Delhi face uphill task for survival
An upbeat Chennai will take on Delhi in what should be a decisive clash ahead of the semi-finals.
By Aditya Ramachandran
MS Dhoni’s men are undoubtedly on a roll after brushing aside Kolkata without any fuss at the Chepauk on Tuesday. Delhi, on the other hand, have had massive problems with their combination and the defeat against Mumbai has put the two-time semi-finalists in a fix.
Chennai have to live up to their pre-tournament favourites’ tag and for that to happen, the bowlers will have to maintain their good show. R Ashwin wrecked Kolkata’s batting order early in their match but the legendary Muttiah Muralitharan needs to get back into the groove.
The Sri Lankan off-spinner looked out of sorts against Kolkata and his four expensive almost threatened to spoil Ashwin’s good work in the third over of the innings.
Chennai have shored up well after early blemishes to currently occupy second place in the IPL rankings while Delhi have slipped downhill after looking certain to cruise to the semis.
The defeat against Mumbai must be weighing heavy on Gautam Gambhir’s mind- the margin also ruined Delhi’s net run-rate.
Both teams are placed at 12 points each and a win for Chennai will almost ensure them of a last-four spot. Delhi on their part, will have to win by a handsome margin to avoid any further hiccups.
The toss will play a crucial role at the Chepauk and reading the pitch correctly will almost be half the battle won. Another factor that Dhoni should be able to exploit is the fanatic home support- the crowd has been right behind the Yellows and visiting teams, including table-toppers Mumbai, have found it difficult to negate the huge support.
Though Delhi have the most destructive batting line-up in the third edition of the IPL- with Virender Sehwag, Gambhir and David Warner at the top- no one has been consistent so far.
Chennai have most of their batsmen in reasonably good touch with Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina leading the charge for the southern giants.
It should be a sizzling evening in the Chennai heat and if the visitors hit the right chord as well, the 50th match of IPL-3 should be a cracker.
Head to Head
Played: 5
Won by Chennai: 3 (winning % 60.00)
Won by Delhi: 2 (winning % 40.00)
Approaching Milestones:
- Virender Sehwag (948) needs 52 runs more to complete 1000 runs in the IPL. He would be the second batsman for Delhi to accomplish the feat. Gautam Gambhir (1036) is the only one to do so for Delhi.
- Dinesh Karthik (35) needs two dismissals to overtake Adam Gilchrist's tally of 36 dismissals in the IPL.
- Murali Vijay (387) requires 13 runs to complete 400 runs in the IPL-3. He would be the fourth to do so after Sachin Tendulkar (542), Jacques Kallis (528) and Suresh Raina (400).
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
SHAH RUKH SAY SORRY TO KKR FANS
Shah Rukh Khan: Blame it on me
Kolkata team owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan apologised to the team's fans saying that his team could not perform to their expectations.
Sourav Ganguly led Kolkata team were knocked out from the race to semifinals of the Indian Premier League for the third consecutive year. The team lost to Chennai by nine wickets on Tuesday.
"I completely take the blame for not putting up a good show. The team was outbatted, outbowled and outclassed," Khan wrote on his Twitter page.
"Thanks to the Kolkata audience...you make us proud..couldn't do the same..and can't make any promises for future either,"
The superstar thanked the players for trying their best but said that sometimes his side's best was not enough.
"I will call and thank them for trying, even if it wasn't good enough," he wrote.
Shah Rukh said he would find a way to deal with the dejection.
"I am off now to deal with disappointments in the way I know best. You find your poison. Unconditional apologies to all," he wrote.
Khan had left the tournament in South Africa mid-way last year after the Kolkata team were sure to languish at the bottom.
"I am not sad. Just feel awful for Kolkata and all of this..my kids gave me a hug for the first time in 3 years when we lost. They have overcome the sadness of defeat better than me. It is time to learn."
Kolkata team owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan apologised to the team's fans saying that his team could not perform to their expectations.
Sourav Ganguly led Kolkata team were knocked out from the race to semifinals of the Indian Premier League for the third consecutive year. The team lost to Chennai by nine wickets on Tuesday.
"I completely take the blame for not putting up a good show. The team was outbatted, outbowled and outclassed," Khan wrote on his Twitter page.
"Thanks to the Kolkata audience...you make us proud..couldn't do the same..and can't make any promises for future either,"
The superstar thanked the players for trying their best but said that sometimes his side's best was not enough.
"I will call and thank them for trying, even if it wasn't good enough," he wrote.
Shah Rukh said he would find a way to deal with the dejection.
"I am off now to deal with disappointments in the way I know best. You find your poison. Unconditional apologies to all," he wrote.
Khan had left the tournament in South Africa mid-way last year after the Kolkata team were sure to languish at the bottom.
"I am not sad. Just feel awful for Kolkata and all of this..my kids gave me a hug for the first time in 3 years when we lost. They have overcome the sadness of defeat better than me. It is time to learn."
SHAH RUKH SAY SORRY TO KKR FANS
Shah Rukh Khan: Blame it on me
Kolkata team owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan apologised to the team's fans saying that his team could not perform to their expectations.
Sourav Ganguly led Kolkata team were knocked out from the race to semifinals of the Indian Premier League for the third consecutive year. The team lost to Chennai by nine wickets on Tuesday.
"I completely take the blame for not putting up a good show. The team was outbatted, outbowled and outclassed," Khan wrote on his Twitter page.
"Thanks to the Kolkata audience...you make us proud..couldn't do the same..and can't make any promises for future either,"
The superstar thanked the players for trying their best but said that sometimes his side's best was not enough.
"I will call and thank them for trying, even if it wasn't good enough," he wrote.
Shah Rukh said he would find a way to deal with the dejection.
"I am off now to deal with disappointments in the way I know best. You find your poison. Unconditional apologies to all," he wrote.
Khan had left the tournament in South Africa mid-way last year after the Kolkata team were sure to languish at the bottom.
"I am not sad. Just feel awful for Kolkata and all of this..my kids gave me a hug for the first time in 3 years when we lost. They have overcome the sadness of defeat better than me. It is time to learn."
Kolkata team owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan apologised to the team's fans saying that his team could not perform to their expectations.
Sourav Ganguly led Kolkata team were knocked out from the race to semifinals of the Indian Premier League for the third consecutive year. The team lost to Chennai by nine wickets on Tuesday.
"I completely take the blame for not putting up a good show. The team was outbatted, outbowled and outclassed," Khan wrote on his Twitter page.
"Thanks to the Kolkata audience...you make us proud..couldn't do the same..and can't make any promises for future either,"
The superstar thanked the players for trying their best but said that sometimes his side's best was not enough.
"I will call and thank them for trying, even if it wasn't good enough," he wrote.
Shah Rukh said he would find a way to deal with the dejection.
"I am off now to deal with disappointments in the way I know best. You find your poison. Unconditional apologies to all," he wrote.
Khan had left the tournament in South Africa mid-way last year after the Kolkata team were sure to languish at the bottom.
"I am not sad. Just feel awful for Kolkata and all of this..my kids gave me a hug for the first time in 3 years when we lost. They have overcome the sadness of defeat better than me. It is time to learn."
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Kolkata, Chennai
Both Kolkata and Chennai are in a do-or-die situation and hence both would be desperate to win when they clash with each other in the IPL match on Tuesday.
Chennai are paying the penalty for not doing well in the first phase of the tournament, while Kolkata also are in a must-win situation because of their inconsistent performance, so far.
With Mumbai having made the next grade and Delhi, Bangalore and Jaipur better placed on the points table, Chennai and Kolkata would not just look for a win but a comprehensively victory.
Going by the aggressive mood of Sourav Ganguly, who slammed his players for losing the last match despite getting a good start, Kolkata are not likely to spare an inch and upset Chennai.
However, cricket being a game of uncertainties, particularly in T20 format, the performance of both batsmen and bowlers in the rival ranks on a given day would result in either of them tasting success.
And while Chennai have better batting options, Kolkata have a better bowling attack.
Ahead of the Tuesday's match, Chennai captain MS Dhoni is a happy captain with the return of two South Africans - Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp, who have proved match fit.
The team would also be banking on Matthew Hayden, who has accumulated 315 runs from 11 matches, middle order batsman Michael Hussey, Morkel and Doug Bollinger. Dhoni, meanwhile, is yet to get in to his groove and has struggled for most part of the tournament.
On the other hand, Ganguly would be hoping for some quick fireworks from Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Manoj Tiwary. Of course, he himself, who is placed third in the order of top run-getters with 366 in IPL III, is also expected to chip in with some valuable runs.
And unlike Chennai, Ganguly has better options as far as the bowling department is concerned with Kiwi fast bowler Shane Bond expected to be a thorn in Chennai's scheme of things.
Chennai vs Kolkata
Played: 4
Won by Chennai: 3 (winning % 75.00)
Won by Kolkata: 1 (winning % 25.00)
Approaching milestones
- Suresh Raina (1177) requires just six runs to overtake Gilchrist's tally of 1182 in the IPL.
