Rajasthan Royals Beats Royal Challengers


A splendid all-round display enabled Rajasthan Royals cruise to a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League tournament on Saturday.

For the second successive time, the Bangalore outfit failed to rise to the occasion in front of the home crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium making just 135 for eight in 20 overs after being invited to bat.

In reply, the team led by legendary Shane Warne chased it losing only three wickets with 17 balls to spare.

Man of the match Shane Watson, who dismissed both Dravid and Chanderpaul early, stole the show with a well compiled unbeaten 61 off only 41 balls with eight fours and two sixes.

Graeme Smith made a useful 49 before departing just before victory was achieved.

Super Kings beat Kolkata Riders


Matthew Hayden slammed 70 runs and Jacob Oram took three wickets to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 9 wickets in the eleventh match of the Indian Premier League.

Earlier, an all-round bowling display allowed Chennai Super Kings restrict Kolkata Knight Riders to a modest 147 for nine in the Indian Premier League Twenty20 encounter on Saturday.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team seized the initiative with a double blow and the Kolkata team never really recovered in the clash between two of the unbeaten sides in the competition.

New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram (3-32) was the wrecker-in-chief as the Knight Riders' big guns - Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, David Hussey and skipper Sourav Ganguly - fell to indiscreet shots. Only Laxmi Ratan Shukla held the innings together with a crucial innings of 42.

Oram started the slide dismissing McCullum and Ponting off successive balls. McCullum was the lone Kolkata batsman to show some aggression in his 24-run effort off 12 balls. The opening stand of 32 (15 balls) between him and Ganguly remained the brightest patch of their innings.

Ganguly seemed be determined to carry his bat through while wickets fell at the other end. But he too made an exit trying to clear Joginder Sharma over the covers. His 12 off 19 balls had just one four.

Kolkata's first fifty came off 30 balls but as wickets fell at regular intervals, the next 50 runs took 57 deliveries.

While Muthiah Muralitharan remained the most economical bowler with 4-0-12-0, P Amarnath claimed two wickets in four overs conceding 29 runs. He ended the tenure David Hussey, who spooned a catch to S Badrinath at point.

Kings XI beats Mumbai Indians


Kings XI beats Mumbai Indians by 66 runs.

Under pressure, the Mohali team registers their first win in the IPL beating Mumbai Indians by 66 runs.

Chasing 183, Mumbai never have imagined starting like this. Charged up Brett Lee took Sanath Jayasuriya (1) in his third bowl (caught and bowled) of second over while his superb direct throw in the fourth bowl saw Ronchi (11) run out. The team was sweating at 18-2 after three overs.

Piyush Chawla then clean bowled Dwayne Bravo (23) in the 4th bowl of the 9th over after bowling three dot bowls. Bravo was dropped when he was on 4. If this was not enough, Sarwan caught Uthappa (21) in the 10th over off V R V's bowling to get rid of the Mumbai batsman. Mumbai Indians now are 66-4 in the 10th over. Piyush Chawla is having the ball in this game. He clean bowled Tiwary (17) in his fourth over and 13th over of the inning. His bowling figures read 4-0-16-2. He took Abhishek Nayar's (2) catch off Pathan's bowling in the next over. Pathan then caught Harbhajan (0) leg before in the very second bowl.

Captain Yuvraj Singh took a stunning catch to take the wicket of Pollock off Sreesanth's bowling in the 16th over. Pollock made 22. Sreesanth took Khote's (8) wicket in the 18th over, bowled him! or was it hitwicket? Sreesanth bowled a full and fast ball on off stump, it appeared as though Khote hit his leg stump with his bat while he was bringing it down and then the ball crashed into off stump after he missed the shot. Pathan bowled a maiden over to seal the fate for Mumbai Indians. Punjab Kings XI win the match by 66 runs.

Team Mohali lost six wickets in quick succession and none but Sangakkara could bring them to this respectable total. After Mahela Jayawardene (12) and Sunny Sohal (0) left in a gap of six balls to leave the team on 157-6 in the end of 18 over, the responsibility for Kings XI was left solely on Kumar Sangakkara's shoulders but he too departed in the 19th over. He was bowled by Harbhajan Singh when he was on 94. Kulkarni took his catch. Team Mohali lost Chawla and Sreesanth on duck, while V R V Singh (4) was gone in the 20th over.

