Akshay Kumar is the brand ambassador of the Special Olympics World Winter Games

Akshay Kumar and Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit particepating in a programme Special Olympics World Winter Games 2009 at Red fort in New Delhi.

Akshay Kumar speaks during the Special Olympics World Winter Games torch relay in New Delhi.

Akshay Kumar and a police officer hold the Special Olympics World Winter Games torch in New Delhi.

Akshay Kumar particepating the Flame of Hope during a programme 'Special Olympics World Winter Games 2009' at Red fort in New Delhi.

India beat England to seal series

India beat England by 19 runs (Duckworth Lewis method) in the fourth One-dayer at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore to take an unassailable 4-0 lead in the seven-match series.
Chasing a victory target of 198 run in 22 overs, England managed 178/8 runs for their fourth consecutive defeat in the series.

Paul Collingwood (22) was the last English wicket to fall when he hit a Munaf Patel delivery to mid-wicket for Sachin Tendulkar to take the catch.

England were reduced to 161/6 when Samit Patel hit to mid-off for Gautam Gambhir to take the catch off Zaheer Khan.

England were in the game till they lost Andrew Flintoff and Owais Shah in successive overs to be reduced to 145/5 in 18 overs.

Ishant Sharma had Flintoff (41) caught at mid-off by Zaheer off a slower delivery in the over after Owais Shah's brilliant innings of 72 came to an end when he was dismissed by Zaheer. Flintoff hit 3 fours and a six in his knock.

Shah played across the line to a full toss and edged it high up in the air for Tendulkar to take the catch in the covers after hitting 9 fours and 3 sixes.

Flintoff joined Shah at the crease when England were reeling at 52/3 and put up 82 runs for the fourth wicket.

Ishant Sharma dismissed England captain Kevin Pietersen who was looking to cut the slower ball to third man, missed and was clean bowled.

Harbhajan Singh got India the second breakthrough by dismissing Ian Bell whose painful innings of 12 runs off 15 balls came to end when tried to slog sweep but missed the ball being early in the shot and was clean bowled.

Munaf Patel denied England a good start when he dismissed Ravi Bopara (1) in the second over. Bopara hit the shot wide of long on where Ishant Sharma dived to his right to take a splendid catch.

Yuvraj Hits Second Consecutive Century

Yuvraj Singh reacts after scoring a century against England during the second One-Day International in Indore

Meerabai Not Out

Now that he has retired from cricket, Anil Kumble has opted for a rather sticky wicket – Bollywood!
Anil Kumble will be seen in a sports flick titled Meerabai Not Out. But this is no googly! Anil insists that it’s a small role in which he plays himself. “So it wasn’t that difficult,” he tells us, adding, “This is the first film I’ve done and it’s releasing at a time when I’ve announced my retirement! So, it just looks like I’m opting for Bollywood. But I’m really not looking at it as an alternate career.”

Well, this khiladi isn’t opting for Bollywoodbaazi. But, doing a small role once in a while, will help him remain ‘not out’, and of course, keep the ball rolling...

Well done Virender Sehwag

Anil Kumble congratulates Virender Sehwag for taking Shane Watson's wicket on the fourth day of the third Test in New Delhi on 10/31/2008.

First Test Ends in a Draw

First test between India and Australia at Bangalore ends in a draw. Now three more tests to go in this series. However Sachin Tendulkar fell short of breaking world record.

Shane Watson gets warm welcome

Australian all-rounder Shane Watson being garlanded by a girl at India Habitat Centre in Jaipur.

Rajasthan Royals To Become Public

Rajasthan Royals, the winners of the inaugural Indian Premier League, could soon be going public. According to sources, the owners of the team, Emerging Media, have decided to float some equity in the market and get listed on the stock exchange.

The company spoksmen said, it was certain that the franchisee would go public "very soon". "There are many ways to go public and they are working out the modalities," a source close to Emerging Media told TOI on Wednesday.

Twenty20 Champions League tournament-2009 Schedule fixed

Twenty20 Champions League tournament-2009 will be conducted between September 25 and October 11.

The cricket boards of India (BCCI), Australia and South Africa, joint founders of the League, have decided that as compared to this year's December 3-10 tournament featuring eight teams, the 2009 edition would have 12 teams, who will play 23 matches during prime Indian festive season, according to a statement on Cricket South Africa's website.

The venues and commercial partnership details of the coming first edition in December, for which the reigning winners and runners-up from the domestic T20 competitions in India, Australia and South Africa, along with English T20 winners Middlesex and Pakistan's champions of this format (to be held next month) have been invited, would be finalised soon, it said.

The inaugural competition carries a total prize fund of $6 million with the winners taking home half of it and the spoils would be shared between the teams and their players, it added.

The Governing Council of the event, together with its founding cricket boards, are of the opinion that significant prize money to be shared by the teams and players will ensure that the benefits of the event will foster cricket's development by injecting new funds into domestic level cricket.

It will also handsomely reward domestic level cricketers and provide opportunity for a higher public profile for players at a level below international cricket, it feels.

Preity Zinta Gets Award

Priety Zinta Gets Smitha Patel Award for recognizing her contribution to Bollywood film industry. Along with boyfriend Ness Wadia she is a co-owner of the Indian Premier League cricket team Kings XI Punjab.

India score 33 run victory over Lanka

India made mess of a brilliant start as they just managed to scrape through to a narrow 33-run win in the third One-dayer to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series.

Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene raked up a sensational 94-run knock and brought his team close to the doors of an incredible victory but could not finish the game in his team's favour as the hosts innings folded at 204 in 49 overs.

After putting up 237 on board, India had the Lankans on the mat as the hosts were reduced to 94 for seven at one stage but visitors dropped as many as four catches to put themselves in an embarrassing situation in the flood lit affair.

A sloppy fielding allowed Jayawardene - dropped once and Thilan Thushara - dropped twice - to stitch an 81-run stand, raising hopes of a Lankan win at R Premadasa stadium.

Indian strike bowler Zaheer Khan came to the rescue of his team when he bowled Thushara (30) with a yorker but tension was yet to evaporate from Indian faces as Jaywardene was still at the wicket.

Trophy for India-Sri Lanka Test

Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardena (left) and Indian Test skipper Anil Kumble with the trophy for India-Sri Lanka Test series in Colombo.

IPL and dope test

Delhi Daredevils speedster Mohammed Asif faces a possible life ban for testing positive a second time at a random test conducted during the Indian Premier League (IPL) in May.

IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi confirmed Monday that the 25-year-old Sheikhupura-born player, failed the dope test. He is a member of Pakistan Teram.

The IPL came to the conclusion after comparing the result from the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA)-approved laboratory in Switzerland with the data collected by IDTM, the Sweden based independent agency which organised the anti-dope testing in accordance with the WADA code.

The IPL chairman also said that Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Daredevils' franchise owner GMR have been informed about the adverse analytical findings (AAF) of Asif's samples. But the nature of the banned substance was still not known.

The fast bowler can now request the IPL to analyse his B-sample and the once its is done the fast bowler has to appear before the IPL Drug Tribunal comprising Ravi Bapat, Sunil Gavaskar and Shirish Gupte.

Since it is Asif's second offence, the Mohammed Asif can face a life ban for violating Article 10.2 of the WADA Code. For his first offence in 2006 he was handed out a one year ban.

Modi also said Asif, who was nursing an injury on his bowling arm when he came to play in the IPL, had not applied for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), which perhaps could have saved him.

Asif's testing positive has shamed the PCB and the governing body of cricket in Pakistan has sought legal advice the moment they heard Sunday night that a subcontinental fast bowler was tested positive.

The PCB had to do a lot of damage control and faced adverse criticism for its role in the previous doping scandal that hit Pakistan cricket when Asif and fellow pacer Shoaib Akhtar failed dope tests in 2006 just before the Champions Trophy in India.

Asif is also facing a PCB inquiry after being detained for 19 days in Dubai for possessing a banned drug.

Asif, who had undergone a one-year ban after testing positive for banned anabolic steroid nandrolone during the Champions Trophy in India, suffered from an elbow injury and that saw him miss seven of the 14 games that his team played in the IPL.

The WADA officials arrived in India from Sweden May 18 when the 44-day IPL was moving towards its final phase to do random dope tests.

A day before the WADA testing, Asif sat out of the game against Kings XI Punjab and wasn't part of the team in subsequent three games. The reason given for Asif's absence was an elbow problem and the player was found wearing a strap around his elbow as his team mates continued to practice.

Later, the injury was described as non-serious though Asif hasn't played much competitive cricket since then because of his stay at the Dubai detention centre.

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SRK prepares for next IPL season

Everybody knows about Shah Rukh Khan’s penchant to be a winner all the way.

