In-form Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) at Eden Gardens in Kolkata. Royal Challengers are struggling in IPL 4 due to lack of depth in the bowling. But, Kolkata surprisingly lost to Kochi in the previous game. Toss: RCB captain Daniel Vettori won the toss and elected to field first. IPL 4 match result: Royal Challengers Bangalore defeated Kolkata Knight Riders by 9 wickets. Best of the Match: Chris Gayle, T. Dilshan, Yusuf Pathan, Gautam Gambhir & Jacques Kallis. Worst of the Match: Zaheer Khan, S. Aravind, Shakib Al Hasan & L. Balaji. Live ratings for RCB Vs KKR Cricketers: RCBRatingKKRRating Batsmen: Chris Gayle 10/10Gautam Gambhir 7/10Virat Kohli 7/10Manoj Tiwary 5/10Cheteswar Pujara 5/10Eoin Morgan 3/10Saurabh Tiwary 5/10Rajat Bhatia 4/10Asad Pathan 5/10 All-rounders: T. Dilshan 7/10Jacques Kallis 7/10 Yusuf Pathan 7/10 Shakib Al Hasan 2/10 Wicket-Keeper: AB de Villiers 5/10Brad Haddin 5/10 Bowlers: … [Read more...]
IPL T20 Live: DC Vs KKR
Match result: KKR defeated Deccan Chargers by 9 runs. Man of the match: Jacques Kallis (KKR) & Worst of the match: Ishant Sharma (DC) - poor bowling and dropped a sitter. Live ratings for KKR Vs DC Cricketers: Deccan ChargersRatingKKRRating Batsmen: Shikhar Dhawan 3/10Jacques Kallis 8/10Ishank Jaggi 2/10Eoin Morgan 6/10JP Duminy 5/10Gautam Gambhir 7/10Raviteja 5/10Manoj Tiwary 7/10Bharat Chipli 8/10 All-rounders: Daniel Christian 7/10 Rajat Bhatia 6/10 Yusuf Pathan 6/10 Ryan Doeschate 5/10 Wicket-Keeper: Kumara Sangakkara 5/10Maninder Bisla 6/10 Bowlers: Dale Steyn 7/10Iqbal Abdulla 8/10Pragyan Ojha 5/10L. Balaji 6/10Amit Mishra 8/10Jaidev Unadkat 6/10Ishant Sharma 2/10 DC Vs KKR - over by over highlights: OverKKRDCKKR BattingDC … [Read more...]
IPL 2011 Preview: KKR Vs Deccan Chargers
Kolkata Knightriders will take on Deccan Chargers at Eden Gardens on Monday. Both teams lost their first games against Chennai and Rajasthan respectively. Kolkata lost to Chennai due to poor captaincy by Gautam Gambhir while DD lost against weak Rajasthan due to lack of balance in the team. Match venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata. Match timing: at 8 PM on April 11. Ratings for Teams & Captains: KKR: Team - 8/10 & Captain - 7/10. DC: Team - 7/10 & Captain - 8/10 Major battles: 1. KKR Batting Vs DC bowling. 2. Dale Steyn Vs Jacques Kallis. Best strategy: Batting second on Eden Gardens is not easy especially for KKR as DC has 2 good spinners - Pragyan Ojha & Amit Mishra & Steyn. Analysis of KKR & DD: Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR): KKR lost first game to Chennai due to lack of passion and uninspirational captaincy by Gautam Gambhir. Jacques Kallis's wonderful innings failed to help KKR as other batsmen played careless shots. I don't know why they dropped Ryan Does Chate. Most expensive players - Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan - are the worst performers in that match. Their strength is in the batting but bowling is not adequate - fortunately DC is not a strong batting side. Not available for selection: Brett Lee, Brad Haddin & Shakib Al hasan. Probable squad: Gautam Gambhir (Captain), Jacques Kallis, Maninder Bisla, Manoj Tiwary, Eoin Morgan, Rajat Bhatia, Yusuf Pathan, Iqbal Abdulla, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, L. Balaji & Sarabjit Ladda/Ryan Does Chate. Deccan Chargers (DC): DC has very good bowling line-up … [Read more...]
