IPL T20 Cricket

IPL Auction 2 Live: Chennai bought Flintoff

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 05:53:00 +0000

Chennai Super kings bought England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff while Bangalore Royal Challengers captured Kevin Pietersen. JP Duminy of South Africa as expected became a surprise pack and was bought by Mumbai Indians. Both Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff are now most expensive players in IPL. They have overthrown Indian Captain MS Dhoni as the most expensive players.

Indian Premier League auction was held today in Goa and 8 franchisees are participating in the auction for the 17 slots. England players are getting lot of attention due to their vast experience in the Twenty20 cricket. All these contracts are valid for 2 years.

South African all-rounder Tyron Henderson surprised everyone by getting Rs 3.18 crore in the auction. Rajasthan Royals won the bid facing stiff competition from Hyderabad Deccan Chargers.

Bangladesh fast bowler Mashrafe Mortaza is another surprise pack. Mortaza was picked by Kolkata IPL after intense bidding war with Mohali IPL for 2.9 crore. Kolkata and Mohali fought intensely during auction for this lower order hitter and strike bowler. 12 times his base price - Unbelievable!

IPL auction 2 results:

1. Kevin Pietersen: Bangalore Royal Challengers for $1.55 million (Rs 7.35 crore).

2. Andrew Flintoff: Chennai Superkings for $1.55 million.

3. JP Duminy (South Africa): Mumbai Indians picked him for $9,50,000 (Rs 4.5 crore).

4. Shaun Tait: Rajasthan Royals bought him for for $3,75,000.

5. Owais Shah (England): Delhi Daredevils bought for $2,75,000.

6. Paul Collingwood (England): Delhi Daredevils bought for $2,75,000 (Rs 1.34 crore).

7. Fidel Edwards: Hyderabad IPL bought him for $1,50,000. Hyderaabd needs a strike bowler desperately.
Stay tuned for more updates.

8. Tyron Henderson: South African all-rounder was bought by Rajasthan Royals for $6,50,000. Another surprise pack in the auction. Will he justify his huge price tag on Indian pitches?

9. Ravi Bopara (England): He was bought Punjab Kings Eleven for $4,50,000.

10. Thulan Thushara (Sri Lanka): Chennai Super Kings bought him for $1,40,000. Chennai may play some matches in Colombo. It is bidding aggressively for Sri Lankan players.

11. Jesse Ryder (New Zealand): Bangalore bought him for $1,60,000.

12. Kylie Mills (New Zealand): Mumbai Indians bought him for $1,50,000.

13. Dwayne Smith (West Indies): Hyderabad IPL bought him for $1,00,000.

14. Mashrafe Mortaza (Bangladesh): Kolkata Knight Riders bought Bangladesh pace bowler for $6,00,000. Kolkata may play some games in Dhaka in IPL 2009 and 2010. Unbelievable price! auction time: 20 minutes. Base price for Mortaza is just $50,000. Is there any method in this madness?

15. George Bialey (Australia): Chennai bought him for $50,000.

16. Jerome Taylor (West Indies): Punjab Kings Eleven bought him for $1,50,000.

17. Mohammad Ashraful (Bangladesh): Mumbai picked him for just $75,000.

Unsold players in the auction:

Stuart Clark, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dilshan, Kupugdera, Brad Haddin, Phil Jacques, Luke Wright, Kulasekara, Ashwell Prince, McGain, Andre nel, Samit Patel, Sakib-Al-Hasan, Van Wyk, Dominic Thornley, Noffke, Darren Powell, James Franklin, Prasanna Jayawardene, Klinger, Ghulam Bodi, Daniel Harris, Michael Dighton, Brett Greeves, Michael Hill, Tamim Iqbal, Roach, Abdullah and Michael Clarke.

Franchisees have shown little interest in Australian players due to their non-availability for most of the tournament. Franchisees will pick 8 players of their choice after the auction as replacements for Pakistan players.

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IPL 2009 auction: Latest news updates

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:06:00 +0000

50 players will go under hammer on February 6 for the 17 slots in this auction for Indian Premier League contracts. Due to the availability of limited slots, some players may not even get any bids due to their steep price. Franchisees kept their plans close to their chest. According to sources, Bangalore is trying hard for Kevin Pietersen while Kolkata and Hyderabad badly needs a strike bowler. IPL franchisees may not slash their cash carelessly in this round of auction. There will be no mid-season replacements in IPL 2009.

New IPL rule: In case of a tie, both teams will play a one over eliminator to decide match result.

New IPL plans: IPL authorities are planning to extend the scope of the clubs beyond their cities. Rajasthan may play some matches in Ahmedabad while Kolkata may play in Dhaka. Chennai IPL may play some games in Colombo while Mohali may be allowed to play in Lahore in tensions between India and Pakistan subsides.

IPL Auction statistics:

1. Total players available: 50

2. Slots available: Just 17.

3. Total amount to be spent: $13.59 million

IPL Vs Pakistan:

Total players barred by Pakistan board: 10

Players released from IPL contracts: Younis Khan, Shoaib Malik, Shoaib Akhtar, Shahid Afridi, Salman Butt and Mohammed Hafeez.

Retained Pakistan players: Umar Gul, (Knight Riders), Misbah-ul-Haq (Royal Challengers), Kamran Akmal and Sohail Tanvir (Rajasthan Royals). But they will not play in IPL 2009 edition.

But IPL authorities allowed franchisees to pick replacements for suspended Pakistani players after the auction. Kolkata and Bangalore can pick a player each while Rajasthan can buy 2 players after the auction as Pakistan player replacements.

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IPL 2009 auction on February 6 in Goa

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 06:34:00 +0000

Second Indian Premier League (IPL) auction for 43 players will be held at the Hermitage Hall of the Fort Aguada resort in Goa on February 26th. Michael Clarke of Australia withdrew from the auction as he failed to find any takers for his $1 million price tag. He escaped from embarrassment. No Pakistan player will play in IPL 2009. IPL 2009 will be held in April-May, 2009.

Australian players are not available for first 2 weeks while South African players are not available for the first week but players from New Zealand, West Indies and Sri Lanka will be available for whole tournament along with Indian cricket stars. England stars are not available for the final 2 weeks of the IPL matches.

Auction location: Taj Aguada hotel

Total franchisees: 8

Total players available: 112.

Slots available: 43

New rules for IPL 2009 Auction:

1. Each franchise has an option of purchasing any number of uncapped new players by a direct agreement.

2. Each franchise will have a sum of $2m to spend on player fees in 2009 for cricketers acquired either in the auction, through signing uncapped new players or re-signing any 2008 temporary replacements.

3. Squads will not be allowed temporary replacements from 2009 to cover partial unavailability of a player during the season.

4. Unused amount of the 2008 budget can not be used in 2009.

Star attractions at auction:

1. Kevin Pietersen (England): $1.35 million price tag. Bangalore is trying hard for this man. I don’t see any reason in paying such a steep price in spite of his credentials.

2. Andrew Flintoff (England): $0.95 million price tag. In my view, he adds more value to team than Pietersen. Chennai, Mumbai and Mohali are rumoured to have shown interest on this all-rounder.

3. JP Duminy (South Africa): Underdog of the auction. Franchisees should concentrate on players like him.

4. Shaun Tait (Australia): Teams like Delhi and Kolkata need him as they missed the bowling services of Pakistan players.

5. Owais Shah, Ravi Bopara and Luke Wright (England): Good Twenty20 batsmen with vast experience in this format. Owais Shah has proved his abilities in the last one day series in India.

There will be no mad hysteria in this round of auction as many franchisees have learnt the tricks of the trade.