- Sourav Ganguly (366) needs 34 runs to complete his 400 runs in the IPL-3
- Murali Vijay (21) requires four sixes to overtake the tallies of Uthappa (24) and Yusuf Pathan (24).
Both Kolkata and Chennai are in a do-or-die situation and hence both would be desperate to win when they clash with each other in the IPL match on Tuesday.
Chennai are paying the penalty for not doing well in the first phase of the tournament, while Kolkata also are in a must-win situation because of their inconsistent performance, so far.
With Mumbai having made the next grade and Delhi, Bangalore and Jaipur better placed on the points table, Chennai and Kolkata would not just look for a win but a comprehensively victory.
Going by the aggressive mood of Sourav Ganguly, who slammed his players for losing the last match despite getting a good start, Kolkata are not likely to spare an inch and upset Chennai.
However, cricket being a game of uncertainties, particularly in T20 format, the performance of both batsmen and bowlers in the rival ranks on a given day would result in either of them tasting success.
And while Chennai have better batting options, Kolkata have a better bowling attack.
Ahead of the Tuesday's match, Chennai captain MS Dhoni is a happy captain with the return of two South Africans - Albie Morkel and Justin Kemp, who have proved match fit.
The team would also be banking on Matthew Hayden, who has accumulated 315 runs from 11 matches, middle order batsman Michael Hussey, Morkel and Doug Bollinger. Dhoni, meanwhile, is yet to get in to his groove and has struggled for most part of the tournament.
On the other hand, Ganguly would be hoping for some quick fireworks from Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Manoj Tiwary. Of course, he himself, who is placed third in the order of top run-getters with 366 in IPL III, is also expected to chip in with some valuable runs.
And unlike Chennai, Ganguly has better options as far as the bowling department is concerned with Kiwi fast bowler Shane Bond expected to be a thorn in Chennai's scheme of things.
Chennai vs Kolkata
Played: 4
Won by Chennai: 3 (winning % 75.00)
Won by Kolkata: 1 (winning % 25.00)
Approaching milestones
- Suresh Raina (1177) requires just six runs to overtake Gilchrist's tally of 1182 in the IPL.
- Sourav Ganguly (366) needs 34 runs to complete his 400 runs in the IPL-3
- Murali Vijay (21) requires four sixes to overtake the tallies of Uthappa (24) and Yusuf Pathan (24).
Monday, April 12, 2010
GAMBHIR ON CONTROVERSIAL KOTLA PITCH AND PREFERS FOR AWAY GAME
Gambhir prefers to play away games
Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir says it is difficult to go for big shots at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.
"I would definitely like to play away matches. The wickets are better at other venues like Kolkata and Bangalore. They have value for shots. At Kotla, is it difficult to go for big shots, one has to focus on accumulating runs. And IPL is all about hitting sixes and going for big shots," Gambhir told journalists.
Gautam's comments come after Bangalore captain Anil Kumble termed the wicket "not ideal" for Twenty20 cricket.
Delhi lost to Mohali by seven wickets on Sunday.
The Delhi team now need to win two out of their remaining three league matches.
"We should have scored 160-170 as we have made this total before. With nine batsmen in the side, it is just not acceptable that we have made 111. This is one of the days when we did not play as a team. We now need to pull up our socks," he said.
"I would not blame the bowling as we never put up a defendable score. We should have made at least 40 runs more. We would now like to win the next two matches as we would not like to be in a last-minute must-win situation."
"We have lost two matches in a row and we need to get our momentum back. I think this has been the trend in IPL that the teams are losing momentum after winning matches," he said.
Delhi captain Gautam Gambhir says it is difficult to go for big shots at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground.
"I would definitely like to play away matches. The wickets are better at other venues like Kolkata and Bangalore. They have value for shots. At Kotla, is it difficult to go for big shots, one has to focus on accumulating runs. And IPL is all about hitting sixes and going for big shots," Gambhir told journalists.
Gautam's comments come after Bangalore captain Anil Kumble termed the wicket "not ideal" for Twenty20 cricket.
Delhi lost to Mohali by seven wickets on Sunday.
The Delhi team now need to win two out of their remaining three league matches.
"We should have scored 160-170 as we have made this total before. With nine batsmen in the side, it is just not acceptable that we have made 111. This is one of the days when we did not play as a team. We now need to pull up our socks," he said.
"I would not blame the bowling as we never put up a defendable score. We should have made at least 40 runs more. We would now like to win the next two matches as we would not like to be in a last-minute must-win situation."
"We have lost two matches in a row and we need to get our momentum back. I think this has been the trend in IPL that the teams are losing momentum after winning matches," he said.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Sourav Ganguly may not be fit to play against Bangalore on Saturday. Who will lead the side in his absence?
Brendon McCullum!
The Kiwi had just played his first match against Delhi in this edition.
Sources said there was a suggestion that the Kiwi opener might be dropped when it was found that he would not be able to play the first nine matches. But he was in the good books of the team management, mainly because of his much-discussed 158 runs at the inaugural match in 2008, which is still considered as one of the the best innings of the IPL.
Moreover, that innings was played in Bangalore, where Kolkata will be playing against the same opponent on Saturday. So, if Ganguly is not fit enough to play the match, McCullum will be preferred to lead the Kolkata outfit since he was the captain of the team in the second edition in South Africa.
Murali Karthik is unofficially the vice captain of the side. But the spinner is injured. He could not play against Delhi due to back problems. Although he had travelled to Bangalore with the team, it is not sure whether he would be fit to play the game.
Chris Gayle, another international captain (West Indies) is there, too. He is playing well, is in good form with the bat and his occasional off-spinners are helping the team.
But McCullum is ahead in the captaincy race.
Sourav needed a wheel chair to carry him from the car to the lift at his home, while returning from the Eden Gardens after the Delhi match. He was not able to walk even since the pain was unbearable. Immediately, the team physio Andrew Leipus was informed. And Sourav spent the entire Thursday, applying ice on the injury.
The right ankle was damaged during the match where he was adjudged man of the match for his fifty-plus knock, a wonderful catch and a run out of Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi captain.
However, Ganguly could not feel it during the match. Later, when he came back to the dressing room and had his shoes off, the pain began to worry him.
But is there any chance that he would not travel to Bangalore?
Sourav said, "How can I stay away from the team? I have to be there. The tournament is still an open affair and we have a good chance to be in the last four. It's an important match." He is all set to leave for Bangalore on Friday.
It is an important match since both the teams have five wins from 10 games and a win against Anil Kumble's team can be decisive for Sourav Ganguly's men.
However, he is yet to rule himself out, although his comment on the chance of playing the 20-20 match against Bangalore is, "fifty-fifty" only!
Brendon McCullum!
The Kiwi had just played his first match against Delhi in this edition.
Sources said there was a suggestion that the Kiwi opener might be dropped when it was found that he would not be able to play the first nine matches. But he was in the good books of the team management, mainly because of his much-discussed 158 runs at the inaugural match in 2008, which is still considered as one of the the best innings of the IPL.
Moreover, that innings was played in Bangalore, where Kolkata will be playing against the same opponent on Saturday. So, if Ganguly is not fit enough to play the match, McCullum will be preferred to lead the Kolkata outfit since he was the captain of the team in the second edition in South Africa.
Murali Karthik is unofficially the vice captain of the side. But the spinner is injured. He could not play against Delhi due to back problems. Although he had travelled to Bangalore with the team, it is not sure whether he would be fit to play the game.
Chris Gayle, another international captain (West Indies) is there, too. He is playing well, is in good form with the bat and his occasional off-spinners are helping the team.
But McCullum is ahead in the captaincy race.
Sourav needed a wheel chair to carry him from the car to the lift at his home, while returning from the Eden Gardens after the Delhi match. He was not able to walk even since the pain was unbearable. Immediately, the team physio Andrew Leipus was informed. And Sourav spent the entire Thursday, applying ice on the injury.
The right ankle was damaged during the match where he was adjudged man of the match for his fifty-plus knock, a wonderful catch and a run out of Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi captain.
However, Ganguly could not feel it during the match. Later, when he came back to the dressing room and had his shoes off, the pain began to worry him.
But is there any chance that he would not travel to Bangalore?
Sourav said, "How can I stay away from the team? I have to be there. The tournament is still an open affair and we have a good chance to be in the last four. It's an important match." He is all set to leave for Bangalore on Friday.
It is an important match since both the teams have five wins from 10 games and a win against Anil Kumble's team can be decisive for Sourav Ganguly's men.
However, he is yet to rule himself out, although his comment on the chance of playing the 20-20 match against Bangalore is, "fifty-fifty" only!
KINGS MAKES UPSET AGAINST MUMBAI INDIANS
Mohali skipper Kumar Sangakkara hailed his side's six-wicket victory over table-toppers the Mumbai in their Indian Premier League clash.
