The home crowd at the Sawai Man Singh stadium had every opportunity to cheer for the native team. Kolkata Knight Riders chasing a total of 197 had a shaky start. With 3 wickets falling in first six overs, Royals showed their best in trying to break Kolkata's batting order. Royals' tasted thier fourth consecutive win, the first one where they batted firstand won the game by a subsatantial margin of 45 runs.
It was Sohail Tanvir who gave the Royals their first breakthrough when he bowled out fellow countryman Salman Butt by blowing his off-stumps.
The exit of stalwarts like Brendon Mc Cullum and Ricky Ponting had led to some changes in the batting order. Ajit Agarkar came at 3rd down, to add to the total's chase. After hitting 2 sixes and a single boundary, he was caught by keeper Rawat on Shane Watson's delivery. He made 20 runs. The next man in Hodge was simply unlucky as he was run-out when bowler Trivedi's hand touched the ball and hit the stumps while he was standing out of crease.
The last ball of twelfth over bought some controversy with it. Ganguly was caught by Smith off Pathan's ball, but he didn't leave the crease and pressurised the on feild umpire to refer the decision to the third umpire. Finally, the decision went in favor of the batsman. But, that was not of much help to Dada, as shortly, afetr completing his half century off 38 balls, was caught at long-on by Mohd. Kaif on Royals' captain Shane Warne's delivery. He contributed a total of 51 runs off 39 balls.
And after Saurav's departure, the downslide started for the Kolkata team. They started throwing their wickets to Royals' bowlers superb bowling.
One by one the wickets came tumbling down with the last wicket of Ashok Dinda being caught by Asnodkar on Watson's delivery. The rush to make the victory thiers as soon as possible was evident in the way, Warne and Asnodhkar raced and clashed to take the final catch. And,the Kinght Riders lost their third consecutive game by a big margin of 45 runs.
The Rajasthan Royals’ batsmen assaulted every bowler of Kolkata Knight Riders to the fullest and put a huge total of 197 for them to chase.
In the sweltering afternoon in Jaipur’s Sawai Man Singh stadium, Shane Warne, captain and coach of Rajasthan Royals won the toss and decided to bat. To his disappointment, in his very first over, Ishant Sharma showed his mettle. With a great pace (145kmph), he clean bowled Graeme Smith, in the last ball of the second over. Smith faced 7 balls and could make only 2 runs. This was an early blow to the Royals who started slow . The score was 11-1 after two overs.
However, Mohammad Kaif (21), who came after the fall of Smith, tried his best to push the score further and hit some splendid shots; one of them was a huge six, he hit off Agarkar in the seventh over. Unfortunately, he was caught and bowled by Ajit Agarkar on the last ball of the same over. Together with opener Asnodkar he added 40 runs to the scoreboard.
Umar Gul double struck in the 12th over to put a break on Rajasthan’s run riot. He sent S Asnodkar (caught Hussey) and S Watson (LBW) back to pavilion giving the much awaited respite to Sourav Ganguly. While Asnodkar hit 60, Watson could not even open his account. The score at this point was 111/4.
The 24-year old right hand batsman from Goa, Swapnil Asnodkar (60), was the pick of the player today for the Rajasthan Royals. The batsman scored a superb half century in his first IPL match. He did not respect Ishant’s pace or Agarkar’s Yorkers (he hit Agarkar for three consecutive boundaries in the ninth over). He completed his 50 in 29 balls in the 10th over of the inning. The half century included eight fours and one six. Hussey took an easy catch off Gul’s bowling to end Asnodkar’s inning. He also had a 50-run partnership with Yusuf Pathan,
After Asnodkar’s departure, Pathan and Jadeja took the reins of the team. Jadeja added crucial 33 runs in 19 balls (three fours and one six), while Pathan completed his fifty in style hitting a six off Shukla’s bowling. He made 55 that included six fours and two sixes. Gul clean bowled him in the 20th over when the team’s score was 190 for 6.
Shane Warne made 7 and was cleverly run out by Umar Gul in the 20th over. Sohail Tanvir (2) and M Rawat (1) remained unbeaten.
Earlier Kolkata brought in Salman Butt, BJ Hodge, and Umar Gul while Rajasthan made two changes- they included SA Asnodkar and Sohail Tanvir as new faces
Friday, May 2, 2008
Rajasthan Royals go riding on their 4th Win in IPL
Kings 11 Punjab Beats Deccan Chargers by 7 wickets
Chasing a modest target of 165, 20-20 debutant Shaun Marsh hit a classy 84 off 62 balls and shared a match-winning stand with Jayawardene (45) to romp home with seven balls to spare. Their combined score of 129 runs was cherry on the cake in their 7 wicket win against the
Kings XI’s new opening duo of Shaun Marsh and Ramnaresh Sarwan (15) gave a perfect start to the visitors’ chase, putting up 41 runs. However, Sarwan was runout in the 6th over and then Kalyankrishna (34/1) picked up the all-important wicket of Kumar Sangakkara (3) in the very next over to bring Chargers back in the game.
A 41-run stand between Marsh and skipper Yuvraj Singh (14) kept Kings XI on the track before Nuwan Zoysa took an easy catch off his own bowling to send Yuvraj packing. That was all Deccan Chargers’ bowlers could manage on the day, as some sensible batting display from Marsh and Jayawardene ensured Kings XI’s third win in the tournament.
Earlier, powered by Rohit Sharma’s blazing 75, Deccan Chargers piled up a competitive score 164 for eight wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Sharma was the star for the Chargers as he hit a quick fire 75 off 40 balls to give the hosts’ bowlers a competitive score to defend. Sharma’s magnificent knock was studded with 10 boundaries and two sixes.
