Cricket 20:20

'Sehwag's absence a big loss'

2011-05-11T03:04:00.000-07:00

Admitting that losing captain Virender Sehwag is a big blow for the struggling Delhi Daredevils, coach Greg Shipperd said they face an uphill task as they take on a formidable Chennai Super Kings in an Indian Premier League match on Thursday.

While Delhi struggled for a major part of the tournament, whatever little they achieved was due to Sehwag's brilliance, and the big-hitting opener's absence would surely be felt.

"Viru's absence will be a huge loss for us as he is the holder of Orange cap. He fired in each of the matches that we won. He would be missed both as a captain and a key player," said Shipperd in a pre-match media conference on Wednesday.

"It is going to be a very tough assignment for us to beat the Super Kings in their home ground. We know that they have got special skills in all three departments of the game. It would be tough for us to raise our game and play best cricket against a side, which is in great form at the moment. They will surely pose a big threat to us," he added.

The former Aussie player, however, said that James Hopes, who has been appointed captain after Sehwag suffered a shoulder injury for which he is set to undergo surgery in London, was an experienced campaigner.

"James Hopes is the new captain and he is an experienced campaigner. Behind the scenes we do not have a captain but we have a range of people who have been given leadership opportunities in making sure that we move as a squad. Hopes has got lot of experience. His determination and abilities could help us finish the tournament as well as we can."

He also said that the team still have plenty of options to choose from. "We have plenty of options. Next three games are very important for us. And we will have to figure out which players can handle the pressure well and accordingly be included in the side," said Shipperd.

Insisting that first six overs in a match would be crucial, irrespective of whether the Daredevils bat or bowl, Shipperd said it was important to lay a strong foundation.

"We must be able to lay a strong foundation whether it be with the bat or ball in the first six overs. This is an area where we have been lagging, particularly with the bat. We had difficulties with the bat against Mumbai Indians the other day but the team could still manage to register nearly 150 runs. "We have been a quite reactive team but we need to be proactive in the next three games," he said.

Lehmann lashes out at Deccan batsmen

2011-05-11T03:03:00.002-07:00

Deccan Chargers' coach Darren Lehmann on Tuesday lashed out at his side's batsmen for "irresponsible" batting in his side's six-wicket defeat to Pune Warriors in their Indian Premier League match.

Lehmann admitted that his team was completely outplayed by the visitors in all aspects of the game.

"Batting was poor, irresponsible. We were none for 50 in six overs and we could have got 150-160. All the credit should be given to Pune, they bowled reasonably well. We played some silly shots in the middle and players of calibre should not have played like that," said Lehmann.

Deccan openers Shikhar Dhawan and Ravi Teja had raised a half-century stand in six overs to set the tone for a competitive total.

But clever bowling coupled with some mindless batting by the home side batsmen helped the Warriors fight back into the match as Mitchell Marsh produced a clinical performance with the ball to restrict Deccan to 136 for eight.

Lehmann also hinted at some major changes in the side for the remaining matches.

"Change of team gives some other guys a chance. We will obviously change the team. We are out of the competition and we will change the team to give the others a chance.

"They are training very hard behind the scenes. At the end of the day, you have got to pick the best team but we will give chances to the other guys as well," he said.

Gayle entry has changed RCB's fortunes: Vettori

2011-05-11T03:03:00.001-07:00

Having registered five wins on the trot with Chris Gayle playing a significant role in their success, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori acknowledged that the explosive West Indian batsman's entry into the team has completely changed their fortunes.

"We had started badly, losing three opening games but with Gayle coming in and his opening partnerships with (Tillakaratne) Dilshan, we have been able to put pressure on the opposition. Gayle has been in tremendous form and has bowled well too," said Vettori at the match-eve press conference.

Gayle had destroyed rival bowling attacks with utter disdain with his power-hitting on more than one occasion in the tournament. He has helped the team post big scores. But Vettori disagreed that has shielded the bowlers.

"We had them (Kochi) out for 120 and the bowlers were tested in that match. In fact, they are tested in every match because of shorter boundaries and flat wickets."

Defending Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan, whose performance has been below par in IPL 4 so far, the Bangalore skipper said "he bowls economically in the last overs".

"He is a key bowler for us and swung the match for us against Pune Warriors. He bowls economically in the last overs and he and I bear the brunt of the attack."

On his team's chances of reaching the play-offs, Vettori said RCB could reach the knock-out stage but need to improve their fielding.

"With four games remaining, three victories can push us to top two. The current form is satisfying but we need to improve on our fielding. It was fielding which had cost us the few initial matches but with our batting and bowling coming good the confidence has trickled down to fielding too, which has improved," said Vettori.

Speaking about their next match against Rajasthan, Vettori said: "It is an important match and we need to win against Rajasthan Royals to consolidate our position."

Dilshan to leave IPL later than expected

2011-05-11T03:02:00.000-07:00

Newly appointed Sri Lankan skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was reportedly considering leaving the Indian Premier League on Tuesday to join the England-bound national team, will play in Royal Challenger Bangalore's match against Rajasthan Royals here on Wednesday.

Dilshan was reportedly keen to travel to England early to be there before the first tour game on May 14 to create a bond with the team as some of the senior players are joining late, but RCB captain Daniel Vettori on Tuesday said the Sri Lankan opener would take the field tomorrow against Rajasthan Royals.

"I thought he is leaving before this match (for the Sri Lanka's tour of England later this month) but he would be available for tomorrow's match so any question of replacing him does not arise," Vettori said.

Sri Lanka Cricket last month allowed seven players from the 16-member squad to arrive in England before May 19, the day their second warm-up game, against England Lions, starts.

Sri Lanka Cricket had earlier asked the players to return on May 5 in order to prepare for the England tour but after talks between the BCCI and SLC it was agreed that they can leave IPL by May 18.

It's probably the toughest day of my career: Ganguly

2011-05-11T03:00:00.002-07:00

Sourav Ganguly, who announced his return to the Indian Premier League with a gutsy unbeaten 32 in Pune Warriors' win over Deccan Chargers, said it was the toughest day of his career and he came into the match with zero-confidence.

The former India captain was the cynosure of all eyes on Tuesday as he scored a gutsy run-a-ball 32 not out laced with a six and three boundaries to help Warriors beat Chargers by six wickets at Rajiv Gandhi stadium at Uppal here.

"I said it's probably the toughest day of my career. I have not picked a cricket bat for five months. I came into this game with zero-confidence," said Ganguly after the match.

Ganguly carried forward the good work done by the openers Jesse Ryder (35) and Manish Pandey (49) as the veteran left-hander helped the Warriors chase down the modest target of 137 runs with 10 balls to spare by holding one end as three wickets fell on the other side.

"It feels good (to score some runs). I haven't played for a long time and needed some hits in the middle. It's about anticipating which I haven't done for a while," he added.

The 38-year-old experienced campaigner proved a point or two to those who ignored him during IPL auction in January in the match that generated interests among cricket fans in anticipation of his comeback in the lucrative Twenty20 league.

Ganguly said he was not ready for the game against Mumbai Indians on May 4 after Warriors roped him in as a replacement for injured Ashish Nehra.

"I wasn't ready for the game on May 4th against Mumbai. I missed the game against Mohali also as I wanted to be get ready."

BCCI clarifies pitch row

2011-05-11T03:00:00.001-07:00

Stung by Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne's scathing attack on changing the pitch for their home match, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday sought to put a lid on the controversy, saying selecting the playing surface is the prerogative of the curator and the teams have no choice in the matter.

A last-minute change of track at the Sawai Man Singh stadium in Jaipur for the Rajasthan Royals' match against the Chennai Super Kings triggered off a controversy, with a livid Warne slamming the decision as "ridiculous" and saying that host teams have the right to extract the best out of home conditions.

Warne had expressed his displeasure at the post-match media conference on Monday, stating that never in these four years were they instructed on which surface to use. The Royals have always preferred a slowish track compared to the one that was selected by curator Venkat Sundaram.

The BCCI tried to douse the fire later in the day, as fingers were being pointed at CSK, which is owned by India Cements supremo and BCCI secretary N Srinivasan using their clout to influence the curator's decision.

IPL chairman Chirayu Amin issued a statement, saying it is the curator, in consultation with the BCCI's Ground and Pitches Committee, who decides the playing surface and there is nothing sinister about the change of pitch at Jaipur.

"The BCCI would like to confirm that its Ground and Pitches Committee sent recommendations for ground and pitch preparation to all host associations before the start of the IPL season. Included in the same was the advice that 'the pitches should have good pace and consistent bounce," the statement said.

"The committee members have visited a number of the IPL venues both before and, where necessary, during the season, and made appropriate recommendations, the priority being to ensure competitive and quality cricket," it said.

Amin, in his statement, also rubbished the concept that the home team is allowed to take a call on the playing strip.

"Neither of the playing teams has a choice of the wicket, on which to play the game. It is the curator, in consultation with the Ground and Pitches Committee Chairman, who prepares the wickets," he said.

"The BCCI wishes to clarify that the wicket used in the match between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals, played at Jaipur on 9th May 2011, was as per the decision of the curator and the Ground and Pitches Committee. This decision was taken in the best interests of the game."

The statement also included a statement made by the chairman of BCCI's Grounds and Pitches committee, Venkat Sundaram.

"The IPL is being played at the end of the Indian domestic season, and after the World Cup. Therefore, the main pitches are bound to have wear-and-tear. The extreme heat prevailing all over the country has also taken its toll."

"Hence, it becomes necessary to change the pitches in some cases, as good playing conditions will result in good cricket," Sundaram stated.

RCA secretary Sanjay Dixit, who had hit out at the Mumbai Indians for criticising the pitch, on Tuesday said there was nothing wrong in the new strip used in Monday's IPL match between Rajasthan and Chennai.

Dixit said he was not aware in what context the Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne had made comments wondering how the pitch was ordered to be changed at a short notice.

"I should clarify that we abide by BCCI rules which are clear that it not in the purview of the host team to decide the strip to be played. The BCCI has also sent his guidelines regarding the controversy," Dixit said.

"I am not aware of Shane Warne's comments and what was the practice early on but now the pitch inspector and the curator have decide to new strip and we had to abide with them," he said.

Some of the franchise owners have been vocal about how CSK has allegedly "flouting norms". Sources in the Chennai camp defended the decision, saying, "It was purely a BCCI decision to change the pitch and they had no say in it."

Earlier, during the auctions this year, some of the franchises complained that the sequence of the players' auction was planned at the behest of Srinivasan, which allowed CSK to retain some of the players who came up for auction late and by the time other teams had exhausted their purse.

Rajasthan lost by 63 runs to Chennai on Monday night, playing on the new surface and Warne was livid with the change.

"In the past four years we have never been told to play on any particular wicket. It is ridiculous to have instructions for pitch," Warne fumed.

Asked if these instructions meant losing the home advantage to some extent, Warne retorted, "I have no idea from where the instructions came. But never before there have been such things going on. It is right of every team to extract best out of home conditions.

"The wickets for earlier matches were fantastic. If you had been watching earlier matches here you can make out easily that today's wicket was different. It has come as a shock and surprise that we were being instructed to play on certain kind of wicket," he said.

Though he did not blame anybody in particular, Warne was indirectly referring to the unofficial complaint that was lodged by Mumbai Indians after they were restricted to 94 for eight on a slow track.

"I don't want that there should be headings tomorrow that Shane Warne blames the pitch because it was same for both teams and I concede that we were outplayed. We were up against a side which was pumped and eager to win," he added.

Marsh brothers catch the eye in IPL

2011-05-11T02:59:00.001-07:00

Shaun Marsh hit 43 and Bhargav Bhatt bagged four wickets as bottom-placed Kings XI Punjab stunned table-toppers Mumbai Indians by 76 runs in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

In another match, Shaun's younger brother, Mitchell, took four wickets and Sourav Ganguly hit an unbeaten 32 on his comeback as Pune Warriors beat Deccan Chargers by six wickets.

Mumbai could never recover after losing three wickets for 27 runs and were bowled out for 87 in 12.5 overs chasing a 164-run target, with West Indies' Kieron Pollard top-scoring with 17 in a dismal batting show.

Seamer Praveen Kumar did the early damage when he took two of the first three wickets, including that of skipper Sachin Tendulkar (six). Left-arm spinner Bhatt finished with 4-22, including three wickets in one over.

Australians Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist (28), and Dinesh Karthik (31) helped Punjab post a competitive total despite a five-wicket haul by seamer Munaf Patel (5-21).

Marsh, who put on 70 for the second wicket with skipper Gilchrist, hit five fours in his 34-ball knock before falling to a superb diving catch by Pollard in the deep off Patel.

Mumbai, who had already made sure of a place in the semi-finals, still lead with 16 points.

They are followed by Chennai (14), Kolkata (14), Bangalore (13), Rajasthan (11), Kochi (10), Pune (eight), Delhi (eight), Punjab (eight) and Deccan (six).

Paceman Mitchell Marsh, 19, earlier finished with 4-25 as Pune restricted Deccan to 136-8 before achieving the target with 10 balls to spare.

Former India captain Ganguly, who went unsold at the player auction before being signed up by Pune as a replacement for injured seamer Ashish Nehra, looked impressive during his 32-ball knock, hitting one six and three fours.

Opener Manish Pandey top-scored for Pune with 49, while New Zealander Jesse Ryder smashed a 20-ball 35 with the help of two sixes and five fours.

Marsh, son of former Australian opener Geoff Marsh, and left-arm spinner Yuvraj Singh (2-17) were instrumental in restricting Deccan.

Deccan made a strong start after electing to bat when Ravi Teja (30) and Shikhar Dhawan (24) put on 51 for the opening wicket.

Marsh got a wicket in his opening over when he bowled Teja before dismissing South African JP Duminy (30), Sunny Sohal and Amit Mishra in his last over.

Brief scores:

Deccan Chargers 136-8 in 20 overs (JP Duminy 30, R. Teja 30, S. Dhawan 24; M. Marsh 4-25, Yuvraj Singh 2-17) lost to Pune Warriors 137-4 in 18.2 overs (M. Pandey 49, J. Ryder 35, S. Ganguly 32 not out; D. Christian 2-21) by six wickets.

Kings XI Punjab 163-8 in 20 overs (S. Marsh 43, D. Karthik 31, A. Gilchrist 28; M. Patel 5-21, L. Malinga 2-24) beat Mumbai Indians 87 in 12.5 overs (B. Bhatt 4-22, P. Kumar 2-19) by 76 runs.

Commonwealth Games to push for Twenty20 cricket inclusion

2011-05-11T02:58:00.000-07:00

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) is to approach the International Cricket Council (ICC) again to push for Twenty20 cricket's inclusion in future Games, the CGF said on Tuesday.

"It is fundamental that our sports programme continues to evolve in such a way as to sustain the Commonwealth Games as one of the world's leading multi-sport events," CGF sports review committee chairman Tunku Imran said in a statement.

"Given cricket's strong association with the Commonwealth, the CGF will have further dialogue with the ICC as to the possibility of 20/20 cricket being included as an option for future editions of the Games," the CGF vice-president said.

Organisers of last year's Delhi Commonwealth Games were keen to include Twenty20 cricket but the powerful Indian cricket board rejected the idea, saying it did not want to further encourage this format of the game.

India had sent a second-string squad when cricket featured in the 1998 Kuala Lumpur Games.

The CGF said it would also ask its 71 member countries to vote on whether to include beach volleyball from the 2018 Games.

Rayudu, Badrinath likely to earn call-up for WI tour

2011-05-11T02:56:00.000-07:00

Young Ambati Rayudu and veteran Subramanium Badrinath are two players who are likely to be rewarded with national call-ups for their good show in the ongoing IPL when the selectors meet in Chennai on Friday to decide on the ODI squad for the tour of West Indies.

Pune Warriors leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who has had an astonishing economy rate of less than six through 10 matches, is likely to be another beneficiary.

It is still not clear as to how many seniors apart from Virender Sehwag, who will undergo shoulder surgery, will be rested for the shorter version.

Sachin Tendulkar, who nowadays only plays selective matches in the shorter version and veteran speedster Zaheer Khan may want to give their tired bodies much needed rest after a rigorous World Cup and an equally arduous IPL campaign.

Even skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is reportedly keen to take a break before the Test series in the Windies followed by an important two and half month long tour of England.

Whatever be the scenario, Rayudu who has so far scored 349 runs from 10 games with a strike rate of nearly 120 has a good chance to board the flight to Caribbean.

"His (Rayudu) wicketkeeping abilities is another advantage for him. With Robin Uthappa not doing well, Rayudu's case is even more stronger. Whether Dhoni takes rest or not, Rayudu can be considered a second 'keeper in shorter versions as Indian teams over the years have always had a second option while touring the Caribbean," a BCCI source said.

For Badrinath who had a fantastic Ranji season scoring a whopping 922 runs at an average of 131 followed it up with 294 runs in the IPL so far at a strike-rate of 135.

The talking point in the cricket fraternity has been how Badrinath who was known for his dogged approach has brought an attacking flair in his style of batting. He along with Michael Hussey has been one of the batting mainstays.

Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary who is also in good form this year having scored 277 runs is another candidate but he can be termed as 'dark horse'. Manoj's selection however depends on how many among the seniors back out for the ODI and T20 series.

Among the bowlers Praveen Kumar is an automatic choice and if Ashish Nehra fails to recover in time, Ishant Sharma will form the core of the pace trio that will also have Munaf Patel.

While off-spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravichandran Ashwin select themselves, it is unlikely that leggie Piyush Chawla will be able to retain his place. Chawla's show in the IPL has been as disappointing as was his World Cup campaign.

The lanky Punjab lad Rahul who has been a revelation is the favourite after his big-hearted show against superior batsmen. His economy rate of 5.16 over 10 matches has been brilliant to say the least.

If the selectors prefer a left-arm spinner then pint-sized Iqbal Abdulla will fight it out with experienced Pragyan Ojha.

While Ojha has been disappointing in the IPL, Abdulla has carried his good all-round form for Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy into the IPL with 13 wickets at an economy of 6.10 runs per over.

I am all for UDRS: Gambhir

2011-05-05T01:17:00.001-07:00

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni might have expressed his displeasure over the Umpire Decision Review System on quite a few occasions but Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said that he is in favour of the use of technology as it can reduce human errors.

The UDRS, which received a mixed response during the World Cup, is not in use in the ongoing Indian Premier League, but Gambhir was of the view that if it was available there was no harm in using technology.

"These (UDRS) are part and parcel of the game. It is good to have UDRS when you don't get a plumb lbw. In tight games, if you have technology rather use it. I am all for UDRS," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference after KKR beat Deccan Chargers by 20 runs to zoom to the top of the team standings.

The KKR captain also lauded his teammates for putting up a professional performance against Deccan and hoped to carry on the winning momentum in the remaining matches of the Twenty20 tournament.

"I have always said that momentum is very important. When you have that momentum, you have to keep continuing to play well. It was a good overall performance. The batsmen scored 170 and the bowlers backed it up. I think it was good professional effort.

"We have to take each game at a time. The last six games are history now and we have to concentrate on the next game. As a professional cricketer, you have to keep thinking of each and every game and keep thinking as it is first game of the tournament," Gambhir said.

The left-hander also said that he was enjoying his stint as KKR captain.

"I always enjoyed my captaincy whether it is for India, whether it is for Delhi or this one. You end up taking responsibility, you end up learning a lot, you feel happy when you end up winning," Gambhir said.

"I always believed that there were never great captains and there will be no great captain. There are only great teams. No captain can win you the game. It is the team that wins the game. So far, I am enjoying my captaincy."

Gambhir also brushed aside any bad feeling between him and Deccan Chargers all-rounder Daniel Christian after the duo engaged in an altercation during the KKR innings on Tuesday.

"That's part and parcel of the game. When you are playing professional sport, it keeps happening. That's history now. If you are playing such competitive cricket, such things are bound to happen. It's fine, nothing too serious," he said.

Gambhir, who came in at the fall of Eoin Morgan's wicket in the sixth over, collided with Christian while going for single off the last delivery of the ninth over and no sooner had it happened, the duo engaged in a heated argument.

Both Gambhir and Christian came menacingly close to each other before Deccan skipper Kumar Sangakkara and the on-field umpires -- Sudhir Asnani and Rod Tucker -- intervened to separate the duo.

Happy for Ganguly, says Dravid

2011-05-05T01:16:00.000-07:00

Rahul Dravid welcomed long-time team-mate and fellow Test debutant Sourav Ganguly's entry to the IPL. Dravid and Ganguly had enjoyed a memorable debut with the latter getting to a century and Dravid walking for a snick when he was on 95 at Lord's, and Dravid said he was happy to see his old team-mate playing. "I am happy for him," Dravid said. "He has got the opportunity to play in the IPL like he wanted and I hope it goes well for him."

On the other hot topic in Indian cricket - the appointment of Duncan Fletcher as the new coach - Dravid welcomed the decision and looked forward to interacting with him.

"He obviously comes with a great record, having coached international teams and a lot of great international players also. So I am looking forward to catching up with him when I get the opportunity.

"I haven't had the chance to interact one on one with him at any stage. I will soon interact with him and see what his thoughts are and how we can take it forward," said Dravid at a pre-match conference ahead of Rajasthan Royals' clash against Chennai Super Kings.

Dravid is playing under an opponent he has had many battles with - most memorably in the unforgettable 2001 series between India and Australia - in Shane Warne for the Rajasthan Royals, and said he had "never dreamt" of playing along side the spin legend in the same team.

"I never dreamt it would happen. I never imagined. But that's the beauty of the IPL. It gives this opportunity to play with the guys you have really competed hard against.

"We have discussed (the 2001) series over a few times in the course of the last four weeks. Being together so much you know, we've discussed a lot of other series too. I really enjoy my time playing under Warne and I think he brings an infectious enthusiasm to our side.

"He sets very good fields, shows very good leadership. It's been fun, as I said it's the beauty of the IPL that you play with some guys you've had some fantastic battles with," he said.

