IPL T20

ODI Records broken by Virender Sehwag during 219 runs

2011-12-09T00:35:00.000-08:00

Virender Sehwag scored the highest individual score of 219 runs which came in just 149 balls with a world record-equalling 25 fours and seven towering sixes. He also crushed a number of records during the milestone event. This came on December 8, 2011 in 4th ODI match against West Indies in Indore.

- On 45, he made his highest score as India's captain beating 44 against Sri Lanka at Cuttack on December 21, 2009.

- On 82, he established the highest score by an Indian captain against West Indies in India, bettering Mohammad Azharuddin's 81 at Chennai on October 23, 1994.

- On 100, he scored his 15th ODI hundred. His second against West Indies and first as India's captain.

- On 100, Sehwag also became the fastest to score an ODI hundred for India against West Indies, taking only 69 balls to do so. He bettered his own record of 75 balls (at Rajkot on November 12, 2002).

- On 106, he made the highest score by an Indian captain against West Indies, expunging Rahul Dravid's 105 at Kingston on May 18, 2006.

- On 115, he bettered his personal best against West Indies, which was 114 (unbeaten) at Rajkot on November 12, 2002.

- On 118, he made the highest score by an Indian batsman against West Indies in India, eclipsing Virat Kohli's 117 at Visakhapatnam on December 2, 2011.

- On 119, he made the highest score at this ground, beating Yuvraj Singh's 118 against England on November 17, 2008.

- On 128, he set a new record of highest score by any captain against West Indies, bettering upon Australia's Allan Border's unbeaten 127 at Sydney on February 6, 1985.

- On 142, he made the highest score by an Indian batsman against West Indies anywhere, improving upon Sachin Tendulkar’s unbeaten 141 at Kuala Lumpur on September 14, 2006.

- On 150, he became the fastest Indian to score an ODI 150, taking only 112 balls to reach the milestone. The previous fastest for India was scored by Sachin Tendulkar off 118 balls (vs South Africa in Gwalior on February 24, 2011).

- On 147, he made his highest ODI score on Indian soil, beating 146 against Sri Lanka at Rajkot on December 15, 2009.

- On 153, he established a new record of highest individual score in India-West Indies ODIs, beating Desmond Haynes' unbeaten 152 at Georgetown on March 21, 1989.

- On 174, he established a new record of highest individual score against the West Indies in ODIs, bettering Australia's Mark Waugh's 173 at Melbourne on February 9, 2001.

- On 176, he established his highest ODI score, obliterating the 175 against Bangladesh at Mirpur on February 19, 2011.

- On 187, he established the highest score by an Indian captain in ODIs, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar's unbeaten 186 against New Zealand at Hyderabad on November 8, 1999.

- On 190, he established the highest score by any captain in ODIs, beating Sanath Jayasuriya's 189 against India at Sharjah on October 29, 2000.

- On 200, he became the second batsman to score an ODI double hundred after fellow team-mate Tendulkar, who had also made an unbeaten 200 against South Africa at Gwalior on February 24, 2010.

- On 200, he also became the first player to score a triple hundred in first-class cricket, a double hundred in List A matches and a hundred in Twenty20 matches.

- On 201, he made the highest individual score in ODIs, beating Tendulkar's unbeaten 200 against South Africa.

- On 219, he ended up with the third highest score in a List A match after Ali Brown’s 268 (Surrey vs Glamorgan, The Oval, June 19, 2002) and Graeme Pollock's unbeaten 222 (Eastern Province vs Border, East London, October 19, 1974).

Virender Sehwag slams Double Century

2011-12-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

Swashbuckling batsman Virender Sehwag re-writes one day history by slamming maiden double century in ODIs as he became only second batsman after Sachin Tendulkar to reach the landmark.

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar was the first to reach the milestone when he scored unbeaten 200 against South Africa in Gwalior on February 24, 2010.

Sehwag raced to his 150 in just 112 balls with the help of five sixes and 16 boundaries after completing his 15th ODI century off 69 balls.

Skipper Sehwag, who was struggling in the previous three ODIs, got his lost touch back as he scored his blazing ton in just 69 balls which included 10 fours and five sixes. Sehwag finally falls on 219 runs.

Mumbai Indians - Players

2011-12-05T07:35:00.001-08:00

Mumbai exemplifies the essence of its home city. The land of a myriad dreams is a melting pot and the team does its best to showcase the same. The management made a wise move of retaining their four key players namely Sachin Tendulkar, Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh and Kieron Pollard. Along with Tendulkar, its iconic master blaster, the team has solid hitters like Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma combined with a host of experienced all-rounders like Andrew Symonds and Kieron Pollard. As evident, the side has a perfect balance of youth and experience.

Owned by Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries Limited, Mumbai's best show came in the third IPL season, wherein they ended up as finalists, losing to the eventual winners, the Chennai Super Kings. They were also a part of the Champions League T20 that year, but could not sustain for long. In 2011 too, Mumbai Indians qualified to play in the CLT20 as a result of finishing third in the IPL. However, the side was missing most of it's star players like skipper Tendulkar, Munaf, Rohit right from the beginning and also lost Davy Jacobs midway due to a freak injury. Despite that, Mumbai went into the competition as underdogs with the turbanator, Harbhajan Singh leading from the front and emerged as the 2011 Champions League T20 champions, beating the Royal Challengers Bangalore after a brilliant display of teamwork, most noteworthy contribution being that of ace bowler, Lasith Malinga; who not only picked crucial wickets for his side, but also contributed handsomely with the bat.

- Sachin Tendulkar Harbhajan Singh
  Aiden Blizzard Sarul Kanwar
Tirumalasetti Suman Abu Nechim
Dilhara Fernando Lasith Malinga
Yuzvendra Chahal Andrew Symonds
James Franklin Kieron Pollard
Rajagopal Sathish Suryakumar Yadav
Ambati Rayudu Davy Jacobs
Robin Singh COACH

Sachin Problems With The Sight Screen

2011-11-12T11:56:00.000-08:00

Eden Gardens' low sight screens have once again become a major point of concern ahead of India's second Test against the West Indies with Sachin Tendulkar requesting the state association to raise the height for a better view against the tall Windies bowlers.

Tendulkar, just one short of 100 international centuries, made a plea to the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) who later said they would cooperate fully as the Mumbai maestro was approaching an incredible milestone.

