Lack of partnerships hurt us: Tendulkar

Struggling to digest the three-run defeat against Kings XI Punjab, Mumbai Indians captain Sachin Tendulkar said they were done in by the lack of partnerships in their IPL encounter yesterday. Chasing a modest victory target of 120, the Mumbai side finished 116 for seven with only JP Duminy (59) managing to salvage some pride. "After the first half, we thought we are in a good position to win the match but this was one of those games where pressure built up and we lost early wickets. All credit to Kings XI Punjab, they played really well," Tendulkar said. "To chase a target of 120, we needed 35-40 run partnerships. A couple of such partnerships and you are there. But it simply did not happen today and they kept pressure on us all along," he said. Kings XI captain Yuvraj Singh, who spend the last few overs outside the ground due to injury, admitted he was nervous and heaped praise on both Piyush Chawla and Yusuf Abdulla who bowled the final two overs. "I was really nervous today," Yuvraj said. "We wanted to bowl Piyush in the 19th over to get the left-hander out. The wicket had turned slow and therefore we used more spinners. Yusuf bowled a very good last over too," he said.

Abdulla clinches Punjab a last-over thriller

Yusuf Abdullah helped Punjab seal the tightest win of the tournament
Kings XI Punjab 119 for 8 (Sangakkara 45*, Malinga 2-12) beat Mumbai Indians 116 for 7 (Duminy 59, Abdulla 2-19) by three runs

Talk about pulling one from out of the hat. Defending a small total Kings XI Punjab's three-pronged pace attack bowled canny spells to rock Mumbai Indians' chase, and despite a composed half-century from JP Duminy, Punjab hung on to complete a nerve-wracking three-run victory. Mumbai hardly set a wrong foot forward from the time they lost the toss, striking early through spin and keeping their hands on the jugular through Lasith Malinga's late strikes, but failed to chase 120. Kumar Sangakkara had kept the innings alive with an important unbeaten 45 with scant support and it proved decisive in the end. Having struck early in the piece the task of bowling the last over, and defend 12 runs, came to Yusuf Abdulla. And what an over it turned out to be.
Duminy, who was on 55, swung two down the ground, missed a clever slower ball, left a wide be, heaved two more, and then swung the fourth ball straight to deep midwicket. Abdulla was perspiring insanely in the Kingsmead cauldron as he left his giddy team-mates and went back to his mark. But this is a left-arm fast bowler adept at the Twenty20 format, and he only allowed three off the next two balls, aided by a superb dive at cover by the portly Ramesh Powar off the last ball to save a couple, to spark incredible scenes.
This major upset was put into motion early in Mumbai's chase. Mumbai are very reliant on their veteran openers, so striking early was one massive way at winning. Irfan Pathan gave Punjab exactly what they wanted, getting Sanath Jayasuriya to nick one to slip in the first over. Then Sachin Tendulkar, for once, failed. After a thick edge past backward point and crude hoick he drove Vikramjeet Malik straight to point. The situation was particularly dubious when a struggling Shikhar Dhawan missed a middle-stump yorker from Abdulla.
That left Duminy and Dwayne Bravo to steer a faltering chase, and Duminy set about it with consecutive boundaries in Malik's second over. Bravo a pulled four and lofted six in Piyush Chawla's opening over only to repeat the big shot in the next and hole out to long-on. Mumbai went into the tactical break on 47 for 4, still 73 adrift.
Duminy has proved a master of such situations and milked the bowling in a 49-run stand with Abhishek Nayar. Livewires alike, they pinched singles and kept runs ticking over. Harried singles from clever paddles and rubber-wrist dabs also did the trick. A few fumbles in the deep told as Punjab started to slack; a couple fortuitous inside edges and a missed run out and stumping compounded their frustration.
As the target got closer Duminy raised his fifty off 55 balls, the slowest of the IPL. Irfan came back to clean up Nayar first ball of the 18th over, with Mumbai needing 26, and Harbhajan Singh fell in the penultimate over with 19 left. Seven runs were scampered in the next five balls. Then Abdullah came into the picture to seal Punjab the tightest win of the tournament.
It was a disappointing loss for Mumbai after a glossy display in the field. For the second game running at Kingsmead spin had its say over proceedings early on. Mumbai's slow bowlers came on well inside the first ten overs and quickly dented Punjab. Malinga and Zaheer Khan were frugal with the new ball, but it was Harbhajan's entry in the fourth over brought the wicket of Goel, stumped easily. That brought about another change, Bravo coming in and immediately accounting for Ravi Bopara with an away-swinger. The Powerplay yielded two wickets for Mumbai and just 26 runs for Punjab, which included one six and a four.
Attempting to up the tempo Yuvraj was well held on the long-on boundary by Zaheer off Duminy - who came in the seventh over - and Mumbai were hooting and screaming. At the ten-over break Punjab were 50 for 3. Throughout the tournament the first over after the tactical break has proved jittery for sides batting first and the pattern continued. Enter Jayasuriya and third ball Mahela Jayawardene chipped a low full toss to long-on.
Batting wasn't easy with the slow bowlers purchasing grip from a track on which spin accounted for eight wickets in the afternoon's game. Sangakkara curbed himself in and knocked the ball around. The sweep was a shot he played regularly in between chopping the ball into the arc between cover and point. After Irfan fell in the 15th over Punjab needed a big over, but it never came. Malinga came back for two overs and nobody was able to get him away; Wilkin Mota and Chawla were yorked in the space of three balls. In the last ten overs Mumbai conceded just two boundaries off the bat, Sangakkara and Powar clubbing Bravo twice in the final over.
Ultimately Sangakkara's vigil and Abdulla's calm came up trumps for Punjab. For Mumbai, it was a rude wake-up call, and they will now seriously have to address a batting order too reliant on the openers.