Regarding tomorrow's clash, Dravid, whose team have won three successive matches, said, "If the law of averages catch up with us I hope they catch up with Chennai as well. They've also won three in a row. (But) it's good to have momentum, especially in Twenty20.

"We're coming into this game with a bit of momentum behind us and obviously when playing a team like Chennai, who are the defending champions, you want to have a bit of confidence behind you. I think we've had a good week, hopefully we can play some good cricket."

Dravid said he was comfortable with the Twenty20 format.

"I've always been at peace with this format. I think I was totally taken out of context. My comment was that if I was 20 or 21 year old, I would've looked at this format and realised there's a future in this format and this was something I needed to master.

"It's just that for lot of us this format came at a later stage. It was like 50 overs. When I was 20, 21 I knew that I'd have to well in 50 overs because it was going to play a significant part in my life.

"Any kid today who's 20, 21 has got to recognize the fact that T20 is going to be a significant part of his life whether he likes it or not. That was the basis of my comment. I don't know how it got misinterpreted. I always liked this format. I get to travel across the country, share the dressing room with great players. I also enjoy the fact that it seems to capture the imagination of the country for six weeks, which is nice for a domestic tournament to be able to do that," he stated.

Sangakkara hints at changes in DC squad

2011-05-05T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Deccan Chargers have put themselves in a situation that required them to win each of their remaining five matches and captain Kumar Sangakkara hinted that the playing eleven would be changed for their crucial match against Delhi Daredevils on Thursday.

Deccan are currently sitting in the seventh position on the points table and Sangakkara said "calculated and intelligent changes" are the need of the hour.

"Changes have to happen in the team at any stage, especially in a tournament like the IPL because you have to get certain kind of rhythm. At the same time, to break bad habits you cannot keep going with an unchanged side," he said.

"Sometimes, the induction of a new player might kick-start what we need. So changes at any time are necessary.

"We have been making changes in the team according to the opposition and the wicket. This is going to be no different but drastic changes is not the way to go about it. Calculated and intelligent changes are the way to go," Sangakkara added.

He also admitted that from here on every match is a do-or-die battle for Deccan.

"Yeah, we have our backs to the walls. We have to win all the matches that we play now," Sangakkara said.

The skipper added that though the team has competent players at its disposal, they have not been able to come up with a collective effort so far in the tournament. He said that irrespective of their position, the team needs to believe in themselves and play with confidence in their remaining matches.

"We are a good team. Unfortunately, we have not able to convert that into winning performances regularly on the ground. We have probably the best bowling attack in IPL when it comes to pace and spin. We also have some very good local and international batsmen," he said.

"The only area where we lacked is all-round overall performance on regular basis. In T20, mistakes on the field can turn games and I think these are the areas we need to work on."

Jakati's catch the game changer: Warne

2011-05-05T01:13:00.002-07:00

Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne said Shadab Jakati's stunning catch off his own bowling to dismiss Shane Watson turned the game in Chennai Super Kings' favour in their Indian Premier League on Wednesday.

Jakati produced a brilliant effort to put the breaks on Royal's scoring rate, which saw them score 81 runs for the opening wicket in just 10 overs.

"We actually bowled pretty well. It was a good wicket, it was a 160-175 wicket. I thought we could've got more, if Watson had stayed in there a couple of overs. Jakati's caught and bowled was probably the turning point of the game. It was a very good catch. He absolutely creamed it," Warne said after his team's eight-wicket defeat at the MA Chidambaram stadium.

"We know what Watson can do, and it was probably the game changer, but we still should've been good enough to have got 160-170," he added.

Warne expressed disappointed with what the team achieved despite getting a flying start.

"I thought we were 15 or 20 short, I said it at the toss. I said it was a 160-170 wicket. I thought we could make it up in the field but a couple of errors in the field, a couple of silly things. We gave away nine or ten runs in a couple of overs. 86-1 off 10 overs... we've got to make 160 for me. And that's run a ball. Run a ball is 150. I was disappointed."

The Royals captain, however, was all praise for Rahul Dravid, who played a fluent knock of 66.

"I think Rahul Dravid played beautifully. He's such a class player. I love playing with him. It's great to have him in the team, but fair play to Raina and Hussey."

"(We had) too many dot balls, the batsmen that came in, took too long to get in. I thought we let ourselves down (in the field). Fielding has always been one of our hallmarks."

Asked if he thought matches in Chennai should be played at night due to the extreme heat, Warne said "I would've thought you play the day games you can play in April here in Chennai and in May, maybe at night, wouldn't you? But we knew that before the tournament. The heat was the same for both teams and it didn't really play a part for any of the teams. No issue there whatsoever."

We've got a pretty tough run: Hussey

2011-05-05T01:13:00.001-07:00

Despite registering their fifth straight win at home in the ongoing Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings batsman Michael Hussey did not agree that his side were the favourites.

Chennai rode on Hussey's swashbuckling 79 to beat Rajasthan Royals by eights wickets and record their fifth win at the MA Chidambaram stadium, and fourth on the trot in the tournament.

"No, I wouldn't say that. We gotta get a few more wins here before we can even get into the final. It's a pretty close and tight competition. And we've got a pretty tough run actually," Hussey said.

"We're away for three games I think. We have to continue to play a good brand of cricket, and hopefully, get enough wins to get into the final," he added after winning the Man-of-the-Match award.

Hussey agreed with Royals skipper Shane Warne that Shadab Jakati's caught and bowled effort to dismiss Shane Watson was the most crucial moment of the match.

"(I) definitely agree. They had a really good partnership going. They were scoring at will. Even Dravid was outscoring Watson but you know how damaging Watson can be. He can clear the boundaries even with the field back. That was an unbelievable catch really. He hit it very hard and (Jakati) had to hang on to that."

"And then the spinners went to work and made it difficult for the Rajasthan batters," Hussey said.

Asked what made CSK so formidable at home, Hussey thought it was the familiarity with conditions.

"I think we know the conditions quite well, we practice here all the time so we know how it gets harder as the 20 overs wears on. And it is tough to get used to the conditions when you come in for a one-off game. It can be tough to adapt. Probably that's why," he said.

Hussey was satisfied with the pitch and felt it was firmer than the last two tracks.

"I think it was an excellent pitch. It was probably a bit more firmer than the last two pitches we played on. Probably 160-170 is a good score. Having said that, the conditions were very oppressive and it's hard for the fielding team but it's also hard from a batting point of view if you have to run up and down the field a few time, it can drain you," he said.

About the team's spin attack, the Australian was all praise. "They have done a great job consistently for us. We know those conditions well, they've bowled well in those conditions. They really pulled us back into the game in the last two games. Both (DC and RR) got off to a fantastic start against us but they tied them down in the middle and picked up wickets. They are key to our team and that's why it's gonna be a real loss to lose (Suraj) Randiv during the Sri Lankan series."

Don't know what is happening: Yuvraj

2011-05-05T00:58:00.000-07:00

Yuvraj Singh has no clue what the reason is behind Pune Warriors' unending misery in the Indian Premier League as they suffered their seventh consecutive defeat and their hopes of making it to the play-offs are almost over.

Pune lost by 21 runs to Mumbai Indians and continue to be at the bottom of the points table.

The positives for Yuvraj from Wednesday's game was that he dismissed the in-form Mumbai skipper Sachin Tendulkar and the outstanding performance of leg-spinner Rahul Sharma, who gave away just seven runs in four overs and two wickets.

"I got Sachin out. That was great but unfortunately lost the game. I really don't know what's happening. I think we bowled decent enough. May be 10 runs extra but 160 was gettable," Yuvraj said after the match.

"We played too many dot balls. You need power hitters in the end to finish the game. Unfortunately we got too bogged down. We have nothing to lose now; so I am sure we will cut somebody (some team) out," Yuvraj added.

Mumbai have returned to the top of the points table but for Tendulkar the job is not yet complete.

"Ya, knocking at the door but the door hasn't opened yet. We would love to get in," he said when asked about their almost certain place in the play-offs.

Tendulkar said there was still room for improvement in his side and also praised Rahul, who was adjudged man of the match for his brilliant bowling.

"We could always do better. I thought Rahul Sharma bowled brilliantly. He has bowled a few good spells and this was one of them. Suman and Pollard batted well. If we go too hard, we can get out for 95 also. We have to decide based on the track," he said.

Tendulkar was satisfied that his move to promote Suman up the order, yielded desired result.

Suman played a fiery 16-ball 36 to lead the team's recovery after a not so good start.

"Suman batted really well. It wasn't wild slogging; it was clean hitting. I am happy that I took the decision to promote him ahead of Pollard and Symonds. We should continue to play like this, the rest will follow," Tendulkar said.

Man-of-the-Match Rahul is eyeing a berth in the national cricket team after putting up yet another good performance.

"I vary my pace and the bounce I extract is my key because of my height. The figures look good. it's difficult not to give seven runs in a over leave alone in four (overs)."

"I am happy. I have to continue to work hard - I have done well in the domestic cricket - and I want to turn out for India. God willing and with blessing of my parents and well-wishers I will get there," the tall leg-spinner, who plays for the Punjab Ranji team, said.

Rival teams will take us more seriously: Mahela

2011-04-15T22:08:00.001-07:00

Debutantes Kochi Tuskers Kerela roared back into the Indian Premier League with an upset victory over Mumbai Indians and skipper Mahela Jayawardene hoped the rivals team will take them more seriously now.

The Kochi tuskers chased down an imposing 182-2, set by Mumbai Indians, to open their account in the tournament and Jayawardene said it was a big win against the IPL 3 runners-up team.

"It was a good win. We were pretty close in the last two games. It is good to finish the game off and it is a big win against Mumbai Indians," the Sri Lankan told reporters after his team notched up their maiden eight-wicket victory.

"It (win) means a lot. All the guys are working really hard. We had an extra session at the nets after the loss against Pune, we showed a lot of character even in the games we had lost."

"We have to keep fighting till the last. I think the rival teams will take us a little more seriously now following this victory. It gives us confidence as well," he added.

Jayawardene said it was important to see off his Sri Lankan teammate Lasith Malinga who has been in rocking form in the Indian Premier League.

"We knew we had the talent, we had an extra batsman today. The wicket was wet, they had a few dangerous bowlers, we had to negotiate them. The start against Malinga was crucial.

They are really a very good team but we were better today," he said.

Asked about his dismissal by Malinga, Jayawardene said, "I knew what was coming. I knew how to play it but I missed it. It was a crucial moment of the match."

Asked if the negative reports about the Kochi outfit in the run-up to the IPL affect them, Jayawardene said, "I don't try to control things which I can't control, my only focus was to control the team."

On a lighter vein when asked about the bright colours of their jersey, Jayawardene said the team chose this colour as it stands out.

"I like the colour, it stands out. It brings out the best in you. We didn't have many options as most of the teams had chosen their colour, we went for the brightest. It suits Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan) and a lot of other guys in the team," he said.

Fielding laspes cost us the match: Tendulkar

2011-04-15T22:07:00.001-07:00

Fielding lapses, including a first-ball dropped catch off Brendon McCullum who smashed his way to 81, cost Mumbai Indians the match against IPL debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala, said Sachin Tendulkar.

"They fielded better. In bowling and batting we matched each other, but in the fielding department they were better as they held on to whatever catches they got. We missed those opportunities. All we need to do is to make sure we don't repeat those mistakes," Tendulkar said after Kochi chased down Mumbai's imposing 182 for 2 with eight wickets and six balls to spare.

"When we started earlier we thought anywhere between 160-165 was a good total as the ball seamed around a bit initially and later on it was a good track to bat on."

"But I thought if we had hit the right areas in bowling - though at times we did manage it - and those important catches... McCullum was dropped 1st ball (by Rohit Sharma off Lasith Malinga). These things happen and that's why you say catches win matches," added the champion batsman, who hit his maiden IPL century, a 66-ball 100.

Tendulkar said the game was still alive when Malinga got rid off McCullum but a few fielding lapses saw the match slip through in the end.

"The game was very much alive. If Malinga could get McCullum out and put the pressure back on them it would have been wonderful. The first half we managed and was wonderful, but in the second half a few lapses in fielding cost us the match," he said.

"I thought we played competitive cricket in today's match but when it mattered we faltered in fielding. I would blame this only on fielding and nothing else," he added.

He also defended the move to bring on left arm spinner Ali Murtaza for the 19th over when Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja were at the crease and the move proved costly as the bowler was slammed for two sixes and a four by Jadeja to power his side to a sensational maiden win.

"If you had seen the previous over, Brad Hodge had hit the fast bowler (Pollard) for boundaries. The idea was not to give him pace. Ali had really bowled well earlier. If we had more than ten runs to be scored in the last over, Munaf (Patel's) experience would have helped. That was the only reason Ali was brought in," he explained.

Home conditions give us an edge: Fleming

2011-04-15T22:06:00.001-07:00

The defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab the other day, notwithstanding, Chennai Super Kings, backed by a vociferous home crowd, would still hold an edge over Royal Challengers Bangalore in Saturday's Indian Premier League match, coach Stephen Fleming said on Friday.

After two consecutive wins, defending champions CSK slumped to a surprise six-wicket defeat against Kings XI Punjab in an away match.

But Fleming believes home support and their set of core players from previous IPLs, gives them an advantage over other teams in the ongoing Twenty20 event.

"We still have an edge tomorrow because we are playing at home. But we still have to be on top of our game, we have to be sharp and accurate in what we do," the former New Zealand captain told reporters on the eve of the match here.

"I said from the start that we have a small advantage because we have core players from the previous editions. But that advantage is slowly running out," Fleming added.

Although the disappointment of the loss against Kings XI is still fresh in his mind, Fleming said it was one man's show -- Paul Valthaty -- which made the difference.

Chasing a mammoth 188 for four, a little-known Kings XI batsman Valthaty spoiled CSK's party with a blistering 63-ball unbeaten 120 to see the Punjab side home.

"Disappointed to lose the last game but you have to give credit where it is due. The other night, we saw the unearthing of a talent Valthaty. It was an innings full of flair. The first six over of the match produced five runs an over but the remaining 14 went for 10 an over," the CSK coach said.

"IPL is a great advantage for young Indian players as they get the chance to share the dressing room with experienced international players. It was disappointing to be at the receiving end but it was a nice story, the type of fairytale story that IPL is made of.

"We will take 188 every day. We saw a great innings against the other day. When you make 180-190 consistently, you usually win more matches than you lose," Fleming added.

He said CSK has been bolstered by the return of Michael Hussey and Doug Bollinger.

"Hussey and Bollinger are great additions to our squad and it's good to have them back. It's nice to have options, and now we have the headache of selecting the right team," Fleming said.

The CSK coach also hinted that Hussey might play tomorrow against RCB.

"Hussey has a pretty good chance of playing. He has always been a keen member for us. We generally choose all-rounders because Albie is our star player. Usually we go in with three overseas bowling options because the quality of Indian batting gives us the option of doing that," he said.

Asked about the importance of toss in Saturday's game, he said, "In a night game, toss is probably not as vital. It's a pitch that's very hard to read. It has tended to be slow but suddenly it gets its pace back."

Inexperience cost us against KKR: Warne

2011-04-15T22:05:00.000-07:00

Inspirational Rajasthan Royals' captain Shane Warne on Friday blamed inexperience and bad luck responsible for his side's humiliating nine-wicket loss against Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League here.

After two easy wins over Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan was mauled by Knight Riders at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

"We couldn't executive our plans and luck too was not in our favour. A few edges could have flown straight to fielders. A little inexperience, like Nayan Doshi running into the circle too cost us dearly," Warne told reporters after the match.

He said slow batting in the middle overs let the side down.

"We were bogged in the middle overs and perhaps landed 15 run short. But a score of 159 was at par with our expectations but I thought 15 more was possible," the former Australian leg-spinner said.

"Our plan was to get Watson and Taylor out there around the 12th over after laying down a decent base. But Watson got bogged down a bit," added Warne, who is also the coach of Rajasthan outfit.

Warne also defended his decision to pick Botha ahead of tearaway pacer Shaun Tait.

"Anybody can select a better team after the match but we had certain plans which did not come off today. This can happen in Twenty20 cricket," he insisted.

Gilchrist's wicket is the key: Lehman

2011-04-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Deccan Chargers' coach Darren Lehmann is hoping that his former Australian teammate Adam Gilchrist doesn't fire on all cylinders when they face Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League match on Saturday.

Gilchrist had captained the Chargers in the first three editions of the league, before being bought by the Punjab franchise early this year.

The former Australia wicketkeeper was also instrumental in guiding his team to the title in the second edition, held in South Africa.

"Obviously, he is a good player. One of the greats of the game. Hopefully he doesn't go off like he did for Deccan. We have to get him early because he can score at a good rate," coach Darren Lehmann said at a pre-match press conference.

Lehmann said that Gilchrist's previous stint as captain of the Chargers would not have any bearing on Saturday's game.

He, however, felt that his own skipper Kumar Sangakkara would know a lot about their opponent's strengths and weaknesses. The Sri Lankan had led Punjab in the last two editions.

Lehmann said that his team would not just focus on Gilchrist and that it has a plan for every player.

"We have a plan for the batsmen and the bowlers. But it all boils down to who executes the plans better on the day," he added.

He indicated that the team would go in with three seamers for the second consecutive game considering the conditions and the balance of the playing XI.

"It depends on the wicket and whom we are playing. We just felt that there was a better balance last night to go in with three quicks. Manpreet did a good job and Ishant Sharma bowled beautifully again. That was last night. I am not sure how I will go on Saturday. But, more or less, we will play three quicks again," he said.

Meanwhile, light showers in the afternoon forced the teams to cancel their scheduled practice.

We dominated the entire game: Gambhir

2011-04-15T22:03:00.000-07:00

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir emphasised on the importance of clicking together as a team after his side's nine-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

The dashing left-hander smashed a 44-ball 75 but, instead of basking in glory, attributed the victory to team effort.

"I'd rather think about the team first than about myself. The team is winning and that's more important," Gambhir said when asked about the decision to let Manvinder Bisla open the innings instead of himself.

"Bisla's done well, he has given us two good starts in the last two matches. That's the team's strategy," he added.

"I have been hitting the ball well, except for the first match, when I batted at number six. Hopefully I can continue."

Kolkata beat Rajasthan black and blue and Gambhir was in agreement with that. "We dominated the entire game. We bowled, batted and fielded well," he said.

The left-hander is expecting bigger turnouts at the Eden Gardens, the team's home ground, for their upcoming matches.

"Hopefully we can continue the winning run and give them some happiness, because Kolkata is the city of joy," Gambhir said.

Rival captain Shane Warne was gracious in defeat but felt 160 was a par score.

"We weren't good enough today. It was about a par score. They played well in the first six overs. We were a little bit unlucky and inexperience at times hurt us, a couple of chances fell short. But that's part of the learning curve," Warne said.

"A couple of things didn't work out but we will take a lot of positives out of this game. We travel tomorrow to Eden Gardens and hopefully we can knock them over on their turf."

We have to abide by board decision: Sanga

2011-04-15T22:02:00.002-07:00

Deccan Chargers captain Kumar Sangakkara said Sri Lankans in the IPL will have to abide by their Board's decision and return home for the England tour. He also said that as yet he wasn't sure of the exact date of their return.

"We have a tour of England happening by the end of May. I think the Board (SLC) will start calling us back. But I am not sure if it is going to be May five or not (for the return home)," said Sangakkara, who captains Deccan Chargers.

"It is up to the BCCI and SLC to negotiate on this (date of return). What we as players can do is to abide by the decision of our Board. I hope the players would be communicated after a decision is taken by the BCCI and SLC. We have to abide by that," he said at the post-match press conference after Deccan Chargers beat Royal Challengers Bangalore by 33 runs.

Sangakkara described Thursday's win a team effort and said it was a relief that Deccan finally won at home in the IPL.

"It is great to win at home. It is relief and joy at last. It was a great team effort. Everybody contributed to the win. Chipli played a brilliant innings. Gony and Steyn bowled exactly according to the plan," he said.

Asked about his side breaking the jinx of losing all their IPL matches at home before Thursday, Sangakkara said, "Win is a win and you have to keep on being positive. We did just that."

RCB captain Daniel Vettori blamed poor fielding and bowling performance for his side's loss.

"We did not bowl and field well. We did not stop 15-20 runs while fielding. That is not acceptable in Twenty20 cricket. We have some good fielders and we should have stopped those runs. We let them add these runs," he rued.

"At the end, because of the mistakes, Deccan's total became unassailable," said the New Zealander.

Vettori said the top order batting failure meant that there were no substantial partnerships in RCB's run chase except for the 54 for the sixth wicket between Virat Kohli (71) and Cheteshwar Pujara (25).

"You need quality players for big partnerships. Deccan bowled really well and our top order failed to get the start," said Vettori.

Ganguly could make come-back in IPL-4

2011-04-15T22:02:00.001-07:00

The lack of interest in Sourav Ganguly after the auctions for IPL-4 caused a furore amongst his fans, but for the many who felt that this edition of the IPL wouldn't be worth watching without their 'Dada' their may be hope after all.

According to reports, Ganguly could make a come-back with the Kochi Tuskers Kerala with the franchise reportedly interested in him after Steve Smith was ruled out of the tournament with an injury.

News reports on the CNN-IBN channel said that sources had confirmed that Kochi was indeed interested in signing on the former India captain.

More to follow...

IPL is all about momentum: Vettori

2011-04-13T22:05:00.002-07:00

The nine-wicket loss to Mumbai Indians still fresh in their minds, Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Daniel Vettori today said his side would be eyeing to gain momentum in the ongoing IPL with a win over struggling Deccan Chargers here tomorrow.

After their comprehensive six-wicket win over Kochi Tuskers Kerala in the opening match, RCB was mauled by Mumbai on Tuesday and Vettori realises the importance of tomorrow's match against Deccan.