The Mohali team kept losing wickets on a regular interval. R N Sarwan could score only 7 and was caught by Bhajji off Nehra's bowling in the 14th over. Kings XI were 122-4 with six overs to go. There had been no boundary since the past three overs.

Earlier Captain Yuvraj Singh left early in the 12th over. He scored 18 runs in 9 bowls and was looking dangerous when Bravo caught him in Pollock's fourth over.

Opener Karan Goel was run out by Bravo on the first bowl of the ninth over of the inning. The team's score was 86/2 in the end of 9 overs.

Smashing hits all over the ground Kumar Sangakkara completed his half century in 23 bowls in the eight over of the inning by hitting a four. He was at 54.

In a bad start Saurabh Tiwary caught Irfan Pathan off the bowling of Ashish Nehra in the second over of the inning. He was bowled for 6 runs. The team's score was 8-1 after second over.

Earlier the Mumbai Indians won the toss and decided to field. Sachin Tendulkar did not play the match. The pitch report termed the pitch as cold and full of moisture making it a good track to bat on.

Mumbai Indians’ captain Harbhajan Singh,after winning the toss, said, “We would like to chase.” Opponent team’s captain Yuvraj Singh was happy that he lost the game, “Had I won the toss I would have batted first,” he said.

Rajasthan Royals beat Deccan Chargers


Rajasthan Royals won a last-over thriller after Shane Warne directed a 17-run chase off the final six balls to beat the Deccan Chargers by three wickets. Rajasthan thus became the first team in the tournament to successfully chase down a 200-plus score while Deccan lost their third match in a row. Andrew Symonds' unbeaten 117 were put in the shade by the final over of the match which ironically was bowled by him.

It was clear that his two initial failures were just blips on the radar as Andrew Symonds stormed back into the IPL with the fastest century of the tournament - an innings that included powerful straight fours and 7 sixes, mostly by making room in the crease. Deccan Chargers got their first above-par score of the tournament - 214 - a total which Rajasthan Royals would not find easy to chase.

There had been a lot said about Symonds being the second-most expensive player in the league and if there was any need for him to prove that he was priced right, Symonds did it today. He was dropped on 76 by Yusuf Pathan but otherwise there was no moment of error in his innings.

But while one of Deccan's superstar signings clicked today, three others failed. Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi and VVS Laxman continued their poor form in the tournament. International cricket has been unlucky not to witness Shane Warne as captain. In the space of three overs, he turned the Deccan Chargers' confident start into a disaster as they lost Gilchrist and Afridi within four balls. Yusuf took the wickets but it was Warne that chose to bring him on - for just that one over - after Munaf Patel went for 12 runs in the opening over. Warne then caught Laxman, who opened with Gilchrist, off his own bowling with one that stayed low.

But even Warne ran out of strategies when he had to bowl to Symonds. While his first over went for six runs, his next two went for 26. Siddharth Trivedi, unlucky to have Symonds dropped off his bowling, also suffered a brutal assault off Symonds's bat, going for 19 runs in an over.

Symonds did not indulge in many unconventional strokes - except a short ball that he pulled tennis-style late in the innings - and stuck mostly to back-foot drives and flicks. He reached his half-century off 29 balls and then took only 18 more to get to his hundred. His 111-run partnership with Rohit Sharma, who scored a half-century in the previous match, ruined the Rajasthan bowlers' early efforts.

Munaf was the only bowler who lacked any spark in the first ten overs. But it was the period between overs 10 and 15, where Symonds and Sharma broke loose and scored 63 - with five sixes and two fours - where Rajasthan lost control. Warne lost his length and Trivedi tried coming round the wicket with no success.

Deccan desperately needed a win after losing badly in the first two games and Symonds, along with Sharma, set up a total that Chaminda Vaas and Co. would be confident of defending.

Chennai Edge out Mumbai Indians


Chennai edge out Mumbai in thriller

A spirited late assault from Abhishek Nayar and Harbhajan Singh threatened to gatecrash the Chennai Super Kings' first home game, but the Mahendra Dhoni-led side held their nerve to clinch a thrilling six-run win. A 104-run stand between Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina had lifted Chennai to 208 for 5, but Nayar nearly pulled off a stunning victory with a 20-ball 45.

With Mumbai at 141 for 6 mid-way through the 16th over, the contest seemed pretty much over. Sixty-two were required off the last four overs, but Nayar and Harbhajan didn't give up the chase. P Amarnath had conceded 36 off his first three overs, and the batsmen went after him. Harbhajan clubbed a six over long-off, before the left-hander Nayar took two fours through the leg-sides, and made it 21 for the over by launching an overpitched ball over long-off. Amarnath finished with 57 off his four, the most runs conceded in the tournament.