Far from sulking about his team, Kolkata Knight Riders being defeated at the recently concluded IPL, he is already making all the necessary arrangements like getting international cricketers (one of whom is Andrew Flintoff) on board for the next IPL season.

A source says, “SRK is leaving for London for a few days to join his wife Gauri and children, Suhana and Aryan, who have already left in a private aircraft. Apart from shooting for his next film, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi in London, SRK’s main agenda for the trip is to get some of the biggest international cricketers for his IPL team.
”
When contacted, a source close to the actor confirms and says, “Yes, it’s true that SRK is in advanced talks with Flintoff. Shah Rukh Khan has taken complete charge and he’s leaving no stone unturned to make his IPL team a winner next year.” And when one talks about SRK, can entertainment be far behind? The source adds, “His team of cricketers will also perform on stage along with him within the next day for the international audience.”

Rani Mukerji Play Cricket

After playing an angel in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic, actress Rani Mukerji is all set to do another unconventional role — she plays a cricketer in Yash Raj Films’ next venture and is busy practising on the field.

“I don’t know if any actress has played a cricketer before. But, I’m playing one for sure. In fact, I’ve been learning cricket regularly on the field for the past two months. I can most certainly play the game convincingly now, though not as good as professionals yet. It’s a very big challenge for me,” says Rani from her swanky new home in Mumbai.

So, is she equipped to join the Indian Premier League now (IPL) now? “I don’t know about that. But, I’m definitely enjoying it. My practice sessions are on in full swing,” she says.

She will also, for the first time, be paired opposite Shahid Kapur in the film that will be directed by debutant Anurag Singh. Rani says she is hungry for new roles. “At this stage of my career, I feel I need new challenges. When Kunal Kohli offered me an angel’s role, I was kicked. I don’t know of any actress who has played an angel before. Also, for the first time I was playing a character who couldn’t cry. Now, they can stop saying Rani cries so much in all her films. It was pretty cool to play a character who actually doesn’t know how to cry and who had to fly around like Hrithik (Roshan) in Krrish,” she says tongue firmly in her cheek.

Being suspended on a harness, she says, was not easy. “It required a lot of physical strength to assume the correct ‘flying’ posture on the harness. I guess it’d be equally difficult for me to look convincing as a cricketer. But, I’m glad to be doing work with challenges.”

So, is she ok working with a first-time director? “It isn’t as if I haven’t worked with new directors before. I was in Shaad Ali’s first film Saathiya , remember? And, Kunal Kohli started his career with me in Mujhse Dosti Karoge !,” she quips.

After an angel and a cricketer, what would Rani like to play? “Maybe an astronaut like Kalpana Chawla. And, I’d also love to play a doctor. Come to think of it, I’ve never worked with Shahid Kapur before either. I’m doing so now.”

Isn’t there a danger of her being branded a resident Yash Raj heroine since all her recent films have been with that banner alone? “Why? Wasn’t Saawariya with Sanjay Leela Bhansali? And, if Yash Raj is making some of the best films in our country, why should I keep out just because people are talking? “Incidentally, my marriage date, February 10, (as reported by some media) has come and gone. Would mediapersons like to set another date for me so I can start getting my trousseau ready?” "

Sehwag bowls Akshaye Khanna

Akshaye Khanna’s fave games are tennis and squash. The IPL phenomina has kicked here, the guy is trying to learn what cricket is all about these days.

He did go to watch the match played between Delhi Daredevils and Team Jaipur. This was a first for Akshaye Khanna. Akshaye Khanna had never been to a cricket stadium before! When we caught up with him, he said, “I am a die-hard fan of Virendra Sehwag and have been really hooked on to the T20 form of cricket.” Having worn a red and black T in support of the Daredevils, it’s most unfortunate that the team lost. But, let’s hope that the loss hasn’t dulled the sheen of his new passion.

IPL Photos

24 Million Watched IPL Final

Groans or cheers (depending on which team you were supporting) filled the air in numerous pubs, coffee shops, homes and offices with the Indian Premier League reaching its crescendo and millions of viewers logging on to the final between Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

Snap polls suggest that over 24 million watched the nail-biting final, though industry experts say that this is a conservative estimate and the numbers could be much higher.

According to Audience Measurement And Analysis Ltd (aMap)-the overnight audience measurement system-the semi-finals too drew a crowd. Though the semi-finals were damp squibs, over 20 million people watched the Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils while the second semi-final between Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab drew an audience of 19 million. The aMap has a sample size of 6,000 households in 85 towns.

Media analysts say that IPL viewership has been unprecedented. TAM has pegged the aggregate viewership between April 19 and May 24 at 99 million.

According to TAM, the World Cup cricket ODI final which was simulcast on SAB, Set Max and DD drew in 32.8 million people while the T20 final-in which India played and won-attracted an audience reach of 48 million.

In contrast, aMap said that 27 million watched the 2007 T20 final, indicating that these numbers could be on the lower side of the estimate.

IPL Closing Ceremony

Actress Diya Mirza perfoms during the closing ceremony before the IPL final at the DY Patil Stadium.

Actor Salman Khan perfoms during the closing ceremony before the IPL final at the DY Patil Stadium.

From Left Ravi Shastri, Sunil Gavaskar, Arun Lal, Rameez Raja and Damien Fleming at the DY Patil Stadium before the closing ceremony.

Actress Amrita Arora performs during the closing ceremony before the IPL final at the DY Patil Stadium.


Actress Shamita Shetty performs during the closing ceremony before the IPL final at the DY Patil Stadium.

Rajasthan Royals lifts the first IPL Trophy

After 44 days of mind-boggling action and a no-holds-barred feud among eight fierce franchisees, Rajasthan Royals pipped Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in the thrilling grand finale to lift the inaugural Indian Premier League on Sunday.

Chasing Super Kings' modest total of 163 for five, the Royals rode on a brilliant all-round display by Yusuf Pathan, who took three wickets and top-scored with a 39-ball 56 to overhaul the score off the last ball after needing eight from the last over.
Rajasthan Royals celebrate after winning IPL T20 final against Chennai Super Kings at the DY Patil Stadium on June 1, 2008.

Sohail Tanvir (9 not out) hit the winning run, a pull off the expensive L Balaji, in the company of his inspiring captain Shane Warne, who was not out on 9 in a final score of 164 for seven. The winners received the top prize of $1.2 million and a glittering gem-laden trophy while the runners-up won $600,000.

It was a superb final, although a low-scoring one on a slow track, that made up for the disappointment of one-sided semi-finals held at the Wankhede Stadium.

The 25-year-old Pathan did the star turn for the winners by sending back the top three Super Kings' batsmen with his off-breaks while conceding 22 runs.

The Baroda right-hander then stepped in when his team was struggling at 42 for three to play a punishing knock of 56, using his bat like a sledgehammer while hitting four sixes and three fours to put Rajasthan Royals on the path to a thrilling victory in front of 55,000 spectators.

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals used their bowling resources intelligently to restrict Chennai Super Kings to a modest 163 for five wickets in the final of the Indian Premier League.

The Super Kings owed their score mainly to an enterprising 43 by in-form one-down batsman Suresh Raina, who faced only 30 balls while hitting two pulled sixes and a four.

The UP left-hander, back in the Indian One-day team, built on a decent start of 39 in 5.2 overs provided by Parthiv Patel (38 in 33 balls) and Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan (16 in 14 balls).

But his dismissal in the 17th over when he threatened to cut loose derailed Chennai's plans for a more healthy total.

The most impressive bowler for the Royals was off-spinner Yusuf Pathan, who grabbed three for 22 in two spells while Shane Watson accounted for the wicket of Raina.

The Super Kings, who had lost their two home and away ties earlier in the tournament to the same opposition, began their innings on a cautious note on a slow-paced track of low bounce on which the ball did not come on freely to the bat.

Parthiv and Sivaramakrishnan played it safe against Sohail Tanvir, who had grabbed six for 14 against them on May 4 at Jaipur.

Albie Morkel (16) also pulled Warne disdainfully for a six into the stands in the 12th over after the first 10 had yielded 75 runs. The South African all-rounder also swung Pathan over mid-wicket for his second six before he got out in the same over, 13th of the innings.

In trying to repeat the shot he ballooned a catch to stumper Akmal who took a tumble over Mohd Kaif, who also went for the ball, while managing to hold on to the sphere to provide Pathan his third wicket.

The 100 came up in 80 balls after which Raina swung Sidharth Trivedi, bowling his second spell, for a six. Later skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (29 not out in 17 balls) lofted Warne, bowling his last over, over the straight field for another six to take Chennai Super Kings to 117 for three with five overs remaining.