Bopara proving a big hit, clinches No.3 spot

London, Apr 30 (ANI): Indian origin England batsman Ravi Bopara has been preferred for the No.3 position for the first Test against West Indies, beating Michael Vaughan, Ian Bell and Owais Shah to get the coveted spot.
Coach Andy Flower spent Monday with the selectors - Miller, James Whitaker and Ashley Giles - at the National Academy in Loughborough. And the squad they emerged with has set England on a fresh course.
Miller quite rightly insisted that there are any number of players who can force their way back into contention for the Test squad, including Vaughan, he hoped it would send a clear message to the players that consistent, current performance will go rewarded, not reputation or perceived class.
Flower and Strauss both rate Bopara, 23, who impressed with a debut century in his maiden Test in Barbados.
"There was a lot of competition for that batting position, but Bopara now has the opportunity to stake a claim," said Miller.
"He showed in Barbados he has the ability to play at Test level," The Daily Express quoted Miller, as saying.
Bell might consider himself the most unlucky after having hit the form at the right time.
"We need to get him more passionate about playing so he doesn't lose his place again," said Miller.
Miller added that in a break with normal practice, the squad for the second Test at the Riverside is to be announced "towards the end" of the Lord's Test. (ANI)

South Africans excel in last-over thrillers

South African seamer Yusuf Abdulla and batsman Mark Boucher held their nerve under pressure in last-over finishes in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.
Bangalore Royal Challengers needed 10 runs in the last over to achieve a 140-run target against Kolkata Knight Riders before Boucher smashed spinner Chris Gayle's penultimate delivery for a winning four.
Wicket-keeper Boucher was named man of the match for his unbeaten 25 off 13 balls in Bangalore's five-wicket victory.
Kings XI Punjab owed their three-run win over Mumbai Indians to Abdulla, who bowled an eight-run last over when the opposition required 12 to win. Mumbai were restricted to 116-7 in reply to Punjab's 119-8.
Abdulla ensured Punjab's win in the final over when he dismissed well-set Jean-Paul Duminy, caught in the deep after making a responsible 63-ball 59 -- the day's only half-century.
Deccan Chargers currently lead the eight-team tournament with eights points from four matches, followed by Punjab (6/5), Delhi (6/4), Mumbai (5/5), Rajasthan (5/5), Bangalore (4/6), Chennai (3/5) and Kolkata (3/6).
Mumbai were struggling at 45-4 in the 10th over before South African Duminy sustained his team's hopes with a solid knock containing four boundaries.
Punjab seized the early initiative through pacemen Irfan Pathan, Vikramjeet Malik and Abdulla, who grabbed three of the first four wickets, including those of hard-hitting openers Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya.
Jayasuriya fell for a duck in the opening over, caught by skipper Yuvraj Singh in the slips off Pathan. Skipper Tendulkar contributed just one before cutting Malik to Mahela Jayawardene at point.
Punjab earlier failed to build a partnership against a disciplined Mumbai attack, with Sri Lankan wicket-keeper Kumar Sangakkara alone offering stiff resistance with an unbeaten 45 off 44 balls.
Teenager Shreevats Goswami also played a big role in Bangalore's victory, top-scoring with 43. The 19-year-old opener hit six fours in his 46-ball knock.
Australian spinner Brad Hodge put pressure on Bangalore with three wickets, but Boucher batted sensibly in the crucial last over to steer his team home.
Bangalore skipper Kevin Pietersen used his spinners intelligently to restrict Kolkata to a modest total. Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble was the most successful bowler with 2-16 off four overs. South African Morne van Wyk top-scored for Kolkata with 43 not out.
Part-time off-spinner Pietersen himself bowled the opening over and struck with his first delivery, having hard-hitting New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum caught by Virat Kohli at point.
Kumble was pressed into the attack early in the innings and got a wicket in his opening over when he trapped Hodge (17) leg-before before accounting for Wriddhiman Saha (21).
Left-arm spinner Prabhu Appanna claimed a big wicket when he had West Indies skipper Gayle caught in the deep. Gayle, batting with a runner due to leg cramps in the later part of his innings, hit a 37-ball 40.

India gives rebel ICL players a second chance

Manohar said the decision was taken after some ICL players "admitted they made a mistake in joining the rebel league"

India's cricket chiefs on Wednesday said players signed up with an unauthorised Twenty20 league would be allowed to play in official matches if they severed links with the rebel body.
Local players with the Indian Cricket League (ICL) can play domestic first-class matches if they end their rebel contracts by May 31, but must wait for a year to be eligible for international cricket, officials said.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Shashank Manohar said the decision was taken after some ICL players "admitted they made a mistake in joining the rebel league."
"We have decided to grant amnesty to ICL players and welcome them to return to the BCCI fold," Manohar told reporters after a meeting of the BCCI's working committee here.
"The players will not be given any international assignment for one year after they quit the ICL as a punishment. But they can play in domestic competitions with immediate effect.
"They have been given amnesty time till May 31."
There are at least 85 Indian players aligned with the ICL, which is bankrolled by India's largest listed media company, Zee Telefilms.
The ICL, headed by the country's lone World Cup winning captain Kapil Dev, also signed on foreign stars such as the retired Brian Lara and Inzamam-ul Haq, and current players like New Zealand fast bowler Shane Bond.
The ICL organised two tournaments in 2008, but their next edition in March this year was cut short due to security concerns following the Mumbai attacks.
There was no immediate reaction from ICL officials, who were planning to hold a tournament in October.
ICL players were banned from official cricket around the world at the behest of the powerful Indian board which organises its own Twenty20 competition, the Indian Premier League.
The second edition of the IPL, featuring the world's top stars and Indian players, is currently being played in South Africa.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) earlier this month rejected an application by the ICL for "authorised unofficial" status, saying it did not meet its criteria.
"Authorised unofficial" status would have allowed ICL players to play Test, one-day or Twenty20 cricket for their respective countries.
With India clearing the decks for the return of its ICL players, other nations may follow suit and allow their players to take part in official cricket.
There are an estimated 60 foreign players associated with the ICL.