Jacob Oram wasn't thrifty in his first spell, going for 40 off his three, and two sixes from Harbhajan saw him finish with 53 off his quota. It came down to 28 off 12, and in between the gamesmanship between rival offspinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Harbhajan, the Sri Lankan got the better of his counterpart, and gave away only nine, leaving Nayar with the onerous task of managing 19 off the final over.

As he had done during the World Twenty20, Dhoni entrusted the final over to Joginder Sharma, but in Lance Klusener-like fashion Nayar carved boundaries off the first two balls, and Joginder overstepped. Nayar drove it straight to Badrinath at backward point, but took the single, leaving Ashish Nehra on strike for the following free hit. Joginder committed no errors from there on, sealing the six-run win.

Chennai had been put in by Mumbai Indians at the toss, but captain Harbhajan, standing in place of the injured Tendulkar, needed to utilise eight bowlers to stem the flow of runs as the batsmen made merry. Hayden came up against old nemesis Pollock, who knowing the Australian's tendency to stand out of his crease, summoned Luke Ronchi up to the stumps. Hayden responded with a deft paddle sweep for four before smashing two fours over the bowler's head. To make matters worse, four byes came off the final delivery of the over, which cost an expensive 18 runs.

Hussey, top scorer in Chennai's previous game, failed to cash in, bottom-edging one onto the stumps while giving Dhaval Kulkarni the charge, but his team-mate Hayden was muscling the ball cleanly, biffing a short one from Nehra to bring up the 200th four of the tournament. He was joined by Raina, who was content with pushing the ball into the gaps for singles. Kulkarni varied his length to good effect in his first spell, and wasn't afraid to push in the occasional bouncer, including one that surprised Raina.

Harbhajan brought himself on in the eighth over and Raina, stepping out, nearly found the fielder in the deep. Dwayne Bravo, a last-minute addition to the Mumbai Indians squad, came on at the other end, and Hayden nearly cleaned up Raina with the straight boundary. Harbhajan conceded only 14 off his two overs but Raina broke the shackles by clubbing a low full toss over long-off. The 50-partnership came off 35 balls, and Chennai were set once again for a big score.

After ten overs, they were at 82 for 2, and it soon became 112 for 2 after 12. Bravo was pulled for six over midwicket by Raina before Vikrant Yeligati gave away 16 off only over. Pollock came on for his second spell, and this time Hayden brought out the reverse-sweep, a shot that would have surely deflated the South African. Raina cashed in as well, guiding one past through the short fine leg, and Pollock was to finish with 0 for 32 off his three overs.

Mumbai lost Ronchi early in their reply, and Jayasuriya, who made full use of Oram's poor control, departed trying to pull one shot too many against Manpreet Gony. A rather unknown entity, the tall Gony was excellent with his line and length, using his height to good effect. His first over was a maiden, and Dhoni bowled him through his four, after which his figures were an impressive 4-1-18-1.

Robin Uthappa led a revival with his 43, taking 19 off an Oram over, but he was bowled trying to guide Joginder over midwicket. Pollock took 11 singles before carting Amarnath for a six, but the bowler had the last hurrah, castling the South African. Muralitharan was plugging the runs at one end, but three wides first up indicated how he was struggling to grip the ball.

Bravo played a good hand as well with his 24, but it was left to Nayar and Harbhajan to dig Mumbai out of the hole. They almost delivered, but after two games, Mumbai, whose owners paid the highest for the franchise, find themselves winless, while Chennai are sitting pretty with two wins out of two. They would definitely need some inspiration from Sachin Tendulkar, their icon.

Daredevils rout Chargers by 9 wickets

Daredevils rout Chargers by 9 wickets

Riding high on Virender Sehwag's 94 runs, Delhi Daredevils outclassed Deccan Chargers by nine wickets in the seventh match of the Indian Premier League. Chasing the target of 143 runs, Delhi Daredevils humbled Deccan Chargers in just 13 overs.

Earlier, Rohit hammered a 36-ball 66 as Deccan Chargers overcame a top order collapse to post 142/8 in their Indian Premier League match against Delhi Daredevils. Rohit stood tall amid ruins to slam his maiden fifty in this format and his explosive 66 included six fours and four sixes before he holed out to Glenn McGrath off Rajat Bhatia.