During India's net session, Tendulkar seemed unhappy with the Eden sightscreens again as he had a long chat with CAB officials Biswarup Dey and Gautam Dasgputa, pointing at the sightscreens on both the ends.

Tendulkar also pointed at the patches of grass that was distinctly visible at the high-court end and it appeared that it would be trimmed the day before the match so as to assist the Indian spinners.

CAB joint-secretary Dey said it was just a sincere request from Tendulkar and they would do their best to cooperate with him.

"Tendulkar is eyeing a very important milestone in his career. 100th international century is a never-before record. CAB will fully cooperate to raise the height, by covering few rows of seats in the lower tier."

The raise in height in both the ends, incidentally, would cost CAB about 1500 seats and Dey said it's up to them to decide on that.

The Eden sight screens have long been a problem and during the World Cup, ICC technical team also objected to the lower height as the stadium lost out on India's sole fixture at the venue.

Eventually CAB had to comply with the ICC guidelines of 25 feet height and 50 feet width sight screen before getting an ICC clearance.

The current height is 16 feet which has been achieved by covering a few lower tier seats with white clothes behind the two sight screens.

Asked why CAB was not getting a permanent solution to this, Dey passed on the buck to the curator.

"I don't know much about the height details. It's the curator who determines the height and all."

Meanwhile, curator Prabir Mukherjee said he does not have any say in this and it's the match referee and umpires who decide on this.

"Match referee and umpires are the technical persons. It's not my work to see who has what problems. It's not my job."

On the grass left on the strip, Mukherjee said usual mowing would be done on Sunday before a quick roll on the wicket.

Tendulkar, Zaheer in ICC Test Rankings 2011

2011-10-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Sachin Tendulkar remained the highest placed Indian batsman at his unchanged fifth position, while injured pacer Zaheer Khan held on to his sixth spot in the bowling chart of the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Sunday.

Rahul Dravid, unchanged at 10th, was the only other Indian batman in the top-10.

Meanwhile, Kumar Sangakkara edged closer to regaining the number one position in the rankings for Test batsmen after hitting a match-saving double-century against Pakistan in the first Test at Abu Dhabi which concluded on Saturday.

Sangakkara, whose 211 also earned him the man of the match award, has gained 29 ratings points for his excellent effort and he is now just 31 points away from reclaiming the number-one position which is currently held by South Africa's Jacques Kallis.

Sangakkara, who had surged to the top of the batting table in December 2007, had lost the coveted position earlier this year to Tendulkar and Kallis after the two batsmen stroked sparkling centuries in the drawn Test in Cape Town.

The biggest mover in the batting table is Taufeeq Umar, the Pakistan opener, who has gained 17 places after his epic 236 which came off 496 balls. The 30-year-old from Lahore is now in 46th position.

Also heading in the right direction are Azhar Ali in 33rd (up by one place), Angelo Mathews in 37th (up by two places), Prasanna Jayawardene in 48th (up by two places), Mohammad Hafeez in 60th (up by six places) and Asad Shafiq in 90th (up by six places).

Batsmen losing ground include Mahela Jayawardene, Younis Khan and Tillakaratne Dilshan, the ICC said in a statement.

In the rankings for Test bowlers, Pakistan's left-arm fast bowler Junaid Khan has rocketed 62 places to 66th position after claiming his maiden five-wicket haul in Sri Lanka's first innings.

Junaid returned figures of 5/38 and finished the Test with match figures of 45.1-9-121-6.

Pakistan's Umar Gul, who bagged 4/64 in Sri Lanka's second innings, has returned to the top 20. He is now in 20th position after gaining two places.

The bowlers' list is headed by South Africa's Dale Steyn with England's pair of James Anderson and Graeme Swann in second and third respectively.

Sachin Tendulkar: Curriculum Vitae

2010-12-25T04:19:00.000-08:00

Sachin Tendulkar, Bandra, Mumbai, India. On Twitter: @sachin_rt

OBJECTIVE

To seek career challenges keeping in view my past achievements and future goals. And to set new industry benchmarks in everything I endeavor.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

 International Cricketer: Indian National Cricket Team [1989 onwards]

 First Class Cricketer: Mumbai, West Zone, Yorkshire [1988 onwards]

 Junior Cricketer: Shardashram School, Bombay U-15, West Zone U-15 [1985-1988].

LEADERSHIP EXPERIENCE

 Indian Cricket Team: 1996-1997; 1999-2000.

 Others: Mumbai, West Zone, Mumbai Indians, etc. [Various Times]

KEY OPERATIONS & MISSIONS UNDERTAKEN

1. 664* — Enough said. [Mumbai, 1988]

2. 114* — Rescue mission against Spiteful Yellow Men on Green Earth. [Perth, 1991]

3. 523 runs — Mission My World Cup. [India, 1996]

4. 155* — Operation Deflate Warne [Chennai, 1998]

5. 143 & 134 — Operation Desert Storm [Sharjah, 1998]

6. 136 — Rescue Mission against the Vile Green Warriors on Dusty Earth [Chennai, 1999]

7. 98 — Operation Tame Vile Green Warriors [Centurion, 2003]

8. 672 runs — Mission My World Cup II. [South Africa, 2003]

9. 241* and 60* — Mission Avoid Cover Drive [Sydney, 2004]

10. 117* and 93 — Operation Slay Goliath [Sydney & Brisbane, 2008]

11. 103* — Mission Heal Mumbai [Chennai, 2008]

12. 200* — Mt 200 [Gwalior 2010]

OTHER MAJOR INITIATIVES

1. 122 — Mission Hold The Empire [Edgbaston, 1996]

2. 126 — Operation Protect Final Frontier [Chennai, 2001]

3. 117 — Operation Kings of Queens Park [Port of Spain, 2002]

4. 193 — Mission Conquer Leeds [Leeds, 2002]

5. 194* — Mission Sultan of Multan [Multan, 2004]

6. 111* — Half-centurion in Centurion [Centurion, 2010]

CRISIS MANAGEMENT EXPERTISE

1. 119* — Operation Bat Till Bedtime [Manchester, 1990]

2. 82 — Mission Find New Opener [Christchurch, 1993]

3. 1-0-3-0 — Operation Hold South Africa [Kolkata, 1993]

4. 169 — Operation Counterattack [Cape Town, 1996]

5. 140* — Operation This Is For You, Father [Bristol, 1999]

6. 175 — Mission Save Series [Hyderabad, 2009]

KEY ACHIEVEMENTS

1. Hundreds on Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy debut.

2. India’s youngest Test and ODI cricketer at age 16 years, 207 days.

3. Most runs in Tests and ODIs (15,048 and 18,111).

4. Most hundreds in Tests and ODIs (51 and 48).

5. Most ODI appearances (442)

6. Most Tests appearances (175).

7. 20 hundreds against Australia, the best team of my era.

