Gambhir, McGrath shine in Daredevils' win (Delhi Daredevils Wickets vs Royal B Challengers)

Riding on a brilliant half-century from Gautam Gambhir, the Delhi Daredevils defeated bottom-placed Bangalore Royal Challengers by 10 runs in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Wednesday night.

Chasing a target of 192, the Challengers could only make 181 for five wickets from 20 overs at the full-capacity Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium.

The Daredevils moved to the second spot in the IPL standings after their third victory from four matches while the Royal Challengers' misery continued as they were left languishing at the bottom of the standings of the eight-team league after four losses from five matches.

Gambhir, who struck 86 off 54 balls, was the hero of the day as he helped the Daredevils post a challenging total. Shikhar Dhawan with his well-struck 50 from 33 deliveries gave him support as the Delhi team rediscovered their momentum after losing their last match against Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on Sunday night.

Chasing 192 was always going to be tough for the visitors and they failed to get a good partnership going. Jacques Kallis was the top scorer with 54 while skipper Rahul Dravid made 38.

For the Daredevils, Glenn McGrath (4-29) was the top performer with the ball.

Put into bat, the stage was set for Daredevils batsmen to fire on a good batting track. Much was expected from Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag (24) who shone albeit momentarily.

Gambhir started the fireworks in the second over as he hit Zaheer Khan for three consecutive boundaries. In the next over, he was again severe on South African pacer Dale Steyn, hitting the pacer for two sweetly-timed boundaries.

Gambhir's big hits inspired Sehwag and again Zaheer was on the firing line. Sehwag spanked his first three deliveries for 6, 4 and 4 to get the partisan crowd swaying.

The Kotla track is never known to assist seamers and by now Dravid that his decision to bowl first had backfired.

The Challengers skipper replaced Zaheer with Vinay Kumar but the result was the same, as he could not find any solution to stop the Daredevils openers from playing their shots.

It was the fielders who gave the Bangalore team their first breakthrough when Ross Taylor's direct throw from point found Sehwag short of ground in the fifth over.

Dhawan joined the party in the middle and did not take much time to settle down. Dhawan and Gambhir applied themselves cleverly and found the gaps at a rapid pace.

The duo added 98 runs for the second wicket and left Dravid struggling for ideas.

Vinay Kumar gave Dhawan width and the Delhi batsman's delicate cuts raced onto the boundary.

Dhawan adapted well to the slow deliveries of Kallis and hit the South African for a huge six. However, Kallis had the last laugh after Dravid took a stunning catch at the midwicket to end the young batsman's 33-ball innings.

Gambhir on the other end was in fine touch. His boundaries were a treat to watch. His knock finally came to an end in the 19th over after he miscued Zaheer's delivery and Parveen Kumar lapped up the resultant catch at deep midwicket. But by then the Delhi opener had set the stage for his team's win.

No more a youngsters' game (IPL 17th Match | Dare Devils vs Royal Challengers - Presentaion Ceremony)

Glenn McGrath shattered the twin myth that Twenty20 is essentially a youngsters' game with an obvious bias towards batsmen as the beanpole Aussie claimed IPL's first four-wicket haul to guide Delhi Daredevils to a 10-run win against Bangalore Royal Challengers on Wednesday.

Chasing 192 for victory, the Bangalore outfit came close to the target, thanks to efforts by Jacques Kallis (54 off 44 balls) and Rahul Dravid (38 off 30 balls), but it did not prove enough in the end as they ended up on 181 for five.

Glorious Gambhir, precise McGrath ensure Delhi win (Gautam Gambhir Innings 86(54)) [Dehli Daredevils] [30/04/08]

Gautam Gambhir led a charge of the home brigade while Australian great Glenn McGrath turned out to be a lethal one-man army as Delhi scored an impressive 10-run victory over Bangalore in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Wednesday.


Gambhir struck a robust 86 to help Delhi post a daunting total of 191-5 and McGrath grabbed 4-29 to restrict the opposition as the home team registered their third win in four matches.


Put in to bat on a good batting strip at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground, Delhi did not have to look beyond their home grown heroes as they notched up a huge total and then piled up the pressure on a struggling team that had won just one out of four previous matches.


Gambhir was the pick of the batsmen, scoring a superbly-paced 86. The southpaw timed the ball beautifully and was equally at ease playing both pace and spin, his 11 fours and one six bearing testimony to his fluency during the 54-ball knock. He was out, caught in the deep, when he failed to control a pull shot off Zaheer Khan but only after he was involved in two useful partnerships with Shikhar Dhawan (50) and skipper Virender Sehwag (24).