Mohali's captain hit a commanding half-century under pressure to chase Mumbai's total of 154. Mahela Jayawardene (31 off 18 balls) and Adrian Barath (33 off 27 balls) also chipped in as the basement side stunned Mumbai.
Sangakkara, who was named man of the match for his 56 off 42 balls, said: "Finally we won at home and we are very happy. The boys stuck to the basics and won the game for us. We knew 154 was a gettable total."
He was full of praise for his bowlers, who managed to restrict Mumbai to an average total. Piyush Chawla and Irfan Pathan claimed three wickets apiece while Love Ablish snared two.
Sangakkara added: "The bowlers did not give extra runs, which is very important in the Twenty20 format. Pathan and Ablish bowled well. Chawla did well to claim Sachin Tendulkar's wicket."
Mumbai skipper Tendulkar lamented his side's inability to put enough runs on the board to win the match.
"There were no partnerships and that is where we lacked," he said.
"We were about 20 to 30 runs short, 170-180 would have been a good total as the ball was not coming on to the bat."
But the Mumbai skipper is confident of going back to winning ways after being humbled by Punjab.
He said: "We have a long way to go and we need to play to our potential. We have good players and they will do well."
Mohali's captain hit a commanding half-century under pressure to chase Mumbai's total of 154. Mahela Jayawardene (31 off 18 balls) and Adrian Barath (33 off 27 balls) also chipped in as the basement side stunned Mumbai.
Sangakkara, who was named man of the match for his 56 off 42 balls, said: "Finally we won at home and we are very happy. The boys stuck to the basics and won the game for us. We knew 154 was a gettable total."
He was full of praise for his bowlers, who managed to restrict Mumbai to an average total. Piyush Chawla and Irfan Pathan claimed three wickets apiece while Love Ablish snared two.
Sangakkara added: "The bowlers did not give extra runs, which is very important in the Twenty20 format. Pathan and Ablish bowled well. Chawla did well to claim Sachin Tendulkar's wicket."
Mumbai skipper Tendulkar lamented his side's inability to put enough runs on the board to win the match.
"There were no partnerships and that is where we lacked," he said.
"We were about 20 to 30 runs short, 170-180 would have been a good total as the ball was not coming on to the bat."
But the Mumbai skipper is confident of going back to winning ways after being humbled by Punjab.
He said: "We have a long way to go and we need to play to our potential. We have good players and they will do well."
Thursday, April 1, 2010
David Hussey speaks before clash against Chargers
Hussey focusses on job in hand
There was a noticeable difference in the way Kolkata and Hyderabad approached the press meet on the eve of their Eden clash.
By Kashinath Bhattacharjee
At noon on Wednesday, Adam Gilchrist was sending his best wishes for Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza for their new innings to start in April.
In the evening, did somebody say ‘last question' even before the first? It seemed so. The hurry to finish the press-meet was surprising. Dav Whatmore, the coach of Kolkata and their Australian recruit David Hussey were at the dias. And the press-meet lasted less than seven minutes. If only the Kolkata fielders could have shown these hurry on the field!
However, even in those seven minutes, the tension in the air was clearly visible. Dav, a World Cup winning coach, tried to be as cool as he could. Hussey, the Aussie, tried his best to convey the best message from the team camp. But, they were tensed. And that could not be covered.
Otherwise, why an experienced Aussie will utter thrice "We have to beat Hyderabad" in reply to four different questions? In fact, when it was enquired of him, how happy he were to be in the Australian T20 world cup team, he finished with the above-mentioned line. If this is not a clear indication of being under pressure, what is?
"Obviously I am very happy to be selected in the Australian World T20 team. I am looking forward to be in the Caribbeans. But before that, I have a job in hand and that is to win as many matches as possible for Kolkata, the first of which is obviously on Thursday", said Hussey.
The ICC World T20 will start just after the Indian T20 league. Is not it a bit taxing?
For Hussey, it is not. "I love to play cricket. I enjoy it playing daily. So, I have no problems, really."
What he is looking forward to is to emulate the Aussie cricketers' performances in the ongoing T20 league.
"Yeah, they are playing very well. I, too, want to do the same, perform at my level best and help my team to win more matches in the tournament. And our opponent on Thursday, Hyderabad, is a talented side. We have to be at our best to beat them."
But there are only seven matches left in the group phase for Kolkata.
To ensure a semifinal berth, how many matches they need to win among those seven?
Whatmore picked his hand to show all the five fingers. "Five more. That is the target now."
Incidentally, Kolkata will be playing five ‘home' matches in the second part and if they can win all their home matches, they could find themselves among the first four teams, a cherished dream at this point of time. More so, because of the team owner's tweet on Tuesday night where he had written, "time for excuses is over.
"Either we play better or keep being deserving losers. I am disappointed and will try and sleep this disappoinment off. Hope the team introspects and comes back strong. Professionals can do that."
Whatmore, however, did not see it. "I do not follow twitter. I have never seen it, so there is no question of knowing what he had written."
But why the first XI is always changed? In none of the 7 matches, the ‘same' team played for Kolkata.
Whatmore was not surprised though. "We pick up the first XI keeping in mind the conditions and the opponents. So, there was nothing in between. We just wanted to have the best xi for each game according to the requirements."
Is captain Sourav Ganguly's form, as a batsman, is a concern for the coach?
"But he is amongst runs. Just the other day, he had a wonderful fifty and we had won the match. In the last match only, he did not score that many. But yes, we are keen to have a good start and keep going.
It was a good win in Mohali, but the last match was again a setback for us. We have to be positive, as positive as we can and go ahead with our planning for the next game."
Ajantha Mendis is yet to get a match in this edition. Whatmore said, "Ajantha will be considered (for Thursday's match), definitely."
Chasing can be tricky, especially when losing wickets, opined the coach. The stress was on execution. But, one wonders, whether that was a great secret!
There was a noticeable difference in the way Kolkata and Hyderabad approached the press meet on the eve of their Eden clash.
By Kashinath Bhattacharjee
At noon on Wednesday, Adam Gilchrist was sending his best wishes for Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza for their new innings to start in April.
In the evening, did somebody say ‘last question' even before the first? It seemed so. The hurry to finish the press-meet was surprising. Dav Whatmore, the coach of Kolkata and their Australian recruit David Hussey were at the dias. And the press-meet lasted less than seven minutes. If only the Kolkata fielders could have shown these hurry on the field!
However, even in those seven minutes, the tension in the air was clearly visible. Dav, a World Cup winning coach, tried to be as cool as he could. Hussey, the Aussie, tried his best to convey the best message from the team camp. But, they were tensed. And that could not be covered.
Otherwise, why an experienced Aussie will utter thrice "We have to beat Hyderabad" in reply to four different questions? In fact, when it was enquired of him, how happy he were to be in the Australian T20 world cup team, he finished with the above-mentioned line. If this is not a clear indication of being under pressure, what is?
"Obviously I am very happy to be selected in the Australian World T20 team. I am looking forward to be in the Caribbeans. But before that, I have a job in hand and that is to win as many matches as possible for Kolkata, the first of which is obviously on Thursday", said Hussey.
The ICC World T20 will start just after the Indian T20 league. Is not it a bit taxing?
For Hussey, it is not. "I love to play cricket. I enjoy it playing daily. So, I have no problems, really."
What he is looking forward to is to emulate the Aussie cricketers' performances in the ongoing T20 league.
"Yeah, they are playing very well. I, too, want to do the same, perform at my level best and help my team to win more matches in the tournament. And our opponent on Thursday, Hyderabad, is a talented side. We have to be at our best to beat them."
But there are only seven matches left in the group phase for Kolkata.
To ensure a semifinal berth, how many matches they need to win among those seven?
Whatmore picked his hand to show all the five fingers. "Five more. That is the target now."
Incidentally, Kolkata will be playing five ‘home' matches in the second part and if they can win all their home matches, they could find themselves among the first four teams, a cherished dream at this point of time. More so, because of the team owner's tweet on Tuesday night where he had written, "time for excuses is over.
"Either we play better or keep being deserving losers. I am disappointed and will try and sleep this disappoinment off. Hope the team introspects and comes back strong. Professionals can do that."
Whatmore, however, did not see it. "I do not follow twitter. I have never seen it, so there is no question of knowing what he had written."
But why the first XI is always changed? In none of the 7 matches, the ‘same' team played for Kolkata.
Whatmore was not surprised though. "We pick up the first XI keeping in mind the conditions and the opponents. So, there was nothing in between. We just wanted to have the best xi for each game according to the requirements."
Is captain Sourav Ganguly's form, as a batsman, is a concern for the coach?
"But he is amongst runs. Just the other day, he had a wonderful fifty and we had won the match. In the last match only, he did not score that many. But yes, we are keen to have a good start and keep going.
It was a good win in Mohali, but the last match was again a setback for us. We have to be positive, as positive as we can and go ahead with our planning for the next game."
Ajantha Mendis is yet to get a match in this edition. Whatmore said, "Ajantha will be considered (for Thursday's match), definitely."
