After tasting defeat in Bangalore, Chennai, and Mumbai, the jinx was finally broken for the Mumbai Indians in the City of Joy, as they defeated home team Kolkata Knight Riders by 7 wickets.
The Knight Riders won the toss and chose to bat first but their famed batting line-up failed to show any resistance against some fine bowling by a determined Mumbai team.
Mumbai's veterans Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock stole the limelight, wrecking both the top and the middle order of the Kolkata Knight Riders, and restricting them to a modest 137 for 8. The crafty Jayasuriya displayed variation in his bowling and stuck to a tight line to finish with dream figures of 4-1-14-3.
On a sporting pitch which was a far cry from the two-paced dry wicket that had been universally condemned nine days back, skipper Shaun Pollock struck in the first over itself. Riders lost captain Saurav Ganguly being caught by Jayasuriya off Pollock. Another blow followed within two balls. This time, Mc Cullum was out lbw.
By the 13th over, Riders had already lost six of their batsmen. Jayasuriya was all over the place. First, he ran out Ricky Ponting and then had Mohd. Hafeez caught behind. The Lankan all-rounder all dismissed Ajit Agarkar and Ashish Nehra.
For the Riders, Laxmi Ratan Shukla (40 not out; 4x4, 2x6) emerged as the top scorer, with a late assault. His cameo helped Kolkata reach a score of 138 runs.
The Indians started on a good note but it wasn't to last. A. Rahane was caught by Hussey off Agarkar's bowling and then Ishant sharma clean bowled the flamboyant Jayasuriya. The pacers continued the damage when new bowler Ashok Dinda bowled Manish Pandey for a duck on the first ball of the fifth over, leaving Mumbai Indians tottering at 25 for 3. However, West Indian Dwayne Bravo and Robin Uthappa came together to repair the innings.
The duo steadied the boat for the team, displaying calm and only hitting the bad balls across the rope. Bravo, the more active of the partners, completed his half century in 42 balls and along with Uthappa (37 not out) steered the team to a well-deserved victory.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mumbai rises in IPL, Win their 1st Match
BCCI should be lenient: Farokh Engineer
Harbhajan Singh has been punished enough by the Indian Premier League for slapping India teammate S Sreesanth and the BCCI should not be very harsh when it hands out a separate penalty to the off-spinner, IPL match referee Farokh Engineer has pleaded.
"I am sure that BCCI will realise that Harbhajan's punishment has been pretty harsh and I hope for Harbhajan that they are lenient on him. But I can't really comment what the BCCI has to do," Engineer told a news channel.
The former wicketkeeper said although Sreesanth, who was let off with a warning, was "no angel", Harbhajan's actions could not be condoned no matter what the provocation.
"I don't think Sreesanth is an angel. He is a lovely guy and he has been warned to take it easy... Not to go beyond the mark. Harbhajan made a big mistake there, a mistake that has never been made before. You just cannot strike another person," he said.
Engineer said the video evidence against Harbhajan was so strong that the IPL board had to take action against the temperamental bowler. "The footage was extremely incriminating. In cricket there is no body contact like football or boxing. It's something that happened in the heat of the moment and he will be regretful about this through the rest of his life," he said.
Younis Khan to Join Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan team franchise CEO Fraser Castellino said the Pakistan batsman Younis Khan will be arriving on May 8. Castellino said that the Pakistani player was allowed to stay back due to some personal reasons.
"We had allowed him to stay in his country for a little longer. Now he will be here on May 8 after the Mumbai match," he said.
The right-hander will be available for the May 9 home match against the Deccan Chargers.
Younis, along with other Pakistan players, were busy in a one-day series against Bangladesh. Wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal was rushed in through a chartered flight for the second match on April and few days later Sohail Tanveer too joined the team.
Sachin helped me improve my batting: Manoj Tiwari
Delhi Daredevils batsman Manoj Tiwari said "valuable tips" from Sachin Tendulkar helped improve his batting. "Sachin gave me a lot of tips which had a positive effect on my batting," right-handed 22-year-old Tiwari told reporters here.
He said during the recent tri-series in Australia, Tendulkar had told him how to improve his technique. "It has helped me and I am hoping to perform well for the Daredevils," he said.
Tiwari, who has played just one ODI so far, said he wanted to be a permanent member of the Indian squad and strengthen the middle-order, where he faces stiff competition from players like Suresh Raina, Robin Uthappa and Rohit Sharma.
He also praised Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag, saying he was leading the side well. "He is a great leader and we all enjoy playing under him," he said.
Union Minister Ramadoss criticises Indian Premier League
Castigating the Indian Premier League (IPL) for promoting surrogate advertising of alcohol products, Union Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss today said he would take up the matter with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
Asked what he thought about the IPL promoting surrogate advertising, he told reporters on the sidelines of a report release function here that the Supreme Court has already made some observations on the issue.
The minister added that he would take up the matter with the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. "I will definitely request them," he said.
Liquor baron Vijay Mallya got a relief from the Supreme Court yesterday which rejected the petition seeking to restrain the cricket team owned by him for the Indian Premier League (IPL) from playing the tournament under the banner of 'The Royal Challengers'.
The petition filed by a Faridabad-based resident, Kishan Kumar Aggarwal, had alleged that under the garb of 'The Royal Challengers Bangalore Team', the United Breweries Group was seeking to promote its brands of liquor.
The Health Ministry had earlier written to the I&B Minister seeking a ban on surrogate advertisements of tobacco and alcohol products following which an ordinance had been brought by the government banning such commercials.
Free tutions in the Delhi Daredevils' camp in IPL
Indian Premier League may not have pleased the purists but has clearly blurred borders and thrown up scenarios where Glenn McGrath is teaching Pradeep Sangwan tricks to tame Aussie batsmen while A B de Villiers shares first-hand knowledge on how to blunt Dale Steyn.
A peep into the Delhi Daredevils' practice reveals a new world altogether, where nationalities take a backseat and the motley crew of players go into a huddle and sweat under the harsh sun as they prepare to take on Bangalore Royal Challenge in their next IPL encounter tomorrow.
Former pacer and a key cog in Daredevils think-tank T A Sekar could not praise McGrath enough when he talked about his influence in the side.
"He is always there to help the youngsters. He is talking to (V) Yomahesh, Sangwan and even (Sri Lankan pacer) Ferveez Maharoof. If you saw the last match, you would remember how McGrath was trying to cool Maharoof who was getting some stick.
"All in all, it has been a learning experience for the youngsters in the side and it's up to the lads to make the most of the opportunity," Sekar, who has shaped many a bowling career during his stint at the MRF Pace Foundation, said here today.
Rajat Bhatia came forward to vouch for McGrath's assistance and said, "It has been a great experience. He is such a great guy. There are plenty of things you can learn from him and it's not just about bowling but also your attitude and temperament."
IPL Umpire Saheba suspended for 2 matches
IPL Governing Council member I S Bindra today slammed umpire Amish Saheba for commenting on S Sreesanth's on-field behaviour in the media and said he should have mentioned it in his report on the match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians here last week.
"The umpires are not supposed to give their reports to the media, but there is a set procedure through which they can report to the match referee or IPL," Bindra said.
Bindra said Saheba, who was suspended for two IPL matches for his remarks reported in a Mumbai newspaper, had not submitted any report to match referee Farokh Engineer or the IPL on Sreesanth's conduct.
"There is a prescribed proforma which umpires are supposed to fill and report in case they want to report on any incident. To my knowledge, the umpire in question has not submitted any report to the match referee or IPL co-ordinator," Bindra said at a press conference here.
Saheba had reportedly told a Mumbai newspaper that Sreesanth abused the Mumbai Indians (led by Harbhajan Singh) relentlessly throughout the game and was warned twice" by him and the other umpire, Pakistan's Aleem Dar". On the slapping incident, Bindra, who is also the ICC's Principal Advisor, said, "It's a bad episode. There are no two opinions about that, but we should move forward.”
Bindra further added, "this kind of behaviour is not acceptable. We have maintained that spirit of the game is equally important, if not more than the letter of the law".
Dhoni will also be dancing in Chennai super kings' Music Album
A bilingual musical support to Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings is to be provided by BIG Music, following a tie-up between the franchise and the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group company.