"It's (tomorrow's match against Deccan) an important game for us. After a good start against Kochi, we lost comprehensively to Mumbai last night," the Kiwi left-arm spinner said on the eve of the match.

"I think this competition is about momentum. In such a short period of time between games, if you can get on that (winning momentum), it's going to make things a lot easier," Vettori stressed.

2009 champions Deccan, on the other hand, too would be desperate to return to winning ways after losing their opening two fixtures in IPL IV.

Vettori admitted that the home team would come hard on them tomorrow, but he said his side was up for the challenge.

"Deccan is going to come harder against us but it's a pretty important game for us too. We will make sure that we come on top against them in tomorrow," he told reporters.

Asked about the injury concern of left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes, the RCB skipper said, "He (Nannes) had a scan this afternoon and the results have been sent to appropriate places. We hope to hear about it (injury) tomorrow morning.

"He hasn't travelled with us and he may definitely be out of the next two games."

Talking about the loss at the hands of Mumbai Indians, Vettori praised Sachin Tendulkar and Ambati Rayadu for their brilliant batting.

"We certainly know we could have played better than that. I just don't think we bowled as well as we could have after losing Nannes," he said.

Vettori expressed confidence that Zaheer Khan would make a strong comeback in the tournament after the not-so-impressive performance in the first two matches.

"He (Zaheer) has had great World Cup and there's no doubt that he would comeback strongly. I still believe that (Abhimanyu) Mithun is a very good bowler and he can be a huge asset."

Asked about Sri Lanka Cricket's (SLC) decision to call their players back by May 4 for a preparatory camp ahead of England tour, Vettori admitted that it would be tough to get a replacement for dashing opener Tillakaratne Dilshan.

"He (Dilshan) is a very important player for us in all three departments, batting, bowling and fielding," he said.

Lost Rayudu finds his way under Sachin

2011-04-13T22:05:00.001-07:00

A blistering unbeaten 63 off 50 balls under the watchful eyes of Sachin Tendulkar may have given a fresh lease of life to Ambati Rayudu's aspiration to play for India.

Seven years ago, Rayudu was India's under-19 captain but found himself sidelined later.

However, he took centrestage last night as his rollicking unbeaten knock in the IPL match against Royal Challengers Bangalore prompted his captain Tendulkar to make the magnanimous gesture of sharing the man-of-the-match award with him. The batting icon handed over the cheque of Rs. 1 lakh to the youngster.

As soon as the presenter Robin Jackman announced Tendulkar's name as man-of-the-match, the Mumbai Indians captain walked up with Rayudu and announced, "It will be bad if I don't share this with Rayudu.

"It was a brilliant innings from him [Rayudu]. It was special stuff," Tendulkar said.

"To be honest, the wicket was slow up front and improved as the game went on. But I'm really happy today. I would like to thank Sachin sir and Robin Singh. Sachin sir just told me to have patience. I am glad we ended up winning the game," Rayudu said.

The 26-year-old Rayudu was hailed as a prodigious batting talent when he started his career in 2001 but due to various factors - some in his control, some not - he could not do justice to his potential.

Rayudu was selected to represent India's under 19 team for the tour of England in 2002 and scored 177 and 80 to lead his team to a 3-0 victory.

Rayudu, who currently plays for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy, captained the India under-19 team in the 2004 Under-19 Cricket World Cup and also became a regular in the India-A squad.

But a prolonged lean patch and differences with the Hyderabad Cricket Association officials prompted him to leave Hyderabad and play for Andhra.

His batting form deserted him and he got involved in a number of controversies which had a bearing on his career.

Disillusioned by his failure to make it big, he joined the rebel Indian Cricket League in 2007 and was banned by the BCCI. He returned to domestic cricket following an amnesty offer from the Board.

It was a call from Tendulkar which led to Rayudu joining Mumbai Indians last year and the youngster has justified the faith his captain had shown on him.

PCB planning IPL-style event in Dubai

2011-04-13T21:51:00.001-07:00

IPL 2008 was the only one in which Pakistan's players took part. After that, the terror attacks of 26/11 on Mumbai ensured that no Pakistan players have been a part of the cash-rich Indian league. However, now the PCB reportedly plans to launch their own equivalent of the IPL, which will be played in Dubai.

According to a report in cricinfo, Sultan Rana, chief of PCB's domestic cricket department, told Pakpassion.net that plans for a T20 League had been in the pipeline for a while but had to be put on the back-burner after the attack on Sri Lanka's cricketers in March 2009, subsequent to which no team has toured Pakistan.

"We first considered the idea a couple of years ago," he was quoted as saying.

"The documents were complete and we were all set to go, but the attack on the Sri Lankan team meant that we had to shelve all of our plans at that time.

"I recently went to Sri Lanka during the World Cup and spoke to many other countries' board representatives, but apart from Sri Lanka they are reluctant to send their players to Pakistan. So, that presents a problem for us. We simply cannot host the tournament in Pakistan if we want to attract the top players."

The ground-reality of cricket not being possible in Pakistan, led to the idea of Dubai as the host city for the league. Rana said that it would run along similar lines to the Indian Premier League.

"What we are trying to do is to organise a competition in Dubai. This idea was discussed in the past and has very much been in our plans and is still on the table. I'm sure we (PCB) can organise this tournament, which will run along the lines of the Indian Premier League."

Yuvraj Singh praises the bowlers

2011-04-10T21:44:00.001-07:00

Elated after opening their IPL campaign on a winning note, Yuvraj Singh, skipper of the new franchise Pune Warriors, lauded his bowlers for setting the platform for the comprehensive victory over Kings XI Punjab.

Chasing a modest 113 for victory, Pune overwhelmed the target in 13.1 overs to start their IPL campaign on a resounding note.

It was the bowlers who did the job for Pune by picking up wickets at regular intervals. Shrikant Wagh was their star with the ball, picking up 3/16 while Alfonso Thomas scalped a couple of wickets.

"Nice to get a first win. Our bowlers picked up early wickets and set the momentum. It was a good toss to lose and we bowled wicket to wicket according to our plans. Happy that we got the results," said Yuvraj, after the match.

"First two years when I was captain of Kings, I took too much pressure and got distracted on the field," he added.

He also praised Mithun Manhas who, coming in to bat at number three, scored a 32-ball 35 in Pune's run-chase.

"Mithun, I always back him, unfortunate that he has not played for India, but he did well for us today," Yuvraj said.

Man-of-the-match for his excellent spell, Shrikhant Wagh admitted that he felt the pressure in his debut IPL match.

"I have been working hard but I was a bit nervous. DY Patil is good place to bowl on. There is good bounce in the wicket, (Along with) Alfonso and Parnell, we bowled as a unit," he said.

Exciting to play against Steyn: Kallis

2011-04-10T21:43:00.000-07:00

Kolkata Knight Riders' star batsman Jacques Kallis is relishing the prospect of facing his tear-away South African compatriot Dale Steyn, who would open the bowling for Deccan Chargers, in their Indian Premier League game at the Eden Gardens on Monday.

"It would be exciting. Not very often do I get the opportunity to play against Dale Steyn," Kallis told media persons on Sunday. He described Steyn as a fantastic bowler, but indicated that there was no need for a hype on any such personal battle in a game where the bowlers get only four overs in an innings.

"In the end it would be a game between bat and ball, a team game," Kallis said. On his side's two-run defeat to Chennai Super Kings in the opening match Friday, Kallis said: "We lost it, rather than they won it."

Cruising at one stage in reply to CSK'S 153/4, the Knight Riders lost wickets in a heap, and needing nine from the last over, finished at 151/7.

"I think it happened due to lack of experience in our team. Everyone takes a little bit of time to settle down. Most of the guys have settled down well. Hopefully, the guys will learn from their mistakes and we will have a successful season ahead," Kallis said.

Knight Riders coach Dav Whatmore conceded that skipper Gautam Gambhir should have batted higher up the order in the Chennai tie. "In Twenty20 cricket you should have a lot of flexibility. But in hindsight, maybe it was better for him to go up the order."

Gambhir has drawn flak for coming in at number six and Whatmore said the left-hander would bat higher in the coming games. Whatmore said there was no extra pressure on the team in the absence of Sourav Ganguly, who has not been recruited by KKR this year. "We are more than happy with the current set of players."

The coach said the entire team was enjoying playing under Gambhir's captaincy. "Gambhir leads by example. He has been a wonderful contributor to the Indian team. And everybody is enjoying playing under his leadership."

We were playing catch-up all the time: Gilchrist

2011-04-10T21:42:00.001-07:00

Kings XI skipper Adam Gilchrist conceded that his side was playing catch-up cricket right through the match after his team's resounding seven-wicket loss in their Indian Premier League lung-opener against Pune Warriors at the D Y Patil Stadium.

"It was difficult to make a comeback from nine for four. We were playing catch-up right from the beginning. All credit to Ryan McLaren for giving us some chance to come back. Had we taken our chances they could have been five for 70 and we could have tried for a win from there," said the former Aussie keeper after the match.

Gilchrist was referring to the dropped catches by his team that reprieved both Robin Uthappa (22 not out in 14 balls) and Yuvraj (21 not out in 15 balls) early in their unbeaten knocks.

Handed lives early on, the duo stitch together unbeaten 45 runs for the fourth wicket to see Pune home.

Gilchrist praised the wicket prepared for the tie and said it was a good track which had something in it for the bowlers.

"The wicket was good, the ball came on to the bat and there was something for the new ball bowlers. Yuvi told me during the presentation ceremony it was a good toss to lose as he did not know what to do (whether to bat first or not)," Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist won the toss and his team plunged headlong into trouble with their top four batsmen, including he himself, dismissed within the first four overs.

The wicket-keeper batsman, who said his team is yet to settle down, felt a total of 140 would have been a challenging target for Pune to chase down.

The Punjab outfit was restricted to 112 for eight, McLaren's unbeaten 51 being the only saving grace. Gilchrist praised the allrounder for pacing his innings well and also mentioned that McLaren did what the top six could not do.

"McLaren batted very well and paced his innings beautifully. He did what the guys in the top six could not do. Had we got 140 it would have been a bigger challenge as there was something for the faster bowlers. And then Abhishek Nayar created three chances which were put down," Gilchrist remarked.

"We did not play anywhere near our best. We have a youngish group and need to settle down," he added.

I have no fear of any batsman: Malinga

2011-04-10T21:41:00.001-07:00

Sri Lankan speedster Lasith Malinga, who grabbed the first five-wicket haul of IPL 4, said that he is not intimidated by any of the world-class batsmen in the IPL, including Delhi dasher Virender Sehwag.

The 'slinger' believes in playing to his strength and that is bowling yorkers and slower balls. Malinga bowled yorkers at will as his deadly five-wicket haul helped Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians crush Delhi Daredevils by eight wickets in their IPL match at the Feroz Shah Kotla ground in New Delhi.

"I have no fear of any batsman in the world whether it's Delhi skipper Virender Sehwag or anyone. I just back my ability to bowl as fast as I can. I think of bowling accurate yorkers and slower balls. I always practice them and today was a good outing for me," Malinga said.

Malinga mentioned that the only thing on his mind when the skipper gives him the ball is to take wickets and bowl those perfect yorkers.

"I only think of wickets whenever my captain gives me the ball. I look for variety and try to bowl perfect yorkers and slow balls. I try my own things and that's how I play," he added.

Malinga, who took 5/13 with four victims off unplayable yorkers, said he just exploited the inexperience of Delhi batsmen.

"I just bowl straight and try to mix variety with pace. At the end of the day, it worked for me," he said.

Malinga's figures of 3.4-1-13-5 were the third best figures in the Twenty20 league after Sohail Tanveer - 6/14 for Rajasthan Royals) and Anil Kumble - 5/5 for Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Played a maiden after 10 years: Viru

2011-04-10T21:38:00.000-07:00

Explosive opener Virender Sehwag said that this was the first time in the last 10 years that he played a maiden over. The Delhi opener played 6 deliveries of fiery pacer Lasith Malinga without scoring a run in their game against Mumbai Indians at Delhi.

"Yes, I think after 10 years I played a maiden today. It was a plan. We lost two wickets so I thought let me play Malinga because others may not be able to pick him. We have 10 debutants in Delhi squad and it will take a little time for us to come together," Sehwag said.

The Daredevils, playing their first game in the tournament folded for a mere 95 runs thanks to a splendid bowling display by Malinga, who ended up with a five wicket haul.

"A 140-150 is a good total here, but everything went Mumbai's way."

However, the Delhi skipper was confident the team will do better in their future games.

"We have a good bowling unit and fielding. I am the only one who have played in the last three IPL. I am sure we will come good in the coming matches," he said.

Sangakkara backs spinners against Kolkata

2011-04-10T21:37:00.001-07:00

Their spinners might have come a cropper in the loss to Rajasthan Royals, but that will not deter Deccan Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara from opening the bowling against Kolkata Knight Riders with tweakers on Monday.

Deccan Chargers' left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who opened the bowling, was a big let down as the left-arm spinner conceded runs at 11-plus in his 3.5 overs, while leggie Amit Mishra too disappointed by giving away 28 from four overs without any wicket between the duo.

Talking to reporters ahead of their away IPL fixture against Kolkata Knight Riders, Sangakkara said the Eden strip lacks pace and bounce and may just assist the slow bowlers.

"Looking at the wicket, spin in the first few overs may just be a great option and can be an attacking one. But you have to play it according to the situation. You cannot just plan everything and use spin in the first few overs for the sake of it," he said.

Sangakkara did not read much into their spinners performance and said, "It looks like a wicket that lacks pace and bounce and may just help the slow bowlers. We have got a couple of good spinners in (Pragyan) Ojha and (Amit) Mishra.

Also Jean-Paul Duminy can be handy with his off-spin." The former Kings XI skipper said they lost the match against Rajasthan Royals despite getting a good start.

"It was disappointing to lose that game. We had got off to a great start, it's just that we lost too many wickets too quickly. We bowled excellent, we were right in the match till the about the 18th-19th over. Just that we need to tighten up our fielding a bit."

"Our batting is very good... One cannot judge your batting by just one game. We have some quality players. It does not matter how many runs you have scored," the Sri Lankan said. Sangakkara termed Sourav Ganguly's ouster unfortunate but said Kolkata Knight Riders have a very good side under Gautam Gambhir.

"They are a very good team, a very tough opposition... Everyone has got new teams, new boys. Unfortunately he (Ganguly) is not there this season."

Asked whether it's strenuous for a cricketer to play IPL, just after the World Cup, Sangakkara said, "It's a bit tiring but also a lot of fun. Our job is to play cricket, we enjoy playing cricket. We agreed to play this tournament well in advance. We just got to enjoy and play as good as we can."

Yuvi agrees with Dhoni

2011-04-10T21:36:00.002-07:00

The World Cup's Player of the Tournament Yuvraj Singh, on Saturday, agreed with India and Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's comments that hectic schedules drained players mentally. The Pune Warriors captain said the Indian team could not even get enough time to celebrate the historic triumph.

"What Dhoni said was right. The World Cup was a very emotional tournament for not only the team, but also nation. It has taken a lot of emotions and mental stress out of us. We had little time to celebrate (after) that (triumph)," Yuvraj said ahead of his side's opening IPL match against Kings XI Punjab on Sunday.

Dhoni had said before the IPL opener in Chennai that because of the hectic schedule, the Indian cricketers found themselves drained emotionally. Yuvraj, however, saw the positives which the World Cup winners can take into the IPL.

"The good thing is we have had a lot of training and practice in the World Cup which will definitely help us in the IPL games," he said.

Pressure has always chased me: Irfan

2011-04-10T21:36:00.001-07:00

The pressure of expectation hangs around his neck like an albatross and it will chase him till the last ball of his career, feels Irfan Pathan who is hoping to return to the national side with a good show in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The time spent in wilderness, he says, has not eroded his self-belief, and the Delhi Daredevils all-rounder is still confident of making a comeback to the national side.

One of the most experienced international players in the Delhi line-up, Irfan adds that he is not swayed by pressures and is supremely confident of a return.

"Since my cricketing days with the Indian team, pressure has always remained with me. It has been there all the time. The pressure has always chased me and it will remain until I play the last ball of my cricketing career," Pathan told on Saturday.

"As long as you think of pressure it will always be there. So just relax and play your natural game. I will enter the stadium tomorrow with a relaxed mind as that will help me and my team to perform better," the left-armer said.

Delhi Daredevils will play Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in an IPL match on Sunday.

Pathan was laid low by a spate of injuries over the last one year but the Baroda player finished his rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore just in time to present his case for the IPL.

Pathan was bought by the GMR group-owned franchise for $1.9 million at the players' auction held in January this year.

"My fitness level is good and I am feeling fit and fine ahead of the first match. I just want to fulfill my team's expectations and have a good IPL so as to make a comeback to the national side," he said.

Part of the Kings XI Punjab franchise till the last year, Pathan will now share the dressing room with former India teammate Virender Sehwag, skipper of Delhi Daredevils, and the 26-year-old termed the Indian opener as the "most destructive" batsman in the league.

"Virender Sehwag is the most destructive batsman in the IPL. There is no doubt about that. He will be the most feared player. After him Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh and West Indian Kieron Pollard are the other players."

On his team's chances in the fourth edition of the T20 league, Pathan said, "I will be very happy if my team reaches the semifinals or final of the tournament. We have got a young bunch of players. A very new-look team. Sehwag is the captain and he is such a great cricketer. He has the positive attitude and that will lead us to the victory."

Talking about Sunday's game, Pathan said he is ready to perform to the fullest and make his presence felt.

"I will give my 100 per cent. Mumbai Indians are a good side and we would love to start on a winning note. I am thinking of just one match at a time. It's not about Mumbai Indians or any other team, it's about taking one game at a time."

"We have got bright youngsters who can do the job for us. That's what you require in a T20 game. I am pretty sure that this edition of the IPL will throw some superstars of tomorrow. I am pretty confident that they will make big name for themselves. Superstars are in the making for sure," he said.

Asked about missing the World Cup, which India won after a hiatus of 28 years, Pathan grew emotional.

"It was a great feeling. I was really happy for the team that they have won the World Cup. That happiness was combined with Yusuf (Pathan's elder brother) lifting Sachin Tendulkar on his shoulders. That was outstanding. Those memories will always remain with me forever and it was a proud moment for the Pathan family," he said.

Sachin lauds small towns' big presence in Indian cricket

2011-04-10T21:35:00.001-07:00

Indian cricketers from small towns are making their presence felt in a big way in international cricket, says batting icon Sachin Tendulkar, who feels these players are a bit "more motivated" to make it big.

"I think the players from the smaller towns sacrifice a bit more for developing their cricketing skills. They are a bit more motivated to make it big," Tendulkar said.

"In places like Ranchi, Mahi ( MS Dhoni) told me that cricket facilities are bare minimum. Look at Dhoni or Munaf (Patel), they have their own style of playing cricket. Dhoni played football with heart and that made him run faster and made him stronger," he told 'Outlook' magazine.

Tendulkar said the epicenter of Indian cricket has shifted from big cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore to small towns.

"Players are coming from smaller towns. Our captain is from Ranchi. Players like Munaf Patel, S Sreesanth and Piyush Chawla belong to smaller towns and skill-wise they are as good as everyone," he said.

The 37-year-old champion batsman, who became a part of a World Cup winning team for the first time in his six appearances in the just-concluded edition, once again dedicated the trophy to the fans, especially to the armed forces.

"Our success on the field means so much for 120 crore Indians and even those Indians living abroad, which is why the team dedicated the Cup to the 120 crore Indians," he said.

"We are so proud of our armed forces. Because of them we feel secure. We can experience freedom because they are sacrificing their lives for us. I am too small a person to comment on them but I would like to salute them on this occasion," he added.

Kings XI Punjab rope in Gillespie as bowling coach

2011-04-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

Kings XI Punjab have roped in former Australian fast bowler Jason Gillespie as their bowling coach as they prepare to take on new entrants Pune Warriors in their opening Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

Gillespie's name was recommended by the new captain Adam Gilchrist and coach Michael Bevan, both former Australian cricketers, and he will join the team in Mumbai on Sunday. He left Australia for India on Saturday.

"Bevo (Bevan) and Adam Gilchrist as captain have been working hard to have someone work with their bowlers, which is nice of them," Gillespie said.

"I spoke to Bevan on Wednesday night and he was keen to have me over there. It is just a matter of having a simple yet effective game plan, go out and do a job and I am there to help.

"I have made a decision to give it a crack and see where it takes me and opportunities like this don't come along every day so I thought I had better take it," he was quoted as saying by 'The Advertiser'.

The 35-year-old arrived home a few day ago after a coaching stint with Zimbabwe Twenty20 franchise MidWest Rhinos.

Gillespie has 259 wickets to his credit from 71 Tests, besides 142 scalps from 91 ODIs.

Fatigue is not a worry: Kohli

2011-04-10T21:26:00.000-07:00

He might have got just five days rest after the hectic World Cup campaign, but talented Royal Challengers batsman Virat Kohli is not at all worried about the fatigue factor.

"I am not too much worried about it. At an age like this I am enjoying it and looking to playing more and more cricket," said Kohli ahead Royal Challengers Bangalore's first match against debutant Kochi Tuskers Kerala, at the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in Kochi.

"I am looking to playing more and more cricket. I am not thinking of rest. That is commitment. Cricket is first priority and I do not think it will affect me too much," added the right-hander, who played a crucial role in India's World Cup triumph.

He also seemed optimistic about his side's chances in the fourth edition of the Twenty20 tournament.

"We have a good combination of young Indian players and international stars. The most important thing is that we get along as a team. Our team work will be visible on the field," Kohli said.

Asked about an unseen Kochi team, he said: "You cannot underestimate any team. You have to play well. It is important to build your team."

Kohli also hinted that he might bowl at this year's IPL. "I am working hard on my bowling but I have to keep working on it," he said.

Asked about the progress of RCB in the last two years, he said: "The work ethics has changed. The team environment is good and the coach was a hard task master."

