A preview of  all teams playing at DLF – IPL session three with Captains Charisma, Batting, Bowling and Fielding meter and over all score.

Chennai Super Kings

Hit by injuries and bad form, this team looks at its weakest since the inception of the league.

Captain’s Charisma – 5 out of 5

Batting

Hayden at the top will be the key to Chennai’s chances of making it to the semis. Finding a suitable partner for him may be a headache as in the previous seasons others have failed to impress. Raina and Badrinath look more mature now but the team will miss Mr. Cricket – Michael Hussey’s calm and Freddie Flintoff’s fire power. But still, all this analysis could go in a tizzy if captain cool – MS Dhoni and Albie Morkel were have a good season. Murali Vijay and Hemang Badani are others who could contribute.

Batting meter – 8 out of 10

Bowling

This is the worrisome area for Chennai with Murali and Ntini not in form; and Oram and Flintoff injured. Albie Morkel and the Indian bowlers in the squad in general are low on reliability quotient. Despite not being in the best of form, Murali is an asset and his continual inclusion in the team may spell “no place” for R Ashwin. Ashwin has emerged as an all-rounder in this domestic season but he hasn’t had an exactly scintillating season with the ball – his primary department of expertise.

Bowling Meter – 6.5 out of 10

Fielding

CSK are an extremely athletic outfit. While Hayden may pouch the most catches expect moments of brilliance from Raina, Morkel and Badrinath.

Fielding meter – 4 out of 5

Chennai Super Kings team total – 23.5 out of 30

Deccan Chargers

After a brilliant second IPL but then sort of an IPL first season replay at the inaugural Champions League, Chargers need to show that their win wasn’t a fluke.

Captain’s Charisma – 4.5 out of 5

Batting

Gilchrist at the top is an absolute asset but Gibbs is a bit of a mercurial opener. Andrew Symonds brings immense solidity but still the main problem is with the middle order itself where Rohit Sharma has lacked consistency and VVS Laxman hasn’t found much favour with the management. Deccan will hope that they can have one or two of T Suman, Ravi Teja and Azhar Bilakhia firing.

Batting Meter – 8 out of 10

Bowling

Kemar Roach is a welcome addition to the squad. But Dwayne Smith and RP Singh’s performances have dwindled over the past few months. Plus for the first half of the league, Deccan will miss Ryan Harris who has been in tremendous form. They will hope that Pragyan Ojha and out of action for a long time – Chaminda Vaas can deliver some steady spells.

Bowling Meter – 7.5 out of 10

Fielding

The fields across India are set to glisten with sparks from Gibbs and Symonds. They will have some descent support coming through from others like Styris, Dwayne Smith, Rohit Sharma and Ryan Harris.

Fielding Meter – 4 out of 5

Deccan Chargers team total – 24 out of 30

Delhi Daredevils

Two time semi-finalists would look to go at least one better this time round. One of the more consistent teams over the two seasons, they will be a force to reckon with.

Captain’s Charisma – 3.5 out of 5

Batting

Sehwag, Gambhir, de Villiers and Dilshan daring the bowlers to bowl to them with Dinesh Karthik next in and a certain David Warner waiting to get a game – night doesn’t get darker for the bowlers. Still, the consistency of these men will decide where they land after the league phase.

Batting Meter – 9 out of 10

Bowling

Nannes and Nehra will lead the bowling for the Daredevils. Vettori won’t be available for the first 8 games and Delhi will look to Moises Henriques contributing steadily or they will draft in another Indian bowler and play Warner. Amit Mishra has grown in confidence but leg break bowlers generally tend to struggle when it comes to economy. They still don’t have an “A” quality pacer to support Nehra and Nannes; and Nehra too tends to have bad games too frequently to a captain’s liking.

Bowling Meter – 8 out of 10

Fielding

Warner, de Villiers, Dilshan, Gambhir, Rajat Bhatia, Moises Henriques. Does it get better?

Fielding Meter – 4.5 out of 5

Delhi Daredevils team total – 25 out of 30

Kings XI Punjab

This team looks weak at first instance but could well be the dark horses. The likes of James Hopes, Irfan Pathan, Sodhi and Yuvraj add value to all three departments of the game and the newly appointed skipper – Sangakkara, who has led Sri Lanka pretty well, may just spring in some surprises.

Captain’s Charisma – 4 out of 5

Batting

Mahela Jayawardene has run into form with an exceptional stint at the Sri Lankan domestic T20 tournament which ended last week. Sangakkara is expected to be solid as ever and Ravi Bopara may provide the much need impetus. Yuvraj and Shaun Marsh have been plagued by injuries and their form and rhythm could be of worry. Kaif’s inclusion will lend solidity to their middle order and Reetinder Sodhi could be the “go to” man for them if they need quick runs.

Batting Meter – 7 out of 10

Bowling

With Sreesanth, Piyush Chawla, Ramesh Powar, Irfan Pathan and the domestic star Vikramjeet Singh Malik, they have abundant local resources. Brett Lee is in doubt with injury but Yusuf Abdulla is well capable of doing a steady job if needed.

Bowling Meter – 8.5 out of 10

Fielding

Owing to injuries Yuvraj may not be as swift now, but they have some gems in Marsh, Hopes, Kaif and Sodhi. They are overall a good fielding unit.

Fielding Meter – 4 out of 5

Kings XI Punjab team total 23.5 out of 30

Kolkata Knight Riders

The team is hoping to hit a purple patch, quite literally with change of jersey colour. This may be their year as for starters they seem to have struck balance with the composition of the squad. But a lot will depend on Shane Bond’s fitness and the mood of Chris Gayle’s batting blade.