Gambhir was in full flow with Dhawan at the other end. Not only were the two left-handers quick to dispatch anything loose but also made some good deliveries look really bad, once together taking 19 runs off an over from veteran left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi.


Dhawan struck three sixes and four boundaries during his 33-ball innings and fell to a brilliant one-handed catch by Bangalore skipper Rahul Dravid off Jacques Kallis. The former India skipper showed superb reflexes in diving to his right at mid-wicket.


Dhawan’s dismissal was followed by those of Shoaib Malik and Dinesh Karthik even as Gambhir hung on to ensure a big total.


Earlier, Delhi had got off to a quick start, Gambhir and Sehwag taking the team past 50 in the fifth over itself. Sehwag, who struck 24 off 12 deliveries with one six and three fours, was run out just when it seemed that the home side would run away with the match right at the beginning.


On the other hand, Bangalore got just the kind of start a team dreads while chasing a big total. McGrath had Praveen Kumar caught at mid wicket and followed it up with the important scalps of Wasim Jaffer and a dangerous looking Ross Taylor as Bangalore were reduced to 48-3 in the fifth over.


Jacques Kallis (54 off 44) and Rahul Dravid (38 off 30) then added 87 runs for the fourth wicket before Dravid too fell in trying to go after McGrath, who was brought back earlier than expected in a bid to break the threatening partnership.


Mark Boucher then struck two fours and two sixes in a brisk 31 off 17 balls but the match was all but lost by then.


Delhi made one change in their playing eleven with Daniel Vettori getting his second game of the competition. The Kiwi skipper will be leaving for the England tour after this game. Farveez Maharoof, who had an average outing in Delhi's previous game had to sit out, while there was no place for AB de Villiers, who joined the team after their loss to Mohali on Sunday.


Bangalore made two changes as R Vinay Kumar and Sunil Joshi came in place of Bharat Chipli and Balachandran Akhil.


Delhi Daredevils: Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag (capt), Shikhar Dhawan, Shoaib Malik, Manoj Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik (wk), Rajat Bhatia, Daniel Vettori, Yo Mahesh, Mohammad Asif, Glenn McGrath.


Bangalore Royal Challengers: Wasim Jaffer, Rahul Dravid (capt), Ross Taylor Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli, Mark Boucher (wk), Praveen Kumar, Zaheer Khan, Sunil Joshi, Dale Steyn, R Vinay Kumar.

Mumbai Indians notch up their first win (IPL 16th Match Kolkata KR v Mumbai Indians - Mumbai Batting)

Mumbai’s all-round bowling performance allowed them to restrict the dangerous Knight Riders to just 137-8 from their 20 overs, a total the Indians overhauled for the loss of just three wickets with eight balls remaining thanks to a remarkable partnership between Robin Uthappa and Dwayne Bravo.

Mumbai’s victory took its impetus from the bowling display. Shaun Pollock, who may have to get used to the captain’s job, as Tendulkar’s groin is taking time to heal and Harbhajan has been sent to Siberia, took the symbolic and actual responsibility of the first over. He did not disappoint, which is more than can be said for anything Ganguly (4) has done in the IPL. The left hander edged Pollock’s third delivery and a diving Jayasuriya at third slip brought about his opposing captain’s end.

From that moment, it seemed Mumbai may have seen a turn in their fortunes. If Ganguly’s wicket seemed big, however, it paled to the emotions the City team expressed two ballslater.

Teams throughout the IPL watched Brendon McCullum (1) massacre Bangalore and shuddered, so when Pollock rapped him on the pad, and the finger slowly went up, the relief was immense. He was batting out of his crease, but the ball was dead straight, and the Mumbai cause had new life.

There followed a crime, as Mohammad Hafeez to push a Jayasuriya delivery to off side, run, then stop, leaving Ponting stranded and run out by a mile for a pitiful 19 off
31 balls. Hafeez compounded the error by getting out two balls later, edging the highly impressive Jayasuriya behind. Knowing Mumbai’s penchant for self-destruction, there was a suspicion that 137 may well prove to be enough.

That suspicion was only increased into a presumption as Mumbai came to bat, and soon found themselves down at 25 for three in the fifth over. Rahane, Luke Ronchi’s replacement as opener, tamely played an Agarkar delivery into the hands of mid off, while M Pandey scored a Mumbai duck special, chopping a A Dinda’s wide delivery onto his own stumps.