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IPL transfer window is in dull mode

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 16:36:00 +0000

The Indian Premier League (IPL) transfer window was open on December 22nd and will close on January 22nd. Those players who played in the first edition of the IPL are only eligible for transfer in this duration. 8 franchisees are eligible to buy or sell cricketers in this period. IPL franchisees cannot transfer a player without the consent of cricketer. But transfer window failed to create expected enthusiasm among the franchisees. These was not any list was announced on December 28th.

1st list: December 28th
2nd list:January 5th
3rd list: January 12th

IPL franchisees can opt for swapping of cricketers on mutual terms. Bangalore franchisee already told about selling of 3 foreign players.

Auction for the 2nd edition of the IPL will be held on February 6th. Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen are hot targets.

Likely selling targets:

1. Shoaib Akthar (Kolkata Knight Riders)

2. Rohit Sharma (Hyderabad Deccan Chargers) – Mumbai interested in buying him.

3. Jacques Kallis (Bangalore Royal Challengers)

4. Shahid Afridi (Hyderabad Deccan Chargers)

5. Robin Uthappa (Bangalore Royal Challengers)

6. Ramnaresh Sarwan (Mohali IPL)

7. Herschelle Gibbs by Hyderabad

8. Makhaya Ntini by Chennai

Likely buying targets:

1. Robin Uthappa by Bangalore Royal Challengers

2. Zaheer Khan by Mumbai. Bangalore may not sell him. Dale Steyn and Zaheer Khan bowling combination will be an asset for Bangalore Royal Challengers.

3. Rohit Sharma by Mumbai

2008: Year of Indian Premier League. No arguments.

IPL news:

1. New Overseas Player Auction is scheduled for early February. It is expected to be held in February 6th.

2. Saurabh Tiwary was not released by Mumbai Indians despite his interest to play for Kolkata Knight Riders.

3. Deccan Chargers interested in buying Australian speedster Shaun Tait.

4. Mitchell Johnson who bowled best spell by a left-arm pace bowler in the history of test cricket will be targeted by many IPL franchisees in the February auction.

5. Pakistan players may miss the IPL second season due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan.

6. Retired Indian captain Sourav Ganguly will play for Kolkata in the second edition of India Premier League cricket tournament.

7. According to sources, Akshay Kumar was opted out from duties of brand ambassador for Delhi Daredevils.

8. Best player of the first edition of IPL, Shane Watson, will be in doubt for second edition due to his injury worries.

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IPL 2009 news: Player trading starts from December 22

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 05:44:00 +0000

Transfer window for IPL 2009 will commence from December 22nd and will end on January 22nd. Player Auction for IPL 2009 will be held on February 6 for the new players, those that did not feature in the IPL 2008. Indian Premier League Twenty20 Cricket tournament will commence from April 10 onwards.

Squads will not be allowed temporary replacements from 2009 onwards to cover partial unavailability of a player during the season. The only temporary replacements allowed will be in the situation where a player is completely unavailable for a whole IPL season. Franchises were allowed to purchase replacements if their international players had to represent their national teams during IPL 2008.

About Money: The 2008 salary cap will cease to have effect and no unused amount of the 2008 purse can be used in 2009. There will be no cap on player fees payable to players acquired by the franchises during the trading window. The trading window is only for players who were part of the IPL in 2008.

New rules of IPL trading:

1. Maximum number of international players in each squad would be10 but number of international players in the playing eleven would remain at 4.

2. If more than one franchise is interested in buying the player, the ‘selling’ franchise shall negotiate with all interested franchises. The ‘selling’ franchise shall have the discretion as to which offer to accept. Negotiations between two franchises should be only with regard to the player fee payable.

3. Franchises shall have opportunities during the trading window to trade players - either by offering to sell a player via trade or expressing an interest to acquire a player - prior to any trading discussions the player's consent must be obtained.

4. Outside the auction process but subject to the squad composition rules with respect to overseas players, each franchise will have the option to purchase any number of uncapped new players by a direct agreement. Uncapped players are those who have never played senior international cricket nor have a central contract with their National Association.

5. All overseas players will require an NOC from their board to play in the Indian Premier League.

6. Each franchise will have a sum of $ 2 million to spend on player fees in 2009 for cricketers acquired either in the auction, through signing uncapped new players or re-signing any 2008 temporary replacements.

IPL 2009 NEWS:

1. Hyderabad’s Deccan Chargers picked all-rounder Ryan Harris of Queensland.

2. Delhi Daredevils picked David Warner of New South Wales. He recently scored 165 not out against Tasmania.

3. Kolkata Knight Riders picked Moises Henriques of New South Wales.

4. Stanford seems to have withdrawn its business association with England Cricket Board (ECB). ECB Premier League will be in trouble.

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Twenty20 Champions awards announced

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 18:04:00 +0000

Indian Premier League players won the most of the prestigious awards in the first Twenty20 Champions awards. These awards recognise the best performers in theTwenty20 league matches.

Shaun Marsh won the most consistent batsman award for his stunning performance in the Indian Premier League. He scored 616 runs at an average of 68.44. He won the Orange cap (highest number of runs) in the IPL 2008.

New Zealand wicket keeper Brendon McCullum won the award for the highest individual score for his outstanding century for Kolkata Knight Riders against Bangalore Royal Challengers. He scored 158 runs in the first match of Indian Premier League (IPL).

Rajasthan Royals fast bowler Sohail Tanvir (Pakistan) won the award for the best bowling performance in a T20 match. He took 6 wickets for 14 runs against Chennai Super Kings in a sensational performance. Sohail Tanvir took highest number (22) of wickets in the IPL 2008 edition to win the “Purple cap”.

Best batting strike rate: Graham Napier of Essex Eagles. He scored 326 runs at a strike rate of 195.2. He hit 26 sixers in a single innings, another twenty20 record.

Best bowling strike rate in a match: Laxmi Ratan Shukla of Kolkata Knight Riders. He took 3 wickets at a strike rate of 1.6. Langeveldt of the Cobras took 18 wickets at a strike rate of 9 – best performance in a tournament.

Best bowling economy: Yusuf Abdullah of Dolphins.

Special performance: Sialkot Stallions. Sialkot won 16 matches in a row.

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Indian Premier League news and TV ratings

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 08:23:00 +0000

Indian Premier League Cricket (IPL T20) news:

1. Indian Cricket board agreed to meet rival organisers of Indian Cricket League. ICC asked BCCI to resolve the issue with ICL. If the talks succeed, it will allow ICL players to play International Cricket. New Zealand and Bangladesh are the biggest beneficiaries if the ban on ICL players was lifted. Can we Shane Bond again in action?

2. Sri Lankan Cricket Board will send a team to finalise a $ 40 million deal with the Indian Premier League. This deal will last for 3 years which will allow Sri Lankan players to participate in IPL T20 Cricket matches without interruption.

3. TV Ratings: According to MAP ratings, ongoing Indian Cricket League (ICL) failed to match the TV Ratings of 2008 Indian Premier League (IPL). IPL attracted an average TVR of 4-5 while ICL garnered meagre 0.2-0.4 TVR despite broadcasting in Zee Sports and Ten Sports (ZEE has control over most of cable people. India-Australia test series attracted a TVR of 0.5-0.7. Indian Premier League will attract more viewers due to more awareness, timing and due to DTH spread.

4. Surrey is holding discussions with IPL organisers about the feasibility of conducting 1 or 2 IPL matches at Oval Cricket stadium if ECB gave no objection.