Chasing can be tricky, especially when losing wickets, opined the coach. The stress was on execution. But, one wonders, whether that was a great secret!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Top guns need to fire for Mohali
Top guns need to fire for Mohali
Mohali would need their star batsman Yuvraj Singh to fire if they want to win against Mumbai.
India batsman Yuvraj Singh, who is credited with hitting six sixes in one over of a T20 international, however, has been a shadow of his former self, lacking in confidence.
In the IPL 3, the left-handed powerhouse has been in awful form so far.
Barring one match-winning shot, an audacious switch-hit four off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan in the Super Over against Chennai, he has shown little indication of his destructive prowess.
In that match, his innings of 43 helped Mohali end the match in a tie against Chennai, which led to a Super Over, in which Yuvraj and co. kept their cool to help the side notch a memorable victory.
The team will look up to Yuvraj to fire in the match against Mumbai on Tuesday.
Yuvraj has not scored more than 15 runs from the other five innings this season so far.
But Mohali would still be banking on him in the absence of their regular captain Kumar Sangakkara, who will be missing the game because of the ban imposed on him for maintaining a slow over rate during the IPL match against Kolkata on Sunday.
However, Yuvraj is not the lone under-performer.
Stand-in skipper Mahela Jayawardene too has not lived up to his reputation, while Sangakkara has also failed to make a mark in the tournament.
Mohali have a difficult task at their hands as they will be up against a team which is on a roll.
Sachin Tendulkar has master-minded the Mumbai team superbly and has been leading from the front with some fabulous knocks.
Even the Punjab-born "Turbanator" Harbhajan Singh is not too far behind. In fact, he used Tendulkar's bat to whack Hyderabad bowlers all over the park on Sunday night, to help Mumbai win the match.
Although Mohali do have an extra fire power in the form of pacer Brett Lee but he needs to be at his best to see off Tendulkar early.
Otherwise it is going to be very difficult for Mohali.
Head to Head:
Played: 4
Won by Mohali: 3 (Winning % 75.00)
Won by Mumbai: 1 (Winning % 25.00)
Approaching milestones:
- Sachin Tendulkar (855) requires 45 runs to become the first Mumbai batsman to complete 900 runs in the IPL.
- For the first time in the 2010 edition of the IPL, Sachin (303) has got an opportunity to become the leading run-getter and to overtake Kallis' runs' tally of 310.
- Malinga and Bravo need one wicket each to complete their 25 wickets in the IPL.
- Yuvraj Singh (738) needs 62 runs to become the first batsman for Mohali to complete 800 runs in the IPL
Mohali would need their star batsman Yuvraj Singh to fire if they want to win against Mumbai.
India batsman Yuvraj Singh, who is credited with hitting six sixes in one over of a T20 international, however, has been a shadow of his former self, lacking in confidence.
In the IPL 3, the left-handed powerhouse has been in awful form so far.
Barring one match-winning shot, an audacious switch-hit four off the bowling of Muttiah Muralitharan in the Super Over against Chennai, he has shown little indication of his destructive prowess.
In that match, his innings of 43 helped Mohali end the match in a tie against Chennai, which led to a Super Over, in which Yuvraj and co. kept their cool to help the side notch a memorable victory.
The team will look up to Yuvraj to fire in the match against Mumbai on Tuesday.
Yuvraj has not scored more than 15 runs from the other five innings this season so far.
But Mohali would still be banking on him in the absence of their regular captain Kumar Sangakkara, who will be missing the game because of the ban imposed on him for maintaining a slow over rate during the IPL match against Kolkata on Sunday.
However, Yuvraj is not the lone under-performer.
Stand-in skipper Mahela Jayawardene too has not lived up to his reputation, while Sangakkara has also failed to make a mark in the tournament.
Mohali have a difficult task at their hands as they will be up against a team which is on a roll.
Sachin Tendulkar has master-minded the Mumbai team superbly and has been leading from the front with some fabulous knocks.
Even the Punjab-born "Turbanator" Harbhajan Singh is not too far behind. In fact, he used Tendulkar's bat to whack Hyderabad bowlers all over the park on Sunday night, to help Mumbai win the match.
Although Mohali do have an extra fire power in the form of pacer Brett Lee but he needs to be at his best to see off Tendulkar early.
Otherwise it is going to be very difficult for Mohali.
Head to Head:
Played: 4
Won by Mohali: 3 (Winning % 75.00)
Won by Mumbai: 1 (Winning % 25.00)
Approaching milestones:
- Sachin Tendulkar (855) requires 45 runs to become the first Mumbai batsman to complete 900 runs in the IPL.
- For the first time in the 2010 edition of the IPL, Sachin (303) has got an opportunity to become the leading run-getter and to overtake Kallis' runs' tally of 310.
- Malinga and Bravo need one wicket each to complete their 25 wickets in the IPL.
- Yuvraj Singh (738) needs 62 runs to become the first batsman for Mohali to complete 800 runs in the IPL
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Stunned by a string of defeats Kolkata will take on Mohali, placed eighth in the IPL standings, on Saturday.
From the pinnacle of the ladder, Kolkata find themselves in familiar territory again, languishing at seventh after three successive losses.
They began on an overwhelming note, though, outclassing Hyderabad and Bangalore in their opening games. However, the purple brigade went down to Chennai, Jaipur and Mumbai to slide down the standings and rest just one place above their latest rivals- Mohali.
The Kumar Sangakkara team perhaps boasts of the most powerful batting attack in the IPL. However, Sanga, Mahela Jayawardene and Yuvraj Singh have struggled to set the pace for their team in crucial moments.
Ravi Bopara and Manvinder Bisla have done a decent job opening for Mohali but the middle order has been shaky despite some big names. The bowling has looked ragged with only Juan Theron making some impact over the last two games.
Irfan Pathan has almost hit the purple patch with the bat but has been a disappointment with the ball while Sreesanth’s expensive spells have put the skipper in a quandary. What will boost them is the return of Australian duo- pace ace Brett Lee and the first season’s highest run-scorer, Shaun Marsh.
Lee’s inclusion will mean that Mohali might have to go in without Theron and according to Sangakkara, the South African has done nothing to warm the benches in the dug-out. Marsh might well be in the reckoning- again a possibility the captain has not ruled out- but being a foreign recruit, that has to come at a cost. Will Sanga risk dropping his Sri Lankan teammate of many years, the classy Jayawardene?
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla’s inclusion in the Indian squad for the ICC World Twenty20 will be a huge motivation, no doubt. The youngster has bowled with gusto and looked his part in the T20 arena.
Despite a sensational come-from-behind-win against Chennai via the Super Over, Mohali’s confidence seems to be at a low and the Aussie reinforcement in the playing XI might just do the trick.
Kolkata, on the other hand, have a lot to play for tonight. A win and a convincing win at that might see them threaten Jaipur’s third slot. At four points from five matches, Sourav Ganguly’s men will be hoping to exploit Mohali’s low morale to garner two crucial points.
With a think-tank comprising coach Dav Whatmore, bowling consultant Wasim Akram and the skipper, Ganguly, Shahrukh Khan will be hoping that the team quickly gets back on its feet at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
Australian batsman David Hussey is back in the side and West Indian skipper Chris Gayle announced his arrival with a gritty 75 against Mumbai- reasons enough for Kolkata to start thinking of a way out of their current hole.
Owais Shah, who has been in average form, might have to make way if Ganguly decides to go in with Hussey, who is capable of turning his arm for a spell of off-spinners too.
Kolkata’s bowling armoury can certainly do with the extra help. Shane Bond was bought for staggering sum but has not yet proven his worth apart from the occasional bursts while Ishant Sharma has continued to leak runs after a good start to the season. Dropped from India’s World T20 side, the lanky pacer might want to show to the selectors why they made a mistake- trust Ganguly to have whispered that into his ears already.
Mohali, inspite of their poor show so far look the better batting side but if Kolkata get going with their arsenal, the PCA will be certain to see some fireworks light up the night sky.
Head to Head
Played: 4
Won by Kolkata: 2 (winning % 50.00)
Won by Punjab: 2 (winning % 50.00)
Approaching Milestones
- Mahela Jayawardene (464) needs 36 runs to complete 500 runs in the IPL.
- Brad Hodge (476) requires 24 runs to complete 500 runs in the IPL.
- Ishant Sharma (24) needs one wicket to become the first bowler for Kolkata to complete 25 wickets in the IPL.
From the pinnacle of the ladder, Kolkata find themselves in familiar territory again, languishing at seventh after three successive losses.
They began on an overwhelming note, though, outclassing Hyderabad and Bangalore in their opening games. However, the purple brigade went down to Chennai, Jaipur and Mumbai to slide down the standings and rest just one place above their latest rivals- Mohali.
The Kumar Sangakkara team perhaps boasts of the most powerful batting attack in the IPL. However, Sanga, Mahela Jayawardene and Yuvraj Singh have struggled to set the pace for their team in crucial moments.