Captain’s Charisma – 5 out of 5

Batting

Brendon Mc Cullum will miss half the season due to national duties but this could be a blessing in disguise as it will mean a longer continuous run for the more consistent Brad Hodge. David Hussey has always been a good limited overs player. Their main problem remains their inconsistency, but “the back to home boy – Manoj Tiwary” may just be the missing link they were looking for.

Batting Meter – 7.5 out of 10

Bowling

Murali Kartik is expected to be consistent as ever. Agarkar has struck rich form this season. Mendis had a good domestic T20. Bond is back to international fold and seems to be in rhythm. Plus, the mentorship of Wasim Akram might just kick start Ishant’s ascent to the top.

Bowling Meter – 8.5 out of 10

Fielding

They are overall an average fielding side with good close in fielders like Gayle, Hussey, Tiwary and athletic outfield sweepers in Agarkar, Hodge and Murali Kartik.

Fielding Meter – 3.5 out of 5

Kolkata Knight Riders team total – 24.5

Mumbai Indians

With the addition of Kieron Pollard they definitely look “THE” team for the year but they still have few things to sort out before they perch on peak.

Captain’s Charisma – 3.5 out of 5

Batting

Sachin and Sanath at the top, Bravo and Pollard in the late middle order but there seems a hole in between. Nayar hasn’t been able to light up the stadium and Shikhar Dhawan as well had a poor second season. Jayasuriya and Duminy haven’t been in great form but they could demolish the best of attacks on their days. ICL returnees Ambati Rayudu and R Sathish may be the answer to their middle order woes.

Batting Meter – 7.5 out of 10

Bowling

They arguably have the best bowling attack, led by Harbhajan, Zaheer, Malinga with support from Pollard and wily Dwayne Bravo.

Bowling Meter – 9.5 out of 10

Fielding

This is one department where they will be playing catch up with most teams, as apart from Bravo, Pollard, Dhawan and Duminy, most players are average fielders.

Fielding Meter – 3.5 out of 5

Mumbai Indians team total – 24 out of 30

Rajasthan Royals

With Shane Watson unavailable for first 8 matches and Ravindra Jadeja banned, the balance of the team has suddenly gone awry. If this team goes some distance in the tournament, most certainly a small player will make a big name for himself.

Captain’s Charisma – 5 out of 5

Batting

Graeme Smith, Warne and Shaun Tait leave just one spot for another foreign player, which in Watson’s absence is likely to be taken by Dmitri Mascarenhas. It leaves no space for Damien Martyn and Michael Lumb. Apart from Yusuf Pathan, ever so mercurial Swapnil Asnodkar and Abhishek Jhunjhunwala, they don’t have any known names. A lot will depend on how many games Pathan, Smith, Mascarenhas and Watson, after his arrival can win for them.

Batting Meter – 6.5 out of 10

Bowling

Munaf Patel, Shaun Tait and Shane Warne make up a formidable trio. With support from Mascarenhas and Pathan; and Morne Morkel, Johan Botha, Kamran Khan and Siddharth Trivedi as back up, they look a good bowling unit. Loss of Ravindra Jadeja, especially with the kind of bowling form he was in, is certainly a huge setback.

Bowling – 8 out of 10

Fielding

Even at 40, Shane Warne somehow manages to create moments of sheer magic on the field. Pathan, Mascarenhas and Botha are some good fielders in the team.

Fielding Meter – 3.5 out of 5

Rajasthan Royals team total – 23 out of 30

Royal Challengers Bangalore

The only thing that may prevent this team from striking gold is the lack of batsmen who can bowl a bit. Virat Kohli, Uthappa, Dravid, Manish Pandey, Cameron White, Pietersen and Ross Taylor don’t generally bowl. Kumble will need to make White, Kohli and Uthappa bowl. Kohli and Uthappa have actually shown their penchant for the art by bowling regularly in domestic cricket.

Captain’s Charisma – 4.5 out of 5

Batting

They have a solid batting line up but there is still some doubt about them being able to get quick runs once Taylor gets out. And on that, he won’t be at all available for the first half of the league. They will need Uthappa to start firing at the top and then the likes of Dravid and Pandey would come into play. To strengthen their batting, they make look to play Eoin Morgan for Boucher and make him open and keep wickets as well.

Batting Meter – 7.5 out of 10

Bowling

Bowling is their strongest link with in form pacers Dale Steyn, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun in the squad. Kumble and Roelof van der Merwe can bowl lines sure as death. They will have Kallis, White and probably Akhil for support.

Bowling Meter – 9 out of 10

Fielding

They have some brilliant fielders in Kohli, Taylor, White, Uthappa, Steyn and Roelof but at the same time have some ageing legs as well.

Fielding Meter – 3.5 out of 5

Royal Challengers Bangalore team total – 24.5 out of 30

Dr. Mohit Goyal

www.goyalmohit.blogspot.com

Yes, it was that time in the series when the trophy was claimed by one of the two finalists – either the Deccan Chargers (DC), or the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). We all know who it was in the end, but to know just how they did it, read on!

The RCB won the toss and decided to field first. Skipper Adam Gilchrist (Gilly) and Herschelle Gibbs opened batting, while – keeping in mind Gilly’s performance in the semis – skipper of the RCB, Anil Kumble, decided to lead by example and took it upon himself to dismiss Gilly. And what do you know – he did! Thus, skipper dismissed skipper; that too without Gilly’s having made even a single run! Tirumalasetti Suman came in at one down, but was sent back to the bench by R. Vinay Kumar (catch Manish Pandey) after making 10 runs off 11 balls.

