seven matches, cleverly batted around power-hitters Dwayne Smith (20) and Abhishek Nayar (27) but the clutch of wickets in the end undid his good work.
The Mumbai run chase got off to a flier with Jayasuriya taking full advantage of a wayward Irfan Pathan [Images] and smashing him for two sixes and a four in his opening over which yielded 24 runs.
S Sreesanth [Images] was prone to bowling wide balls at the other end and 36 was raised in only 20 balls when the Kerala-born pacer trapped Jayasuriya with a slower ball.
Tendulkar, looking sedate when Jayasuriya was at the crease, and one-down Smith, playing his first game after joining the team two days ago, added 45 runs with the West Indian all-rounder starting off the block in style with two fours and a pulled six off Sreesanth.
Tendulkar, content to play the anchoring role, also opened out but lost his partner Smith who was run out backing up too far to an attempted single.
Nayar, promoted ahead of Uthappa, did his bit as he struck two sixes and a four in his 18-ball 27 before holing out to Tanmay Srivastava when slog-sweeping leg break bowler Piyush Chawla.
Earlier, the in-form Marsh made the most of an early escape to compile a superb 81 and put on a century stand with compatriot Luke Pomersbach to help Kings XI Punjab amass 189.
Marsh, dropped by Robin Uthappa at gully off Shaun Pollock when on 6, struck seven fours and four sixes in his 56-ball half century, his fifth in seven games.
He also added 133 runs for the second wicket, off only 86 balls, with fellow left-hander Pomersbach (79 not out) to lift the visitors from 1 for 1 to a very competitive total.
The visitors, with 14 points under their belt going into their 11th match, lost an early wicket -- that of James Hopes, who poked his bat at a fine out-swinger from Pollock off the first ball he faced and nicked to stumper Pinal Shah.
But Marsh, who started slowly before accelerating, stole the show with some classical batting to dominate the rest of the bowling once Pollock, after yet another stand-out bowling stint, was off the attack after a spell of 1 for 14 in three overs.
Initially, Marsh was overshadowed by Pomersbach during their second wicket partnership, worth 133, that helped the Punjab team recover from a shaky start. The Western Australian youngster, included in the Australian ODI team to play against the West Indies [Images], had a lucky escape on six in the team score of 8, when Uthappa, who had an off-day in the field, grassed the catch at gully after diving forward when Marsh glided Pollock.
It proved a costly error for Mumbai, who made a few changes to their bowling attack, as Marsh held sway over the bowling thereafter.
Pomersbach, who played the ideal foil for his more attacking partner, was also given the benefit of doubt by third umpire Suresh Shastri after repeated viewings of TV replays when Pollock's pick-up and throw at the non-striker's end stumps seemed to have caught the batsman short of the crease.
The batsman was then on 17 in a total of 66 for one and went on to remain unbeaten after facing 50 balls and striking ten fours and three sixes.
The 100 of the Punjab innings was raised in 71 balls and Marsh continued to bat in the same attacking fashion, hitting his sixes mostly over the straight field, before he was caught in the deep by Pollock while trying to clear the ropes for the fifth time.
Young off-spinner Sidharth Chitnis, playing in the tournament after missing a few matches, also accounted for visiting team captain Yuvraj Singh to claim 2 for 40 as the home team fought back a bit and seemed poised to restrict the visitors, who were 134 for 2 after 15 overs, below 180.
But the last over by Ashish Nehra, surprisingly bowling instead of Pollock who had one more over left in his quota, proved expensive as Pomersbach smashed him for two fours and six off consecutive balls to take the total one run below 190.

Rajasthan dent Kolkata hopes

2008-05-21T20:43:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan Royals beat Kolkata Knight Riders by six wickets in their Indian Premier League match at the Eden Gardens on Tuesday.
Scorecard Points Images
It was Rajasthan's ninth win in 11 matches, second over Kolkata, and cemented their status as one of the tournament's favourites.
Meanwhile, it was Kolkata's seventh defeat in 12 matches and practically ended their chances of making it to the last four.
Chasing a target of 148 to win, the Rajasthan team had an early hiccup when Ishant Sharma induced an edge from opener Swapnil Asnodkar (5) to keeper Wriddhiman Saha when the scoreboard read just 16.
PVI 43: Eight lessons from the IPL auction
South African captain Graeme Smith [Images] (24) and Sohail Tanvir (13), promoted up the order, took the score to 42. But in Umar Gul's first over, the sixth of the innings, both fell in quick succession to reduce Rajasthan to 42 for three.
The Pakistani paceman's over was a double-wicket maiden, a rarity in this form of the game.
And when Kolkata captain Saurav Ganguly [Images] cleaned up the dangerous looking Shane Watson (19), Rajasthan were in some trouble at 69 for four after the tenth over.
But Mohammad Kaif (34 not out) and Yusuf Pathan (with an unbeaten 48) combined well to put on an unbeaten 81-run partnership for the fifth-wicket and steered their team through. In the final analysis, Kolkata's total was never going to be enough.
Dwayne Smith joins Mumbai Indians
Pathan was particularly impressive, his 18-ball knock included five fours and three sixes and helped his team regain the momentum while his big hits demoralised the opponents completely.
Rajasthan made 150 for four and won with 21 balls (3.3 overs) to spare.
Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders batsmen failed to build up on good starts to finish with a modest 147 for eight in what was a do-or-die tie for them.
Put in to bat, the Knight Riders could not build a single 50-run partnership with none of their batsmen even manging to reach the 40s.
Shah Rukh to be allowed in dug out
The in-form Rajasthan Royals pacer Tanvir once again bowled well to have impressive figures of 3 for 26, with Munaf Patel [Images] (2 for 22) giving him ample support.
For the hosts, skipper Ganguly topscored with 32, but he was nowhere at his best.
Middle order batsman Debabrata Das (31 off 20 balls) looked in fine shape, but got out when his team expected a big knock from him.
The Knight Riders' beginning followed a script that has become familiar for the team.
Image: IPL winner's trophy unveiled
The first wicket fell in the second over as Mohammed Hafeez (4) tried to loft an away going ball from Munaf Patel over the infield, but only managed an inside edge which went straight to Swapnil Asnodkar at mid on.
The other opener, Salman Butt [Images] and Ganguly tried to overcome the initial jolt by stitching together a 33-run partnership, but the former Indian captain struggled to find his timing against the disciplined Rajasthan attack.
Butt (24) played some wristy shots and a couple of classy cover drives, but his essay came to an end in the seventh over when Patel found him plumb before stumps with an incoming delivery as the Knight Riders became 40 for two in the seventh over.
Australian David Hussey then joined Ganguly and the duo added another 31 runs with Ganguly trying to break the shackles as he stepped out to send Shane Warne [Images] packing over square leg to bring up the day's first six.
Hussey (11) hit back-to-back fours off Siddharth Trivedi in the tenth over to speed up the run rate and the Kngiht Riders reached a below par 59 for two at the halfway stage.
Spinner Yusuf Pathan then rattled Hussey's citadel with a quick offbreak and new man Das made his aggressive intentions clear with a overboundary off Warne.
Ganguly's far-from-comfortable stay in the middle came to an end when he played a cross-batted heave off Trivedi and finished in the safe hands of Kaif at long on.
Das, looking a man in form, dispatched Pathan into the mid-wicket stand for his second six but got a life a little later when Tanvir failed to hold on to a skier at deep cover.
But Tanvir (3/26) made amends in the very next over as he got the Bengal batsmen bowled with a beautifully delivered yorker as the Knight Riders became 118 for 5 in 17.3 overs.
The lapse did not prove too costly, as the Bengal player returned in the next over.
Twenty nine runs came in the last 15 deliveries as the Knight Riders managed a run rate of 7.35 runs.

Shah Rukh will be allowed to cheer from dug-out

2008-05-19T18:58:00.000-07:00

A day after Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan [Images] was denied entry to his team's dressing room, Indian Premier League authorities issued fresh guidelines, which cleared the deck for the presence of a franchise owner in the team dug-out during the Twenty20 tournament.
IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi announced that the organisers will issue an all-area accreditation badge to one member of each of the eight team franchisees, following the ejection of Shah Rukh from the dug-out by the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit officials of the International Cricket Council.
IPL: How the teams stand
While defending the ACSU officials' decision to ask the film star to vacate the dug-out during the IPL match against Chennai Super Kings at the Eden Gardens on Sunday, Modi said suitable measures would be taken to avoid a repeat of the incident.
"There have been reports in the media about denial of a team owner access to the dug out and dressing room. The IPL is conducted as per the rules and regulations of the ICC [Images], whose ACSU officials were just doing the job entrusted," Modi said.
"They go strictly by the colour code. A red badge issued by the ACSU, on approval of the team manager, will help the person holding it access to all areas," he said.
"This is what we intend to do by giving each of the team owners one such badge each. They do have the right to sit with the players in the dug outs and dressing rooms," Modi told a media conference in Mumbai on Monday evening.
IPL salary cap should stay, says Ponting
Modi said since this is the first year of the IPL, they are still learning the ropes.
"If we make mistakes, we are willing to set them right. This is the first year of IPL.
"We had already provided such badges to Preity Zinta [Images] (owner of Punjab King's XI) and Vijay Mallya [Images] (owner of Bangalore's Royal Challengers) as we had received such a request from them in advance," Modi explained.
"The team owners have the right to be with the team at all times. They are very much part of the team's strategies," he added.
Modi also said that each team, in addition, would get four visitor's passes with the condition that the holder of that badge, one at a time, can sit with the team members during the match for a maximum of 15 minutes.
"After the usage (of the temporary badge) it must be returned to the manager who has issued it," he said.
The IPL chairman also said that in future children of team members, including support staff, would not be allowed to enter the teams' dug-outs or dressing rooms during a match.
Earlier, the ICC expressed surprise at Shah Rukh's statement that he had been ejected by ACSU personnel.
The ICC said the IPL is a domestic tournament and the game's governing body did not have any role in formulating the rules.
"The reported incident has nothing to do with the ICC as the IPL is a domestic tournament which is being held under the Rules and Regulations of the BCCI," an ICC spokesman said from Dubai.
"Furthermore, the ICC Board in its meeting held in Dubai on 17-18 March had decided that IPL will introduce a code of conduct, an anti-corruption code and an anti-doping code that complies with ICC regulations," he said.
Shah Rukh was visibly dejected after being denied an entry in the dressing room and the actor said, "I like to hang around with the boys. I am very energetic. I am very disappointed that the ICC has stopped me," he said.
"I don't know the ICC rules. I'll tell only one thing. Nobody dare stop me from coming to Kolkata. I'll be here whenever my team plays a match at the Eden," Khan said.
Knight Riders CEO Joy Bhattacharya said ICC rules are meant to stop bookies entering the dressing room but they do not apply in a domestic tournament like IPL.
"When these rules were framed, the concept of franchisee owners' domestic tournament didn't even come, the law was not framed to stop people like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Mukesh Ambani or Vijay Mallya from walking into the dressing room," he said.
"According to even ICC regulations, there is a system of visitor's pass, the manager and team management sign it. The person can be allowed in the dressing room as long as it is signed by. So there is no way to stop Shah Rukh from entering the dressing room," Bhattacharya added.
BCCI secretary Niranjan Shah, meanwhile, asserted that Shah Rukh has to go by ICC rules, even though he felt nothing could really stop the actor from entering the dressing room.
"He should take permission from IPL's anti-corruption officer before entering into the dressing room," Shah said