8. 1894 runs and 9 hundreds in ODIs in 1998, a record.

9. 7 Test hundreds and 1543 Test runs in 2010, an Indian record.

10. 1796 runs in five World Cups.

11. Only cricketer with the 150 wickets and 15,000 runs „double’ in ODIs.

12. First cricketer to score 40 and 50 Test hundreds.

13. First cricketer to score 20, 30 and 40 ODI hundreds.

14. Wax Statue in the iconic Madame Tussauds in London.

OTHER BUSINESS INTERESTS

I have interests in the food and beverages industry. I partly own two restaurants in Mumbai:

 Tendulkar’s (Colaba, 2002).

 Sachin’s (Mulund, 2004).

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATION

 PhD in Cricket.

 Secondary School, Shardashram Vidhya Mandir, Mumbai.

PATENTS

I’ve mastered nearly every cricket stroke in the book, but have a special reputation for these.

1. The Thunderous Bowler-Decapitating Straight Drive

2. Back-foot Punch Through Cover

3. Acute Paddle Sweep

4. Slog Sweep Against Turning Leg-Break

5. Effortless Wristy Flick Through Square Leg

6. Point-Killing Square Cut

PASSIONS

Cars & Racing: I love fast driving. I also own a Ferrari 360 Modena.

Food: I am a foodie with a fondness for seafood.

Music: I enjoy collecting music. Some of my favourites are Kishore Kumar, Mark Knopfler, MLTR.

AWARDS

1. Arjuna Award [1994]

2. Wisden Cricketer of the Year: [1997]

3. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna [1997-98]

4. Padma Shri [1999]

5. Player of the Tournament, World Cup [2003]

6. ICC Gary Sobers Trophy for Cricketer of The Year [2010]

7. ICC World ODI XI: 2004, 2007, 2008

8. ICC World Test XI: 2009, 2010

9. Rajiv Gandhi Award for Sports [2005]

10. Padma Vibhushan [2008]

11. Man of Match Awards: 74

 ODIs: 61 times

 Tests: 14 times

12. Man of the Series Awards: 19

a. ODIs: 15

b. Tests: 5

MAJOR CITATIONS

1. “AB, this little prick will make more runs than you.” — Merv Hughes to Allan Border. [1991]

2. “This kid bats just like I did.” — Donald Bradman, World Greatest Batsman. Ever. [1998]

3. “I'll be going to bed having nightmares of Sachin just running down the wicket and belting me back over the head for six. He is the best batsman I’ve ever bowled to.” — Shane Warne, World’s Greatest Leg Spinner. [1998]

4. “Shit, I’m sick of this *$#%!” — Michael Kasprowicz, Australia’s Fast Bowler. [1998]

5. “He will end up with 50 tons in each form of the game.” — Wasim Akram, World’s Greatest Left-arm Pacer. [2002]

6. “Jaanta hai tooney kiska catch chhoda hai?” — Wasim Akram to Abdul Razzaq. [2003]

7. “All we need is 11 Sachins.” — Paul Strang, Zimbabwe Leg Spinner. [1996]

8. “Cricket is our religion, Sachin is our god.” — [Repeated ad nauseum by millions of fans].

9. “Nothing bad can happen to us if we’re on a plane in India with Sachin Tendulkar on it.” — Hashim Amla, South Africa Batsman. [2004]

10. “The archives recall not one single incriminating incident, not one drunken escapade, not one reported affair, not one spat with a team-mate or reporter. As Matthew Parris wondered of Barack Obama in these pages recently, is he human?” — Michael Atherton, Former England Captain. [2008]

11. “I have seen God; he bats at No. 4 for India.” — Matthew Hayden, Australia Opener. [2008]

12. “There will never be another Sachin.” — Muttiah Muralitharan, World’s Most Successful Bowler. [2009]

13. “If I’ve to bowl to Sachin, I’ll bowl with my helmet on. He hits the ball so hard.” Dennis Lille, Cricket’s McEnroe & Fast Bowling Legend. [Undated]

14. “Tendulkar is the best batsmen in the world ahead of Steve Waugh and Lara.” — Glenn McGrath, Australia’s Most Successful Pace Bowler. [Undated]

15. “Sachin is a genius. I’m a mere mortal.” — Brian Lara, Tendulkar’s Greatest Frenemy. [Undated]

16. “I haven’t seen Bradman playing, but I have seen Sachin. To me, he himself is a milestone, and the best cricketer in the world.” — Sourav Ganguly, India’s most successful captain

17. “Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well.” — Sambit Bal, Editor, Cricinfo

MAJOR BIOGRAPHIES

1. Sachin: The Story of the World's Greatest Batsman [by Gulu Ezekiel]

2. The A to Z of Sachin Tendulkar [by Gulu Ezekiel]

3. Sachin Tendulkar — A Definitive Biography [by Vaibhav Purandare]

4. Sachin Tendulkar — Masterful [by Peter Murray, Ashish Shukla]

5. Tendulkar Opus [by Opus Media Group]

MEDIA COVERAGE

Are you kidding me?

LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent in English, Hindi and Marathi.

PERSONAL DETAILS

Date of birth: April 24, 1973

Hometown: Mumbai

Wedded to Anjali, daughter Sara, son Arjun.

EARNINGS

Approximately Rs 60 crore annually (That’s Rs 600,000,000 or USD 13 million or GBP 7.8 million or Euro 8.7 million).

Note: This CV hasn’t been authorized by Sachin Tendulkar or his representatives. It was compiled with help from various cricket news sources by AR Hemant, a journalist with Yahoo! Cricket. [Last updated: November 11, 2011].

Mumbai Indians V/s Chennai Super Kings

2009-04-18T01:52:00.000-07:00

They are easily the biggest icons of Indian cricket. If one has been the inspirational leader, the other has been the supreme performer, and the two have taken Team India from strength to strength over the past couple of years.

And Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be the first to acknowledge that his success as Team India captain has had a lot to do with Tendulkar's performances.

Now Dhoni, leading Team Chennai, has to face the wrath of the Little Master, when they take on Mumbai Indians in the opener of IPL 2 in the far-off shores of the Atlantic -- the picturesque Newlands in Cape Town.

