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 … [Read more...]
IPL 2008: Super successful brothers
They are brothers with bats and balls. 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): 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 will be bowled by Irfan Pathan to Yusuf Pathan. What a climax.A. Irfan Pathan (Punjab Kings Eleven): He already took 13 wickets and leading bowler for purple cap. He is also chipping with bat. … [Read more...]
My failed IPL T20 Cricet Predictions
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 … [Read more...]
Can they recover from Mumbai cyclone?
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 timing: 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 … [Read more...]
Amit Mishra destroyed Hyderabad hopes
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 … [Read more...]
Sensational Jayasuriya stunned Chennai
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 … [Read more...]
Sensational Shoaib Akhtar!
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 … [Read more...]
Harbhajan Banned for 5 One days only
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. 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.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. … [Read more...]
Sourav Ganguly decimated Hyderabad IPL
Sourav Ganguly’s all-round performance enabled Kolkata Knight Riders to defeat patchy Hyderabad Deccan challengers at Uppal stadium in Hyderabad. Hyderabad lost all the home matches while Kolkata raised semi-final hopes with two consecutive wins. Venugopala Rao performance is the sole bright spot for Hyderabad IPL. They are sloppy in fielding and bowling. Sourav Ganguly was supported well by ever reliable David Hussey but Venugopal Rao found no support from other end. Ganguly surprised everyone by opting to bat after winning the toss. But he was right at the end partially due to Hyderabad’s poor bowling and fielding. IPL Cricket score: Kolkata Knight Riders: 204/4 in 20 overs. Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: 181/7 in 20 overs. Match result: Kolkata won by 23 runs. Man of the match: Sourav Ganguly who scored 91 runs in just 57 balls with 11 fours and 5 sixers. This is one of the best innings in the recent IPL matches. He missed well deserved century. Ganguly also took two vital wickets by giving just 24 runs in his 4 overs. Venugopala Rao: Exceptional all-round performance. Bowling: 4 overs; 24 runs. Batting: 71 runs in 42 balls – four 4’s and six 6’s. Verdict: Gregg Chappell is a brilliant talent spotter. He believed in Dhoni leadership and abilities of Suresh Raina and Venugopal Rao. He criticised “seniors” politics. Now he is in Rajasthan management team. Highlights of the match: Kolkata innings: 1. Sourav Ganguly played his best innings in the recent days. Except Vijay Kumar and Venugopala Rao, he destroyed all the bowlers with 4’s and 6’s. 2. I can’t understand why Kolkata picked … [Read more...]
IPL T20 Cricket: Young stars for future
Indian Premier League made talented unknown young cricketers into overnight stars. They have not played either test cricket or one day cricket. Even cricket maniacs don’t know much about them. But today they are household names in India thanks to IPL T20 Cricket. These young cricketers played better than their famed counterparts and will command hefty fees in the next year auction if BCCI lifts upper circuit on them. Indian cricket future is safe in their hands. Young successful cricketers in IPL T20 Cricket: 1. Shikhar Dhawan (Delhi IPL): Delhi Ranji player is an ideal no.3 in both T20 and one day cricket for India. He is in the top 10 batsmen list in IPL 2008. 2. Swapnil Asnodkar (Jaipur IPL): Goa opener needs to change state to get more attention from Indian selectors. He has the potential to replace even Virender Sehwag in Indian T20 team if necessary. He scored 132 in just 3 matches but Rajasthan inexplicably didn't seelct him against Hyderabad. 3. Virat Kohli (Bangalore IPL): India under-19 world cup winning team captain is the rare batting star in poor Bangalore team. 4. Manpreet Gony (Chennai IPL): This Punjab all-rounder surpassed all expectations by taking wickets regularly. This hugely built dynamic young man is a threat to any batsman. 5. Abhishek Nayar (Mumbai IPL): Hard hitting Mumbai batsman is another T20 hopeful. 6. Ashok Dinda (Kolkata IPL): He is Glenn McGrath of Kolkata Knight Riders with his economic bowling. 7. Pradeep Sangwan (Delhi IPL): Along with Yo Mahesh, he is lucky to share dressing room with McGrath. Fast learner. 8. Yo Mahesh: Tamilnadu lad is learning tricks of fast bowling from team mates like Glenn McGrath and Mohammad … [Read more...]
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