Undefeated Pathan powers Rajasthan to IPL victory

Yusuf Pathan was the 62-run hero on Tuesday as title holders Rajasthan Royals defeated Delhi Daredevils by five wickets in an Indian Premier League thriller.
Although a Delhi team boasting a perfect record from three outings made only a modest 143-7 in their 20 overs at Centurion Park, they held a slender edge until the closing overs of the Rajasthan innings.
Pathan hit consecutive sixes in the 13th over, repeated the feat five later and hit the boundary that lifted Rajasthan to 147-5 in 18.3 overs and their second victory in five outings.
In trouble at 64-5 when captain and Australia legend Shane Warne was an unhappy stumping victim for a duck, Royals deperately needed saviours and found them in Pathan and South Africa captain Graeme Smith.
Quickfire Pathan struck six sixes and three fours in his 30-ball spell at the crease while the unbeaten 44 of the more cautious Smith included five fours.
Ashish Mishra was easily the most successful Delhi bowler with 3-34 in four overs while no one suffered more than New Zealand veteran Daniel Vettori, who conceded 32 runs in 12 balls.
Winning the toss and opting to bat, Delhi lost the wickets of openers Gautam Gambhir (8) and Virender Sehwag (16) to Dimitri Mascarenhas in the third over and were indebted to South African AB de Villiers.
He struck one six and five fours off 40 balls at his provincial home ground before being trapped leg before by Warne having completed his half century in perfect conditions on a wicket expected to yield more runs.
Manuf Patel (2-14) returned the most impressive figures in the Rajasthan attack with Mascarenhas (2-28) and inspirational leader Warne (2-32) also making significant contributions.

Flintoff set for World Twenty20 - ECB

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is expected to be fit for June's World Twenty20 event after he underwent keyhole surgery on his right knee, the England and Wales Cricket (Board) said Tuesday.
The fast bowler and hard-hitting batsman tore the meniscus in his right knee while playing in the Indian Premier League in South Africa.
Hugh Morris, the England cricket managing director, said: "The surgeon has informed the ECB chief medical officer Nick Peirce the operation went extremely smoothly.
"I am grateful to the ECB medical team, the surgeon and radiologists as well as the Chennai Super Kings (Flintoff's IPL team) for keeping the England team management and me informed about Andrew's injury and the subsequent operation."
An ECB statement added: "It is expected that Flintoff will make a normal recovery and should be available for the ICC World Twenty20 which will be held in England in June."
That would leave Flintoff with between five to six weeks to regain full fitness but the ECB's optimism about the 31-year-old Lancashire star's prospects may not be widely shared given his extensive injury history.
And the fact that Flintoff, who has a lucrative England central contract designed to give the national management control over when he plays and when he rests, suffered his latest injury while playing in the money-spinning IPL, has led to criticism of both the player and the board.
"Players just cannot have their cake and eat it," former England captain Nasser Hussain wrote in the Daily Mail last weekend after news of Flintoff's latest injury became public.
"They cannot expect to reap the benefits of a lucrative central contract and then only be under the control of the ECB when it suits them.
"Player power has over-ridden common sense," added Hussain, who played alongside Flintoff for England.
England have a busy home season with the West Indies series and the World Twenty20 coming ahead of an Ashes campaign, with England fans hoping Flintoff can repeat his outstanding performance in their side's 2005 series win at home to Australia.
"We must now ask: just what is the point of the England players' central contracts if they are not to guard against them getting injured ahead of a summer containing the World Twenty20 and the Ashes?" Hussain said.
The likes of Australia captain Ricky Ponting withdrew from this year's IPL to concentrate on their international commitments.
Flintoff's career has been interrupted by several injuries with foot, back, groin, hernia, shoulder, side and hip problems all causing him to miss international matches, while his left ankle has been operated on four times.
He became the jointly most highly valued player in world cricket when he was signed to play in the IPL for 1.55 million dollars, as was his England team-mate Kevin Pietersen.
But Flintoff took just two wickets at an expensive 52.50 apiece in his three IPL matches.
His absence could open up a way back into Test cricket for former captain Michael Vaughan or all-rounder Ravi Bopara when the squad for next week's first Test against the West Indies at Lord's is announced on Wednesday.

Tendulkar, Jayasuriya win it for Mumbai

Senior pros Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya produced vintage strokeplay to give Mumbai Indians a key victory in the Indian Premier League here on Monday.
The ageing duo hammered 127 for the first wicket from just 12.2 overs as Mumbai scored 187-6 in 20 overs after electing to take first strike and then bowled out Kolkata Knight Riders for 95 in 15.2 overs.
The massive 92-run victory took Mumbai's tally to five points from four matches, putting them in third place behind leaders Deccan Chargers (eight points) and Delhi Daredevils (six).
Bollywood star Shahrukh Khan's Knight Riders were left tottering on three points from five games and needed to win a majority of their remaining nine matches to stay in contention for the semi-finals.
Tendulkar, the world's leading Test and one-day batsman who has voluntarily opted out of India's Twenty20 squad, smashed a brilliant 68 off 45 balls.
The prolific 36-year-old hit six boundaries and four sixes, one of them against Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis that landed outside the St George's Park stadium.
Jayasuriya, who turns 40 in June, hammered 52 off 32 balls with two fours and four sixes as the veterans turned the clock back in a breathtaking display of attacking batting.
Kolkata's chase faltered early when skipper Brendon McCullum was dismissed by Lasith Malinga in the second over and West Indian captain Chris Gayle fell to team-mate Dwayne Bravo in the third.
Brad Hodge (24) and Sourav Ganguly (34) were the chief contributors to Kolkata's meagre total as Lasith Malinga and Abhishek Nayar scalped three wickets each.