Andrew Symonds came in after Suman. Rahul Dravid, who is a fantastic catcher of the ball, dropped Symonds when he was batting at five! Symonds eventually did get out, but it was after he had made 33 runs off 21 balls. The man responsible for the dismissal was Kumble once again, who bowled him out. Rohit Sharma came in next. At the end of 10 overs, the DC were at 62-3. Sharma played a good innings, but got out after making 24 runs off 23 balls – the bowler, once again, being Kumble (catch Pandey).

Venugopal Rao came in next, but he was dismissed on a duck by Kumble again – the fielder this time being Ross Taylor. Azhar Bilakhia came in next, but was LBWed by V. Kumar after making only six runs. This wicket fell in the 20th over, and Ryan Harris came in for the last few balls. Thus, the DC ended at a very ‘gettable’ score of 143-6, with Gibbs at 53/48 (his fourth IPL 50) not out, and Harris at 9/5 not out.

Jacques Kallis and Pandey opened batting for the RCB, while Harris bowled the first over, in which he conceded only one run to the opposition. The next two overs were uneventful, but in the fourth over, R. P. Singh bowled out Kallis after the latter had made 15 runs off 17 balls. Roelof van de Merwe came in at one down. The second wicket – that of Pandey – fell in the seventh over, after he had made four runs off eight balls. Pandey was caught behind the wicket on a ball by Pragyan Ojha. Rahul Dravid was the next batsman in.

The third wicket which fell was that of Merwe, who was stumped out by Gilly on a ball by Ojha. Merwe had made 32 runs off 21 balls by then. Ross Taylor came in after Merwe’s dismissal, which took place in the ninth over. Funnily enough, after nine overs, both the teams were at the same score – 59-3. After 10 overs, though, while the DC had been at 62-3, the RCB ended at 69-3. The fourth wicket, and probably one of the biggest blows dealt to the RCB, was that of Dravid, who was bowled out by Harmeet Singh after making nine runs off 13 balls. Virat Kohli came in next.

Taylor, on whom a lot of hopes were pinned, got out on a ball by Symonds (catch Rao) when he was batting at 27 runs. Mark Boucher came in next at the non-striker’s end. At the striker’s end was Kohli, who was also dismissed by Symonds (stumping Gilly). Thus, Robin Uthappa came in and faced Symonds’ hat trick ball! However, he didn’t get out. By now, the RCB were six down. The seventh wicket fell, claiming Boucher, who got out on a ball by Harmeet (catch Gibbs) after he’d made five runs off six balls.

V. kumar came in next. After making eight runs off eight balls, he was sent packing by Harris (beautiful catch by Harmeet!). Skipper Kumble came in next, looking desolate, because he knew what was going to happen. The second last over was bowled by Harris, and Uthappa hit him for a couple of big boundaries; for a moment it looked as if the RCB would make it. But the last over was bowled by none other than the holder of the purple cap, R. P., and he delivered a fantastic few dot balls, as a result of which, the RCB lost the match by a mere six runs!

It was a great match, truly worthy of being called a ‘final’, where either team could have won. After the game, and after an ecstatic Gilly and team departed to the dressing room, a fantastic show – which included performances by Katrina Kaif, Eddy Grant, Akon, a fabulous fire and drum show, and dance performances by Shiamak Davar’s troupe – was held to mark the official close of IPL season 2. After the fabulous show, during which the ‘Miss IPL’ was also declared (a certain Dune Kozzats), the prizes for the match (and the entire series) were given out. The DLF Maximum award for the match was given to Merwe, while the Man of the Match was given to Anil Kumble – in spite of being from the losing side – for his unbelievable four wickets in four overs.

Other prizes that were given were:

Under 23 Success of the League – Rohit Sharma

Leading Run Scorer (Orange cap) – Mathew Hayden

Leading Wicket Taker (Purple cap) – R. P. Singh

Fair Play award – King’s XI Punjab (KXIP), and

Golden Player of the League – Adam Gilchrist

After all the awards were given out, the victorious DC team posed for photographs with the prestigious IPL trophy, leaving us, the audience, waiting eagerly for the next season, which will , we hope, be held where it truly belongs – in India!

Yes, this was the prelude – the first one – to the final showdown. I’m talking about the first semi-final between the Delhi Daredevils (DD) and the Deccan Chargers (DC).

Morales on both sides were high as the DC won the toss and decided to field first. Gautam Gambhir and David Warner opened batting for the DD, while Ryan Harris bowled the first over – and what an over it was! The first four balls of the over were dot balls, while the fifth and sixth ones saw the fall of a wicket each, that of Gambhir (catch R. P. Singh) – who got out on a duck –and Warner (catch Herschelle Gibbs) – who also got out on zero. The DD now stood at 0-2!

At the crease now were skipper Virender Sehwag (Viru) and T. N. Dilshan. After losing two wickets so quickly, one would’ve expected the DD to take it slow and steady, but not these two. Soon after stepping onto the field, they started hitting fours and sixes, and soon gained momentum. The two saw to it that the score steadily climbed higher and higher, until the Strategic Time Out, when the DD stood at 83-2. Immediately after the break, in the 11th over, however, the third wicket fell, thereby putting an end to a terrific partnership. The man to be dismissed was Viru, who got LBWed by Andrew Symonds after he’d made 39 runs off 31 balls.