Ishant Sharma the proved a little too much for Jayasuiriya, and after having been luckily edged for four, the India fast bowler crashed his next delivery into Jayasuriya’s stumps in the fourth over to leave Mumbai reeling.

What followed the three quick wickets was a singular display however. Uthappa and Bravo faced the prospect of scoring 113 runs at 7.26 per over with the entire upper order gone. Instead of caving in however, the two built a combined innings that was full of the maturity and patience that is not supposed to win Twenty20 games. Uthappa ended with 37 off as many deliveries, but it was Bravo who took the responsibility on, and his 62 off 52 may be one of the best knocks the IPL has seen so far.

Starved Mumbai's team effort ensures facile win (IPL 16th Match Kolkata KR v Mumbai Inds - Kolkata Batting)

Mumbai finally produced a spirited team effort that helped end their drought in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens here on Tuesday. A seven-wicket win over Kolkata came after a four-match losing streak that had buried Mumbai at the bottom of the points table.


Dwayne Bravo, Robin Uthappa, Sanath Jayasuriya and Shaun Pollock all played their parts to aptness as Mumbai put behind a forgettable phase that included their stand-in skipper, Harbhajan Singh, being barred from participation in the tournament after their third match.


Chasing a target of 138 too had not looked easy for Mumbai as they lost three quick wickets, but a 113-run unbroken partnership between Bravo (64) and Uthappa (37) ensured that a fine bowling performance led by Jayasuriya and Pollock did not go waste.


Bravo generally offered a straight bat and excelled playing the lofted drive during his 53-ball knock in which he slammed eight fours and a six. On the other hand, Uthappa was not averse to playing square of the wicket despite being dropped early on at point, smashing five fours during his run-a-ball knock.


The duo struck in tandem after Ajit Agarkar, Ishant Sharma and Ashoke Dinda picked up a wicket each to reduce Mumbai to 25-3 in the fifth over.


Earlier, veteran all-rounders Jayasuriya and Pollock put their experience to good use as they restricted Kolkata to 137-8. Jayasuriya returned the best figures of the tournament (3-14) after Pollock had done the initial damage (2-27).


Jayasuriya, who was named ‘man of the match’, had David Hussey and Ajit Agarkar caught by Ashish Nehra at long-on in identical fashion. Between those two dismissals, he also removed Mohammad Hafeez while Ponting was run out as Kolkata slipped from 74-3 in the 12th over to 77-6 in the 14th and then to 90-7 by the 16th over.


Laxmi Rattan Shukla then produced a brisk knock of 40 from 22 deliveries, sending the ball to all parts of the ground much to the delight of the home crowd. The former India all-rounder, who had scored a similar 42 against Chennai, struck four fours and two sixes during his crucial knock and made batting look easy on a slow but bouncy pitch.


Earlier, Pollock, leading the team since Harbhajan Singh’s ouster from the tournament because of a ban, produced an inspired first over in which he dismissed openers Brendon McCullum and Sourav Ganguly.


Pollock had Ganguly caught by Jayasuriya at slip immediately after the left-hander had dispatched a delivery from the South African to the mid-wicket boundary with a short-arm pull. Pollock then trapped McCullum leg-before as he shuffled across.


Debabrata Das was the third batsman to be dismissed, his flurry of shots on the leg side getting him 29 off 19, but a slash outside off giving Dwayne Bravo a wicket in his first over. Robin Uthappa, fielding at point, accepted the catch gleefully and followed it with a trademark bow.


Going into the match, Mumbai had yet to earn a point after four outings while Kolkata were third on the points table with two wins from three matches.


Mumbai have had to do without skipper Sachin Tendulkar thus far but Pollock did a fine job in marshalling his resources.


Teams:


Mumbai: Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock (capt), Abhishek Nayar, Dwayne Bravo, Pinal Shah (wk), Manish Pandey, Ashish Nehra, Dhaval Kulkarni, Dilhara Fernando.


Kolkata: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Brendon McCullum (wk), Ricky Ponting, Debabrata Das (wk), David Hussey, Mohammad Hafeez, Laxmi Rattan Shukla, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda.

Mumbai Indians get off the mark (Short Highlights - IPL 16th Match)

Mumbai Indians on Tuesday left behind on-field disappointments and off-field controversies to pull off their maiden win with an emphatic seven-wicket decimation of Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League outing.

After restricting Knight Riders to a modest 137 for 8, the visitors overcame early jolts to coast to a comprehensive victory with eight balls to spare to bag their first two points after losing four matches at a stretch.