No stopping Deccan Chargers in IPL

Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs clobbered the Chennai Super Kings attack to hand Deccan Chargers their fourth successive win in the Indian Premier League on Monday.
The Australian-South African duo hammered 67 off 34 balls in a spectacular opening stand as the Chargers surpassed Chennai's competitive 165-6 with six wickets and three balls to spare in the Twenty20 clash at the Kingsmead here.
The 37-year-old Gilchrist, leading the Deccan Chargers after retiring from international cricket last year, blazed 44 off 19 balls with five boundaries and three sixes.
Gibbs remained unbeaten on 69 with six fours and two sixes to continue his side's impressive run this year. The Chargers had finished at the bottom of the table in last year's inaugural tournament.
Chennai, finalists last year, now have just one win from five matches with three defeats and one rained-off game.
Chennai's innings revolved around two whirlwind knocks from left-handed veterans Matthew Hayden of Australia and Jacob Oram of New Zealand.
Hayden, who quit official cricket in January, hit 49 off 35 balls to remain the tournament's leading scorer with 215 runs in five innings.
Hayden put on 64 in 39 balls for the second wicket with Suresh Raina (25) and 38 for the third with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (22) after Parthiv Patel had fallen in the first over.
Oram, who replaced England's injured all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, smashed an unbeaten 41 off 29 balls with four boundaries and two sixes.

India take World Cup charge after Pakistan exit

India will organise a major part of cricket's World Cup in 2011 after Pakistan were stripped of co-hosting rights, the International Cricket Council said on Tuesday.
The showpiece event awarded to South Asia was thrown into turmoil earlier this month after the ICC removed Pakistan as a host nation due to security concerns, following the attack on the Sri Lankan team in Lahore in March.
The ICC moved swifty to put the tournament back on track, giving India a majority of matches with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh retained as co-hosts.
"We are confident of organising a very successful World Cup," ICC chief executive Haroon Lorgat told reporters after a meeting of the tournament's organising committee here.
The World Cup secretariat was shifted from Lahore to Mumbai, while the Indian cricket board official Ratnakar Shetty was appointed the event's managing director in place of Pakistani banker Salman Butt.
India will host 29 matches at eight venues, including one quarter-final, a semi-final and the final, Lorgat said.
Sri Lanka will organise 12 matches at three venues, including a quarter-final and semi-final, while Bangladesh gets eight games at two venues.
The Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka will host the opening ceremony on February 18 and the tournament opener the next day, besides two quarter-final matches.
The organising committee, headed by ICC vice-president Sharad Pawar of India, will include an operations and planning group comprising Bangladesh official Mahboob Alam, Indian board secretary N. Srinivasan, Sri Lanka's Duleep Mendis and Shetty.
Lorgat swept aside questions on whether Pakistan would boycott the World Cup in protest at being denied hosting rights, saying "we will cross the bridge when we come to it."

Punjab blown away by Kolkata Gayle

Chris Gayle hammered an explosive 44 not out to power Kolkata Knight Riders to an 11-run victory over Kings XI Punjab in a rain-hit Indian Premier League match on Tuesday.
The West Indies skipper smashed four sixes in his 26-ball knock as Kolkata raced to 79-1 off 9.2 overs in reply to their opponents' 20-over total of 158-6 when the game was called off due to rain.
Kolkata, who were 11 runs ahead on the Duckworth-Lewis method, posted their first win in two games. Punjab have lost both of their matches.
Left-handed Gayle put his team on course for victory when he put on 57 off just 33 balls for the opening wicket with New Zealander Brendon McCullum, who cracked two sixes in his 16-ball 21.
Punjab paid dearly for letting off Gayle early in the innings, with Karan Goel dropping an easy catch at mid-wicket off South African left-arm seamer Yusuf Abdulla.
Yuvraj Singh and Kumar Sangakkara (26) helped Punjab post a respectable total with a 56-run stand for the fourth wicket after a double-strike from Kolkata seamer Sourav Ganguly.
Skipper Yuvraj, who smashed six sixes in an over at this venue against England in the Twenty20 World Championships in 2007, top-scored with a 28-ball 38 with the help of two sixes.
Former India captain Ganguly ended Punjab's early flourish with two wickets in his opening over, having pinch-hitter Irfan Pathan (32) caught at deep mid-wicket and removing Ravi Bopara (15) caught behind.
Yuvraj and Sangakkara then steadied the innings before Mahela Jayawardene cracked a 19-ball 31 not out to help his team cross the 150-mark.

'Golden oldies' Hayden, Murali sparkle for Chennai

Matthew Hayden

Cricket 'golden oldies' Matthew Hayden and Muttiah Muralitharan powered Chennai Super Kings to a 92-run win over Bangalore Royal Challengers on Monday in the Indian Premier League.
Australian Hayden, who departed the international scene recently at the age of 37, struck a sizzling 65 at Saint George's Park in this southern coastal city before being run out by Rahul Dravid.
The departure of Hayden just one ball after fellow opener Parthiv Patel was out for 30 did slow a Chennai charge that saw them dash to 106-0 after 10 overs, but they finished on 179-5 to set Royals a challenging target.
Enter Sri Lanka wizard Muralitharan to cause havoc and snap up three wickets, including the prized one of former England captain Kevin Pietersen for a duck, and all the damage was inflicted at the expense of just 11 runs.
Bangalore were in trouble from the start, losing opener Praveen Kumar in the third ball of the innings and quickly fell behind the nine-run-an-over victory target.
South African Jacques Kallis made a quick 24 before becoming the next Chennai victim and by the 'strategy break' the Challengers needed a miracle as they languished at 56-5 with 10 overs completed.
There was no miraculous turnaround, only more Chennai wickets on the same track that produced a bucketful of runs when South Africa trumped Australia in an ODI clash last week.
Kallis finished as top scorer and opener Robin Uthappa and Dravid contributed 20 runs each as Bangalore slipped from top spot after the opening round to fifth while 2008 runners-up Chennai climbed two places to third.