5. Sensational Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis will play for Rajasthan in the 2008-09 Ranji Trophy. According to new rules, each state can rope in one International player to increase competitiveness in the domestic tournament. Old warhorse Muttiah Muralidharan will play for Bengal Ranji team.

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Delhi vs Mumbai: Who will reach IPL semi-finals?

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Sat, 24 May 2008 09:34:00 +0000

Delhi daredevils will attack Mumbai Indians in their last match of Indian Premier League at Feroz Shah Kotla cricket ground in Delhi. This is a must win game for both teams but Mumbai still has 2 games in hand even if it loses today’s match. But Delhi Daredevils must win this game to keep their hopes alive. This is an unbelievable turn of events who won the four of their first 5 games. Mumbai Indians won their first round match against Delhi Daredevils.Significance of the match: If Delhi loses this match, Mumbai and Chennai will enter into semi-finals of IPL T20 tournament. All the upcoming IPL matches lose significance which is not good for IPL.

IPL Match timings: 8 PM to 11 PM at Ferozeshaw Kotla cricket ground in Delhi.
Points: Delhi Daredevils are on 13 points from 13 matches while Mumbai Indians are on 12 points from 11 games.

Interesting battles: 1. Glenn McGrath Vs Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya: McGrath won the previous crucial battles as he did in the 2003 Cricket world cup finals.
2. Shaun Pollock Vs Sehwag and Gambhir.

IPL records and statistics:

1. Gautam Gambhir is leading the race for “Orange cap” with 504 runs but he may lose the cap to in-form Shaun Marsh if Delhi loses this match.
2. Glenn McGrath is the only bowler to be in top 10 list from the both teams. He took 12 wickets at an average of 23.3 and economy rate of 6.03!
3. Shaun Pollock is taking a wicket for every 19 runs he conceded means 1 wicket for every 3 overs (his economy rate is around 6.1)

Verdict: Both teams are depending on their top order batsmen to win the matches for them. Mumbai has slight edge in this match due to their depth in the team even though they missed the services of West Indies all-rounder Bravo. Maharoof and Pollock are performing wonderfully for their teams but for Delhi, opposition batsmen are exploiting other bowlers after the completion of McGrath’s spell. Delhi middle order is a big concern. Every team knows that if they remove Delhi top order cheaply, match is out of Delhi’s hands.

If Glenn McGrath failed to remove dangerous Mumbai openers Sachin and Jayasuriya, Chennai and Mumbai will enter into the semi-finals of the Indian Premier League.

My failed IPL T20 Cricet Predictions

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Wed, 21 May 2008 04:03:00 +0000

Indian Premier League has thrown up some unexpected results and I failed to predict them before the onset of IPL T20 tournament in my Indian Premier League blog. Some players surprised me with their superb performances while some are disappointed me.

What I failed to predict:

1. Rajasthan Royals: I thought that it may win one or two matches but what happened is exactly opposite. I underestimated team spirit and Shane Warne’s leadership. Rajasthan Royals made me fool before my readers. Thank you Royals!

2. Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: Absence of a great leader and selection politics is the reason behind their worst performance. Gilchrist may not know about all these politics but coach Robin Singh knows. Hyderabad has worst franchisee owners in the IPL.

3. Venugopala Rao: I am still unable to recover (positive surprise) from his stellar performances. As an Andhraite, I am happy to see his unbelievable transformation from Dravid like batting to “Sixers Rao”. Greg Chappell spotted immense talent in him but I thought he was a test player. He will surely serve for India in all formats of cricket. Who can forget his valiant knocks and useful bowling?

4. Muralidharan: I thought that he will among the top three wicket takers before the onset of IPL but he is still struggling to take a single wicket per match.

5. Mohammad Asif: I thought McGrath-Asif combination will become a nightmare for opposition. But Asif disappointed me and his Delhi team with his wayward bowling.

6. Sreesanth: He is simply sensational after “slapgate” episode. He needs to be nurtured carefully for Test cricket. I also underestimated Mohali leg spinner "Piyush Chawla".

7. Ricky Ponting: I thought that he might give strong answer for “his low price”. He bombed spectacularly.

8. Misbah-Ul-Haq: He is an underperformer by his standards.

9. Jacques Kallis: I thought that he might give strong answer to South African selectors (he was not selected for the T20 world cup).

10. Rahul Dravid: He played wonderful knocks for Bangalore but failed to save his team. He is so far played beyond my expectations.

My predictions gave me positive and negative surprises. But I am still enjoying the performance of Venugopala Rao even though he made me fool. I analyzed the IPL teams and cricketers in my blog on Indian Premier League.

Lesson: Analysng and predictng about stock market moments is more easy compared to performances of Indian Premier League teams and stars.

Can they recover from Mumbai cyclone?

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Sun, 18 May 2008 06:50:00 +0000

Chennai Superkings will clash with Kolkata Knight Riders after both teams suffered humiliating defeats against Mumbai Indians at Wankhede. Mumbai cruelly exposed weak links in both teams in those two matches. Both teams are not looking as tournament winners and they are just depending on 2 to 3 players. For Kolkata, it is Sourav Ganguly and David Hussey in batting and Shoaib Akhtar in bowling while it is Dhoni, Badrinath and Morkel are for Mumbai. Home ground advantage is a big plus point for Kolkata. To raise their semi-final chances hopes, they should win this game.

Match timings: 4 PM to 7 PM live from Eden Gardens on Set Max channel.

Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Shoaib Akhtar is in superb form and even top players are struggling against him. If Akash Chopra took the Jayasuriya catch in the Mumbai match, He might have repeated his sensational performance as he did against Delhi. Weak Chennai top order will definitely struggle against Akhtar and Ishant Sharma.
2. Sourav Ganguly returned to form and he is effectively playing all-rounder role.
3. David Hussey is one man army for Kolkata in batting. If he falters, Kolkata stumbles.
4. At Eden Gardens, Kolkata Knight Riders always play well with the support of huge fans.

Chennai Superkings:

1. Dhoni and Badrinath are carrying weak Chennai batting on their shoulders.
2. Vidyut and Raina are playing inconsistently.
3. Albie Morkel is a dangerous all-rounder who is sorely missed in Kolkata lineup.
4. Balaji is a high quality bowler and Dhoni should use him more.
5. Gony is a good bowler but not a dangerous one. Muralidharan failed to reach expectations.

IPL Statistics and Records:

1. Dhoni is the leading scorer for Chennai and is in superb form in the recent matches.

Verdict: Both teams are banking on individual performances and result will depend on their performances. Both teams are even on cricket abilities but mental strength will decide the match winner. Both teams are struggling with their unpredictable batting performances. Can these victims of “Mumbai Cyclone” play an entertaining game? Punjab, Rajasthan and Mumbai will definitely reach semi-finals and for the fourth spot, there will be a tight contest between Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata. That’s why the result of this match is crucial for both teams. Chennai bowlers should exploit the weak batting of Kolkata Knight Riders to strengthen semi-final chances.

Latest news: Kolkata Knight Riders picked Sri Lankan young spinner Ajantha Mendis after sending back 5 local players back home. So management lost faith in Murali Karthik and Iqbal Abdulla.

Can Punjab kings continue their winning streak?

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Sat, 17 May 2008 02:52:00 +0000

Delhi Daredevils stopped their losing streak by winning the last match against Hyderabad Deccan Chargers and will face in-form Punjab Kings Eleven at their home ground, Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. Top orders of both teams are in superb form and match result will depend on their performance. Punjab Kings all-India bowling attack so far performed beyond expectations. Wicket taking ability of Punjab bowlers is their main asset and Delhi batsmen will face stern test against this quality attack. Arrival of Shaun Marsh turned the Punjab side into a good batting team. Shaun Marsh is in ominous form and will be tested by Australian Legend Glenn McGrath. Delhi bowlers should remove this man within 3-4 overs; otherwise he will take away the match from Delhi’s hands. Kumara Sangakkara is still not available for Punjab so top 3 batting slots will be occupied by Australian youngsters i.e. Shaun Marsh, Pomersnach and Hopes.