Raina fell in trying to clear the long off area and was caught just inside the rope by Jadeja after which Dhoni and Chamara Kapugedara added 20 runs before the latter holed out to the deep off Tanvir in the last over.

Dhoni, who hit a straight second six in Tanvir's last over, and S Badrinath (6) remained unbeaten at the end of the innings.

Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 9 wickets

Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 9 wickets in the second semi-final of the Indian Premier League at the Wankhede Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing 113 runs to enter the final, Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina guide Chennai to victory against Kings XI Punjab in the 15th over.

Chennai Super Kings will play favourite, Rajathan Royals at DY Patil stadium on Sunday in the final on the inaugural Indian Premier League.

Earlier, Chennai Super Kings' pace attack ripped apart the strong Punjab Kings XI top-order batting and restricted them to a paltry 112 for 8 in the second semi-final of Indian Premier League..

Everything went wrong for Kings XI Punjab after captain Yuvraj Singh opted to bat first on winning the toss and half their side was back in the dug-out with only 40 on the board on a seaming track.

Poor batting coupled with some good seam bowling undid the Punjab side.

Makhaya Ntini and Manpreet Singh Gony rocked the high-flying Kings XI Punjab side with a double strike each which reduced Yuvraj Singh-led team to a pathetic 34 for four in the sixth over.

Ntini started the domination of the ball over the bat when he had James Hopes caught behind chasing an outswinger for two in the second over.

Then Gony dismissed Kumar Sangakkara in similar fashion, caught by wicket keeper Parthiv Patel to leave Punjab at a shaky 2 for 11.

Things became grimmer when Kings XI Punjab captain Yuvraj Singh pulled Gony, who bowled an excellent four-over spell for figures of 2 for 14, straight to Muttiah Muralitharan at wide mid-on to leave them gasping at 28 for three.

But the biggest blow was when South African pacer Ntini dismissed Punjab batting mainstay Marsh in his third over.

At 45 for six there was a possibility of Punjab doing worse than what Kolkata Knight Riders had done (67 all out; the lowest score of IPL) against Mumbai Indians at the same venue on May 16.

This was averted with Wilkin Mota (25 off 26 balls) and Ramesh Powar (28 off 22 balls; 1X6; 4X4) leading the way by adding 35 runs for the eighth wicket.

Powar helped boost the tally by creaming Balaji for three fours in the last over from which 14 runs were scored.

Ntini got 2 for 23 in his four overs bowled on the trot, Morkel ended up with 2 for 27 while Muralitharan, who bowled the first over of the innings, finished with 1 for 19.

Sameera Reddy Dating Ishant Sharma

Ishant Sharma Dating Sameera Reddy

Following actresses Kim Sharma and Deepika Padukone being linked with cricketer Yuvraj Singh, Sameera Reddy is the latest actress to be smitten by a young cricketing sensation. Apparently, she is dating right arm fast bowler Ishant Sharma.


Our source says, “Sameera and Ishant happened to meet during some of the IPL matches. They have hit off very well and are more than just good friends and are getting serious about each other.”

It was during the IPL matches, where Sameera was always seen cheering the Kolkata Knight Riders, that their relationship blossomed. “And not just that, Sameera will be performing at the IPL grand finale. The two have been exchanging messages and are in touch over the phone,” reveals the source.

Sameera Reddy has recently split with her earlier boyfriend, Shamshul Lalani, a Mumbai-based builder.
When asked about her relationship with Ishant, she quickly brushed aside the news. “I am not seeing Ishant Sharma,” she laughed. Well, many have reacted in a similar way.

Rajasthan Royals crushed Delhi Daredevils

Riding on a brilliant all-round display by Shane Watson, the ruthless Rajasthan Royals crushed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in a lop-sided semi-final to storm into the final of the Indian Premier League on Friday.

Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192 for nine after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.

Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24 for three.

Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs.

Rajasthan Royals now await the winners of the second semi-final, to be played at the same venue on Saturday between Punjab King's XI and Chennai Super Kings, in the final to be played at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on June 1.

If Watson stole the major honours of the day, teammate Yusuf Pathan also played a key role and celebrated his Team India inclusion with a whirlwind 45 in 21 balls with four sixes and three fours.

The hard-hitting Pathan, named in the Indian 15 for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan earlier in the day, creamed the hapless Delhi attack, which included Glenn McGrath, to hit four sixes and three fours in his 21-ball knock.

Both Watson and Pathan took ample advantage of the good half century start provided by pint-sized opener Swapnil Asnodkar (39 in 21 balls) and Graeme Smith, who made 25 in the same number of balls despite being hampered by a pulled leg muscle which required a runner.

The efforts of Watson and Pathan helped Rajasthan Royals add 109 runs in the last 10 overs after the sound beginning provided by Smith and Asnodkar who put on 65 runs in 40 balls.

Delhi began the run-chase on a poor note when Sehwag (3) pulled a ball wide of the stumps from Watson and skied to deep mid-wicket in the second over.

Gambhir (11) and left-handed Dhawan (5), both in good form in the tournament, perished in close succession after enabling Delhi to make a partial recovery.

Gambhir slashed Watson off back foot and was caught at cover point while Dhawan pulled the Aussie straight to short mid-wicket to leave Delhi gasping at 24 for three.

Watson's first three-over spell read a superb three for 10 and if Delhi had hopes of staging a fight-back they were thwarted by the dismissal of Manoj Tiwary (0), four runs later, off Munaf Patel.

It was a regular procession of batsmen thereafter and Rajasthan emerged victorious in comprehensive fashion.

Tillakratne Dilshan top-scored with 33 in 22 balls - with a six and five fours - before being seventh out at 76 in the 13th over.

Apart from Watson, Munaf (3 for 17), who was omitted from the ODI squads for Bangladesh and Pakistan, and skipper Warne (2 for 21) were the other leading wicket takers for Rajasthan Royals.

Watson was the obvious choice for the Man of the Match award.

Ishant Sharma

This teenager has his legion of female fans too. As Sherlyn Chopra says, "Ishant's sexiness lies in his shy attitude. He is sexy in a subtle sort of way. There is something raw about him."

Actress Shriya Saran is a fan of Ishant too. "If I have to point out one dude, it has to be Ishant Sharma. He comes from a very humble background and has a super game. He's good-looking and plays well - that's quite a combo!" she says.

Girls love IPL Heros

The Indian ODI and T20 captain, the Chennai skipper and the player who earned the highest bid during the IPL auction - it is MSD who gets the ladies' votes too! Actress Sophie Choudry calls him a "lion on field and I looove it! He has a fantastic and positive attitude. To be honest, IPL or no IPL, it is Dhoni for me."

These superlatives later, singer Anushka Manchanda chips in, "He takes care of his looks and leads his team well… excellent combination." His game is what makes him so hot for the women. "Success suits him. His sexiness lies in the way he leads his team," she adds. Grooming pro Meyhar Bhasin sums it up, "Dhoni is a statement in himself. He has class, panache and attitude. His game is like no one else's."

Deepika Padukone may have different views but women find this hunky hitter irresistible. Neha Dhupia thinks she loves both Dhoni and Yuvraj. "Yuvraj is a sight for the eyes and is a great sportsman too - ideal," she says. "Yuvraj is the charmer, the perfect gentleman. He can impress anyone with his manners. He is a sweetheart," says Vida.

While there have been stray entries for Chris Gayle, Brett Lee, Shane Warne among others, Shane Watson is by far the most popular non-Indian player amongst women. As model Krishna Somani puts it, "Shane Watson is extremely good looking and a star cricketer - what else can one ask for?" Model Nina Manuel concurs, "A great looking guy with a great bod and a great player. That makes him really hot."

Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals

Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals.

The semifinal door had already been slammed on them but Mumbai Indians at least had the consolation of signing off with a win as they spanked Bangalore Royal Challengers by nine wickets in an inconsequential rain-truncated match in Bangalore on Wednesday.


Kings XI Punjab beat Rajasthan Royals by 41 runs in the last league match of the Indian Premier League at the PCA Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

The win, Punjab's 10th in 14 matches, had no effect whatsoever on the league standings though. Rajasthan, despite suffering what was their third loss in 14 matches, finished on top of the table with 22 points, two ahead of second-placed Punjab.

Chasing a mammoth 222 to win, and with Graeme Smith and Swapnil Asnodkar being rested, Rajasthan got off to a terrible start losing Mohammad Kaif (1) and Younis Khan (3) inside five overs.

Niraj Patel (57) and Shane Watson (22) put on 49 runs for the third wicket before the former, who was again impressive in his 39-ball knock that contained 10 boundaries, was cleaned up by Piyush Chawla.

