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 Game preview: Chennai Vs Mumbai
Tuesday’s game in the IPL looks like a real cracker as the Super Kings take on the Mumbai Indians in Chennai. The Mumbai Indians have lost just one game. While the Super Kings, after an up-and-down are on eight points from nine games. The Mumbai Indians will play to confirm semi-final berth with this win. Chennai Super Kings: The Super Kings are involved in a real scrap for a semi final place but back to back wins have revived their campaign. They have four wins and five defeats so far and key games coming up against Deccan Chargers and the Knight Riders who are also in the hunt. They cannot afford to lose any other games now onward though they do have a healthy net run rate which could well count in their favour. Vijay is fast becoming a star of the tournament and currently tops the Super Kings run scoring charts. With the ball it’s a different story although Doug Bollinger performed really well in his first game of the tournament against the Royals with two wickets for fifteen runs, and all this despite the visitors making an excellent fist of what would have been a record run chase. Mumbai Indians: With seven wins and one defeat, the Mumbai Indians are pretty much assured of a semi final place. They have been ruthless throughout the tournament, their only blemish being a defeat to the Royal Challengers. All departments are functioning as the coaching staff would like and they deserve to be favourites to win the tournament. Tendulkar has scored four half-centuries in eight games with a highest of 72 and a strike-rate of 140.72, besides displaying native shrewdness in team selections and strategies. Tendulkar’s performance not just as a batsman, but also as an inspirational leader who has … [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...]
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 Preview: Mumbai Vs Deccan Chargers
Deccan Chargers need to quickly rediscover their momentum against table toppers Mumbai Indians in the teams' second leg clash of the Indian Premier League on Saturday. With six wins from their first seven games and a current winning streak of four, Mumbai are a couple of games clear at the top of the table. Mumbai have been unstoppable and have emerged as the single strongest side thus far, whereas Deccan has had to face some harsh realities of life, lying almost at the bottom of the pile. Venue and Conditions: The Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai is the colonial setting for the second meeting of the Mumbai Indians and the Deccan Chargers this week. No team batting first has yet come close to matching the 212-6 Mumbai reached in the first of the five IPL 2010 matches played here so far. The Indian Host: Led from the front by the evergreen Little Master, the Indians have won every game save the one blemish against the Royal Challengers of Bangalore, and a very strongly positioned to be the first team to qualify for the semis There hasn't been any over-aggressive big hitting from the little man; mere deft touches and field piercings have done the job for him, and that too with a very healthy strike rate of 140. Local players like Saurabh Tiwary, Ambati Rayudu and Shikhar Dhawan have also done a great job playing around him. West Indian allrounder duo Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo complete a most formidable batting lineup and though they have not yet really come to the party, it is only a matter of time before the dangerous duo explodes. Lasith Malinga, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan feature very high in the list of top wicket-takers, and with very impressive economy rates as well. Ryan McLaren, Bravo and … [Read more...]
Preview: Chennai Vs Rajasthan Royal
The Chennai Super Kings were impressive in their recent win over the Royal Challengers and they have an opportunity to build on that victory when they host the Rajasthan Royals in Chennai on Saturday. It promises to be an exciting mid-table clash, with the winner breaking into the top half of the table. Venue and conditions:Known for its distinct pitch characteristics, with that extra zip and bounce off the wicket, the MA Chidambaram Stadium, formerly known as Chepauk, has been hosting internationals since 1934. The Kings Host:Had Chennai lost to Bangalore in their previous game they would have had a real mountain to climb to reach the semi finals. As it turns out, they still have plenty to do after losing five of their first eight matches but there is renewed optimism amongst their followers. The five wicket win ended a run of four successive defeats, one of which came against the Royals.Chennai got a much needed win against their neighbors Royal Challengers Bangalore on Wednesday night but this time around it wasn't the "mongoose" bat wielding Matthew Hayden, but young Indian opening batsman Murali Vijay, who stole the show with a blistering knock of 78 from 39 balls, striking at an awesome rate of 200. With the impressive Suresh Raina and hard hitting Dhoni in their batting ranks, a decent start at the top of the order is what is required for CSK to pile on the runs on the board. Also, with Michael Hussey likely to join the squad for the game against the Royals, Chennai might have to re-jig their combination in order to accommodate the Aussie middle order batsman. MS Dhoni must be a worried man because of the ineffectiveness of his pace bowlers. South African all rounder Albie Morkel has been short on confidence ever since … [Read more...]
IPL game preview: Bangalore Vs King XI Punjab
Bangalore's march towards the knock-out stages has been checked by two defeats on the road. But Friday's game offers them the chance to get back on track as they travel to Mohali to take on rock bottom Punjab. Barring a couple of closely-fought contests, Punjab have not have put up a dismal show so far in the IPL. The 2008 semifinalists and last year's number five finishers have lost all three of their home games and have won only one match. Punjab would look a different proposition but with just one win in seven, prospects of a semi-final place have already pretty much disappeared. Venue and Conditions:The tournament is around the half-way mark and the sheer number of games that have taken place in a short space of time has taken its toll on the pitches. The PCA cricket stadium had offered one of the better surfaces for bowlers earlier in the tournament but there were signs during the last game here on Saturday that some of the pace and bounce had begun to fade. The Hosts:Captain Kumar Sangakkara is back for Punjab after his one match ban. His replacement in the last game, Shaun Marsh, scored a fifty and so is unlikely to return to the bench and Brett Lee is an automatic selection, so Ravi Bopara will probably miss out. There is increasing pressure for Punjab to drop struggling veteran Mahela Jayawardene. Particularly with the talented Adrian Barath waiting in the wings, but it remains to be seen if they take such a bold course. The big-hitting Yuvraj Singh has been a flop so far and has managed just about 100 odd runs in all the seven games put together. Mahela Jayawardene has also come a cropper. Punjab have suffered for the absence of their Australian stars, but Marsh and Lee are back now and there is no … [Read more...]