Delhi once again depends on their top order batsmen (Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan) to deliver goods. Piyush Chawla will be tested by big hitting Farveez Maharoof.

Match timings: 8 PM - 11 PM. Live on Set Max.

Crucial cricketers:

Delhi daredevils:

1. Amit Mishra: Best performance by a spinner in the last match. Hat-trick hero.
2. Gautam Gambhir: Leading run scorer and will be tested by Punjab attack.
3. Virender Sehwag: Maverick performer.
4. Glenn McGrath: There will be an interesting battle with Shaun Marsh.
5. Shikhar Dhawan: Consistency is his forte.

Punjab Kings eleven:

1. Shaun Marsh: 99.83 batting average from five matches.
2. Irfan Pathan: leading wicket taker along with Sreesanth.
3. Sreesanth: He bowled very well after “Slapgate” episode.

IPL records and statistics:

1. Amit Mishra took the second hat-trick in IPL.
2. Gautam Gambhir is the leading contender for orange cap.
3. Shaun Marsh has the best average in IPL.
4. Sreesanth and Pathan are leading wicket takers and strong contenders for purple cap.

Verdict: Punjab will try to expose Delhi’s weak links in the middle order. If Delhi bowlers can remove Shaun Marsh for low score, Delhi may surprise favourites. Sreesanth and Pathan Vs Gambhir-Sehwag contest winner will decide match result.

Mumbai trashed Kolkata Knight Riders

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Fri, 16 May 2008 18:50:00 +0000

We expected a high voltage entertaining thriller from the most high profile teams in Indian Premier League. But we got the most one sided match in the short history of IPL T20 tournament. Mumbai Indians clinically finished complacent Kolkata Knight Riders at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. Mumbai came into this match with well laid out strategy and players executed them with perfection. We can call it as an annihilation or demolition or decimation. Mumbai Indians are decimating top teams like Rajasthan Royals, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders and are looking as strong contenders to win the inaugural Indian Premier League tournament. Sachin Tendulkar’s poor form is the only worrying point for Mumbai Indians. Sachin looked very uncomfortable in both the matches he played. Similarities with 2003 cricket world cup final:

This match reminded me the 2003 World cup final in South Africa. Indian and Australia reached finals and stage was set for an entertaining cricket. But Australia clinically decimated India in that match. It took me several days to recover from that shock. Today, Kolkata Knight Riders were outsmarted by intelligent captaincy of Sachin Tendulkar, clinical execution of well laid out plans by bowlers coupled with exceptional fielding. I am surprised by seeing the dives by 38-year old veteran cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya. Senior players like Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock is helping Sachin both on and off the field.

IPL T20 Match review:

Toss: Sachin won the toss and choose to field first.

IPL T20 Cricket score:

Kolkata Knight Riders: 67 all out in 15.2 overs.
Mumbai Indians: 68/2 in 5.3 overs.

Man of the match: Shaun Pollock. Along with Shane Watson and Irfan Pathan, he is the most valuable player in Indian Premier League. He was simply unplayable today. 4 overs; 12 runs; 3 wickets.

IPL Records and Statistics:

1. Kolkata Knight Riders scored lowest total in IPL- 67 runs. This is the fifth lowest total in the history of T20 Cricket.
2. Sachin Tendulkar took highest catches in a single IPL match – 4 catches.
3. It is the highest margin of victory in terms of balls remained. Mumbai now leads the net run rate chart in the IPL table.
4. Sanath Jayasuriya scored 48 runs in 17 balls with seven fours and three sixers. He simply murdered the bowling attack led by Ishant Sharma and Shoaib Akhtar. He is now leading the sixers chart with 17 sixers.
5. Spinner Rajesh Powar made IPL debut for Mumbai. He replaced Dhawal Kulkarni. But he didn’t bowl in the match.
6. Mumbai Indians reached 68 runs target just within 33 balls.
7. Sachin Tendulkar was out for zero and Sanath Jayasuriya escaped duck out as Akash Chopra dropped.
8. Sanath Jayasuriya scored 23 runs in the second over of Shoaib Akhtar. Splendid knock from veteran cricketer. He is enjoying his game and is entertaining us.

Verdict: Unless there will be an unexpected slump in their form, it is almost impossible to beat this Mumbai Indians team. It is the most complete all-round team with so many suitable Twenty20 players and in-form all-rounders. Sanath Jayasuriya reminded me 1996 world cup days with his shots. If Sachin too finds form, IPL 2008 trophy will be lifted by him. Kolkata should quickly recover from this unexpected humiliating loss against the best team in IPL. They need to quickly find good batting lineup. How long will they depend on David Hussey and Sourav Ganguly?

IPL preview: Clash of giants at Wankhede

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Fri, 16 May 2008 06:23:00 +0000

This is a clash between two titans (Sachin and Sourav). This is a battle between two resurgent teams in Indian Premier League. This is a war between battle hardened veterans (Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Shaun Pollock, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shoaib Akhtar). This is a cricket match between two teams with strongest fan bases. This IPL T20 match is crucial for both teams to strengthen their semi-final chances. Shoaib Akhtar stunned cricket analysts with a superlative performance on his favourite Eden gardens ground against Delhi Daredevils. But Mumbai should be careful against Ishant Sharma as he rarely gives you width to the stroke players unlike Shoaib Akhtar.

Batting: Mumbai has clear edge in batting with so many ideal T20 batsmen who can score quick fire 20-30 runs if necessary. How long Kolkata will depend on David Hussey and Sourav Ganguly? If those two batsmen fall cheaply, Kolkata may not score even 100 runs. Mumbai should try to exploit this weakness. Kolkata needs to promote exciting wicketkeeper Saha as opener to utilise power play overs.

Bowling: Both teams are looking even in this department. But Mumbai has slight edge due to presence of high quality all-rounders. Ashish Nehra should bowl consistently like Shaun Pollock to trouble Kolkata in the early overs. As long as Kolkata picks Akash Chopra, opposition is always in safe position.

Fielding: Kolkata is exceptional in fielding against Delhi.

Match timings: 8 PM – 11 PM at Wankhede stadium.

Interesting battle: 1. Sachin Tendulkar-Sanath Jayasuriya Vs Shoiab Akhtar: If Shoaib can able to repeat his last match performance against Mumbai, Kolkata win is certain. But experienced openers may utilise his pace to score some easy runs. I am expecting 2003 World Cup performance from Sachin Tendulkar.

Verdict: Mumbai has edge over Kolkata due to its strong batting and useful all-rounders. To defeat Mumbai, Kolkata batsmen especially Salman Butt should play along with Ganguly-Hussey. But after seeing Mumbai performance against Chennai, I am feeling sorry for Kolkata.

Probable squads:

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa, Thornley, Bravo, Abhishek Nayar, Shaun Pollock, Yogesh Takawale, Ashish Nehra, Dhawal Kulkarni and Rohan Raje.

Kolkata Knight Riders: Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Salman Butt, Akash Chopra, David Hussey, Shukla, Saha, Shoaib Akhtar, Ishant Sharma, Mohammad Hafeez/ Taibu, Iqbal Abdulla and Ashok Dinda.

Images courtesy: Eenadu.