Ravi Bopara and Manvinder Bisla have done a decent job opening for Mohali but the middle order has been shaky despite some big names. The bowling has looked ragged with only Juan Theron making some impact over the last two games.
Irfan Pathan has almost hit the purple patch with the bat but has been a disappointment with the ball while Sreesanth’s expensive spells have put the skipper in a quandary. What will boost them is the return of Australian duo- pace ace Brett Lee and the first season’s highest run-scorer, Shaun Marsh.
Lee’s inclusion will mean that Mohali might have to go in without Theron and according to Sangakkara, the South African has done nothing to warm the benches in the dug-out. Marsh might well be in the reckoning- again a possibility the captain has not ruled out- but being a foreign recruit, that has to come at a cost. Will Sanga risk dropping his Sri Lankan teammate of many years, the classy Jayawardene?
Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla’s inclusion in the Indian squad for the ICC World Twenty20 will be a huge motivation, no doubt. The youngster has bowled with gusto and looked his part in the T20 arena.
Despite a sensational come-from-behind-win against Chennai via the Super Over, Mohali’s confidence seems to be at a low and the Aussie reinforcement in the playing XI might just do the trick.
Kolkata, on the other hand, have a lot to play for tonight. A win and a convincing win at that might see them threaten Jaipur’s third slot. At four points from five matches, Sourav Ganguly’s men will be hoping to exploit Mohali’s low morale to garner two crucial points.
With a think-tank comprising coach Dav Whatmore, bowling consultant Wasim Akram and the skipper, Ganguly, Shahrukh Khan will be hoping that the team quickly gets back on its feet at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium.
Australian batsman David Hussey is back in the side and West Indian skipper Chris Gayle announced his arrival with a gritty 75 against Mumbai- reasons enough for Kolkata to start thinking of a way out of their current hole.
Owais Shah, who has been in average form, might have to make way if Ganguly decides to go in with Hussey, who is capable of turning his arm for a spell of off-spinners too.
Kolkata’s bowling armoury can certainly do with the extra help. Shane Bond was bought for staggering sum but has not yet proven his worth apart from the occasional bursts while Ishant Sharma has continued to leak runs after a good start to the season. Dropped from India’s World T20 side, the lanky pacer might want to show to the selectors why they made a mistake- trust Ganguly to have whispered that into his ears already.
Mohali, inspite of their poor show so far look the better batting side but if Kolkata get going with their arsenal, the PCA will be certain to see some fireworks light up the night sky.
Head to Head
Played: 4
Won by Kolkata: 2 (winning % 50.00)
Won by Punjab: 2 (winning % 50.00)
Approaching Milestones
- Mahela Jayawardene (464) needs 36 runs to complete 500 runs in the IPL.
- Brad Hodge (476) requires 24 runs to complete 500 runs in the IPL.
- Ishant Sharma (24) needs one wicket to become the first bowler for Kolkata to complete 25 wickets in the IPL.
Friday, March 26, 2010
Indian Squad for T20 World cop
Chawla, Vinay in Indian World T20 squad
India have recalled Piyush Chawla and drafted in R Vinay Kumar in their ICC World Twenty20 squad to travel to the West Indies.
There have been no major surprises in the selection with the exception of Chawla. Batsmen like Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey, who had been in good form during the ongoing Indian Premier League did not find a place in the list either.
Rohit Sharma, who had looked patchy at best, however was inducted into the squad. Bangalore's R Vinay Kumar has finally been awarded after some consistent showing in the domestic circuit besides doing reasonably well in the IPL.
In last June's Twenty20 World Cup in England, India's defence for the title they won with much fanfare in 2007 in South Africa was affected because of injuries to key players Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.
However, that seems to have been corrected with all of India's key players now in the squad. Struggling Indian seamer, Ishant Sharma was dropped after repeated poor performances.
Meanwhile, India's chief selector K Srikkanth told journalists he was happy with the final team and hoped the boys would do well in the West Indies: "The conditions and wickets in the West Indies are very similar to the ones here in India. Those conditions will suit our bowlers and batsmen.
"We are happy with the fitness of the players in the squad and all of them will soon submit their fitness certificates to the BCCI."
Indian Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag (Vice-Captain), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla
India have recalled Piyush Chawla and drafted in R Vinay Kumar in their ICC World Twenty20 squad to travel to the West Indies.
There have been no major surprises in the selection with the exception of Chawla. Batsmen like Robin Uthappa, Virat Kohli and Manish Pandey, who had been in good form during the ongoing Indian Premier League did not find a place in the list either.
Rohit Sharma, who had looked patchy at best, however was inducted into the squad. Bangalore's R Vinay Kumar has finally been awarded after some consistent showing in the domestic circuit besides doing reasonably well in the IPL.
In last June's Twenty20 World Cup in England, India's defence for the title they won with much fanfare in 2007 in South Africa was affected because of injuries to key players Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.
However, that seems to have been corrected with all of India's key players now in the squad. Struggling Indian seamer, Ishant Sharma was dropped after repeated poor performances.
Meanwhile, India's chief selector K Srikkanth told journalists he was happy with the final team and hoped the boys would do well in the West Indies: "The conditions and wickets in the West Indies are very similar to the ones here in India. Those conditions will suit our bowlers and batsmen.
"We are happy with the fitness of the players in the squad and all of them will soon submit their fitness certificates to the BCCI."
Indian Squad: MS Dhoni (Captain), Virender Sehwag (Vice-Captain), Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Yusuf Pathan, Dinesh Karthik, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar, Ashish Nehra, Ravindra Jadeja, Vinay Kumar, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla
Dhoni blames poor bowling for defeat
Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not have asked for a more unsatisfactory return to cricket after being injured 10 days ago.
By R Prasad
The India skipper, leading Chennai in the IPL, was hit on the hand on March 16 by New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, who plays for Kolkata, and missed his team’s matches against Mohali and Bangalore, both lost in his absence.
But his timely return against Mumbai on Thursday at the latter’s home ground – the Brabourne Stadium – could not turn around his team’s sagging fortunes and the team suffered a five-wicket defeat.
Still a smiling Dhoni said after the loss that his team seems to be lacking in confidence a bit and measuring up to the pressure situations, especially the bowlers.
“We are a good side. We seem to be lagging behind in handling pressure situations. We are a good side and doing well in patches but we are not batting, bowling and fielding well all together,” he explained.
“Our bowling looks good in practice but not so good in match situations. Our fielding can also be better,” he added after his team suffered its fourth loss in six ties and are now in danger of not making it to the last four for the first time since IPL’s inception.
Dhoni, who will sit on Friday with the national selectors to choose the 15-man Indian squad for next month’s ICC World T20 in the West Indies, did not think the 180 total his team put up was a bad one as there was something in the wicket for both pace and spin bowlers.
“There was something in the wicket for pace as well as spinners. I thought 180 was a very good target. I was happy with that score. But our bowlers are low in confidence,” he said, adding his team was also missing top all rounder Freddie Flintoff, both in batting and bowling, due to injury.
Dhoni said it was good to plan well but the more important thing was executing them.
“Our bowlers are unable to execute the plans,” he said.
He gave kudos to Sachin Tendulkar for his match-winning innings of 72 and said the maestro cleverly uses the pace of the opposition bowlers without trying to hit big shots.
Asked whether Tendulkar should be persuaded to be part of the Indian T20 team in the World Cup, Dhoni said it was wrong to try this as the master batsman himself had declared his intention not to play T20 cricket at the international level.
“He has decided not to play. He has said so in a recent interview too. Let’s respect it,” he said.
Director Cricket of Mumbai team, T A Sekar, also hailed Tendulkar’s form and said the way the little champion was batting over the last six months he is being reminded of his halcyon days in the late 1990s.
“Sachin is on a roll and things are looking good. He’s batting like he did in 1997-98. He is reinventing himself and getting better like wine,” Sekar said.
Sekar said his team always tried to put the best eleven on the park, no matter who they were.
“In T20 format the combination is very important. We try to get the best combination. The best eleven is picked by our selection committee,” he declared.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who made a flamboyant 56 and put on 92 with Tendulkar, said it was a great to play alongside the master batsman.
“Playing with Sachin paaji is great. The crowd support we get is also wonderful, better than what I have experienced in Delhi,” said the 24-year-old left-handed batsman who plays for Delhi in Ranji Trophy.
Dhawan said that the idea was to get off to a good start when chasing Chennai’s formidable 180. “We wanted to get 50-60 runs at the start,” he said.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni could not have asked for a more unsatisfactory return to cricket after being injured 10 days ago.
By R Prasad
The India skipper, leading Chennai in the IPL, was hit on the hand on March 16 by New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond, who plays for Kolkata, and missed his team’s matches against Mohali and Bangalore, both lost in his absence.
But his timely return against Mumbai on Thursday at the latter’s home ground – the Brabourne Stadium – could not turn around his team’s sagging fortunes and the team suffered a five-wicket defeat.