highlights of match 41 and 42, News on India

2008-05-19T18:56:00.001-07:00

IPL - Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians, 42nd Match

2008-05-19T18:51:00.003-07:00

IPL Match 42:-MUMBAI INNINGS HIGHLIGHTS

2008-05-19T18:51:00.001-07:00

Delhi thrash Bangalore

2008-05-19T18:48:00.000-07:00

Delhi Daredevils beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by five wickets in their Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.
Scorecard
It was Delhi's sixth win in 12 matches and kept alive their chances of reaching the last four. For Bangalore, who are already out of the race, it was their ninth defeat in 11 matches.
Chasing a target of 155, Delhi began aggressively with captain Virender Sehwag [Images] (47) and Gautam Gambhir [Images] (39) putting on 90 runs for the opening wicket in just seven overs.
Sehwag was in a belligerent mood as he smashed nine boundaries and a six in his 19-ball knock. He was particularly severe on Praveen Kumar.
Slideshow
The latter had the final word though, taking the prized scalp, thanks to a splendid catch by Bharat Chipli.
Two overs later and after the addition of 10 more runs, Gambhir, who had earlier become the first batsman in the tournament to surpass 500 runs, was run out by Cameron White.
And then there was a wobble.
Tillekeratne Dilshan (4), AB de Villiers (21) and Dinesh Karthik [Images] (6) were dismissed in a space of 11 runs (rather, 11 balls) as Anil Kumble [Images] (two for 18) and Dale Steyn (one for 26) did most of the damage.
However, the total was never going to be enough and Shikar Dhawan (unbeaten 16) and Ferveez Maharoof (13 not out) ensured Delhi reached their target without further damage and with 10 balls left.
Points table
Earlier, Shreevats Goswami's debut half century (52) and Misbah-ul-Haq's (47) late charge resurrected Bangalore Royal Challengers from a wobbly start to carry their team to a modest 154 for 7.
After Sehwag won the toss and asked the opposition to bat in their crucial match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Delhi Daredevils kept the home team under a tight lease.
Except for Goswami taking the visiting bowlers head on and Misbah scoring a 25-ball 47 (2X4; 4X6) towards the close to take the score past 150, Rahul Dravid-led side were never dominating with Glenn McGrath (2/25 from 4 overs) and Farveez Maharoof (2/13 from 4) bowling with immaculate line and length, and wickets falling at regular intervals.
Goswami, who was part of India's recent U-19 World Cup triumph, top-scored with 52 from 42 balls which he made with the help of seven fours and a huge six.
He hit a six and three fours off Pradeep Sangwan in the eighth over to collect 18 runs from that over to stand tall among ruins. He was out in the 16th over off Maharoof while trying to accelerate the innings only to hole out at point to Tillekaratne Dilshan.
McGrath began with his miserly self giving away just one run in the opening over and claiming the wicket of Bharat Chipli for two, caught by Rajat Bhatia in the fifth over.
The retired Australian gave away just three and five overs in his next two overs to tie down Bangalore Royal Challengers to 35 for one in the first five overs.
Sehwag, who got the flak for some of his questionable decisions in earlier matches, made some intelligent shuffling of his bowlers who got immediate success each time.
For the home team, it was the familiar top order wobble with struggling Jacques Kallis [Images] (25) edging a consistent Sri Lankan Maharoof delivery for wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik to make a brilliant catch diving to his right in the seventh over.
Kallis, promoted to open the innings, made his 25 from 21 balls with the help of three fours and a huge six off Sangwan in the second over.
Dravid himself could not carry forward his fine form of the last match and lost his timbers to Dilshan in the 11th over for nine while trying to accelerate the dipping run rate after his side could just gather 70 runs from 10 overs and 102 for after the end of 15th.
It was left to debutant Goswami who came one down to make a match out of it and the young wicketkeeper did a brilliant job before Misbah complemented him with a cameo which included two fours and four sixes

Aussies not yet paid for IPL stints

2008-05-18T19:03:00.002-07:00

In what could snowball into an embarrassment for the Indian Premier League, some of the Australian cricketers who participated in the cash-rich Twenty20 series claim they have not received the wages for their short stints despite repeated reminders to their respective franchise owners.
Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) chief Paul Marsh has claimed that the players, who returned home after playing in the IPL for the first two weeks due to national commitment in West Indies [Images], were frustrated with the impasse.
The Sun Herald quoted an un-named Australian player as saying that his franchise was not clearing his money despite claiming on three occasions that his wage was on its way.
"First I was told it would be in two weeks," the player said.
"That passed by and I was told it would be in the following week. Then I was told it would be in in the next few days. I just said, 'I'll believe it when I see it'," he revealed.
Another player was reportedly trying to get his money in installments as he needed it urgently to make mortgage payments.
The newspaper report said one of the players got his payment only a few days ago but that too after a lot of effort.
The top Aussie cricketers, who returned after the first couple of weeks in IPL included skipper Ricky Ponting [Images], pace spearhead Brett Lee [Images], Michael Hussey, Simon Katich and all-rounder Andrew Symonds [Images] among others.
Marsh said the ACA was keeping a close eye on the matter and will assist the players in getting their due from the IPL franchisees.
"It's something we're aware of. There's still a few that haven't been paid," Marsh said.
"It's certainly something we've got our eye on but it's not something that we're panicking about. We just want to get a result as soon as we can," he added.
Marsh said though the delay has been frustrating, the Aussies were not inclined to make it a big issue but the ACA would speak to the BCCI if the impasse continued for long.
"I don't want to blow this up into something that it's not, but I also do want to sort it out as quickly as possible," he said.
"It's something we'll go a bit harder on in the not too distant future if it doesn't get sorted out.
"The bad PR that would eventuate if the players weren't paid would be so bad that none of the players would go back and the whole thing would fall over," he added.
The ACA chief said the cash-rich league, which saw absurd amount of money being bid on cricketers during the players' auction, could have been more professional in its dealings.
"You're talking about some billion-dollar corporations so you just can't see how they wouldn't pay their players. They know they have to pay their players and that's why we're not panicking.
"The clubs' focus has been about putting their teams on the field. It's organised chaos over there. But at the same time, we'd like to think they would have been more professional than this," he said.

Bravo seals Mumbai's sixth straight win

2008-05-18T19:03:00.001-07:00

Mumbai Indians 178 for 7 (Nayar 38, Jayasuriya 36, Bravo 30, RP Singh 3-35) beat Deccan Chargers 153 for 7 (Rao 57, Bravo 3-24) by 25 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Dwayne Bravo signed off with a bang for the Mumbai Indians (file photo) © AFP

Mumbai Indians' last meeting with the Deccan Chargers ended in a fourth straight defeat but the return game provided plenty of cheer, producing their sixth successive win, the best run in the tournament so far. Dwayne Bravo signed off from the IPL with a fine all-round effort, giving Mumbai a great chance of making the semi-finals.
Mumbai relied on a combined performance rather than individual brilliance: Sanath Jayasuriya's early blast set the tone before a counterattacking 54-run stand between Bravo and Abhishek Nayar boosted the total.
Deccan didn't have much of a chance at 20 for 3 and even Venugopal Rao's valiant 57 couldn't make much of a difference. With their ninth defeat [including all five at home], Deccan's chances of making the semi-finals are over - even remote mathematical chances won't be spoken of anymore.
Like many of their earlier defeats, Deccan weren't completely outclassed. Unlike the Bangalore Royal Challengers, they haven't appeared listless but they haven't managed to seize the big moments.
Deccan's decision to field appeared to have backfired when Jayasuriya thundered a 15-ball 36, including laying into his fellow countryman Nuwan Zoysa for 19 off his first over, but Shahid Afridi, full of energy and verve, gave them a chance.
He's had a relatively quiet tournament so far but was full of energy here: snapping up Sachin Tendulkar and Dominic Thornely and clinging on to a sensational catch, to dismiss Robin Uthappa, inches within the boundary line. But, with Mumbai wobbling at 96 for 4, the Deccan bowlers couldn't put the foot down on the pedal.
Lot of the credit must go to Nayar and Bravo, who showed the value of good footwork: Nayar regularly sashayed down the track to loft the spinners through the on side while Bravo simply shuffled across smartly before lifting the ball with quicksilver wrists. They finally broke the shackles against Afridi - whose first three overs cost just nine - spanking him for 14 in the 16th over, surging the run-rate to eight an over. Nayar took on Zoysa soon after and Mumbai were on their way to a competitive score.
The fifth-wicket partnership between Abhishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo helped Mumbai Indians recover to post a match-winning total of 178 (click here for larger image) © Cricinfo Ltd

Mumbai's bowling was characterised by canny medium-pace and outstanding catching. In Shaun Pollock's absence, Bravo led the way with the ball too. Afridi's fine day didn't continue with the bat, though: he attempted to thump the first ball he faced over the covers for six but could only marvel at Thornely running back from point to snaffle a sharp catch.
Adam Gilchrist struggled against a probing Ashish Nehra, who varied both his length and pace wonderfully, while getting the ball to move away off the track. He ended wicketless but played a big part in piling on the pressure. Dilhara Fernando was to reap the rewards soon: he surprised Gilchrist with a short one that was sliced to third man before Rohit Sharma missed a well-disguised slower one that rapped him plumb in front. With two wickets in two balls, he had pretty much sealed the match.
Venugopal, who surprisingly picked up two wickets with his part-time offspin, continued his habit of coming up with a fighting knock in a lost cause. Like he's done in the two previous games, he was like a boy on a burning deck, smashing three sixes and four fours against a mounting asking-rate. Ravi Teja partnered him in a 74-run stand but it would have required something miraculous for the duo to pull it off. Bravo dismissed both within three balls and rounded off a memorable game - four days before facing Australia in the first Test in Kingston

PCB under fire for allowing Asif play in IPL

2008-05-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

Pakistan Cricket Board has come under fire for allowing pacer Muhammad Asif to play in the Indian Premier League just days after recovering from a serious elbow problem that kept him out of cricket for nearly six months.
Asif, who is playing for the Delhi Daredevils team, is believed to have suffered a recurrence of his elbow problem after appearing in a few IPL matches in which he bowled with an elbow supporter.
Who are the fast bowlers offering the best value?
Former Test captain Rashid Latif said he didn't think it was prudent for the board to allow Asif permission to play in the IPL but admitted only a player could tell finally if he was 100 percent fit or not.
'The News' also questioned the wisdom of PCB in allowing Asif play in the IPL.
A senior board official, however, made it clear that Asif was told to make his own decision only after two leading hospitals studied his MRI scans and cleared him of the elbow problem for which the pacer required a key hole surgery in Australia earlier this year.
"Asif was told clearly it is his decision if he plays in IPL but obviously he was keen to go there because of his contract with Delhi team. We cleared him only after he played two games against Bangladesh and was fit," the official said.
He said the board was concerned with reports about Asif's fitness issues as the national team has a hectic schedule with the Asia Cup and Champions Trophy coming up.
"We are keeping in touch to ensure the situation does not get out of hand."
Asif suffered from a chronic elbow problem since 2006. He didn't play cricket from October last year and only made a comeback against Bangladesh last month.

