Indian Premier League and Cricket News by IPL Cricket Forum

Jaipur: Mohit Goyal

Indian Premier League Match Preview

Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians at Jaipur

Indians will have to win this match this match to keep their semi final chances under their own control. Else they will need Deccan who are not in that good a form to beat Chennai. Royals on the other hand would not want this dangerous Mumbai side to advance and would definitely like to make like difficult for them by beating them here.

Men at the Helm

Shane Warne has been simply superb throughout the league and everything he’s touched has turned gold. He would to be looking to try out a few combinations before the knock out stages start. Sachin on the other hand has been calm and cool but not been as sharp and quick as required for such a fast paced game. He mismanaged the distribution of overs in the match against Punjab and the team selection too has lacked thought. He has banked too much on the opponents’ weaknesses rather than his team’s strength.

Read the rest of this entry »

Editorial: Mohit Goyal

Indian premier League Match Preview

Royal Challengers Bangalore v Delhi Daredevils at Bangalore

Bangalore and Deccan are out of the race for the throne but they could be the King makers now. Apart from Deccan, Bangalore also have matches left with Delhi, Chennai and Mumbai and they could well catch the leg of one of these teams to kill their semi final dreams.

Men at the Helm

Rahul Dravid hasn’t been able to do much because his batters have disappointed consistently. Sehwag has shown confidence in his boys but the incidents like arguing with umpires at Jaipur, the break in play at Delhi breaking Venu Gopal’s flow and delaying covering of pitch when rain set in against Punjab have left a sour taste in mouth. But as far as his team goes, he has led them well and been aggressive, instinctive and innovative.

We have the bat

On paper the Bangalore batting might be even a little higher than Delhi but apart from Dravid each and everyone has failed. They would like to salvage some pride. Delhi on the other hand would need one of, Sehwag and Gambhir to fire otherwise they might not have enough runs on the board.

We have the ball

Both are pretty good bowling units but Bangalore missed Steyn badly in the last match. His pace prevents oppositions to take the attack in the early overs. Batters on both sides will find it difficult to play with the same flow as they could have against other oppositions.

Patrolling Party

Delhi are the best fielding unit in the competition and they have proved it time and again. In the last match the fielders took some sensational catches and one could have gone just to watch the Daredevils field. Bangalore on the other hand have been patchy. While they have had some sensational catches been taken by Dravid, Kohli, Jaffer and Steyn, they have conceded many free runs in some matches.

High on betting meter

On most betting meters they are placed at the same level. Kolkata are marginally lower on a few owing to their vulnerable batting.

Who gets the tick?

Delhi have the upper hand but a good spell from Zaheer or Steyn up front could knock two or three and expose Delhi’s vulnerable middle order. Bangalore would like to give their home crowd something to cheer about and look forward to, for the next season.

© IPL Cricket Forum

After the Indian cricketers, it’s the turn of their Aussie counterparts for shooting!
Australian cricket players are busy with the shooting for a promotional movie ‘Victory’ based on the 20-20 cricket matches.
Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Stadium is abuzz with activity as the Australian and Indian players are fiercely competing with each other for the cameras to capturing the real life excitement for the reels.

The players are expected to hold a news conference today.

“Players like Samuel, Bred Hog, Brett Lee, Clarck, Mathew Hayden and Indian players like R.P. Singh, Dinesh Kartik, Yusuf Pathan and Praveen Kumar are all shooting here. As far as we have been informed, it is a promotional film. They have the permission of the BCCI,” said Taposh Chatterjee, ground-in-charge and pitch curator, Sawai Mansingh Stadium.

Audience present in the stands of the stadium acting as exited cricket fans watching the match for the movie that is based on the success story of the Indian Team in 20-20 Championship when India defeated Australia.

“India had defeated the Australians in the 20-20 series. We want that should be incorporated in the movie. The way England was defeated by India in the movie Lagaan, we want Australians to be defeated in this movie,” said Gaurav Arora, a fan.

The flick is being directed by Ajit Pal and the lead role of cricketer is being played by Harman Baweja. Amrita Rao, a Bollywood actor, will be the main female protagonist of the movie.

Leading Australian cricketers including Brett Lee, who are in India ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) matches scheduled to begin from April 17 onwards, are busy shooting for this movie.

The movie has generated curiosity after the much-hyped and known Indo-Australia cricketing rivalry.

This joint production is likely to strengthen the friendship between the players of the two teams.

This is one promo video I am dying to see!