Preview: Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders
Get ready for IPL 4. 2011 IPL T20 Cricket tournament. Opening ceremony will be held at 6 PM and match will start at 8 PM in Chennai. Best performer in IPL history will take on the worst performer in IPL history. Chennai always reached semi-finals in IPL while Kolkata never make it to semi-finals in the 3 editions of IPL. But, Kolkata made massive changes and bought wonderful players. These group B teams have the potential to reach knock-out round irrespecive of the result in this match. Nostalgic moment: Who can forget the sensational performance of Kolkata in the first game of IPL 1 against Royal Challngers? Can Kolkata able to repeat hisotry? Surprise: Chennai boy L. Balaji will play against Chennai. He played for Chennai in IPL 1, 2 & 3. Match timing: 8 PM on April 8 (Don't miss opening ceremony before the match) Stadium: MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai Analysis of Chennai & Kolkata squads: Note: Doug Bollinger and Brett Lee are not available for Chennai and Kolkata respectively. Chennai Super Kings: Cool captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni may not give Kolkata a chance to create sensation in the opening game of IPL 4. Dhoni may use his best bowler R. Ashwin to control Kolkata (Gambhir) in the initial overs. Absence of Doug Bollinger is a problem. I am interested to see how Dhoni will control maverick hitters like Yusuf Pathan and Eoin Morgan. Chennai will try to expose Kolkata's weakness in the bowling. Crucial players: M.S. Dhoni, Suresh Raina and R. Ashwin. Kolkata Knight Riders: Owner Shahrukh Khan is expecting better performance from his team in IPL 4. It … [Read more...]
Live: IPL 4 auction
IPL 2011 Auction live updates: Click here for IPL teams and latest squad composition. 12:28 PM: bought Kumara Sangakkara for $. He played for Punjab Kings Eleveln in the previous IPL. Now, Sri Lankan star batsman-wicket keeper Kumara Sungakkara will go under the hammer. 12:25 PM: Andrew Symonds was bought by Mumbai Indians for $8.5 lakhs. He played for Deccan Chargers in the earlier editions. Now, Australian hard hitter Andrew Symonds. 12:20 PM: Rohit Sharma was bought by Mumbai Indians for $20 lakhs . He played for Hyderabad in the previous editions. Indian batsman Rohit Sharma will go under the hammer. 12:17 PM: South African all-rounder Jacques Kallis was bought by Kolkata Knight Riders for $ 11 lakhs. He played for Bangalore Royal Challengers in the earlier editions. It is time for No.1 Test batsman Jacques Kallis. 12:13 PM: Cameroon White was bought by Hyderabad Deccan Chargers for Now, Australian all-rounder Cameroon White will go under the hammer. Sensation: What a surprise! No one bid for former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly. Take 15 minutes break. 11:48 AM: South African batsman AB De Villiers was bought by Bangalore Royal Challengers for $11 lakhs. 11:44 AM: Yuvraj Singh was bought by new team Pune IPL for $18 lakhs. It is time for Indian star Yuvraj Singh who played for Punjab Kings in the earlier editions. 11:40 AM: Sri Lankan batsman Mahela Jayawardene was bought by new team Kochi for $15 lakh. 11:36 AM: Hyderabad Deccan Chargers bought Kevin Pietersen for $6.5 … [Read more...]
IPL Teams and Bollywood ownership – Jinxed
Things just don’t seem to be working out for IPL teams owned by Bollywood actors, a fact very noticeable in the 3rd edition of the Indian Premier League. Is it just a coincidence that all the 3 teams languishing at the bottom of the points table have Bollywood stars as owners/stake holders or are such teams jinxed? Sure, the stars have added glitz and glamour to the tournament. But they have not succeeded in ensuring positive results. One cannot dismiss this as a one-off case which has occurred only in IPL-3. Shahrukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders has never been a contender for the top four slots in any IPL season. The deepening worry lines on his face when the team loses makes one feel sorry for him. In the case of team Kings XI Punjab, actor Preity Zinta may have become a co-owner by virtue of being the beau of industrialist, Ness Wadia. In the first season of IPL, they ranked 2nd in the points table. In IPL-2, when there were rumours of a split between Preity and Ness, they slipped to 5th position. And in the current season, the official split seems to have affected the team's morale and the results are there for all to see. The team is at the bottom of the score ladder notwithstanding Preity Zinta’s cheering and her dip in the holy Ganga at Hardwar. The Rajasthan Royals, remember, won the cup in the 1st edition ; and then Shilpa Shetty (who suddenly was in the limelight due to the 'Big Brother' show ) purchased a stake along with business partner, Raj Kundra. Things have been going steadily downhill for the team since then. Last year they were at number 6 and as of now they are but one step away from the bottom. Being brand ambassadors for teams is a better way of association with the IPL with no risk involved. This has … [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 Preview: Kolkata Vs King XI Punjab