Amit Mishra destroyed Hyderabad hopes

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:39:00 +0000

Amit Mishra helped Delhi to beat Hyderabad by 12 runs in a high scoring IPL T20 thriller at Feroz Shah Kotla. Delhi batsmen set an imposing target of 195 runs but Hyderabad hard hitters fought valiantly till the last over. Amit Mishra single handily took the match away from Hyderabad with a hat-trick in the final over. Mishra earlier took the vital wickets of Gibbs and Afridi when Hyderabad was going strong. Weak bowling of Hyderabad cost them this match but Hyderabad batsmen impressed everyone with their never say die attitude. Delhi audience enjoyed a wonderful match and their team improved semi-final chances with this win.

IPL Statistics and records: 1. Delhi leg spinner Amit Mishra took the second hat-trick in IPL. Balaji of Chennai Superkings took the first hat-trick in Indian Premier League.

2. Gautam Gambhir is leading the “Orange cap” race with 425 runs in 10 matches Dhoni and Rohit Sharma are in second and third places with 332 and 331 runs.

3. Shaun Marsh is leading averages with an unbelievable average of 98.33 from 5 matches.

4. Amit Mishra took 5 wickets for 17 runs in his 4 overs. Best figures by a spinner in Indian Premier League.

5. This is the first win for Delhi in the last 5 matches and Hyderabad is out of IPL Semi-final reckoning.

Toss: Adam Gilchrist won the toss and elected to field first as batting is their strength.

IPL T20 Score:

Delhi Daredevils: 194/4 in 20 overs.
Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: 182/9 in 20 overs.

Man of the match: Amit Mishra. No spinner dominated the match in IPL as he did today. Marvellous performance from this leg spinner in a match where Legend McGrath went for 42 runs in his 4 overs.

IPL T20 match Review:

Highlights of Delhi innings:

1. Virender Sehwag succeeded in scoring second successive duck out.
2. Vijay Kumar is once again at his economical best. He is “McGrath of Hyderabad”.
3. Sarvesh Kumar made his IPL debut and bowled much better than Vaas and Zoysa.
4. IPL helped many bowlers (Balaji, Ashish Nehra, Gony, Dinda and Sangwan etc) to catch the eye of selectors but it RP Singh omission from one day squad is almost certain.
5. Gautam Gambhir is marched ahead of rivals for orange cap as he scored 79 runs while rivals Gilchrist and Sehwag failed. But Rohit Sharma
6. Shikhar Dhawan once again played beautiful knock and if I were Indian selector, Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Badrinath are my automatic choices among younger lot. Indian selectors get huge opportunity to build good team for 2010 cricket world cup with these youngsters. Will they do it?

Highlights of Hyderabad innings: 1. Glenn McGrath took the crucial wicket of Adam Gilchrist.
2. I expected a lot from Mohammad Asif. He is one of the biggest failures in IPL along with Ricky Ponting, Jacques Kallis and Misbah-Ul-Haq etc.
3. Herschelle Gibbs and Shahid Afridi played sensational shots in the first 6 overs.
4. Good captaincy from Virender Sehwag. His gamble paid off. He brought in spinner Amit Mishra and Afridi went for shot too early and paid the price. Afridi innings came to an end. He scored 33 runs in just 14 balls with two 6’s and three 4’s.
5. Amit Mishra changed match course. He took vital wicket of Herschelle Gibbs who looked in ominous form. Did you see the two superb sixers of Gibbs in McGrath’s over?
6. Amit Mishra – 2 overs; 6 runs; 2 wickets. Exceptional performance against biggest hitters in the game. Can Rohit Sharma save the match?
7. Rohit Sharma is on fire. He scored 19 runs in Rajat Bhatia’s over with 2 massive sixers and one four. Hyderabad needs another over like this to win this match.
8. I can’t understand why players like Scott Styris, Akash Chopra and Stephen Fleming are playing in IPL. They are not suitable for IPL T20 Cricket. When will these teams realise this?
9. Maharoof turned the match by taking the wicket of Rohit Sharma who looked to take the match away from Delhi. Hyderabad is in big trouble. Styris is wasting balls in this big scoring match. Rohit Sharma played unnecessary shot at crucial stage of match. Sharma scored 35 runs in 18 balls with two sixers and three fours.
10. All the Hyderabad big hitters started well in this match but fell at crucial time. Huge target and mounting run rate made them to take huge risks.
11. Mohammad Asif bowled another bad over and Hyderabad batsmen scored 15 vital runs. Hyderabad needs to score 43 runs in 3 overs.

Verdict: Delhi ended their losing streak with a fine performance in this match. But Delhi is relying too much on their top order. Whenever its top order clicks, Delhi wins. If not, Delhi loses. They need to find a solution for this problem. I can’t able to understand why Delhi picked Mohammad Asif ahead of Pradeep Sangwan and Yo Mahesh.

Why Hyderabad hadn’t picked Ravi Teja, Sarvesh kumar and Vijay Kumar in the first round matches? Why Hyderabad is sending opener Ravi Teja at no.6? Why they are picking players like Scott Styris who can neither bowl well nor hit big shots?

Answer: They are not practicing enough to find the potential in their young recruits. In the first round matches, they picked Arjun Yadav to satisfy his father and Hyderabad Cricket Association president Shivlal Yadav. What benefits will Coach Robin Singh get for this generosity? Wait and see. Just compare the performances of teams under Indian coaches with the teams under foreign coaches. It is not due to lack of ability but due to .... Have you got my point.

Image courtesy: Deccanchargers.com and Delhidaredevils.com.

Can Gilchrist save Hyderabad IPL?

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Thu, 15 May 2008 08:44:00 +0000

Favourites Delhi Daredevils will take on Hyderabad Deccan Chargers at Feroz Shaw Kotla ground in New Delhi. Hyderabad hopes solely depend on their captain Adam Gilchrist. Even Rohit Sharma is playing consistently; he is not a match winner like Gilchrist. Hyderabad needs to change their batting order in order to win this match. Shahid Afridi should play in this match and Gibbs should come lower down the order as he is looking uncomfortable against moving ball. Hyderabad top order needs to play carefully against Glenn McGrath. Delhi Daredevils will try to win their match against Hyderabad to raise their hopes for Semi-final spot whicl almost unlikely. Famed Delhi top order was brutally exposed by Shoaib Akhtar in the last match. Sehwag and Gambhir will try to restore their pride by capitalising on the weak Hyderabad bowling. Delhi is looking strong over Hyderabad in all departments. If opposition can take top order wickets as Kolkata did, Delhi will be in trouble.
Hyderabad should remove Scott Styris and believe in youngsters. Gilchrist should properly utilise and guide youngsters like Venugopal Rao, Ravi Teja and Vijay Kumar. Delhi lost previous four matches due to individual brilliance. So Hyderabad hopes lay on Adam Gilchrist individual brilliance. Venugopal Rao all-round brilliance in the last match is a ray of hope for Hyderabad. If Gibbs and Afridi regain their form, Hyderabad may surprise Delhi.

Probable teams:

Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: Adam Gilchrist (captain), Ravi Teja, Herschelle Gibbs, Rohit Sharma, Venugopal Rao, Shahid Afridi, Chaminda Vaas/Zoysa, RP Singh, Vijay Kumar, Sanjay Bangar and Pragyan Ojha.

Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag (Captain), Gautam Gambhir, De Villiers, Shikhar Dhawan, Rajat Bhatia/Mohammad Asif, Farveez Maharoof, Dilshan, Amit Mishra, Pradeep Sangwan, Glenn McGrath and Yo Mahesh.