A music album in Tamil and Hindi, the highlight of which is a special song performed by Dhoni, will comprise the official theme song as well as victory anthem of the team, said a media release.
The songs in Tamil are penned by well-known Tamil film lyricist Vairamuthu and Dhoni will perform for the Hindi version of the Tamil-cum-English theme song, the release added.
No more cheerleaders for Delhi matches
Delhi IPL matches will be devoid of any cheerleaders charging up the tempo as GMR, owners of the Delhi franchise did away with their duties keeping in mind the protests raging across the country against the 'provocative' dances.
Vijay Vancheswar, vice-president of GMR group told reporters that their main impetus was on the game of cricket and not on entertainment thus leading to the decision. He made clear that Delhi Daredevils were keenly focussing on winning the forthcoming games and were primarily concentrating on the game rather than the entertainment provided by the cheerleaders.
He also said that the cheerleaders' presence might be a distraction and this prompted the owners to send the group back and he also expected that they would be back in the next edition of the league next year.
poor batting was the reason for our loss : Saurav Ganguly
A disappointed Kolkata Knight Riders captain Sourav Ganguly attributed his side's seven-wicket defeat to Mumbai Indians here today to "bad batting". "We didn't bat well. We didn't have enough runs on the board. It was difficult to defend a small total of 137," Ganguly said after his team's second consecutive defeat in the IPL.
He said even after the modest innings, his side was still in the fight after the Mumbai Indians lost three early wickets. "Our bowlers were bang on target in their (Mumbai) innings. They were 25 for 3 and I thought we were in for a game as they had not batted well in the tournament. We dropped a catch and then (Dwayne) Bravo and Robin (Uthappa) took the game away from us," the Prince of Kolkata said, referring to Debabrata Das failing to hold on to an offering from Uthappa.
Ganguly, however, was confident his team would bounce back in the tournament. "We have a long way to go in the tournament. We have to improve upon our batting in the remaining ten matches. I hope we will do well," he said.
Mumbai Indians skipper Shaun Pollock said his team's first victory in the league would boost their confidence. "This will be a confidence builder. Bravo batted really well and Robin played a matured innings," he said, adding that man-of-the-match Sanath Jayasuriya bowled fantastic. PTI
Ban Harbhajan Singh for life : former Aussie umpire
Former Australian Test umpire Lou Rowan today labelled Harbhajan Singh a menace on the field and called for a life ban on the temperamental off-spinner for slapping India teammate S Sreesanth. "This fellow (Harbhajan) doesn't belong to the game of cricket. He has shown he is no good. They should just get rid of him from the sport," Rowan told 'The Courier Mail'. "I don't know what other sport would want him, though," he added sarcastically.
Rowan, who stood in 25 Tests between 1963 and 1971, said Harbhajan comes across as a rogue player in whatever he has seen of the Indian tweaker's on-field behaviour. The Australian felt the 11-match ban imposed on him by the Indian Premier League (IPL) was a light punishment and his actions deserved a stricter sentence.
"I certainly don't think he would have been allowed to get away with what he has been allowed to get away within any other sport. They should just get rid of him and move on," he said.
After being banned from the IPL, Harbhajan is now awaiting the verdict from a separate disciplinary inquiry to be conducted by the BCCI. The temperamental bowler has already given his reply to the Board's show cause notice and has apologised for his conduct.
However, his penchant for landing in disciplinary trouble with alarming frequency has not gone down too well with the Board, which backed him to the hilt during the racism row with Australian all-rounder Andrew Symonds a couple of months ago. PTI
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Issue over Shoaib's IPL play Continues
If Ratnakar Shetty, BCCI's chief administrative officer, has the last word, Shoaib Akhtar may not be able to take part in the ongoing IPL despite being allowed to play by the PCB. The BCCI has disallowed Shoaib from playing in the IPL tournament in view of Pakistan Cricket Board's decision to ban him for five years.
The PCB’s disciplinary committee had earlier allowed pacer Shoaib Akhtar to play in the IPL as well as in the county cricket. Climbing down from his confrontational stand against the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar on Monday agreed to accept any disciplinary action taken by the board.
Akhtar left everyone surprised at the first regular hearing of the appellate tribunal which is hearing his appeal against the five-year ban imposed on him by PCB by agreeing to its disciplinary action.
A statement read by Akthar's lawyer said: "I (Akhtar) would like to apologise from the bottom of my heart for any grief or embarrassment that may have been caused to the nation, particularly to the PCB chairman Nasim Ashraf. I have resolved to alter my habits to refrain from such incidents in future and I will obey the PCB rules and regulations," the statement said.
The 32-year-old paceman was banned earlier this month for breaching the players' code of conduct by publicly criticising the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) after he was not offered a central contract in January. Shoaib can still not play for Pakistan as he is serving a five-year ban.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
IPL is here to stay: Zaheer Abbas
The purists may scoff at it but former Pakistan captain Zaheer Abbas feels the Indian Premier League is here to stay as the cash-rich twenty20 extravaganza has caught the imagination of the masses like no other cricket tournament before it.
"Looking at the way the people are taking to Twenty20 cricket I am sure it has a bright future and is here to stay," Zaheer said on Saturday.
He said the growing number of spectators in IPL matches was a big boost for cricket itself which could now be promoted globally.
"After the success of Indian cricket League and now the IPL, I think even those players and purists who don't like this form of the game and think it will harm traditional cricket have been forced to take to it and support it. They have no other option," he said.
Zaheer, however, felt batsmen would gain nothing from Twenty20 cricket.
"There is no technique required in this form only that player is successful who can lash out big sixes and fours. I pity the bowlers. The best of them are mauled and I sympathise with them because in four overs they don't even find their rhythm properly," he explained.
"Even the skills of the best bowlers are wasted in this form of the game. I think any bowler who can take three wickets in Twenty20 cricket has achieved something big because when the batsmen are willing to take risks even the best bowlers are helpless," Zaheer said.
Zaheer said administrators needed to seriously assess the popularity of Twenty20 cricket because of its short duration.
"It shows people nowadays prefer sports which end quickly and are packaged with entertainment."
The former skipper saw nothing wrong in making changes in the rules and introducing new concepts in cricket to make it more saleable and watchable.
"It happens in every sport changes have to be made to meet the demands of the time. I support any form of the game which brings in more crowds and is popular," he said.
Sreesanth's 'hard luck' remark irked Harbhajan
Sreesanth wept on the field after Harbhajan Singh slapped him on Friday night during an IPL match.
It all happened after Kings XI Punjab won their first match of the DLF Indian Premier League beating the Mumbai Indians.
Viewers were left puzzled when they saw Sreesanth weeping copiously and being comforted by his teammates.
At first it seemed he was overcome with emotion after his team's victory. But it now turns out that Harbhajan had slapped Sreesanth.
He later apologised. Yuvraj Singh confirmed at the post-match press conference that it was an ugly incident off camera.
Reports suggest Sreesanth had said, "hard luck" and this provoked Harbhajan.
Harbhajan Singh took a defensive stand and refused to answer any question related with the incident.
"I'm here to talk cricket, I'm here only to talk cricket," said Harbhajan at the press conference.
Sreesanth just wants to let bygones be bygones and has moved on. He seemed keen on underplaying the unpleasant exchange with his Indian teammate.
"I won't really call it a slap, more like the handshake was in the wrong place. I told him, I'm OK with it, I'm fine with it. Maybe, next time I meet him in Mumbai, I'll give it back on the field," said Sreesanth, Member, Kings XI Punjab.
On their part, IPL have asked their players not to speak to the media about the Harbhajan-Sreesanth row.
Is IPL a 'SERIAL killer'?
The initial doubts about whether the DLF Indian Premier League tournament would be able to compete with prime time television soaps have been dispelled. The verdict is out, the DLF IPL is here to stay. At least, that's what the television ratings seem to suggest. The Target Rating Points (TRP) of IPL is much higher than the daily soaps.
In its second week itself, IPL's TRP has soared up to 4.7, which is higher than the highest rated television soaps.
If we were to take a look at the female target audience of 15 years and above and compared what they watched. Kyuki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi on Star Plus had a rating of 4.5, while another popular soap on Zee TV, Saat Phere, shows a rating of 4.6. A lot of these women seem to have tuned in to watch the DLF IPL as seen by the TRP of 4.7.