Dwayne Bravo (64 not out; 52 balls, 8x4, 1x6) and Robin Uthappa (37 not out, 37 balls, 5x4) took the game away from the Knight Riders with a 113-run unfinished fourth wicket stand as the Mumbai Indians reached 138 for 3 in 18.4 overs to hand the hosts their second defeat in four matches.

Bhajji banned, to lose Rs 3 crore; Sree warned (Bhajji addressing the media after ban)

The IPL has banned volatile off-spinner and Mumbai Indians' stand-in skipper, Harbhajan Singh, for 11 IPL matches after finding him guilty of physically assaulting fellow Indian cricketer and Team Mohali bowler Sreesanth after an IPL game on Friday evening. According to IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, Harbhajan has also been fined 100% of his match fee for his conduct on the field.

The ban implies that Harbhajan stands to lose as much as Rs 3 crore as he will only be paid for the two matches that he played in the T20 league. Sreesanth too was given a warning on the basis of his behaviour in previous matches. Harbhajan's attack, however, was found to have been "unprovoked".

There could be further trouble for "bad boys" Harbhajan and Sreesanth as BCCI too has launched a probe into the spat which will examine the backdrop to the assault.

Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput was also found guilty of "conduct flouting the spirit of the game". "It's a Level 2 offence. He was fined 50% of his match fee as well. In the video footage, Lalchand was standing right behind Harbhajan and he could have stopped the incident from happening. He didn't take any step to restrain him from behaving like that. Instead, he stood there and was found laughing in the tape," a top BCCI official told TOI.

The ugly incident between Harbhajan and Sreesanth occurred a few minutes after the Mumbai team lost to Team Mohali. Images of a profusely weeping Sreesanth were aired on TV after the fiasco. Footage made available to the match referee Farokh Engineer shows Harbhajan shaking hands with Team Mohali members after the match.

Said Modi: "Then, the video shows Harbhajan slapping Sreesanth instead of giving him a handshake. I would like to make it clear to all players that the cricket board is not going to spare anyone who crosses the limit." Modi added that Harbhajan had accepted he slapped the pacer under no provocation and the match referee states this in his report.

"As a penalty for the Level 4.2 offence committed by Harbhajan Singh, we hereby order that Singh be banned for the rest of the league matches of the first IPL event," he said while announcing Engineer's verdict here in a city hotel on Monday, after the IPL inquiry committee examined the footage of the incident and consulted representatives from both teams.

"Harbhajan Singh will also be fined 100% of his match fee that may have been paid or may hereafter be paid to him in respect of the remaining matches only. That does not take into account any of the two earlier matches (prior to Friday) that he may have played," Modi added.

Engineer, who conducted the hearing, said: "Harbhajan accepted his guilt. It can happen to any cricketer and I am glad that Harbhajan knows where he has gone wrong." The former Indian cricketer then announced: "Sreesanth has been warned to behave well on the field."

Later, while addressing the gathering, Harbhajan hugged and shook hands with the Kerala fast bowler.

Bhajji has learnt lesson; he will behave: Modi (Lalit Modi announcing the ban on Bhajji)

Off-spinner Harbhajan Singh was on Monday banned for 11 Indian Premier League (IPL) matches and fined 100 per cent of his last match fee for slapping his fellow Team India player Sreesanth.


Harbhajan, stand-in captain for Mumbai Indians, was found guilty of slapping Kings XI Punjab pacer Sreesanth after a match between their teams in Mohali on Friday. Mumbai Indians team manager Lalchand Rajput was fined 50 percent of his match fee, for he was a witness to the incident but didn't take appropriate action.


Will the spat between Indian players dent IPL’s image? CNN-IBN asked IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi. “It won’t impact IPL’s image. Harbhajan crossed the laksman rekha (the limit) but there is a positive spin to this. Players are taking this tournament to be their own and they are fighting for it as if they would be fighting for their own team,” he said.


Asked if the incident in Mohali reflected on Indian cricketers, Modi said: “Indian players take the game very seriously and they are very passionate about it.”


“An ugly incident like this shouldn’t have happened but on the field players become aggressive and it happens in all games. Players though should control their aggression and be gentleman like.”

Dhoni dazzles at Chinnaswamy (Bangalore RC v Chennai SK - Chennai Batting)

Chennai Super Kings kept their unbeaten record intact as they beat home team Royal Challengers, who suffered a dramatic batting collapse to go down by 13 runs in a pulsating Indian Premier League match on Monday.

Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni hit a blistering 65 of 30 balls to help his team to a challenging score and then put his thinking cap on, rotating his bowlers cleverly to script their fourth win in a row.

Dhoni spoils Steyn’s party (Chennai Super Kings Celeberations after Winning - Awesome)

South African paceman Dale Steyn flew into town on Sunday evening. Twenty-four hours later he showed no signs of jetlag or wear and tear.

Opening the attack for the Royal Challengers, Steyn was on the ball right away. He probably was running on the high of Friday, when the Titans, the side he represents in the domestic circuit, beat the Dolphins in the ProT20 final.

MS Dhoni spoiled Steyn’s party towards the end taking 23 runs off the penultimate over of the innings to breathe life into his team’s outing. Dhoni’s 50 came off 24 balls. Mike Hussey initially took up the challenge of repairing the damage caused by some fantastic bowling by the Royal Challengers pacemen. Dhoni gave the finishing touches to the innings in style.

In the last over bowled by Zaheer Khan, Dhoni took 14 runs off the second, third and fourth balls before perishing in search of a great finish. He had smashed 65 runs in 30 balls by then to take the fight to the Challengers’ camp. Hussey perished off the last ball of the innings after taking the bull by the horns when it looked like his side was running out of steam after a stuttering start.

It wasn’t smooth sailing for the Chennai Super Kings all the way. Steyn’s first delivery clocked 143 on the speed gun. Parthiv Patel glanced to fine leg to put the imposing Matthew Hayden on strike. The Australian couldn’t be the bully he loves to play.

Leaving the ball is not something Hayden does often. Such was Steyn’s impact on the first few overs of this game that the Washington Redskins, the hottest cheerleaders rooting for the Royal Challengers, had a genuine reason to gyrate.

In his first two overs Steyn gave away just eight runs as the ball made very little contact with the bat. The atmosphere turned electric and smelling blood, Zaheer Khan got into the act. It was in his second over that Zaheer got into the groove.

He bowled four dot balls to Hayden and then came around the wicket to the left-handed opener. Hayden tried to strike out only to find an edge as the ball went to the third man boundary. Hayden tried a similar heave the next ball. He paid the price as the ball ricocheted on to his stumps off the bat. Shortly, after hooking Praveen Kumar for a six to fine leg, Parthiv fished outside the off-stump to give Jacques Kallis a regulation catch in the slips.

Soon disaster struck again. Raina, who gamely tried to turn the tide, turned blind for the second but was sent back by Hussey. Jaffer’s throw was good enough for Mark Boucher to knock off the bails before Raina made his ground. By now Rahul Dravid and his boys were charged up.

By the end of the 10th over the Super Kings weren’t able to accelerate enough. They were 65 for 2. Skipper MS Dhoni walked in to cheers from the sporting crowd. Hussey and Dhoni kept the scoreboard ticking. In the 16th over Hussey smashed B Akhil for two consecutive sixes.

In the next over off Kallis, Hussey helped himself to two boundaries, one off an edge that beat the keeper. Dhoni then finished the over with a six that landed in the stands at long off.

(MS Dhoni showed why he is considered a fine Captain) Chennai Highlights vs Royal Bangalore Challengers

MS Dhoni showed why he's considered a fine captain. On Monday evening, the Chennai captain put the game past Bangalore twice in one game.

First, it was his explosive 65 that amped up Chennai's score to 178 when it looked good for just 150. Then, having dropped Muttiah Muralitharan to play five seamers, he rotated his bowlers purposefully to cut Bangalore short by 13 runs at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

It was a hard-fought win decided in the last over --- a rarity in the IPL, where most games had been decided in the first half.

It meant that the Super Kings recorded their fourth win, while for Rahul Dravid's Royal Challengers suffered their third loss, both in four games.

Bangalore looked solid in their chase with crisp fifties from Wasim Jaffer and Ross Taylor. But in thirty minutes of madness, the Royal Challengers imploded, going from 102-1 to 165 all out.

Manpreet Gony impressed again, picking up 3-38 for Chennai. But it was P Amarnath, who dismissed both Jaffer and Taylor. With pressure mounting, Joginder Sharma removed Jacques Kallis caught behind and
Gony came back for a second spell, dismissing the dangerous Mark Boucher caught at third man and the out-of-form Dravid LBW.

Jacob Oram's yorkers were hard to get away, and it call came down to the last over when Bangalore needed 17 with a wicket left. Dhoni turned to Joginder again, and he did what was needed.

