Will today's match be Anil Kumble's swan song ? The statements he keeps making indicate that it may well be. He will turn 40 this October. He retired from one-dayers in 2007 and tests and all forms of first class cricket in 2008. He has been playing only in the IPL in the last 2 years and he has oft repeated in jest that he is an old man and the T20 format is tough on his body. The onlooker may feel that it is just a 3 hour match and the bowler has to bowl only 4 hours but it is a lot tougher than the lengthier formats of the game. As a bowler, you cannot afford to commit a mistake, every ball has to be bowled right. And captaincy will just add to the pressure. Jumbo as he is called debuted in 1990 and with age his technique and finesse just improved. He bagged all 10 wickets in an innings in a test match against Pakistan at Delhi's Feroze Shah Kotla stadium in 1999. His dedication to the game cannot be doubted. It was the year 2002; a test match against the West Indies. Who can forget a heavily bandaged Kumble who came to bowl inspite of a fractured jaw? He is captain material but got to lead a Test team at the fag end of his career. The way he steered the test team and his stint as captain of the Royal Challengers Bangalore team speak volumes of his leadership. His first IPL performance wasn't impressive. But after he assumed captaincy in the 2nd IPL, his as well as the team's performance improved. Sadly, last IPL they lost in the finals to Deccan Chargers and this season, they were defeated in the semi-finals by a very strong team, Mumbai Indians. They now have to fight Deccan Chargers for the 3rd place to qualify for the Champions League. For his age, he has maintained tremendous levels of fitness and injuries have been few. Though … [Read more...]
First IPL Semi-final preview: Mumbai Vs Bangalore
The first semi final in IPL 3 sees the Mumbai Indians take on Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday. The fact these two meet in the semis comes as a surprise to many, who thought they'd only lock horns in the final. Mumbai are favourites after topping the table but any side with Bangalore's batting line-up can't be written off. Venue and Conditions: After 56 games in IPL 3 the eight teams have finally been whittled down to four and now it's time to get serious. The first semi final will see the Royal Challengers Bangalore take on the Mumbai Indians and for the winners the spoils couldn't be higher: a place in the final and also a guaranteed spot in the lucrative Champions League this autumn. Originally this match was scheduled to be played in Bangalore, but given there were two explosions before the last Bangalore home game, it has now been switched. Fortunately for Mumbai the game is now to be played in Mumbai, at the huge Dr DY Patil Sports Academy, where 60,000 Sachin Tendulkar fans will be out in force to cheer on their hero. Only two IPL matches have been played there so far so there are no obvious trends but the wicket does appear to provide assistance to the spinners. Team News: Mumbai Indians: Mumbai rested a number of players for their dead rubber match against Kolkata, so expect to see many changes from that game. Tendulkar, Kieron Pollard, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga and Zaheer Khan will all come back in, while Dwayne Bravo will likely be the most high-profile overseas player to miss out. As recently as last weekend, the Mumbai Indians hammered the Royal Challengers by 57 runs in Bangalore. Mumbai were ruthless on the day as they were already assured of their semi final place. … [Read more...]
Preview: Mumbai Indians Vs Royal Challengers
"Two giants of the game - Tendulkar and Kallis - come together when Royal Challengers and the Mumbai Indians meet in Bangalore on Saturday. Venue and Conditions: The first game of the day takes place at the M Chinnaswamy stadium as the Bangalore Royal Chargers host the Mumbai Indians. The average first innings score at the stadium is 166, suggesting that it is not an easy track to score on. However, that average is dragged down by Rajasthan's abysmal tally of just 92 all out earlier in the tournament and Bangalore's reply of 93 without loss in 10.4 overs provided evidence that there are no gremlins in the pitch. Trivia: • Mumbai have suffered the least run-outs in the competition - only four to date in 12 matches. • Kallis has scored ten fifty-plus scores in the IPL (all seasons), Tendulkar is joint-second with eight. • Across all three IPLs, Harbhajan Singh has been the stingiest bowler, conceding an average of 6.41 an over. Anil Kumble is a close third, with 6.52. • Bangalore has been the most boundary-happy venue this year, with 57.66% of the runs scored there coming in boundaries. Only Cuttack has a higher ratio - 59.76%. • Mumbai have been the best batting side in the last six overs, scoring at 11.04 an over. Team News: Bangalore: This is Bangalore's final round robin match and victory will certainly guarantee them a place in the semi-finals. They have made hard work of it so far and they could still miss out though their net run rate makes that unlikely. Seven wins and six defeats puts them level on points with the Daredevils and the Chargers but they are well ahead on run rate and a win here would be a giant stride towards securing second place and a home semi final. They … [Read more...]