Rain, floodlight failure put dampener on IPL

Rain and a floodlight failure took the gloss off the second day of the Indian Premier League's double-header weekend at Newlands Sunday.
A grey first day provided enough cricket and entertainment, including an expensive and spectacular opening ceremony, to satisfy a capacity crowd.
All the tickets for Sunday were sold out too but steady morning rain threatened to ruin the day.
The match between the Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab started more than an hour and a half late.
Initially reduced to a 14-overs-a-side, it became a 12-overs game and finally was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis Method when chasing side Delhi's innings was halted by rain.
In the end they had to score 54 in six overs, which they accomplished with seven balls to spare for a 10-wicket win.
New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori took three for 15 for Delhi as Kings XI were restricted to 104 for seven.
Indian opening batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir made the revised target of 54 look easy, with Sehwag finishing the match with his fourth six in an innings of 38 not out off 16 balls.
"I think spinners are going to play a huge part in the tournament," said Vettori, referring to good performances by Harbhajan Singh, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble on Saturday.
Just before the Deccan Chargers took on the Kolkata Knight Riders, the lights on one of four floodlight towers failed.
By the time the problem was solved, the schedule was again running more than an hour and a half late but a full match was played.
With the pitch proving lively in the damp conditions, the Knight Riders were bundled out for 101 and the Chargers strolled to an easy eight-wicket win.
Fast bowler RP Singh took four for 22 as Kolkata struggled to 101 all out.
The Chargers needed only 13.1 overs to clinch their win, with Herschelle Gibbs hitting 43 not out and Rohit Sharma 36 not out.
It was an encouraging performance by the Deccan side, who finished last of the eight teams in 2008.
"It's a good start," said Gibbs. "We've got a new captain, a new manager and some new ideas. The team spirit is really good."
With new captain Adam Gilchrist at the helm and former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann as coach, the Chargers kept the Knight Riders under pressure almost from the time Kolkata captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and decided to bat.
Australian Brad Hodge was the only Kolkata batsman to shine, hitting 31 before falling to a stunning reflex catch by Gibbs at backward point off Scott Styris.
Delhi and Deccan joined first day winners Mumbai Indians and Bangalore Royal Challengers as pace-setters in the 37-day tournament.

Vettori shines as Delhi win shortened game

New Zealand left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori took three for 15 as the Delhi Daredevils won a rain-shortened Indian Premier League match against Kings XI Punjab by ten wickets at Newlands Sunday.
Vettori's bowling was mainly responsible for restricting the Kings XI to 104 for seven in 12 overs in an overs-reduced game after rain delayed the start by more than an hour and a half.
Indian opening batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir made a revised target of 54 in six overs look easy, with Sehwag finishing the match with his fourth six in an innings of 38 not out off 16 balls.
Punjab made a flying start, reaching 67 before losing their first wicket off the last ball of the sixth over when Vettori caught Karan Goel at mid-on of Yo Mahesh.
Goel hit 38 off 21 balls with three fours and three sixes, including a massive hit off Mahesh which sailed out of the ground beyond mid-wicket.
Vettori came on to bowl the next over after the mid-innings break and trapped Ravi Bopara (22) leg before with his first delivery.
The Punjab innings never regained momentum as Vettori took two more wickets in his three-over spell and two run-outs contributed to the collapse.
"I think spinners are going to play a huge part in the tournament," said man of the match Vettori, referring to good performances by Mumbai's Harbhajan Singh, Rajasthan's Shane Warne and Bangalore's Anil Kumble Saturday on the first day of a double header opening weekend.
"Spinners have adapted as quickly as anyone in the Twenty20 game."
Sehwag and Gambhir reached 24 in 1.5 overs before rain halted play. The revised target meant they needed only another 30 runs off 4.1 overs.

Singh grabs four in Deccan Chargers victory

Fast bowler RP Singh took four wickets as the Deccan Chargers gained a comfortable eight-wicket win over the Kolkata Knight Riders in their Indian Premier League crown at Newlands Sunday.
Singh took four for 22 as Kolkata struggled to 101 all out on a lively pitch.
The Chargers needed only 13.1 overs to clinch their win, with Herschelle Gibbs hitting 43 not out and Rohit Sharma 36 not out.
It was an encouraging performance by the Deccan side, who finished last of the eight teams in 2008.
"It's a good start," said Gibbs. "We've got a new captain, a new manager and some new ideas. The team spirit is really good."
With new captain Adam Gilchrist at the helm and former Australian batsman Darren Lehmann as coach, the Chargers kept the Knight Riders under pressure almost from the time Kolkata captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and decided to bat.
McCullum was out early, caught down the leg side off Singh, and Chris Gayle followed soon afterwards, hitting Singh for a four and a six before holing out to deep mid-off.
While Singh took the wickets, West Indian fast bowler Fidel Edwards conceded only two runs in a remarkable opening spell of three overs.
Australian Brad Hodge was the only Kolkata batsman to shine, hitting 31 before falling to a stunning reflex catch by Gibbs at backward point off Scott Styris.
Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha took two for 14 in four accurate overs before Singh came back to finish off the tail.
Gilchrist and Gibbs gave Deccan a fast start, putting on 24 in 2.5 overs before Gilchrist was caught for 14.
VVS Laxman was run out for 10 but Gibbs and Sharma saw their team through in an unbeaten stand of 69.