Watson also fell to Chawla, while trying to accelerate, but thereafter Yusuf Pathan (39) and Kamran Akmal (24) treated the crowd with some exquisite hitting.

The brief stand (33 runs) ended when Akmal, whose eight-ball knock included a four and three huge sixes off Sreesanth, became Chawla's third victim.

Rajasthan needed 61 runs off the final three overs, and that, proved to be a tough ask, much tougher than their initial target.

Yusuf Pathan's 15-ball knock, that contained three hits to the fence and three huge ones over it, was brilliantly caught by Shaun Marsh off James Hopes in the penultimate over. Hopes also caught Dinesh Salunkhe (6) off his own bowling in the same over.

Rajasthan needed 44 off the last over from Irfan. And they got just two.Rajasthan ended at 180 for seven.

Earlier, Marsh notched up his maiden IPL century to power Kings XI Punjab to a massive 221 for three.

The left-handed Australian was in a furious mood and punished all the rival bowlers to all corners of the park as he produced a scintillating 115-run knock off just 69 balls.

His amazing century, sixth of the tournament, was studded with 11 fours and seven sixes.

Mohali may be denied tax exemption, free security
Marsh went back to the hut in the last over while trying to smash Watson for a big shot.

Skipper Yuvraj Singh's late blitzkrieg helped the team get past 200 run-mark. He hit a blazing 16-ball 49-run cameo before getting run out on the last ball of the innings.

The Punjab southpaw smashed two four and half a dozen sixes, including three consecutive in Siddharth Trivedi's over and shared a 80-run stand with Marsh for the second wicket.

Earlier, Marsh together with opening partner Hopes (51), who hit an elegant half-century, provided a rollicking start to the Punjab team after being sent in to bat by rival skipper.

Together they put up 133 runs for the opening wicket, which was best for the Kings XI Punjab in the tournament.

Marsh was at his best as he displayed an array for mesmerising shots all around the park.

The left-handed Aussie played furious cut shots, elegant straight and cover drives, fierce pulls and raced away to his sixth half-century of the tournament in just 27 balls.

He pulled leg-spinner Salunkhe for a boundary on the leg side to get to his fifty and in the process became the highest run-getter in the tournament.

All the bowlers were at his mercy as he hit them at will, giving enough headache to Watson, who was leading the side in the absence of Shane Warne.

He brought up his hundred after facing 58 balls when he got a single off Pankaj Singh's over, 17th of the innings.

Hopes did not get much strike initially and played a second fiddle to Marsh yet played an important part in laying the strong foudation for the big score.

Hopes opened up later and hit paceman Trivedi for three consecutive boundaries in the 11th over to bring the 100 for the hosts off just 63 balls.

He then lofted Yusuf Pathan for a huge six on the leg side in the 12th over and stole a couple a ball later to reach his third IPL fifty consuming just 30 balls.

However he fell to the same bowler when he tried to hit him for the maximum, did not connect well, and ended up in the hands of Salunkhe in the deep.

But by then he added 133 runs with Marsh in 13.4 overs, decimating the rival attack with his individual 35-ball 51-run knock, including seven fours and a six.

Mumbai Indians beat Royal Challengers

The semifinal door had already been slammed on them but Mumbai Indians at least had the consolation of signing off with a win as they spanked Bangalore Royal Challengers by nine wickets in an inconsequential rain-truncated match in Bangalore on Wednesday.
Chasing 123 to win from 18 overs, the Mumbai side cruised to 126 for one in 16 overs with Sanath Jayasuriya (54) and Sachin Tendulkar (40 not out) scoring bulk of the runs.

Earlier, Dilhara Fernando (4-18) mowed down the Bangalore top order while Dwayne Smith (3-26) wrecked the middle as Mumbai Indians restricted the hosts to a meagre 122 for nine in 18 overs.

Chasing 123, Jayasuriya and Tendulkar decided to wrap it up early and the Sri Lankan especially went berserk.

Jayasuriya smote Praveen Kumar for a massive six in the third over before tormenting R Vinay Kumar, who was hit for two successive sixes, followed by a boundary in the action-packed eighth over.

Anil Kumble could not escape Jayasuriya's wrath either as the left-hander first hit the spinner for back-to-back fours and then hit him for his 31st six of the tournament.

Dale Steyn finally halted the rampaging Sri Lankan in the 12th over when Jayasuriya was caught at sweeper cover.

The damage, however, had already been done and Jayasuriya not only featured in a 96-run opening stand but also dominated it with his scintillating strokeplay en route to a 37-ball blitzkrieg that included fours boundaries and as many sixes.

Tendulkar, on his part, mixed caution with aggression during his 42-ball unbeaten stay which yielded 40 runs with the help of four fours and a six.

Tendulkar swept Anil Kumble for two successive fours to seal the match.

Robin Uthappa remained unbeaten on 19.

Earlier put into bat in the rain-curtailed match, the Rahul Dravid-led Bangalore Royal Challengers got off to a decent start with Mark Boucher (18) and Sreevats Goswami (20) putting together 35 runs before first change bowler Fernando dealt double blows in the sixth over.

The strapping Sri Lankan drew first blood by removing Boucher and three balls later, Misbah-ul-Haq (0) was on his way back to pavilion after yet another misadventure.

In his next over, Goswami became Fernando's third victim and then it was Smith's turn to join the party.

The West Indian removed Cameron White (26) just when the Australian youngster looked threatening, while Virat Kohli (0) fell to Ashish Nehra, as the hosts lost their top half with 76 runs on the board in the 13th over.

Wickets kept tumbling with Smith removing Rahul Dravid (11) and B Akhil (5) in the 14th over and Praveen Kumar (8) was run out in the last ball of the innings.

The hosts owed it to R Vinay Kumar's handy 23 off 17 balls as they crawled past the 100-mark.

Chennai Super Kings Enters Semi-Final

Chenai Super King enters semi-final after beating Deccan Chargers by seven wickets in their last league match on Tuesday.

Chasing 148 to win, the visitors overhauled the modest target with four balls to spare, thanks to sensible batting by Suresh Raina (54 not out) and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (37).

The Chennai team not only sealed a semi-final place for themselves they also broke the heart of Sachin Tendulkar led Mumbai Indians team, which is now out of the tournament.

A lose of Chennai and a Mumbai win tomorrow against Bangalore Royal Challengers would have enabled Mumbai to enter the last-four stage of the tournament. Now Mumbai's last league match has been rendered inconsequential.

Dhoni played some blistering shots in his 25 ball knock which included four fours and one six and shared a crucial 55-run stand with Raina for the third wicket.

Skipper's fall brought Albie Morkel on the crease and he together with Raina saw their team home, though some tight bowling at death made the encounter interesting.

Pragyan Ojha had Dhoni caught in deep by Gibbs and that put brakes on run-flow. Chennai required 17 runs off the last two overs. RP Singh bowled the penultimate over, which fetched the visitors 10 runs.

Raina hit Vjaykumar for a six on the second ball of the last over to seal the victory for his team and also brought up his half-century. Raina consumed 43-balls for his brilliant 54-run innings, adorned with five boundaries and two shots over the fence.

P Vijay Kumar drew the first blood when he dismissed former Kiwi skipper Stephen Fleming (14) but the hosts could build on the early success as Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina did not give them any chance.

Raina played some elegant shots on the off-side and together with Patel put up 34-runs for the second wicket before the Gujarati batsman walked back.

Earlier, a heroic 76-run fourth-wicket partnership between Y Venugopal Rao and D Ravi Teja propelled Deccan Chargers to 147 for eight. Rao (46) and Teja (40) joined hands when their team was stuttering at 57 for three, after deciding to bat on a good batting pitch.

Only Rao and Teja batted with guile and grit as all other batsmen struggled to find rhythm and big hitters like Hershelle Gibbs (8) and Shahid Afridi (1) disappointed once again.

Rao's 46-ball knock, which included three fours and one six, was mixture of aggression and caution while Teja was furious right from the word go. Teja hit four fours and a six in his 28-ball knock. Once the duo departed, the hosts wickets fell one after another as they crumbled under pressure of putting up a big total.

Gibbs found it tough to negotiate a disciplined pace attack on a bouncy wicket and eventually departed while trying to break the shackles. The South African slashed one off compatriot Makhaya Ntitni over the point region but only managed a thick edge which was accepted gleefully by L Balaji at third-man.

Skipper Adam Gilchrist (5) perished in the same way when he tried to loft a good length delivery by Manpreet Gony and just managed an outside edge, which flew to third man Abhinav Mukund.

Runs were tough to come from the blade as first five overs fetched just 18 runs and that too at the cost of two wickets.