Verdict: Delhi is strong favourite against Hyderabad but recent form of both teams is not convincing and Delhi is relying too much on Sehwag and Gambhir. Either Mumbai or Kolkata will go to semi-finals if Delhi will not take things seriously. I don’t have any hopes on weak Deccan Chargers bowling.

Sensational Jayasuriya stunned Chennai

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Wed, 14 May 2008 18:36:00 +0000

Sensational century from Sanath Jayasuriya lifted Mumbai to 9 wicket victory over Chennai Superkings at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. This is the best batting performance in Indian Premier League after superb knock from McCullum in the first IPL match. Jayasuriya scored this unforgettable century in just 45 balls with 10 sixers and 7 fours. He scored 26 runs in Kupugdera’s over to end the match in just 14 overs. This is the absolute assault by Jayasuriya who has an average tournament by his standards. Dhoni failed to utilise properly his in-form bowler Balaji and paid heavy price. Brilliant partnership between Badrinath and Dhoni set a reasonable target of 157 for Mumbai Indians. Sachin Tendulkar looked uncomfortable despite one superb six. He was completely eclipsed by Sanath Jayasuriya who smashed even good length balls to out of the ground. Chennai lost four quick wickets but recovered admirably thank to 95-run partnership between Badrinath and Dhoni.

Toss: Sachin Tendulkar won the toss and elected to field first.

IPL T20 Score:

Chennai Superkings: 156/6 in 20 overs.
Mumbai Indians: 158/1 in 13.5 overs.

Unbelievable statistics:

1. Mumbai won the match by 9 wickets with 37 balls to spare. Do you want more statistics? Mumbai sent strong signals to the opposition with this emphatic win.

2. Sanath Jayasuriya scored second fastest century in Indian Premier League. He hit 11 sixers and 9 fours.

3. Shaun Pollock gave just 9 runs in his 4 overs. What a contrasting statistic.

Man of the match: Sanath Jayasuriya. This is the fifth successive man of the match award for a cricketer whose name starts with “S”. This is the second man of the match award for Sanath Jayasuriya.

Verdict: As I said in my preview, Mumbai has ideal T20 lineup with good all-rounders like Punjab Kings Eleven and Rajasthan Royals. They are the strong contenders to win IPL 2008.

IPL Cricket: Super successful brothers

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Wed, 14 May 2008 15:38:00 +0000

They are brothers. They are playing for different teams. There is a huge difference in their auction prices. But these brothers are outstanding for their teams in IPL T20 tournament. All of them won at least one man of the match award. Yusuf Pathan is the cheapest cricketer among them but beat all expectations and is now indispensable player for Rajasthan Royals.

Brothers in arms:

1. Pathan Brothers (Irfan Pathan and Yusuf Pathan): A. Irfan Pathan (Punjab Kings Eleven): He already took 13 wickets and leading bowler for purple cap. He is also chipping with bat.

B. Yusuf Pathan (Rajasthan Royals): Along with Shane Watson, he will command huge price in the 2009 IPL auction. He always gave rousing start to Jaipur batting with sensational stroke play. He took crucial wickets in the middle overs especially against Hyderabad.

2. Hussey brothers (Michael Hussey and David Hussey): A. Michael Hussy (Chennai Superkings): He played just 3 matches but who will forget his match winning knock against Punjab Kings eleven. We really missed him.

B. David Hussey (Kolkata Knight Riders): Most consistent player in the IPL along with Rohit Sharma. He is the force and wall in the weak batting lineup. Everyone surprised when got huge price than his illustrated brother and Ricky Ponting in the IPL auction. I think they got answers.

My dream: Punjab and Rajasthan reach finals of the Indian Premier League. First ball was bowled by Irfan Pathan to Yusuf Pathan. What a climax.

Harbhajan Banned for 5 One days only

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:19:00 +0000

Indian off spinner Harbhajan Singh was banned for 5 ODIs only by BCCI disciplinary committee. Harbhajan Singh was already banned from Indian Premier League by IPL authorities. Off spinner will miss Bangladesh series and Asia cup (two matches) due to this ban. Cricket analysts expected 10 match ODI ban or 5 test matches ban for controversial spinner. 3-member disciplinary committee was headed by BCCI president Sharad Pawar banned Harnhajan for 5 ODIs only as he pleaded for clemency. Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni strongly supported off spinner in his news paper column.
BCCI president warned him that if he repeats his mistake, he will be banned for life time. Harbhajan already lost 3 crore rupees due to IPL ban and he was charged with ICC level-4 offence. Australian captain Ricky Ponting asked for life ban while his nemesis Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne came in support of Harbhajan and requested BCCI not to punish him for life time.

Harbhajan Singh slapped Mohali pace bowler Sreesanth after the post match handshake. According to unofficial reports, Harbhajan was provoked by Sreesanth throughout the match and controversial spinner unable to restrain his emotions. BCCI appointed one-man Nanavati commission to conduct enquiry on the “Slapgate” episode and didn’t recommend any punishment in his 14-page report.

IPL Preview: Mumbai Indians Vs Chennai Superkings

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Wed, 14 May 2008 03:05:00 +0000

Sachin Tendulkar led Mumbai Indians will take on Dhoni led Chennai Superkings at Wankhede stadium in Mumbai. This is the first match for Sachin in Indian Premier League as he missed previous Mumbai matches due to fitness reasons. Stand-in captain Shaun Pollock led Mumbai to crucial victories over strong teams like Rajasthan Royals. Both Chennai and Mumbai are in resurgent mood in the recent matches. We can expect another interesting contest at Wankhede as it happened in the last game between two teams. Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya will open for Mumbai Indians and they are looking strong due to presence of strong all-rounders in the batting lineup. Mumbai strength lies in middle order hard hitters like Robin Uthappa, Abhishek Nayar, Shaun Pollock and Dwayne Bravo. If Mumbai top order clicks, big hitters will take the match away from Chennai. Ashish Nehra is vital for Mumbai in the initial spell.

For Chennai, their weakness lies in the inability of their batsmen to convert good starts into big knocks. Albie Morkel and Badrinath are playing well for Chennai and they should exploit bowlers like Bravo and Jayasuriya. If Balaji continues his superb form, Mumbai will be in trouble. Suresh Raina needs to convert those 20's and 30's into big scores.

Match timings: From 8 PM to 11 PM.

IPL Statistics:
1. Sachin Tendulkar will play his debut match in IPL.
2. L. Balaji is the only bowler to take hat-trick in Indian Premier League.
3. MS Dhoni is in the sixth position in the top 10 batsmen list needs to score 57 runs to wear orange cap.
4. Only Ashish Nehra is in the top 10 bowlers list from both teams.
5. Cricketers whose name starts with “S” won the man of the match awards (Shoaib Akhtar, Shaun Marsh, Sourav Ganguly and Shane Watson) in the last 4 games. Can Sanath, Sachin or Shaun make it five in a row? Sanath, Shaun and Ashish played vital roles in the last 3 Mumbai wins.
6. Mumbai lost 4 successive matches and won 3 games in a row.
7. Robin Uthappa is the leading batsman for Mumbai Indians.

Probable squads:

Mumbai Indians: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Dominic Thornley, Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, Shaun Pollock, Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Ashish Nehra, Muzafir Khote/ Raje and Yogesh Takawale.

Chennai Superkings: MS Dhoni (captain), Stephen Fleming, Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan, Suresh Raina, S. Badrinath, Albie Morkel, Balaji, Muralidharan, Kupugedera, Joginder Sharma/ Amaranath and Manpreet Gony.