Kumble sends Rajasthan Royals crashing to defeat

Veteran Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble sent the Rajasthan Royals crashing to defeat when they started the defence of their Indian Premier League crown at Newlands Saturday.
Kumble took five for five as the Bangalore Royal Challengers gained a crushing 75-run win as the champions were bowled out for a paltry 58.
"It was pretty disappointing," admitted Rajasthan captain Shane Warne. "As defending champions we expect better of ourselves. Our shot selection was poor."
Bangalore skipper Kevin Pietersen was overjoyed with the opening win.
"The boys played fantastic cricket," he said. "It was a great team effort and you can't buy Anil Kumble's experience in a shop."
Indian batting star Rahul Dravid made a fine 66 as Bangalore recovered from losing two wickets for no runs in the first three balls of their innings.
Bangalore made 133 for eight, which hardly seemed likely to be a total easily defended, but the Royals made a horror start and never recovered.
They were bowled out for 58, with no batsman making more than 11.
England all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas had New Zealand's Jesse Ryder caught behind for a duck off the second ball of the match and then bowled fellow Kiwi Ross Taylor with his next delivery.
Mascarenhas struck again when Robin Uthappa was caught behind to reduce the Challengers to 17 for three.
But Pietersen made 32 as he and Dravid started a fightback. Dravid carried it on, batting until the last over of the innings as he made 66 off 48 balls with eight fours and a six.
Mascarenhas took three for 20 and he was backed up by Munaf Patel (two for 25) and Warne, who claimed two for 18 in his four overs.
The Royals suffered early blows when opening bowler Praveen Kumar dismissed Swapnil Asnodkar and South African captain Graeme Smith in his first two overs.
Medium-pacer Ryder took two quick wickets, Mascarenhas was run out first ball and Kumble ripped through the rest of the batting.

Tendulkar leads Mumbai to victory in IPL

Sachin Tendulkar scored 59 runs as he helped Mumbai to 165 for seven

Sachin Tendulkar hit an unbeaten half-century as he led the Mumbai Indians to a 19-run win against the Chennai Super Kings in the opening match of the Indian Premier League at Newlands on Saturday.
Tendulkar's 59 not out provided the foundation for Mumbai's 165 for seven after they were sent in on a blustery, grey day.
Former Australian opening batsman Matthew Hayden hit 44 and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni 36 for Chennai but the 2008 runners-up could only manage 146 for seven.
Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga bowled superbly to take three for 15 in four overs for Mumbai.
Mumbai's innings was anchored by Tendulkar, who largely played conventional cricket, punctuated by lofted off-drives.
Although he opened the batting he faced only 48 balls, hitting seven fours.
Tendulkar and Sri Lanka's Sanath Jayasuriya (26) put on 39 for the first wicket. He then shared a second wicket stand of 43 with Shikhar Dhawan (22).
Batting conditions were tricky under grey skies and Mumbai were struggling at 102 for four in the 15th over before the left-handed Abhishek Nayar lashed 35 off 14 balls in a fifth wicket stand of 46 with Tendulkar.
Nayar slammed three sixes in an over from Andrew Flintoff which cost 22 runs. Flintoff, who is on a 1.55-million dollar a season contract, was the most expensive Chennai bowler, conceding 44 runs in four overs.
Flintoff made 24 in Chennai's reply as he helped Hayden put on 52 for the third wicket. He hit two fours and a six off 22 balls before he heaved a ball from Harbhajan Singh high in the air for the off-spinner to take a catch off his own bowling.
Hayden hit his 44 off 35 balls before Zaheer Khan took a stinging catch in the cover off a fierce drive against Jayasuriya's left-arm spin. Dhoni hit 36 off 26 balls before being bowled by Malinga in the final over.

Rajasthan Royals VS Bangalore Royal Challengers in IPL 2009

Indian Premier League T20 2009 - Watch Live2nd Match : Bangalore Royal Challengers (RCB) Vs Rajasthan Royals (RR)

Defending champion Rajasthan Royals will meet Royal Challengers Bangalore in the opening day of IPL. The match is second match in this season's IPL 2009. Rajasthan Royals were the winner whereas the Bangalore royal Challengers were 7-spotted in the whole tournament. Apart from the 1st season both teams have different changes in this season.The match is scheduled as:2nd match: Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan RoyalsAt Cape TownOn Apr 18, 2009Match scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM Indian time, 16:30 local time (14:30 GMT)

Preview:

History:Rajasthan Royals have won both 2 out of 2 matches in their previous encounters. Royals have won the both matches in the 1st season of IPL against the Bangalore Royal Challenger. In the 1st meet in 2008, Rajasthan won by 7 wickets. The Shane Warne led team won the second one with comfortable margin of 65 runs. Bangalore had never shown their full potentiality in the 2008 season. Unexpectedly, Royals of Rajasthan came top in the table.

News Facts:

Royal Challenger Bangalore : Firstly the team is fully revived from captaincy to to management. Newcomer Kelvin Pieterson wwill be replacing Rahul Dravid from the captaincy. Pieterson is he most expensive player of IPL till now. Jesse Ryder of New Zealand, a hero in test and ODI series against India is too included.

Rajasthan Royals:

Sohail Tanvir who was the best bowler of IPL 2008 will not be playing along with Kamran Akmal and Younus Khan who are also Pakistani players. Tyron Henderson, the mystrious South African has been Included along with Shaun Tait. Inclusion of the three top South Africans will be a advantage for the team. Recently after being on South Africa seven Indian players were send back o India. The players include former Indian regular mrmber Mohammed Kaif also.