Rao and Scott Styris (20) then steadied the rocking boat by weaving a 39-run stand for the third wicket before the latter was undone by Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttiah Muralitharan.

Styris, who played some good shots in his short knock, gave charge to Muralithran but missed the line completely and was bowled by Sri Lankan.

All the bowlers from the visiting side kept a tight line until Balaji was hit for 14 runs in the 14th over, which also witnessed first six of the innings.

Albie Morkel and Balaji took two-wickets each while Ntini, Goni and Muralitharan claimed one wicket each.

Preity Zinta appears in Vogue

Preity Zinta who owns Punjab team speaks about her IPL experience with Vouge. Preity sure not having any movie releases any time soon but the actress has been quite busy with IPL. Besides jazzing up the Indian Premiere League, the actress is making the latest Vogue cover look good in Yellow.


Check out the June issue of Vogue, where Preity Zinta talks about her IPL experience.

The actress, who made heads turn at the 61st Cannes Film Festival, sure looks good in yellow.

IPL influence business school syllabi

From stadiums to classrooms, IPL fever is raging. After the success of the Indian Premier League— known as much for its marketing glitz as for its cricketing antics—popular B-schools in Mumbai and outside have sought to include the IPL phenomenon in their syllabi.

Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS), Vile Parle, plans to rope in financial and marketing experts associated with IPL to train its faculty at a workshop on 'teaching sports management', slated to be held after the IPL tamasha ends. "We plan to offer an elective in sports management. We want the IPL team to help us design the course," said Ramesh Bhat, dean, school of business management at NMIMS. According to him, there's a lot to learn from the IPL's contract arrangements, with remuneration being based on performance.

"IPL has huge implications for the country," said Bhat. The authorities at Mudra Institute of Communications-Ahmedabad (MICA), and S P Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) in Andheri also echo his views.

Students enrolled in the executive post-graduate programme in communication management (PGPCMX) course at MICA were recently given an assignment on the economic implications of IPL in the context of the Indian market. "Besides the business aspect, there's also a lot to be learnt in terms of organisational behaviour and leadership skills. While there are a number of team captains who are relatively new, some of the established players have not been able to find their place in the sun," said Hemant Trivedi, chairperson of the PGPCMX course. He plans to introduce a component on IPL in an elective on media and entertainment as well.

For B-schoolers, the IPL's success has underlined just how big a career in sports management could turn out to be. Raghu Chaitanya, a student at MICA, sees immense opportunity in the league. "After all, it's a mix of the two most popular things in the country—cricket and Bollywood," he said.

At the S P Jain Institute, students recently asked their marketing professor to discuss the IPL phenomenon with them. The issue was taken up at a faculty meeting where the dean, M L Shrikant, suggested that IPL could be an integral case study for a business model. Students have been asked to read 'What is Management?' by Joan Margretta and co-relate parts of the book with the IPL success story.

"IPL will help students understand the concept of a business model where there are a number of stakeholders whose interests have to be met," said Shrikant.

According to Bhat, IPL also presents a great career opportunity for management students in the years to come. After all, the GMR group, the infrastructure giant which owns the Delhi team, hired Colonel Vinod Bisht, who was a student of IIM-Ahmedabad's postgraduate programme in public policy and management, as its assistant vice president (operations).

Rajasthan Royals beat Mumbai Indians

Niraj Patel (40 not out) and Ravindra Jadeja (23 not out) turned heroes by scoring 16 runs from the match-deciding last over to guide Rajasthan Royals to an improbable last-ball 5-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians in a nerve-wrecking Indian Premier League match on Monday.

The young duo stood tall among ruins to share an unfinished 69-run stand for the sixth wicket to single-handedly decide the fate of the match though aided by some blunders by the Mumbai team.

Today's result ensured that Delhi Daredevils make it to the semi-finals with 15 points from 14 matches while Mumbai Indians (12 points from 13 matches) will have to wait the outcome of tomorrow's match between Chennai Super Kings (14 points from 13 and bottom placed Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad.
If Chennai wins on Tuesday, they will make the grade and Mumbai's match against Bangalore Royal Challengers on Wednesday will be inconsequential as the MS Dhoni-led side will get 16 points in that case.

If Chennai loses, Mumbai will have to win against Bangalore and in that case net run rate (plus 0.531 for Mumbai after today's match and negative 0.241 for Chennai) will decide who between Chennai and Mumbai will make it to semi-finals.

Coming together in the 13th over at their team total of 77 and five, Jadeja and Patel braved the odds to inch closer to the target of 146, but to score 16 from the last over seemed difficult if not impossible.

Fernando bowled a wide in the penultimate ball when Mumbai needed four from two balls. A single was scored from the legitimate penultimate ball and two runs were needed from the last ball and Fernando slipped the ball past him on his follow through and Sanath Jayasuriya fumbled to collect it from a fielder's throw to allow the batsmen complete two runs.
The Royals, who were on a roll in the tournament, started shakily on a slow pitch which was not easy for batsmen to play shots, scoring 32 at the end of five overs and reaching 50 in the eighth over.

Opener Kamran Akmal looked like wanting to end the chance quickly smashing two fours each off Ashish Nehra and Shaun Pollock only to run out for 18 in an unpardonable fashion, by jumping to avoid a Manish Pandey throw only to see bails off while his bat was still in air.

Destructive Yusuf Pathan could not do much as he holed out to Nehra while going for a big hit off Fernando who had earlier dropped opener Swapnil Asnodkar while on three. The Sri Lankan made amends of his mistake by inducing a thick edge of Asnodkar for wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale to pouch a fine diving catch to reduce the home team at 47 for three in the eighth over.

Mohd. Kaif was run out for 12 following a mix up in the 12th over after sharing 30 runs for 4th wicket with Watson. Just three balls later, Sachin Tendulkar proved he still has the ability to match up the best young fielders by taking a stunning catch to dismiss dangerous-looking Watson for 18.

With half of their batsmen gone for just 77, the home team was looking down the barrel with run rate shooting up to over 11 by 15th over before Niraj and Jadeja single-handedly turned the match to their favour.
Earlier, Sohail Tanvir and Sidddharth Trivedi led a disciplined Rajasthan Royals bowling attack and shared the spoils to restrict Mumbai Indians to a modest 145 for 7 in their Indian Premier League match.

Electing to field first, the Rajasthan bowlers tied down the Mumbai openers Tendulkar and Jayasuriya on a slow Sawai Mansingh stadium pitch which was not easy for batsmen to play shots and odd balls keeping low. It was an unusual sight of two of the best contemporary cricketers having against their names more number of balls than runs and failing to impose themselves on the bowlers in the format considered to be batsman-friendly.

However, thanks to wicketkeeper Yogesh Takawale, who came at number eight and scored an unbeaten eight-ball 24 runs, which included four 4s and a huge six, that the visitors added some more runs to the paltry total.
Warne did not have much impact in his first over but the run glut forced the Mumbai opening duo to look for big shots and from one such effort in the 11th over Jayasuriya could not time properly a Siddharth Trivedi delivery to hole out to Pankaj Singh for 38 which the Sri Lankan made off 37 balls with the help of four fours.

Trivedi struck two overs later with Tendulkar offering a return catch to the young bowler and with that Mumbai were dealt a body blow. Miserly Sohail Tanvir then added salt to Mumbai injury by taking two wickets in consecutive balls when he trapped Abhishek Nayar LBW for 25 and dismissed Shaun Pollock for a duck in the 17th over.

Manish Pandey, however, denied Tanvir success from the Pakistani pacers hat-trick ball, his second in the tournament but the damage had already been done with Mumbai reduced to 107 for 5 at the end of 17th over.

A pumped up Tanvir, who has world best Twenty20 figures of 4-0-16-6 in his name in an IPL match at the same ground, had the satisfaction of cleaning up Pandey for 3 and then sending Dwayne Smith to the hut for eight in the penultimate over to restrict the vistors to less than 150.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab

Skipper Sourav Ganguly led from the front with an unbeaten knock of 86 as the Kolkata Knight Riders snatched an unbelievable three-wicket win with two balls to spare against the formidable Kings XI Punjab to finish their below-par campaign in the Indian Premier League on a high on Sunday.

Replying to the Kings XI's competitive score of 174 for 6, the Knight Riders reached their winning target of 175 losing seven wickets in 19.4 overs in a nail-biting finish before a crowd of 30,000 at the Eden Gardens.

Man of the match Umar Gul (24; 11 balls, 1x4, 3x6), who also shone with the ball with figures of 4/23, turned the game upside down during a hurricane 49-run seventh wicket stand with Ganguly after the Knight Riders seemed headed towards yet another defeat at 106 for 6.