RCB coach Ray Jennings said: "The players we have got have their feet on the ground. It is a privilege to work with Daniel Vettori (captain)."

Gambhir satisfied with Kolkata's performance

2011-04-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir is more or less satisfied with his side's performance in the IPL season-opener, which they lost by a narrow two-run margin. Chasing 154 to win, Kolkata could manage to score 151 for seven in the end.

Gambhir said their batsmen and bowlers did a decent job but admitted that they need to improve catching as they spilled three chances today.

"I think we tried our best. We played some good cricket. There's lot of quality in this team we bowled very well, fielded well. Apart from dropping catches we did well. All this is part of the game, we'll just have to try and improve on our catching," Gambhir told reporters at the post-match press conference.

Asked the reason behind going with just two foreign players in today's contest, Gambhir said, "They had lots of spinners and we went with the best combination we could on this wicket. Ryan is a quality player and he'll play wherever we feel he can give his best."

Jacques Kallis and Eoin Morgan were the only players from abroad in the final XI.

Talking about his run out at crucial stage of the match, Gambhir said, "These things happen, that's why we call it an unpredictable game. We tried our best and today they kept their nerves and if we'd have won if we'd kept ours."

Gambhir did not forget to praise Kallis, who scored 54 runs and when he was at the crease Kolkata looked favourite to win the match.

"He's a world-class player. It's an advantage to have him in the side, he can bowl and bat."

Man-of-the-match Anirudha Srikkanth for his 64 runs said he had convinced the team management to send him as an opener.

"I wanted to open for this team. When the season started I did tell the team owners that if there is any chance for me to open I am wiling to take the opportunity to do so," Anirudha, who use to bat at number six, said.

Anirudha, who is son of India's chief selector Krish Srikkanth, was happy with his progress as a batsman.

"I am just looking to enjoy my game now, I am not looking at any target, big or small. I think I've got older and matured. If I keep going the way I am now, I am on the right path," he said.

Talking about the wicket at M A Chidambaram stadium, Anirudha said, "It was a tricky kind of wicket. In the middle overs, I realised it was two-paced and thought 150-160 would be a good target. Initially I was very much in control but as the wicket got slower (I found it harder) but still I could've got 10 or 15 runs more."

Chennai pip Kolkata in a thriller

2011-04-08T22:32:00.002-07:00

Before the start of "India's biggest cricketing spectacle" it was repeatedly said that the World Cup hangover would remain and the tournament would not live up to its hype. But all such notions were dismissed after 40 overs were bowled at the MA Chidambaram stadium. What followed a glitzy opening ceremony was a closely contested Twenty20 match, where both sides were in their comfort zone for most part of their innings. In the end, Chennai Super Kings proved to be better handlers of a pressure situation, pipping Kolkata Knight Riders by just two runs in a thrilling final over finish.

Dropped Catches, Anirudha special and a respectable total

Asked to bowl first, Kolkata could not have asked for a better start as left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla struck in the very first over to dismiss Murali Vijay for 5. However, the Gambhir-led side failed to capitalize on that, with easy catches going down. The culprit was Yusuf Pathan, who first dropped Srikkanth Anirudha off his own bowling in the 4th over. The former Rajasthan Royals player, in the very next over which was bowled by Laxmipati Balaji, gave Suresh Raina a chance to continue his innings, putting down a simple chance offered to him wide of mid on.

The dropped catches were a blessing for Chennai as both Anirudha and Raina made most of the chances given to them. The white ball paid a constant visit to the boundary ropes as the right-hander and the left-hander flayed Kolkata's bowling. Jacques Kallis was at the receiving end in the 6th over, conceding three boundaries, although a couple of those were streaky ones. Raina, on the other hand, was not as flashy as Anirudha, but he too scored at a steady rate. It was just the kind of partnership Chennai would have hoped for, especially after the early loss.

It seemed Kolkata were not destined to catch anything on the day and Yusuf Pathan got a taste of his own medicine when Eion Morgan, considered one of the best fielders in the Knight Riders line-up, let go off a very easy offering at mid-wicket. Providence it seemed was in favour Anirudha who survived yet again and seemed destined for a big knock. Luck though did not favour Raina much as the very next ball after Morgan's slip-up, he skied one in the mid-wicket region and this time, the fielder was Ladda who held on to the catch resulting in Raina's walk-back on 33.

The left-hander's departure slowed things down for Chennai as Abdulla and Ladda brought down the run-rate between 11th to the 15th over. It was then Anirudha and Dhoni in their elements, upping the ante towards the latter overs with the Indian chief selector's son also going past the 50-run mark. Kallis, who was taken for runs early on, tasted revenge when he got rid of Dhoni and Anirudha in the final overs. However, Kallis' economy rate took a beating in the final over despite getting the wicket of Anirudha for 64 as Scott Styris and Albie Morkel got the big hits going to help Chennai finish with a respectable total of 153/4.

Steady Kallis, A middle order failure and Dhoni's almost flawless wicket-keeping

Jacques Kallis seemed intent to make up for the runs conceded while bowling, despite picking up two wickets. Chasing 154 to win, Kallis' intent was to get Kolkata off to a good start, and the South African allrounder did just that, making the most of the new ball, crisply hitting it and finding the ropes at a regular frequency. He was particularly severe on Chennai's latest foreign recruit Tim Southee, scoring 3 consecutive boundaries off him in the 4th over.

Kallis' opening partner Manvinder Bisla lent a steady hand as the Chennai bowlers failed to make inroads for a long part of the innings. MS Dhoni was to be partly blamed for Chennai's inability to pick up early wickets as the Indian skipper, missed a stumping chance off Randiv's bowling to let Bisla survive. The breakthrough finally came for Chennai in the 9th over when Dhoni did not miss and promptly shattered the wickets to have Bisla stumped off Jakati on 27.

It was all MS Dhoni from that moment on. Following Bisla's dismissal, Yusuf Pathan occupied the crease and he almost immediately survived a stumping chance off Randiv's bowling. At the other end, Kallis looked pretty well settled and was about to reach his fifty. Then came an act of brilliance from the Chennai skipper while Yusuf Pathan could be blamed for lazy running between the wickets. Responding to Kallis' call, who had tapped the ball behind square, Pathan strolled for what he thought was an easy single. However, he was left stunned as Dhoni pounced on to the ball quickly and hit the stumps direct to find Yusuf short.

While Kallis did manage to go past 50, he fell to Ashwin immediately after that and Eion Morgan followed suit, again out stumped by Dhoni this time off Raina's bowling as Kolkata were letting the advantage slip. Gautam Gambhir's decision to come down the order might have been a good one, assuming he was keeping himself from coming on to the field in case he was needed in the middle order. He certainly was needed and a captain's knock from there would have justified his decision. But when he was most required, Gambhir was run-out for just 1 as Chennai occupied the driver's seat.

Dhoni's role from behind the stumps yielded one more wicket when Manoj Tiwary, after a useful cameo which took Kolkata closer to the target, fell to Randiv, stumped by the skipper. It was then all down to the final over with 9 runs required and Southee was brought on to bowl. Dhoni's plan to bring the Kiwi on worked brilliantly as he brought about the dismissal of Laxmi Ratan Shukla and more importantly, bowled a tight over to give away just 6 runs to get Chennai get off to a winning start in the 4th edition of the Indian Premiere League.

Would love to beat Deccan at their home: Dravid

2011-04-08T22:32:00.001-07:00

Rajasthan Royals' new recruit and former India captain Rahul Dravid on Friday said they would love to spoil Deccan Chargers party in front of their home crowd when the two teams meet in the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League on Saturday.

A completely new-look Deccan, led by Sri Lankan Kumar Sangakkara, would look to test their strength after finishing fourth and failing to qualify for the Champions League Twenty20 last year.

While Rajasthan Royals would be looking to revive their IPL fortunes as they have been on the downslide in the last two editions after their inaugural crown.

"Deccan is a good team so we are looking forward to play well against them and hopefully try to beat them. We will love to beat them in front of their home crowd," Dravid said after the team's practice session at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium.

"Deccan is a very new team as they have got many new players. They are very different from last year. I will be playing against pacer Dale Steyn tomorrow who was my teammate last year as part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team," he added.

Deccan will be playing their first match in front of the home crowd after a gap of two years.

In 2009, the second edition of the tournament took place in South Africa due to a clash of dates with general elections in India while last year, the matches were shifted from Hyderabad and Vishakapatnam due to Telengana unrest.

Deccan coach Darren Lehman said he is expecting a good turnout on Saturday.

"It should be an exciting match. It's great to play before the home crowd."

Colourful opening ceremony launches IPL 2011

2011-04-08T22:31:00.000-07:00

A vibrant opening ceremony, showcasing a huge dash of Bollywoood--style entertainment, marked the launch of the fourth edition of the IPL, the Twenty20 extravaganza which has gained immense popularity since its inception.

The evening sky over the M A Chidambaram stadium lit up with dazzling fireworks as BCCI President Shashank Manohar declared the cash--rich event open amidst thunderous cheers from a capacity crowd.

Some of the world's leading cricketers, including star Indian players who led the country to a historic World Cup triumph last week, will feature in the fourth edition of the event, being held for the first time without its brainchild Lalit Modi.

The controversial Modi was sacked as IPL Chairman immediately after the third edition and is facing charges of irregularities in conducting the IPL.

The highlight of the show was a dance performance by Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, who is also co--owner of the Kolkata Knight Riders. He enthralled the huge gathering by dancing on some famous numbers from his flicks such as 'Chak--de India' and 'Billu'

The one--hour ceremony started with all the 10 captains signing the MCC spirit of cricket banner.

While all the captains were cheered as they came to the podium, the loudest applause was reserved for Indian captains Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Yuvraj Singh, the Man--of--the--tournament in the World Cup.

After a brief speech by Chairman of the IPL Governing Council Chirayu Amin, it was turn of BCCI President Manohar to address the huge gathering.

"Congratulations to the Indian team for winning the World Cup. We acknowledge the effort of the boys, the support staff, the management and all the fans. Now we have two generation of World Cup heroes, each brilliant in its own rights," Manohar said.

The BCCI President welcomed the two new entrants to the League and expressed hope that the new edition will produce more memorable moments.

"I take this opportunity to welcome two new teams Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Warriors. Over the past three years, IPL has featured the best cricketing talent, legends along with upcoming players who were unknown to the audience," Manohar said.

"In 2011, we hope to see some great performances. We hope to create new cricketing memory governed by superb sportsmanship and spirit of the game," Manohar said while concluding his speech and declared the mega event open.

His speech was followed by a performance by the famous Prince Dance Group. The groups of dancers, painted from head to toe in saffron, green and white, the colours of the Indian flag, put up a nicely co--ordinated show with sounds and lights.

It was followed by a percussion show by Taufiq Qureishi's Mumbai Stamp and then came the singing trio of Mansai, Sona and Akriti, who sang 'Aa Dekhen Zara' from yesteryears' hit movie 'Rocky'

Hit Bollywood singers Kunal Ganjawala and Sunidhi Chauhan took the spotlight with some of their chart busters and the ceremony finally concluded with Shah Rukh Khan's performance.

Shah Rukh entertained the crowd by saying a few lines in local language Tamil and his dance show also included some magic tricks.

We would have got a lot even in defeat: Dhoni

2011-04-08T22:30:00.000-07:00

His side emerged victorious in the thrilling opening match of the IPL season-4 but Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said the contest had a lot to offer even in defeat.

Chennai edged past Kolkata by two runs to start their IPL title defence on a high note.

"It was a first game with a new team, and you get a new car and you want to break it in, but you don't want to 'break it'. Even if we did not win this game, we would have got a lot out of it," Dhoni said after the match.

Dhoni, who also led India to World Cup triumph last week, lauded all his bowlers for their effort apart from giving his fielders a pat on their back.

Dhoni also said that he was not worried even when Kolkata were going great at one stage.

"The fielding was very good. Tim bowled well, Randiv and Raina did well, and Ashwin as always was brilliant. When they had around 70 after the first 7-8 overs, people may have thought the game was over, but I said this is when it begins since the pitch will slow up," he said.

Asked about the final ball of the match which was to be bowled by Tim Southee and Kolkata needed a four to win, Dhoni said he was sure a yorker on the leg side would win them the match.

"For the last ball, I was confused since it was like having two options - yorker outside off, or yorker at the legs. I decided on the latter, since with the field we had, a boundary would have been possible only if he played a great shot through midwicket. And it came off," he said.

World Cup is history for me: Gambhir

2011-04-08T05:02:00.001-07:00

CHENNAI: The world may think that the Gautam Gambhir-MS Dhoni bonding may stand in the way of the cut-throat rivalry in the IPL.

Even CSK coach Stephen Fleming feels that way. But not Gambhir. He is always known to be a fierce competitor and even on Thursday, after a gruelling batting session at the nets, Gambhir gave the impression that all the happy moments of the World Cup were history for him.

"First of all, it does not matter who inspires me," Gambhir said when asked if he took tips from Dhoni during the World Cup. "The whole of India inspires me. I play for my country, for the tricolour. What MS does is what he does. For me, it is important to concentrate on my game," Gambhir said.

"When I will play for KKR, my heart and soul will be with the team. I'm not too bothered who I'm taking on. It's just a game for me and I'm looking forward to the challenge," the former Delhi Daredevils skipper said. KKR have a poor track record in the IPL and it will be a huge task for Gambhir to lift the performance of the team. But he sounded pretty confident about the job at hand.

"Whatever has happened in the last three years is a thing of the past. We've a fresh team and it has world-class cricketers. They are capable of playing at the highest level and as a skipper my job is to get the best out of them," he added.

He hasn't picked up Bengali words as yet, but Gambhir knows how the crowd in Kolkata reacts to every KKR win. One got the impression that he feels the pulse of a passionate city when he said: "Kolkata is the City of Joy and my main aim is to make them joyous. Winning or losing is not always in our hands, but we can surely play good cricket."

Virender Sehwag said last year that franchises put too much pressure on players. Does he feel the same? "I don't think I have been pressurised by the management. We've a very good support staff and everyone has been supportive to all the players."

In Jaipur, Modi just a footnote

2011-04-08T05:01:00.001-07:00

JAIPUR: Text messages describing the life and style of suspended IPL commissioner Lalit Modi haven't ceased to exist almost a year after he disappeared from the power alleys of Indian cricket.

The other day, one popped in claiming 'Modi spotted shopping in Dubai with Bollywood star.' Before that, there was another one that claimed 'Modi buys Ferrari in London.'

So, Modi continues to be in the news beyond the easily available resource which is the Twitter.

However, far from the authenticity of such text messages, reality suggests a different picture. Jaipur's Sawai Man Singh Stadium, for instance, presents a stark truth in the manner in which every cornerstone laid by or during Modi's reign as an administrator, every picture of his that adorned the walls of the state association, every brochure or document or deed that suggested he had been here and done that, has been removed. If you didn't know Modi already, there's little chance you'll get to know any more now.

Also, along with Modi, IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals - who entered BCCI's bad books for having Modi's co-brother-in-law as an investor in the team - have been facing similar music. Despite Royals winning the inaugural edition of the IPL, not a single picture of the team owners hangs on the walls of the enclosure that forms the entrance to the players' pavilion at the Mansingh Stadium.

It was, in fact, when this reporter arrived at the players' lounge that photographs of team owners and anything remotely related to them were being removed and replaced by players of the Rajasthan Ranji team who recently won their first ever domestic title.

Perhaps the only place inside the stadium where Modi's name still figures and is visible is on the cornerstone of the excellent Rajasthan Cricket Academy situated within the premises of the stadium. Speak to the locals here about the man and there are mixed reactions. They accept without battering an eyelid that without Modi the facility, and many such, wouldn't have seen the light of the day. However, equally adamantly, they insist that they're happy he's gone.

"You see these interiors?" says someone at the RCA, pointing to the posh floor to ceiling marble and paint that makes the lobby look quite classy. "This wouldn't have happened if not for him (Modi)," he says.

Modi may continue to buy his Ferrari and shop in Dubai's many glitzy malls, but in India he's fast disappearing into a myth. The man who ruled Rajasthan from the cool environs of the exclusive Rambagh Palace and bulldozed his way into the state's elites now exists no more. A bureaucrat, for instance, is euphoric that he won't be slapped with insults at the hands of a power-hungry middleman any more.
It is in the backdrop of these gradual developments, the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League is about to begin. For those interested, Modi has begun Tweeting how he's excited about the tournament and is looking forward to Friday's opening match. In Jaipur, however, anybody's hardly excited about his Tweets.

The state and its capital which Modi so haughtily ruled and reaped from, has moved on.

I never had nightmares thinking about Sachin: Warne

2011-04-08T05:00:00.002-07:00

A fitter, fresher Shane Warne speaks exclusively to TOI about Rajasthan Royals' months of turmoil and how he's now raring to prove a point again.

How long has it been that you've rolled your arm on a cricket field?

The longest stretch that I spent without bowling a single delivery was between IPL 2 and 3. I didn't bowl at all during that time and I came straight into the tournament like that last year. This time, I've been rolling my arm over and have been in the right kind of rhythm. It has been about creating a fine balance between doing the right thing and not overdoing it, which is what I've tried to follow. This year, I'm a lot better prepared and more focused.

After all that Rajasthan Royals went through, a fit Shane Warne raring to go is the best thing they deserve...

Rajasthan Royals have taken a lot of my time and I've been very seriously involved with the team for the last three years. Last year, many things happened and credit goes to everybody, including the BCCI, the franchise and all associated with IPL to have helped in sorting things out so that we go ahead with the tournament. We've got a bit to prove this year to everybody that the first year wasn't just a flash in the pan. In fact I thought we did well in IPL 2 and 3 also and it was just a game or two that made the eventual difference.

How do you look back at what happened in the last six months?

The one thing that never ceases to amaze me about India and Indian cricket is the politics that goes on here. The last six months had been a very rough patch for Royals and finally when the go-ahead for the tournament came, finalising teams, budgets, retaining the players, getting sponsors - these weren't very easy things to get done with. I still don't get the whole idea behind terminating a team and for what reasons? But I'm thankful that Royals are there and heading into the tournament well prepared. As far as politics go, I'm not exactly sure why they wanted Royals out. Because of Lalit's brother-in-law or something? (shrugs)

Your views on player retention and fresh auctions?

If you ask me, there shouldn't have been any retention at all. At the most, teams should have been allowed to identify a captain who they could retain and then move on and buy all the rest of the players afresh. Consistency among teams would've remained. I also feel the $9m salary cap that was in place should've been more transparent, unlike what I kept hearing about teams handing players the money from under the table. Why? Why couldn't it be as simple as the highest bidder taking that cricketer home and forming his team? There was just too much wrong happening.

How would you describe your new team?

Jacob Oram has joined us. We have the likes of Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Shane Watson, Johan Botha, myself and a lot of young promising cricketers who make the team look good. Do you know that whenever we (Royals) have scored 143 or more in IPL, we've never lost? We've always had that underdog tag attached to us which has worked well for us. Let the other teams be in focus and under pressure. We're happy doing what we do. We like to promote youth and that's what we'll be focusing on.

Did you get fan mail when Royals were dumped?

The population of the state of Rajasthan is some four times more than Australia and don't know how many times more than England. I got a lot of fan mails, tweets and they seriously wanted to know what the status of the team was. I can definitely say we got a lot of backing and that's makes the comeback all the more special.

Darren Berry is not with Royals. Does that upset the plans?

Darren Berry and myself had been planning a lot but he decided to switch over to South Australia and that's unfortunate. But Jeremy Snape has been around and he's been a very calming influence. Yusuf Pathan is also not with us and that's a big loss. I know his heart is still with Royals. But we, as a team, have got to move on.

You've been all over the place: columns, TV, Twitter. Are you conscious of the fact that what you say or write is now being followed very closely?

I've always talked very freely about the game and issues related to it. To me, cricket has never been about money. I've spent 24 years in the game now and I still feel I have a lot to offer, especially where bowling is concerned. I'm glad I'm getting to do it all and I've been enjoying every bit of it.

You look fitter than ever. Has there been any extra effort on that front?

Through January, February and March, I was training very seriously and had started bowling. Actually, let's say since Christmas, I've been back on the field. I enjoy yoga that keeps me fit, well balanced and calm. I'm not getting any younger. In fact I'll be turning 42 soon. I spend a lot of time with my three children, 14, 12 and 10 years of age, and that gives me extreme happiness. It's a mix of all these things that I'm still carrying on.

The pressure factor during India's World Cup campaign...

Pressure is something that is created because of expectations, because things are expected from a team, from an individual. Sachin Tendulkar is a great example of that. He was number one in my list of top 100 cricketers and that wasn't just because he's pure class and a great friend. He's handled the pressure so well every time he's walked out to bat and has been playing international cricket for 22 years. That's a great feat.

You were quoted as being interested in Team India's coaching job?

I never said I wanted to coach India. What I said was that Gary Kirsten, while he was there, did a great job and whoever comes in his place will have a fantastic opportunity to build on what Kirsten is leaving behind. I've been very badly misquoted. It is like one of those things about me and Sachin that went on for years. Let me put this on record once again that I never had nightmares thinking about Sachin. I still don't know where that came from. We've clashed a few times, I've been successful at times and he maybe more than me. But that's all there is to it.

MS Dhoni's captaincy...

He is a very good captain. He has a calm mind and that in turn has a very good influence on the team. He's still very young and to have that kind of control is very impressive. He's one of the best captains in the world today.

What has kept you busy all these days...

I've slimmed down a bit and feel very fit at the moment. I'm feeling very fresh coming into the tournament and enjoying myself. It's always great to come back and play for Rajasthan Royals, something I've done for three years now. It's time to get into that mode again. It has been a very busy last few months for me. The summer kept me tied up with the Ashes, then there was my own television show in which I was completely involved. There have been trips to the US for poker and other things, to UK for some personal things, the World Cup followed and now it's the IPL.

Any plans other than cricket?