IPL Game preview: Kolkata Vs Hyderabad
Kolkata Knight Riders look to return to their winning ways as they will be pitted against the Deccan Chargers in the match which signals the halfway mark of Indian Premier League 2010. Though both sides boast of dangerous batsmen, they are yet to set the ball rolling in IPL 3 and one cannot provide them with a better setting than the Eden Gardens filled to the brim with a passionate audience. Venue and conditions: It’s the turn of the 146 year old Eden Gardens to host this riveting encounter. Both these teams need a victory in order to get their title hopes back on track. With a massive capacity accompanied by the brilliant acoustics of the stadium, this one promises to be an electric encounter between two evenly matched sides. The Hosts: After getting the better of their rivals in the opening game, the Knight Riders have found victories hard to come by, winning just once in their last five games. The Knight Riders come into the match after having been deflated by the Delhi Daredevils by a convincing margin of 40 runs. The top order has been the big worry for the Knight Riders this season. Sourav Ganguly at the top is just not clicking for the Knights and his role in the batting needs a serious rethink. Manoj Tiwary looks like a considerably better option to partner Chris Gayle to get the innings started for KKR. Had it not been for his captaincy, Ganguly would have struggled to find a spot in the playing XI. Good strikers of the cherry - David Hussey, Owais Shah and Angelo Mathews - have come too far down the order to make an impact consistently. Charl Langeveldt, who replaced Shane Bond in the loss against Delhi Daredevils, will in all probability make way for Bond against Chargers after his poor … [Read more...]
IPL Game Preview: Delhi Vs Rajasthan
Delhi Daredevils will take on the Rajasthan Royals on the 31st of March at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Delhi. The Delhi Daredevils seem to have got their IPL 3 campaign back on track and they get the vote to end the recent good run of the Rajasthan Royals.This is one of the most reliable batting surfaces around. Mumbai posted the massive 218 here earlier this season and the other two first-innings scores have both produced run rates of more than 8.8 runs per over. The Hosts: Delhi Daredevils took to flying start at the beginning of the IPL tournament but slowly they lost the fire to win and as a result they have a dropped down the IPL standings. But they made a positive attempt against Kolkata Knight Riders in the previous match showing a lot of promise. They have yet another golden chance against the Rajasthan Royals to turn around the tables and they are not looking bad at all.Dave Warner was the star turn against the Knight Riders with an unbeaten century. Gambhir has returned to action after injury and you get the impression that he, Sehwag and AB de Villiers have still to really click into action with the bat.David Warner and Paul Collingwood have replaced AB De Villiers and Tillakaratne Dilshan and the pair inspired Delhi to a 40-run victory over Kolkata last time. All eyes will be on Warner following his brilliant 107 from just 69 balls against Kolkata. It truly is a terrifying prospect for new ball bowlers. If Warner doesn't get you, then surely Sehwag will. The latter will be jolly for this match although bear in mind he has slumped of late with only 23 runs in his last three innings. The Visitors: The Rajasthan Royals have had for consecutive wins and they have made a strong come back in the league … [Read more...]
IPL Games: Chennai Vs Bangalore
Chennai Super Kings will face Bangalore’s Royal Challengers on the 31st of March at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai. Chennai Super Kings have not played to their potential in most of the matches of the IPL and sadly their captain MS Dhoni was out of the game for a few matches due to injury and even after his return the team has not shown any blistering performance. The last game they played was against Rajasthan Royals and Shane Warne’s team booked their fourth consecutive win against the Chennai Super Kings. And out of the seven matches Chennai Super Kings have managed to win only a couple of them as their semi-final hopes have slumped alarmingly. Venue and conditions: In all IPL matches played at the Chidambaram stadium the average first-innings score is a healthy 168. The lowest total recorded was King's XI's 136 this season which Chennai lost in the Super Over despite needing one from the last two balls when chasing. The Hosts: Chennai Super Kings need to win the upcoming match to turn things around in their favour though it will be a tough task but not an impossible one definitely, as the team has solid players and each one has to do a meaningful contribution in all departments to make a difference. Just two wins from seven matches leaves the Super Kings with an uphill struggle to reach the semi finals. If you include the Super Over defeat to Kings XI, they go into this game on the back of four consecutive defeats. Doug Bollinger has been signed up to bolster the bowling attack but he will not be available until 5th April. In the meantime, Murali leads the way with 11 wickets for Chennai but has lacked support to really put the squeeze on. They have five batsmen who average 30+ although they haven’t really taken … [Read more...]
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