As Irfan Pathan set out to bowl the last over, the hosts needed 15 runs, but Ganguly finished off the proceedings in a destructive manner, with a six, two, six and one to hand out the Kings XI their fourth defeat.

The Punjab side, already in the semi-finals, remained on 18 points after 13 games.
Ganguly played a well-paced knock plundering half a dozen boundaries and an equal number of sixes during a 53-ball innings as the Knight Riders - already out of the tournament - chalked out their sixth victory to wrap up their engagements with 12 points.

The Knight Riders had a rare sound start, with the India-Pakistan left hand combination of skipper Ganguly and Salman Butt putting on 45 runs in only 5.2 overs.

Ganguly made his aggressive intentions clear from the word go, as he pulled and cover-drove Irfan Pathan for two successive fours in the opening over that produced ten runs.

Butt took over from there, executing his signature-tune delicate wristy strokes, as also some magnificently driven cover drives that raised the prospects of a close match.

As Kings XI skipper Yuvraj introduced spin in the form of Ramesh Powar in the fifth over, Ganguly danced down the track and hoisted him for a straight six.
But S Sreesanth, who became the highest wicket taker in the IPL with a double wicket haul in Sunday's match, changed the complexion of the game in the next over.

Sreesanth first forced Butt to play straight into the hands of short mid-on with a slower delivery, and was on a hat-trick as he got Debabrata Das (0) leg before in the next ball, as the Knight Riders were reduced to 45 for 2.

David Hussey (12) did not last long, as he was foxed by a Piyush Chawla googly, and when Laxmi Ratan Shukla (5) found his leg stump sent cart-wheeling by VRV Singh, the Knight Riders seemed to be staring down the barrel at 70 for 4 in 9.5 overs.

Ganguly concentrated on picking up singles and twos with deft placements, and even pulled James Hopes for a six in the 14th over, before Chawla saw the back of wicket keeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha in the 15th over, with the Knight Riders' total reading 102 for 5.

As Aakash Chopra (2) returned to the pavilion in the next over, the hosts were 106 for 6, before Gul turned the match upside down with a barrage of lusty hits.
Earlier, Kings XI rode on rollicking knocks by Kumar Sangakkara and Shaun Marsh to pile up an imposing 174 for 6.

Coming together after the early loss of James Hopes, the Aussie Marsh (40; 31b, 2x4, 2x6) and Sangakkara (64; 45 b, 8x4, 2x6) added a brisk 83 runs of only 57 deliveries to put their side in the drivers' seat.

Sangakkara was especially brilliant, letting loose several delicate shots all over the park.

Marsh, one of the prolific scorers of the tourney, executed some power-packed shots before holing out to long off, giving Sri Lankan off spinner Ajantha Mendis his first wicket of the IPL on his debut.

Gul (4/23), the pick of the Knight Riders' bowlers, finally got rid of Sangakkara, as the Sri Lankan played across the line to a delivery that pitched on the good length spot and came further in and rapped the willower on the pad, as the visitors were reduced to 133 for 3.
Yuvraj (27; 3x4, 1x6) then played a cameo, adding 31 runs with Mahela Jayawardene (11 not out) before the former got run-out following a horrible mix up.

The Kings XI seemed well positioned for a 180 plus total, as they reached 170 for 4 after the penultimate over, but Gul's superlative bowling at the death restricted them to a run rate of 8.7 per over.

Gul not only conceded only four runs, but also was on a hat-trick, as he picked up Irfan Pathan (7) and Piyush Chawla (0) of back-to-back deliveries. It was left to Tanmay Srivastava to thwart Gul's feat.

Young pacer Ishant Sharma, a find for the Indian team during their tour to Australia earlier this year, once again was lacklustre conceding 49 runs in his quota of four overs

Bangalore Royal Challengers beat Deccan Chargers

The top order of the Bangalore Royal Challengers clicked in unison as Rahul Dravid's men chalked out a five-wicket win with one over to spare against lowly Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League battle between the laggards on Sunday.

With this win, the Bangalore side avoided the ignominy of finishing last in the IPL, while the Deccan Chargers could not avoid the wooden spoon.

Chasing 166 to win, Jacques Kallis (31), Misbah-ul-Haq (34), Dravid (31), Cameron White (31 not out) and B Akhil (27 not out) came up with timely cameos as the side reached 171 for five in 19 overs.

Akhil smashed three sixes in the 19th over, bowled by Chamara Silva, en route to his unbeaten 27 off just seven balls to seal the issue.
Bangalore's reply got off to a poor start as Wasim Jaffer (5) fell early but Kallis and Misbah stemmed the rot, scoring at a lively rate.

Misbah was more impressive of the two but like Kallis, who was run out, the Pakistani too could not convert the start and fell to Ravi Teja after a 28-ball 34 that included four boundaries and a six.

Next man in Dravid too looked in good nick as he went after the hosts bowlers and by the time he fell to Sanjay Bangar, the Bangalore captain had contributed 31 off 21 balls that kept the side right on course.

Down the order, White and Akhil completed the formality without much ado to carve out a win with one over to go.
Earlier, deciding to bat first, the Gilchrist-Gibbs duo overcame a subdued start and came down hard on the Bangalore attack.

But once they departed in a space of seven balls, the home team witnessed a batting collapse with only Y Venugopal Rao (26) and Rohit Sharma (17) managing double figures.

Dravid sprang a surprise by opening the attack with Anil Kumble and the leggie didn't disappoint either, as he kept it tight, while Dale Steyn too proved a miser.

But once they were taken off, Gilchrist and Gibbs imposed them on the visitors. Vinay Kumar and B Akhil came in for some harsh treatment from the duo as the Deccan Chargers reached the 100-mark in the 11th overs without losing a wicket.
On his return, Kumble drew first blood when Sreevats Goswami stumped Gibbs and in the next over, Gilchrist fell to Vinay Kumar to join his opening partner in the hut.

Gibbs' 34-ball 47 included six fours and two sixes, while Gilchrist hit four boundaries and two sixes en route to his 37-ball 46.

Wickets kept tumbling and Rohit's exit further complicated things for the Deccan Chargers. Venugopal hit Kumble for two sixes and a boundary in his last over before Vinay Kumar cut short his stay.

The Deccan Chargers in fact lost their last nine wickets for just 56 runs in less than eight overs.

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings

Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings

Rajasthan beats Bangalore

Rajasthan beats Bangalore

Rain Helps Panjab XI againt Delhi

Rain Helps Panjab XI againt Delhi

Conduct dope test on players of Indian Premier League

Chairman Lalit Modi said that Indian Premier League will conduct a random dope test on the players participating in the Twenty20 tournament. After a report in the Nation , which claimed that Shoaib Akhtar was questioned about a large number of syringes in his baggage prior to leaving for Mumbai earlier this month at the Karachi airport, the IPL commissioner announced that the test will be conducted in 2 to 3 days.

However, the Pakistan Cricket Board has played down a report in a section of the media that fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar was questioned at the Karachi airport.

A report in the Nation said that prior to boarding the flight to Mumbai en route to Kolkata the custom officials had questioned Shoaib on an inordinately large supply of syringes in his luggage-reportedly as many as three dozen in number.

The fast bowler, who is playing for Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata Knight Riders team in the Indian Premier League, told the custom officials that he needed the syringes because he was a diabetic, the report said.

The first time one has heard off the fast bowler suffering from this ailment. When a senior official of the board was asked about the incident, he said it was no big deal as the syringes were empty and contained no substances.

Shafqat Naghmi, chief operating officer also showed ignorance over the medical history of Shoaib saying he would have to check up to find out if the fast bowler was a diabetic.

But he made it clear that Shoaib had gone to India to play in the IPL and currently he was under the preview of the IPL rules and regulations.

When reminded about Shoaib's past record of having tested positive for a banned substance, nandrolone in 2006 with team-mate Mohammad Asif, Naghmi said the IPL was recognised by the International Cricket Council but it was not an ICC event.

"I don't thing it is a big deal. The syringes were empty and first we have to confirm if the report has got all the facts right. There is no question of the Pakistan Board contemplating any action against Shoaib for this," he said.

Shoaib is playing in the IPL after the three-member appellate tribunal, hearing his appeal against the five-year ban imposed on him, suspended the ban for a month to allow him to play in the cash-rich Twenty20 competition.

Kolkata Knight Riders surrended to Mumbai Indians

Kolkata Knight Riders surrended to Mumbai Indians!

Man of the Match: Shaun Maclean Pollock!
Led by the redoubtable Shaun Pollock, the Mumbai Indians routed Kolkata Knight Riders for the lowest ever total in the Indian Premier League before racing to a comprehensive eight-wicket victory, their fifth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium on Friday night.