What makes it all the more interesting is the fact that Tendulkar has already announced that he won't play international T20 cricket while Dhoni had proved himself as a skipper for the first time in South Africa two years back, leading India to the World T20 triumph.

T20 is easily Dhoni's bastion and if Tendulkar can inspire his team to a win against Team Chennai, the Little Master can afford a quiet smile of satisfaction.

And Tendulkar has got all the ammunition in the world to turn the heat on last year's runners-up. A supreme opening partner in Sanath Jayasuriya, a solid middle-order led by the stylish South African batsman JP Duminy, and a decent pace-attack led by the in-form Zaheer Khan. All that has created a buzz around the Mumbai Indians.

It's likely that allrounder Dwayne Bravo and medium-pacer Kyle Mills will fill up the other two foreigner's slot in the Mumbai outfit.

But if Mumbai are blessed with balance, so are Team Chennai. Matthew Hayden's retirement from international cricket has come as a big boon for Dhoni's men and the burly Aussie has to play a huge role at the top of the order if Chennai are to do well in South African conditions.

Hayden knows all about playing on these tracks and it's pretty obvious that the Chennai top-order will look to play around him.

Another trump-card for Dhoni is Andrew Flintoff, provided he is 100 per cent fit. The England allrounder is available only for a couple of weeks and Chennai will expect to get the best out of him in this period.

Flintoff, of course, will be backed by another superb all-rounder in Albie Morkel, who is in great touch at the moment.

The duo will lead the Chennai bowling attack as well, but it'll be interesting to see how well they're backed up by the likes of Lakshmipathy Balaji and MS Gony.

Dhoni also has the guile of Muttiah Muralitharan to fall back upon, but it's to be seen whether he is able to work his magic in the shortest format of the game in South African conditions.

Wax Statue of Sachin Tendulkar

2009-04-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

Not a stranger to honours and accolades, Master Blaster Batsman Sachin Tendulkar on Monday said his wax statue adorning the iconic Madame Tussauds in London would be both an appreciation and reflection of his contribution to Indian cricket. "It is a great honor to be there at the Tussauds. I know I am the first sportsperson of the country to be there. I think it is an appreciation and a reflection of my contribution to Indian cricket," he said after unveiling the statue.

Sachin Tendulkar said he was spellbound after seeing the statue which will be inaugurated at the Tussauds on April 24, his birthday. "I am not a person who normally reacts easily to anything. But when I and my family saw it, something identical to myself, my reaction was something different. I have not reacted like that before, my reaction was special. It was so real, it was fantastic. But I am glad it does not breathe. "(My son) Arjun wanted to take down the bat and start playing but I told him not to get very close," he said.

Asked next to whom he would want his wax statue to be placed at the Tussauds, Tendulkar said, "I don't mind to be next to anybody. The fact that it will be there itself was a great honor. There are so many great personalities there including Indians," he said.

Asked if he felt authorities at Tussauds should have done it earlier, Tendulkar said, "I am not the person to decide whether my statue should have been one or two year before or this year. I am not concerned about that. I am happy that I will be there now. It is a happy moment." Tendulkar said he will go to London after the Indian Premier League season two in South Africa and see for himself his wax statue at the Tussauds.

"Right from 15 years of age I have thought of going to the Tussauds and even during my stay in England to play cricket I did not have time to go there because of my schedule. This time I will be there to know how these wax statues are made of," he said. Tendulkar has achieved almost everything as a cricketer could dream of except for one -- to win the World Cup for the country. "Every cricketer has a dream. For me I want to win the World Cup for the country that is my dream."

McGrath doubts at Buchanan's multiple captain Theory

2009-04-08T01:33:00.000-07:00

Legendary Australian pacer and current Delhi Daredevils spearhead Glenn McGrath on Monday scoffed at John Buchanan's multiple captain theory while endorsing the importance of a single skipper. "I have played under Buchanan and I know he has a lot of theories, may be this is another one. I don't know why he (Buchanan) has come up with this idea. I like a single captain idea.

"A good captain is one who uses his experience and takes the inputs and suggestions from other younger players of his team as well. But at the end of the day he should be the leader and accountable for his decisions," McGrath said on the sidelines of a programme to mark the team's send-off to South Africa. Former Australia World Cup winning Coach Buchanan, who is now manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the multiple captain theory for the IPL second season, ruffling a few feathers including that of India great Sunil Gavaskar and former skipper Sourav Ganguly.

Talking about the challenges of the second edition of IPL, McGrath said conditions in South Africa would be similar to Australia and hoped to acclimatize soon. "I did enjoy the fan support and playing in Delhi last year but if I just think about the conditions, I feel it would be bouncy and quick, somewhat similar to what we have in Australia. I feel we can adjust to the conditions quite quickly," McGrath said. He said it was a tough decision for him to play in the second edition of IPL considering he has to take care of his children after losing wife Jane last year.

"It was a tough decision for me to play in the IPL. I have to take care of my kids, now that Jane is no more with us. But I enjoyed playing IPL last year and this is something special which I wanted to do for myself. "I didn't play cricket for the last 10 months but I hit the gym and worked out regularly. We had a 12 days training here and I hope to continue to build that up in the next few weeks bowling in South Africa, so that I can be at the top of my game before the season kicks off," he said.

The 39-year-old McGrath, who emerged as the most economical (6.61) bowler for his team last season, reckoned India vice-captain and Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag as one of the most destructive batsman he has ever bowled to and rated him highly as a captain. "I have always enjoyed bowling to Sehwag. As a skipper also I rate him highly, I have played under him and I hope this time we help him to win the cup," he said. The lanky McGrath also threw his weight behind Brett Lee. "Brett is very experienced and a class bowler and he has put a lot of hard work in this last few months and has grown much stronger," he said.

McGrath also feels IPL has lifted the Twenty20 version of the game. "Twenty20 is such a version where one can't afford to make any mistake, as a bowler you can't bowl 2-3 bad overs and I feel IPL has lifted the game as a whole," he said. Meanwhile, explosive Australian batsman David Warner, who would make his IPL debut this year, said he would like to show India's Virender Sehwag some pyrotechnics of his own if given a chance to open with the Delhi dasher. "I know it is up to the selectors to decide where I should bat and I can bat at any position. I don't have the experience like Sehwag and Gautam Gambir but if I am given a chance to open with Sehwag, I would like to show him some of my shots out of the park," he said.