Live Action of Bangalore Vs Rajasthan in IPL 2009:In Computer:

There are some official broadcasting links for IPL 2009 season on Internet. Royal Challenger Bangalore VS Rajasthan Royals will shown Live streaming on TVNSPORTS.COM and WILLOW.TV. You can watch the whole Indian Premier League matches LIVE streaming just paying 20$ to 70$. The matches are legal and authorized by IPL and BCCI. The videos are high qualiy and shown world wide.

In TV:

Sony Television has the official broadcasting right of the IPL 2009 season. Rajasthan and Bangalore mach will be shown LIVE set max from 8pm in India. Direct TV and Dish Network will broadcast in USA. In SA super Sports will broadcast the matches.

Highlights of Rajasthan Royals VS Bangalore Royal Challengers in IPL 2009:

The video highlights of the match will shown on various links in internet. Official website of Indian Premier League IPLT20.com will shown the video as well as picture highlights of the match between Rajasthan Royals and Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Youtube channel : Youtube.com/IPL may also show the highlights of the match.

Chennai Super Kings VS Mumbai Indians in IPL 2009

Indian Premier League T20 2009 - LIVE18 April : Chennai vs MumbaiIPL season 2 starts with the last time runner-up gets in action against the Mumabai team. Dhoni lead Chennai Super Kings will play heir opener with the Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai Indians. he opening match as well as he opening ceremony of the IPL will be hosted by Cape Town, South Africa.The opening match is scheduled as :1st match: Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai IndiansAt Cape TownOn Apr 18, 2009Match scheduled to begin at 4:00 Indian time, 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT)

Preview:

History : In their two meetings on IPL 2008 last season boh the teams had bagged one match each. But Chennai were ino the finals of the series whereas Mumbai struggling on their early phases did miss he chance to enter the semi-finals and had o finish fifth on the points table. It was comfortable vicory for Chennai in the 1s match against Mumbai in 2008 by six wickets. he match was ery much high scoring match where more tham 400 runs were scored. Chennai chased the target of 203 runs. On the other match, Mumbai were looking in grea touch as they won he second battle by 9 wickets wih 37 balls to spare.

News Facts:

Chennai Super Kings: Chennai have had lots some changes in 2nd edition of Indian Premier League. First change is that they brought English player A Flintoff as the most expensive player. Australian Micheal Hussey is not going to play the 2nd IPL edition as he was given rest. New Zealander Jacob Oram, who was ruled out of test series in India is also in doubt due to injury to play.

Mumbai Indians :

In 2009 Mumbai Indians have signed in Mohammad Ashraful, JP Duminy and Kayle Mills. In addition Shikahr Dhawan is transferred in their team along with Zaheer Khan.

Live Action :

In Computer for paid links : He whole IPL is going to be Live streaming in some online pages. The Chennai VS Mumbai match is also live streaming on tvnsports.com and willow.tv. The links are official broadcasters and you can enjoy the whole IPL for 20 to 70 dollars only. They have extremely good quality video sharing and they are

LIVE.In TV :

Chennai Super Kings VS Mumbai Indians match will be shown live in various channels in different countries. Sony Television network has the official broadcasting rights for IPL 2009. Se max will be broadcasting the series in India, Dish TV network in USA, Super Sports in SA and other African countries.

Highlights of Chennai Super Kings VS Mumbai Indians in IPL 2009:

The highlights of the match will be provided in various links legally for free. The official website of the Indian Premier League iplt20.com will provide all forms videos, final score card and text of Chennai VS Mumbai match. The youtube link www.youube.com/ipl will also show the video highlights of the match.

TV Channels Broadcasting IPL 2009 live in INDIA,USA,UK,Australia and other Countries

Sony and WSG has got the global broadcasting rights of Indian Premier League. So, the IPL 2009 will be broadcasted live definitely on Sony's channel Set Max in India. Other TV channels have got broadcasting rights for different countries.

Here is a list of countries and TV channels broadcasting IPL 2009:

India: Sony has the broadcasting rights of IPL in India and South Asian countries like Nepal. Matches will be shown live on Set Max.

Middle east including UAE, Bahrain, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt, Sudan and Libya: Arab Digital distribution via. ART prime

USA: Direct TV schedule and Dish Network(no sure)

UK and Ireland: Setanta Sports has the broadcasting rights of IPL 2009 in UK and Ireland.

Australia : Network 10 or Channel 10 will broadcast IPL 2009 on TV in Australalia.

South Africa: Supersport will broadcast IPL 2009 in television in South Africa. It will also be shown in other African coutries like Nigeria via. this channel. The channel is supersport2.

New Zealand: Sky Network Television

Pakistan: Geo Sports

Canada: ATN (Asian Television Network)

Watch IPL 2009 LIVE

Indian Premier league, IPL 2009 is set to start from 18th April, 2009. As IPL will be held in South Africa, majority of Indian as well as other cricket fans will be enjoying it live via TV, computers or other medium rather than in stadium. Here are a ways to enjoy the IPL 2009 live:

Watch IPL 2009 live streaming for free on PC: Live IPL matches and Video highlights of Each IPL 2009 match on your computer will be shown by IPL's official website. It may also broadcast the whole series live streaming for free. Like in 2008, you may watch highlights of each match in iplt20.com. There is also the official youtube channel of IPL where videos are likely to be posted. The youtube channel is youtube.com/ipl

Watch IPL 2009 live on your computer - paid links: Paid websites like Tvnsports.com and willow.tv will broadcast the series live on computer. They can be accessed by users with high speed internet of about 500 kbps for payment of around 20 US dollars and 79 dollars in the two respectively. You can also get on-demand highlights of matches after paying the amount for whole series. If you don't have access to TV, you can buy packages before the start of series to watch the series live. Please read their offers carefully and choose the one which suits you.

IPL 2009 on TV: WSG and Sony has the official broadcasting rights of IPL 2009 worldwide. Different TV channels will broadcast the series in different countries e.g. Sony Max will broadcast it live in India. For detailed list of TV channels in USA, UK, Pakistan, South Africa and different countries click here.