Deccan Chargers skipper VVS Laxman's decision to bat first boomeranged with the hosts finding themselves in a hole with the score reading 45 for four inside 10 overs.

After the miserly Glenn McGrath conceded just one run in the first over, identical two-wicket bursts from Mohammad Asif and Ferveez Maharoof tightened the noose around the hosts.

Adam Gilchrist (8) flicked Asif effortlessly for a magnificent six before dragging a delivery onto his stumps and crisis compounded for the hosts who soon had skipper Laxman (2) back in the hut, courtesy Asif. To make it worse, Maharoof claimed two scalps -- Y Venugopal Rao (14) and the danger man Andrew Symonds (12) -- in as many overs to pin them down.

With the team in dire straits, much was expected from Shahid Afridi (2) but the Pakistani swashbuckler scratched around for seven balls before Bhatia caught him plumb in front as the hosts lost their top half for just 60.

Rohit did not waste anymore time and went after Maharoof, milking 26 runs off the pacer's last over, which went like 6,6,4,4,4,2.

It was a remarkable comeback by the hosts who scored 69 runs off the last five overs. Asif was pick of the Delhi bowlers, claiming two for 19 in his four overs.

Royal Challengers beat Mumbai Indians


Royal Challengers beat Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets

Bangalore Royal Challengers beat Mumbai Indians by 5 wickets at their home turf in their second Indian Premier League tie at Wankhede Stadium on Sunday. Chasing a respectable target of 166 to win, Challengers won the match with two balls to spare with handy contributions from all its batsmen led by Mark Boucher's quickfire 39 off 19 balls not out.

Earlier, a late assault by Shaun Pollock helped Mumbai Indians reach a competitive 165 for six in their IPL match against Bangalore Royal Challengers at the Wankhede Stadium. The South African all-rounder cracked three sixes and two fours in his 12-ball cameo while making 28 after coming in at number seven.

The hosts lost wickets regularly after stand-in captain Harbhajan Singh opted to bat first on winning the toss and their total was built mainly around opener Sanath Jayasuriya (29), top-scorer Robin Uthappa (48) and Pollock.

The home team, in the absence of injured captain Sachin Tendulkar, got off to a good beginning after the early fall of Luke Ronchi in the second over with Sanath Jayasuriya showing cracking form as he hit five fours and a six in his 16-ball knock before he was run out. A brilliant pick-up and direct hit ended Jayasuriya innings, an over after he had creamed 16 runs off Jacques Kallis's first over, with a flurry of three fours and an on-driven six.

Dominic Thornely, who came in at one-down at the fall of Australian compatriot Luke Ronchi (8), receiving a nasty blow on his left eyebrow by a soaring ball from Indian pace spearhead Zaheer Khan as tried to pull and missed connecting completely. He retired hurt and did not come out to bat again and was taken to hospital, where he is kept under observation.

Uthappa and Pinal Shah, the Baroda wicket keeper, joined forces and helped the score past the 70 mark at the halfway stage. Uthappa, at times beaten by his Karnataka Ranji team-mate Vinay Kumar, also swung the bowler for a six over square leg. He tried to play the unorthodox scoop shot a number of times and missed quite often before connecting once off Kallis that fetched a boundary. After being dropped at deep square leg by Vinay off Praveen when on 32, he continued to look for runs. Uthappa fell, stumped by Mark Boucher, when trying the scoop once too often as the ace South African stumper stood up to Balachandra Akhil and took off the bails when the batsman failed to connect. He struck five fours and a six in his 36-ball knock and also added 28 runs in quick time with Abhishek Nayar.

Nayar hoisted Vinay Kumar for a six and then Pollock struck the medium pacer for a four and a six towards the extra cover region as the bowler went for 20 runs in the 18th over of the innings to boost the run-rate. Pollock fell off the last ball of the innings to give Zaheer Khan, who was the pick of the attack along with veteran left arm spinner Sunil Joshi, his second wicket.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Deccan Chargers


Kolkata Knight Riders beat Deccan Chargers by 5 wickets after restricting the Chargers for a modest total of 110 runs at the Eden Gardens on Sunday. Kolkata Knight Riders were cruising for a comfortable victory against Deccan Chargers, when flood light failure stop play in the 17th over at the Eden Gardens.