IPL Game preview: Bangalore Vs Kolkata
After a promising start, the Royal Challengers Bangalore are making hard work of IPL 3 and they next face the Knight Riders in Bangalore on Saturday with both sides still in the hunt for a semi final place. One time certainties for a semi-final place, the Royal Challengers have lost four of their last five and are in serious danger of missing out. They will hope to get things back on track against an inconsistent but dangerous Kolkata. Venue and Conditions: The M. Chinnaswamy Stadium has been one of the better surfaces for bowlers in this tournament and even though it looks a little drier now, there is still bounce and seam movement on offer for the quicker bowlers, as well as hint of swing. Trivia: Kolkata have beaten Bangalore on each of the three occasions that they have faced one another on Indian soil. Royal Challengers: Both these sides have won Five of their ten games in the tournament so far but the Royal Challengers will be disappointed to have let a commanding position in the points table slip in recent days. RCB have lost four of their last five to slip back into the chasing pack. RCB has a tough run in with games against the Chargers, the Royals and Mumbai Indians to follow this match. It’s strange that the recent disappointing results sequence has coincided with the arrivals of Pietersen, Cameron White and Ross Taylor. Kevin Pietersen has missed two games and may get a recall, at the expense of Cameron White or Ross Taylor. Bangalore have limited room for manoeuvre besides this and there appears no chance of Mark Boucher or Roelof van der Merwe getting a game any time soon. If Steyn is raw pace and bounce, Praveen Kumar looks for variations to do the job. Vinay Kumar … [Read more...]
IPL T20 Preview: Delhi Vs Bangalore
The story of the Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Delhi Daredevils makes identical with a decent first half of the season means that a semi-final spot is there for the taking for both Bangalore and Delhi and a win for either side on Sunday night only edges that team a little bit closer. On a roll with three successive victories, Delhi Daredevils will look to continue the winning momentum. Delhi had bounced back in the tournament with a 17-run win over Bangalore on March 25 and then won two more matches to bring their campaign back on track. They currently lie third on the points table. The Devil Hosts: It was a convincing win over the Rajasthan Royals the other night, a victory that saw two of the batsmen and two of the bowlers contribute towards. One must doff one’s hat to the manner in which Dinesh Karthik batted after the first couple of wickets had fallen, and virtually took the game away from Rajasthan. The Delhi team has gone through a complete metamorphosis since those three consecutive defeats with the very much in-form unit of David Warner, Paul Collingwood, Farveez Maharoof, Andrew McDonald and Kedhar Jadhav now playing starring roles. A batting order led by Sehwag, but with no mention of the dasher is impossible, but the Delhi stalwart could use some runs and what better time to score them than in a big game. Karthik’s innings was the difference between the two sides, and it consisted of some crisp and clean hitting. He has been doing a good job behind the wickets and this innings in front of the stumps would have only added to his confidence. In Virender Sehwag, Delhi have someone who can rip apart any bowling attack on his given day and Kedar Jadhav has also shown some spark. Among the … [Read more...]
