Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

Former Australian star Adam Gilchrist has called for the inclusion of cricket’s Twenty20 format at the 2020 Olympics, saying it will help secure the global future of the game - reports AFP.
The wicketkeeper-batsman, who after retiring from international cricket  played in the Indian Premier League (IPL), said the International Cricket Council (ICC) must push for Twenty20 to become an Olympic sport.

“It doesn’t matter where the 2020 Olympic Games are held,” he wrote in a column for Indian daily the Deccan Chronicle on Monday.

“But many of us who’ve experienced international Twenty20 cricket and the IPL are convinced that cricket should bid to become an Olympic sport in time for the Games,” he wrote.

Gilchrist, 36, said re-introducing cricket as an Olympic sport would help the sport grow internationally and also boost the Olympic movement in the subcontinent.

“We have a responsibility to grow our game in new territories and amongst the women of the world.

“I believe the Olympic Games is the vehicle the sport should use to aggressively sell the message of our sport to all 202 competing Olympic nations.

“So that our sport is strong and robust in countries where it is currently played, and exciting and ground-breaking in countries who haven’t yet caught the ‘cricket-bug’,” he said.

Cricket was part of the Olympics just once, in 1900, but last year it was recognised as an Olympic sport — the first step towards full admission to the Games.

“With Twenty20 cricket here to stay, now is the time for the 10 full-member nations of the ICC to plan for the development of the sport over the next 100 years,” Gilchrist said.

Gilchrist said winning an Olympic medal would be the ultimate for any cricketer.

“Take it from someone who has won almost everything cricket has to offer — the Olympics is the absolute pinnacle in sport.

“Cricketers won’t care about the money. The chance to stand on top of the Olympic podium, to wear an Olympic gold medal and the pride of belting out your national anthem would be a life-changing money-can’t-buy experience,” he said.

Editorial: Mohit Goyal

Indian premier League Match Preview

Deccan Chargers Vs Chennai Super Kings

It’s the last league game for both these teams. Hyderabad are languishing at the bottom of the table and this is their last chance to win a game at home. For Chennai, this is an extremely important game. A victory here and they will progress to the next round. Though Chennai start as favourites, they haven’t been in the best of form of late: A shock defeat at the hands of Bangalore, when they failed to chase a meagre 127 was followed by a 10-run defeat against Rajasthan.

What if Chennai lose today? If Chennai lose today and Mumbai win tomorrow, Mumbai will advance on account of better net run rate. (Chennai’s current NRR is -0.241 while Mumbai’s is +0.531). Should Mumbai lose tomorrow, Chennai will go through to the semis(Chennai are on 14 points, Mumbai are on 12)

Read the rest of this entry »

A totally one sided contest today between the IPL Mumbai Indians and IPL Deccan Chargers. A thumping 10-wicket win then for the Deccan Chargers. Mumbai Indians batted first and ended their miserable innings with just 154 for 7. None of the batsman were ever comfortable except for Abhishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo both of whom scored 34. Nayar looked confident and capable but he alone couldn’t do much.

Deccan Chargers came in to bat second but it was Adam Gilchrist all the way. Gilchrist smashed ten sixes as he blasted his way to the fastest century of the tournament. He was also involved in the highest opening partnership with Laxman who chipped in with 36. It was a real visual delight to watch Gilchrist bat and though the home crowd remained quite at this kind of miserable performance most of the cricket lovers enjoyed his batting. Mumbai Indians slipped to the bottom of the table in th Indian Premier League tournament with four consecutive loses.

Mumbai Indians: 154/7 (20.0 Ovs)
Deccan Chargers: 155/0 (12.4 Ovs)

Man of the Match - Adam Gilchrist

Deccan Chargers recorded their first win by 10 Wkts.

© IPL Cricket Forum

After Sourav Gamguly and VVS Laxman slamming the Kolkata Eden gardens pitch for erratic behavious, Adam Gilchrist described the pitch as “an absolute disgrace”, and the decision to appoint a three-man committee to look into the matter is a major blow for the credibility of the IPL, who had already suffered embarrassment when floodlight failure during that match in Kolkata caused a half-hour hold-up - reports Telegraph UK.

Gilchrist’s broadside added to the organisers’ discomfort after Deccan captain VVS Laxman branded the pitch as “shocking” and Eden Gardens curator Kalyan Mitra apologised to both sides.

“The pitch was an absolute disgrace,” Gilchrist said. “That’s not just sour grapes because we lost - it was terrible for the Kolkata team too. It’s unfair on the players and unfair on the crowd. The pitch was unfit for cricket.

“After the first two balls from Ishant Sharma, I thought 100 would be a good score.”

The Knight Riders’ celebrity owner Shah Rukh Khan and their coach John Buchanan are said to be keen on flying in a pitch expert from Australia before the next home game against Mumbai Indians on Tuesday.

Gilchrist is playing for Hyederabad Deccan Chargers the team which have suffered two losses in two matches and yet to grab any points in the IPl tournament.