The TRP of IPL shoots up when the target audience shifts to men. For men over 15 years, the ratings for IPL move up to 7.3, which is a dream figure for any daily soap.
While other channels are struggling to retain the viewers, IPL broadcaster SET Max is cashing in on it. Its market share rose to 28.8% from a mere 5.7% just a few weeks ago.
It's not just the broadcaster, advertisers like Godrej are also ecstatic at having taken such a gamble that is beginning to pay off. Godrej has not only chosen the IPL to stage its makeover, it has also spent 16-18 crore on doing it!
"We have not been advertising much on cricket but IPL is a major cricket event which was timed extremely well from our point of view as we were launching our new brand and the IPL had also started. So, we became the TV sponsors of the first set of IPL on SONY Max and that has worked very well. I understand viewership is much higher than expected," Adi Godrej, Chairman of Godrej Group said.
As brands get ready for battle of the eyeballs, the war will not be confined to the cricket field. It will also be interesting to watch how TV viewership ratings fluctuate over the next few days as Shah Rukh Khan's Kyya Aap Panchvi Pass se Tez Hain begins on Star Plus on April 25
BCCI issues notice to Harbhajan Singh
After the alleged 'slap' incident between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, the BCCI has sent a notice to Harbhajan for violating the code of conduct on the field. He has been asked to reply to the notice by April 28th.
The unsavoury incident took place after Kings XI Punjab beat Mumbai Indians and Sreesanth's words irked Bhajji so much that he slapped him after the match. Television cameras caught Sreesanth weeping bitterly on the field.
Later on, Harbhajan Singh apologised to Sreesanth and said the matter has been sorted out as Sree was like his younger brother.
"A lot of things happen in a family. We are part of one family. I think a lot of things which are coming out in the media, whatever have happened we have sorted out all, everything is fine now," Harbhajan said.
Sreesanth also played down the incident and said it wasn't a slap but an awkward handshake in the wrong place.
"I won't really call it a slap, more like the handshake was in the wrong place. I told him, I'm OK with it, I'm fine with it. Maybe, next time I meet him in Mumbai, I'll give it back on the field," said Sreesanth.
Though, the Kings XI team, led by Yuvraj Singh, had decided to file a complaint against the off-spinner, Sreesanth has asked not to take any action.
"I have told the team not to lodge complaint".
Despite this offering of olive branches, the BCCI has taken a serious note of it and said the board would not tolerate such things. The BCCI's chief administrative officer Dr. Ratnakar Shetty said, "players have to follow the code of conduct. They can't just say it's sorted out and get away with it".
Harbhajan Singh, however, is free to play in Sunday's IPL tie for Mumbai Indians against Deccan Chargers.
"We have issued a show cause notice to Harbhajan for which he has been given time till Monday evening to reply. He can play in the match," BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah said.
The match between Mumbai Indians, which has been captained by Harbhajan due to the groin injury to Sachin Tendulkar, and Hyderabad's Deccan Chargers is to be held at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.
"BCCI condemns the behaviour of Harbhajan Singh as a contracted player and he is called upon to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him, " Shah said.
"The reply from Harbhajan will hopefully make things clearer," he pointed out.
DLF IPL chairman Lalit Modi has said he will look into the match referee and umpire's reports and then decide on any action, if at all.
"We are waiting for the match referee and umpire's report only after which our committee will take a decision. The tournament is being played under the ICC guidelines, besides there are also tournament guidelines for the players," he said.
"It looks like a serious matter the way it's being shown on television channels but I can't say anything now. In any tournament it should not happen, it's unfortunate what happened yesterday," Modi added.
Friday, April 25, 2008
My Goal is to win the IPL : Ishant Sharma
India's young pace sensation Ishant Sharma has said his single mission right now was to win the Indian Premier League for the Kolkata Knight Riders.
"There is no greater honour than playing for one's country, but at present my mission is to win the IPL," he said.
Ishant refused to brand any of the eight teams as the favourite and said: "This is the Twenty20 format. The team which performs well on the day of the match will win. There are no favourites as such."
The lanky pacer admitted that the format was posing quite a challenge to the bowlers.
"You cannot afford to bowl loose deliveries in this format. You have to focus on accuracy and hit the right spots. This is a challenge for the bowlers," he added.
Asked how it felt playing aginst his India teammates, he said: "We are rivals on the field, but off the field we are all friends."
The Delhi lad also told reporters that he had put the controversies during the India-Australia series behind and was enjoying playing alongside the Australian players.
"Those things are all in the past and we should look ahead to the future. It is exciting to sit and talk about cricket with Ricky Ponting, who is one of the greatest captains in the world. It gives me a lot of satisfaction," he said.
Shahid Afridi to keep his eye on the ball in IPL
Cheerleaders may have added a dash of glamour to the billion-dollar Indian Premier League, but Shahid Afridi sees them as a distraction.
The Pakistan all-rounder, who is signed up to Deccan Chargers, rejects the idea they add to the entertainment value of the game.
"The girls in skimpy dresses should be removed from the ground as this is distracting the batsman," he told The News.
"Cricket itself is an entertainment. It does not require such cheerleaders to entertain."
Afridi, a veteran of 258 one-dayers, had a forgettable IPL debut on Tuesday, scoring just two runs in seven balls with his two overs going for 17 runs as the Chargers lost to Delhi Daredevils by nine wickets.
The Chargers on Thursday face the Rajasthan Royals looking for their first win of the tournament.
Afridi, who was bought by his team for 675,000 US dollars, also feels Pakistani players have been undervalued in the IPL.
He told Times Now: "Bids on Pakistan players as compared to other players are not high.
"Players of Pakistan like Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Gul and Shoaib Malik who performed exceptionally well in the Twenty20 World Cup last year did not get their due.
"I feel Pakistan players should have been bid for a high amount."
I don't play for records : Tendulkar
Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar has said that he was playing cricket for the love of the game and not for making records.
"I do not play for records. Playing cricket is a passion for me and I enjoy my cricket thoroughly," he told an Indian television news channel.
"While doing so if a few records are broken then its okay and if not then also its all right. I only try to give my best performance," he added.
Asked to compare the captaincy of Anil Kumble and MS Dhoni, Tendulkar said he enjoyed playing under both.
"Both of them are good. One is playing since the 90's and is a world class player. He is playing for 18 years and very few players have palyed for India so long. Anil is a world class player and all are having high regards for him.
"On the other hand there is youngster Dhoni who has played for two-and-half years and has performed tremendously. He has shown great maturity," he said.
"I have played under both of them. The contrast is there and it is a good opportunity to play under both of them and I am enjoying," he added.
On the recent talk about his desire to play in the 2011 World Cup Tendulkar said, "I answered a particular question during an interview where I said that I have been playing till today and as a habbit I don't think much about the future or the past."
Warnie Finishes with one ball to spare chasing 215
Shane Warne cracked successive sixes off the last two balls of the innings as the Rajasthan Royals condemned the Deccan Chargers to a third straight Indian Premier League defeat in a thrilling finish on Thursday.
The veteran Australian struck 22 from just nine balls to lead his side to a three-wicket win.
Symonds had earlier been at his belligerent best as he scored the fastest century in the IPL - from just 47 balls - on the way to an unbeaten 117.
He struck seven sixes and 11 fours in a lesson in explosive hitting as the Chargers posted 214 for five.
Yusuf Pathan though then struck the fastest IPL half-century - from just 21 balls - in his score of 61 and Graeme Smith plundered 71 to help the Royals to 217 for seven with one ball to spare.
Adam Gilchrist saw the Chargers off to a fine start, sending the ball racing to the boundary three times in his first over.
VVS Laxman joined the party with a four flicked off his legs before racking up another straight down the ground.
Royals captain Warne responded by bringing on Yusuf Pathan and his off-breaks worked a treat.
Gilchrist was superbly stumped by the quick-thinking Kamran Akmal for 13 as he looked to swipe Yusuf Pathan out of the park, while Afridi (10) became the spinner's next victim after he mis-timed a big hit and Ravindra Jadeja took the catch as the ball dropped out of the sky.
Symonds served notice of his intentions early on, cracking successive fours off Munaf Patel, the first a baseball-style slog past the despairing dive of Shane Watson and the second a sweetly-struck cover drive.