Chennai Kings down Kolkata Knights

2008-05-18T18:58:00.000-07:00

A floodlight disruption and a norwester ruled as Chennai Super Kings inched closer to a semi-final berth with a two-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders via the Duckworth-Lewis method in an Indian Premier League match in Kolkata on Sunday.
Score Images Points
Paceman Makhaya Ntini [Images] picked up a hat-trick as Knight Riders were reduced to a modest total of 149 for five.
Chennai team were 55 without loss after eight overs, when a sudden burst of wind resulted in some of the bulbs in each of the four light towers conking off at the Eden Gardens.
Play was immediately stopped and the situation turned worse as a norwester with high wind velocity raged accompanied by rains, tossing into the air the tarpaulin sheets, covering the wicket and the outfield.
Aussies not yet paid for IPL stints
The Duckworth-Lewis rain rule was called into play and the authorities declared Chennai Super Kings the winner by two runs after waiting in vain for 90 minutes for the situation to improve.
The Knight Riders were 46 for 2 after eight overs, but Chennai needed to make 53 without losing a wicket for a victory.
In the end, a boundary by Stephen Fleming [Images] (32 not out, 20b, 6x4) with a fine leg glide on the penultimate delivery off Ajit Agarkar [Images] proved crucial for Chennai, who now have 12 points from 11 matches and look well poised to make it to the last four.
Who are the batsmen offering the best value?
A ball earlier, Ashok Dinda had failed to latch on to a catch offered by Parthiv Patel (19 not out, 28 b, 2x4) at long off.
The Knight Riders are now staring down at the wrong end of the barrel, and their hopes of making the cut for the semis look dim.
Earlier, South Africa's Ntini came up with a fine hat-trick to restrict the Kolkata.
The 30-year-old got rid of Knight Riders skipper Sourav Ganguly [Images] with the last ball of his third over, before he was taken off the attack by Stephen Fleming, standing-in for MS Dhoni [Images] who retired with an injured finger.
Ntini came back in the 17th over and immediately struck a double blow, by showing the door to Debabrata Das (27) and David Hussey (0) with his first two balls, to complete the third hat-trick of the tourney after pacer L Balaji and leg spinner Amit Mishra.
He finished with impressive figures of 4-0-21-4.
For the Knight Riders, Pakistani left hander Salman Butt [Images] (73; 84b, 10x4, 1x6) deftly anchored the innings after the hosts lost two early wickets and steadied the ship by putting on 86 runs for the third wicket alongside the young Debabrata Das.

IPL Current points table

2008-05-17T19:04:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan 16
Punjab 14
Chennai 12
Mumbai 10
Delhi 10
Kolkata 10
Deccan 4
Bangalore 4

'Security will be provided to foreign players'

2008-05-17T19:02:00.001-07:00

Maharashtra government will take the responsibility of all foreign cricket players' safety in case of any opposition to them, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil said on Saturday.
"Security of any foreign player is the responsibility of the State Government and security will be provided to them," assured Patil.
Shiv Sena renews its attack on Pakistani players
He added that the game should not be mixed up with politics.
Patil criticised Shiv Sena, saying the party does not have any other issue to discuss and that is why they are opposing Pakistani cricket players playing in IPL matches.
The controversy over Pakistani cricket players began with a threat given by Shiv Sena Executive President Uddhav Thackeray who said "Pakistanis are enemies of the entire nation and we have been opposing their playing here for many years now."
I have nothing to prove, says Shoaib
Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by actor Shah Rukh Khan [Images] has prominent Pakistani players like Shoaib Akhtar [Images], Salman Butt [Images] and Umar Gul.
Over the last 20 years, the Sena has been opposing Pakistani teams and has indulged in tactics like digging wickets at Wankhede Stadium before an India-Pakistan match.

IPL - 40th Match - Delhi DD v KXI Punjab - Presentation

2008-05-17T18:49:00.001-07:00

IPL - 40th Match - Delhi DD v KXI Punjab - Delhi Batting

2008-05-17T18:48:00.003-07:00

IPL Match 40:-FULL HIGHLIGHTS OF PUNJAB XI INNINGS

2008-05-17T18:48:00.001-07:00

IPL - 39th - Rajasthan v Bangalore - Rajasthan Batting

2008-05-17T18:44:00.003-07:00

IPL - 39th - Rajasthan v Bangalore - Bangalore Batting

2008-05-17T18:44:00.001-07:00

Pietersen in line for record IPL contract

2008-05-17T18:41:00.000-07:00

Kevin Pietersen expects to be playing in India next year, and is on the verge of signing the most lucrative deal yet witnessed in the Indian Premier League, after being offered in excess of US$4million for a three-year contract by an undisclosed IPL franchise.
According to a report in Saturday's Daily Mail, the deal has been financed by one of India's wealthiest families, who want Pietersen to sign "at any price". Mahendra Singh Dhoni is currently the most valuable player in the competition, earning in excess of US$1.5million a year, but such is Pietersen's appeal - on the field and off it - his final figure could yet top that.
The news comes as a blow to the England & Wales Cricket Board, who had hoped to prevent their players from being lured to India ahead of a pivotal summer that includes the ICC World Twenty20 and, of course, the Ashes. An ECB insider told the Daily Mail that the head coach, Peter Moores, would have the final say on which contracted players would be permitted to join the IPL, but in Pietersen's case, they were already resigned to making an exception.
Pietersen is currently 28 and approaching his prime as a cricketer. He has not missed a Test for England since making his debut in the 2005 Ashes, although he will now face a busy run-up to the 2009 rematch against Australia, with England scheduled to tour the Caribbean in February and March before his proposed three-week stint in India. The ECB is naturally fearful of what could happen if the workload proves too much for him, or any other colleagues who might be lured by the IPL, but they are privately resigned to the situation. One man who would not be allowed to take part, however, would be Andrew Flintoff, given his ongoing fitness problems.
Speaking to the same paper earlier in the week, Pietersen set his stall out to play for England until he is 35, but insisted that he shouldn't be denied the opportunity to make the most of his prime years. "I do wonder how long I'm going to do this for," he said. "Time will tell. I could get injured tomorrow and would be finished. That's why I was frustrated and irritated when we weren't allowed to go to India. I definitely want to go next year."
It had been mooted in some quarters that Pietersen could chose to go freelance if the ECB didn't accede to his demands, but he denied that this had entered his thoughts. "Turning down a central contract is not something that has entered my head yet," he said, "but it would be horrendous if four or five of England's best players decided to do that and go to India instead. We should not be in a position where we have to choose. No one else had to."
In a more promising development for the ECB, its proposed tie-up with Allen Stanford is nearing completion. According to the Daily Telegraph, the deal will be worth US$200million over five years, with an annual $20million match to be staged in Antigua until 2012. "The lawyers are still working on the fine print," the ECB's chief executive, David Collier, told the paper, "but we have finalised our negotiations and everything is in place."

Rajasthan maul abject Bangalore

2008-05-17T18:40:00.000-07:00

Rajasthan Royals 197 for 1 (Smith 75*, Asnodkar 50, Watson 46*) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 132 for 9 (Dravid 75*, Tanvir 3-10, Warne 3-23) by 65 runsScorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Graeme Smith scored an unbeaten 75 as the Rajasthan Royals maintained their unbeaten record at home (file photo) © Getty Images

Bangalore Royal Challengers' woeful IPL campaign plunged new depths at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium as they slumped to a 65-run drubbing at the hands of Rajasthan Royals, who are virtually assured a place in the semi-finals with their eighth win in ten games.
Apart from the toss, everything was perfect for Rajasthan as Bangalore put in another thoroughly abject performance with the ball, bat, and in the field. Swapnil Asnodkar and Graeme Smith were the protagonists for Rajasthan, putting together 109 in a mere 12.2 overs - the second first-wicket century stand for the team - before Shane Watson applied the finishing touches with a 28-ball 46. They finally settled for 197, which was far too many for a batting line-up, which is completely lacking in form and confidence. The first three wickets went down within 14 deliveries, and though Rahul Dravid struck a defiant 36-ball 75, the result was never in doubt.
Dravid decided to field first despite afternoon temperatures soaring to 48 degrees Celsius, and if that wasn't bad enough, his bowlers were subjected to a pummelling by Asnodkar and Smith, who cut, drove, pulled and edged the rivals to distraction.
With two wins in nine games, Bangalore could have done with all the luck possible; instead, through the early exchanges it was Rajasthan that got the rub of the green as both batsmen pinged the third-man region regularly. Asnodkar got a 50, but it was one of the most unconvincing half-centuries of the tournament, as he got the benefit of an lbw shout, and then edged twice over the wicketkeeper off Jacques Kallis.
After seven overs Rajasthan were motoring along at 63 without loss, mostly thanks to Asnodkar, but Smith soon joined in the act, making room and striking the ball cleanly over mid-on and midwicket. Abdur Razzak became the first Bangladesh player to get an IPL game, but his start was hardly auspicious: he began with a no-ball which was edged for four by Smith, and the free hit was deposited on the midwicket roof.
Smith and Asnodkar managed five fours in the third-man region, and 56 of the 90 runs scored off the bat came behind the wicket (wagon-wheel numbers exclude 19 extras) © Cricinfo

Those early exchanges swung the momentum Rajasthan's way, and they ensured they never let it go. Anil Kumble finally got his first wicket of the tournament, but Asnodkar's departure only brought in the even more destructive Watson, who quickly made his presence felt with a couple of superb pull shots when Kumble pitched it fractionally short. Smith reached his half-century in the same over, pulling the last ball of Kumble's spell over midwicket for six. Dravid turned to pace, medium pace and spin, but the run-fest continued unabated as Watson teed off whenever the ball was pitched on a length, freeing his arms to cut, pull and drive the bowlers.
As has happened throughout the tournament, Bangalore were let down in the field as well. Apart from Patil's poor form behind the stumps, there were misfields galore in the outfield. Misbah-ul-Haq dropped a tough chance from Watson when he was on 19, Praveen didn't react at all to a lofted shot from Smith four balls later when it dropped a few feet in front of him, and Vinay Kumar rounded off a miserable performance by missing a sitter from Watson in the final over.
Bangalore's run-chase was a non-starter. The out-of-sorts J Arunkumar holed out to mid-off in the first over. Misbah's disappointing tournament continued - he has now scored 32 runs in four innings - as he hopelessly miscued a pull to mid-on, and when Virat Kohli chopped on onto his stumps off the impressive Sohail Tanvir, Bangalore's total read a shambolic 5 for 3. Kallis' method of moving across his stumps and flicking everything to the on side fetched him a disappointing 20 from 29 balls. The difference in the fielding of the two teams came out starkly too, as Shane Warne plucked off a stunning caught-and-bowled low to his right when Zaheer Khan clubbed one straight back to him.
The only show of resistance came from Dravid, whose unbeaten 75 was a strong message to the rest of his batsmen. The result was admittedly a foregone conclusion, but Dravid made his point emphatically, carving six sixes, including three in an over from Yusuf Pathan. That knock lifted Bangalore to a somewhat respectable total, but it was hardly enough to stop Rajasthan, who have now won all six games at home.