Author: Mona Gupta (New Delhi) Back to winning ways courtesy an inspiring innings from Ganguly in their last match against title-holders Deccan Chargers, Kolkata Knight Riders suddenly find themselves in reckoning for a last-four berth as their 24-run victory improved their position to fifth on the table. Kolkata Knight Riders will be high on confidence when they take on a battered and bruised Kings XI Punjab in their return match of the Indian Premier League match in Kolkata on Sunday. Venue and Conditions: The troubled Kings XI Punjab will visit the cricketing Mecca of Eden Gardens to take on Sourav Ganguly's Kolkata Knight Riders in match 34 of the IPL. Punjab are in disarray after losing a game they should have won to Bangalore last time out and they are now four points adrift at the bottom of the table. Kolkata are in fifth and need to win to maintain their challenge for the semis. The pitches at Eden Gardens tend to get slower as the game progresses so batting first tends to be the preferred choice for the captain that wins the toss. Any score over 160 here is a potentially defendable total. The Kolkata: Kolkata will have been delighted with their last performance against Deccan and may field virtually the same team. There will be pressure on Angelo Mathews and more importantly Chris Gayle to start delivering with the bat, but they have compensated somewhat by producing handy performances with the ball, so should be safe. Kolkata tend to run hot then cold, a good performance followed by a bad one. This lack of consistency needs to be addressed especially in their batting where they need more than one player to contribute a decent score each innings. So Chris Gayle needs to step up to the plate … [Read more...]
IPL Match Preview: Kolkata Vs Delhi
The IPL points table is bunching up and Monday's match features two middle-ranking teams who recently arrested their respective slumps with vital wins. The Delhi Daredevils entertain Sourav Ganguly's Kolkata Knight Riders at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi on Monday night. A victory for either side will put their IPL campaigns right on track where as a defeat may start another of those dreaded losing streaks, which both teams will be desperate to avoid. Venue and Conditions: The Feroz Shah Kotla achieved notoriety last December when a one-day game between India and Sri Lanka was called off after twenty-three overs due to an unsafe pitch. But fast bowlers who were anticipating having some fun in Delhi have been disappointed in the tournament so far. In the first game, Mumbai piled up 218 and in the second, Chennai easily overhauled the home side's total of 185. The pitch is flat and true and offers very little for bowlers of any description. Team Performance: Delhi will be desperately hoping that their two injured players will be fit for this game. Without Asish Nehra, the bowling looks threadbare and Captain Gautam Gambhir's steadying influence at the top of the order is sorely missed. Their other decision is whether to recall Tillakaratne Dilshan, who was dropped for the last two games. Kolkata have options but may decide to stick with a winning team. David Hussey has gone straight into the team at the expense of Owais Shah and is sure to be given a decent run. Charl Langeveldt and Ajantha Mendis don't look like getting a game any time soon but they consider drafting in spinner Murali Karthik. These teams secured vital wins last time out, but of the two victories, Delhi's was the more impressive, … [Read more...]
Match Preview: Punjab Vs Kolkata
Match Preview: King XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Rider Venue and Conditions: On Saturday, two bollywood stars Preety Zinta and Shahrukh Khan will face each other on cricket ground. Preety's Kings XI Punjab will play Shahrukh's Kolkata Knight Kolkata Knight Riders at the Mohali ground in Chandigarh. Both the sides are struggling to get into the top four in the points table, with Punjab having won only one game out of the five matches they have played while Kolkata won two. Team performance: Kolkata had had a good start to the tournament with two upset victories against defending champions Deccan Chargers and last edition runners-up Royal Challengers Bangalore. KKR’s sudden batting woes at the top means that they have lost three successive games. However, it has been worse for the Kings XI Punjab, who lost three matches to start their campaign before scraping through one and that too via a one-over eliminator against Chennai Super Kings and then going down in another one. For Kings, nothing seemed to be going right and they are now at the bottom of the points table. Kolkata had a reasonable start in their previous game against Mumbai, but the surprising bit was that despite the presence of Sourav Ganguly and Chris Gayle as openers, the run-rate was pretty low. Ganguly looks like a pale shadow of himself and it would make sense for him to promote a right-handed batsman up the order instead of himself. He may also consider the Brad Hodge and Owais Shah swap, with Hodge having had shown signs of good form. In the bowling department, left-arm spinner Murali Kartik has been the most consistent while New Zealand pacer Shane Bond has also done a decent job so far. Pacer Ishant Sharma though has been expensive. … [Read more...]
Recent Comments