Pollock snapped up 3 for 12 in four devastating overs to virtually flatten the visiting team before the other pace bowlers in the home team's attack provided the great South African all-rounder, retired from international cricket, some splendid support to skittle out the Sourav Ganguly-led Knight Riders for a pathetic-reading 67 in 15.2 overs.
Sanath Jayasuriya, who lashed Chennai Super Kings' attack while making a splendid 114 not out with eleven sixes and nine fours, continued in the same vein after being dropped off the first ball to make 48 not out (17 balls with six fours and three sixes) to help the hosts surge to a thumping win in only 5.3 overs.



Sachin Tendulkar (0) failed for the second match running, but Jayasuriya, who struck three sixes in one over off danger man Shoaib Akhtar, killed off any slender hopes of the visitors.

The comprehensive win brought the resurgent Mumbai Indians level on points (10 each) with the Kolkata team.
The hero of the day for Mumbai Indians was their pace attack spearheaded so well by Pollock who came up with a deadly spell on a helpful Wankhede Stadium track to rip the heart out of the Kolkata team.

Put in to bat, the Knight Riders were in dire straits by losing half their side with only 29 on the board as the top-order was undone by some exceptional seam bowling on a bouncy and pacy track by Pollock, to a large extent, and his West Indian comrade-in-arms Dwayne Bravo.

Bravo, who is to return home after this match to get involved in the Test and ODI series against Australia, had impressive figures of 2 for 13.

Later, local talent Rohan Raje and Australian Dominic Thornely grabbed two wickets apiece as the Kolkata team were shot out for the lowest total in the IPL, the previous worst being Bangalore Royals' 82 against them, inside 16 overs.

Only Salman Butt (13), Ganguly (15) and Ajit Agarkar (15) reached double figures in a shocking display from a team aiming for a spot in the semi-finals.

The visitors totally lost their bearings after starting reasonably well when Pakistani left-hander Butt and Aakash Chopra put on 16 in the first two overs.

Butt hit Pollock for a four and then slashed Ashish Nehra for a fine six over the cover region and things looked a bit rosy for Kolkata who had lost to the home team earlier in the tournament at the Eden Gardens that started the latter's winning streak after four straight defeats.

But in the third over things took a dramatic turn as the visitors lost two wickets off successive balls. Pollock removed Butt by having the batsman caught at slip by Tendulkar, trying to drive. Then Chopra was run out due to a terrible mix-up with Ganguly to leave Kolkata at a dismal 16 for two after three overs.

Pollock then dealt two huge blows by sending back in-form batsman David Hussey and Mohammed Hafeez with rising balls, which undid them.

Delhi Daredevils beat Deccan Chargers

Delhi Daredevils beat Deccan Chargers by 12 runs.

Mubai Indians beat Chennai Super Kings

Chennai Super Kings made 156. In reply Mumbai Indians' nine-wicket win is their biggest victory-margin in the IPL. Unbeaten 114 off 45 balls by Mumbai Indians' Sanath Jayasuriya against Chennai Super Kings on Wednesday night was the second fastest century in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

It was also Jayasuriya's maiden century in the IPL and fourth in Twenty20.

His tally of 11 sixes in this innings has been bettered only by Brendon McCullum 's 13 during his unbeaten knock of 158 not out for Kolkata Knight Riders against Bangalore Royal Challenges in Bangalore, April 18. Jayasuriya is the fifth batsman to post a hundred in the IPL.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Daredevils

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Daredevils by 23 runs. Shoaib Akhtar is the Man of the Match for his match winning IPL debut. He picked up 4 for 11 in 3 overs and put pressure on Delhi early in the innings!!!

Kings XI Punjab beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by 9 wickets

Kings XI Punjab beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by 9 wickets

Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils

Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by 3 wickets.
Shane Watson made full use of two dropped chances to score a blazing half-century which sealed a thrilling three-wicket win for Rajasthan Royals against Delhi Daredevils in their IPL Twenty20 match on Sunday.

Chasing, 157 to win, the hosts overcame early jolts to post a convincing victory with five balls to spare.

The Delhi team, invited to bat, could put just 156 runs on the board, largely with the help of Farveej Maharoof's blistering knock of 39 down the order.
Watson's strokeful 74-run-knock came off just 40-balls with the help of five boundaries and five sixes.

His eventful innings came to an end when he was run out in the penultimate over.

Square leg umpire did not refer the decision to the third umpire but rival skipper Virender Sehwag pushed for it and eventually got rid of Watson as TV replays clearly showed he was short of his ground.

This opened the match again for the Delhi team but Mahesh Rawat (5) and Niraj Patel (4) did not lose their nerve and won the match on the first ball of the last over.
The visitors have to blame themselves for the defeat as first their star batsmen let them down and then they dropped catches, earned by their bowlers.

Graeme Smith (24) and Watson made the most of the dropped chances to bring back their team in the hunt as they put on a crucial 71-run partnership for the third wicket.

Smith was dropped on zero by Amit Mishra and Watson by skipper Virender Sehwag when the Australian was on individual score of 26 and the team was struggling at 59 for two.

The hosts were stuttering at 15 for two after five overs and just when it seemed the Delhi team was on course of pulling a improbable win, Smith-Watson combo lifted their team from the pits.
The partnership laid a strong foundation for the victory though the battle swung again in the favour of visitors with leg-spinner Amit Mishra (2/27) scalping two wickets in successive overs.

Mishra first dismissed Smith and then bowled Ravindra Jadeja (6) to give his team a good chance to come back in the match.

Earlier, a brilliant bowling supported by charged up fielding helped Rajasthan Royals restrict Delhi Daredevils to a modest total of 156 for seven.

The visitors failed to build partnerships and paid the price as they could not put enough runs on the board and handed a tough job to their bowlers to defend a modest total.
Host skipper Shane Warne used all his bowlers effectively and made life difficult for visiting batsmen until Farveej Maharoof hit a blistering 39-run knock towards the end.

Maharoof top scored for the Delhi team with the help of two boundaries and four sixes, all coming in Shane Warne's overs.

The Sri Lankan also shared a crucial 54-run partnership with compatriot Tilakratne Dilshan (18) to help his team past the 150-run mark.

Maharoof hit Warne for 26 runs in the penultimate over with the help of four sixes, lifting the spirits of a dejected Delhi team.

Shane Watson (2/21) and Siddharth Trivedi (2/28) were the most successful bowlers for the hosts.
Mascarenhas, who made his debut in the tournament, bowled well and used slow balls to good effects as it did help in containing dangerous Virender Sehwag.

Watson too on the other end, bowled in tandem as the pair gave away just 29 runs in the first four overs with fielders complimenting their bowlers well.

As the pressure mounted to score quick runs, Sehwag (17) perished to Watson when he drove him uppishly only to find Mohammad Kaif at backward point.

One down Shikhar Dhawan (3) did not last long as he started his walk back to pavilion seven balls later after a terrible mix up with Gautam Gambhir (31) resulted in his run out.

Gambhir then survived a run out chance when Munaf Patel failed to hit stumps when the Delhi opener tried to steal a run in rival skipper's over.

The left-handed batsman however could not use the chance and was dismissed by Siddharth Trivedi when he tried to loft the ball over the covers but only managed an inside edge on his stumps.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Deccan Chargers

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Deccan Chargers by 23 runs. Sourav Ganguly led from the front to see Kolkata Knight Riders home by 23 runs against struggling Deccan Chargers during their Indian Premier League match in Hyderabad.
Earlier, Sourav Ganguly led from the front with a quickfire 91, while David Hussey chipped in with a blistering unbeaten 57 as Kolkata Knight Riders amassed 204 for four in their Indian Premier League match against Deccan Chargers.

Ganguly won the toss and decided to bat first but Salman Butt's exit in the first over pegged back the visitors. Ganguly joined hands with Aakash Chopra (24) and forged a 69-run stand to steady the ship before he and Hussey tore apart the Deccan attack en route to a 102-run stand for the third wicket.

Ganguly's 91 came off 57 balls and was studded with 11 hits to the fence besides five sixes. Hussey remained unbeaten after a 29-ball knock that included four boundaries, besides three sixes. Laxmi Ratan Shukla was not out on 14 off just three balls as the Knight Riders went past the 200-run mark.

Playing his second match of the tournament, Butt (4) drove Chaminda Vaas for a four but perished soon edging him behind. The hosts, however, had to wait another 10 overs before another wicket fell and it was poor judgement that saw Chopra returning to the hut after being run out.

Ganguly looked good for his maiden Twenty20 century but trying to up the ante, he went for a hook only to see RP Singh take a low catch at fine leg off P Vijaykumar.