Still a smiling Dhoni said after the loss that his team seems to be lacking in confidence a bit and measuring up to the pressure situations, especially the bowlers.
“We are a good side. We seem to be lagging behind in handling pressure situations. We are a good side and doing well in patches but we are not batting, bowling and fielding well all together,” he explained.
“Our bowling looks good in practice but not so good in match situations. Our fielding can also be better,” he added after his team suffered its fourth loss in six ties and are now in danger of not making it to the last four for the first time since IPL’s inception.
Dhoni, who will sit on Friday with the national selectors to choose the 15-man Indian squad for next month’s ICC World T20 in the West Indies, did not think the 180 total his team put up was a bad one as there was something in the wicket for both pace and spin bowlers.
“There was something in the wicket for pace as well as spinners. I thought 180 was a very good target. I was happy with that score. But our bowlers are low in confidence,” he said, adding his team was also missing top all rounder Freddie Flintoff, both in batting and bowling, due to injury.
Dhoni said it was good to plan well but the more important thing was executing them.
“Our bowlers are unable to execute the plans,” he said.
He gave kudos to Sachin Tendulkar for his match-winning innings of 72 and said the maestro cleverly uses the pace of the opposition bowlers without trying to hit big shots.
Asked whether Tendulkar should be persuaded to be part of the Indian T20 team in the World Cup, Dhoni said it was wrong to try this as the master batsman himself had declared his intention not to play T20 cricket at the international level.
“He has decided not to play. He has said so in a recent interview too. Let’s respect it,” he said.
Director Cricket of Mumbai team, T A Sekar, also hailed Tendulkar’s form and said the way the little champion was batting over the last six months he is being reminded of his halcyon days in the late 1990s.
“Sachin is on a roll and things are looking good. He’s batting like he did in 1997-98. He is reinventing himself and getting better like wine,” Sekar said.
Sekar said his team always tried to put the best eleven on the park, no matter who they were.
“In T20 format the combination is very important. We try to get the best combination. The best eleven is picked by our selection committee,” he declared.
Opener Shikhar Dhawan, who made a flamboyant 56 and put on 92 with Tendulkar, said it was a great to play alongside the master batsman.
“Playing with Sachin paaji is great. The crowd support we get is also wonderful, better than what I have experienced in Delhi,” said the 24-year-old left-handed batsman who plays for Delhi in Ranji Trophy.
Dhawan said that the idea was to get off to a good start when chasing Chennai’s formidable 180. “We wanted to get 50-60 runs at the start,” he said.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
IS IT THE SAME DELHI DAREDEVILS ?
Winning needs, skill, heart, courage, the works. What it needs the most, is strategy and at least some sense of priority and timing. Irrespective of how people claim that instinct makes all the difference, and irrespective of how much Dinesh Karthik claims that momentum is not an issue, voluntary use of the grey cells as well as the confidence of a win work wonders for a team.
Delhi's demise at Cuttack was a classic example of sloth and hesitancy. Given the fact that Hyderabad did not get as many runs that they wanted and also given the fact that Delhi got off to a rollicking time, in spite of losing Virender Sehwag early, should have ensured that they won. David Warner and AB de Villiers did a great job but somewhere in the middle, the lack of momentum reflected once again. Karthik suddenly found himself to be too alone.
That, is about the momentum bit. They had no business losing by 10 runs.
Then comes the pragmatism and professionalism. Anyone heard of Rahul Sharma? Why is it then, that the tall leg-spinner was allowed to bowl four overs, and only once taken to the cleaners? It is natural that while chasing 10 an over or close to that, one needs to find a weak link. So to give Rahul Sharma so much respect, not to mention two crucial wickets, one off a full-toss, was criminal.
An asking of 10 in a T20 game, towards the end of the innings, is not such a big deal, but knowing that Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas would almost surely be back to choke up things at the end, to allow a rookie to get away with just 10.50 runs an over was a folly of immense proportions.
Sure, it would need taking some risk, but that's the game isn't it? Having the heart to take the risk, as also the brain to count when to take it.
Another part of the Delhi side is a concern. It is way too top-heavy. All the big hitters -- Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag, De Villiers, Warner and Tillekeratne Dilshan -- are at the top of the ladder. There is nothing much lower down. Mithun Manhas has tried but he is not in any grade akin to any of the big hitters than abound lower down the order of most other sides. Or maybe, the heart and momentum aren't there.
Also, the foreign players are not being chosen well. Dilshan was justifiably dropped but Moises Henriques isn't quite the same thing as Faraveez Maharoof, especially when it comes to whacking a few out of the park down the order. And Maharoof is definitely a better bowler. So ideally, Warner and Maharoof both need to be in the side, unless there is an injury issue.
Most importantly, Delhi would dearly love for Gambhir to be back. Karthik is beginning to feel the heat. Its not easy to keep wickets, bat and also captain a team -- not everyone is a Mahendra Singh Dhoni or an Adam Gilchrist. So maybe he should pray for Gambhir to get better. Otherwise, try to get De Villiers to the don the gloves, or anyone else, and take one thing off his plate.
Winning needs, skill, heart, courage, the works. What it needs the most, is strategy and at least some sense of priority and timing. Irrespective of how people claim that instinct makes all the difference, and irrespective of how much Dinesh Karthik claims that momentum is not an issue, voluntary use of the grey cells as well as the confidence of a win work wonders for a team.
Delhi's demise at Cuttack was a classic example of sloth and hesitancy. Given the fact that Hyderabad did not get as many runs that they wanted and also given the fact that Delhi got off to a rollicking time, in spite of losing Virender Sehwag early, should have ensured that they won. David Warner and AB de Villiers did a great job but somewhere in the middle, the lack of momentum reflected once again. Karthik suddenly found himself to be too alone.
That, is about the momentum bit. They had no business losing by 10 runs.
Then comes the pragmatism and professionalism. Anyone heard of Rahul Sharma? Why is it then, that the tall leg-spinner was allowed to bowl four overs, and only once taken to the cleaners? It is natural that while chasing 10 an over or close to that, one needs to find a weak link. So to give Rahul Sharma so much respect, not to mention two crucial wickets, one off a full-toss, was criminal.
An asking of 10 in a T20 game, towards the end of the innings, is not such a big deal, but knowing that Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas would almost surely be back to choke up things at the end, to allow a rookie to get away with just 10.50 runs an over was a folly of immense proportions.
Sure, it would need taking some risk, but that's the game isn't it? Having the heart to take the risk, as also the brain to count when to take it.
Another part of the Delhi side is a concern. It is way too top-heavy. All the big hitters -- Gautam Gambhir, Sehwag, De Villiers, Warner and Tillekeratne Dilshan -- are at the top of the ladder. There is nothing much lower down. Mithun Manhas has tried but he is not in any grade akin to any of the big hitters than abound lower down the order of most other sides. Or maybe, the heart and momentum aren't there.
Also, the foreign players are not being chosen well. Dilshan was justifiably dropped but Moises Henriques isn't quite the same thing as Faraveez Maharoof, especially when it comes to whacking a few out of the park down the order. And Maharoof is definitely a better bowler. So ideally, Warner and Maharoof both need to be in the side, unless there is an injury issue.
Most importantly, Delhi would dearly love for Gambhir to be back. Karthik is beginning to feel the heat. Its not easy to keep wickets, bat and also captain a team -- not everyone is a Mahendra Singh Dhoni or an Adam Gilchrist. So maybe he should pray for Gambhir to get better. Otherwise, try to get De Villiers to the don the gloves, or anyone else, and take one thing off his plate.
WHAT HAPPEN WRONG WITH CHENNAI KINGS ?
Chennai seem to be wearing a crown of thorns. And, if anything, the throne appears rather shaky following a sequence of inexplicable defeats. It is one thing to talk about a team having serious talent and quite another for it to translate into results.
After their fine wins in Kolkata and Delhi, it seemed that Chennai, like the British Queen, could do no wrong. But then, hold your breath! Their journey since exorcising the Devils at the Kotla, has been south-bound in more ways than one.
A Super Over defeat against a struggling Mohali at home in Chepauk followed by the rout in Bangalore has left the discerning and the team’s avid fans wondering whether there is a way out at all for Chennai who were among the top four pre-tournament favourites.
Even granting that skipper MS Dhoni’s absence owing to an elbow injury has somewhat upset the balance of the team besides denying it of strong leadership, Chennai were still expected to sustain the early momentum.
I suspect, there is over-dependence on star players like Dhoni and Hayden, and in T20 format, nothing is guaranteed. So, each individual player is required to step up and perform - something that has been missing in Chennai's ranks.
To this end, it is imperative that each player is made aware of his role and responsibility so that there is certain clarity of thought and action. Obviously, the constant shuffling of batting order has not really helped Chennai, especially while chasing. And it is here that somebody like Dhoni plays a key role in providing stability and of course, composure in a crisis situation.