On a poor pitch, Knight Riders also struggled to chase the modest target of 111 runs to win the tie. Deccan Chargers bowlers too utilized the condition and took wickets regularly and restrict the run flow. But at the end the T20 specialist, Australia's David Hussey finish off the match with a gritty unbeaten 38 runs off 43 balls to register successive victory for the Riders.

Earlier, Knight Riders bowlers utilized a poor pitch to skittle out a strong batting line up of the Deccan Chargers for 110 in their first home and second Indian Premier League tie. The Chargers never appeared comfortable as only five of their batsmen reached double figures, with the Aussie duo of Andrew Symonds (32) and Adam Gilchrist (23) being the main contributors before a near-capacity crowd at the Eden Gardens. Spinner Murali Kartik (3/17) was the wrecker-in-chief for the Knight riders, while Ajit Agarkar bagged a couple after being hammered for 16 runs in his first over.

Electing to bat, the Chargers lost quick wickets as their top order caved in to some disciplined stuff delivered by the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers on a two-paced wicket, giving the visitors a trying time. Some of the balls kept low while some other deliveries jumped awkwardly.

Young Ashok Dinda, playing only his second Twenty20 match, opened the bowling and generated a good pace. His new ball partner Ishant Sharma also maintained a good line and length while sending down his customary fiery deliveries. Success came Ishant's way in his second over, when Deccan Chargers' opener Venugopal Rao departed giving a simple catch to Kaartik at gully. Skipper VVS Laxman departed soon after without bothering the scorer, as Dinda got his first wicket, reducing the Hyderabad-based side to 22/2 in 4.2 overs. The dangerous Adam Gilchrist sought to carry the fight into the opponents' camp in the next over as he clobbered Agarkar, the first change bowler, in his very first over for 16 runs, inclusive of two sixes and a boundary.

Ganguly turned to his spinners, and Kartik obliged him by evicting Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma (0) in his second over, as Chargers became 48/4. While the veteran Aussie went for a pull and finished in the hands of deep square leg fielder Hafeez, young Bengal wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha took a fine diving catch after running a few yards in front of the wicket.

The 50 of the innings was posted in 9.2 overs, before Styris (6) returned to the pavilion. As wickets continued to fall one after the other, Andrew Symonds tried to launch a counter-offensive in the 17th over as he disdainfully dispatched spinner David hussey for two successive sixes. The over produced 20 runs, and saw the total past 100. Symonds was finally devoured by Agarkar, with Hussey taking a skier in the extra cover region, and soon after the tourists' knock came to a close.

Laxman unhappy over Poor Pitch


Upset after his team's five-wicket loss against Kolkata Knight Riders, skipper VVS Laxman said the strip at the Eden Gardens was 'shocking' and also blamed the power failure for the defeat, saying it had affected the concentration of his players.

"It was not a good pitch for any form of the game. It was a shocking wicket. In the Twenty20 format you expect high scores. Though the match became exciting in the end, it was tough for the batsmen to go for shots," Laxman said after the match. On whether the Eden wicket's nature was changing, the stylish Hyderabad batsman said, "Definitely. I played here in the Ranji Trophy and also a Test sometime back. The wicket was slow on both occasions. I think you are not getting the wicket we expect at Eden".

Laxman was also unhappy over the power snag, which he claims affected his players. "The interruption definitely affected us. The momentum was towards us. And the bowlers were in great rhythm. But having said that, I must say that the bowlers were in great rhythm when play resumed."

Man of the match David Hussey, who authored a well-timed 38 to win the game for the Kolkata Knight Riders, said that he would have preferred a fast bouncy wicket.

"I like fast, bouncy wickets better thought there will be more bouncy, more pace in the wicket," he said. Asked how bad the track was, the Australian right hander replied "I thought it wasn't too bad". Referring to the back to back wins in the first two matches, Hussey said, "It is now two out of two. I think it will be three out of three".

Hussey admitted the power-cut had provided his side a good break at a crucial moment of the tie. "It was a good break for us. We got to collect our thoughts, have a drink and re-adjust our game plans and that probably worked in our favour". Laxman lavished praise on left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, finished with figures of 2 for 18. "The way he bowled was great. He is a great prospect. I think he is a quality spinner." Laxman said his side paid dearly for not playing the full quota of 20 overs. Asked about the attitude of the crowd towards Symonds, Laxman said, "He is a match winner. So the people love to watch him".