IPL - 36th Match - Chennai SK v Mumbai Ind - Mumbai Batting

2008-05-17T18:37:00.001-07:00

Sanath Jayasuriya 114* in 48 - IPL 36th - Mumbai v Chennai

2008-05-17T18:36:00.001-07:00

Punjab edge a rain-reduced game

2008-05-17T18:35:00.000-07:00

Kings XI Punjab 94 for 3 in eight overs (Jayawardene 36*, Pomersbach 25*) beat Delhi Daredevils 118 for 4 (Sehwag 51*) by six runs on the D/L methodScorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Mahela Jayawardene sealed the deal with a last-ball six for Kings XI Punjab (file photo) © AFP

Not even 20 overs were bowled but there was no shortage of excitement and drama as Kings XI Punjab inched closer to a semi-final spot with a win that was sealed - in a somewhat chaotic finish to a rain-shortened game - with a six off the final ball. The result left Delhi Daredevils, who made the early running in the tournament, with ten points from 11 games and a fight to make the last four.
Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir delighted the home crowd at the Feroz Shah Kotla with some fireworks before the first rain interruption but it was the unbroken 63-run stand, off just 27 balls, between Mahela Jayawardene and Luke Pomersbach that clinched the match for Punjab under the Duckworth-Lewis rules as another spell of rain brought about a premature finish.
The two had added 51 in just three overs to turn a precarious position into one of strength, before Sehwag handed allrounder Rajat Bhatia the eighth over. Bhatia, mixing up the pace, drastically brought down the scoring in his first five deliveries. With the rain beginning to come down, Punjab, after 7.5, were at 88 for 3 and, had another dot ball followed, the scores would have been tied under the D/L method. Jayawardene, though, seized the situation, and a shorter ball was put over deep midwicket for six. With the showers intensifying, the umpires called for the covers, and after a bit of confusion, the match was called off, with Punjab picking up their seventh win in eight games.
Sehwag would repent the over he bowled in the chase, in which he conceded 22, but perhaps the result would have been different had rain not interrupted his innings. He had decided to bat after a light drizzle delayed the start, and along with Gambhir powered Delhi to a blistering start, scoring 68 off the Powerplay overs, though they were lucky not to fall early. Yuvraj Singh spilled a sitter as Sehwag got a top edge off Sreesanth in the third over, and two balls later, Gautam Gambhir got a thick outside edge, but VRV Singh was slow off the blocks at third man.
Gambhir provided the early momentum, making room against Irfan Pathan to send the ball racing through the off side. He was fortunate that a few mistimed shots managed to stay clear of the fielders. Sehwag, who had been getting a thin share of the strike, carted consecutive sixes off VRV Singh through the off side, before he steered a fuller delivery wide of the keeper to make it 22 for the over.
Ramesh Powar was brought in after the Powerplays, and he castled Gambhir. That didn't deter Sehwag, who smashed a four and six in Piyush Chawla's first over, then stepped out against Powar and deposited him over midwicket, before rain halted Delhi's innings at 94 for 1 after 8.1 overs.
A long interval followed. Sehwag, on 47 off 19, appeared to have lost his touch on resumption, as Delhi came out with the intention to clear the boundaries with the innings reduced to 11 overs. They lost wickets in a flurry, and strong winds didn't aid batting either. James Hopes bowled an exceptional final over, giving away just three, and Sehwag had crawled after the resumption, managing just four off seven deliveries.
Punjab were chasing a revised target of 123, but a charged-up fielding effort from Delhi had them in trouble. Shikhar Dhawan and Shoaib Malik both got under a skier from the in-form Shaun Marsh, before Dhawan managed to hold on after avoiding a collision. Glenn McGrath had given away just three in the first over, but Yuvraj, who had delightfully steered Pradeep Sangwan to the leg-side boundary before making room and depositing one in the off-side stands, hit him for consecutive sixes. It seemed to be a captains' day out but Yuvraj mistimed a pull off a slower ball, and unlike Punjab's sloppy efforts in the field, Delhi's fielders managed to take some stunning catches.
Amit Mishra, the legspinner, removed Hopes soon after, and Punjab were left needing 90 off 42. Then Sehwag came on and the match turned. Jayawardene, who hadn't made much of an impact in the tournament, deftly guided one past short third man, before reverse-sweeping to beat the same fielder. Another swept four and a Pomersbach six had Punjab's innings up and running again, and two sixes were hit in Mishra's next. Pomersbach's six off Farveez Maharoof brought up the fifty stand off just 19 balls, and the final blow from Jayawardene left Delhi with a sinking feeling.

Delhi Daredevils Wickets IPL 37th Match Vs Deccan Chargers

2008-05-17T18:34:00.003-07:00

Deccan Chargers Wickets IPL 37th Match Vs Delhi Daredevils

2008-05-17T18:34:00.001-07:00

Sehwag can't believe being stoned at home ground

2008-05-16T09:08:00.000-07:00

The disarming smile was replaced by a somber look and Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag [Images] simply cannot believe that he has been stoned at his home ground of Ferozeshah Kotla, of all places.
His team had just tamed the Deccan Chargers by 12 runs to snap the string of defeats but instead of looking upbeat, Sehwag looked thoroughly upset in the post-match press conference late Thursday night.
Gilchrist, Sehwag in war of words Points Table
"Unfortunately, an Indian player has been pelted in India. It's a matter of shame that a stone was thrown at a Delhi player in Delhi," Sehwag said.
Asked to name the player, he said "Sehwag. I was fielding in the boundary line when it hit me."
The incident happened in the 19th over of the Deccan innings when Sehwag was fielding in the deep.
Sehwag praises Mishra's effort
The Daredevils skipper was suddenly seen rushing to umpire Brian Jerling to convey something and the match was held up for a few minutes.
Nobody outside had any clue about what was going on in the middle, which gave rise to speculation that probably the cheerleaders had been subjected to some taunts or something like that.
Mishra takes hat-trick vs Hyderabad Pics
Sehwag, however, finally cleared the air in the press conference.
Incidentally, this is not the first time that the accusing finger was pointed at the Kotla crowd.
England [Images] all-rounder Andrew Flintoff [Images] claimed in his book 'Being Freddy' that he had been shot at here during an ODI against India in 2002.
Stats: Which batsmen offer best value
"I felt something hit me and, looking down, saw pellets on the ground," Flintoff wrote in the book.
"You expect to have plastic bottles thrown at you when you are playing on the sub-continent, but you don't expect to be shot," he said.
The Delhi and District Cricket Association, however, rubbished Flintoff's claim.
Meanwhile, Sehwag looked far from worried even after he was out for his second successive duck in the IPL.
Will Jaipur blasts affect IPL?
"It does not matter at all. Cricket is not about an individual. It's a team game and as long as the team keeps winning, I don't have any problem," he said, almost nonchalantly.
He also sought to dismiss the notion that the Daredevils relied too much on its top order and the middle order has a brittle look about it.
"To be honest, I can't blame the middle order. The fact remains that they are not getting a chance on most occasions, because the top order is finishing the job.
"I mean players like Manoj Tiwary or Rajat Bhatia have got just 2-3 chances so far because the top order was doing so well," he explained.

Sehwag praises Mishra's hat-trick effort

2008-05-16T09:07:00.000-07:00

A satisfied Delhi Daredevils' captain Virender Sehwag [Images] showered accolades at Amit Mishra's hat-trick performance, saying the spinner proved his decision right of giving him the last over of the match, after the hosts defeated Deccan Chargers by 12 runs at Feroze Shah Kotla in New Delhi on Thursday night."I had full confidence in Amit Mishra, and that is why, I was saving him for the last over. He was bowling well and he proved my decision correct," Sehwag said at the post-match conference.
Gilchrist, Sehwag in war of words
The last match that Daredevils' played at home against Chennai Super Kings, was lost by them after Chennai Super Kings scored 15 runs in the last over.However, Amit Mishra made sure that history did not repeat, when he was asked to defend the same number of runs in the last over against Chennai Super Kings. In fact Mishra surprised everyone claiming a hat-trick. The Daredevils' captain also expressed his displeasure over the crowd's attitude, referring to the incident when a stone was thrown in the ground during Deccan Chargers' innings.
Mishra's hat-trick helps Delhi beat Hyd Pics
"It was very shameful on their (crowd) part. I can never expect that the Delhi crowd will do such a shameful act to their home team," he said.The captain further claimed that the stone was targeted at him, saying, "It was thrown at Virender Sehwag."
Sehwag said his team has been bowling quite well in the tournament and it did the same on Thursday.
Stats: Which batsmen offer best value
The Daredevils were further benefited by the 132-run second wicket stand between opener Gautam Gambhir [Images] and Shikhar Dhawan, which helped the hosts post 194 runs against Deccan Chargers, who have been struggling in the tournament."We have always been batting well in the tournament and our bowling was good too."Gautam and Shikhar have played quite well so far and our middle-order has not got enough chances to show their skills," added Sehwag.The Daredevils will now take on Kings XI Punjab in their next encounter on May 17.
IPL: Schedule Reports Points
The Delhi captain said, even though Punjab has played well in the tournament, no team can be considered as favourite."Every match is a challenge to us. Though Yuvraj's team has been playing well so far, still, no team can be considered as favourite because of the format in this form of the game," Sehwag said."Even yesterday (Wednesday), we saw how Jayasuriya ran away with the match against Chennai Super Kings and today, had Gilchrist or Gibbs stayed there for a little longer they could have easily changed the course of the game," he concluded.