AB de Villiers came in after Viru. He and Dilshan took up from where Viru left off, and Villiers soon started hitting boundaries too. However, he was dismissed by R. P. (catch Rob Quiney) after he made 26 runs off 21 balls. Dinesh Karthik came in next, but was bowled by Harris after making only nine runs. Rajat Bhatia was the next man in, but he, too, was dismissed by R. P. after making only four runs (catch Venugopal Rao). Next batsman in was Amit Mishra.

Dilshan, who had stayed on in the field till the end, was dropped twice – once when he was batting at 30, and the second time at 58 runs. However, he could not remain not out till the end, as, in the last over, he was run out by skipper of the DC, Adam Gilchrist (Gilly), when he was at 61 runs, which he had made off only 51 balls. Pradeep Sangwan came in next, but lost his wicket on the last ball. Thus, the DD ended at 153-8.

Gilly and Gibbs opened batting for the DC, while Dirk Nannes bowled the first over. While the DD had made no runs and lost two wickets in their very first over, the DC, on the other hand, faced a wide ball on the first delivery, followed by five fours in a row, all hit by Gilly. Thus, at the end of the first over, the DC stood at 21 runs! What’s more, thanks to all the big hits by Gilly, Gibbs never even got on strike in the first over!

The second over was bowled by Ashish Nehra, whose first ball was a wide, but the third claimed a wicket, that of Gibbs, whom he bowled out. Gibbs had not made even a single run. Azhar Bilakhia came in at one down. Pradeep Sangwan bowled the next over, which saw Gilly hit two fours and one six in it! Thereafter, Nehra took the ball, and delivered a No Ball, thus giving Gilly a Free Hit; like he even needed it! But Gilly said, “Thank you very much,” and hit a six off it anyway! As a result of these big hits, Gilly completed his sixth IPL 50 in just 17 balls! It was the fastest 50 in both seasons of the IPL, and the fifth fastest in all T20 forms.

Another time when Gilly got a Free Hit, was when Viru was bowling, and he delivered a No Ball on the ball which Gilly hit for a four. Thus, Gilly got four runs, plus six off the Free Hit, and then another six after that! In the meantime, Bilakhia got out after making 10 runs off 20 balls (ball Mishra, stumping Karthik). The seemingly unstoppable Gilly did get out, but not before he had caused irreparable damage by scoring a massive 85 runs of only 35 balls! He got out on the last ball of the 10th over on a ball by Mishra (catch Nannes).

Andrew Symonds came in next, and played well, until he too got out on a ball by Mishra (catch Warner) after he made 24 runs off 15 balls. Rohit Sharma came in next, and stayed on till the end and completed the match for the DC. Thus, the DC achieved the target of 154 and ended up as one of the two finalists of the IPL – season 2! The Man of the Match award, as well as the DLF Maximum award went to – like there’s any doubt! – Adam Gilchrist for his unearthly, but stupendous, performance with the bat!

By -    Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab are all locked at 14 points each. The winner of the RCB-DC match on Thursday will go to 16 points and the loser will remain on 14 with Punjab. But in all likeliness, Punjab will lose out on the semifinal berth owing to their poor net run rate. Currently Deccan has the best run rate at +0.265, while RCB are at -0.253 and Punjab at -0.483.

So if there is any chance of Punjab making it to the semis it will have to be a thrashing for Bangalore at the hands of Chargers. But chances are very remote and let us see why. To qualify, Bangalore need to have a net run rate higher than -0.483 after tomorrow’s match. So, let us check some possibilities.

The calculations done here are rough and may not be accurate to decimals.

Case Scenario 1 – Chargers bat first

Chargers’ Score	For Punjab to qualify, Bangalore must score less than
100	32
120	52
140	72
160	92
180	112

Case Scenario 2 – Bangalore bat first

Bangalore’s Score	For Punjab to qualify, Chargers need to win in
100	11.0 overs or less
120	11.1 overs or less
140	11.2 overs or less
160	10.0 overs or less
180	10.1 overs or less

 

What do you think are Punjab’s chances of qualifying?

 By – Mohit Goyal
www.goyalmohit.blogspot.com

That’s right. The Delhi Daredevils (DD), who have lost hardly any matches this season – the ones they did lose being close ones – lost the match against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB), who literally cruised to victory!

The DD won the toss and decided to bat first, their openers being the duo of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, while Praveen Kumar opened the bowling attack. Right from the word ‘go’, the action was on. After just one run on the board, Sehwag got out (catch Ross Taylor), and the DD stood at 1-1. Mithun Manhas replaced Sehwag, but he got out after two deliveries without making any runs (catch Jacques Kallis). The scoreboard now read 1-2. AB de Villiers came in next.

After losing two quick wickets, the DD tried to put up some runs on the board, but, in the sixth over, Gambhir got out on a ball by Kallis (catch Taylor) after making only 27 runs, thus putting an end to a fledgling partnership. Dinesh Karthik was the next man in, and at the end of 10 overs, the DD stood at 63-3. After the Strategic Time Out, however, immediately in the 11^th over, the fourth wicket, that of Villiers, fell, as he was bowled out by Roelof vd Merwe after he had made 28 runs off 29 balls. Andrew McDonald, who was playing the first match of this season, came in next, but got out on a ball by Anil Kumble after making only three runs.

Yogesh Nagar was the next man to walk on to the field. He made a decent score of 20 runs off 20 balls, but then was caught out by Robin Uthappa on a ball by Kumble. Farveez Maharoof came in next. While Nagar’s wicket fell in the 17^th over, the next wicket, i.e., the seventh wicket, that of Karthik, fell in the 18^th over after he had made 31 runs off 29 balls (ball Kumar, catch Uthappa).