Laxman fell caught and bowled to Warne for 16, but the loss of his partner did not put Symonds off his stride.
He continued to blast the ball to all sections of the ground, launching a glorious maximum into the stands off Warne before sending the next ball whistling back past the head of his former Test team-mate for four.
Symonds was dropped on 75 by Pathan at point and he made his opponents pay as the boundaries continued to flow on the way to a second century in Twenty20 cricket.
Kamran looked to get the Royals on track from the off, clipping a six over square leg to follow a fine four through the covers before he was caught above his head by Sanjay Bangar off Chaminda Vaas for 12.
Yusuf Pathan though sought to give Symonds a run for his money in the big-hitting stakes and succeeded with a host of shots more suited to Yankee Stadium.
He launched a six high into the stands over cover and then cracked successive maximums high down the ground.
A flurry of late wickets - Mohammed Kaif, Smith, Jadeja and Salunke all going in the space of 10 balls - put the Chargers back in the driving seat, but Warne produced a captain's performance at the death to lead his side home.McGrath's Presence will help the youngsters : Dennis Lilee
Former Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee, who is the advisor of the Delhi Daredevils, has said that the presence of experienced bowlers like Glenn McGrath will help the youngsters in the team.
"Sharing the same dressing rooms with Glenn McGrath, Mohammad Asif and Farveez Maharoof can be the best learning process for youngsters like Pradeep Sangwan and Yo Mahesh," Lillee told reporters.
The former pacer said he was confident that the young bowlers in the team will become "very good pacers" by the end of the tournament.
"Knowing the tactics from Glenn that how he bowls in tight situations, how he reacts after being hit for three boundaries consecutively will give immense knowledge and confidence to these young pacers," he said.
Lillee said he was impressed with the bowlers in the Delhi team especially because the Twenty20 format was tilted towards the batsmen.
"Considering both the department spin and pace we have a very good bowling attack. Before Asif it was a good attack but now he has joined the squad we have strongest attack in the tournament," he said.
Kolkata will face a tough competition in Chennai : John Buchanan
Kolkata coach John Buchanan has said that dew and toss will be the two major factors in the away match against Chennai at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
Both Kolkata and Chennai have won their first two matches. Kolkata won the first match of the IPL against Bangalore and then followed it up with a hard-fought win over Hyderabad at home.
Meanwhile, Chennai won their opener against Mohali and then made it two in a row after beating Mumbai.
Buchanan said Chennai was a balanced side both in batting and bowling. He also hinted at playing the winning squad against the hosts.
A final call on West Indies skipper Chris Gayle's fitness will be taken before the match. The Carribbean all-rounder was rested from practice after his arrival due to his groin injury.
Meanwhile, Pakistan imports Umar Gul and Salman Butt have also joined the Kolkata team and Aussie Brad Hodge was expected to team soon.
Ricky Ponting, who is scheduled to leave for Australia after the Kolkata vs Mumbai match on April 29, said Hodge was a fine-all rounder and "will be useful for the shorter version".
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Watson leads Rajasthan Royals to first win in IPL
A determined batting performance from Shane Watson led the Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket win over the Kings XI Punjab - their first in the Indian Premier League.
The Royals were hammered by the Delhi Daredevils in their opening fixture, but three wickets from coach and captain Shane Warne set the tone on Monday as the Kings XI posted 166 for eight.
Fellow Australian Watson then took control in the Royals' reply, striking an unbeaten 76 to lead his side to 168 for four.
Karan Goel (26 from 21 balls) proved the main aggressor early for the Kings XI, striking Munaf Patel for six twice before the India bowler gained revenge with a yorker which removed his off stump.
That brought Kumar Sangakkara (20 from eight) to the crease and he immediately let rip, plundering three fours and a six from his first four deliveries faced, but he fell when Warne accepted a simple return catch.
Mahela Jayawardene fell quickly and James Hopes (16 from 16) became Warne's second victim.
Punjab were 73 for four at that point, but some clean hitting from captain Yuvraj Singh (57 from 34) put them back on track.
Warne (three for 19) accounted for Yuvraj and Siddharth Trivedi picked up a couple of late wickets, but Piyush Chawla's unbeaten cameo of 24 from 11 balls took the Kings XI to 166 for eight.
The Royals' reply did not get off to the best of starts as they slipped to 48 for three.
But Australian pair Watson and Darren Lehmann steadied the ship.
Lehmann (17 from 16) was trapped lbw by Irfan Pathan, but man-of-the-match Watson continued with support from 19-year-old Ravindra Jadeja.
The Australia all-rounder struck five maximums in his 49-ball innings, backed by Jadeja (36 from 25) in an unbroken partnership of 69 which saw them home with 11 balls to spare.
The result leaves Punjab at the bottom of the embryonic IPL table, having lost their
Monday, April 21, 2008
Shahid Afridi eyes McCullum's 158* record
Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi, who will join IPL's Hyderabad team on Tuesday, has said that he would try to surpass Brendon McCullum's breathtaking 158.
"It is a very difficult target to achieve, to better his 158 at a faster rate. But it is not impossible," the Pakistani press quoted Afridi as saying.
"If I get a chance to bat higher up the order and get enough overs to play I will give it a try," he added.
Afridi who already holds the record for fastest ODI century of just 37 balls said he would live up to his reputation of a big hitter, as Twenty20 cricket suits his game.
"I have a reputation of being an exciting batsman and a fast scorer and big hitter. I wouldn't like to disappoint my fans in the IPL which is twenty20 cricket and to my liking," he said.
"I am very proud of my record for the fastest one-day hundred. The IPL is an exciting concept and I am very keen of leaving my mark in the tournament with bat and ball for my team," Afridi added.
Aussie players could miss IPL's next season
Australia Cricket board have indicated their players could be obliged to miss next year's Indian Premier League because of a fixture clash with their rescheduled tour of Pakistan.
CA revealed on Monday they would play five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 match against Pakistan in April next year - the same time the second edition of the IPL is to be played.
The world champions had been due to tour Pakistan in March and April this year, but pulled out of their visit due to concerns over safety.
Tellingly for the hopes of Australian players wishing to play in next year's IPL, CA operations manager Michael Brown agreed the fixture clash was likely to "inhibit" their prospects of appearing in the lucrative tournament.
He also added that the players, who are centrally contracted to CA, would be expected to meet their obligation to play for their country.
"Playing (in Pakistan) probably inhibits players playing in the IPL (next year)," Brown told The Sydney Morning Herald.
"Under their contracts players have to make themselves available to play for Australia and so far we have not had any problems."
The absence of Australia's top names such as Ricky Ponting, Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey - who are competing in India at present - would come as a major blow to organisers of the IPL, particularly in the wake of the reluctance of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to see their players participate in the league.
No England players are in India for the 2008 tournament, as they prepare for the upcoming Test series with New Zealand.
The clash of fixtures is likely to add momentum to debate surrounding the possibility of creating a window for the IPL to be played.
At present the cricket calendar centres around the International Cricket Council's future tours programme (FTP) - a four-year cycle of home-and-away tours between the Test playing nations.
The ICC has scheduled its FTP into the start of 2012 meaning creating a window for the IPL is problematic.
Indeed, such was the difficulty in finding gaps to play rescheduled matches for Australia's return to Pakistan the tour will be split into two separate trips - a three-Test series will be played in August-September 2010.
And while Brown admitted discussion surrounding a fixture window for the IPL was a worthwhile debate, he pledged CA's support for the FTP.
"We often talk about programming being played like chess in three dimensions," he said.
"At this stage we have a program that goes through until 2011-12.
"The difficulty (in creating a window for the IPL) is there would be so many groups that would want to be involved in such programs.
"The bread and butter of cricket is based around the future tours programme and we have to make sure that is protected."
VIrender Sehwag in exuding confidence
Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag has said he was confident of his team putting on an impressive performance against Deccan Chargers in their second IPL match at Hyderabad on Tuesday.
Sehwag told reporters that the VVS Laxman-led Hyderabad team was under pressure especially after they lost their first match against Kolkata on Sunday.
"We are confident of putting a big score on a good batting track," he said, adding that the Deccan Chargers had only an "okay bowling side".
"We are very much enjoying this version of the game. We will go with a positive frame of mind to bat and will be okay if we put good runs.