Gilchrist, Sehwag in war of words

2008-05-16T09:06:00.002-07:00

Vanquished Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist [Images] on Thursday night criticised the Delhi Daredevils for their pacer Mohammad Asif's [Images] off-and-on presence on the field during the IPL match even though his opposite number Virender Sehwag [Images] pooh-poohed the allegation.
Gilchrist said it baffled him to see Asif bowling two overs and then going out before returning again to bowl his final two overs.
Mishra's hat-trick helps Delhi beat Hyderabad
Shoaib Malik [Images] fielded for Asif, while Delhi already had substitute fielder AB de Villiers for their opener Gautam Gambhir [Images] who had injured his knee while batting.
"This is for the first time I saw so many substitute fielders taking so many catches. I mean you see the bowler bowling and going off to come back, bowl again and again going off. I mean it's for the umpires to see," a visibly disgruntled Gilchrist said after his side's 12-run loss.
Images: Delhi beat Hyderabad
Sehwag, however, dismissed the allegation and said Gilchrist should consult the rules.
"I think if umpires did not have any problem, Gilchrist too should not have any. I mean he can see the rule book, which clearly says a bowler can go out as many times as needed in case of external injury. Asif was injured while fielding," Sehwag said.
IPL: Schedule Reports Points
Despite the win, which snapped Delhi's string of four defeats on the trot, Sehwag was in sombre mood after being pelted at his home ground.
"It's unfortunate that an Indian player has been pelted in India. I mean a Delhi player was stoned at in Delhi," said the home side captain.
Stats: Which batsmen offer best value
Asked to name the player, he said, "Sehwag. I was fielding at the boundary line when it hit me."
Meanwhile, Man-of-the-Match Amit Mishra quietly basked in the glory of his match-winning five-wicket haul, which also included a hat-trick.
"I'm really happy. My captain stood by me and the entire team egged me on," said the leg-spinner.

Mishra's hat-trick helps Delhi beat Hyderabad

2008-05-16T09:06:00.001-07:00

Delhi Daredevils beat Deccan Chargers by 12 runs in their Indian Premier League match at the Ferozeshah Kotla on Thursday.
Scorecard
The victory was Delhi's fifth in 10 matches while it was Hyderabad's eighth defeat in as many matches.
Chasing 195 for victory, the Hyderbad team suffered an early jolt when captain Adam Gilchrist [Images] (13) fell to Glenn McGrath in the third over.
Slideshow
Shahid Afridi [Images] (33), promoted up the order, and Herschelle Gibbs [Images] (22) put on 50 runs for the second-wicket in only four overs, both indulging in some characteristic lusty hitting.
But even as things look to have settled down for Hyderabad both fell in quick succession, to spinner Amit Mishra.
The in-form Rohit Sharma (35 in 18 balls) and Scott Styris (29) put on another 39 runs for the fourth wicket before Sri Lankan Ferveez Maharoof picked up both of them.
Points table
Venugopal Rao again showed an aggressive intent again in his 18-ball 34 (three fours and two sixes) before skying a McGrath delivery, substitute Shoaib Malik [Images] making no mistake in the deep.
Mishra came back to take a hat-trick, the second of the tournament after Chennai's Lakshmipathy Balaji, picking up D Ravi Teja [Images] (9), Pragyan Ojha (0) and RP Singh (1) to finish with figures of five for 17.
Deccan Chargers finished at 182 for 9, 12 runs short off their target.
Earlier, twin half-centuries from Gautam Gambhir [Images] (79) and Shikhar Dhawan (68 not out) powered Delhi Daredevils to 194 for 4.
Put in to bat, the hosts lost skipper Virender Sehwag [Images] (0) in the first over but Gambhir and Dhawan shared 133 runs in just over 14 overs to steady the boat even though the hosts eventually fell shy of the 200-mark.
Gambhir's 48-ball pyrotechnics included seven hits to the fence besides three sixes. Dhawan's sedate unbeaten knock was a product of his 52-ball stay during which he hit eight boundaries.
Deccan Chargers' two wins so far in the tournament came chasing and, almost predictably, skipper Gilchrist inserted the hosts after winning the toss.
And by the time P Vijaykumar had finished the first over, Delhi had their skipper back in the hut after a two-ball misadventure yielding naught.
If the fierce slash over the third man has fetched Sehwag truckloads of runs, it has often been his Achilles' heel as well. Vijaykumar offered the width and Sehwag went by his instinct only to find R P Singh as a hushed silence descended on the Ferozeshah Kotla.
Gambhir did not look quite convincing either. Twice he was almost caught and once escaped a run-out, making ground just in time to hang around.
The southpaw finally broke the shackles in the fourth over, milking 20 runs off it. R P Singh banged one short and Gambhir sent it over deep square leg ropes. He walked out to swat the next delivery over mid-wicket and followed it up with a full-blooded cut that zoomed past the point fielder for a four.
Dhawan was content playing the second fiddle all along and the left-hander hit Shahid Afridi for back-to-back boundaries to reach his half-century.
The duo laid the perfect foundation for a late burst but Gambhir's dismissal, stumped off a wide ball from Pragyan Ojha, came as anti-climax.
Ferveez Maharoof chipped in with an 11-ball 19

Laxman stands up for under-fire Dravid

2008-05-14T11:21:00.004-07:00

VVS Laxman has firmly backed Rahul Dravid, his India team-mate and Indian Premier League rival, whose Bangalore Royal Challengers is at the centre of a simmering controversy after Vijay Mallya, the industrialist who owns the team, publicly questioned its composition and performance.
"For sure, Rahul is a good captain," Laxman, who led the Deccan Chargers till a wrist injury ruled him out of the rest of this IPL season, told Cricinfo. "Even if you see the games Rahul's team have lost, some of them were very close. If they had won those, no questions would have been raised about his captaincy. I am sure he will bounce back because I know he is a very tough character. He has been in this situation before in the Indian team, and I have no doubt that he will overcome this one, too.
"Everyone has been trying their best and people have to realise that no cricketer ever plays to lose. So encouragement from the owners is very important when you are not doing well," he said.
But Laxman said that the IPL's team owners had every right to ask questions, given their investments. "The owners can ask why things are not happening. But here, I can only speak for my team and say our owners have been very supportive. They have understood that we have lost some games. It was very important for us that even during the tough periods, they came, spoke to us and encouraged us."
Laxman said that he was aware that part of the focus in the IPL's inaugural season was on how experienced players would fare in the shortest format. "People may have had some doubts. But I have enjoyed my batting, and am happy to have scored some good runs at a brisk pace," he said, before adding, "Sourav (Ganguly) is doing well for himself in the IPL, too, because he is another tough competitor."
Laxman's team, however, has had a poor run in the tournament - Deccan are just ahead of Bangalore with two wins from nine matches and five games still to go. "I can tell you that we have some great cricketers and the bonding has been amazing. But for me, one possible factor that led to this situation was that we had only one player performing in every match. We would ideally have wanted two or three guys to click and perform on the same day."
Laxman started his IPL campaign with a duck on a shocker of a pitch in Kolkata, but his batting started to click from the fourth game after he decided to move up from No.3 to open the innings with Adam Gilchrist, who is now leading the team. He got into the groove with a 26-ball 37 against the Mumbai Indians, and followed it up with a 34-ball 48 against Kings XI Punjab, and a 44-ball 52 against Bangalore.
On his own batting approach in Twenty20s, Laxman said: "What was probably new for me was to get set for batting even before I actually walked out. And what was important was to ensure that you have a very healthy strike rate because there are only 20 overs to get the maximum runs for your team."

Bangalore's match in Jaipur to go ahead as scheduled

2008-05-14T11:21:00.003-07:00

Lalit Modi, the IPL commissioner, has turned down a request from the Bangalore Royal Challengers to shift the venue of their next match on Saturday against Rajasthan Royals from Jaipur following a series of explosions in the city on Tuesday that killed at least 60 people.
"They [Bangalore] had approached me with a request to shift the match out, but we cannot do that. The match will go ahead as scheduled in Jaipur on Saturday," Modi told Cricinfo, adding that additional security will be provided at the team hotels and the Sawai Mansingh stadium, the match venue.
"All necessary precautions are being taken at all the grounds of the IPL," Sharad Pawar, BCCI president, said. "I spoke to the Union Home Minister and we've been assured of the safety. We are no cowards. The match in Jaipur will go on as planned."
Meanwhile, Cricinfo has learnt that Brijesh Patel, Bangalore's CEO, has instructed the team to return home tonight.
Martin Crowe, Bangalore's Chief Cricket Officer, had told Cricinfo on Tuesday night that they had requested that the match be shifted out of Jaipur, and offered to host it at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, their home ground. It's learnt that the foreigners in the squad are particularly worried about the security situation following the terrorist attack.
"We have conveyed our decision to the IPL council," Crowe had said. "The franchises are discussing the issue. A final decision will be made tomorrow. We are going to Delhi tomorrow and will probably head over to Bangalore after a night's stay in Delhi."
Bangalore have already hosted Rajasthan in the tournament - on April 26 - in a game that the visitors won by a comfortable margin.
At least five major blasts rocked Jaipur, the base of the Rajasthan Royals, with the death and injury toll on the rise. The Rajasthan team hasn't been affected: most of the players are currently holidaying in Goa and the others have gone back to their respective homes.

Bangalore's match in Jaipur to go ahead as scheduled

2008-05-14T11:21:00.001-07:00

BCCI bans Harbhajan for five ODIs

2008-05-14T11:20:00.001-07:00

Harbhajan Singh has been banned by the Indian board for five ODIs for slapping Sreesanth during an IPL match last month. The ban means Harbhajan will miss India's forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh and the start of the Asia Cup in Pakistan, in addition to 11 matches in the IPL as earlier decided by the league.
A senior BCCI official told Cricinfo that Harbhajan faces a life ban if he is reported and found guilty by match officials in any level of cricket of indiscipline as specified by the Indian board's rules, which range from verbally abusing a rival player to physical assault.
"This obviously doesn't involve minor offences such as showing dissent against an umpire's decision which usually attract fines of 10-20% of the player's match fee," the official said. "But if he is found guilty of even verbal abuse, in any level of cricket, his career could end. The key is that the life ban threat has been officially recorded and that leaves little room for doubt later. Harbhajan is on dangerous ground and has to very careful."
Sreesanth was sent a letter by the BCCI instructing him to mend his ways on the field. "[If] you do not improve your behavior, the board would be constrained to take appropriate decision," the letter, written by board secretary Niranjan Shah, stated.
The disciplinary committee, comprising president Sharad Pawar, president-elect Shashank Manohar and vice-president Chirayu Amin, handed out the punishment after meeting Harbhajan in Mumbai. The speed of the decision-making came as a surprise since the committee was not due to meet on Wednesday; instead, a date was to be fixed for its meeting.
The committee invoked Rule 3.2.1 of the BCCI regulations and handed out the maximum punishment under it. "Under this provision, the maximum punishment that can be meted out to a player is 'a ban up to a maximum of 5 ODIs and / or 3 Test matches'," a release from the board said.
"The committee accordingly decided to ban Harbhajan Singh for five one-day internationals, starting today (14th May 2008), and further observed that any further instance of misconduct will invoke a life-ban."
Shah explained the reason for terming it a level 3 offence instead of level 4, as the IPL had deemed. "We charged him under the BCCI's Code of Conduct.
"The IPL had adopted the ICC'S Spirit of Cricket policy and so the match referee had applied the ICC' Code of Conduct to give a 11-match ban. Our enquiry was separate and we decided to punish him under the BCCI regulations."
Sudhir Nanavati, the board's investigating commissioner who submitted a 14-page report on the incident, was also present at the meeting. Nanavati concluded his investigation into the row on May 12 and submitted his findings to the board. Asked if the enquiry commissioner's recommendation that leniency be shown towards Harbhajan, Shah said the commissioner's job was "to present the real facts".
Nanavati, a senior lawyer, said he was asked by the disciplinary committee whether the punishment was appropriate, and he gave three reasons why he felt it was. "Firstly, Harbhajan accepted his guilt straight away and apologised to the BCCI, to Sreesanth and again, in public," Nanavati told Cricinfo. "Secondly, he had already been handed down a stiff punishment by the IPL in the form of a ban. And thirdly, his behaviour ever since the incident was submissive, and not aggressive - he accepted his guilt, never went on the offensive and assured that he would not repeat the offence again."