Bangalore Travel
Stadium: Chinnaswamy stadium. How to reach Bangalore: By Air: By Train: By Road: Bangalore Hotels: 1. Lemon tree hotel, Electronics City: Best among budget hotels. 2. St. Mark's hotel: 3. Hotel Ginger, Whitefield: Most affordable hotel from Indian hotel group. Only 999 for room if you book early (15 days). 4. Purple Lotus, Lavelle Road: Best hotel for above mibble class travellers. Stay in this hotel if you want to stay at a peaceful location. 5. The Taj West End, ITC Royal and Hotel Leela: Best hotels for high end travellers who want luxury at any cost. 6. Hotel Bangalore gate, KG Road: Centrally located and also affordable. Close to shopping centres and sightseeing locations. 7. Casa de Bengaluru, Koramangala: Very good hotel. Near by places:Bangalore is a traveler's deight. You have hill stations, spiritual places, forests, sanctuaries, Historical forts & temples, rose & coffee gardens in 400-500 sq.km area. 1. Mysore: 2. Srirangapatnam: 3. Coorg (Madikeri): 4. Kabini: 5. Ooty: 6. Temples: 7. Bird Santcuary: 8. Tiger Sanctuary: 9. Rose garden: 10. … [Read more...]
IPL Auction 2 Live: Chennai bought Flintoff
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 … [Read more...]
IPL 2009 auction: Latest news updates
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. … [Read more...]
Bangalore IPL sacked coach and CEO
Bangalore IPL franchisee owner Vijay Mallya acted tough by sacking Coach Venkatesh Prasad and CEO Charu Sharma for non performance. Brijesh Patel will replace Charu Sharma as CEO of Bangalore Royal Challengers. Sacking of Venkatesh Prasad is yet to be officially confirmed. If BCCI acts in same manner over non-performers, Indian Cricket team will reach top ranking in all formats of game. Corporates spend big money but they want you to show them results. This is not BCCI to tolerate non-performance. They missed the boat in the first round of auction by selecting test cricketers for IPL Twenty20 matches. How can you explain the non-purchase of Robin Uthappa by Bangalore IPL? Charu Sharma took things lightly and paid heavy price. Congrats to Vijay Mallya for trying to inject accountability into Indian Premier League. Initial euphoria is finally over. We will see these types of touch acts in Football leagues. This is a new experience for Indian Cricket lovers. We will see more serious performances in IPL in the coming days.Bangalore IPL lost 5 of the last 7 matches in IPL 2008. Their dismal performance against Punjab made Vijay Mallya to take these tough decisions. These are the first causalities in Indian Premier League. We will see some more sackings in the coming days. Indian coaches and supporting staff were shocked by these sackings as they are not accustomed to such treatments by BCCI despite their dismal performance. … [Read more...]
Bangalore Royal Challengers IPL team 2008
Bangalore IPL team is a reflection of Rahul Dravid mentality. They assembled ideal test team for 20-20 tournament. Experience is its strength and weakness. But they have wonderful bowling attack. Bangalore Royal Challengers will play against Kolkata Knight Riders in the first match of inagural Indian Premier League 20-20 tournament at Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore. Bangalore IPL team: Captain& Icon: Rahul Dravid Batsmen: 1. S. Chanderpaul (West Indies) 2. Misbah-Ui-Haq 3. Wasim Jaffer 4. Ross Taylor (New Zealand) 5. Virat Kohli (Under-19 captain) 6. Devraj patil. All rounders: 1. Jacques Kallis (South Africa) 2. Cameroon White (Australia) 3. Praveen Kumar. Wicketkeeper: Mark Boucher (South Africa). Bowlers: 1. Anil Kumble 2. Dale Steyn (South Africa) 3. Zaheer Khan 4. Nathan Bracken (Australia) 5. Abdur Razaaq (Bangladesh) 6. Sunil Joshi 7. Ashley Noffke 8. Vinay Kumar. Biggest miss: They failed to buy Karnataka star Robin Uthappa. Coach: Venkatesh Prasad. Franchise owner: Vijay Mallya. Brand Ambassador: Katrina Kaif. Official website: www.royalchallengers.com Sportswear: Reebok Formalwear: Louis Philippe. … [Read more...]
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