"It is a great honour to play along with noted players from various countries together. We have to stick to our game and put in best effort to win the game as so much reputation and money are involved," Sehwag added.
Mark Boucher defends his decision to stayback for IPL
South Africa wicketkeeper Boucher has shot down claims he put the lucrative Indian Premier League ahead of his domestic club and their ambitions in the Pro20 League.
Boucher and Proteas team-mate Jacques Kallis remained in India after the recent Test series to play for the Bangalore Royal Challengers, while their Cape Cobras team-mates were beaten by the Titans in the semi-finals of the Standard Bank Pro20 competition.
Boucher told the Cape Times: "We made ourselves available because we were committed but we were made to feel like pawns in somebody else's game.
"The inferences about money were unpleasant and unfair. We are upset about it.
"Cobras coach Shukri Conrad eventually called me to explain but I was not at all convinced by his reasons.
"Nobody even called Jacques. No doubt there were various administrators having their say in the decision."
IPL 6th Match Highlights : Kings 11 Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals
1st Innings Highlihts
2nd Innings Highlights
Bookies rule supreme with IPL's advent
As the Indian Premier League has kicked of, excitement on the cricket field has begun to ruse. But there's excitement off the field as well. Bookies are loving this like never before.
It's official now. Cricket is as much about entertainment as it's about the fours and sixes. But this glamourised form of the game is also about huge money. Both on and off the field. There is an entire world of bookmakers with stakes in each game running into hundreds of crores.
The Indian Premier League will have 59 matches played in 44 days with millions of cricket fans. All this adds up to big bucks for an underground world that closely keeps watch on every ball played. For each match, bookmakers take bets of about Rs 400 crore. So which are the top three teams of this season, according to them?
Ab tak jo bhi matches play huee hai usmein toh Kolkata, Chennai aur Hyderabad hi acchi lag rahi hai. (Among all the matches played so far, Kolkata, Chennai and Hyderabad teams have been impressive.)
The season may have just begun but the odds are already set. Remember, the lesser the betting rate, the more favoured is the team to win.
Out of the eight teams playing in the tournament Kolkata Knight Riders are the current favourites at just below Rs 5. (Kolkata Knight Riders Rs 4.75)
They are followed by Chennai Super Kings at Rs 5.50. Hyderabad Deccan Chargers rank next at Rs 6. The odds for the Bangalore Royal Challengers, Mumbai Indians, Kings XI, Punjab, Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals range between Rs 7 to Rs 13.
Bets are placed on either full matches or the first ten overs, to help bookies and punters choose a favourite.
And since the IPL has players from across the world, bookies are also targetting individual players. Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya are the favourites.
But in a game that changes with every ball, the odds can change too. And while fortune may favour the brave, the bookies will favour the winners.
Rivalry with Indians will persist in IPL says Andrew Symonds
Gaurav Kalra: You are now not only one of the world's most gifted cricketers but also one of the world's richest cricketers. The Hyderabad paid a lot of money to get you over here.
Andrew Symonds: Yes, the auctioning system was obviously the first of its kind and it threw some sort of an amazing results and obviously it was one of those.
Gaurav Kalra: After the auction , Ricky Ponting in a Press Conference said that we are now expecting Andrew Symonds to pay for the drinks every time we go out.
Andrew Symonds: The morning after the auction, the boys came to me to pay the bills.
Gaurav Kalra: And have you started paying them? Because I also read somewhere that Ponting even said that 'when we go out, Symonds is not someone who takes out the wallet very easily.'
Andrew Symonds: (laughs). Ya, that is ok! I think I will have to live with that I suppose.
Gaurav Kalra: So, the money is still staying in the pocket?
Andrew Symonds: I won't be spending any on Ricky now.
Gaurav Kalra: Let's talk about the money thing a bit. It is funny how so much of money became a part of this process. And inevitably so, because it is such a public process. Was there a sense of nervousness in the players' minds, such as 'guess, what I am going to be worth of or I wonder what it is going to be like.'
Andrew Symonds: I wasn't because I had no idea what was going to happen. So, I just went to bed, then woke up and found the news that different figures had been dealt out to different players, all different types and from different countries. It was quite interesting but a lot of it didn't make sense. Did it?
Gaurav Kalra: Ya, a lot of it didn't make sense. But was at any time any fear cropped up that it might cause discomfort in the dressing room?
There was one line of thinking that said that some of it doesn't make sense as you yourself agree and even some of the Indian players also felt that way.
Was there ever a fear that maybe in an Australian dressing room some might have felt that 'Oh! this just doesn't add up'?
Andrew Symonds: Not really because the players weren't responsible for any of the bidding. It wasn't like we negotiated our contracts. So, there was no problems with us because it was a bidding from outside.
Gaurav Kalra: OK! What are you going to do with all this money? You are known to be a bit of a wild guy. So, you may be buying a boat or a beach in Brisbane. What are you thinking to doing with it?
Andrew Symonds: I love fishing, so I will probably buy some fishing nets.
Gaurav Kalra: You will have a lot of them with so much money.
Andrew Symonds: My life won't change. It will be the same. It is just I suppose it gives you that stability, knowing that you can pay your bills.
Gaurav Kalra: We have talked a bit about the money but there was a reason as well. There was a lot of thinking going on and one of the reasons was that people wanted multi-skilled cricketers and they don't come more multi-skilled than Andrew Symonds. Was that something that came to
your advantage? You can bat, you can bowl - spin, medium pace, you can catch like anybody in the world. Does that all add up?
Andrew Symonds: Ya! It gives the captains more options. The all-rounders go for more money as they are multi-skilled. So, it helps in T20 because if you can't get runs, you can always contribute with the ball and then filed also as well as you can.
Gaurav Kalra: Is there pressure now? Everyone says that we have paid a lot of money for Andrew Symonds, so he better come up and perform for us in the IPL?
Andrew Symonds: My attitude to cricket and sport is - if you give your best that will be all. And I will be doing that and hopefully I will be able to put some results on the board for the boys.
Gaurav Kalra: Can we talk a bit about the team? First of all I want to ask you that playing alongside Gilly (Adam Gilchrist), whom you just bid a
very emotional farewell in Australia, who was retiring from Test and the One-Dayers. Then again immediately being a part of the dressing room with him, can you tell us a bit about that.
Andrew Symonds: A part of the excitement I suppose was actually in having a teammate in the dressing room on the Chargers' soil. And it being Gilly made it a lot more comfortable. I wasn't coming into the team role sort of completely but now that he is there. And Gilly being really good with the other people, so he will be great with the young players and it will here for the full season. So, he can do a full job - he can start, and hopefully skill some of the younger players up and watch them develop throughout the competition.
David Hussey clinches thriller at Eden Gardens
In a match that went right down to the wire, the climax seemed to be lifted straight from one of Kolkata Knight Riders' owner Shah Rukh Khan's blockbusters.
Locked in battle in an evenly matched, star-studded contest, the Deccan Chargers from Hyderabad were skittled out for 110 before they came back only to lose to out to some David Hussey brilliance on a wicket which appeared to have been exposed to at least eight days of continuous cricket.
If the Kanpur minefield in the recent India-South Africa Test was made to favour the home side, this particular track at the Eden was just that, enough for the Knight Riders to bundle out the visitors for 110 inside 20 overs. That there were any favours attached to it, is however unknown.
However, chasing the lowest total in the tournament so far, this one wasn't going to be a walk in the park. The Knight Riders were 89-5 after 16.4 overs. So bad was the pitch that it was almost embarrassing for Indian cricket's grandest stage — the Eden Gardens — that one of the light towers at the stadium went out.
Needing a solid opening stand, not necessarily by way of the runs on the board, the Knight Riders lost Brendon McCullum early, before Chaminda Vaas trapped Ricky Ponting leg before for his second successive failure.
Sourav Ganguly and David Hussey gutsed it out with the former taking a fierce blow on the rib as the duo ambled to their target. But Ganguly's dismissal not only spurred the visitors to stage an excellent fightback, but created a deafening silence at the packed Eden.
Had it been a blackout, the abrupt end couldn't have dented the tournament's spectacular progress, as the hosts were 89-5, exactly their cut-off score where they should have been. However, the lights were back on as David Hussey hit two mammoth sixes to guide the Knight Riders to their second straight win in the competition.