Verdict: Mumbai Indians will win this match and their strong batting lineup will expose chinks in Chennai bowling attack especially in middle overs. I don’t think current Chennai bowlers can stop the likes of Sachin, Jayasuriya, Uthappa, Bravo and Pollock from hitting those big shots. Chennai hopes lay in big hitting all-rounder Albie Morkel, MS Dhoni and Badrinath.

Sensational Shoaib Akhtar!

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Tue, 13 May 2008 18:39:00 +0000

Shoaib Akhtar and Eden Gardens are inseparable. Akhtar took four top order wickets of Delhi Daredevils in a sensational spell of 3 overs. This is the best bowling performance in an IPL T20 Cricket match. Kolkata Knight Riders won the match by 23 runs. Famed Delhi top order failed miserably against quality bowling of Shoaib Akhtar. Shoaib exposed weaknesses of Indian batsmen in facing quality fast bowling. Bowlers completely dominated the match from both sides. What a fielding from Kolkata Knight Riders!

Kolkata IPL: Passionate captain, passionate owner and passionate crowds. Do you want more?

Shoaib Akhtar bowled out Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar in 1999 in an Asian Test championship match to silence Eden Gardens crowds. Now he took 4 Delhi top order wickets in just 3 overs to send them into raptures. Of those 4 wickets, Sehwag and Gambhir are tournament leading scorers. Shoaib Akhtar bowled this sensational spell in a match in which Pakistan bowlers Mohammad Asif and Umar Gul failed to find place in their teams. Cricket needs this man.

Toss: Sourav Ganguly won the toss and elected to bat first as expected on this shining pitch.

IPL T20 cricket Score:

Kolkata Knight Riders: 133/6 in 20 overs.
Delhi Daredevils: 110 all out in 17.5 overs.
Match Result: Kolkata Knight Riders won by 23 runs.

Man of the match: Shoaib Akhtar. It is very difficult to describe his performance in words. When he is on song, watching his bowling is a treat to watch. We want more.

IPL Statistics:

1. Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akthar made IPL debut. His fastest ball clocked at 151 kmph.

Highlights of the match:

Kolkata innings:

1. Gautam Gambhir dropped Aakash Chopra in McGrath’s over. I can’t understand why Kolkata is picking this stubborn cricketer for T20 matches. Poor selection. Why can’t they send Saha as opener? No team is employing tactical innovations in IPL.
2. Glenn McGrath is once again at his economical best. He is producing test matches economies in IPL cricket especially in the first spell. Real legend.
3. Captain Sourav Ganguly fell cheaply to Yo Mahesh after hitting a superb sixer.
4. Salman Butt scored crucial 48 runs at his favourite Eden Gardens ground.
5. Gambhir made amends by taking wonderful catch of Shukla.
6. David Hussey scored 31 runs but all Kolkata batsmen failed to raise run rate against strong Delhi bowling attack. Delhi leg spinner Amit Mishra played vital role in the middle overs.

Delhi IPL innings:

1. Shoaib Akthar decimated Delhi. Do you know that this man played in this game without match practice for 2 months? He silenced critics like me who underestimated his influence. Thank you man.

Verdict: Despite this win, I am still worried about Kolkata. Except David Hussey, none of the batsman is scoring runs consistently. Body language of Virender Sehwag is not sending good signals. He seems to be taking things lightly. Mumbai Indians may beat both teams for semi-final berth.

IPL News: Sachin in and Laxman out

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Tue, 13 May 2008 13:45:00 +0000

"Indian cricket God" Sachin Tendulkar return to Mumbai Indians will raise the TRPs for IPL T20 matches. Whether he is in form or not, Indians simply love to watch him. IPL authorities decided to give purple cap to highest wicket taker as they are already giving orange cap to highest run getter.

1. Sachin will play against Chennai: Confirmed. Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar will play in the next match at Chennai Superkings in Mumbai. He will take over captaincy reins from Shaun Pollock who marshalled the team mates to sensational wins in the crisis period. Sachin will open innings with Sanath Jayasuriya in the Sunday match. Mumbai will become a strong contender for semi-final berth with the return of “Little Master”. Mumbai is on winning spree after defeating top teams like Rajasthan Royals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils.

2. Laxman out for 2 weeks: Is it really a loss?

Another setback for Hyderabad Deccan Chargers. VVS Laxman will not play in Indian Premier League for another 2 weeks means he will be available for last 2 league games only.

3. Bangalore IPL: Controversies galore.

Vijay Mallya is thinking that he was deceived by Captain Rahul Dravid during IPL auction. He blindly put faith on his icon, Rahul Dravid who went to the auction without doing sufficient ground work over T20 cricket as he lacks experience in this format. Vijay Mallya is speaking corporate language which Indian cricketers take time to understand. They want ruthless execution of tasks as Australian cricketers do on the ground. IPL T20 format is for multitalented young cricketers but Rahul Dravid picked old age test cricketers (like him). He is paying price now. Will other franchisee owners also follow “Hire and fire” game?

4. Kolkata Knight Riders management "politely" asked 5 players to vacate their hotel rooms as they went on cost cutting measures. How much money will they cost if they stay on in the hotel for another 2o days? Poor management decision from Shahrukh Khan.

The players list: Yashpal Singh, Ranadeb Bose, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sourashish Lahiri and Hokkaido. These young cricketers may have learnt a lot by spending time with giants like Shoaib Akthar and Sourav Ganguly. But most of the film stars are always greedy in their acts.

5. Purple cap for highest wicket taker:

Purple cap will be awarded to highest wicket taker in the Indian Premier League. Orange cap is awarded to highest run getter in the tournament. If two bowlers tie on wickets, economy rate will be taken into consideration to decide cap winner. Gautam Gambhir is leading the batsmen list while Indian speedsters Zaheer Khan, Sreesanth and Irfan Pathan are leading wicket takers list.

Bangalore and Kolkata franchisee owners should learn lessons from Mohali and Jaipur team owners on management and PR. Shahrukh and Mallya are too much greedy or rude in their behaviour.

Knight Riders take on Daredevils

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Tue, 13 May 2008 09:01:00 +0000

Rejuvenated Kolkata Knight Riders will take on Delhi Daredevils at Eden Garden in an Indian Premier League match. Delhi surprisingly lost 3 consecutive matches after their wonderful run in the initial matches. Delhi is depending too much on its top order but absence of match winners in the middle order and lack of all-rounder like Daniel Vettori is costing them much. David Hussey and Shukla are revelation for Kolkata Knight Riders and they will expose Delhi’s fifth bowler. Kolkata needs to play Saha in the top order in order to capitalise on power play. Accumulators like Akash Chopra may score 20-30 runs but they can’t fully utilise first 6 overs.

Delhi needs to utilise Farveez Maharoof more astutely as he is a big hitting all-rounder. Glenn McGrath needs to quickly remove Salman Bhatt and Sourav Ganguly in the first spell. Delhi top order can easily tackle Shoaib Akthar’s pace if he plays for Kolkata.

Deciding factor: How Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan will perform against their Ranji team mate Ishant Sharma?

Match timing: From 8 PM to 11 PM.

IPL Statistics:

1. Delhi Daredevils lost 3 straight matches while Kolkata won two straight matches.
2. Sourav Ganguly won back to back man of the match awards.
3. This is the first match between two teams.
4. Both teams won 4 matches while losing 4 games.
5. Gautam Gambhir is the leading run scorer in IPL 2008.
6. David Hussey is the only Kolkata batsmen in the top 10 list.

Key cricketers:

Kolkata Knight Riders:

1. Sourav Ganguly: “Dada” is back to his best and won two man of the match awards in straight games.
2. David Hussey: Most consistent batsman in IPL along with Rohit Sharma.
3. Ishant Sharma: Maturity beyond his age.