Warner said his aim would be to win the title and bring it to Delhi. "Last year Delhi made it to the semi-final, so this time I would like to put it on board in the final and win the cup," Warner said. India discards Ashish Nehra, who switched loyalty from Mumbai Indians to Delhi Daredevils, said the domestic experience would help him to perform well this year. "Last year it was a good experience playing for Mumbai Indians. This year I have played a lot in the domestic circuit for Delhi and I hope this will help me perform better," he said.

SRK slams Gavaskar for criticizing Buchanan

2009-04-08T01:27:00.000-07:00

Kolkata Knight Riders owner ShahRukh Khan took a dig at former India captain Sunil Gavaskar for ridiculing John Buchanan's multiple-captain theory saying he bought the team and would run it the way he wants.

Former Australia World Cup winning coach Buchanan, who is now manager of Kolkata Knight Riders, had suggested the four captain theory for the second season of the Indian Premier League that has ruffled a few feathers, including that of former India skipper Sourav Ganguly.

"I have great respect for Mr. Gavaskar. I have grown up enjoying his performance as well as KR Vishwanath and Kapil's. We all respect him too much but having said that I would like to say that please give it (the multiple-captain theory) a breathing space to try now. If we fail we can always go back to the traditional way," ShahRukh said at a media conference in Mumbai on Sunday to announce new initiatives with Team sponsors Nokia. The Bollywood star said he has spent a lot of money in buying the team and would like to run it as he deems fit. "I have spent lot of money on my team. If you have a problem then you buy your own team and run it the way you want," he said, in an obvious response to Gavaskar's comments.

India's batting legend Gavaskar, in a newspaper column, had criticized Buchanan's theory saying too much importance is being accorded to the Australian, who is a failed first-class cricketer and is only trying to get lucrative jobs for "his Queensland pals". "To comment on his multiple skipper theory is to give it the importance it doesn't deserve but what does require comment is how he has got his Queensland pals lucrative jobs with KKR.”They have a very big support staff which includes his son and most of them are from Queensland. The owners - poor souls - have little idea that they are being milked," Gavaskar had written. ShahRukh, meanwhile, said he would rather try the multiple captain idea and fail than not giving it a chance at all.

"Twenty20 cricket is a new format and last time we did not do well after going by the traditional way (one captain). This time Buchanan will try multiple captaincies in the practice game before the IPL starts in South Africa and see whether he succeeds or not," the Bollywood star said. Buchanan's concept has generated lot of controversy ahead of the April 18 to May 24 IPL to be held in eight cities of South Africa.

Sourav Ganguly, who led the team last year, had expressed resentment to the multiple captain idea. The former India captain and Buchanan have had lengthy discussions with ShahRukh at his residence to thrash out the issues. ShahRukh on Sunday pointed out that the concept had been tried out last year itself by Kings XI Punjab. "It was tried out last year itself by the Mohali team which had a fielding captain (Kumar Sangakkara), a batting captain, a bowling captain and an overall captain Yuvraj Singh," he said.

The Bollywood star gave the example of cricket's cousin baseball which has coaches giving instructions from outside the field to the pitchers, batters and others. ShahRukh also expressed hope that his team would perform much better than last year. "All our players like Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum, Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Ajantha Mendis, Ishant Sharma, Mashrafe Mortaza are available," he said. "Almost 97 to 98 per cent of the players are available and it's a strong line-up. I hope the team performs better than last year," ShahRukh said.

IPL is getting bigger

2009-03-30T22:25:00.000-07:00

Preity Zinta, who co-owns Indian Premier League (IPL) team Kings XI Punjab, says the Twenty20 tournament moving to South Africa is like "asking an actor to perform in a theatre where nobody knows him", but the Bollywood star also hopes the shift helps in making the event bigger.

"The option was to either have it outside India or not at all. No one is happy to shift from home ground. That thrill of playing across our own country at domestic tournaments is gone. Going to various cities with the matches is a high," Preity told IANS in an interview.

"But we've to be optimistic. Last year when the IPL started everyone thought it would flop. It became the biggest hit ever. Likewise, the shift to South Africa could make the IPL bigger," she said on a positive note.

The actress is a little upset that the IPL crisis coincided with the release of her film "Videsh - Heaven On Earth" in India.

"The timing of the IPL crisis was unfortunate. My most challenging film 'Heaven On Earth' is on release. I'd have liked more time nurturing it. You know I did 'Heaven On Earth' for myself... I just needed to connect more with my inner self. This film made me does that," said Preity.

Excerpts from the interview with IANS:

Was it a shock to you when the IPL was relocated to South Africa?

The option was to either have it outside India or not at all. No one is happy to shift from home ground. That thrill of playing across our own country at domestic tournaments is gone. Going to various cities with the matches is a high. However, people can still watch it on TV. That's still there.

But an Indian event shifted to South Africa?

I know. But we've to be optimistic. Last year when the IPL started everyone thought it would flop. It became the biggest hit ever. Likewise the shift to South Africa could make the IPL bigger. What else can I do except be hopeful?

But it's being translocated to a new culture and environment?

Of course, it is! But what can we do? I've always believed whatever happens in life happens for the best. The timing of the IPL crisis was unfortunate. My most challenging film, 'Heaven On Earth', is on release. I'd have liked more time nurturing it. You know I did 'Heaven On Earth' for myself. Lots of times I've done things for this reason and that. But this time it was entirely for me. I just needed to connect more with my inner self. This film made me do that.

So the IPL moving out of India is like uprooting a national event?

Exactly! It's like asking an actor to perform in a theatre where nobody knows him. But we'll make sure that the quality and profile of the game don't change. Only two percent of the audience watches the game in a stadium. Most of them watch the game on television.

But there's that vibe when the game happens on home ground. That spirit can't be captured anywhere. Having said that I don't want to sound whiny and petty. I want to thank South Africa for agreeing to host the IPL games. They've gone out of their way to accommodate us, flung their fields open to us. I think South Africa will make a beautiful home for the games.

Wasn't the choice between South Africa and England?

Yes, there were several options. But it finally came down to choosing between those two countries. We didn't want to go into a place where there was too much rain. I think South Africa will be fun. Who knows, they might even allow me to play. That's my secret fantasy. Miracles do happen, you know.

Is it just elections that ousted IPL from India. Or was there a security scare after what happened to the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan?