As VVS Laxman put it during the toss, this one was the "keen contest" everyone was looking forward to, as his Deccan Chargers Hydebarad outfit elected to bat here on Sunday.
Lalit Modi ready to postpone IPL for England
The chairman of the billion-dollar Twenty20 Indian Premier League series says he is prepared to move his season forward to accommodate England cricket's big names.
Lalit Modi maintained that England's top players were keen to feature in the IPL series, which has already attracted stars from other Test-playing nations.
The new competition runs from April 18 to June 1, putting it in direct competition with the English season.
"I know a lot of them are interested but we don't want to conflict with the English season," Modi told the BBC. "If that means we have to move our matches a few weeks in advance, we would be happy to do that to accommodate the English players.
"We would like to see a lot of the English players in the IPL but I cannot commit to them until the ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) actually finds a window and clears them."
Modi said the first obstacle to overcome for the new league was to establish the competition's place in the sporting calendar. He denied that plans for a second season within the same 12-month period, at the end of the summer, were close to completion.
"We may look at a second season years from now but I don't see a second season (within the same year) in the next three or four years at least," he said.
The English players' representative said Friday that English cricketers should be given the chance to play in the IPL.
Sean Morris, the chief executive of the Professional Cricketers' Association, warned that if a solution to the issue was not found soon "money will talk."
"The value of the cricketer has just increased through what is happening in the IPL," Morris told the BBC. "It's perfectly natural for the PCA to want our members to take advantage of that — it's a unique opportunity."
He was responding to comments from ECB chairman Giles Clarke, who said: "We are not interested in people playing in the IPL."
Clarke said he would not change the English domestic calendar to suit the Indian league and maintained he was "not getting any pressure" from players wanting to sign up for an IPL team.
At present Dimitri Mascarenhas, the Hampshire all-rounder who has played international one-day and Twenty20 cricket, is the only England player signed up for the first season of the IPL.
Mark Boucher Gets Bangalore home in humdinger
After being thrashed in their opening match, the Bangalore Royal Challengers came back strongly in the fifth match of the inaugural IPL tournament by beating the Mumbai Indians by five wickets at the Wankhede stadium here.
Chasing 165, Bangalore won with just two balls to spare in a thrilling encounter. And the hero for the visitors was Mark Boucher who remained unbeaten on 39 with four boundaries and two sixes to his name.
Even after a steady start, the Bangalore team it seemed was always facing an uphill task, remaining below the required run-rate through most of their run chase. But the equation changed completely with Jacques Kallis and Boucher suddenly launching a brilliant counter-attack at the death.
After Boucher hit Harbhajan Singh for a much-needed six, the visitors needed 30 off three overs. Ashish Nehra bowling the 18th over was hit by two sixes and one four in the over, giving away 19 runs.
With only 11 needed off two overs, Mumbai for the first time were facing the heat and even though they managed to get rid off Kallis for 25, Bangalore managed to reach home in the last over.
Earlier, Rahul Dravid after battling hard in the initial part of his innings took his team off to a steady beginning, hitting a 33 ball 32. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (16), Ross Taylor (23) and Virat Kohli (23) also chipped in with handy contributions.
In the Mumbai innings, a steady 48 by Robin Uthappa and Shaun Pollock’s blazing 12-ball 28 took the Mumbai Indians to 165-6.
After stand-in skipper Harbhajan chose to bat, Sanath Jayasuriya got the Mumbai Indians off to a flier clobbering five four and one six in his 16-ball 29. But Zaheer Khan, who was the best bowler in view, threw the wickets down at the non-striker’s end to send back the Sri Lankan southpaw.
Uthappa and Pinal Shah then put up a steady 51-run stand to build the innings. After slamming five fours and one six, Uthappa fell in the 17th over in an attempt to accelerate the scoring.
But it was Pollock who provided the much-needed impetus. The all-rounder hit two towering sixes along with three boundaries to motor the scoring rate, which looked a bit static at one stage.
Mumbai: Sanath Jayasuriya, Luke Ronchi (wk), Robin Uthappa, Dominic Thornley, Abhishek Nayar, Pinal Shah, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh (capt), Dhawal Kulkarni, Musavir Khote, Ashish Nehra.
Bangalore: Rahul Dravid, B Akhil, Jacques Kallis, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Virat Kohli, Ross Taylor, Mark Boucher (wk), Praveen Kumar, Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, R Vinay Kumar.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
IPL 5th Match Highlights : Mumbai Indians Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers HIghlights
Mumbai Indians' Innings
Bangalore Royal Challengers' Innings
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
IPL 1st match, Kolkata Knight riders Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers, Match Review
Brendon McCullum's murdering 158 helped the Indian Premier League on its way in remarkable fashion, as Kolkata Knight Riders walloped Bangalore Royal Challengers by 140 runs in a one-sided game on Friday night.
McCullum's score is the highest in T20 cricket, beating the previous mark by 17 runs. The short-statured but strong-armed wicketkeeper from New Zealand hit 14 sixes and 10 fours in a breathless exhibition of batting before a packed house at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
Kolkata's score of 222-3 in seam-friendly conditions under lights was too much for Bangalore, who had chosen to field.
Bangalore Royal Challengers Embarrassed at Home turf
After Bangalore lost captain Rahul Dravid to Ishant Sharma's first ball, there started a sombre procession of wickets in an embarrassing performance where extras was the joint top scorer with 18.
It was McCullum's day from the start. He kick-started the innings in style in the second over from Bangalore's Zaheer Khan - three cross-bats for four and miscued pull that flew over third man for six set the tone.
McCullum had moved to 29 by the time his opening partner, captain Sourav Ganguly scored his first runs.
The fifty of their innings was up off the last ball of the fourth over. Ganguly fell for 10 to Zaheer, and in came Ricky Ponting. He wasted no time in moving to 20, the highlight of his innings being a trademark hook off Jacques Kallis for six.
Attacking Batting Performance
McCullum crossed 50 in 32 balls, 100 in 53 and 150 in 70 balls. Not a shot from his blade went wrong, not even the mistimed ones that flew over the fence comfortably.
The previous record for the highest score was Cameron White's 141 not out. Today, White was at the receiving end, hit by McCullum for 23 runs in his only over.
The Kiwi went into the last over on 136. Two huge sixes off the first two balls took him past the record in style.
His 14 sixes is also a record for most sixes in a T20 innings, comfortably beating Chris Gayle's 10 during his 117 that had started off the Twenty20 World Cup in similar style last year.
No Fightback from Bangalore
Kallis had been famously kept out of South Africa's T20 side last year. Today, he had the whole stage to him to prove he can be equally spectacular in this variety.
A huge six over extra cover started his innings. But he hit the very next ball to mid on.
Ajit Agarkar is making a comeback of sorts to cricket and he had a useful outing, finishing with three wickets.
With edges flying all around, Ponting's slip catching was easy on the eyes. He gobbled Wasim Jaffer and B Akhil with consummate ease.
After Bangalore were reduced to 4-24 in the sixth over, the rest of the game became a formality. Ganguly chipped in with two wickets after Ishant's fiery spell.
IPL team Intro videos, Indian premier league team videos
Kolkata Knight Riders IPL Team Video
Deccan Chargers Hyderabad IPL Team Video
Bangalore Royal Challengers IPL Team Video
Mumbai Indians IPL Team Video
Delhi Daredevils IPL Team Video
Kings Eleven Punjab Mohali IPL Team Video
Chennai Super Kings IPL Team Video
Rajasthan Royals Jaipur IPL Team Video
IPL Matches video Highlights, Indian premier league Highlights, Ipl highlights
IPL 1st Match : Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers
IPL 2nd Match : Chennai Super Kings Vs Kings 11 Punjab Highlights
IPL 3rd Match : Delhi Daredevils Vs Rajasthan Royals Highlights
IPL 4th Match : Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Deccan (Hyderabad) Chargers Highlights
IPL 5th Match : Mumbai Indians Vs Bangalore Royal challengers Highlights
IPL 6th Match : Kings 11 Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals Highlights
IPL 7th Match : Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) Vs Delhi Daredevils Highlights
IPL 8th Match : Chennai Super Kings Vs Mumbai Indians Highlights
IPL 9th Match : Rajasthan Royals Vs Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) Highlights
IPL 10th Match Highlights : Kings 11 Punjab Vs Mumbai Indians Highlights
IPL 11th Match Highlights : Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Chennai Super Kings Highlights
IPL 12th Match Highlights : Rajasthan Royals Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Highlights
IPL 13th Match Highlights : Kings 11 Punjab Vs Delhi Daredevils highlights
IPL 14th Match Highlights : Mumbai Indians Vs Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) Highlights
IPL 15th Match Highlights : Chennai Super Kings Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Highlights
IPL 16th Match Highlights : Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Mumbai Indians Highlights
IPL 17th Match Highlights : Delhi Daredevils Vs Bangalore Royal Challengers Highlights
IPL 18th Match Highlights : Rajasthan royals Vs Kolkata Knight Riders Highlights
IPL 19th Match Highlights : Deccan Hyderabad chargers Vs Kings 11 Punjab Highlights
Brendon McCullum Records 158* in First IPL Match
It was a murdering innings by Brendon McCullum in the first IPL match, he scored 158* with just 70 balls, His Innings included 10 fours and 13 Huge Sixes...