Sizzling Jayasuriya pounds Chennai

2008-05-14T10:59:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Indians 158 for 1 (Jayasuriya 114*) beat Chennai Super Kings 156 for 6 (Badrinath 53) by nine wicketsScorecard and ball-by-ball details How they were out
Sanath Jayasuriya was simply unstoppable on the night (file photo) © Getty Images

Sachin Tendulkar's return dominated most of the pre-match buzz but it was the eruption from Sanath Jayasuriya that Mumbai toasted at the end of a comfortable nine-wicket win, their fourth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium. Chennai appeared to have cobbled together a fighting total, in conditions that assisted swing bowling, but Jayasuriya's sizzler, the second-fastest IPL hundred that was punctuated with 11 sixes, put an emphatic end to the contest.
Mumbai's bowlers set-up this win with a fine new-ball exhibition that knocked off the top order. Shaun Pollock wasn't leading Mumbai today but his immaculate early spell (4-1-9-1) led an impressive effort that justified their decision to field first. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and S Badrinath stitched together a 95-run stand but 156 was never going to be challenging if even once batsman got going.
It was inevitable. Jayasuriya, who had made a short trip home during Mumbai's extended break, was yet to explode in the IPL and there was nothing Chennai could do once sixes began to drip off his bat. Nonchalant short-arm jabs sailed over the midwicket fence and a few powerful slashes soared over third man. The bowlers were rattled - they leaked wides and drifted on the pads too often - and fed Jayasuriya in his favourite areas. The fact that 102 off his 114 runs came in fours, told a story.
It was an innings reminiscent of the mid-90s, a time when Jayasuriya filled bowlers with a sense of fear. In fact it was at the same ground when he hammered an unforgettable 151 not out in the Independence Cup in 1997, an innings that was appreciated in hushed silence. This, though, was a celebration in power-hitting, with the crowd getting fully behind Jayasuriya in his fiery mission. One can only imagine the possibilities if Tendulkar had decided to bat first, allowing Jayasuriya a full 20 overs.
The manner in which he treated his fellow Sri Lankan bowlers was interesting - he attempted a couple of audacious reverse-paddles against Muttiah Muralitharan before blistering Chamara Kapudegera for 26 runs in five balls. He rushed to his hundred with two pulled sixes off Kapugedera - celebrating like a schoolboy who reached his maiden ton - and capped it off with one more that landed on the roof of the Wankhede. It was an unforgettable innings and Mumbai's response to what Adam Gilchrist did to them a few weeks back.
The bowlers deserve an honourable mention. It was a slew of medium-pacers who propelled Mumbai to an upset win over the Rajasthan Royals in the previous game and they utilised bowler-friendly conditions here too. The ball swung around through the innings and six medium-pacers shaped the ball either way to make life difficult for the batsmen.
Pollock turned in a typically miserly spell, including a maiden to finish off against a relatively new Dhoni. Dhoni, who said he would have fielded first had he won the toss, watched his side slump to 46 for 4 with the top order struggling against the accurate medium-pacers.
Pollock should have had Stephen Fleming in the first ball of the second over - when an edge fell just short of first slip - or even in the third - when Jayasuriya muffed a skier at point - but he had to settle for S Vidyut's wicket two balls later when Rohan Raje clung on to another skier at mid-off. Suresh Raina fell poking to an away-swinger from Dwayne Bravo before Chamara Kapugedera, the right-hander, did exactly the same to Dhawal Kulkarni's nippy away-cutter.
Dhoni and Badrinath redressed the balance somewhat. The pair improvised when the opportunity presented but it was Dhoni's fierce hitting that gave the bowlers no chance - even if he wasn't in position the power behind the shots was always going to take it to the boundary ropes. Badrinath, who repertoire ranges from the square drive on the back foot to the paddle over short fine leg, brought up his second successive fifty. It appeared as if it could be a defendable total but Jayasuriya's blitz sunk them in a trice.

Dravid blames batsmen for poor show

2008-05-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

A dejected Rahul Dravid [Images] blamed poor batting for his team's ordinary show in the ongoing IPL but chose to keep mum on team owner Vijay Mallya's [Images] criticism of their team selection decisions.
"That is true that we have not been able to click. It is disappointing. Batting has been an area of concern," Dravid said at the post match media-meet.
Bangalore's poor run of form continues Pics
"I do not want to speak publicly on the (Mallya's) comments. Selection and performance are two different things and people have to perform so that the team gets on to the winning track. I will speak at an appropriate forum," he said when scribes asked him about Mallya's criticism.
"Please do not ask such questions. I do not want to comment on those things," he added.
Dravid said all their efforts to get a winning combination have proved futile so far.
Dravid, Charu ignored my list of players: Mallya
"Everybody expects players to perform but sometimes it does not happen. We tried so many combinations and we are yet to figure out a winning combination," he said.
Mallya had said that Dravid and axed CEO Charu Sharma did not let him get players he wanted.
Dravid praised Australian Shaun Marsh, who played a splendid knock of 74 in Kings XI Punjab's victory on Monday night.
Long-term implications of IPL ominous
"Shaun is playing well... that makes a difference and sets the tone for the game. He is an exceptional talent."
Marsh too is relishing his good run in the tournament.
"IPL is good so far. Very luck to be here and fantastic to be part of IPL. I am playing with greatest players and before packed houses. It is a fantastic experience.
"I have never opened batting before, this is something new to me but I am enjoying every moment of it," he said after getting his man of the match award.
Spotted: Mahendra Singh Dhoni
The winning captain Yuvraj Singh [Images] also praised Marsh but did not comment on Challengers' poor run.
"I do not want to comment where they are lacking. My job is to take care of my team. I have to focus on how my team does well in the competition.
"He (Marsh) is a very good talent. It will give him confidence and we are happy for him. Very satisfying when he is doing well," he said.
When asked why he has not promoted himself up in the batting order, he replied, "IPL is not about me and hitting six sixes. It is about my team. I am more happy if the team is doing well. Even If I am getting zeros and my team is doing well, I will be happier."

Tendulkar banking on Jayasuriya's spin

2008-05-14T10:57:00.000-07:00

Sachin Tendulkar [Images] is banking on veteran Sri Lankan player Sanath Jayasuriya to give the Mumbai Indians a cutting edge in spin bowling in their Indian Premier League clash against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday.
"In the last three games (which his team won) the seamers have done a terrific job. Sanath got important wickets in the match against Kolkata Knight Riders (at the Eden Gardens). Sanath will be a key bowler for us tomorrow," said the champion batsman, ahead of his first IPL tie.
Dravid blames batsmen for failure
Tendulkar, who missed the first seven matches of Mumbai Indians due to a groin injury, felt it is becoming clearer which are the teams to beat in the remaining matches.
"There were some teams which started off well but fell off a bit midway and there are others who started badly and then have done well. It's all a question of momentum. We now know who are in contention for the semis. Those are the teams we have to beat," said Tendulkar.
IPL: How are the countries faring?
He was referring to the lead position in the table occupied by Rajasthan Royals, led by Shane Warne [Images], and Punjab King's XI, captained by Yuvraj Singh [Images], who are strongly poised to reach the last four.
Tendulkar said though Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] is a very important player in the rival ranks, there are others too, like S Badrinath and Albie Morkel, and it is important not to focus on a any individual.
"There will be challenges. It's not only about Dhoni. There are other batsmen too. Badrinath has made some runs. And there are others like Albie Morkel. We don't take anyone lightly," he said.
The champion batsman, who opted out of the Twenty20 World Cup last year along with fellow-seniors Sourav Ganguly [Images] and Rahul Dravid [Images], said he will be at home playing this format, having taken part in domestic Twenty20 matches last year.
"I have played Twenty20 games last year and thoroughly enjoyed them. I will just have to go out there with other senior players and get into the group. I'm prepared for all the challenges. That's the reason I stayed with the team over the last three weeks (to develop bonding)," he said.
The Mumbai Indians' captain declared that there will not be too many changes in the twelve that was named for the last match, with only his name being added to that list.
"We will see the wicket tomorrow and decide, but there would not be too many changes," he said.
Tendulkar said he is now feeling much better physically and the discomfort he had experienced earlier after he played a practice tie midway through his rehabilitation process has completely gone.
"I feel much better. The discomfort I had experienced has gone and I am feeling quite comfortable," he said.
Asked whether the IPL has given a fresh lease of life to bowlers, like those from his own team -- Ashish Nehra and Chennai SK's L Balaji, Tendulkar said not only these two but the T20 league has given a chance to rub shoulders with international players of India and overseas to so many other youngsters.
"For five weeks they have the chance to rub shoulders with top cricketers from not only India but abroad too. The more you talk cricket with them the more you learn. That's why I say Indian cricket will benefit eventually (from IPL)", he said.

Injured Laxman to miss rest of IPL

2008-05-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

In a setback to the beleaguered Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, its captain VVS Laxman, who sustained an injury on his right wrist, has been ruled out of the remaining matches of the Indian Premier League.
Laxman told reporters in Delhi that his injured right wrist will take two weeks to heal completely, which virtually gives him no chance to play in the remaining matches. His team's last league tie is on May 27.
Tendulkar banking on Jayasuriya's spin
"It will take two weeks for my wrist to heal completely. So I am not playing for two weeks and (Adam) Gilchrist will lead the side," said Laxman, who met the media with straps on his injured wrist at a children's programme ahead of their match against Delhi Daredevils here on Thursday.
In Hyderabad, team CEO J Krishnan confirmed that Laxman's injury, below the right wrist, has been diagnosed as a hairline fracture and he will not play in the remaining matches.
The stylish batsman injured his wrist during the match against Bangalore Royal Challengers in Bangalore on May 3, his team's sixth match. After that Gilchrist led the side.
Laxman said his team is not being put under pressure from the franchise owner -- the Deccan Chronicles -- despite having won just two of their nine matches so far, unlike what had happened to Bangalore Royal Challengers.
"We are not being pressurised by out team owners. They know their cricket and we are in this position (bottom) because we lost a few close games. I am very happy at the way they (the owners) are supporting the players," he said.