Time management has been the key for me all throughout. I write, do television shows, I'm launching my own line of vests and underwears called 'Spinners' in India later this month which has been designed by my son. I'm a full-time investor too ... These are things that have kept me very preoccupied.

Srikkanth is no longer CSK brand ambassador

2011-04-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI: Chairman of the selection committee, Krish Srikkanth is no more the brand ambassador of Chennai Super Kings in IPL 4.

He had a three-year contract with CSK, which expired earlier this year and it was not renewed.

When TOI got in touch with the Srikkanth, he confirmed the news. "I am not a brand ambassador this year. I enjoyed my stint with the team. It was a great experience."

Srikkanth also made it clear that his loyalty with the team will remain the same. "So what if I am not the brand ambassador, I will continue to be a Chennai fan. I am also confident that this team under MS Dhoni will again do very well in the tournament," he added.

toi

Why not ban IPL at Sawai Man Singh stadium, asks HC

2011-04-08T04:59:00.000-07:00

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday asked the state government to explain as to why no fee was charged from the organizers of the seven IPL 4 matches to be held at Sawai Man Singh Stadium in April-May.

Issuing notices to the state authorities, Justice M N Bhandari asked them to further explain as to why commercial activities like IPL be not banned at SMS stadium which is meant for multi-disciplinary sports as also according to the rules cannot be allotted for any activity other than sports and organizing national functions like Independence Day and Republic Day etc.

Petitioner Rajender Singh said that the IPL is organizing seven cricket matches for its season-four in the state-run SMS stadium and the same is under the supervision of Rajasthan State Sports Council and Rajasthan Cricket Academy.

"SMS stadium is a state-level stadium where other sports activities are also conducted for the common man. But owing to the IPL matches, all sportspersons are prevented from utilizing the stadium for any other activities. IPL is a commercial entrepreneurship and cannot be allowed to earn money at the cost of public at large," said Piyush Nag, counsel for the petitioner.

Singh said there is a fixed rate list prescribed by the Rajasthan State Sports Council, as per which Rs 2 lakh per match were required to be paid as fee for using stadium, Rs 20,000 per day to be paid for preparations as also Rs 4,000 per hour is required to be paid for usage of flood lightings and electricity. However, the IPL organisers have not paid a single penny.

Justice Bhandari observed: "It has been brought to our notice that a commercial activity in the name of cricket is being allowed in the SMS stadium and despite there being prescribed charges/fee for the same, it has not been collected."

Mumbai Indians registers 10,00,000 fan base on Facebook

2011-04-08T04:58:00.001-07:00

MUMBAI: Indian Premier League franchisee Mumbai Indians (MI) on Monday claimed to have achieved a landmark with over 10,00,000 fans joining them on Facebook, thereby becoming the seventh most followed Indian brand on the social networking site.

"The franchisee is the only one in Indian sport to boast such a mammoth fan base registered anywhere. In terms of its following, Mumbai Indians is ahead of official cricket fan pages of associations as also individuals as also leading sports brands in the country," a media release said.

"From a modest fan base of 100 people in the first week, it has now grown to 10,00,000 people, and counting. The MI Paltan page on facebook is the most followed page among the 10 IPL franchises," it said.

The Mumbai Indians (MI) Facebook page, MI Paltan commenced on February 22, 2010, a little before the start of IPL season 3.

Speaking on the achievement, a Mumbai Indians spokesperson said, "Social media engagement with fans is evolving at a fast pace and the MI Paltan facebook page has achieved a significant milestone crossing one million cricket lovers across the globe. We will sustain the use of emerging social media to engage and build interactivity with our fans."

TOI

IPL gets cheer queens now, in Indian dresses

2011-04-08T04:57:00.002-07:00

April 8 brings with it a different kind of cricketing thrill - the faster game and the bigger entertainment quotient of IPL. And, while till now the cheerleaders wore glamorous western dresses and wielded pom-poms, this time, one of the teams has a slightly different kind of cheering happening. These girls, called 'cheer queens', will be dressed in ethnic Indian costumes and will be cheering for players of the Pune team in IPL season 4.

Conceptualized by Subrata Roy Sahara, the cheer queens, dressed in seven different ethnic Indian outfits, will perform seven classical dance forms during the match. The costumes have been designed by Neeta Lulla and the choreography is by leading choreographers Tanusree Shankar and Ganesh Hegde.

Subrata Roy Sahara, the owner of the team, elaborates, "Cricket is a religion in our country and is passionately followed in many other countries. In the recent past, it has gained popularity across various countries in the world. Cricket matches are watched by millions in India and by billions worldwide. With the cheer queens, we intend to showcase and bring recognition to the rich and diverse culture of India on an international platform. We want all the franchisees to avail the opportunity collectively, so that the rich cultural heritage of India is presented in an innovative way to the world."

Abhijit Sarkar, who also handles the team, adds, "The concept was to spread and promote India's cultural diversity and richness amongst the vast audience. Cheer queens is his (Roy's) idea and as he intended, we have taken it to a level matching the entertainment quotient and the class of an international platform. Whether it is the selection of models, costumes, intricacies of various dances of India, or the presentation of the concept, we hope that our efforts will add to the glamour of the tournament and will see other franchisees joining us in this cause."

Says designer Neeta Lulla, "It's an innovative idea for this season. This is a first-of-its-kind experience for me. The style is more traditional and Indianized and the outfits are all about elegance and grace. We have used a lot of whites and colours in the costumes. Saharashri has personally given his inputs in this regard too."

Tanushree Shankar, a leading proponent of contemporary dance in India, has lent her expertise in training the cheer queens in contemporary dancing styles.

SRK to dazzle at IPL 4 opening ceremony

2011-04-08T04:57:00.001-07:00

JAIPUR: Shah Rukh Khan is all set to dazzle in the IPL opening ceremony in Chennai on Friday, according to sources. The Wizcraft-conducted event is scheduled to be a short, but colourful affair, with a lot of song and dance.

Sona Mahapatra of "Paas aao na" fame will be among the performers. "It was quite a late decision to have a colourful opening ceremony," Mahapatra told TOI on Wednesday. She added that Sunidhi Chauhan, Kunal Ganjawala and Akriti Kakar are expected to be among the prominent performers who would be on the stage before Chennai Super Kings take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the opening match.

According to sources, Shah Rukh Khan will dance to the tunes of the IPL anthem. It was not too difficult to rope in the KKR owner as he would have been present anyway, for his team's opening match.

"In fact, I was asked to be part of the show about two weeks back," Mahapatra added. "It was quite a surprise as I normally travel with my band and I don't get invitations to perform in shows like these. But then I thought this would be good opportunity and took it up."
"Dumadum mast kalandar" is one of options being considered for Mahapatra's performance. "It seems to be a very appropriate song for the occasion," Mahapatra said. "However, it is not closed yet," she said.

There are a few other songs being considered. "With India winning the World Cup, it was felt that more spice should be added to the opening ceremony to celebrate this victory. Although the time was short, I am sure things will go smoothly."

Don't treat us as "untouchables", Afridi's appeal to BCCI

2011-04-08T04:56:00.001-07:00

NEW DELHI: Shahid Afridi feels deeply hurt and has appealed to the Indian cricket board that Pakistan players shouldn't be treated as "untouchables" when it comes to including them in the cash-rich Indian Premier League.

"It is high time that Pakistani cricketers should also get a place in IPL. For three seasons including the current one, we haven't been a part of the IPL. We have no problems playing in India as we have just played a World Cup semifinal there. We are deeply hurt that they are treating us like 'untouchables'," Afridi said from Karachi.

He further added that Pakistani public feel hurt that their players are not playing in IPL.

"I am not saying that I want to play IPL but it could be a great platform for youngsters. They could make a mark for themselves."

As many as 11 Pakistan players were part of inaugural season of IPL in 2008. Afridi was the costliest Pakistani player who was bagged by the Hyderabad team for $675,000.

Shoaib Akhtar, Umar Gul, Mohammad Hafeez and Salman Butt (Kolkata Knight Riders), Younis Khan, Sohail Tanveer and Kamran Akmal (Rajasthan Royals), Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif ( Delhi Daredavils) and Misbah Ul Haq (Royal Challangers Banglore) were the other players .

Pakistani players missed out on the 2009 and 2010 editions due to security concerns in the wake of Mumbai terror attacks.

Afridi has said that Indian PM Manmohan Singh's invitation to Pakistani PM for the semifinals was a positive sign and that is the way to go forward.

"Our PM Yusuf Raza Gilani responded in positive on that invitation. Now IPL can be a platform to further ease the tension," he said.

"We should play more and more against each other. This will not only ease the pressure but will also reduce the unwanted media hype surrounded with Indo-Pak matches," he said.

For Afridi, Indo- Pak matches are not war as players of both teams share great rapport off the field.

"On field, yes there are moments of pressure and tension whenever we play but off it, we are all friends. I share great bond with Harbhajan and respect Sachin a lot," said Afridi.

On his criticism of Gautam Gambhir's statement about dedicating the WC win to the people who died in Mumbai terror attack, Afridi said that he did not say anything about Gambhir.

"I never heard Gautam saying anything like that, so how could I react over that. It is ridiculous," he said.

Yuvraj arrives late, turned back from guru's door

2011-04-07T23:45:00.001-07:00

HANSALI/FATEHGARH SAHIB: Cricketer Yuvraj Singh was unable to meet his religious mentor – Hansaliwale Sant Ajit Singh on Wednesday night as the latter retires to his room at 11pm. Yuvi, who was accompanied by his mother, had to return after paying obeisance at the door of the sant's chambers.

Sources said that Yuvraj had reached the dera of Ram Singh in Fatehgarh Sahib around 8pm on Wednesday. The management of Hansaliwala dera had expected the player earlier. Excited over his visit, the residents of some surrounding villages had also gathered there and had also arranged a "dhol" to welcome the world cup champion. However, when he didn't turn up, they went back disappointed at 12.30am. Yuvi finally reached at 12.45am and requested the management to open the main gate.

"The dera head did not meet Yuvi as he came very late. The sant never waits for anyone, and on Wednesday night we closed the gate as per schedule. Some other inmates of the dera had opened the main gate on Yuvi's request. He and his mother Shabnam paid obeisance in front of dera head's locked room," said sarpanch Surjit Singh.

On being asked about his world cup ticket, he said, "Every cricketer gets a special ticket for every match and I also got it for the world cup final." However, he refused to disclose the name of the person who had used his special ticket. About his connection with the dera, Yuvi said he has great faith in Hansaliwale sant and has been coming to the dera for many years.

IPL 4 - The real contenders

2011-04-07T23:19:00.001-07:00

Rahul Dravid will no longer play for his home city Bangalore; Gautam Gambhir will not be seen sporting the Delhi jersey ; the packed crowd at the Eden Gardens won't be cheering for Dada ever again and Yuvraj will be competing against his home side Kings XI Punjab - the hurricane called Twenty20 is all set to make the crowd whirl away rapturously yet again as the Indian Premier League is ready to knock on spectators doors loudly for the fourth time.

Barring Chennai and to a certain extent Mumbai, the teams have a fresh look - players have been traded like foreign currencies. Some franchisees were happy to let their trusted ones off the hook, while they also made sure that they took the best ones available in the auction market.

That move inevitably gave rise to two questions:

1. With home heroes such as Gauti, Yuvi and Jammy playing for other cities, will the IPL have the same vibe as it used to?

2. Would the fans choose their city or their favourite players when it comes to showing their loyalty?

There are no easy or straight answers. This might be the Twenty20 age, but India has probably not yet recovered from the World Cup hangover. Thus the only real answers to these questions will be provided by time - as the IPL progresses and it becomes more clear how it is being perceived.

Moreoever, these players are established - some are legends - and the question of fan loyalties or their performance is not nearly as fascinating as that of exploring who the real contenders of the IPL are.

Twenty20 being the format it is, almost any team can beat any other if even one of the team members has a good day. Therefore there isn't as much fascination in watching out for teams as there is in watching out for players.

The Kohlis, the Rainas, the Uthappas, the Irfans, the Ashwins and the Ojhas. Why not a Yuvraj or a Sachin or a Dhoni? Because they have now reached a stage where they have nothing to prove to themselves or the nation. The ones mentioned before, though, do have a thing or two to prove.

Spiderman was told that 'with great power comes great responsibilities'. However, these youngsters are given more responsibilities so that they find the required power to perform. Raina or Kohli should be able to single-handedly destroy an opposition. Manish Pandey or Saurabh Tiwary should be making a name for themselves on bigger stages. It's not just the Indian players - overseas professionals like Eoin Morgan and Kieron Pollard who are still comparatively young on the international stage will also need to continue on their upward curves.

Having said all that, it's time for sixes and fours to reign over dot balls, it is also the right opportunity for the yorkers to knock timbers and the bouncers to dismantle the head gear.

IPL, we are ready - On your mark, get set, GO!

Tendulkar won't force son to be cricketer

2011-04-07T23:18:00.001-07:00

Batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar said that the Indian team's World Cup victory has had a huge impact on his son, Arjun, but he would not force him to become a cricketer.

Talking to reporters at the Wankhede Stadium -- the venue of the historic triumph -- Tendulkar said, "I was inspired by Indian team's victory in 1983 World Cup. The 2011 victory has made a huge impact on my son Arjun... [but] I will not pressurise him to become a cricketer. He can choose what he wants to do."

Tendulkar was at the stadium to meet his Mumbai Indians team-mates on the eve of Indian Premier League's start in Chennai on 8th April.

Talking about his mother's reaction when he returned home after the 2011 World Cup victory, Tendulkar said he could see the joy in her eyes.

"When I returned home, my mother became very emotional, and there were tears of happiness (in her eyes)."

His mother greeted him with traditional 'aarati'.

"When we returned to the hotel, there were huge crowds waving at us... I have never seen anything like this before," he said, talking about the jubilation after the historic win.

When asked about Pakistan skipper Shahid Afridi's controversial remarks about Indians, Sachin refused to say much.

"No comments...I have no control over what someone else has to say," he said.

CSK v KKR: Match 1 Preview

2011-04-07T23:12:00.002-07:00

Another multi starrer tournament kicks off with the hullabaloo of India's memorable World Cup win yet to die down. The IPL, a leaner, meaner and raunchier version of cricket kicks off with the defending champions, Chennai Super Kings facing off against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

There are, however, many points to prove to scores of people all around the world.

1. Gautam Gambhir - that the team can be successful without Sourav Ganguly.

2. MS Dhoni - that there is still ambition left in him after the WC triumph.

3. The BCCI - that IPL minus Lalith Modi can also be a huge success.

4. IPL - that there's never too much cricket.

After weeks of grueling battles for cricket's biggest honour, teammates will now be on opposite sides for the next 51 days to fight for the Indian Premier League. Chennai Super Kings, the defending champions, take on the tournament's perennial under performers, Kolkata Knight Riders in the inaugural game of IPL IV. MS Dhoni, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan and Gautam Gambhir, part of the World Cup winning Indian side now find themselves pitted against each other in the tournament opener. The two teams cannot have been more different with Chennai being one of the tournament's most consistent performers, having made the last 4 on all three occasions while lifting the trophy once, KKR on the other hand have failed to live up to the expectations after a brilliant opening on the first day of IPL 1.

Chennai Super Kings

The defending champions go into the game with almost the same side they had last year; they retained 4 of their top players from the previous editions while also buying back R Ashwin, S Badrinath, D Bollinger and M Hussey among others. Their major concern however will be whether Dhoni, Raina and Ashwin have recovered from the World Cup victory hangover.

Their coach, Stephen Fleming is looking at the glass half full saying that the World Cup has been the ideal preparation for the IPL and it will allow their players to hit the ground running. Dhoni however was more critical of the hectic schedule.

The other concern will be the loss of two key bowlers, M Muralitharan and D Bollinger (due to injury), who have been key to Chennai's success so far. That means, a lot of onus falls on Ashwin and Albie Morkel and should one fail it could make the job much harder for Dhoni.

The Super Kings, much like the Dhoni-led India squad, aren't great starters. In the previous 3 editions they have managed to get off to a winning start only once, in the inaugural edition when Michael Hussey smashed a brilliant 100.

Kolkata Knight Riders

The Kolkata Knight Riders went in for a complete revamp after a disastrous first three editions, choosing to even leave out their talisman, Sourav Ganguly. Gautam Gambhir was bought for a record price of $2.4 million, Yusuf Pathan too came at a huge price. They chose to bring in proven performers instead of just big names - Jacques Kallis, Shakib al Hasan, Eoin Morgan, Brett Lee and Ryan ten Doeschate testify the fact.

The Knight Riders have somehow failed to deliver to their massive fan base across India. They finished 6th in the first edition, last in the 2nd edition and 6th again in the 2010 essay and Gambhir, who was instilled as the captain, will have a job at hand trying to convince their fans that the team can click without Ganguly.

They have however fared better in the opening matches when compared to the Super Kings, winning 2 out of their 3 matches, including a 140 run walloping they handed to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first match of IPL 1.

Players to watch out for:

R Ashwin - Ashwin burst onto the scene in IPL and is renowned for tight bowling under pressure, but the youngster has always had Murali for support and advice. Now that Murali has been snapped up by Kochi, Ashwin finds himself with an unfamiliar role - their team's premier bowler. Will the pressure get to him, or will his cool head overcome this as well remains to be seen.

Jacques Kallis - The burly South African all-rounder will have to play a key role if KKR are to erase memories of their previous disasters. With the team missing out on a few key players due to the Australia - Bangladesh series, Kallis will provide Gambhir with the extra option with the ball while also batting like only he can.

Head to head:

CSK have won 4 of the 6 meetings between the two teams. KKR have won once while the other game was washed out.

Yuvraj pumped up for IPL after a successful WC

2011-04-07T23:12:00.001-07:00

Star batsman Yuvraj Singh, who played a key role in India's World Cup win, said leading new IPL entrants Pune Warriors is big responsibility but he is excited to take up the challenge.

"I am looking forward to having an exciting time playing in the IPL. Responsibilities are more, no doubt," Yuvraj said after paying obeisance at the place of his spiritual Guru Baba Ajit Singh in Punjab's Fatehgarh Sahib.

"Puree jaan laga key khelengey (We will give our best)," the 29-year-old added.

Yuvraj had skippered Kings XI Punjab in the first two editions and played under Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara in the previous edition.

Now that both Yuvraj and Sangakkara are no more part of the Punjab side, he was asked to rate the Punjab side.

Yuvraj said it was still a good side with players such as Adam Gilchrist, David Hussey, Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla in the squad.

After reaching his hometown here yesterday, Yuvarj and his mother Shabnam visited Hansali and few other Gurudwaras.

Dhoni skips Ranchi, reaches Chennai for IPL 4

2011-04-07T23:10:00.001-07:00

Known for his composure and poise, Team India's 'captain marvel' is also known for his hard work complete dedication to his sport. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who also leads the Indian Premier League (IPL) team Chennai Super Kings (CSK), reached Chennai on Wednesday giving his hometown Ranchi a miss after his ICC World Cup triumph.

After the World Cup win in Mumbai on April 2, Dhoni's fans in Ranchi had been waiting with bated breathe to welcome their hero, but the skipper preferred to stay in Delhi for a couple of days with wife Sakshi before heading for Chennai for the beginning of the IPL's fourth edition.

CSK team-mate Suresh Raina was also seen accompanying Dhoni, though he did get a chance to visit his home in Ghaziabad for a day.

IPL 2011 starts on Friday and the defending champions CSK play the season's first match against Kolkata Knight Riders. Dhoni has a huge burden of responsibility and expectation, particularly after the victory in the last IPL season.

Shilpa slams Gehlot over cheerleaders' attire

2011-04-07T23:09:00.001-07:00

Indian Premier League (IPL) team Rajasthan Royals has objected to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's reservations against the cheerleaders' dress ahead of the start of the fourth season of the popular domestic league in the Twenty-20 format.

Gehlot had passed an order asking the teams to ensure cheerleaders were dressed in full-sleeved costumes while performing in Jaipur during the IPL matches. However, the government order has left the home team aggrieved as they have invited international cheerleaders for this year's tournament.

Taking potshots at the Rajasthan chief minister's instruction, Rajasthan Royals co-owner Shilpa Shetty said, "Cheerleaders would wear ghagra this season. On a serious note, it is never our intention to make our cheerleaders look vulgar. They are here only for the purpose of entertainment."

"We have international cheerleaders participating this year and they will wear what they usually wear. There is a thin line between sensuousness and vulgarity, so we will not cross it," the actress added.

Ticket Prices

2011-04-06T21:28:00.001-07:00

Ticket Prices for Delhi Daredevils IPL 2011 Tickets

Weekday Matches	Weekend Matches
Rs 300 (East & West 3 Tier) Rs 500 (East Tier 1&2) Rs 1,250 (North east and West stand) Rs 6,000 (Old Club House stand) Rs 10,000 (Captain’s Enclosure) Rs 12,000 (Corporate Boxes) Rs 12,000 (Bay Area) Rs 15,000 (DareDevil Lounge) Rs 20,000 (Marquee)	Rs 500 (East & West 3 Tier) Rs 750 (East Tier 1&2) Rs 1,500 (North east and West stand) Rs 7,000 (Old Club House stand) Rs 11,000 (Captain’s Enclosure) Rs 14,000 (Corporate Boxes) Rs 14,000 (Bay Area) Rs 15,000 (DareDevil Lounge) Rs 22,500 (Marquee)

Delhi Daredevils IPL Schedule 2011

DATE	MATCH	HOME / AWAY	TIME	VENUE
10/04/2011	DD Vs MI	HOME	1600hrs	DELHI
12/04/2011	RR Vs DD	AWAY	1600hrs	JAIPUR
15/04/2011	DD Vs KKR	HOME	2000hrs	DELHI
17/04/2011	PW Vs DD	AWAY	2000hrs	NAVI MUMBAI
19/04/2011	DD Vs DC	HOME	1600hrs	DELHI
23/04/2011	DD Vs KXIP	HOME	2000hrs	DELHI
26/04/2011	DD Vs RCB	HOME	2000hrs	DELHI
30/04/2011	ICK Vs DD	AWAY	1600hrs	KOCHI
02/05/2011	DD Vs ICK	HOME	2000hrs	DELHI
05/05/2011	DC Vs DD	AWAY	2000hrs	HYDERABAD
07/05/2011	MI Vs DD	AWAY	2000hrs	MUMBAI
12/05/2011	CSK Vs DD	AWAY	2000hrs	CHENNAI
15/05/2011	KXIP Vs DD	AWAY	1600hrs	DHARAMSALA
21/05/2011	DD Vs PW	HOME	2000hrs	DELHI

IPL 2011 Playoffs Schedule

DATE	MATCH	HOME / AWAY	TIME	VENUE
24/05/2011	QF1 (1st TEAM Vs 2nd TEAM)	AWAY	2000hrs	MUMBAI
25/05/2011	ELIMINATOR (3rd TEAM Vs 4th TEAM)	AWAY	2000hrs	MUMBAI
27/05/2011	QF2 (WINNER OF ELIMINATOR Vs LOSER OF QF1)	AWAY	2000hrs	CHENNAI
28/05/2011	FINAL (WINNER OF QF1 Vs WINNER OF QF2)	AWAY	2000hrs	CHENNAI

IPL Tickets – IPL Cricket Tickets Info will be placed here.