Please wait for a while and i shall upload the video here
World news agencies not to cover IPL
The World's top news agencies have said they will not cover cricket's inaugural Indian Premier League, which starts on Friday, due to curbs on the distribution of photographs.
IPL officials have prohibited news agencies from supplying photographs to cricket-specific websites for the eight-team, Twenty20 tournament.
The London-based News Media Coalition (NMC), which defends media rights for global news and photograph agencies such as AFP, Associated Press, Getty Images and Reuters, called the restrictions "discriminatory."
"It is discriminatory for the accreditation terms to prohibit international news agencies from being able to serve a specific group of users, such as cricket websites," the NMC said in a statement.
"The interests of the Indian Premier League are protected by the fact that its accreditation terms limit news content generated by the news agencies to be used for editorial purposes only.
"The News Media Coalition calls upon the Indian Premier League to remove remaining obstacles in the way of full editorial coverage of the tournament," the release said.
The Editors Guild of India also called for the "unacceptable conditions" to be withdrawn.
In an advisory note to clients, AFP said it "will not, until further notice, offer any text, photo or graphics coverage of the inaugural Indian Premier League cricket, beginning on Friday, due to restrictions imposed on international news agencies on the distribution of photographs."
The Press Trust of India decided to cover the event "under protest" after the IPL lifted a host of stringent conditions for accreditation but refused to ban on cricket websites.
The tournament marks the first time that international cricketers will put aside national allegiances to play for privately-owned and city-based teams, who selected their players via a multi-million-dollar auction last month. International cricketers have been offered huge pay packets to take part in the 44-day, 59-match extravaganza across cricket-mad India.
Pick the players without prejudice : Sourav Ganguly
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes age should not be a barrier to selection for the Indian squad.
The man-of-the-match at the third and final Test against South Africa in Kanpur has been at the rough end of the selection process, especially when he was dropped from the one-day squad after the Australia series.
Kokota-based southpaw Ganguly, a veteran of 106 tests, has battled his way back into the fold, believing that proves there is not a new-found obsession with youth in the selection policy.
He told the Hindu Times: "For me, the driving force was to play for India again. It helped that I was not leading the side. The best way to pick a player on performance and nothing else.
"There is no other way to judge a player. You can do it only on performance and not age. It would be wrong to call it an obsession with youth."
The 37-year-old also had a word of warning for the youngsters set to benefit from the huge contracts being handed out by the Indian Premier League.
He said: "I will tell them that money will not fetch runs or wickets. It is only performance that will count. They have to work on their cricket and judge their abilities by what they achieve, not what they earn.
"You have to do well in Tests, to do well in all forms of the game. This is a lesson I learned the first time I played in a one-day match. Nothing can match Test cricket, nothing."
Quality of the game pulls the crowd : Rahul Dravid
Bangalore Royal Challengers captain Rahul Dravid said that it was the performance on the field and not the entertainment arranged before it that will pull crowds to the inaugural match in Bangalore on Friday.
"If the quality of cricket is good, there will be crowd and not for the entertainment arranged," he said.
Asked about the performance of Washington Cheers team performing on Friday to mark the launch of the tournament, he said: "It is going to be a good game and entertainment. However, the entertainment may not come in the way of players' performance.
"I am looking forward to the game and all other players are also eagerly waiting beginning of the match," he added.
Vijay Mallya confident of Bangalore Royal Challengers
IPL's Bangalore team franchisee owner Vijay Mallya has said he was confident that his "ageing" team were all set for victory in the inaugural season of the Twenty20 league.
Mallya, speaking to reporters after announcing the 'Kingfisher Fair Play Award', said chief cricket manager Martin Crowe and captain Rahul Dravid had told him that they were "upbeat and the team looks good".
Coach Venkatesh Prasad was also confident of a good show.
"I did not bother about media's comments about my team. We have a formidable batting line-up and I am confident of our bowlers. We will rise to the occasion in the entire tournament," he said.
Mallya said his side had recruited more Indian players as the "local players can attract the crowd better".
"We did not hire foreign players only to attract crowd. Dravid, Kumble, Praveenkumar, (Virat) Kohli and Zaheer can be good crowd pullers," he said.
Mallya, who has flown in cheerleaders from the US for his team, was of the opinion that entertainment during the match will only enhance the game and will not affect it adversely.
"I saw such programmes in Sydney Olympics and some baseball and soccer games in the United States that provided glamour and enthusiasm to the tournaments," he said.
Players may walk-out if not paid, says Tim May
FICA chief executive Tim May has warned that players, auctioned for the IPL, can walk away from their contracts as some of them had still not been paid.
"There is a worry that some players have not been paid nor received their signed copies of contracts," said May, who is head of the Federation of International Cricketers' Association.
"We need to get a good feel on how widespread it is. If it has just alienated a couple of players I'm sure the thing can be worked out reasonably sensibly," he told an Australian newspaper.
Most players expected to receive 15 per cent of their auction fee on April 1 but it is thought that at least two Australian players have yet to be paid the first instalment.
Rick Olarenshaw, the agent of David Hussey, one of the players still waiting their remuneration, has criticised the amount of bureaucracy involved.
"It's been an absolute nightmare in terms of the paperwork required to get the players there," he said.
"I don't think it's anything sinister. We're expecting to have all the paperwork done and Huss will be ready to play," he added.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
IPL will give cricket a new dimension - Stephen Fleming
Former New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming opined the lucrative Indian Premier league with its million-dollar deals has changed the face of international cricket.
Fleming, who was bought by Chennai Super Kings for $350,000 said he was "astounded" by the huge money on show.
"Like most players, I was astounded by the
money involved in the IPL, but I feel, it is going to be incredibly exciting and the league is something that has changed the face of cricket."
Fellow Kiwi, Jacob Oram, who pocketed $675,000 to play in the League and Australian Michael Hussey shared Fleming's views.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni ($1.5 million), Muttiah Muralitharan ($600,000), Matthew Hayden ($375,000), Parthiv Patel ($325,000), Joginder Sharma ($225,000), Albie
Morkel ($675.000), Suresh Raina ($650,000) and Makhaya Ntini ($200,000) were the other players bought by the Chennai franchise in the IPL auction early last month.
Shaun Pollock Relishing in IPL chalenge
Former South Africa all-rounder Shaun Pollock is relishing the challenge of playing in the Indian Premier League when it gets under way this week.
Pollock will turn out for the Mumbai Indians alongside former Proteas team-mate Loots Bosman, India duo Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar, and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya.
"I'm really looking forward to it," Pollock told The Mercury. "I'm particularly looking forward to playing with my friend Sachin Tendulkar in India after a lifetime spent playing against him."
Pollock, however, was under no illusions about how tough bowling would be, but was eager to bat up the order so he could "play a few strokes".
The 34-year-old also admitted he was interested in seeing how the tournament panned out.
"This is unchartered territory," he added. "The interest has been huge."
On completion of the tournament Pollock is set to link up with former Dolphins team-mate Dale Benkenstein and Durham in the Twenty20 competition in England in June.
He is also scheduled to commentate for Sky Sports during the England-South Africa Test and one-day international series between July and September.