Suresh Raina, having taken over in Dhoni’s absence, has the potential to become a good captain, but at the moment, it is all about learning the ropes and gaining experience that is part of the maturing process. Also, he is aware of the critical role he needs to play as a batsman and perhaps, the dual role is weighing him down.
In both their recent defeats, against Hyderabad and Bangalore, it boiled down to dealing with pressure situations triggered by the loss of a couple of quick wickets. In the game with Hyderabad, the Chennai team contrived to lose from a seemingly winning position while in Bangalore, they never could get into their stride while chasing 172.
Conversely, their bowling has stood up reasonably well with the ever-crafty Muttiah Muralitharan in the thick of action, picking up wickets at crucial junctures to put the brakes on the opposition. However, all his good work has come unstuck with Chennai conceding far too many in the death overs.
Overall, it has been a rather up-and-down show by the Chennai team, but I still believe that they have it in them to deliver, although the going from hereon will be doubly difficult. If anything, it is not so much the collective talent as the character that will be put to test.
Chennai seem to be wearing a crown of thorns. And, if anything, the throne appears rather shaky following a sequence of inexplicable defeats. It is one thing to talk about a team having serious talent and quite another for it to translate into results.
After their fine wins in Kolkata and Delhi, it seemed that Chennai, like the British Queen, could do no wrong. But then, hold your breath! Their journey since exorcising the Devils at the Kotla, has been south-bound in more ways than one.
A Super Over defeat against a struggling Mohali at home in Chepauk followed by the rout in Bangalore has left the discerning and the team’s avid fans wondering whether there is a way out at all for Chennai who were among the top four pre-tournament favourites.
Even granting that skipper MS Dhoni’s absence owing to an elbow injury has somewhat upset the balance of the team besides denying it of strong leadership, Chennai were still expected to sustain the early momentum.
I suspect, there is over-dependence on star players like Dhoni and Hayden, and in T20 format, nothing is guaranteed. So, each individual player is required to step up and perform - something that has been missing in Chennai's ranks.
To this end, it is imperative that each player is made aware of his role and responsibility so that there is certain clarity of thought and action. Obviously, the constant shuffling of batting order has not really helped Chennai, especially while chasing. And it is here that somebody like Dhoni plays a key role in providing stability and of course, composure in a crisis situation.
Suresh Raina, having taken over in Dhoni’s absence, has the potential to become a good captain, but at the moment, it is all about learning the ropes and gaining experience that is part of the maturing process. Also, he is aware of the critical role he needs to play as a batsman and perhaps, the dual role is weighing him down.
In both their recent defeats, against Hyderabad and Bangalore, it boiled down to dealing with pressure situations triggered by the loss of a couple of quick wickets. In the game with Hyderabad, the Chennai team contrived to lose from a seemingly winning position while in Bangalore, they never could get into their stride while chasing 172.
Conversely, their bowling has stood up reasonably well with the ever-crafty Muttiah Muralitharan in the thick of action, picking up wickets at crucial junctures to put the brakes on the opposition. However, all his good work has come unstuck with Chennai conceding far too many in the death overs.
Overall, it has been a rather up-and-down show by the Chennai team, but I still believe that they have it in them to deliver, although the going from hereon will be doubly difficult. If anything, it is not so much the collective talent as the character that will be put to test.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
High on confidence after ending their three-match losing streak, both Jaipur and Mohali would be hoping to carry on the momentum.
As the two teams prepare to clash against each other in their Indian Premier League match on Wednesday, both of them are well aware that they are at the bottom of the points table with just one win out of the four matches they have played so far.
Both teams would be keen to register another victory and keep their slightest hopes of making it to the semi-finals of the IPL-3 alive.
On papers, Mohali look stronger as compared to Jaipur as the former have some big international players in their ranks.
And with Yuvraj Singh's return to form against Chennai last Saturday and Aussie speedster Brett Lee and opener Shaun Marsh joining the team on Monday, Mohali certainly would have the advantage over Jaipur.
On the other hand, Jaipur, who also clicked as a unit against Kolkata last week, however are struggling to put up a good show with a depleted outfit.
In the absence of Australian Shane Watson and South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Jaipur's batting is over-dependent on Yusuf Pathan but he has also failed to impress much, after registering the first century on IPL 3 against Mumbai in their tournament opener.
As far as the bowling attack is concerned, Shaun Tait finally managed to put up a fine show against Kolkata.
But Jaipur would likely to depend more on spin as they rely much on slow bowling.
And they can take heart from the fact that Pathan proved his worth with his slow off-spinners and captain Shane Warne also found his rhythm, against Kolkata in the last game.
Head to Head:
Played: 4
Won by Jaipur: 2 (Winning % 50.00)
Won by Mohali: 2 (Winning % 50.00)
Approaching milestones:
- Yuvraj Singh (699) requires just one run to complete his 700 runs in the IPL.
- Kumar Sangakkara (684) needs 16 runs to complete his 700 runs in the IPL.
- Yusuf Pathan (47) requires three sixes to become the second batsman after Adam Gilchrist (57) to complete 50 sixes or more in the IPL.
As the two teams prepare to clash against each other in their Indian Premier League match on Wednesday, both of them are well aware that they are at the bottom of the points table with just one win out of the four matches they have played so far.
Both teams would be keen to register another victory and keep their slightest hopes of making it to the semi-finals of the IPL-3 alive.
On papers, Mohali look stronger as compared to Jaipur as the former have some big international players in their ranks.
And with Yuvraj Singh's return to form against Chennai last Saturday and Aussie speedster Brett Lee and opener Shaun Marsh joining the team on Monday, Mohali certainly would have the advantage over Jaipur.
On the other hand, Jaipur, who also clicked as a unit against Kolkata last week, however are struggling to put up a good show with a depleted outfit.
In the absence of Australian Shane Watson and South Africa captain Graeme Smith, Jaipur's batting is over-dependent on Yusuf Pathan but he has also failed to impress much, after registering the first century on IPL 3 against Mumbai in their tournament opener.
As far as the bowling attack is concerned, Shaun Tait finally managed to put up a fine show against Kolkata.
But Jaipur would likely to depend more on spin as they rely much on slow bowling.
And they can take heart from the fact that Pathan proved his worth with his slow off-spinners and captain Shane Warne also found his rhythm, against Kolkata in the last game.
Head to Head:
Played: 4
Won by Jaipur: 2 (Winning % 50.00)
Won by Mohali: 2 (Winning % 50.00)
Approaching milestones:
- Yuvraj Singh (699) requires just one run to complete his 700 runs in the IPL.
- Kumar Sangakkara (684) needs 16 runs to complete his 700 runs in the IPL.
- Yusuf Pathan (47) requires three sixes to become the second batsman after Adam Gilchrist (57) to complete 50 sixes or more in the IPL.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Forget about the team's performance if your team is one of the most value branded team in IPL. That's wat happen with the Knight Riders when they become 2nd most value branded team in IPL
Despite being in the lower rungs in the first two years, Kolkata are the second most valuable side in the IPL.
Valued at USD 46 million, Kolkata are only behind first year finalists Chennai (USD 48.4 million), which has emerged as the most valuable side in the IPL, which has had a two fold increase in its brand value to sit pretty at USD 4.13 billion.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra owned Jaipur, which won the inaugural edition of the team with virtually no superstars apart from Aussie spin legend Shane Warne is worth USD 45.2 million.
"The IPL brand alone has risen significantly from the previous year`s valuation providing tremendous economic value to its owner BCCI," according to brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.”
"In comparison to international benchmarks for sporting business` such as EPL (English Premier League) which is valued at USD 12 billion, the IPL juggernaut, in a short span of 3 years, is valued at USD 4 billion and has the potential to grow further," said Unni Krishnan, Managing Director of Brand Finance India.
"A huge amount of Intellectual property is being created by the complete IPL ecosystem which was sustained despite last year`s difficult economic conditions. This demonstrates the exponential value of IPL and the Brand potential in a cricket loving country like India and other global cricketing countries," Brand Finance said in a release.”
Despite being in the lower rungs in the first two years, Kolkata are the second most valuable side in the IPL.
Valued at USD 46 million, Kolkata are only behind first year finalists Chennai (USD 48.4 million), which has emerged as the most valuable side in the IPL, which has had a two fold increase in its brand value to sit pretty at USD 4.13 billion.
Shilpa Shetty and Raj Kundra owned Jaipur, which won the inaugural edition of the team with virtually no superstars apart from Aussie spin legend Shane Warne is worth USD 45.2 million.
"The IPL brand alone has risen significantly from the previous year`s valuation providing tremendous economic value to its owner BCCI," according to brand valuation consultancy Brand Finance.”
"In comparison to international benchmarks for sporting business` such as EPL (English Premier League) which is valued at USD 12 billion, the IPL juggernaut, in a short span of 3 years, is valued at USD 4 billion and has the potential to grow further," said Unni Krishnan, Managing Director of Brand Finance India.