Daniel Vettori came in after Karthik’s dismissal, and was dropped by Uthappa in the 20^th over. Not only that, but Uthappa also overthrew the ball, resulting in three extra runs for the DD. Thus, at the end of 20 overs, the DD made 134-7, with Maharoof and Vettori at 18 and four runs not out, respectively.

The RCB opened batting with Kallis and Uthappa, while Ashish Nehra opened bowling. However, in the very first over, Uthappa lost his wicket after making merely one run off five balls, as he was caught behind the wicket. Rahul Dravid came in next. Between them, Kallis and Dravid did build a partnership, but not too many runs had come off it. Finally, in the 13^th over, the partnership was broken when Dravid got out. He had made 38 runs off 34 balls before he was caught and bowled by Nagar.

Ross Taylor came in next, and in the very same over, got a Free Hit. However, he managed to make only one run off it. Then, in the 15^th over, Taylor got out on a ball by Nagar – which was caught by Vettori – after making 25 runs off only 12 balls. Mark Boucher was the next batsman in. In the second last over, Kallis got a Free Hit, off which he made just one run. However, during the course of his innings, he made a half century – his fifth in the IPL. Thanks to Kallis’s batting, not to mention the efforts of the RCB bowlers earlier, the team won the match by seven wickets, thus beating the (almost) invincible DD.

The DLF Maximum award was given to Ross Taylor, while Jacques Kallis was declared the Man of the Match for his brilliant half century. This win, while not changing the position of the DD on the ranks table, took the RCB to number four position.

By – Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

This may only be their second win in this year’s IPL, and may have come too late to help them qualify in the semis, but the Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) win against the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) sure must have been a great morale booster for them!

The match started with the CSK batting first. Mathew Hayden was missing from action, and in his place, George Bailey – who was playing his first match of this season of the IPL – and Parthiv Patel opened batting, while Ashok Dinda bowled the first over for the KKR. Five runs were made in the first over. The CSK seemed in great form, and by the seventh over, had already made 59 runs, when Patel was run out by Laxmi Shukla after he had made 25 runs off 19 balls. Suresh Raina came in at one down.

The second wicket fell relatively soon, when, in the ninth over, Bailey was run out by Brad Hodge after making 30 runs off 26 balls. Skipper M. S. Dhoni came in next, and, at the end of 10 overs, the CSK were already past 80 runs. Raina completed his fifth IPL 50 in only 36 deliveries by hitting a six, but the very next ball saw him lose his wicket to Dinda (catch Shukla) in the 17^th over. Albie Morkel came in after Raina’s dismissal, and played a fantastic innings. The last over proved extremely expensive, as two sixes and one four were hit in it. At the end of 20 overs, the CSK were at 188-3, with Dhoni and Morkel at 40 and 21 not out, respectively.

Now, it was time for the KKR to bat. As usual, skipper Brendon McCullum and Saurav Ganguly opened batting, while Morkel started with the bowling. In the very first over, Ganguly was in danger of getting out as he dropped his bat while taking a run. The fielder threw the ball at the stumps, and had it been a direct hit, Ganguly would’ve been out, for his bat had fallen just in front of the line! Similarly, in the fourth over, once again, Ganguly could’ve been run out, but was saved.

In spite of all his close shaves, Ganguly ultimately did return to the pavilion after making only four runs off 14 balls; he was bowled out by Muttiah Muralidaran. Brad Hodge came in next. McCullum, who had been playing the most fantastic innings so far, finally fell prey to Shadab Jakati’s superb bowling, and was bowled out after making an amazing score of 81 runs off just 48 balls! David Hussey came in at two down, but was run out by Dhoni after he made only two runs.

Wriddhiman Saha came in after Hussey’s dismissal, but after sometime, got injured. Thus, a runner (Hussey) was called on to the field. Between Hodge and Saha, and thanks to McCullum before them, the KKR continued to hit huge fours and sixes, as a result of which, the difference between the number of balls and the runs required reduced drastically. In the end, the KKR needed one run to win off one ball, and every person – CSK and KKR fans alike – was on the edge of his or her seat. Saha was on strike, and he hit very well, as a result of which the ball went far in the field, and they managed to take one run. The KKR thus won the match by seven wickets!

It is amazing, how a team which had won only one match in this season so far, managed to chase – and meet – a total of 188 runs. But meet it they did, and with style! Even though this match will not get them anywhere on the ranks table, the good that it did the team can not be understated!

P.S.: Will SRK return to support his team now? Well, let’s wait and watch!

By – Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

 

Yes, this was match number 50 of the second season of the IPL! The Delhi Daredevils (DD) are not at the top of the ladder for nothing. Even though their position in the semis is fixed, they did not use it as an excuse to remain complacent against the Rajasthan Royals (RR).

The toss was won by the DD, and they elected to bat first. Their openers were Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, while Munaf Patel bowled the first over. The first over was very eventful, because Patel gave two Free Hits in it. Luckily for the RR, however, no runs were scored off them. After a ‘happening’ first over, the third over was fruitful, because the first wicket of the DD fell, the batsman to depart being Gambhir. He got out on a ball (and catch) by Patel after making only eight runs. AB de Villiers came in after that.