2011-04-06T21:25:00.000-07:00

The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League will be held from April 8, 2011 to May 22, 2011. It will see ten teams play out this time, after the first three editions of the tournament had only eight sides each. And what’s more, there will be a total of 74 games to be played for the tournament.

As a fan, you will be able to watch the cricket matches in the IPL at the various venues, which have also been increased this time. You can buy the tickets for the tournament from the official IPL partnering sites – KyaZoonga.com, BookmyShow.com & Ticketgenie.in by either selecting the team or the venue at which you want to see the games.

Interestingly, there was also an option of buying bulk tickets for all the games your favourite team will play in the tournament at home during the first IPL. It would need to be seen whether the same options of buying a season’s pass of tickets is allowed even this time. IPL 2011 tickets online – get IPL 4 tickets team-wise by following the links below.

DLF IPL 2011 Tickets Booking Team-Wise

To know more on Kings XI Punjab IPL Tickets, Click here – Kings XI Punjab Tickets

To know more on Deccan Chargers IPL Tickets, Click here – Deccan Chargers Tickets

To know more on Rajasthan Royals IPL Tickets, Click here – Rajasthan Royals Tickets

To know more on Mumbai Indians IPL Tickets, Click here – Mumbai Indians Tickets

To know more on Delhi Daredevils IPL Tickets, Click here - Delhi Daredevils Tickets

To know more on Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Tickets, Click here - Kolkata Knight Riders Tickets

To know more on Chennai Super Kings IPL Tickets, Click here - Chennai Super Kings Tickets

To know more on Pune Warriors IPL Tickets, Click here - Pune Warriors Tickets

To know more on Royal Challengers Bangalore IPL Tickets, Click here - Royal Challengers Bangalore Tickets

To know more on Kochi Tuskers Kerala IPL Tickets, Click here - Kochi Tuskers Kerala Tickets

SRK offers another olive branch to Ganguly

2011-01-13T03:00:00.001-08:00

NEW DELHI: Extending another olive branch to Sourav Ganguly , Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan said that the decision to drop the former Indian captain from the Kolkata Knight Riders team was taken with a very heavy heart.

Talking to reporters, King Khan said, he always wanted Sourav to be part of Kolkata Knight Riders.

"Dada is like a younger brother to me and I want to win more games together," Shah Rukh added.

Looking for a better future of his team, Shahrukh wants to keep sacrifices and issues behind to emerge as winners, more importantly play with the right spirit.

Indians 7 biggest grossers at IPL auction 2011

2011-01-13T02:59:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI: The Indian Premier League (IPL) auction 2011 has predictably demolished a lot of myths and theories about both the sport and business. For one, the sentimental value of players was not taken into account, even if they were Sourav Ganguly, Brian Lara or Mark Boucher. Two, the realisation that it is safer to invest in Indians than chase the mirage of overseas players.

At the IPL mini auction the year before last, there was a hue and cry over the entire Pakistan lot going unsold. By the same argument, after the two-day auction, quite a few Twenty20 specialists from England, South Africa, West Indies and Sri Lanka were left untouched by the owners of the ten franchises.

The owners were willing to be charitable to the Dravids and the Laxmans or pay four young Indians upwards of $2 million rather than looking wide-eyed at highly-rated overseas players.

Even Gautam Gambhir did not think he would lead the pack of multimillionaires with a whopping $2.4 million (11.04 crore), followed by Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa $2.1m (9.66 cr) and Rohit Sharma $2m (9.20 cr). Three other Indians -- Irfan Pathan, Yuvraj Singh and Saurabh Tiwari - are not very far from the two-million-mark.

Contrast these figures with the highest paid overseas player Mahela Jayawrdene's $1.5m and the other two foreigners in the million bracket to get an insight into the mindset of the moneybags controlling the franchises. Only two other overseas players, David Hussey and Dale Steyn could get to a little over a million dollars each.

In the first auction in 2008, people were left gaping at Mahendra Singh Dhoni getting $1.5 million and a year later Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen's price tag of $1.55m and that figure looked obscene. What can you say now, that a clutch of brash young men were bought for over two million each?

Franchise owners knew that they would have to shell out almost double the amount they had the last time for marquee players and the value-added investment for promising players this time around. It was well known a year ago that some of the players will cross the two-million figure at this auction and so the market watchers were not surprised at all at the turn of events. What they might not have expected is the inflated sums some of the Indian players were bought for.

Curiously, the players retained by the franchises are all Indians. When it came to the auction, teams like Bangalore Royal Challengers and Chennai Super Kings tried their best to win back players who served them well in the first three seasons.

Going by the same yardstick, many felt the inclusion of Sourav Ganguly would have immensely enhanced the brand value of Kolkata Knight Riders, but then the professional management brought in by the owners thought otherwise. Come to think of it, KKR is the only franchise that did not have any of its owners at the auction table.

Franchises have realised that their brand value will be enriched by local players and those in the catchment areas, not all those super stars from overseas who just go through their motions and that, too, if they condescend to play at all. It happened with Chris Gayle, Ricky Ponting et al.

A look at the composition of the teams makes it clear that the accent is more on the Indians as they have to fill in seven slots in the team as against a maximum of four overseas players. Some owners smartly invested in players who have done well in domestic cricket.

With former captains Anil Kumble and Stephen Fleming, Geoff Lawson, David Whatmore and Darren Lehmann having a bigger say in strategising, the owners worked it out all well.

The fact that some of the overseas coaches went round watching the Ranji Trophy matches in the last couple of weeks made them plump for young Indians, ignoring players from their own countries. That explains how someone like Murali Kartik could get a good price after going unsold the first time when he went under the hammer.

The squads will get their final shape with the inclusion of uncapped players from their catchment areas and that pool has some terrific talent. The first three seasons have thrown up a fair sprinkling of bright young players, some of whom have gone to play for the country in limited-overs games.

It's now truly the Indian Premier League!

IPL-4 auction: Clash of billionaire egos and a bit of business

2011-01-13T02:58:00.000-08:00

By design or fate, all things related to the Indian Premier League always start off with a bang. Be it action on the field or in the auction room. In 2008, Kiwi keeper Brendon McCullum kicked off the IPL era in Bangalore in grand style, with a 74-ball 158, after a memorable fireworks display funded by Vijay Mallya.

Snugly fitting into that narrative, and in the same city, the very first golden ball containing opener Gautam Gambhir's name landed in British auctioneer Richard Madley's hands, setting off a fierce four-cornered bidding war that eventually ended with Shah Rukh Khan's Knight Riders forking out a record $2.4 million.

Whether he merits the price tag is a debate fans could engage in for the next three years. What is certain is that the IPL has serendipitously hit upon a bonus idea of televised player auctions that, in many ways, are as exciting as some of the matches, and generate enough froth leading up to the cricket.

Has SRK, yet again, assembled a team of Cassandras? Can the vast coffers of the country's richest man buy peace between Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds? Is Shane Warne still as good at leg-spin as he now is on the poker/bar table?

The two-day trading in Bangalore’s Royal Gardenia furthers the buzz around brand IPL. Vijay Mallya squaring up against Preity Zinta to enlist the services of a 20-year-old also makes for good TV.

As does the sight of seasoned entrepreneurs, who cut million-dollar deals for a living, nervously squeezing a stress ball when the auctioneer's hammer is about to go down on their preferred player. Not surprisingly, after the first round of closed-door auction in 2008, BCCI opted to beam the events live.

The IPL player auction is a unique event in the world of sportonomics. It's a combination of futures trading and the famed Pushkar cattle fair that’s now a tourist attraction. In 2008, Australian legend Adam Gilchrist couldn't quite come to terms with cricket’s laissez-faire and confessed to feeling “a bit like a cow”. “But it's interesting and unique,” he added.

No other big money franchise sport — football, baseball or basketball -- offers the public the perverse viewing pleasure of reputations being consigned to the dung heap (think Brian Lara and Sourav Ganguly, circa 2011) by hardnosed bean counters or newbies of modest means like Saurabh Tiwary and Rohit Sharma turning overnight millionaires.

For franchise owners, the entire IPL jamboree, and the auctions in particular, is a great opportunity to give their heirs a taste of business management. At almost every team table a member of the business family’s next generation was taking active part in the bidding process.

Gayatri Reddy, the daughter of Deccan Chronicle promoter Ram Reddy, made every bid and addressed the media, with her father often nodding in approval. Sahara group chairman Subrata Roy’s son Sushanto was the public face of the Pune Warriors franchise at the auction.

India Cements chairman N Srinivasan's son-in-law has been a hands-on manager for almost two years at Chennai Super Kings; and with Srinivasan facing uncomfortable questions about conflict of interest in his capacity as an

IPL governing council member and franchise owner, he has let Meiyappan represent the team’s ownership. Nattily dressed Siddharth Mallya was Vijay Mallya’s key confidant in this season's auction. He took an active role in advising his billionaire father on the extent of Royal Challengers bid and when to exit.

When he was miffed by Kings XI’s last-minute bid for Saurabh Tiwary, Mallya Junior took matters into his own hand by walking over to the Mohali team to express his displeasure. "Siddharth spent several days with team mentor Kumble to finalise the team’s wishlist and work out the auction economics,” says a key Bangalore franchise official. “He was as active as his father in drafting the team’s youth strategy.”

“It’s bit like rich fathers gifting their children a real-time Monopoly set,” says Santosh Desai, CEO Future Brands. "The auctions are glamorous, televised live and, like in any business, you have to make quick valuation decisions and have team composition in mind.

It offers a perfect platform for public visibility for CEO kids. Just as men of the family would do the real business and let a young relative handle ‘soft’ areas like advertising, Gen Next is being given a role in a new, exciting, high visibility enterprise.”

No decision on Pak players for IPL auction: GC Member

2010-12-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

Mumbai: The IPL Governing Council has not taken any decision on whether to include or exclude players from Pakistan for the Indian Premier League's players' auction scheduled for January 8-9 next year, a member of the Twenty20 League's ruling body said.

"Anyone can write anything sitting in their room, but no such decision was taken at the meeting," a member of the IPL GC, who did not wish to be named, told PTI on Tuesday reacting to news reports that Pakistani players would be sidelined for the second year running.

Reports quoting a top but unnanmed official of the Cricket Board, that owns the cash-rich Twenty20 League, indicated that the IPL GC, which met here on December 5, decided to leave out Pakistan players from the auction in the wake of the International Cricket Council's probe into the match-fixing allegations against some Pakistan cricketers.

Prior to IPL-3 no franchise showed any interest in picking up Pakistan players at the auction held in January.

Eleven Pakistani cricketers were to go under the hammer but there were no takers for any of them.

The unsold players were Shahid Afridi, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul, Imran Nazir, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Mohammad Aamer, Abdul Razzaq, Kamran Akmal, Umar Akmal, Saeed Ajmal and Sohail Tanvir.

Players from Pakistan took part in the inaugural edition of the IPL in 2008 but were denied permission to figure in the second season of the Twenty20 League in 2009 by their government following the November 26, 2008 terror strike in Mumbai.

Finally the wait is over

2010-05-16T20:49:00.001-07:00

Finally the wait is over

England trounced Australia by seven wickets to win their maiden ICC World Twenty20 championship

Bridgetown (Barbados), May 16: A resurgent England registered an emphatic seven-wicket victory over old foes Australia to win the Twenty20 World Cup at Kensington Oval in Barbados today.

It was a moment to remember for England as captain Paul Collingwood hit the winning run and the players from the bench rushed to congratulate their leader. After restricting the Australians for 147, England started their chase with the loss the of Michael Lumb early but Craig Kieswetter (63) batted carefully and placed his team in a comfort zone. Kevin Pietersen also played his part and scored a quick 47.

Hussey powers Oz into final

2010-05-14T20:24:00.001-07:00

Hussey powers Oz into final

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 14: Michael Hussey scored a brilliant 60 off 24 balls to give Australia a thumping victory against Pakistan in the second semifinal of ICC World Twenty20 here today. Now Australia face England in the final on Sunday.

Chasing a tough target of 192, the Australians were in trouble as they lost a few early wickets but Hussey did not allow the defending champions to gain the upperhand in the match with his masterful display. Cameron White also contributed 43 to the winning cause.

Earlier, Pakistan rode on blistering half-centuries by Kamran Akmal (50) and Umar Akmal (56) to post a challenging 191 for six.

Put into bat, Kamran and Salman Butt (32) shared a 58-ball 82-run opening partnership to set the tone, while Umar provided the late charge as Pakistan stunned Australia with their stroke-play in a sticky Beausejour wicket here.

Inclement weather and wet ground conditions had earlier delayed the start of the match by half an hour but that did not bother the Pakistan openers as they went about their business.

England beat Lanka, in final

2010-05-13T20:15:00.000-07:00

England beat Lanka, in final

Gros Islet (St Lucia), May 13: Once again Kevin Pietersen became the hero as he remained not out at 42 to see his team enter the final of the ICC Twenty20, beating Sri Lanka by seven wickets in the first semifinal here today. Craig Kieswetter was the other major contributor (39) as England easily chased down the target with 24 balls remaining.

Earlier, Angelo Mathews (58) stood among ruins with a fighting half century as Sri Lanka scored a modest 128 for six.

Mathews, who hit three fours and a six in his 45-ball innings, got little support from his batting colleagues as the next highest contributors were captain Kumar Saangakkara (16) and Chamara Kapugedera (16) after Sri Lanka elected to bat at a slow Beausejour Stadium pitch. Mathews was involved in two partnerships — 46 off 45 balls with Kapugedera for the fifth wicket and 33 off 20 balls with Thissara Perera for the sixth — which took Sri Lanka at least something to defend.

Broad was the most successful England bowler with two wickets for 21 while Bresman, Sidebottom and Swann chipped in with a wicket each. Except for calling the coin correctly, nothing worked for Sri Lanka as they lost their three key batsmen by the fifth over for just 26 runs.

Sri Lanka’s woes deepened with their best batsman in the tournament Mahela Jayawardene departing in the first ball of the fifth over off a beauty from Stuart Broad with the ball lifting and moving a shade away from the bat for wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter to do the rest. Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews tried to repair the innings before the former was out in the ninth over for a 19-ball 16 to leave his side in deep trouble at 47 for four. Brief Score: Sri Lanka 128/6 England 132/3 (PTI)

Sri Lanka keep hopes alive, India bite the dust

2010-05-11T20:20:00.001-07:00

Sri Lanka keep hopes alive, India bite the dust

St Lucia, May 11: Sri Lanka beat India by 5 wickets at a thrilling match of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup at St Lucia tonight. The last-ball sixer by islander Chamara Kapugedara proved to be the dampener for India’s race for a semifinal berth. Chasing a target of 164, Sri Lanka made 167 for the loss of five wickets in the stipulated 20 overs.

Earlier, Suresh Raina top scored for India with a 47-ball 63 as his team scored a competitive 163 for five in their crucial Super Eights match. India were 90 for one at half-way mark but could not accelerate much afterwards due to slow nature of the wicket.

If India manages to beat Sri Lanka by 20 runs, they will keenly watch the next match where an Australia win over the West Indies would clear their passage to the semifinals. Given the do-or-die situation, India batted aggressively and positively. Dinesh Karthik, who replaced Murali Vijay, started off with a bang by dispatching the first ball of innings off Angelo Mathews to the point boundary. Karthik (13) looked in good touch as he was striking the ball well but a leading edge off Lasith Malinga ended his stay at the crease, though India made a steady start.

India out of T20 World Cup’10

2010-05-09T18:23:00.001-07:00

India out of T20 World Cup’10

Bridgetown (Barbados), May 9: West Indies beat India by 14 runs to keep their hopes alive for semi-final race. The former Champions India were, however, out of the Tournament. In reply to West Indies 170-run target, India performed meekly as there batsman were kept in the back foot with some fast and aggressive bowling by the West Indian bowlers.

Earlier, Chris Gayle butchered the Indian bowlers with a whirlwind 66-ball 98 as West Indies posted a competitive 169 for six in their Group F Super Eight match of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup here today. Gayle slammed five fours and seven sixes and involved in three crucial partnership with Shivnarine Chanderpaul (23), Darren Sammy (19) and Keiron Pollard (17) after India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni put West Indies to bat.

India surrender meekly

2010-05-07T20:12:00.001-07:00

India surrender meekly

Warner, Watson make bowlers toil as Australia pile up 184/5

Bridgetown (Barbados), May 7: Rohit Sharma’s blistering unbeaten half-century went in vain as Australia humiliated India, inflicting on the 2007 champions a crushing 49-run defeat in a Super Eight Group F match of the Twenty20 World Cup here today.

Barring the toss, which Mahendra Singh Dhoni won and opted to field, nothing went right for India today and the Australian team, under Michael Clarke, made a statement that they are determined to win the only major trophy missing in their cupboard.

Put into bat, Australia rode on the blistering 104-run stand provided by openers David Warner (72) and Shane Watson (54) in 10-odd overs to post a commanding 184 for five even though they looked good for the 200-mark.

England qualify for Super 8

2010-05-05T20:39:00.001-07:00

England qualify for Super 8

Collingwood this time has rain to thank

Providence (Guyana), May 5: England entered the Super Eight stage of the Twenty20 cricket World Cup after heavy downpour washed out their crucial Group D match against Ireland here.

With each team getting one point, England qualified for the Super Eight stage, thanks to their superior net run-rate. England have a net run-rate of -0.452, better than Ireland’s -3.500 after the two group matches. Hosts West Indies have already qualified as the top team from the Group D.

Put into bat, England went off to a dismal start but Eoin Morgan’s determined 37-ball 45 helped them eke out a moderate 120 for eight yesterday.

Morgan, who struck five fours, found good support from Luke Wright (20 off 24). The duo came together when the team was struggling at 49 for four and added 41 runs for the fifth wicket partnership to give a timely recovery.

Rain halted the match soon after Ireland started chasing the victory target of 121. They were four for no loss in 1.2 overs when the match was halted due to heavy downpour.

Rain favours the host to beat England

2010-05-04T20:40:00.001-07:00

Rain favours the host to beat England

PROVIDENCE, May 4: West Indies won through to the second round of the World Twenty20 after beating England by eight wickets in a match whose context was completely changed by rain on Monday.

England made a challenging total of 191 for five, featuring 55 from former Ireland batsman Eoin Morgan, after being sent-in to bat by West Indies captain Chris Gayle.

But rain, which had interrupted Sri Lanka’s match against Zimbabwe here earlier in the day, returned after the West Indies had started their reply in barnstorming fashion to be 30 without loss at the Guyana National Stadium.

And when play resumed, the West Indies were left with a revised target of 60 in six overs, under the Duckworth/Lewis method for rain-affected matches.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (15 not out) and Andre Fletcher (12 not out) saw the hosts to victory with a ball to spare as they scored the eight runs they needed off the last over, from fast bowler Stuart Broad.

England now have a winner-takes-all clash against Ireland, who suffered a 70-run Group D thrashing by the West Indies last week, here on Tuesday to decide which team will join the hosts in the Super Eights.

We trusted IPL financial experts: Sunil Gavaskar

2010-05-02T20:46:00.001-07:00

We trusted IPL financial experts: Sunil Gavaskar

Mumbai, May 2: Breaking his silence on the controversy surrounding the Indian Premier League (IPL), former cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has said he and his other fellow cricketers had complete faith in financial experts in the committee.

In an article appearing in the Times of India, Gavaskar expressed regret over the fact that he did not have much knowledge of financial and legal issues, so was unable to understand what was discussed in IPL meeting.

“Pity, we cricketers don’t have so much knowledge, for then we would have been able to understand a lot of the financial and legal issues that came up in council meetings. We cricketers looked at all the others who were knowledgeable about finance and trusted their expertise,” Gavaskar writes.

Modi feels the heat, BCCI President to be co-chairman

2010-04-16T05:00:00.002-07:00

In one of the major fall-outs of the battle between IPL Commissioner and Chairman Lalit Modi and Shashi Tharoor, the mentor of the Kochi franchise, the BCCI has decided to clip Modi's wings and appoint the BCCI President as the co-chairman of the IPL, according to a report on NDTV.

NDTV said BCCI sources had confirmed the same after the IT Department landed up at the BCCI headquarters to inquire into the shareholding pattern of each of the IPL franchises.

The Kochi franchise has not emerged unscathed from the fiasco, with CEO Shailendra Gaikwad being replaced by Keshav T, and Dubai based businessman Harshad Mehta appointed as Chairman. Mehta is the chairman of the Dubai operations of Rosy Blue Diamonds, but his stake in IPL Kochi franchise is personal.