"A huge amount of Intellectual property is being created by the complete IPL ecosystem which was sustained despite last year`s difficult economic conditions. This demonstrates the exponential value of IPL and the Brand potential in a cricket loving country like India and other global cricketing countries," Brand Finance said in a release.”
Friday, March 19, 2010
Jaipur would be desperate to end their losing streak when they face Kolkata in their IPL match on Saturday.
The recent injuries to the key members of the team -- South Africa captain Graeme Smith and England's Dmitri Mascarenhas has weakened the side even more. And if they intend to get the better of Ganguly's men, they would have to come up with some special show.
Jaipur not only lost all three matches they have played so far in the IPL-3 but also the players in the Jaipur outfit have not been able to make any impression at all, except for Yusuf Pathan, whose hurricane 37-ball 100 against Mumbai in the opening match was simply brilliant.
Kolkata, on the other hand, had a good start to the tournament, winning two out of three matches they have played so far.
However, they do have a lot of concerned areas, those need immediate attention. They urgently need to improve their bowling at the death overs and batsmen will have to take more responsibility if they want to win more matches in the league stage.
Nevertheless, Kolkata will be strengthened by the return of swashbuckling West Indies batsman Chris Gayle who joins the team in this match.
All in all, fans can expect a good battle as Shane Warne and his men would do everything to capitalise on the opportunity to bounce back in the tournament against not-so-impressive Kolkata's batting and bowling line-up.
Head to Head
Played: 4
Won by Rajasthan: 2
Won by Kolkata: 1
Tied: 1 (Rajasthan won the game through Super Over)
Jaipur winning% - 75.00
Kolkata winning% - 25.00
Approaching milestone:
- Yusuf Pathan (47) requires three sixes to become the second batsman after Adam Gilchrist (56) to complete his 50 sixes in the IPL overall.
The recent injuries to the key members of the team -- South Africa captain Graeme Smith and England's Dmitri Mascarenhas has weakened the side even more. And if they intend to get the better of Ganguly's men, they would have to come up with some special show.
Jaipur not only lost all three matches they have played so far in the IPL-3 but also the players in the Jaipur outfit have not been able to make any impression at all, except for Yusuf Pathan, whose hurricane 37-ball 100 against Mumbai in the opening match was simply brilliant.
Kolkata, on the other hand, had a good start to the tournament, winning two out of three matches they have played so far.
However, they do have a lot of concerned areas, those need immediate attention. They urgently need to improve their bowling at the death overs and batsmen will have to take more responsibility if they want to win more matches in the league stage.
Nevertheless, Kolkata will be strengthened by the return of swashbuckling West Indies batsman Chris Gayle who joins the team in this match.
All in all, fans can expect a good battle as Shane Warne and his men would do everything to capitalise on the opportunity to bounce back in the tournament against not-so-impressive Kolkata's batting and bowling line-up.
Head to Head
Played: 4
Won by Rajasthan: 2
Won by Kolkata: 1
Tied: 1 (Rajasthan won the game through Super Over)
Jaipur winning% - 75.00
Kolkata winning% - 25.00
Approaching milestone:
- Yusuf Pathan (47) requires three sixes to become the second batsman after Adam Gilchrist (56) to complete his 50 sixes in the IPL overall.
The IPL is now in the at his best
last night Banglore keep teir winning streak after a huge 10 wickets victory over Rajasthan Royals. Anil Kumble leading from the front as he pickup
3 wickets, and South African all rounder Jacque Kallis pick up couple of wickets, But the real star for Banglore side was praveen Kumar who grab the
first Hat trick of the season. Rajsthan Royls were all out for just 92 runs. And that target was succesfully chase by Kallis and Manish Pandy in just 11 overs.
But I am now thinking that Rajsthan Royals looking now thwe weakest side in the IPL now. and i will surprise if they go to the next stage.
1.Absense of Shane Watson- The Aussie all rounder who was star in the 1st IPL tournament for Royals is not in the squad because he is in the National duty.
2.Injuries for Greame Smith and Dimitri Mascherehnas and now give much weakness to the side. Both will miss the remaining IPL because of injuiry
3.Ban on Ravinder Jadeja- The Indian all rounder has been banned for 1 year because of his controversial contacts with other frenchises. he is also not in the squad.
4.The team is really depend on Yousuf Pathan who is a big match winner and he nearly show against Mumbai Indians, But except from him no one is in the squad who can
turn things around.
5. No home Games for Royals - Jaipur is not the venue for Royal's
6. No Highle Quality players- Except Pathan , their is no one player in the squad who can change the situation. If you look each team their will be 4 or 5 high profile
players will be in the squad.
So Warne will try to change some things or that season will happen like last time happen with KKR.
last night Banglore keep teir winning streak after a huge 10 wickets victory over Rajasthan Royals. Anil Kumble leading from the front as he pickup
3 wickets, and South African all rounder Jacque Kallis pick up couple of wickets, But the real star for Banglore side was praveen Kumar who grab the
first Hat trick of the season. Rajsthan Royls were all out for just 92 runs. And that target was succesfully chase by Kallis and Manish Pandy in just 11 overs.
But I am now thinking that Rajsthan Royals looking now thwe weakest side in the IPL now. and i will surprise if they go to the next stage.
1.Absense of Shane Watson- The Aussie all rounder who was star in the 1st IPL tournament for Royals is not in the squad because he is in the National duty.
2.Injuries for Greame Smith and Dimitri Mascherehnas and now give much weakness to the side. Both will miss the remaining IPL because of injuiry
3.Ban on Ravinder Jadeja- The Indian all rounder has been banned for 1 year because of his controversial contacts with other frenchises. he is also not in the squad.
4.The team is really depend on Yousuf Pathan who is a big match winner and he nearly show against Mumbai Indians, But except from him no one is in the squad who can
turn things around.
5. No home Games for Royals - Jaipur is not the venue for Royal's
6. No Highle Quality players- Except Pathan , their is no one player in the squad who can change the situation. If you look each team their will be 4 or 5 high profile
players will be in the squad.
So Warne will try to change some things or that season will happen like last time happen with KKR.
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Hi guys last two games of IPL was one sided. All were accepting cracker two games but it tun into huge loss for home sides.
1st was KKR who lost by 55 runs against CSK and last night Daredevils lost by three figures against Solid Mumbai Indians.
But For Super Kings their was bad news is well because their skipper Dhoni will be out for 10 days And that will be a big blow for Super Kings and in the absense of Indian Captain
Suresh Reina will take charge for the upcoming games. For KKR i will say they have to change something now, Chris Gayle is come into the squad, and that will help them, specially in batting order
Now Mumbai Indians look unbeatable side in the moment now, Because Now two West Indinas are now included into the squad, Both All rounder The expeience player Dwayne bravo and young Hard hitter Pollard
Indian cricket fans didn't forget Pollard's 54 off just 18 ball against New South wales in Champions League. You can imagine their strength of side that they are playing without Duminy, Abhishek Nayar and Shikhar Dhawan
For Delhi their skipper Goutam Gambhir went off in just 4 overs when Delhi side was fielding and that cost the team a huge lost.
it's too early to say anything because each team have to play more then 10 games
So Friends enjoy IPL
1st was KKR who lost by 55 runs against CSK and last night Daredevils lost by three figures against Solid Mumbai Indians.
But For Super Kings their was bad news is well because their skipper Dhoni will be out for 10 days And that will be a big blow for Super Kings and in the absense of Indian Captain
Suresh Reina will take charge for the upcoming games. For KKR i will say they have to change something now, Chris Gayle is come into the squad, and that will help them, specially in batting order
Now Mumbai Indians look unbeatable side in the moment now, Because Now two West Indinas are now included into the squad, Both All rounder The expeience player Dwayne bravo and young Hard hitter Pollard
Indian cricket fans didn't forget Pollard's 54 off just 18 ball against New South wales in Champions League. You can imagine their strength of side that they are playing without Duminy, Abhishek Nayar and Shikhar Dhawan
For Delhi their skipper Goutam Gambhir went off in just 4 overs when Delhi side was fielding and that cost the team a huge lost.
it's too early to say anything because each team have to play more then 10 games
So Friends enjoy IPL
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
First of all Happy Gudi Padwa to all my visitors
hi Today will be one of most exciting battle in IPL . Shahrukh's KKR will Take on Ambuja cement own team CSK. It will be battle of two most successful Indian captain is well. In one Side thir will be The"DADA" Sourav Ganguly & the other side The captain cool M.S.Dhaoni
The KKR in High flying atter winning two games and both against last season's Champions and Runner up. I think KKR should make one change. Instead of Rohan Gavaskar they coulkd enter Ajit Agarkar a handy all rounder with both ball and bat
in other hand CSK will try to get their 1st win in season. Captain Dhoni like to make some change. Ntini can make into line up after disaappointing bowling performance against Deccan chargers where they pick up only one wicket and remaining 3 make run outs
This match will bring alots of entertainment to fans
So let's ee wat's happen
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