I refuse to believe India is scared about the security. Does the country shut down because we can't get enough security? I think we need to vote even more carefully. We must put proper people in places of power. I don't think we should vote for anyone who has got criminal records. See their track records and then vote.

How will you be ready with the IPL in South Africa in time?

We Indians don't only exist in chaos. We thrive in it. Even last year when IPL happened for the first time we grappled with all odds. I know I'm going to have sleepless nights. But that's a different story. I can't pretend I'm not disappointed by the relocation. But South Africa is a terrific country.

I'll have lots to do besides cricket. In Punjab it was difficult for me to move out. Preity Zinta will have a blast shopping in South Africa. Preity Zinta, the team owner, is worried. We've no players from South Africa. Neither does ShahRukh Khan.

Are the boys demoralized by the relocation?

Their choice was between no IPL and IPL in South Africa.

Saurav Ganguly disappoints with IPL Venues

2009-03-24T21:39:00.000-07:00

With the location change googly, cricket fans could well miss the action in the middle.

And the development has left Kolkata Knight Riders Captain Sourav Ganguly disappointed. “I know Kolkatans won’t be able to see us playing at home, but what to do?” asks Dada, in between shots for a bike ad.

Quiz the Prince of Kolkata some more on the IPL and he offers a straight bat, “I wouldn’t like to comment. It is sensitive issue. The decisions have been taken by the powers that be. I am just a player and will have to play wherever I am asked to.”

Ask Sourav if he is worried about the preparations, what with the teams having to play in a foreign country at such short notice, and the former Team India skipper replies, “It shouldn’t be a problem. As professional players, we have to adjust to different conditions and give our best.” Surely, Sourav is a pro at it. He has shown his prowess with the bat, gathering runs on any pitch and reading the conditions well.

Filling us in on the proceedings inside the studio, Riingo, who is shooting the ad film, says, “We shot the earlier part of the ad in Arunachal Pradesh. Sourav is on an all new track in life, and we have accordingly shown him riding through the tough terrain of Arunachal. In the ad, he stops by the roadside to help one of the local kids get the right grip on his bat.” On directing Sourav, the director says, “I am shooting with Dada for the first time, and the experience has been good.”

Catching Sourav texting, we wonder aloud if he has spoken to KKR owner Shah Rukh Khan, and Sourav clarifies, “No, I have not yet got the scope to talk to him after the announcement.” The government of India’s inability to offer foolproof security during the IPL, has to do with prioritizing elections, and rightly so. But if the IPL is held outside India, then our cricket stars do not get to vote. Sourav, who is aware of that possibility, says, “Yes, I won’t be able to vote. But we don’t have a choice. Professional commitments are also important to us. I’m confident we’ll play well.” Well, the Maharaj sure has a point.

SRK, Preity & Shilpa are Okay with IPL Abroad

2009-03-24T21:37:00.000-07:00

“Elections are the number one priority and we had to take it into consideration. We want to have this tournament too, so this is a good decision as every fan will still get to see it from 4 pm to 8 pm.” - Preity Zinta.

"It’s a great decision. We’ll follow what the IPL and the BCCI decide. The buzz which is in India will not be there, but the election buzz will be there.” - Shah Rukh Khan.

"The news is disappointing... However, if the choice is between no tournament, and the tournament in another country, then we clearly prefer the latter.” - Shilpa Shetty.

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar Records

2009-02-06T23:58:00.001-08:00

Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar Records update as on 3rd Feb 2009.

1. Most Man of the Matches in the ODI's = 56
2. Most Man of the Series in the ODI's = 14
3. Most Man of the Matches in the World Cup Series = .
4. Highest Run Getter in the ODI’s = .
5. Highest Number of Hundreds in the ODI’s = 42
6. Highest Number of Nineties in the ODI’s = 92
7. Highest Number of Fifties in the ODI’s = 92
8. First ever Cricketer to make 10000, 11000, 12000, 13000, 14000, 15000 and 16000 runs in the ODI’s
9. Highest Number of Hundreds in Test Matches = 38
10. Highest Run Getter in Test Matches = .
11. Highest Run Getter in 1996 & 2003 World Cup with the scores of 523 and 673 runs respectively. 673 runs are highest by any player in a single World Cup Series.
12. Highest Run Getter in all World Cup Series till date. (1,796 at an average of 59.87).
13. Highest Run Getter in a Single Calendar Year = 1894.
14. He is the most overall runs getter in International Cricket, (ODI’s + Tests + T20= more than 26000 runs).
15. Tendulkar has scored over 1000 ODI Runs in a Calendar Year 7 times.
16. Most Number of ODI Centuries in a calendar year: 9 centuries in 1998.
17. Sachin and Vinod Kambli was involved in unbroken 664-run partnership in a Harris Shield game in 1988.
18. Sachin Tendulkar is the only player to score a century on debut in all the three of his Ranji Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Irani Trophy Matches.
19. Tendulkar is the only player having 40 Test Wickets and more than 11000 runs in Tests.
20. He is the only player having 150 ODI Wickets and more than 15000 runs.
21. His 20 Century Opening Partnership Stand with Saurav Ganguly is a World Record. They also have put together 6,271 runs in 128 matches which is a world record for the maximum number of runs scored by the opening partnership.
22. Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid Partnership of 331 runs against New Zealand in 1999 hold the world record for the highest partnership for any wicket in ODI.
23. Highest individual ODI Score by an Indian batsmen and 5th all time highest individual score (186* against New Zealand at Hyderabad in 1999).
24. Tendulkar is the first batsman to score over 50 & then 75 centuries in International Cricket.
25. Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid holds the record for six 200 + run partnerships in ODI’s.
26. He has scored over 1000 ODI runs against all Major Cricketing Nations.