IPL 2009 live on you compute via. text commentary and live scores : A lot of great websites provide free text commentary and live scores of IPL 2009. It has been a great method of enjoying cricket matches live on computer for free.
Some websites include : cricinfo.com,
cricketnext.com,
cricbuzz.com,
scores.sify.com,
rediff.com/cricket and others.

IPL games to take 15 minutes more

Fans who have become accustomed to T20 matches lasting just three hours are in for a surprise during the second season of the IPL - they will now last three and a quarter hours. Part of the appeal of the shortest form of the game is the non-stop action bu

McCullum replaces Ganguly as Kolkata captain

New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Brendon McCullum will lead Kolkata Knight Riders for the second season of the IPL, which begins on Saturday in South Africa

DLF IPL 2009 Schedule

New schedule of IPL Season II: All times IST (GMT + 0530)
April 18, 2009: Mumbai Indians (MI) v Chennai Super Kings (CSK) (4 pm) at Cape Town
Rajasthan Royals (RR) v Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) (8 pm) at Cape Town;

April 19, 2009: Delhi Daredevils (DD) v Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) (4 pm) at Cape Town
Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) v Deccan Chargers (DC) (8 pm) at Cape Town;

April 20, 2009: RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 21, 2009: KKR v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban
RR v MI (8 pm) at Durban;

April 22, 2009: RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town

April 23, 2009: CSK v DD (4 pm) at Durban
KKR v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

April 24, 2009: KXIP v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

April 25, 2009: KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town;
DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban

April 26, 2009: RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town;
RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth

April 27, 2009: KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town;
CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban

April 28, 2009: DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria

April 29, 2009: MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban;
KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

April 30, 2009: DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria;
RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 1, 2009: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London;
MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban

May 2, 2009: RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg;
CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 3, 2009: MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban;
KXIP v KKR (8 pm) at East London

May 4, 2009: DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 5, 2009: DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban;
KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban

May 6, 2009: MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 7, 2009: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria;
RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 8, 2009: DD v MI (4 pm) at East London

May 9, 2009: DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein;
CSK v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 10, 2009: KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London;
RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 11, 2009: DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein

May 12, 2009: RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria;
KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 13, 2009: DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban

May 14, 2009: MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban;
CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban

May 15, 2009: KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley

May 16, 2009: CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg;
DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth

May 17, 2009: RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley;
KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg

May 18, 2009: CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria

May 19, 2009: DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg

May 20, 2009: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban;
RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban

May 21, 2009: DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria;
MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria

May 22, 2009: Semi Final 1 at Pretoria

May 23, 2009: Semi Final 2 at Johannesburg

May 24, 2009: Final at Johannesburg

Rajasthan Royals dripped Mohd.Kaif

The Rajasthan Royals have axed a big name from their squad even before the IPL got under way. Mohammad Kaif, the former India international, will join six other players on their way back to India.
According to sources, the Royals team management stuck to their policy of performance over stars and sent seven players back. Other than Kaif, Srideep Mangela, Dinesh Salunkhe, Ashraf Makra, Paras Dogra, Anup Rengnekar and Azhar Malik have also got the axe.
There are reports that two more players will be sent back. However, all these players will get their contracted amount.

Cape Town awiates for IPL Celebrities

Cape town is getting ready for the biggest celebrity invasion of the year as the off-field stars of the Indian Premier League (IPL) converge on the Mother City.
As a popular holiday destination and film-shoot location, Cape Town is no stranger to the rich and famous, but with the glamorous Twenty20 tournament due to start here Saturday, the city is set for a different sort of invasion.
The eight teams in the Indian competition are owned by some of the biggest Bollywood stars and richest people in the world, who will stay at Cape Town’s new five-star hotel, One and Only.
Officially opened by local hotelier Sol Kerzner just two weeks ago, One and Only was built with celebrities in mind, and extravagant rooms cost between 610 and 3,880 dollars per night in the low season.
The IPL task team are camped at the hotel as the tournament approaches, and confirmed that celebrities were expected to arrive from Tuesday.
“All the franchise owners, Shah Rukh Khan, Shilpa Shetty, Preity Zinta, the Ambanis, will arrive today,” organisers told.
“The only exception is Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya, who will come next week as he first wants to watch his Formula One team, Force India, compete in the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai.”
Khan is one of Bollywood’s biggest stars and owns the Kolkata Knight Riders, while Shetty is co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals and a former winner of Celebrity Big Brother.
Fellow actress Preity is part-owner of the Kings XI Punjab franchise and will jet in from Port Elizabeth where she has been watching the team train and attending the fourth ODI between South Africa and Australia.
Business tycoon Mukesh Ambani is the head of the fourth-richest family in the world, and owns the Mumbai Indians through his conglomerate Reliance Industries.
If that weren’t enough, the various wives and girlfriends (WAGS) of the players due to compete in the IPL opening weekend will add extra sparkle around Cape Town.
England batsman Kevin Pietersen will return to his homeland Thursday with wife Jessica Taylor, a reality TV star who recently competed in the English show Dancing On Ice.
Indian actress Lakshmi Rai is expected to spend some time in Cape Town watching India’s heartthrob captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, with the duo rumoured to be dating.
Celebrity watchers will hope Andrew Symonds’ girlfriend Katie Johnson, recently voted Australia’s top WAG in an online poll will add some Australian flavour by following his exploits with the Deccan Chargers.
And there’s the local contingent, with Jacques Kallis’ model partner Shamone Jardim and actress Jeanne Kietzmann, girlfriend of Dale Steyn, set to represent the host nation at gatherings set to dazzle South Africa’s fairest city.