Delhi Daredevils:

1. Glenn McGrath: Economical bowling hero.
2. Sehwag- Gambhir: Most consistent and dangerous openers in IPL.
3. Shikhar Dhawan: Consistency is his forte.

Verdict: Delhi Daredevils have slight edge despite recent losses but they have to cope with resurgent Kolkata Knight Riders and Eden Gardens atmosphere where 90,000 passionate fans support their home fans. Match result will depend on how Kolkata bowlers expose weak Delhi middle order. If Glenn McGrath quickly removes Sourav Ganguly, Kolkata will be in trouble. If Ishant Sharma can take care of Delhi top order, Kolkata is safe. Interesting contest.

Probable teams:

Kolkata Knight Riders:

Sourav Ganguly (Captain), Aakash Chopra, Salman Butt, David Hussey, L. Shukla, Saha, Tatenda Taibu, Umar Gul, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda and Murali Karthik.

Delhi Daredevils:

Virender Sehwag (Captain), Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, De Villiers, Rajat Bhatia, Maharoof, Dinesh Karthik, Yo Mahesh, Pradeep Sangwan, Mohammad Asif and Glenn McGrath.

Secrets behind Mohali IPL success

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Tue, 13 May 2008 02:58:00 +0000

I am a big fan of Punjab Kings Eleven but not because of their success. They symbolises the spirit of T20 Cricket and Indian Premier League. They are the most youthful side and their owner Preity Zinta is passionately following IPL and his team from the days of auction. She stood by team through successes and defeats. She stood by Sreesanth in the Harbhajan episode. She is encouraging team from the stands during IPL matches like an ordinary fan. Every team will win matches if they have a owner like her.

Preity Zinta is kissing Yuvraj Singh: Mohali franchisee owner Preity Zinta kissed after their 9 wicket massive win over Bangalore Royal Challengers at PCA grounds in Mohali.
Arrival of Shaun Marsh changed the fortunes of Punjab Kings and their all-india bowling attack bounced back very well after initial setbacks. Their coach Tom Moody played crucial role in selecting ideal T20 players for Mohali. Return of Kumara Sangakkara (after the injury) will further strengthen this team.Preity Zinta is congratulating Piyush Chawla:

Every team will try to win if there is such a reward for success. Vijay Mallya needs to employ such tactics if he wants to win more matches. I want to see "Katrina Kaif is kissing Rahul Dravid" and "Shreya is kissing Adam Gilchrist" etc. I want to see change in fortunes of Hyderabad and Bangalore but these teams lack desire and motivation to win like Mohali and Jaipur.

Please share your opinion on "Why Mohali IPL is winning matches?"

Note: This post is for entertainment purpose only but not to hurt any one. Take it easy.

Image courtesy: Eenadu Daily.

Shaun Marsh smashed Royal challengers

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:59:00 +0000

Young Australians Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach steered Punjab Kings Eleven to a comfortable victory over Bangalore Royal Challengers. Mohali IPL decimated Bangalore IPL by 9 wickets at PCA stadium in Mohali. These young cricketers destroyed famed Bangalore bowling attack with 4’s and 6’s especially South African fast bowler Dale Steyn who gave 33 runs in just 2 overs. This 34th match in Indian Premier League glorified weaknesses in Bangalore test squad. What will Vijay Mallya do after this humiliating defeat? He needed a coach like Tom Moody whose faith in Marsh and Pomersbach is vindicated.

Both these young cricketers were banned from Western Australian team due to their late night drinking habits. But they wonderfully bounced back in the domestic tournament (PURA Cup). Shaun Marsh was selected as “Western Australia cricketer of the year” and was selected for 2008 West Indies tour of Australia.

Image courtesy: Wellpitched.com

IPL Statistic:

1. Shaun Marsh: 5 matches; 295 runs; Average – 98.33.
2. Rahul Dravid is the highest scorer for Bangalore in IPL 2008.

IPL T20 Score:

Bangalore Challengers: 143/8 in 20 overs.

Punjab Kings: 144/1 in 15.4 overs.

Result: Mohali won the match by 9 wickets.

Man of the match: Shaun Marsh – 74 not out.

Best Shot: Misbah’s four in Sreesanth’s bowling.

Defining moments:
1. Misbah out hit wicket when he was playing sensational shots.
2. Shaun Marsh and Pomersbach scored 21 runs in a Dale Steyn’s over.

Highlights of T20 Cricket match:

1. Sreesanth once again bowled exceptionally well in the initial overs. Sreesanth performance improved after the “Slap gate” row.
2. Misbah-Ul-Haq batted superbly in his short stint at middle and he showed glimpses of his talents. Misbah’s association with bizarre outs is continuing.
3. Virat Kohli, Rahul Dravid and Mark Boucher played useful knocks but failed to score big knocks.
4. In my opinion, every team will have 6-7 Australians in their squad especially youngsters in IPL 2009. Their reserve players are playing better than our icons. Mohali is lucky to have 3 Australians (Shaun Marsh, James Hopes and Pomersbach) in the top order.

Verdict: Mohali is the most vibrant team in IPL. Young cricketers, beautiful franchisee owner and stunning displays from players – Do you want more? Punjab coach Tom Moody is doing wonderful job for Punjab. Australians are ruling Indian Premier League in all departments despite absence of main players.

Rajasthan Royals Vs Kapil’s devils

dr.nvkrishna@gmail.com (Dr.Krishna) — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:50:00 +0000

IPL’s most successful team Rajasthan Royals have some striking similarities with Kapil’s 1983 world cup winning team. These similarities once again illustrate the importance of leadership and team work in winning matches. Both teams entered into the tournament without any expectations but surprised everyone with their performance. Both teams consist of useful all-rounders and good fielders. Major difference is Kapil Devils played in 60 overs cricket while Rajasthan Royals are playing in T20 matches.

Similarities between Rajasthan Royals Vs Kapil’s devils: 1. Leadership: Like Kapil Dev, Shane Warne is leading from the front. Shane Warne hit match winning six against Hyderabad in the penultimate ball of the match. Who will forget Kapil’s 175 against Zimbabwe? Both are inspiration leaders.

2. Team Work: Rajasthan Royals are playing as if they are playing as a team for the last 10 years. All the team members already have nicknames.

3. Underdogs: Both 1983 Kapil team and Rajasthan Royals entered into the tournament as underdogs. Will Shane Warne lift IPL 2008 cup?

4. No stars: Like Kapil & Gavaskar (captain & opener), Shane Warne and Graeme Smith (captain & opener) are showing no egos and mingled with teammates very well.

5. Good All-rounders: Mohinder Amaranath played all-rounder role in semi-finals and finals. Shane Watson is playing that role for Jaipur IPL team. Both are match winners. Like Amaranath, Shane Watson won two man of the match awards. 6. Senior & Hitter opening combination: Like Gavaskar and Srikanth, Jaipur has Graeme Smith and Asnodkar. Swapnil Asnodkar/Yusuf Pathan successfully replicated Srikanth hitting.

7. Fielding: Both teams are great fielding sides.

8. Mental Strength: Both teams recovered wonderfully after the humiliating defeats.

9. Huge losses: Kapil’s team lost two league matches against Australia and West Indies by huge margins. Rajasthan suffered two huge defeats against Delhi and Mumbai.

10. Youngsters: Like Kapil, Shane Warne imbibed fearlessness in these players.

Kapil Devils won the 1983 cricket world cup by defeating mighty West Indies in the finals at Lords. I hope Shane Warne will win DLF Indian Premier League Tournament in the finals at DY Patil stadium in Mumbai.