The semi-final requirements

2010-04-16T05:00:00.001-07:00

Given the pedigree that both Bangalore and Delhi have on paper, it is slightly surprising that they have huffed and puffed their way to a somewhat safe position on the points table and have both got one foot in the door for the semi-finals. They haven't yet gotten through for sure (though Bangalore are through for all practical purposes), and they only have themselves to blame for that, since they will feel that if they had been a bit tighter in some games, they would have been sitting on more than 14 points and would have already booked their place in the semi-final.

It is good for the tournament that both Delhi and Bangalore have won though, since they have players that can make watching them very exciting.

What Delhi's victory means though, is that the points table is still technically open. There are six matches to go, with Mumbai on 18 points and Bangalore and Delhi on 14 points. Chennai, Rajasthan and Deccan are locked on 12 points, while Kolkata have 10 and Punjab have 8.

A look at how each team stands from the bottom upwards:

Kings XI Punjab: They are on 8 points, with 2 games in hand. This means that the maximum number of points they can get is 12. Given that Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore are already on more than 12 points, the only way for Punjab to make it to the final four is if no other team crosses 12 points, and Punjab win by such huge margins that they end up having the best net run-rate. Punjab's current net run-rate is a low -0.48, and even if all other teams get to 12 points, they would have to beat Chennai on net run-rate. Chennai have a high NRR of +0.27, and their only remaining match is against Punjab. The difference in net run-rates is such that Punjab will have to win both their remaining matches by at least 100-run margins (or equivalent if bowling first), and in all likelihood beat Chennai by a 130 runs-plus margin. Since this is highly unlikely, Punjab can be safely discounted as a potential semi-finalist.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Kolkata have the worst net run-rate amongst all the teams (-0.63) - even worse than Punjab, and thus qualifying on net run-rates is also out of the question for them. They have 10 points with 2 games in hand, which means they have to win both games, and hope nobody else reaches 14 points. This is possible if Punjab win both their remaining matches (against Deccan and Chennai) and Delhi win their remaining game against Deccan. That would ensure that Kolkata make it to the semi-finals as the fourth team since neither Chennai, Rajasthan, Deccan or Punjab would have 14 points. But of course, if Kolkata lose another match, then they are also out of the semi-finals for all practical purposes.

Deccan Chargers: They are on 12 points with two games in hand. Their net run-rate is also none too good (-0.44). However, that will be made irrelevant if they win both remaining games, since this would take them to 16 points and give them entry to the semi-finals on points alone, since no combination of wins/losses will result in more than four teams ending up on 16 points. If Deccan win only one match, they would be on 14 points. The match Deccan have to win is against the Delhi Daredevils since Delhi are above them on net run-rate, and if Deccan can inflict a heavy defeat on Delhi then they might even be able to afford to lose their match against Punjab, provided they do so narrowly. One win and one loss for Deccan will mean a whole lot of net run-rate calculations will have to be made. If Deccan lose to Punjab heavily though, then their hopes of qualifying for the semi-finals will take a severe beating and even a subsequent win against Delhi might not be enough to see them through. Thus Deccan's simplest route is to win both their matches.

Rajasthan Royals: They have 12 points and only a game in hand. Their net run rate is -0.421, and if they lose their last match, then they will be out of the semi-finals for all practical purposes. Thus they need to win their match against Kolkata, and hope that Chennai lose against Punjab, since if Chennai win they will draw level on points and will qualify on account of their superior net run-rate. Even if they win, they are not guaranteed a final-four spot, since Deccan are close to them on net run-rates and have 2 matches in hand. They will need Deccan to lose at least one of the two, and win the other one very narrowly. Thus for Rajasthan to qualify, they need to beat Kolkata - preferably by a big margin - and hope that Chennai lose one match, while Deccan don't win more than one, and not very heavily at that.

Chennai Super Kings: They have 12 points with one game in hand, but their advantage is their very healthy net run rate, which is +0.27. If Chennai lose their final match (which is against Punjab) then they must hope that Kolkata beat Rajasthan, while Deccan lose to Delhi and Punjab and Mumbai beat Kolkata. This would mean Rajasthan, Kolkata, Deccan and Chennai would be tied on 12 points, and Chennai would make it through on account of their strong NRR. If Chennai win, they will be on 14 points, and are likely to make it through to the semi-finals, since they are likely to be amongst three teams fighting for two slots, and their NRR will take them through.

Delhi Daredevils: They have 14 points, with a match in hand. If they win their match against the Deccan Chargers, their entry into the semi-finals will be assured, but if they lose the match, then they must hope that Chennai also lose their match or that Deccan don't win two out of two matches. Any one of the above two will result in Delhi qualifying for the semi-finals even if they lose their last match. However, if Delhi lose and Chennai and Deccan both win their remaining matches, then Delhi will be edged out.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: They have 14 points, with a match in hand. If Bangalore win their final match (against the Mumbai Indians), then they will be through to the semi-finals, but they are still likely to make it even if they lose to Mumbai. The only way they will be edged out if they lose is if Deccan beat Delhi narrowly and Punjab very comprehensively, while Chennai also beat very comprehensively. Meanwhile, Bangalore themselves will have to lose by a mammoth margin to Mumbai (on the order of 110 runs or so) for their Net Run Rate to fall below Delhi's and so be edged out of the semi-finals. Thus for all practical purposes, Bangalore are also through to the semi-finals.

Mumbai Indians: The only thing for them to do is ensure Sachin Tendulkar continues to strike the ball the way he has all tournament long! They are not only in the semi-final, but are guaranteed to qualify as the top-ranked team from the league stage.

Gooch says Essex's Olympic plan "makes sense"

2010-04-16T04:59:00.002-07:00

Former Essex and England captain Graham Gooch has backed the county cricket club's plan to share London's Olympic Stadium with West Ham football club and Newham Council after the 2012 Games are over.

Essex chief executive David East has held talks with the Premier League side and the local authority in a move Gooch believes will benefit all parties.

"I'm right behind the proposal," Gooch told Sky Sports.

"I'm a big Hammers supporter as well as an Essex supporter," the 56-year-old, one of the best opening batsmen of his generation and still England's leading Test match run-scorer, said.

"It absolutely makes sense that Essex, West Ham and Newham Council join forces to use the Olympic Stadium for sport to have a legacy for more than one sport on that stadium.

"I come from exactly that area. It would be good for sport in that area. It would raise the profile of cricket in east London, especially with the Asian population. It's a multi-dimensional, ethnic population there.

"We've raised a lot of players from there -- Varun Chopra, Nasser Hussain (another ex-England captain) and others on our staff.

"I was born in Leytonstone, Nasser Hussain was from Ilford and John Lever (the former Essex and England left-arm seamer) was from there (Stepney). A lot of our players come from that area.

"We're not talking about it being our headquarters for championship cricket -- that's at Chelmsford.

"We're talking about playing limited-overs, Twenty20 cricket there.

"The timescale for us -- June, July, August -- is when West Ham wouldn't be using the stadium," explained Gooch.

West Ham would like to move permanently to the Olympic Stadium from their existing ground at Upton Park, which is nearby the Games site, but Essex just want to use the venue in Stratford, east London, for Twenty20 matches.

"We are very much looking forward to exploring this with Newham and West Ham," East, who as a wicketkeeper played alongside Gooch in the successful Essex side of the 1980s, explained.

"We have a very active development programme in the east end of London, and this would give us an ideal opportunity to extend our community work even further with a centre of excellence in the borough."

"Obviously there are some reasonably substantive issues concerning the pitch and that's going to be part of the investigation we work on."

Hammers vice-chairman Karren Brady said: "It's about realising the full potential of the Olympic Park.

"If achievable it is the ideal answer for those who, rightly, demand a sustainable legacy from the 2012 Games and not a white elephant."

Under current plans, the 80,000-seater Olympic Stadium is due to be reduced after the Games to a 25,000-capacity venue complete with an athletics track.

But with the stadium costing 537 million pounds (809 million dollars), there are concerns as to whether it will remain economically viable as an athletics venue alone.

India to tour Zimbabwe in May-June

2010-04-16T04:59:00.001-07:00

India will tour Zimbabwe in May-June for a triangular one-day series with Sri Lanka as the third team, the Indian cricket board said Friday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's men will also play two Twenty20 internationals against the home side during the tour, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said in a press release.

Schedule:

May 28 - India vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo

May 30 - India vs Sri Lanka, Bulawayo

June 1 - Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, Bulawayo

June 3 - Zimbabwe vs India, Harare

June 5 - India vs Sri Lanka, Harare

June 7 - Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka, Harare

June 9 - Final, Harare

June 12 - 1st Twenty20, India vs Zimbabwe, Harare

June 13 - 2nd Twenty20, India vs Zimbabwe, Harare

Amla marks Championship debut with century

2010-04-16T04:58:00.000-07:00

South Africa batsman Hashim Amla scored a century on his County Championship debut to put Nottinghamshire in a strong position on the opening day of their First Division clash against Kent.

Amla, available for the opening four Championship matches of the season, made 129, including 19 fours, in a 202-ball innings at Trent Bridge on Thursday that ended when he was dismissed by Darren Stevens.

His innings helped Nottinghamshire, last year's runners-up, to 396 for eight which also featured 85 from Neil Edwards and captain Chris Read's 62.

Amla wasn't the only South Africa batsman in the runs on Thursday, with his Test colleague Ashwell Prince making 82 in Lancashire's total of 253 against Warwickshire at Old Trafford.

Durham, bidding to become the first side to win a third straight Championship title since Yorkshire in the 1960s, were frustrated by a maiden first-class hundred from Essex's Jaik Mickleburgh at the Riverside.

Although they were without injured former England quick Steve Harmison, Durham still reduced Essex to 102 for four before the visitors rallied thanks to 20-year-old Mickleburgh's unbeaten 103 which helped guide them to a close total of 263 for four.

Former England opener Marcus Trescothick marked the Championship start of his reign as Somerset captain with a century against Yorkshire at Headingley.

The left-hander scored 117 off 175 balls with 15 boundaries in a total of 272 after Somerset had struggled early on with England quick Tim Bresnan taking three wickets for 10 runs in 26 deliveries.

Broad happy to miss IPL

2010-04-16T04:57:00.000-07:00

Stuart Broad capped a dream season by being named one of Wisden's cricketers of the year and said he was happy to miss out on the Indian Premier League to ensure he remains in the best shape for England.

Having lost 4kg and picked up a "few aches and niggles" during England's tour of Bangladesh the Nottinghamshire paceman took a few weeks off to recover.

"I've been in the gym, trying to put a bit of the weight back on and just generally easing the aches and pains," he said at the announcement of FTI Consulting as the new sponsor of the MVP rankings.

"As a bowler you get little niggles. Playing for England is the highlight of my career and I felt I needed a couple of weeks' rest before the Twenty20 World Cup to make sure I'm fit and firing."

With Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen previously criticised after picking up injuries in the IPL, Broad, so slim now that he would barely cover all three stumps if he stood chest-on in front of them, said he fully supported captain Andrew Strauss's decision to sit out the Bangladesh tour.

"Obviously you want to play as many games as you can for England but Straussy felt he needed a break and that's great," he said.

"You need your captain really fresh. It's pretty difficult with the fixture list, you want to play every game but you'd break down."

A couple of hundred hardy souls braved a chilly spring wind at Lord's on Thursday to watch the county match between Middlesex and Glamorgan, a far cry from the mayhem of the IPL League where most of the world's leading players are honing their short-game talents before the Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies which starts in two weeks.

Broad accepted that England's players could do with sharpening their skills but said he was confident they could still be competitive despite their lack of practice.

"The IPL is something I'd like to do in the future, it's a fantastic tournament, but I just felt that this year, after the tour to Bangladesh and with a hectic year ahead I just needed a little break," he said.

"We do need to develop as a Twenty20 team and players. We've got a couple of warm-up games before the tournament and it would probably have been better to have played a few more but we've had a bit of rest and I certainly feel better for that.

"We have a good chance, if we can get a good start and pick up some momentum, it's a short tournament so we could go well.

"The selection looks exciting, we've got batsmen who can hit fours and sixes right through the order and bowlers taking wickets so I'm looking forward to being out there."

Broad is second in the MVP rankings behind spinner Graeme Swann and both men, who did so much to help England to their Ashes victory over Australia last season, were among Wisden's Cricketers of the year announced on Wednesday.

England wicketkeeper Matt Prior, swing bowler Graham Onions and Australian batsmen Michael Clarke completed the quintet honoured on Wednesday.

"It was a fantastic evening, going up and getting the award with such illustrious people and past winners in the room," Broad told Reuters.

"It was a huge honour to get the leather book with my name on, you can only win it once and nobody can take that away.

"I was also very proud to have four England players in the five. That really shows how far we've come as a team."

Modi offered USD 50 million bribe: Rendezvous

2010-04-16T04:56:00.000-07:00

In a new twist to the controversy over the Kochi team, its owner Rendezvous Sports alleged that IPL Commisioner Lalit Modi had offered a USD 50 million bribe to them to withdraw from the race.

"We were offered USD 50 million by Modi to withdraw from the Kochi team," Shailendra Gaikwad, CEO of the franchise, alleged within hours of Modi telling reporters that there was a question mark over the fate of the new team, secured by a bid of Rs 1533 crore last month.

Terming as "rubbish" the charges, Modi told PTI: "Are they mad. Who will offer them what they say - Rs 200 crore. I will take legal recourse."

Asked when he would initiate the legal action, he said "I am awaiting the clippings (in which Gaikwad had made allegation that Modi wanted their bid to be withdrawn). Once I have that, I will serve them legal notice... possibly tomorrow."

Hours after Modi told a press conference that there was a question mark over the owners of the Kochi franchise, Gaikwad hit back at the IPL Commissioner saying that they were being deliberately made to go through a "tough time" because they refused the offer.

"We went through the process in the right manner and won the bid. But within 10 days of winning the bid, Modi offered us USD 50 million to give away the rights of the IPL franchise," Gaikwad told PTI.

Gaikwad said that the franchise was being targeted because it outbid some big business houses whom Modi wanted to rope in for the subsequent editions of IPL.

"We are being put through an unnecessary process and the reasons are obvious. If we did not have all the papers in place how could we win the bid. It is unfair now to make us go through these problems," he said.

Modi dared Gaikwad to prove the allegations, saying, "Why I will offer them the money... the bid had gone for a good sum."

"Today they are saying USD 50 million. Tomorrow they may say some different figures," he said adding that every communication and conversations, including that of Tharoor wherein the Union Minister asked him not to identify the owners, was minuted in IPL.

Allegations from Rendezvous, which has given a 18 per cent share of its 25 per cent equity in the Kochi Team to Sunanda Pushkar -- a friend of Tharoor, came within days of Modi divulging the names of stakeholders in Kochi Team, a tweet that led to a public spat between the Union Minister and IPL official.

Gaikwad said that all the details of the owners were provided in the bid document which would have, otherwise, been rejected.

"We have submitted all the details such as, PAN card, passport and other professional documents in the bid. Everything was attached as per the requirements. So how come suddenly there is a doubt about the owners? he asked.

Gaikwad suggested that the IPL Commissioner may be putting obstacles on the Kochi franchise so that he could push some other team which he favoured.

He alleged that Modi had asked a lot of personal details during the meeting with the owners in Bangalore.

"We were asked a lot of personal questions about some of our owners which we could not readily answer. He asked questions about when did you meet Sunanda (Pushkar) and other such irrelevant things.

"We said that whatever questions were unanswered we will mail all the details as soon as possible. We felt that most of the questions were planted. Before we could give all the answers he went on Twitter and said at the press conference that we did not have knowledge about all the owners," Gaikwad said.

Asked whether the Kochi franchise, which won the bid for a whopping Rs 1533 crore, was contemplating legal action against Modi for breaking the confidentiality terms, Gaikwad said, "We don't want to take legal recourse. We don't want to make this a legal issue. We are here for the passion of the game. We wanted to do something for cricket."

Earlier, Modi had said that he is in dark about the owners of the Kochi franchise and would call a meeting of the IPL Governing Council after April 25 to discuss the issue.

"As regards all earlier franchisees we know who the owners are. They come, they attend conferences and meetings but as far as Kochi IPL is concerned we had a question mark," he said at a press conference in Mumbai.

Modi using unethical efforts to thwart Kochi IPL: Tharoor

2010-04-15T18:48:00.001-07:00

Modi using unethical efforts to thwart Kochi IPL: Tharoor

New Delhi, April 13: Minister of State for External Affairs Minister Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday denied that he called up Indian Premier League (IPL) chief Lalit Modi requesting him not to reveal the name of the stakeholders of the consortium that won the franchise of the Kochi team.

Tharoor, who played the role of a mentor and helped the consortium bag the deal for Rs 1,530 crore, said in a statement that he had called up Modi to ask why he was further delaying the approval of the franchise when all the legal requirements had been fulfilled.

“Modi had held up approval by the IPL of the franchisee agreement earlier in the day by insisting on the reversal of a change in the document that he himself had earlier suggested. This change was made, the consortium members flew to Bangalore and met with Modi after that night’s IPL game for what they had been told would be a routine exercise.

Dhoni, Ganguly in a crucial face-off today

2010-04-12T19:56:00.001-07:00

Dhoni, Ganguly in a crucial face-off today

Chennai, April 12: Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders will clash in a make-or-break Indian Premier League match here tomorrow, the outcome of which will decide if they can still be in race for a semifinal spot.

Both the teams need to win all the three remaining games if they are to stand any chance of qualifying for the last-four stage and the team that ends on the wrong side of the result would be out of contention.

They are on equal points having won five of their 11 matches but the hosts are at the fifth place in the points table, ahead of Kolkata Knight Riders due to their better net run-rate.

The hosts have a psychological edge as they have beaten Knight Riders in the away encounter but that defeat at home would push Kolkata even more for the win.

Both the teams are coming into the clash after defeats in their last encounters and an exasperated Sourav Ganguly even went to the extent of saying that his side played “rubbish” on Saturday against Royal Challengers Bangalore and did not deserve to be in semifinals.

Pathan takes three wickets as Punjab beat Daredevils

2010-04-11T19:38:00.001-07:00

Pathan takes three wickets as Punjab beat Daredevils

New Delhi, April 11: Irfan Pathan returned with a three-wicket haul as Kings XI Punjab put up clinical all-round performance to register a seven-wicket comprehensive victory over Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match here today.

Pathan’s three for 24 and Piyush Chawla (2/16) helped Punjab shot out Delhi Daredevils for a lowly 111 at the slow and turning track of Ferozshah Kotla after home team captain Gautam Gambhir won the toss and elected to bat.

The Kings XI then returned to overhaul the target with eight balls to spare, courtesy Mahela Jayawardene (38), Kumar Sangakkara (33) and Yuvraj Singh’s unbeaten 21 off 25 balls.

Down, but not out: Shoaib Akhtar

2010-04-08T23:27:00.002-07:00

Age is catching up, fitness was never his strength and he has lost his central contract as well - but controversial pacer Shoaib Akhtar insists he is not done just yet and would make an international comeback soon.

The 34-year-old said he would be using the domestic Pentangular Cup one-day tournament as a platform to convince the selectors that he is ready to resume playing international cricket.

The fast bowler has been named in the Federal Areas team for the tournament starting April 17.

"I am thankful to the board for giving me this opportunity to prove myself again and I want to give it my best effort," Akhtar said.

He also made it clear that people who were writing him off are making a mistake.

"One of the reasons for my struggle with fitness and form in the last few series I played was because of the knee problem I had. I just never got the time to get it operated upon," he said.

"But now that the surgery has been done and the rehabilitation process has also gone well, I am back to my top fitness and the knee problem is no longer a hindrance in my giving my best on the field," he added.

Akhtar, who has taken 178 Test and 223 one-day wickets, said he was hoping to make a comeback to the team for the tour to England where Pakistan will play against Australia and the hosts.

"The England tour would be the perfect place for me to comeback as it has good conditions for bowling and the best facilities for a bowler coming back from an injury," he said.

Akhtar said he was confident of convincing the selectors about his pace and experience in the two tough Test series against Australia and England.

The fast bowler has not played for Pakistan since May 2009 when he played against Australia in Dubai. Since then injuries and disciplinary issues have kept him out of the national team.

Ganguly uncertain for next match

2010-04-08T23:27:00.001-07:00

Captain Sourav Ganguly is a doubtful starter for Kolkata's next game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday.

Ganguly, who was Man of the Match for his fifty, hurt his ankle during last night's game against Delhi. He underwent an MRI scan, the results of which are still awaited. Meanwhile, the Knight Riders have left for Bangalore.

Ganguly's performance last night earned him rich praise from the opposition captain Gautam Gambhir.

"He is amongst the greats of the game. Players like him (Ganguly) or Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble belong to a different class. It is certainly not about age, everything about them is all about class.

"In cricket what separates you is how quickly you can adapt to any situation. They had shown it time and again, at the highest level, that they can adapt quickly".

"In fact, the way he ran me out was the turning point of the match. We were chasing well. I got two boundaries in the same over, too. There was really no need to go for that impossible run. But Dada did it, hit the stumps," said Gambhir.

Kolkata are currently on 10 points with 5 wins and 5 losses from 10 games.

Jayasuriya stands in Sri Lanka elections

2010-04-08T23:26:00.002-07:00

Sri Lankan cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya, who is a candidate in Thursday's parliamentary polls, voted a day early so that he could play in a tournament in India, election officials said.

Jayasuriya, who is running for President Mahinda Rajapakse's United People's Freedom Alliance in the southern district of Matara, was granted special permission to cast his vote on Wednesday.

The 40-year-old batsman, the oldest man still playing international cricket, retired from Test matches in 2007 but has continued his career in shorter forms of the game.

He has been included in Sri Lanka's squad for the World Twenty20 tournament in the Caribbean from April 30-May 16.

Sri Lanka's 1996 World Cup winning skipper Arjuna Ranatunga is also a candidate in the elections, representing the opposition Democratic National Alliance. He entered politics after retiring from cricket.