Tatenda Taibu (9) lived dangerously and threw his bat at anything and everything before Ravi Teja took a full-blooded drive off RP Singh to cut short his stay.

Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 18 runs

Lakshmipathy Balaji registered first hat-trick of the Indian Premier League to help Chennai Super Kings assert their supremacy over Kings XI Punjab and beat them by 18 runs on Saturday.

Balaji claimed five wickets, including a hat-trick in the last over of the match, and gave away just 24 runs in his four overs to seal his team's victory.

This was second successive win for the hosts over the Punjab team as they had beaten them in the away tie early in the tournament. Put in to bat, the Chennai team piled up a competitive 181 for four, thanks to superb batting by S Badrinath and Mahendra Singh Dhoni, and then restricted the visitors to 163 for nine in their quota of 20 overs.

Balaji provided crucial breakthroughs early and then got his hat-trick in the last over, in which the visitors required 27 runs for the victory.

Rajasthan Royals beat Deccan Chargers

A century stand between openers Yusuf Pathan and Graeme Smith helped Rajasthan Royals notch up a convincing eight wicket victory over Deccan Chargers in the Indian Premier League match on Friday.

Put in to bat at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium, the Deccan Chargers spoiled a good start to score a modest 140 for eight in their allotted quota of 20 overs. The hosts overhauled the target in 16 overs by losing only two wickets.
Right from the start, Yusuf unleashed his fireworks and hit the Chargers bowlers all over the park. At an envious strike rate of 183, he struck nine boundaries and two massive sixes in his 37-ball 68 and put up a 109-run opening stand with Smith.

Before being caught by Herschelle Gibbs off the bowling of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in the 13th over, Yusuf, who was adjudged the man of the match, had taken his side much closer to the victory target.

Smith, on the other hand, played a patient knock of 40 from 43 balls which included four hits to the fence. His knock ended soon after Yusuf's departure as the South African was caught by Ojha at mid on while trying a big hit off R P Singh.

Mohammad Kaif (17) and Shane Watson (5), however, saw the Rajasthan team through with four overs to spare.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Bangalore by five runs

Kolkata Knight Riders came back to winning ways, defeating Bangalore Royal Challengers by five runs in a pulsating rain-curtailed encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens here on Thursday night.

Sourav Ganguly's side restricted Royal Challengers to 124 for four after posting a challenging score of 129 for seven in their allotted 16 overs.

The match witnessed a keen tussle between the two sides fighting for their survival in the Twenty20 league. Though it was not a high scoring game, the highlight of the match was some eye-catching fielding and disciplined bowling from both sides.

J Arun Kumar (22 off 17) and Shivnaraine Chanderpaul (7) gave a perfect start to Royal Challengers' run chase putting on 17 runs for the first wicket. However, a sensational direct hit from Brad Hodge cut short Arun Kumar's innings to bring the match at even terms at 33 for two in 4.5 overs. In his brief stay at the crease, Arun Kumar threatened to take the game away from the hosts.

Royal Challengers' captain Rahul Dravid (5) and Mark Boucher (50 off 40 balls) then shared 19 runs for the fourth wicket before Ganguly cleaned his counterpart to reel the visitors at 51 for three in 9.1 overs.

Australian Cameron White (30 off 16) accelerated Challengers' run chase, hitting Laxmi Ratan Shukla for a six and four in the 11th over.

Needing 62 off 30 balls, both Boucher and White launched an all-round attack. The duo picked up 15 runs in the 13th over from Umar Gul. However, it was followed by a brilliant over by Ishant Sharma (25/1), in which he gave just five runs.

In the first of ball of the 15th over, Murali Kartik outsmarted dangerman White with a clever piece of fieldwork of his own bowling. But Boucher was in no mood to give up the fight as he hit Kartik for two fours and a six to keep Challengers in the hunt at 111 for four.

Needing 19 off the last over, the South African wicketkeeper fought a lonely battle and hit Ishant for a boundary in the first ball to reduce the margin. That was all he could manage, as his valiant effort could not see his side through and they fell short by five runs.

Ganguly was adjudged the man of the match for his excellent bowling. He gave up just seven runs in his three overs in which he picked the important wicket of Dravid.

Earlier, Royal Challengers dampened the home crowd's spirit, restricting the Knight Riders to 129 for seven.

Opting to bat in a 16-over-per-side match that was delayed by rain, Knight Riders' top order once again faltered and their innings never really took off. A changed opening combination of Akash Chopra (2) and Brad Hodge (10) failed to provide the hosts a solid start.

Ganguly (20 off 22 balls) and David Hussey (26 off 12) tried to resurrect Knight Riders' innings and shared a 26-run stand for the fourth wicket, but two crucial runouts and some disciplined work on the field from Challengers eventually led to their downfall.

Ganguly was first of the two runouts as White pulling off a spectacular direct hit from mid-on.

The going was slow for Knight Riders and it was Hussey who stepped up the gear and accelerated the innings. The Australian hit Kumble for two back-to-back sixes in the ninth over, but in the very next ball a sensational throw from Steyn from the fine-leg found Hussey short of the crease while he was running for a non-existent second run.

However, the hosts' lower middle order saved the day for them. Debutant Tatenda Taibu (15), Shukla (11), Wriddhiman Saha (unbeaten 17) and Kartik (17) made some valuable contributions down the order to set a challenging target before Royal Challengers.

Saha and Kartik made a quick 34-run stand for the seventh wicket, the highest partnership of the innings. Saha was lucky not to be caught off Zaheer Khan, with Dale Steyn losing the ball in the Eden floodlights.

Steyn was the pick of the bowlers for Royal Challengers, taking three wickets for 27 runs in his four overs, while Zaheer (27/1) and Praveen Kumar (36/1) were the other wicket takers.

With this victory, Knight Riders now have 2-0 win-loss record against Royal Challengers. Ganguly's men had thrashed the Bangalore side in the opening match of the IPL last month in Bangalore.

Riya brand ambassador of IPL

Bollywood actor Riya Sen has been appointed as the brand ambassador for Indian Premier League’s official website, www.iplt20.com. Riya’s role will require her to attend the IPL matches, interact with cricketers and post her interactions and views on the website.


Talking from Dubai, Chief Technical Architect of www.iplt20.com, Akash Aurora confirmed Riya’s appointment. He said, “Yes, we have appointed Riya Sen as the brand ambassador of our website.

Explaining why they chose Riya, Akash said, “We saw Riya attending a couple of the IPL matches. We observed that she was quite well-versed with the game and its proceedings. Rather than having somebody naive on board, we preferred getting someone who knows about the game. Riya was our first choice and we went ahead with her.”

“Riya has already signed the contract. The duration of the contract will depend on the response we get from our readers,” Akash added.

Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils

Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by 4 wickets. Chasing 188, Chennai Super Kings dished out some good batting to overcome Delhi Daredevils by four wickets in their return leg of the Indian Premier League tie.

Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals

Mumbai Indians beat Rajasthan Royals by seven wickets at the D Y Patil Stadium in Mumbai on Wednesday to score their third straight win in the Indian Premier League.

Chasing just 104 to win, the Mumbai team romped home with five overs to spare, the final two runs coming in wides.

Sanath Jayasuriya (18) and Yogesh Takawale (27) put on 41 runs for the opening wicket to lay the foundation and there was no looking back thereafter.

Robin Uthappa, with an aggressive 20-ball 34, ensured Mumbai had no teething problems while chasing the small target.

The win was Mumbai's third, after four straight defeats at the start, while Rajasthan's loss was their second in seven matches and their first after five straight wins.

Earlier, table-toppers Rajasthan put up a pathetic batting display against an inspired home side and were shot out for a paltry 103 in only 16.2 overs.

For the second match running, the home team excelled on the field and also bowled with purpose to skittle out the visitors for a measly score.

Deccan Chargers humbled Chennai Super Kings

Stand-in skipper Adam Gilchrist led by example as bottom-placed Deccan Chargers humbled Chennai Super Kings by seven wickets with two overs to spare for their second win in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday night.

Leading the side in absence of injured regular skipper VVS Laxman, Gilchrist won the toss, marshalled his bowlers well and then top-scored for the side with a 36-ball 54 to guide the team to a morale boosting win.

Chasing 145, Deccan Chargers cantered to 148 for three in 18 overs with Scott Styris (36 not out), Rohit Sharma (23) and Shahid Afridi (20 not out) making impressions with the bat.

Tuesday's loss completed a hat-trick of defeats for the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side, which has been clearly hit by the exit of the Australian duo of Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey, apart from the big-hitting Kiwi Jacob Oram.