Laxman was also disappointed with himself for getting out even before opening his account. Hussey opined that the conditions were suitable for the side batting first. However, he said it was a treat to play before a packed crowd at the Eden . "I, and the team as a whole, is looking forward to playing here again."

Tendulkar retains Second Spot in ICC ODI Ranking


India 4th in ICC ODI ranking

Sachin Tendulkar retained his second spot among batsmen while India was closed in by Pakistan for the fourth place in the championship table of the latest ICC rankings list on Sunday.

Tendulkar has 777 rating points behind leader Graeme Smith of South Africa who is on 792 points while Australian skipper Ricky Ponting is at third with 770.

Pakistani Mohd. Yousuf is at fourth with 763 points while West Indies' Shivnarine Chanderpaul jumped five places to return to top five after his memorable performances against Sri Lanka at home.

India ODI skipper MS Dhoni is at 10th with 728 rating points. Meanwhile, after their 5-0 whitewash against Bangladesh, Pakistan narrowed the gap with fourth-placed India to three ratings points.

South Africa (127), Australia (127) and New Zealand (113) are ahead of India (113).

The most significant change of the rankings was Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan slipping out of the top 10 bowlers in the Reliance Mobile ICC Rankings for the first time in over a decade. Muralitharan, who was last out of the top 10 ODI bowlers in July 1997, skipped the ODI series which the West Indies won 2-0 and has now slipped to 11th below Pakistan's Shahid Afridi who climbed 11 places to enter the top 10 for the first time in his career after a successful series against Bangladesh in which he bagged 12 wickets.

No Indian is in the top 10 of the bowlers' list headed by New Zealand's Daniel Vettori, while Harbhajan is at 18th spot. ODI action will resume in June when England takes on New Zealand in a five-match series from June.

Delhi fans not ready to pay up yet


Delhi Daredevils started with a bang, outclassing Team Jaipur by 9 wickets in their opening match at home - the new-look Kotla. Jaipur batsmen struggled to get going and their skipper Shane Warne tried to lend some late urgency but the cause had been lost long back. By the 11th over, Team Jaipur were 57/5, with Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson, Jaipur’s two potential big-hitters, needlessly run out. Mohd Kaif was a disappointment. Maharoof, Rajat Bhatia and the back-from-the-cold McGrath - who produced a stunning wicket maiden in just his second over - were backed by some quality ground fielding as the Daredevils sought to justify skipper Virender Sehwag’s assertion that they could give the best a run for their millions.

But while they can take pride in their team’s bowling performance, Delhi’s cricket lovers proved yet again that they weren’t ready to pay up to watch, IPL or otherwise: more than 20,000 fans feasted on complimentary passes.

“It was a good batting track but they got out,’’ was all Sehwag said. He had the luxury of four overseas seamers, and Jaipur’s batsmen seemed all too willing to self-destruct. With Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag himself slated to open, Jaipur’s chances appeared bleak.

The crowds had poured in for the Bangalore spread but in many ways, IPL’s real test is only just beginning. As for Delhi Daredevils, after being forced to bowl first, they cruised while batting. And the fans? They’ll be expecting a more electric entertainment package next time.

Chennai ride on Hussey rampage to beat Kings XI

Mike Hussey cracked the fastest century in Twenty20 cricket history as Chennai Super Kings pulled off a comfortable 33-run victory over Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League match on Saturday.

Hussey's blistering unbeaten 116 off just 54 balls steered Chennai Super Kings to an imposing 240 for five on a perfect batting strip at the PCA stadium.

The Chennai outfit then restricted the home team to 207 for four to record a win in their opening match which turned out to be a high scoring contest under lights. It was a virtual carnage at the PCA ground as Hussey plundered runs at will to notch up the second century in the tournament in as many days after Brendon McCullum's 158 in the opening match in Bangalore last night.

Electing to bat, the Chennai team took full advantage of a batting track and short boundaries with sixes and fours raining on a hapless Yuvraj Singh-led home team.

Suresh Raina (32), S Badrinath (31) and Matthew Hayden (25) were the other notable scorers for Chennai Super Kings.

The home team started off well and kept themselves in the hunt till the midway stage of the innings but the dismissal of James Hopes (71) brought Chennai back in the game.

Kumara Sangakkara (54), Karan Goel (24) and captain Yuvraj Singh (23) were the other batsmen who chipped in with some runs for Kings XI.

The highlight of the innings was the explosive strokeplay by Hussey, who hit as many as 10 sixes and seven boundaries to record an amazing strike rate of 211.11.