The second wicket which fell was that of skipper Sehwag, who got out on a beauty of a ball by Patel (LBW) after making only two runs off eight balls. T. N. Dilshan came in after Sehwag’s departure. He was dropped at 16 runs (in the eighth over) by Amit Singh, while Johan Botha was bowling, but Botha was the one responsible for getting him out in the end, and Dilshan was bowled out after he had made 33 runs off 41 balls. Dinesh Karthik came in after Dilshan.

It was a lucky day for Villiers because not only did he complete his third IPL 50, but was also dropped by Rob Quiney in the 18th over. The RR paid heavily for this misfield when, in the 19th over, Villiers scored four runs off a Free Hit. The RR had bowled very well for a long time, but in the 19th over Munaf Patel undid all his good overs by bowling an extremely expensive one, consisting of one No Ball, one six, and two fours. Thus, at the end of 20 overs, the DD were at 150-3.

Graeme Smith and Rob Quiney opened batting for the RR, while Ashish Nehra did the same at the bowling end for the DD. The first wicket of the RR fell early on in the second over, when Smith got out on a ball by Dirk Nannes (catch A. Salvi) without having made even a single run. Naman Ojha came in at one down. Before the batsmen were allowed any breathing space, the second wicket fell; this time it was the other opener, Quiney, who fell prey to Nehra’s bowling (catch Nannes) and got out after making only six runs off 10 balls. Johan Botha came in after Quiney.

The third wicket, that of Ojha, fell on a ball by Salvi and the batsman was caught by Viru (Sehwag) after making nine runs. Ravindra Jadeja was the next man in. Jadeja and Botha had just started building a partnership, when the former was caught behind the wicket (ball Salvi) after having made 24 runs off 18 balls. Yusuf Pathan came in next, and while everybody was hoping that he’d lead the RR to victory, he got out after making only one run. Abhishek Raut came in after Pathan’s dismissal.

Botha was the sixth man to be sent back to the bench after he had made a good score of 37 runs off 31 balls (ball Farveez Maharoof, catch Viru). Shane Warne came in next. The seventh wicket was that of Raut, who was bowled out by Amit Mishra after he had made 11 runs off 13 balls. Amit Singh came in next, but he got out on the very next ball, and thus, Mishra was on a hat trick! Siddharth Trivedi came in next, and, instead of taking a wicket, Mishra bowled a No Ball, so Trivedi got a Free Hit, off which he scored one run, while Mishra missed his hat trick.

Warne’s was the ninth and last wicket of the innings, once again taken by Mishra (stumping Karthik). The captain made six runs off three balls before getting out. Munaf Patel came in at nine down. At the time of Warne’s departure, the RR scoreboard read 107-9. But, Munaf Patel started hitting fours and sixes as soon as he came in. While there was no hope of the RR winning the match in spite of this phenomenal – not to mention unique – display of batting, the difference between the required runs and the actual runs was considerably reduced. The DD must have hoped to get the RR all out, but instead, Patel stuck on and recorded the highest ever total for a batsman at number 11 position, both, in IPL season one, as well as two!

Thus, at the end of 20 overs, the RR ended at 136-9, courtesy Munaf Patel, and the DD won the match by 14 runs. Due to the KXIP winning the match which was played just before theirs, and subsequently their losing the match against the DD, the RR were pushed to number five spot on the rank table. Now, in order to get back into the top four, they will have to hope that both the other teams who can make it to the semis, namely Bangalore and Punjab, do not win their remaining matches, but this seems highly unlikely!

By – Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

They say that in cricket, the game isn’t over until it’s over. This holds so true for the match between the Deccan Chargers (DC) and the King’s XI Punjab (KXIP)!

The DC won the toss and elected to field first. Sunny Sohal and Simon Katich were the openers for the KXIP as usual, while Ryan Harris bowled the first over which consisted of two wides and one six. Nine runs were made off the first over. The first wicket fell in the second over, when Sohal was caught by Rohit Sharma on a ball by R. P. Singh after making only nine runs off 12 balls. The score was now 12-1. Luke Pomersbach came in after Sohal, but got out after making merely one run. Yuvraj Singh (Yuvi) came in next. While Sohal’s wicket fell in the third over, that of Katich fell in the fifth over when he was batting at 11 runs (ball Andrew Symonds, catch Pragyan Ojha). Kumar Sangakarra (Sanga) came in after Katich.

A partnership between Yuvi and Sanga would’ve been damaging, and the DC knew this, so they made sure to dismiss Yuvi before he could pose any potential threat. Wilkin Mota followed, and, at the end of 10 overs, the KXIP were 55-4. After the strategic break, Mota’s wicket fell, thanks to Tirumalasetti Suman’s bowling and Harris’s catch. Mota had made 12 runs off 19 balls. Irfan Pathan was the next batsman in.

Sanga had been the only batsman so far who had made a score of any significance, but after completing his sixth IPL 50, he got out at the score of 56 (43 balls) on a ball by R. P. and was caught by Harris. Brett Lee came in at six down. In the 20^th over, which was bowled by R. P., eight runs were made and one wicket was taken, that of Irfan Pathan, who was caught by Herschelle Gibbs after he made 17 runs off 11 balls. Piyush Chawla was the next and last man in. Thus, the KXIP made 134 runs at the loss of seven wickets in 20 overs.

Adam Gilchrist (Gilly) and Gibbs opened the batting for the DC, while Lee opened the bowling attack. The first four overs were uneventful, but in the fifth over, Gilly fell victim to Ramesh Powar’s bowling (caught behind wicket) after making 23 runs off 13 balls. Suman came in after Gilly, but the very first ball he faced proved fatal for him, as he was bowled out by Powar! Thus, Powar was on a hat trick, but he didn’t manage to complete it as Symonds, who came in next, refused to oblige.