Missing IPL is a blessing in disguise: Afridi

2010-04-08T23:26:00.001-07:00

Shahid Afridi feels missing the IPL is a blessing in disguise for the Pakistan cricketers.

Missing the third season of the Indian Premier League is actually a blessing in disguise for the Pakistani cricketers since it has allowed the players to gel well as a team and prepare better for the Twenty20 World Cup, skipper Shahid Afridi said on Thursday.

The flamboyant all rounder, who was asked to lead the team in the West Indies by the PCB, insists that he has no regrets on missing the lucrative league.

"No I don't have any regrets at all. In a way it is a blessing in disguise for all our players that we are not playing in the IPL before the World Cup.

"Given the problems that have besieged Pakistan cricket in recent months it is good that we have got time to work together as a team in the World Cup training camp, it has allowed us to settle down and focus on the World Cup," Afridi said.

Afridi and several other leading Pakistani players were included in the list of cricketers who were put up for auction but none of the franchises bid for any of 11 players.

However, Afridi said that issue was now behind him and he was focused on the World Cup.

"We really are not following the IPL closely. We don't know who is playing or who is not playing because the purpose of holding this training camp has been to gel the players and allow them to prepare as a team for the World Cup," he added.

Afridi feels his side badly needed a break after the disastrous Australian tour so missing IPL has actually helped the team.

The all-rounder said defending the title in the West Indies would be a difficult task and also acknowledged his responsibility as a senior player.

"I would definitely feel that I have achieved the biggest landmark of my career, I want the team to do well in the World Cup. It is a big ambition for me and I know as a senior player I will have to show the way in every department of the game," he said.

The World Cup is scheduled to begin from April 30 with Pakistan drawn to play its opening match against Bangladesh.

Abu gets support from Mumbai Indians

2010-04-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

Abu gets support from Mumbai Indians

By our sports Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 7: It might not be a perfect debut for Abu Nechim Ahmed in the Indian Premier League but the official website of Mumbai Indians has stood behind the young pacer from Assam. According to them, Abu demonstrated his great potential in the game by generating speed of 140 kmph consistently during his two overs spell.

Abu, a resident of Jalukbari area of the city, joined Mumbai Indian this season and from the very beginning he caught the eyes of the coaches of the team. His good performance in the net finally paid the dividend when the bowler was included in the first XI against Chennai Super Kings on Tuesday night after left hander speed star Zaheer Khan failed to pass the fitness test.

Mumbai win by 63 runs against Deccan

2010-04-04T09:21:00.001-07:00

Mumbai win by 63 runs against Deccan

Mumbai, April 3: Ambati Rayudu cracked an unbeaten 29-ball 55 as table-toppers Mumbai Indians put up a sterling all-round performance to virtually seal a semifinal berth beating holders Deccan Chargers by 63 runs in their Indian Premier League match here today.

Opting to bat, Mumbai Indians piled up a challenging 178 for five, thanks to Rayudu and youngster Saurabh Tiwary who made a 44 off 35 balls at the floodlit Brabourne Stadium.

The hosts then skittled out the Adam Gilchrist-led side for 115 in 18.2 overs, with left-arm pacer Zaheer Khan (2/10), Harbhajan Singh (2/16), Kieron Pollard (2/26) and Ryan McLaren (2/28) claiming two wickets apiece.

It was fourth straight defeat for the visiting team whose semifinal hopes receded further after this loss — their fifth in eight matches. The hosts, on the other hand, is almost through to the last-four with 14 points from eight games.

KP’s maiden half ton takes RCB to 6-wkt win

2010-04-02T20:18:00.001-07:00

KP’s maiden half ton takes RCB to 6-wkt win

Mohali, April 2: Kevin Pietersen (66 not out) got three lives before notching up his maiden Indian Premier League half century and helping Royal Challengers Bangalore score a comprehensive six-wicket victory over Kings XI Punjab tonight.
Pietersen, who was dropped thrice while on 36, 47 and 50, played sheet anchor with two crucial partnerships -- 71 off 51 balls for the third wicket with Virat Kohli and 40 from just 15 balls for fourth wicket with Robin Uthappa as RCB romped home with five balls to spare in chase of 182.
Uthappa played a stunning cameo of 22 from just eight balls with two sixes and a four to take the score near finishing line at the PCA Stadium.
Pietersen, who hit seven fours and one six in his 44-ball knock in his second match for RCB, smashed the winning runs, a four off Irfan Pathan, to take his side to 184 for four.
Earlier, Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with a 27-ball 45 as Kings XI Punjab posted a challenging 181 for five after electing to bat.
With the win today, their fifth in eight matches, Royal Challengers are on second spot with 10 points and brightened their chances to qualify for the semifinals.

Jadeja’s IPL ban upheld

2010-03-28T10:24:00.001-07:00

Jadeja’s IPL ban upheld

New Delhi, March 27: Contrary to expectations that he might play in the later half of the Indian Premier League, all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja’s ban over contractual violation has been upheld by the governing council. Jadeja had appealed against the one-year ban for not signing the renewal contract with Rajasthan Royals and instead negotiating a larger financial contract with Mumbai Indians. The IPL governing council also reprimanded Mumbai Indians for trying to get a player when his existing contract was not over. “Jadeja’s ban upheld for 2010 IPL Season,” IPL chief executive Sundar Raman said on his Twitter page. “Chairman Jaitley filed the report. Mumbai Indians reprimanded.” The decision was taken during a hearing chaired by Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) president Arun Jaitley. Jadeja, however, has been selected for the World Twenty20 championship beginning in the West Indies April 30. (IANS)

Rajasthan look for first win, against upbeat Bangalore

2010-03-17T21:58:00.000-07:00

The captain's legbreaks are not coming out right; the most imposing batsman of the team has broken a finger, the canny wicket-taker has done an ankle; their fastest bowler is fast becoming wider than he is fast; and the talismanic allrounder's arrival is still two Test matches away. So average were the rest that even a 37-ball hundred from their big hitter proved to be inadequate. Rajasthan Royals need to find inspiration from somewhere, somehow they need to stay afloat till Shane Watson arrives and joins forces with Yusuf Pathan.

To stay afloat would mean to not lose three out of first three. To not lose three out of first three would mean to beat a team that successfully chased 204 at the same venue two days ago, without even needing Eoin Morgan. After a one-sided defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders in their first match, Royal Challengers Bangalore seems to have put the pieces together, at least in the batting department. Orange cap Jacques Kallis is to be the springboard; Manish Pandey, Robin Uthappa and Morgan are to soar. If the plan goes wrong, there are Rahul Dravid and Mark Boucher. The bowlers still remain a worry, and Bangalore will be pleased if they can get a better show from Praveen Kumar and Dale Steyn.

Team talk

Rajasthan have lost Graeme Smith and Dimitri Mascarenhas for the whole season, and will struggle for replacements. Adam Voges is due to arrive in India on Wednesday, and he could start in the XI. Alternatively Hampshire's Michael Lumb could replace Smith. Damien Martyn is there too, but unlikely to play; if he does, and does well, it will be a pleasant shock. Mascarenhas' replacement will be difficult to pick: there is Johan Botha and Morne Morkel to choose from, and neither brings in the batting prowess that Mascarenhas did.

Bangalore's batting looks largely settled, and they might want to give the same bowling unit another go.

Previously...

In 2009, Bangalore won their first game against Rajasthan by 75 runs in Cape Town. Rajasthan returned the favour when they met next, winning just as comprehensively, by seven wickets, chasing 106 at the same venue.

In 2008, Rajasthan won both the matches against Bangalore. The margin in the first game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium was seven wickets with 17 balls to spare, while in Jaipur it was 65 runs.

In the spotlight

Shane Warne just seems to be holding back when bowling them legbreaks. There's just not enough fizz on them, and duly he has failed to trouble batsmen and gone for 51 in seven overs. It can happen with a man who had not bowled in competitive atmosphere for a year, and it will be interesting to see what is coming up next.

Both teams know that Rajasthan are the underdogs in the match, but they also know that it takes only 15 minutes of Yusuf Pathan to turn the match on its head. Right now, it's about as bad as Rajasthan have ever needed him.

Eoin Morgan didn't get going in Bangalore's first match and wasn't required in the second. India is yet to witness first-hand what has made Morgan one of the most exciting Twenty20 batsmen going around.

Prime numbers

Jacques Kallis gets a chance to tighten his grip around the orange cap: he currently has 154 runs from two matches, and next in line is Ravi Bopara with 133.

Swapnil Asnodkar has scored 103 runs in his last 10 innings, since the start of the last IPL. In 2008, he scored 311 in nine innings.

The chatter

"SRK is also a friend... And I wish him luck tonight, congrats also to Jumbo [Anil Kumble] on his win. He is a true gentleman…"
Shane Warne's twitter page shows he kept an eye on the Bangalore-Punjab match.

"He is the Bradman of Twenty20."
Robin Uthappa is not quite sure if he is praising Jacques Kallis or taking the piss.

"I'm certainly not on a holiday as I'm fully committed to playing and helping the Royals win."
Damien Martyn tweets his commitment to the cause.

Sidharth Monga is a staff writer at Cricinfo

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Delhi fizzle out after Tendulkar, Tiwary onslaught

2010-03-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Tournament heavyweights Delhi Daredevils crashed to a 98-run defeat against an inspired Mumbai Indians outfit that seemed determined to set the lopsided head-to-head record straight and, in the process, went to the top of the points table. Quickfire sixties from Sachin Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary took Mumbai to an imposing 218 but a batting line-up capable of overhauling the biggest of targets was bowled out with more than three overs to spare.

Delhi were already handicapped by the loss of Gautam Gambhir to a hamstring pull early in the match so it was up to the middle order to anchor a big chase. But the loss of a steadying hand in Gambhir showed up as the likes of Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan performed well below expectation. The backup for those heavyweights had little time in which to plot and execute a Yusuf Pathan-like counterattack.

Dilshan began the chase on an audacious note by slapping the first ball over mid-off for four. It was an emphatic way to get off the mark after two consecutive ducks, and Delhi motored along at a rate marginally faster than Mumbai after three overs. Mumbai had to dislodge at least one of the opening duo of Dilshan and Virender Sehwag, and the first breakthrough came through Lasith Malinga in the fourth over. After firing it in the blockhole to keep Dilshan under check, he bowled a slower ball and sent the off stump for a spin as the batsman swished at thin air.

The expectations on Sehwag only increased but he was the first victim of double-strike by Dwayne Bravo in the seventh over. Trying to clear long-off, he made contact off the toe-edge of the bat straight down Ambati Rayudu's throat. Four balls later, AB de Villiers dragged one onto his stumps and the momentum had firmly swung in Mumbai's favour. A flurry of boundaries by Dinesh Karthik - three in a row - raised some hope, but he too joined the exodus, courtesy a brilliant stumping down the leg side by Aditya Tare. When Manhas perished in the tenth over, Delhi had lost half their side, and with Gambhir indisposed, the match had ceased to be a contest.

The pitch was nothing like the minefield which forced the abandonment of the one-dayer between India and Sri Lanka a few months ago. Evenly paced, Tendulkar showed just how easy it was to get to the pitch and pick the gaps with deft touches and delicate clips. It was similar to the way he started his innings in Gwalior, where he scored a memorable 200, squirting the ball past the gaps effortlessly.

Farveez Maharoof's one-dimensional bowling - overusing the legcutter - made it easier for Tendulkar to plan his shots. After slicing Maharoof past backward point, he made Delhi pay for not placing a slip as he guided the next ball to third man. He then chipped down the track, got inside the line and played a glorious on drive past midwicket to give Delhi some anxious moments.

He brought up his fifty, off just 23 balls, with a paddle to fine leg. Mishra had Tendulkar caught at long-off by the substitute Yogesh Nagar, who was earlier in the news for pulling off a one-handed blinder at mid-off to get rid of Sanath Jayasuriya. Filling in for Gambhir, Nagar had to propel himself backwards a long way but managed to time his leap to perfection.

Significantly, Tiwary and Rayudu didn't allow things to drift after Tendulkar departed. The over after his dismissal went for just three but the pair ensured they picked at least one boundary in every over during their 71-run stand, in just short of seven overs. If Tendulkar was all nonchalance, Tiwary and Rayudu were all about brute power. Tiwary employed the slog sweep against the spinners, staying in the crease and muscling three sixes. Rayudu used his feet a lot more, regularly chipping down the track to clear the rope. Mishra tried firing it flatter and shorter with the hope of getting the ball to shoot through but the batsmen were alert enough to slap them away.

By the time Delhi dislodged the pair, Mumbai were already on 193 with a little more than two overs left. Promoting Tiwary and Rayudu over the two West Indians - Bravo and Pollard - had proved to be a productive move. The Caribbean duo combined to push the score to 218 - the highest in this tournament so far - which was more than enough to stamp their dominance.

Kanishkaa Balachandran is a sub-editor at Cricinfo

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Shaun Marsh moves closer to IPL return

2010-03-17T21:55:00.001-07:00

Shaun Marsh will be in India by the weekend provided he can convince Cricket Australia his injured back is fully healed. The opener Marsh, who was the batting star of the first IPL, has been troubled by a bulging disc problem for the past five weeks and the injury interrupted his Australian one-day ambitions for the second year in a row.

If he can prove his recovery to Kevin Sims, the Cricket Australia physiotherapist, on Friday, Marsh will try to get on a flight that night or on Saturday morning and begin his road back with Kings XI Punjab. "Hopefully I'll get the all-clear, which I'm really confident of doing, and get over to play some cricket in India," Marsh told Cricinfo.

"It's perfect to get away and play over there, it's a little bit more relaxed than playing international cricket, so I want to get over there and have a little bit of fun and enjoy it. I'll see what happens after that."

Initially it was thought Marsh suffered back spasms in the warm-up before the third ODI against West Indies last month, but the injury was diagnosed as a painful bulging disc. It was another untimely setback for Marsh, who was floored by long-term hamstring injuries last year, just as he was becoming a fixture at the top of the one-day order. In 26 ODIs he averages 37.96 and made starts in all eight matches against Pakistan and West Indies this summer, with his scores ranging for 12 to 83.

The latest issue has forced a change in his approach to fitness for Marsh, who is still only 26. "The last year I've had these injuries and it's made me realise I have to start look after my body a little bit better," he said. "I probably really haven't worried about it too much. This has given me a little bit of a kick up the bum that I make sure I do everything right, with recovery and gym work and that sort of stuff. I see it as a minor setback."

Shane Watson, who seems to have overcome his injury plague, has offered Marsh support with his problems. Marsh has not followed Watson into a life full of pilates and free of alcohol, but he has restructured his training and wants to build on the outlook in India.

Punjab are currently win-less after two games and have matches on Sunday and Tuesday, which Marsh could be part of. He was the surprise of the first IPL, topping the run list with 616 at a strike-rate of 139.68, but he didn't play in the second event due to his hamstring problems.

Later in this campaign he hopes to run into his little brother Mitchell, the 18-year-old signed with Deccan Chargers. "He had a fantastic year this year, he came on in leaps and bounds," Shaun said. "Hopefully I'll get over there and play against him."

Mitchell left Perth for India on Tuesday and the brothers' franchises are due to face each other on April 16. By then Shaun will know how his body has coped with the extra demands of his rehabilitation.

Peter English is the Australasia editor of Cricinfo

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It’s Ganguly vs Kumble at Eden

2010-03-14T10:31:00.001-07:00

It’s Ganguly vs Kumble at Eden

Kolkata, March 13: Two former India captains are set to be at opposite ends when Sourav Ganguly’s Kolkata Knight Riders, fresh from a stunning win over defending champions Deccan Chargers, take on the Anil Kumble-led Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League here tomorrow.

With confidence sky-high and spirt in abundance, KKR’s performance in Mumbai would definitely enthuse the local fans who are expected to turn up in large numbers.

Nobody expected KKR to win against the champion team from Hyderabad but the unpredictable Twenty20 format had something amazing in offer in the inaugural tie at the Dr DY Patil stadium last night.

Inspirational Ganguly who is back as skipper after last season's humiliation, led the team to an 11-run victory.

The absence of the toe-crushing yorkers of Fidel Edwards or the fiery pace of Ryan Harris in the death overs proved costly for the Chargers as the pace duo of Rudra Pratap Singh and rookie Jaskaran Singh struggled in the middle.

The KKR middle-order comprising Owais Shah and Angelo Mathews looked solid and with Laxmi Ratan Shukla and Wriddhiman Saha in the lower-order, the batting appears good even without the firepower of Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum.

Their new bowling recruit Shane Bond is yet to show up either.

Ganguly admitted that the side, under new coach Dav Whatmore and mentor Wasim Akram, did not bowl well in the beginning but the tactical changes and the wicket of Gilchrist in the middle worked well. (PTI)

Somdev let the opportunity slip

2010-03-05T12:50:00.000-08:00

Somdev let the opportunity slip

Davis Cup World Group tie vs Russia

Moscow, March 5: Somdev Devvarman let advantage slip out of hands, losing the opening rubber 7-6 (8) 6-7 (4) 3-6 4-6 to Igor Kunitsyn as India conceded lead to injury-hit Russia in the Davis Cup World Group first round tie here today.

Somdev had taken control of the first singles match after winning the first set and taking a 5-2 lead in the second set but lost the plot after that in a marathon contest which lasted close to four hours.

Kunitsyn took the court in place of Igor Andreev, who was sidelined due to a left knee injury. Andreev himself was a last minute relacement of injured Nikolay Davydenko.

Due to slow nature of the court, long rallies came into play and rather than the power, it was persistence, precision and stamina that was required to earn points.

These types of courts suit Somdev’s game but Kunitsyn was brilliant at the net and his tenacity paid in the end.

Wrong to see India in negative light: Howard

2010-03-03T23:55:00.001-08:00

Set to take over as ICC President from 2012, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard has rejected concerns about India's dominance in international cricket, saying the country's enormous stature should not be viewed in a "negative light".

"India is the second most populous country in the world, it's cricket-mad, and that makes it a big plus," Howard told ABC Radio.

"I think it's entirely wrong to look at the Indian involvement in cricket in a negative light. I think of those millions of people in India and the subcontinent who play cricket. They play it with a passion and love it," he added.

Howard, who has been jointly nominated for the post by Australia and New Zealand, will take over once India's Sharad Pawar finishes his two-year term starting this June.

The self-confessed "cricket-tragic" refuted suggestions that he was not qualified enough for the job.

"I think the fact I haven't been involved in cricket administration is explained by the fact I had a day job which made that rather difficult," he said.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka has backed Howard's nomination despite his past comments on spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan's bowling action.

Howard had called Muralitharan a chucker in 2004 but the ace off-spinner says he has forgiven the Aussie for the jibe.

"We know that Howard as prime minister unruffled a few feathers calling Muttiah Muralitharan a chucker, but that is now a thing of the past," Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishantha Ranatunga told 'Cricinfo'.

"We don't want to harp on it any more. We have to look to the future and try to work cordially with whoever is elected to the ICC post. We have no control over people elected to that position," he added.

Howard's nomination will be approved at the ICC's executive board meeting in April and will be finalised at the annual conference in June.

Simons named assistant coach of Delhi Daredevils

2010-03-03T23:54:00.000-08:00

Eric Simons, who worked with the Indian team as the bowling consultant for the home series against South Africa will return to the country as the assistant coach of the Delhi Daredevils. He will fill in the void created by the departure of T.A Sekhar who has taken up the same role with the Mumbai Indians. Simons, will assist Greg Shipperd, in their quest for the IPL title after losing out in the semi-finals of the previous two editions.

Speaking to reporters, Delhi Daredevils' media manager Amrit Mathur confirmed the development and called his appointment as a positive step as they aim to win the IPL crown. "He is a very valuable resource, and has a lot to offer to our performance," he said.

The Delhi Daredevils' bowling attack would be spearheaded by Ashish Nehra and Dirk Nannes, while Glenn McGrath's exit also provides a good opportunity for the likes of Wayne Parnell, Aavishkar Salvi, Pradeep Sangwan and Yo Mahesh.

This is Simons' 2nd assignment with an IPL side. He was previously contracted with the Vijay Mallya owned Bangalore Royal Challengers last year, where he worked in close quarters with Ray Jennings, when the tournament moved to South Africa.

Harbhajan, Zaheer script South Africa’s late collapse

2010-02-14T21:01:00.000-08:00

Harbhajan, Zaheer script South Africa’s late collapse

KOLKATA, Feb 14: Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh combined to rip through South Africa’s middle order as India staged a dramatic late comeback to reduce the visitors to 266/9 on the opening day of their second and final Test on Sunday.

It was a stunning collapse for the Proteas, who were at one stage cruising along courtesy fluent centuries by debutant Alviro Petersen (100) and Hashim Amla (114).

At stumps, Wayne Parnell (2) and Morne Morkel (3) were at the crease for South Africa when play was called off early due to bad light.

The South Africans went into tea break at 228/2 but in a stunning reversal of fortunes, the so-far-off-colour Harbhajan picked up three wickets in the space of two overs to wreck the visiting line-up.

ECB was consulted before finalizing CL T20 dates: Modi

2010-02-12T11:01:00.001-08:00

ECB was consulted before finalizing CL T20 dates: Modi

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Champions League commissioner Lalit Modi dismissed allegations that the England and Wales Cricket Board was not consulted before finalising the Twenty20 event’s dates and asked the ECB to tweak its county schedule.

Modi announced on Wednesday that this year’s Champions League would take place from September 10-26 in venues yet to be named and it clashed not only with England’s County Championships and a new 40-over league but also with their ODI series against Pakistan.

The ECB said in a statement that they were not consulted before finalising the Champions League dates but Modi dismissed the allegation.

“(This is) not true,” Modi said, adding that CL Governing Council member Dean Kino “is and has been in touch with (ECB chief executive) (David) Collier on a regular basis since December (2009).”