Some Other Great Achievements of Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar

1 In 2002, Wisden rated Sachin as the 2nd Greatest Test Batsman after Sir Donald Bradman of Australia.
2 In 2003, Wisden rated Tendulkar as d No. 1 player in all time Greatest ODI Players List.
3 Sachin is the only player to be in ICC Top 10 ranking for 10 years.
4 Tendulkar is the only Indian Cricketer to be facilitated by all the 3 Sport Awards i.e. Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna Award and Padma Shri by Indian government.
5 In 1992, Sachin at 19 became the first overseas player capped Yorkshire County Cricket, England.
6 He is the highest earner among all cricketers of the world.
7 Tendulkar has scored centuries against all test playing nations. He was the fourth batman to achieve the distinction after Steve Waugh, Rahul Dravid and Gary Kirsten.
8 Tendulkar held the record of 5 Test Centuries before he turned 20 years of age
9 Most Number of Consecutive ODI Appearances =185.
10 Most number of Stadium Appearances = 90 Different Grounds.
11 Tendulkar has most man of match awards (10) against Australia than any other player.
12 The Current India Poised campaign run by The Times of India has nominated him as the Face of New India next to the likes of Amartya Sen and Mahatma Gandhi.
13 In Aug 2003, Sachin was voted as the "Greatest Sportsman" of the country in the Best of India poll conducted by Zee News.
14 In 2006, he was named "Sports person of the Year” and Time magazine named Tendulkar as one of the Asian Heroes.
15 Tendulkar holds the current record (217 against NZ in 1999/00 Season) for the highest score in Test cricket by an Indian while captaining the side.

Please let me know, if I’ve forgotten something. Waiting for your Responses.

Source: India Study Channel

Dhoni V/s Ganguli

2008-11-11T06:59:00.000-08:00

Comparison between two great Captains of Indian Cricket.

I feel that Sourav Ganguly was a much better captain than the current captain of India. I have many reasons to prove my statement. They are as follows:

He never spoke in favor of his players when they were targeted by media and cricket council. He could not protect them from the ban they had to face.

Current captain is not at all helpful to the players.

His form is no good as compared to Sourav Ganguly as captain.

He is no more a match winner.

His wicket keeping is very poor.

He is very selfish and only performs when he want.

He is not a type of captain who can face challenges boldly.

He is not aggressive.

He can't handle pressure situation.

He can't create a fear in the minds of opponent.

He is busy making money.

Rajasthan Royals win First IPL Final

2008-06-02T00:35:00.001-07:00

League or knock-out there was only one champion. It was fitting that the most consistent side in the tournament held their nerve to clinch a thriller. The Chennai Super Kings summoned every ounce of their reserves to take the match to the wire but a calm swat from Sohail Tanvir, when one was needed off the last ball, sparked some heady celebrations in the Rajasthan Royals' dug-out. The least expensive side in the league had completed the coup that had those winning 13 of their 16 matches.

A galaxy of international stars might have added fizz to the IPL but it was India's most improved domestic player who sparkled in the tense final at the DY Patil Stadium. Few outside India might have heard of Yusuf Pathan before this tournament but he imposed himself on the grand stage, snaffling three wickets before smashing a scintillating 56, setting the stage for the inspirational Shane Warne to pull off the last-ball nailbiter.

Chasing 164 wasn't going to be easy on the slightly two-paced surface and Rajasthan were hobbling at 42 for 3 but the 65-run stand between Yusuf and Shane Watson provided the impetus. Another mini-collapse put them in a spot but Warne and Tanvir put on 21 in a harum-scarum final leg. Chennai's sloppy fielding didn't help but the batsmen ensured they didn't lose their head.

L Balaji, who got a pasting in the first three overs, was brought on with eight needed off the final over. Three tight deliveries piled on the pressure before a costly wide, which also produced a bye, tilted the balance. With three needed off 2 balls, Tanvir hurried two to deep midwicket before settling the victory in the final ball. The best bowler of the tournament did his side a big service with the bat. Warne's mighty embrace suggested much.

The base was set by Yusuf's ballistic, yet fortuitous, fifty. Chennai will rue the chance they missed in the 11th over - Yusuf tried to loft Muttiah Muralitharan but Suresh Raina, one of India's best fielders, couldn't latch on to the skier after running from mid-on. With the asking rate approaching 10, that could have been a big blow. Murali had no answers against him in the next over, though, when he was blasted for two successive sixes over wide long-on.

Yusuf soon pounded Balaji, backing away and blitzing thunderbolts down the ground, and looked more like a veteran accustomed to such high-pressure situations. He looked set to run away with the match but Raina's dart-accurate throw from gully added another twist.

Yusuf was instrumental with the ball too. Just as Chennai appeared to be building partnerships he pegged them back with his fastish offbreaks. S Vidyut holed out to deep midwicket, Parthiv Patel snicked to the wicketkeeper, and Albie Morkel top-edged towards short fine leg. Not only was he the most effective of the bowlers but also the most economical - showing the ability to raise his game at the crunch.

Chennai weren't outclassed, not by a long way. Against an efficient bowling attack, with a slow outfield to consider, they strung together a fighting total. Raina and Parthiv, the duo who took them to victory last night, put on a useful 25-run stand through accumulation rather than attack, ensuring that the platform was laid for the rest of the order.

Morkel's two sixes injected some verve into the innings before Raina and Dhoni upped the ante. What could have cost them is the decision to send Chamara Kapugedera ahead of S Badrinath. Kapugedera pottered around for a 12-ball 8 and it was left to Dhoni to up the rate. The 17th over, bowled by Watson, where he conceded just three and picked up a wicket, appeared to tilt the scales but a few mighty hits from Dhoni pushed them to 163. It was the highest total at the DY Patil Stadium but only for a couple of hours.

IT’S WARNIE VS DHONI

2008-05-31T23:59:00.000-07:00

Super Sunday Set To Break TV Records

The mega final between Aussie legend Shane Warne’s Team Jaipur and the country’s coolest star M S Dhoni’s Team Chennai promises to break all records and become the biggest television spectacle in the history of Indian sport. Just sample this: A staggering 99 million viewers have already watched the IPL matches between April 18 and May 24. Even as some commentators warned of a cricket overdose, evening after evening, families have gathered before TV sets, planned dinners over weekends to set the stage for a grand finale on Super Sunday.

With glamour, hype, cliffhangers, stars and controversies, T20 has already offered a full platter. There is only one worry though: let us just hope the final too doesn’t turn out to be a tame affair like the two semifinals. If Team Jaipur won by 105 runs on Friday night, Team Chennai had it even easier winning by nine wickets. Mohali won the toss like Delhi on Friday, but elected to bat. Even this proved to be disastrous as they lost wickets in virtually every over early on.

WHO’LL WEAR THE CROWN TONIGHT?

The IPL’s been every bit the cricketing revolution it was touted to be. After 44 days, it climaxes today with a battle royale.

TV EYEBALLS

99m have tuned in so far. The expected TV audience tonight may exceed that of the T20 World Cup final Sports audience reach in India (no of people tuned in for over a minute): 1. World Cup Cricket ODI (2007): 32.8m 2. T20 final (2007): 48.3m 3. Soccer World Cup (2006): 6.7m * The Super Bowl final in 2008 was watched by 97.5 million people.