At the end of 10 overs, the DC were at 65-2. The third, and one of the biggest blows, fell on the DC when Gibbs got out after making 26 runs off 37 balls on a ball by Yuvi (catch Chawla). Rohit Sharma came in next. Symonds, on whom a lot of hopes were pinned, didn’t come through and got out after making only 25 runs off 25 balls (strike rate – 100) on a ball by Yuvi (stumping Sanga). Next man in was Venugopal Rao, who got out on the very next ball, and returned to the pavilion without scoring any runs.

After Rao’s dismissal, Dwaraka Ravi Teja came in, but was run out by Lee after making only 10 runs off 15 balls. Harris came in thereafter. It now looked like the match was lost for the DC, but in the 19^th over, bowled by Lee, Sharma hit one six, one four, and also got a Free Hit – courtesy a No Ball by Lee – off which he got one run. Suddenly, the DC, who had lost hope, sat up as they realised they still had a chance. Then, in the last over, Sharma was bowled out by Pathan after he had made 42 runs off only 26 balls.

After Sharma’s dismissal, R. P. came in, but he got out without making any runs. Then Jaskaran Singh came in. In the end, four runs were required off three balls, but that proved too much for the two batsmen on the field, and the DC ended at 133-8. Yes, they fell just two short of victory! Even worse, the KXIP won by only 1 run! It must have been agony for the DC, but the result couldn’t be helped. The DLF Maximum award was given to Rohit Sharma, while the Man of the Match was Yuvraj Singh.

Yuraj Singh was said to have picked up a hat trick, but that was a mistake, because he had taken only two wickets – that of Symonds and Rao – in succession, while the one before Symonds – Gibbs’ wicket – had been taken by Yuvraj, but not just before he took Symonds’ wicket. Thus, Yuvraj did take three wickets, but not on a hat trick. One wonders that while the management did not realise it, did Yuvraj also not realise that he had not got a hat trick?

By - Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

Match won – king style!

Yes, the match was won by the ‘kings’, and in a style befitting them, too! Match number 46 was played between the Delhi Daredevils (DD) and the King’s XI Punjab (KXIP).

The KXIP won the toss and elected to field first. There was a slight change in the team as Mahela Jayawardena was not playing; besides that, the teams on both sides remained the same. The terrific duo of skipper Virender Sehwag (Viru) and Gautam Gambhir opened the batting, while on the bowling attack was Brett Lee. The first over started well for the DD, as seven runs were scored off it, including one boundary (four). However, the third over was not as good, as the first blow came the way of the DD with the dismissal of Viru on a ball by Lee, which was caught behind the wicket. Viru had made nine runs off eight balls by then. T. N. Dilshan came in after that.

Just one run had been scored after Viru’s wicket, and the match was already in the fourth over, when the second opener, Gambhir, was dismissed by Wilkin Mota on a run out after the former had made eight runs off 11 balls. After Gambhir came AB de Villiers, who also didn’t stay too long and was sent back to the pavilion after he had made 11 runs off 11 balls (strike rate – 100). The bowler was Sreesanth, while the fielder was skipper Yuvraj Singh (Yuvi). Mithun Manhas came in thereafter.

The fourth wicket looked like it was a replay of the third, except that the batsman was different; this time, it was Dilshan who got out, the bowler and fielder being the same as that during the time of the second wicket. Dilshan had made 10 runs off 19 balls, and was dismissed in the 10th over. Dinesh Karthik came in at four down.

The fifth wicket was that of Manhas, who was caught by Piyush Chawla. Farveez Maharoof came in at five down, but was bowled out in the 17th over by Lee after making only three runs. It was a fantastic over for Lee, as he not only got a wicket in it, but also delivered a maiden over! Daniel Vettori came and left quickly after that, as did Rajat Bhatia, who left without scoring any runs, on the very next ball. Thus, Brett Lee was on a hat trick, but he was unable to take it as Pradeep Sangwan, who was the new man in, did not succumb to his superb bowling.

The ninth and final wicket was that of Karthik, and it fell in the 20th over. Thus, the DD ended at a very ‘gettable’ total of 121-9. To win, the KXIP required just over six runs per over, which basically meant they needed a run a ball. And with their batting line up, it looked like a piece of cake. But the DD were not at the top for nothing, and gave the Punjab team a run for their money.

The openers for the KXIP were Sunny Sohal and Simon Katich, while Ashish Nehra bowled the first over, off which only two runs were scored. The second over was a different story altogether, as the KXIP got a four, not due to their own efforts, but courtesy an overthrow by Dilshan! The first wicket of the KXIP fell on a ball by Maharoof, when Katich was caught behind the wicket after he had made 26 runs off 10 balls. Luke Pomersbach was the next man in.

The second wicket was that of the other opener, Sohal, who was bowled out after he had made merely three runs off 12 balls, thus proving to be quite expensive. Sanga came in at two down. The third big break for the DD came in the form of a wicket of Pomersbach, who got out after making only nine runs. He was followed by Yuvi, and at the end of 10 overs, with Sanga and Yuvi on the field, the KXIP were at 51-3.

However, the two, who can wreak havoc on the opposition, couldn’t build a partnership as Yuvi got out on a ball by Sangwan (catch Viru) after having made 18 runs off 31 balls, once again proving to be expensive.