I have nothing to prove, says Shoaib

2008-05-14T10:55:00.002-07:00

After demolishing Delhi Dardevils with a lethal opening spell in his maiden Indian Premier League outing, Shoaib Akhtar [Images] said that he had "no points to make to anybody".
- Images: Kolkata beat Delhi
"I just wanted to win the game. I have no points to make to anybody," the Rawalpindi Express said, minutes afterfinishing with amazing figures of 3-0-11-4 that wiped out the Delhi Daredevils top-order and ensured a 23-run victory for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
Akhtar thanked his teammates, coach John Buchanan, skipper Sourav Ganguly [Images] and Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan [Images] for their constant backing.
"Everyone chipped in and the fielding was excellent," he said.
Akhtar's participation in the tournament looked remote at one stage, after he was slapped with a five-year ban by the Pakistan Cricket Board and the IPL authorities decreed they would not allow him to play until the punishment was lifted.
Even when the PCB took a lenient stand, letting him to play outside Pakistan, the IPL bosses stuck to their rigid stance, which put the Kolkata Knight Riders in much difficulty.
Things changed when the Pakistan authorities suspended the ban for a month and Shoaib arrived in the city to a rousing welcome and amidst media glare.
Still, there were doubts over his fitness and coach Buchanan shied away from fielding him in the games opposite Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers.
"He is coming up well. He is very keen to play. But still he is not in the kind of condition he would have been happy to be ahead of a match," Buchanan had said.
However, Knight Riders skipper, Ganguly, gave the first indication two days ago that Shoaib would play at the Eden Gardens, and the last hurdle was removed when the speedster cleared a fitness test earlier in the day.
There were scenes of jubilation all round the park, and Shah Rukh even rushed into the field as soon as the victory was sealed and hugged the man who turned things around with his four-wicket burst.

Shoaib shines in Kolkata's win

2008-05-14T10:55:00.001-07:00

An inspired bowling performance by Shoaib Akhtar [Images] helped Kolkata Knight Riders score a 23-run win over Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match in Kolkata on Tuesday.
Scorecard
The win was the Kolkata side's fifth in nine matches while it also happened to be Delhi's fifth loss in nine games. The position of the teams in the table remains unchanged.
Shoaib, playing in his first IPL match follwoing the suspension of his five-year ban, took four for 11 to almost single-handedly ensure victory for the home side.
The Pakistani fast bowler picked up Delhi captain Virender Sehwag [Images] (0) off the second ball of the opening over, snapped Gautam Gambhir [Images] (10) in the fourth ball of his second over and grabbed AB de Villiers (7) and Manoj Tiwary (0) in succession in the the third and fourth balls of his third, to virtually derail the Delhi chase.
Chasing a modest 134 to win, Delhi were reduced to 28 for four by the fifth over and Shikar Dhawan (7) was soon cleaned up by Ashok Dinda to make it 43 for five in the middle of the eighth.
Tillekeratne Dilshan (25 of 19 balls with five boundaries) and Amit Mishra (31) tried to do some repair work but the damage had early been done.
Earlier, a lackluster performance by their batsmen allowed Delhi Daredevils to restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to a modest total of 133 for six. Delhi were finally bundled out for a paltry 110, their lowest total in the IPL, and with 13 balls left.
Laxmi Ratan Shukla finishing off the Delhi tail with three wickets in five balls.
Earlier, electing to bat the hosts set the Delhi side an asking rate of 6.7 before a crowd of 50 thousand at the Eden Gardens.
Salman Butt [Images] (48) was the principal scorer for the home team with the in-form David Hussey (31 of 31 balls) getting moderate success in the slog overs.
Superb bowling performances from Glenn McGrath (4-0-22-0), Yo Mahesh (2 for 34) and Maharoof (4-0-25-0) ensured the Delhi batsmen got an easily attainable asking rate.
The Knight Riders could never get the momentum going, and only 10 fours came in their innings.
Butt and Aakash Chopra (13) made a sedate start, though the Pakistani executed several delightful shots square of the wicket and past the cover region.
Chopra, who was dropped by Gautam Gambhir in McGrath's second over, found it difficult to force the pace, and became the victim of a rather soft dismissal.
The right hand batsman played a casual shot as he tried to loft new ball bowler Pradeep Sangwan and offered a simple catch to Ferveez Maharoof at mid off.
Sourav Ganguly [Images] (7) walked in to loud cheers from the home crowd, and raised hopes of another magical knock as he hit Yo Mahesh for a six by making full use of a free hit, but the end came soon in the same over.
Mahesh delivered a good length stuff, which Ganguly played early, and the ball rattled the veteran's leg stump off his thighs, reducing the Knight Riders to 47 for 2 in the sixth over.
Joined by the in-form David Hussey, Butt tried to accelerate the pace, with back-to-back cover drive boundaries in the ninth over sent down by Mahesh.
Hussey began with deft placements, but the run rate slowed down in the middle overs, as only 26 runs came between the 11th and the 15th over.
Mahesh, meanwhile, tasted another success in the 14th over, with Butt top-edging to third-man to bring the curtains down on a 44-ball knock, which included seven fours.
Tatenda Taibu (7) continued his dismal show, while Laxmi Ratan Shukla (10) was also dismissed cheaply.
Hussey tried to slog it out, picking up two boundaries before holding out to Manoj Tiwary at long on, but in the end it was a below-par total.

Kolkata and Delhi battle for leverage

2008-05-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

The Big Picture
After 34 matches and well into the second half of the league, Kolkata and Delhi finally meet each other - and the timing couldn't be better. Their progress has been markedly different but, having played eight games each, they are now level on points and separated only by the slimmest of margins: a difference of 0.045 in the net run-rate puts Kolkata above Delhi. Both are currently competing for the final semi-final spot and, with each match, the margin for error becomes smaller.
Kolkata, however, have the momentum - crucial in the Twenty20 format - after ending a four-match losing streak with two consecutive victories, albeit against the weakest sides, Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers. Their batting remains frail at the top - the latest combination of Aakash Chopra and Salman Butt was their sixth in eight games - and they rely primarily on David Hussey in the middle order to boost their totals. However, Sourav Ganguly, one of few icon players to perform significantly, was the Man of the Match in both of Kolkata's recent wins and his form will be crucial to their semi-final aspirations. Ganguly and Hussey mask what is otherwise a batting line-up that lacks punch.
Delhi, at one stage, looked strong enough to top the league with four wins in five games. That run was halted, however, by a hat-trick of defeats against strong opposition - the resurgent Mumbai Indians, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals. The common feature in those defeats was a weak performance from the middle order after the starts provided by Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan. Delhi lack the presence of an enforcer in the lower-middle order, someone with the hitting abilities of Albie Morkel or Shane Watson, which has allowed opponents to dominate towards the latter half of the innings.
Tournament position
Kolkata Knight Riders: P8, W4, L4, NRR +0.545Delhi Daredevils: P8, W4, L4, NRR +0.500
IPL form (last five matches, most recent first)
Kolkata Knight Riders: WWLLLDelhi Daredevils: LLLWW
Watch out for ...
The Pakistan factor. If Kolkata pick Shoaib Akhtar and Delhi play Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif, Shoaib will be up against Malik, his former captain, and Asif, his successor as Pakistan's best fast bowler.
Ishant Sharma v Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir. They've played together for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy and for India; all three are also in top form.
Team news
Kolkata have not rushed Shoaib into action since he became available for selection but, during the game against Deccan, Shoaib said that he would be fit to play the next match. If he is to be accommodated, it will be at the expense of either Butt or Umar Gul, who was profligate on Sunday. Kolkata do not have too many Indian batting options to replace Butt but a fast-bowling attack comprising Shoaib, Ishant, Gul and Ashok Dinda might be too good to pass up.
Kolkata Knight Riders (probable): 1 Salman Butt, 2 Aakash Chopra, 3 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 4 David Hussey, 5 Tatenda Taibu, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Laxmi Ratan Shukla, 8 Murali Kartik, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashok Dinda.
Delhi replaced their Pakistan contingent - Malik and Asif - with the Sri Lankans Tillakaratne Dilshan and Farveez Maharoof for Sunday's game against Jaipur and are likely to retain the combination. Legspinner Amit Mishra took 2 for 27 off three overs and might hold his place. Delhi still haven't explored the option of making de Villiers keep wicket and replacing Dinesh Karthik, who's scored 73 runs in five innings, with either Manoj Tiwary or Rajat Bhatia.
Delhi Daredevils (probable): 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Dinesh Karthik, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Amit Mishra, 8 Farveez Maharoof, 9 Pradeep Sangwan, 10 V Yomahesh, 11 Glenn McGrath.
Stats and trivia
Delhi fast bowler Glenn McGrath's 5.71 runs per over is the best economy-rate of the tournament. Kolkata medium-pacers, Ganguly and Ashok Dinda, are second and third with 5.78 and 6.33 runs per over.
Hussey and Sehwag are poised to over-take Adam Gilchrist for the most sixes in the tournament. Gilchrist has hit 16 sixes while, Hussey and Sehwag have 15 and 14 respectively.
Quotes"The idea is not to give him room on or around the off-stump. We have to bowl in the right areas more often before he takes the game away from us."Coach John Buchanan on Kolkata's plans to check Virender Sehwag's run-scoring

Bangalore's poor run continues

2008-05-12T20:11:00.001-07:00

Kings XI Punjab beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by nine wickets in an IPL Twenty20 match at PCA stadium in Mohali on Monday.
Scorecard
Chasing 144 to win, Yuvraj Singh's [Images] men reached their target with 4.2 overs spare
Opener Shaun Marsh scored an impressive 74 not out to ensure it was an easy chase for the Mohali team.
Marsh first put on 42 for the opening wicket with compatriot James Hopes (27 with three sixes) and then was involved in an unbroken 102-run stand for the second-wicket with Luke Pomersbach (34 not out).
The win was the Mohali team's sixth in nine matches and keeps them in third place in the table.
On the other hand, Bangalore's defeat, their seventh in nine matches, keeps them at the bottom of the table and their chances of making the last four are now over.
Earlier, Bangalore Royal Challengers batsmen once again put up a flop show as they could manage just a modest 143 for eight.
The pace trio of S Sreesanth [Images], Irfan Pathan [Images] and VRV Singh bowled with discipline, kept their attack around the off-stump and did not offer width to opponents, making life difficult for them.
South African Mark Boucher [Images] (39) and skipper Rahul Dravid [Images] (29) were the only willowers who put up some resistance after electing to bat on a pitch, which did offer pace and movement to the bowlers.
Sreesanth was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts as he accounted for three batsmen, giving away just 29 runs in his quota of four overs.
Young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla also impressed with his performance as he chipped in with two scalps.
Both the openers --J Arunkumar and Virat Kohli-- struggled right from the start as they attempted some flashy shots out side the off stump but only managed edges.
Sreesanth struck early when he got rid of Arunkumar (3) on the first ball of his second over when the batsman edged his delivery to first slip Mahela Jayawardene [Images].
Pakistani Misbah-ul-Haq (21) eased off the pressure by hitting some thunderous shots but did not last long as he once again perished in a strange manner.
Misbah trod on to his stumps while negotiating a Sreesanth delivery which came in, forcing him to begin a long trudge back to pavilion.
Kohli (21) followed his Pakistani teammate when he was castled by Chawla though not before hitting the young spinner for a couple of boundaries.
Skipper Rahul Dravid then joined Cameron White (10) but once again a strong partnership eluded the visitors.
White was undone by a stunning caught and bowled by Chawla, who ran about 15 yard towards mid-wicket to latch on to a mistimed shot.