Sent into bat, Deccan Chargers was stunned early by Irfan Pathan when he bowled Adam Gilchrist (6) in the fourth over. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla struck the second blow sending Herschelle Gibbs (7) home in the seventh over. He picked up the crucial wicket of Laxman to put the hosts under pressure at 67 for three in the ninth over. Sharma carried on his attacking game as wickets continued to tumble at the other end.
The new kid on the block Shaun Marsh showed a glimpse of his father Geoff Marsh, the legendary opening batsman for
When the Chargers took crease, everybody was expecting a blitzkrieg from Gilly, the undisputed hero of the last match but the home crowd had to settle for less. The Australian batsman failed to give a repeat performance. Irfan Pathan bowled Gilchrist off his superb delivery, and the hitter could only contribute 6 runs off 6 balls. The swashbuckling batsman from
So, far unsuccessful with his bat, captain VVS Laxman was expected to play the encore which he did by sensibly playing and giving a decent push to the team's score along with impressive youngster Rohit Sharma. Laxman scored a decent 48 off 34 balls before he lost his wicket to Piyush Chawla. Shahid Afridi, the flamboyant all-rounder from
It was looking like that Deccan Chargers' train has gotten off the track, when the middle-order collapsed like an old building. But, there was still a ray of hope at the end of the tunnel in form of Rohit Sharma. The most consistent batsman for Chargers was consistency personified again this time when he single-handedly kept the hope of the home side afloat by punishing bowlers of the
ECB compares IPL to the Rugby World Cup
England and Wales Cricket Board has been left astonished by the BCCI-promoted Indian Premier League's success and is comparing the billion-dollar Twenty20 extravaganza in scope and scale to the Rugby World Cup. Chairman Giles Clarke, who witnessed the initial rounds of the IPL spectacle with his CEO David Collier, told the ECB's AGM at Lord's, in London, yesterday that his admiration for what has been achieved by the Sharad Pawar-headed BCCI is huge.
"You will be aware that in recent weeks David Collier, our outstanding Chief Executive, and I have been to India to witness, at first hand, the Indian Premier League. Our admiration for what has been achieved is immense. It was, as the Indians say, a great tamasha. There was light, glitz, glamour and music. We must congratulate them on establishing a tournament which has the same scope and scale that can be compared to the Rugby World Cup", he told the members of the ECB, according to a media release. "Those who were in Bangalore, Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai will talk of a great spectacle and a great show," he added.
Clarke also said that his trip to India has helped in "forging great personal relationships with our great friends from the BCCI". These relationships, according to Clarke, had allowed him to return home with a clear mandate for the Champions League. "I am personally delighted that the excellent relations we have with the BCCI and Cricket Australia have made this possible," he explained. Significantly ECB's response has come at a time when no top English player is playing in the IPL due to a clash with its own county cricket programme.
Thursday, May 1, 2008
We are not against Shoaib earning his livelihood : PCB
Pakistan Cricket Board today made it clear that they allowed the banned speedster Shoaib Akhtar to play in the Indian Premier League because they did not want to prevent the bowler from earning his livelihood.
PCB's legal counsel Tafazzul Rizvi said it may have appeared strange that while the PCB was not reducing the five-year ban on Shoaib for indiscipline, it was ready to allow him to play anywhere else, but the Board did not want to stop him from earning his livelihood.
"As the council of the Board, I told the tribunal today that we have no issues with Shoaib playing outside
Rizvi said the Board had shown unusual patience, tolerance and a big heart with Shoaib despite his repeated allegations against the Board, its Chairman and fellow players.
"If anyone asks us for clarification, we will make it clear that the order has been clarified by the appellate tribunal. The order was not clarified before today but now it has received clarification. The Board has not opposed the decision and by doing so we have shown open heartedness," he said.
Rizvi added that it was now up to the Indian Premier League whether they use Shoaib's services or not. "If he follows their rules, regulations in
"If (IPL Chairman and Commissioner) Lalit Modi asks us, we will clarify our position, stance. We have no objection," he said.
Rizvi stated that the tribunal had adjourned its proceedings until June as it is not possible for the individual members to meet daily.
Rizvi said Shoaib's lawyer had argued for the stay application and wanted the PCB to suspend the order indefinitely but had that been done, the appeal would have been negated. By law the interim relief can never be the main relief.
He said the public apology made by Shoaib was one of the factors that were included in the interim order.
"An apology is always used on a mitigating factor in reducing, lessening the final saga, the final, sentence," he said.
Pakistan board won't force IPL to let Shoaib play
When asked about the IPL's decision to keep Akhtar out despite being initially contracted with the Kolkata Knight Riders, PCB legal counsel Tafazzul Rizvi said the board didn't have any jurisdiction on the matter.
"Look it is on their discretion if they want him to play. We cannot force anybody. But the PCB has shown a big heart in allowing him to play in the IPL despite the five-year ban on him. If they ask us we will tell them he is not stopped from playing anywhere outside
The three-member appellate tribunal headed by Justice (retd) Farrukh Aftab yesterday rejected an application from Akhtar's lawyers to stay the ban imposed on him by the disciplinary committee of the board.
But the tribunal said it had no objection to Akhtar playing outside
"We can't force them (IPL) to get a player inducted in any squad. We know now very well how particularly they are about discipline. And if he (Shoaib) gets there, he would have to follow their disciplines," Rizvi said.
The Indian Cricket Board and the IPL have yet to officially announce if they will allow Shoaib to play in the league for the Kolkata Knight Riders team.
The IPL had last month stopped Shoaib from joining his team because of the ban imposed on him by the PCB from playing for or anywhere in
Rizvi added that Shoaib, in his appeal, had not asked the tribunal to allow him to play in the IPL.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Mumbai rises in IPL, Win their 1st Match
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.
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
Saturday, April 26, 2008
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.
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."
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.