IPL Shall be embraced - Justin Langer
Former Australia opening batsmen Justin Langer believes cricket's administrators have a "great challenge" ahead of them because of the Indian Premier League.
The inaugural event gets under way on Friday with a host of the world's biggest stars gathering in India - and earning themselves sizeable wage packets in the process.
The timing of the league means there is a dirth of English players heading east, with the England and Wales Cricket Board banning its centrally contracted players from taking part.
Langer himself chose to honour his contract with English county side Somerset rather than join the IPL, but he believes people must accept cricket's newest tournament.
"Everyone needs to embrace it," Langer told Sky Sports News. "It's happening.
"The fact is in a few days' time it's kicking off. So everyone needs to embrace it.
"In a perfect world, (in) every single county game you have your best players playing; IPL, you have your best players playing and, most importantly, (in) international cricket the best players have to be playing every single game.
"The administrators have a great challenge on their hands to make sure that happens.
"You don't want to see county players going to the IPL and missing county cricket or the international players going to the IPL and missing international cricket.
"At the same time the IPL, as big a concept as it is, wants to see the best players.
"So the administrators definitely have a challenge on their hands. I hope they take it on board and everyone gets the benefit."
IPL is the perfect preparation for Ashley Noffke
Budding Australian all-rounder Ashley Noffke sees his involvement in the inaugural season of the Indian Premier League as ideal preparation for his first international tour in the West Indies.
Noffke flies out to the subcontinent on Tuesday after he was selected by the Bangalore Royal Challengers to serve as a substitute for injured countryman Nathan Bracken.
After his foray in the brand new Twenty20 competition, Noffke, who was a standout performer in the past Pura Cup season, will fly back to Brisbane to join up with his national team-mates before venturing out to the Caribbean.
The Queenslander is in line for to appear in the IPL tournament opener on Friday against the Kolkata Knight Riders.
"It's a pretty exciting proposition to go up against so many good players and I'm taking the view that it will be good for my development as a player," Noffke said.
"It's also as a chance to get some bowling under my belt ahead of the Windies tour."
Noffke will count Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble and Shivnarine Chanderpaul among his team-mates.
Malinga confident about his fitness for IPL
Sri Lanka pcaer Lasith Malinga is confident he will be fit for the Indian Premier League campaign.
The 24-year-old has been struggling with a knee injury which ruled him out of Sri Lanka's ongoing tour to the Caribbean, but Malinga reckons he is on track to represent Mumbai Indians in the Twenty20 tournament.
He said: "I am very confident that I will be able to play in the IPL.
"I wasn't sure when I returned from Australia due to the injury which forced me to miss the West Indies trip.
"But I feel fine after working hard on my recovery process and I am looking forward to playing in the IPL."
The IPL gets under way on Friday and runs through to June 1.
Mumbai - whose squad includes two other Sri Lankans in Sanath Jayasuriya and Dilhara Fernando - begin their campaign against Bangalore Royal Challengers on Sunday.
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Mascarenhas is optimistic for more England players involvement in IPL
The only English player in IPL Mascarenhas, is confident that the ECB would allow more players to participate in the next edition of the cash rich Twenty20 tournament even if it conflicts with the English season.
''A clash with the English season would make it harder for them,'' Mascarenhas said.
''The England Cricket Board (ECB) can tell them to rest or play for their counties. For the others, it is up to the counties and they may help their players because it is such a good opportunity."
''I know the IPL want more English players. I think non-contracted players will go, like Owais Shah and Ravi Bopara. Luke Wright is a good hitter and, perhaps, Chris Tremlett,'' he added.
Dashing middle order batsman Kevin Pieterson decided to concentrate on the domestic season while Mascarenhas was bought over by Rajasthan Royals for 100,000 dollars.
The flabuoyant English all rounder felt the inaugural edition of the League would be a huge success and with time will attract more foreign players.
''I do not know what to expect,'' he said. ''But if you look at the players and the companies involved, I do not see how it can fail."
''Really, it is the experience of being there that grabs me. If I do well, there is the opportunity to earn more next year."
"Being in New Zealand around the first auction was funny because we heard that their players were listening as things happened."
''Brendon McCullum went for 700,000 dollars, Jacob Oram for 675,000 dollars, Dan Vettori for 625,000 dollars and then Scott Styris for only 175,000 dollars,'' he said.
Mascarenhas, who will be available in the tournament only from May 12 to 26 is confident of playing the tournament in 2009 and 2010.
Murali Kartik relishing in the IPL challenge
Injury-prone spinner Murali Kartik believes he will have a crucial role to perform for Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League.
Kartik, who enjoyed a successful stint with Middlesex in 2007, played his last one-day international for India against Pakistan in November and has been out of action because of an ankle injury ever since.
"I've been unfortunate," the 31-year-old told the Telegraph.
"There have been several ups and downs in my international career. I don't know why.
"Just when I was set for a comeback versus South Africa last month I twisted my ankle.
"I was very confident of going to Australia but that too didn't happen."
But now Kartik is all geared to perform for the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders when the IPL gets under way on Friday.
He said: "People think Twenty20 is 'slam-bang' cricket and it is so. But spinners have a definite role, and it is crucial from overs seven to 16.
"They can slow down the game and the rate of scoring. They can perform much better than pacers. In a key game the right delivery at the right time can change equations."
The Kolkata Knight Riders open their IPL campaign against the Bangalore Royal Challengers on Friday.
Playing for Chennai is special, says Muralitharan
The great Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan said he felt at home while playing for the Chennai Super Kings in the upcoming Indian Premier League.
"My ancestors hail from Tamil Nadu and my wife is from Chennai. That way it is a privilege for me to be playing for a team from this place," he told reporters at the M A Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.
"Playing for Chennai is special, I feel at home here," he added.
The highest Test wicket-taker said while every team in the competition was strong, "Super Kings is great".
"(Super Kings captain) MS Dhoni has been lucky winning everything so far. I hope he will win the League also," he added.
The wily Lankan off spinner felt spinners would play a crucial role in the League despite their short four over spells: '' In fact, on Indian wickets, he has even a bigger role to play.''
"Pitches in India help the spinners and more so the wicket at M A Chidambaram stadium."
"In fact, a spinner has more chances of getting a batsman out in the T20 games. He may get hit for a couple of sixes, but he has more chances of getting a batsman out as he has to go for his shots straightaway and may mistime."
"I have not played regular T20 games at international level so far. But while playing this format for Lancashire, I played a key role."
"We have to have a good spinner even in a T20 match. A bowler has to adjust and try to take wickets in the span of the four overs he gets to bowl. The same holds good for a batsman who has to get runs in the few overs he gets to bat."
Murali, regarded as one of the best spinners ever said he was very keen to do well for the Super Kings: "Whichever game you play, you compete. I want to do well and get the Cup for Chennai Super Kings."
Muralitharan refused to agree that T20 would in any way hamper the more traditional format of the game: "Test match cricket is the ultimate in the game."
"On the other hand, I think that Test cricket will survive because of T20. People may not have time to see Test cricket but for a player Test cricket is the ultimate."
''For me, adapting to T20 is easy'', Murali said.
Darren Lehmann to substitute for Greame Smith
Former Australian middle order batsman Darren Lehmann, at the behest of fellow Australian and Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne will fill in for Graeme Smith for a brief spell.
The batsman, who retired from first-class cricket last November, was reportedly surprised when he got a call from Warne asking him to fill in till Smith is available to play in IPL after finishing his domestic commitments.
"It's all happened so quickly," he said. "They needed someone as cover for Graeme Smith so I didn't hesitate to put my hand up. It will be good playing in the same side as Warnie."
Tendulkar likely to miss the Start of IPL
Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is unlikely to be fit for the start of the Indian Premier League, which gets under way on Friday.
The 'Little Master' was forced to miss the last two Tests of the recently-concluded series against South Africa, which ended 1-1, due to a groin injury.
And now it seems the 34-year-old may have to sit out Mumbai Indians' opening games in the IPL.
"I am yet to recover fully from the injury," he told the Asian Age.
"I am a little disappointed that I was not able to play in the two important matches against South Africa.
"The physiotherapist and the doctor had earlier advised me to rest and now they have given me exercises and I am following their advice."
Mumbai open their IPL campaign against Bangalore Royal Challenges on Sunday.