Think local, act global

2008-05-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

By the end of this Indian Premier League season, Yusuf Pathan should have an identity of his own. He strikes the ball cleanly and with breathtaking power, a lot like his brother really. The Deccan Chargers were destroyed by his strokeplay at the top of the order on Friday night, and with Shane Warne giving him license to express himself; they might not be the last to suffer.
The progress made by Pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Siddharth Trivedi and the pint-sized Swapnil Asnodkar is a slap in the face for those teams that put all their best eggs in the foreign-player basket. More than halfway through the inaugural season, two of the most expensive franchises are sinking quicker than a torpedoed submarine. Bangalore's travails are not entirely unexpected given the rather bizarre composition of the squad, but Hyderabad will wonder how an envied collection of heavy hitters have performed like pea-shooters under pressure.
With the mercury soaring and limbs tired from the constant travel and play, bench strength will become even more important as the tournament nears its conclusion. If the opening three weeks have taught us anything, it's that even the abbreviated format rewards team work. Sprinklings of stardust can bring in the crowds, but if you have too many weak links, they tend to be ruthlessly exposed. Those teams that have built from the bottom have been rewarded, while those with mediocre Indian contingents prop up the table.
For Bangalore, the failure of Jacques Kallis, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Cameron White will be the subject of much heartburn. Rahul Dravid worked on the assumption that quality would prevail no matter what the format. It hasn't, and the South Africans, the charged-up Dale Steyn apart, have exhibited the lethargy that you'd expect from men who've just played marathon international seasons.
The local back-up has been non-existent. The Chennai Super Kings can boast of special talents like S Badrinath and Suresh Raina, while even a struggling Mumbai side has unearthed gems like Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni and Rohan Raje. For the Royal Challengers, B Akhil, Bharat Chipli and Vinay Kumar have all looked short on quality, while Sunil Joshi resembles someone who wandered in expecting a veteran's game.
The fielding of the Indians, Virat Kohli apart, has been diabolical, and contributed in no small measure to three narrow defeats. The only silver lining from the loss in Kolkata was the batting of J Arunkumar, a Karnataka exile who was perhaps unlucky not to be capped in the late 1990s.
The Chargers' plight is as pitiable. VVS Laxman has played a couple of fine innings, but more often than not, he has looked as much of a misfit as Leonardo might have in an Andy Warhol world. But with him missing games through injury, they have been reduced to a two-card trick. When Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma don't score, the game is as good as over. Scott Styris and Herschelle Gibbs have been shown up for what they are, old stagers whose halcyon years are long gone.

When Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma don't score, the game is as good as over. Scott Styris and Herschelle Gibbs have been shown up for what they are, old stagers whose halcyon years are long gone

Shahid Afridi has been more bust-bust than boom-boom, and while Pragyan Ojha has shown flashes of inspiration, you can't seriously expect a side fielding D Kalyankrishna and Arjun Yadav to be challengers. Yadav's presence in the squad is merely proof that India's who-you-are-and-who-you-know culture is alive and well. You can only wonder how much more successful they would have been with someone like Ambati Rayudu, an ICL 'rebel', in the picture.
Even an erratic Kolkata team has done well in the local stakes, with Ashok Dinda, Wriddhiman Saha and Laxmi Ratan Shukla all impressing at various times. Bangalore haven't even managed to squeeze much out of Kohli's undoubted talent. The batting line-up has gone through more changes than Cher's face, and he's had no opportunity to get into any sort of groove. Contrast his fortunes with those of his great friend, Shikhar Dhawan, in the Delhi side. Dhawan has excelled at No.3, and the Daredevils have piled on the runs largely as a result of a settled top order.
It's probably too late for the Royal Challengers and the Chargers to revive their seasons now. Those that make the tough decisions will learn from this though. No matter how many flamboyant [or not, in the case of Bangalore] cowboys you bring in, you're only as good as the weakest Indian in the ranks. It's time for the talent scouts to earn their corn and discover a Manpreet Gony or two.

Beating Delhi was 'sweet revenge' - Warne

2008-05-11T19:33:00.001-07:00

Shane Warne has called the return match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Delhi Daredevils a "sweet revenge". Last time the two sides met, Delhi had walloped Rajasthan by nine wickets. That match was the first for both teams in the tournament.
"I am happy with the team's victory, sitting on top of the table," Warne said.
Warne also praised the all-round efforts of compatriot Shane Watson, who took two wickets and scored 74 off 40 balls in Rajasthan's three-wicket win against Delhi in Jaipur.
Watson's innings, according to Warne, was the turning point of the match. "His innings was perhaps the best in the tournament," Warne said. "It was most valuable and brilliant innings." Rajasthan were 15 for 2 in five overs when Watson came out to bat. He added 71 with Graeme Smith and fell when Rajasthan needed only seven more to get their seventh IPL win and maintain their 100% record at home.
Warne also apologised for his final over which went for 27 runs. Delhi were at 122 for 6 when Warne came on to bowl the 19th over. Farveez Maharoof and Tillakaratne Dilshan had taken Siddharth Trivedi for 13 runs in the previous over and they continued the onslaught against Warne. Maharoof hit him for four sixes to take Delhi to a competitive total. "Things went according to our plan till 19th over," Warne said. "I apologise for that over. I was hit for 27 runs. We gave 20-25 runs extra to them."
But he was happy with the way his side executed the game-plan earlier in the innings. "We bowled well. Field placing was good and we were able to contain them. We had plans for [Virender] Sehwag. We bowled slow to him. Dimitri [Mascarenhas], Watson Siddharth [Trivedi] and Munaf [Patel] intentionally kept the ball slow."
Rajasthan now have a five-day break before they play the Bangalore Royal Challengers in Jaipur on Saturday.

'Biggest mistake was to abstain from selection' - Mallya

2008-05-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Controversy continues to surround the Bangalore Royal Challengers. Days after Charu Sharma, the franchise's chief executive, was sacked, Vijay Mallya, the team owner, has said he regrets not being involved in the squad's selection during the auction and that he had other players in mind but went by the judgment of Sharma and Rahul Dravid, the captain.
"My biggest mistake was to abstain from the selection of the team. Though I watch a lot cricket whenever possible, I am no cricket expert at the end of the day," Mallya told the Economic Times. "I had a separate list of players that I wanted. But since Dravid is such an iconic player I trusted his judgment. And Charu Sharma also backed him.
"After seeing the final list, my friends told me it looked like a Test team," Mallya said. "But I backed both of them thinking that they advised me properly. Unfortunately in cricket, unlike in any other sport, the captain is the boss."
Bangalore's emphasis on Test performers was questioned before the start of the tournament, and their inability to adapt to the Twenty20 format has seen the side crash to six defeats in eight games, leaving them languishing at the bottom of the table.
Sharma, sacked last week, was replaced by former India Test player Brijesh Patel. "I look at the mirror every morning and wonder why I was considered inadequate," Sharma told the paper. "I have no clue about why things happened this way. Mallya listened to Dravid who was responsible for choosing the team. No team is perfect, but did we get the team we wanted? No. The key players were missing at key times."
The Bangalore franchise was bought by Mallya's United Spirits Ltd for US$111.6 million, making it the second-most expensive franchise in the IPL. Mallya also owns the Force India Formula One team.

India clinch fourth successive Asia Cup

2008-05-11T19:27:00.000-07:00

India 260 for 7 (Rawat 97, Raj 66, Dhar 50, Siriwardene 4-53) beat Sri Lanka 83 (Seema 3-10, David 3-11) by 177 runsScorecard
The victorious Indian team pose with the silverware © Cricinfo Ltd.

India, led by Asha Rawat's 114-ball 97 which included 12 fours and a six, thrashed Sri Lanka by 177 runs in Kurunegala to clinch their fourth successive Women's Asia Cup.
Mithali Raj won the toss and chose to bat, but India had an early blip when Jaya Sharma was dismissed without scoring by Shiromala Weerakkody. But Rawat and Karu Jain added 71 runs for the second wicket to lay the platform for a big score. Jain, however, fell to the left-arm spin of Suwini de Alwis for a sedate 68-ball 28. Her dismissal did not deter Rawat, who went from strength to strength after making her third ODI fifty.
Rawat and Raj put the Sri Lankan bowlers to the sword in the middle overs, combining to make 91 for the third wicket off 89 balls. Rawat though, missed out on her maiden ton when she was caught by Chamani Seneviratna off Shashikala Siriwardene.
But the run-rate took an upward surge when Raj was joined by Rumeli Dhar, the pair amassing 82 off 60 balls. Dhar was the more aggressive of the two, needing just 30 balls to reach her fifty. Raj and Dhar fell within five balls of each other, but by then they had done their bit. Siriwardene, Sri Lanka's captain, claimed three more wickets as India searched for quick runs, and finished with 4 for 53.
Sri Lanka were faced with an intimidating target, and they received a setback when Dedunu Silva was dismissed by seamer Amita Sharma in the fourth over. But Chamari Polgampola and Siriwardene, who scored 23 and 20 respectively, took Sri Lanka to 50 in the 13th over. But moments after, Siriwardene fell to Dhar, a dismissal which was the start of an abrupt collapse, as Sri Lanka lost nine wickets for 33 runs. Spinners Pujare Seema and Neetu David were the main destructors, taking three wickets apiece to hasten Sri Lanka's demise.

I want Sachin to play against us: McGrath

2008-05-11T19:24:00.000-07:00

Missing his long time on-field rival Sachin Tendulkar [Images], retired Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath hopes to bowl at the master batsman when Delhi Daredevils and Mumbai Indians face off again in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
"Hopefully, Sachin will be fit in the next match. I wish him best of luck," the legendary pacer told PTI.
Tendulkar hoping to play May 14 IPL match
Talking on the sidelines of a fashion event in the capital on Friday night, McGrath said the Mumbai team was dearly missing Tendulkar.
"If Sachin comes to the Mumbai side, it will add extra pressure on the rival team as the little champion has the capability to win matches on any given day, he said.
How the foreign players are faring
The Australian said the Delhi Daredevils was a balanced side and was one of the strong contenders for the title.
"We have a good combination of youth and experience. Losing the last match against Chennai felt bad but we played some good cricket," said McGrath.
Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag [Images] exuded confidence that his side would lift the IPL title.
"We have performed very well till now and the boys are enjoying the IPL format. We are sure that we will win the IPL," he said.