The likes of Brett Lee, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan and James Hopes could do nothing to stop the run deluge while the two spinners Piyush Chawla and Karan Goel were little more than cannon fodder. In fact, Chawla's only over cost 19 runs forcing Yuvraj to take him out of the attack.

However, skipper M.S. Dhoni, the highest paid player in the landmark auction, could manage just two runs before being trapped leg before by Hopes. But his team-mates made amends for his cheap dismissal with some lusty hitting which helped the team put on a mammoth total.

Faced with a stiff asking rate, Kings XI got off to a decent start with Goel and Hopes putting on 56 runs in the first five overs.

After Goel's dismissal, Hopes and the experienced Kumar Sangakkara kept up the tempo with some big hits but the run rate slowed down a bit after spin wizard Muthiah Muralitharan was introduced into the attack.

Muralithan's experience came handy as he used a lot of variations and gave away just 33 runs in his quota of four overs.

With the required run rate climbing alarmingly after every over, Simon Katich made a valiant effort in the fag end but it was not enough to carry the team to the victory target.

Yuvraj-Dhoni face-off


Its Dhoni v/s Yuvraj

The colorful opening ceremony done and dusted and Dravid vs Ganguly out of the way, it's the turn of Yuvraj vs Dhoni at the PCA stadium here on Saturday. It's the second game of the Indian Premier League, but the first which starts with the sun still around and only the team batting second will bat under lights. Yes, it's a true day-and-night T20 game, unlike the opener at Bangalore which was played entirely under floodlights.

The game here between Team Mohali and Team Chennai has already been dubbed as Yuvraj vs Dhoni, teammates-turned-rivals for this extravaganza. But there are a whole lot of characters who will be out to hog the limelight. The biggest and most popular among them are Brett Lee of Mohali and Muttiah Muralitharan of Chennai.

Lee is among the most popular Australian cricketers in India. He sings and plays guitar with finesse of a maestro. He also delivers the red cherry at over 150mph. That's what he is getting paid for. To knock off the rival batsmen, who will not relish chin music from him.

Dhoni wins toss, elects to bat first Match in Progress….

Will Update Soon…

Schedule

Group stage

18 April 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kolkata Knight Riders at M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

19 April 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

19 April 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Rajasthan Royals Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

20 April 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

20 April 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers Eden Gardens, Kolkata

21 April 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Kings XI Punjab Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

22 April 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Delhi DareDevils Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

23 April 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Mumbai Indians M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

24 April 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

25 April 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

26 April 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Rajasthan Royals M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

26 April 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

27 April 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

27 April 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi DareDevils Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

28 April 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Chennai Super Kings M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

29 April 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians Eden Gardens, Kolkata

30 April 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

1 May 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

1 May 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

2 May 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi DareDevils M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

3 May 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

3 May 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Kolkata Knight Riders Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

4 May 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Delhi DareDevils DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

4 May 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

5 May 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Kings XI Punjab M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

6 May 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

7 May 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

8 May 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Chennai Super Kings Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

8 May 2008 Kolkata Knightriders vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Eden Gardens, Kolkata

9 May 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Deccan Chargers Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

10 May 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Mumbai Indians M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

10 May 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Kings XI Punjab M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

11 May 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Rider Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

11 May 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi DareDevils Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

12 May 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

13 May 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Delhi DareDevils Eden Gardens, Kolkata

14 May 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

14 May 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

15 May 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Deccan Chargers Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

16 May 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Kolkata Knight Riders DY Patil Stadium, Mumbai

17 May 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Kings XI Punjab Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

17 May 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

18 May 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad

18 May 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings Eden Gardens, Kolkata

19 May 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Delhi DareDevils M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

20 May 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals Eden Gardens, Kolkata

21 May 2008 Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

21 May 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Bangalore Royal Challengers M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

22 May 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

23 May 2008 Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, Mohali

24 May 2008 Delhi DareDevils vs Mumbai Indians Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi

24 May 2008 Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals M. A. Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai

25 May 2008 Bangalore Royal Challengers vs Deccan Chargers M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore

25 May 2008 Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab Eden Gardens, Kolkata

26 May 2008 Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur

27 May 2008 Deccan Chargers vs Chennai Super Kings Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium, Hyderabad


Semi-finals

30 May 2008 ------------vs-------------
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

31 May 2008 ------------vs -------------
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai


Final

1 June 2008 -----------vs--------------
Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

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