BET-O-METER

Team Jaipur: 8/11 Team Chennai: 9/11 (Ladbrokes)

STRENGTHS

A terrific bunch that has gelled superbly as a unit under the guidance of Warne, who is both captain and coach. All-rounder Shane Watson, pacer Sohail Tanvir, Asnodkar and Yusuf Pathan have all been a hit

Dhoni’s cool captaincy and the middle order. If the likes of Albie Morkel, Suresh Raina, Badrinath and Dhoni himself get going, then Team Jaipur might struggle. New ball bowlers Ntini and Gony are also a threat.

WEAKNESSES

Graeme Smith, who has scored 441 runs at an average of 49, will be missing after a recurrence of a hamstring injury. The youngsters could be under pressure in the biggest game of their lives

Stephen Fleming’s departure has further weakened the top order, putting pressure on Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina and Dhoni himself to fire. Also, Muralitharan has hardly looked the champion bowler that he is

WARHEADS

Sohail Tanvir
Albie Morkel
Shane Watson
Makhaya Ntini
Swapnil Asnodkar
S Badrinath
Yusuf Pathan
Suresh Raina

DARK HORSES
Mohammed Kaif
Parthiv Patel

ROAD TO FINALS

Won: 12, Lost: 3, In semis, beat Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs

Won: 9, Lost: 6. In semis, beat Team Mohali by 9 wickets

CROSSING SWORDS

Jaipur has won both the home and away matches against Chennai. The first was won by 8 wickets on the strength of Sohail Tanvir’s 6-14. Graeme Smith blasted 91 in the 2nd for a 10-run win

Ganguly helps Kolkata beat Kings XI

2008-05-25T12:27:00.000-07:00

Skipper Sourav Ganguly (86*) led from the front to beat Kings XI Punjab by three wickets in their Indian Premier League tie at the Eden Gardens.

Chasing 176 runs, Kolkata got off to a good start until Sreesanth rocked Salman Butt and Debabrata Das in his successive deliveries. Butt contributed 24 runs in 18 balls while Das returned without scoring. David Hussey (12) continued his poor form against the spin bowling. Piyush Chawla rocked his middle stump comprehensively. Laxmi Shukla too did not last long and lost his timber to VRV Singh in the 10th over.

Earlier, Kings XI Punjab rode on rollicking knocks by Kumar Sangakkara (64) and Shaun Marsh (40) to pile up 174 for 6 in their Indian Premier League tie against Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. Coming together after the early loss of James Hopes, Marsh and Sangakkara added a brisk 83 runs of only 57 deliveries to put their side in the drivers' seat before a crowd of 30,000 at the Eden Gardens.

Sangakkara was especially brilliant, letting loose several delicate shots all over the park earning huge applause from the spectators, who relished every minute of his brilliant batting. Marsh, one of the principal scorers of the tourney, executed some power-packed shots before holing out to long off, giving Sri Lankan off spinner Ajantha Mendis his first wicket of the IPL on his debut.

Umar Gul (4/23), the pick of the Knight Riders bowlers, finally got rid of Sangakkara, as the Sri Lankan played across the line to a delivery that pitched on the good length spot and came further in and rapped the willower on the pad, as the visitors became 133 for 3. Yuvraj Singh then played a cameo, adding 31 runs with Mahela Jayawardene (11 not out) before the former got run out following a horrible mix up.

The Kings XI seemed well positioned for a 180 plus total, as they reached 170 for 4 after the penultimate over, but Gul's superlative bowling at the death restricted them to a run rate of 8.7 per over. Gul not only conceded only four runs, but also was on a hat-trick, as he picked up Irfan Pathan (7) and Piyush Chawla (0) of back-to-back deliveries. It was left to Tanmay Srivastava to thwart Gul's feat.

Young pacer Ishant Sharma, a find for the Indian team during their tour to Australia earlier this year, once again was lacklustre conceding 49 runs in his quota of four overs.

Kings XI Punjab Steal Win Over Mumbai By One Run

2008-05-21T09:50:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Indians just lost their way towards the end of their IPL tie against Kings XI Punjab and consequently lost it by 1 run at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. Interestingly, there were five run outs in this match with three coming off in the last over. Batsmen to fall short of the crease were Dwayne Smith, Sachin Tendulkar, Ashish Nehra, Siddharth Chitnis and VS Yeligati.

After posting a target of 190 runs, Kings XI Punjab thought they had enough on the board. But, Mumbai batsmen had other ideas. Jayasuriya started off in his usual style and quickfired 21 runs before Sreesanth caught him plumb. Dwayne Smith (20) came after his departure and added 45 runs with Tendulkar but a throw from Yuvraj at mid-off saw him short off the crease.

Mumbai captain and opener Sachin Tendulkar then took control of the innings and hammered 65 runs. Abhishek Nayar also joined the party and made quick 27 runs before leg-spinner Piyush Chawla took his wicket.

After Tendulkar fell, Pollock and Uthappa followed him soon. Chitnis hit some big shots but failed to carry his side home. But what really was worth the money of this match was the last over by VRV Singh. Not that he picked any wicket but it showed what pressure can do. After two run outs, Mumbai needed 4 runs off 2 balls. Yeligati and Fernando added two runs. They required two runs off the last ball. Yeligati ran but Yuvraj threw himself on the stumps, of course with ball and then ecstatic Kings XI players ran all over the ground.

Earlier, after put in to bat, Kings XI Punjab made 189 runs at the loss of four wickets with the help of the knocks from Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach.

'Man of the Match' Shaun Marsh continued with his purple patch as he not only slammed a half-century but also built a 133-run partnership with Luke Pomersbach before Siddharth Chitnis removed him for 81 runs. Shaun Pollock caught him at the long on. Luke Pomersbach who was playing a second fiddle to Marsh, took over after his fall and scored unbeaten 79 runs. Skipper Yuvraj Singh's poor run with the bat continued as he fell for just 7 runs. Chitnis picked him as his second victim after Marsh.

With this win, Kings XI Punjab become the second team to make it to the semi-finals after Rajasthan Royals.

Rajasthan Royals Beats Royal Challengers

2008-04-26T20:35:00.001-07:00

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

2008-04-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-24T11:18:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-23T12:38:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-22T12:37:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T12:02:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-19T12:24:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-19T12:14:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-19T04:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

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