Irfan Pathan was the next and last man to walk on to the field. All this while there had been a difference of at least seven to eight balls (more runs, less balls), but Pathan brought it down to a mere two-ball difference, and the KXIP needed 12 runs to win off 10 balls. In such a situation, while the bowlers were trying their best to give dot balls, Pathan hit a six, thus leading to the equation being reversed – now, the number of balls was more, and the runs required, less.

Then, when the KXIP needed two runs to win from six balls, Viru was seen giving instructions to the fielders, but to no avail – the first ball of the 20th over was hit for a four, and the KXIP not only managed to get the target, but also got it in style, thus winning the match by six wickets!

The DLF Maximum award was given to Irfan Pathan for hitting two sixes, while Brett Lee was declared the Man of the Match for his fantastic bowling.

By -  Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala

What a match!

After the match between the Mumbai Indians (MI) and the Rajasthan Royals (RR), everyone seemed to be gushing the same words over and over again!

The toss for match number 45 was won by the RR, and they elected to bat first. Graeme Smith and Rob Quiney were the openers for the RR, while Dhawal Kulkari bowled the first over. Seven runs were made off the first over, with one boundary (four).

The batsmen of the RR played at a steady run rate till the seventh over, when the first wicket, that of Smith, fell. The bowler responsible was Harbhajan Singh (Bhajji), and the fielder, J. P. Duminy. Smith had made 19 runs off 19 balls before his dismissal. Yusuf Pathan came in after him.

The Strategic Time Out, which is given to the teams to strategise, and which batsmen hope to see through, was a distant dream for the Pathan sibling as he got out just before it on a ball by Chetanya Nanda and was caught by Lasith Malinga after he had made 17 runs off 14 balls. Ravindra Jadeja came in next.

Quiney, who was playing a very good game of cricket, finally succumbed under the expert bowling of ‘slinger’ Malinga, who bowled him out after he made 51 runs, just after his half century. Siddharth Chitnis came in after Quiney, but was sent back to the bench by Dwayne Bravo (catch Abhishek Nayar) after making only six runs off eight balls. Naman Ojha came in after Chitnis. It was then time for Jadeja to depart on a ball by Jayasuriya (catch Bravo) after he made a valuable 42 runs for his team off just 32 balls. Johan Botha came in after him.

Ojha, who had just come to the field, quickly left after making only one run (ball Jayasuriya, catch Ajinkya Rahane). The RR skipper Shane Warne was the next man in. By this time, the innings was already in the last over, and on the last ball, Warne lost his wicket, and thus, the RR ended at 145-7.

The batting order of the MI had undergone a change, and Yogesh Takawale, along with Bravo, opened the batting, while Yusuf Pathan opened bowling. Eight runs were made in the first over, and in the second over, the first wicket of the MI fell. The man to be dismissed was Bravo, and he had made merely one run (ball and catch Munaf Patel).

In Bravo’s place came Rahane. But with two newcomers on the field, the pressure became too much, and Rahane got out on a ball by Warne (catch Abhishek Raut) after making only three runs. Jayasuriya came in next. After Rahane, it was the other newcomer, Takawale, who lose his wicket, and he departed after having made 18 runs off 22 balls. Tendulkar came in next. With two stalwarts on the field, it was expected that this time round, there would be some good display of batting, and to a certain extent, that did happen, as Sachin hit a few fours and even got a Free Hit, but no runs came off it. At the end of 10 overs the MI were at 54-3.

After the Strategic break, Jayasuriya’s wicket fell on a ball by Warne (catch Pathan) after he had made 16 runs. Duminy came in next, and the MI fans expected him to play well, as he has been in excellent form this season. However, that was not to be, and Duminy was bowled out by youngster Siddharth Trivedi after he had made only four runs. Nayar came in next.

Tendulkar, who had been going great guns so far, looked capable of leading the MI to victory, but these hopes, too, were dashed after the Little Master got out on a LBW by Warne. Thus, captain dismissed captain! However, Tendulkar had, by then, put up a decent total of 40 runs off 30 balls for himself. Bhajji came in after Tendulkar, and suddenly, it started raining fours and sixes! Nayar and Bhajji were doing a good job of salvaging the game by hitting a few fours and sixes between them, but then Nayar’s wicket fell, after he had made a fantastic 35 off just 18 (run out Naman Ojha, wicketkeeper).

After Nayar came Kulkarni, and by this time, the match was in the 19th over. It was a very crucial point, but Kulkarni couldn’t stay at the crease for too long. He just made one run, and got out. He was followed by Nanda, who was also dismissed, and Malinga was the last man in.

All the tail-enders were trying to give Bhajji the strike, because all that the MI needed to win was four runs! However, as the players at the striker’s end kept getting out one by one, Bhajji didn’t get a chance to bat, and with three balls remaining, Malinga tried to take one run, just as had Nanda before him, and, just like Nanda, Malinga, too, was run out! The MI lost the match by a hair’s breadth, and got all out at 143, just three runs short of victory (two short of a tie, which would have led to a Super Over). In the dug out, Tendulkar couldn’t believe himself, while an ecstatic Shilpa Shetty, and an even more ecstatic Warne, couldn’t contain their excitement.

The DLF Maximum award was given to Quiney, and the Man of the Match award was given to Shane Warne for his unbelievable three wickets. At the end of the day, spectators must have just managed to survive severe cardiac arrest, such was the match! This match catapulted the RR to number three position on the rank table, while bringing down the MI to number six.

In order to reach the semi finals, the MI will now not only have to win both their remaining matches, but also hope that the other teams (between positions five and seven) don’t play too well!

By – Rashida Shabbir Arsiwala