Earlier in the day, Chennai batted sedately till the 15th over when Dhoni cut loose. His late charge made the difference in the final analysis.

First it was Michael Hussey who took the lead in accelerating the score. However, in the period Hussey moved from 45 to 47, Dhoni jumped from 16 to 65 before the two got out to the last two deliveries of the innings.

Dhoni was severe on Dale Steyn, hitting him for four fours and a huge six over midwicket. It took him to a fifty in 24 balls.

The explosive finish hurt a good start by Bangalore's seam bowlers, who had done well to dismiss Parthiv Patel and Matthew Hayden cheaply.

Zaheer Khan finished with 3-38 but the rest of the bowlers weren't as impressive.

Gilchrist ton crushes Mumbai - (IPL T20 GILCHRIST: 100 RUNS IN 41 BALLS)

Adam Gilchrist couldn't have chosen a better stage than this to come good. Playing in a packed spanking new stadium, he stunned the Mumbai Indians with a blitzkrieg century to script a ten-wicket win in just 12.4 overs.


Gilchrist scored 109 not out off just 48 balls, getting to his century off only 42 deliveries, overtaking teammate Andrew Symonds' effort off 48 balls.


VVS Laxman kept Gilchrist company with a knock of 36 not out, but it was Gilchrist's game. He hit ten sixes and nine fours during his stay on the crease.


Abhishek Nayar and Dwayne Bravo got Mumbai Indians to something of a total as they carried their side to 154-7 in a game they need to win to get some points on the board.


Nayar scored 34 balls off 19 balls with three sixes and one four, while Bravo scored the same number of runs in one ball lesser, with the aid of one six and three boundaries.


For Hyderabad, RP Singh returned figures of 2-15 while Sanjay Bangar and Shahid Afridi also got two wickets each.


Visiting skipper VVS Laxman took the first step right, winning the toss the electing to field.


Mumbai were rocked by the Harbhajan Singh controversy, were again denied the services of Sachin Tendulkar, and will also miss Harbhajan, who has been suspended, pending the IPL match referee's inquiry on Monday.


Shaun Pollock led the skipper for the home team for this match.


Hyderabad decided to rest Chaminda Vaas and called up his Sri Lankan teammate Nowan Zoysa.


Teams: Mumbai Indians: Shaun Pollock (capt), Luke Ronchi, Sanath Jayasuriya, Robin Uthappa, Ajinkya Rahane, Dwayne Bravo, Abhishek Nayar, Musavir Khote, Ashish Nehra, Dhawal Kulkarni, Siddharth Chitnis.


Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: VVS Laxman (capt), Adam Gilchrist, Shahid Afridi, Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Arjun Yadav, Sanjay Bangar, Nuwan Zoysa, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, D Kalyankrishna.

Shahid Afridi Fastest 100 on 37 Balls | Watch it Now

Adam Gilchrist Fastest Century 20/20

Adam Gilchrist slammed a 42-ball century, helping Deccan Chargers beat Mumbai Indians by 10 wickets on Sunday, as the much-hyped home team still waits for its first win in the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 cricket tournament.

Chasing a modest target of 155, Gilchrist blasted the fastest ton of the IPL, playing the destroyer's role to perfection, in the company of captain VVS Laxman to lead Deccan Chargers to their first victory in the league at the DY Patil Sports Academy.

The ignominy of Mumbai India's fourth defeat on the trot was intensified with the 10-wicket loss, a testimony of a dispirited performance - what with stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh being suspended for allegedly slapping Sreesanth in Friday's match.

Watson, Smith star in fluent Jaipur win (IPL 12th Match Bangalore vs Rajasthan) Shane Watson 26 Runs

Shane Watson re-emphasised his utility to the Rajasthan Royals team as he scored a pugnacious 61 not out and was instrumental in the Jaipur team beating Bangalore Royal Challengers by seven wickets.


Watson was involved in a match-winning 104-run partnership with Graeme Smith (49), after Yusuf Pathan (21) provided the early impetus.


Not one of the Bangalore bowlers had anything to offer and they were done in as they had a very poor score to defend.


Bangalore only had themselves to blame. Not one of their batsmen, apart from Ross Taylor and Praveen Kumar, had anything to offer and the accurate Jaipur attack restricted them to 135-8.




Taylor scored an attacking 44, while Praveen chipped in with 34. Shane Watson and Munaf Patel claimed two wickets each, and the Jaipur team fielded brilliantly.


Anil Kumble marked his IPL debut as Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals inserted Bangalore Royal Challengers in to bat at the M Chinnaswamy stadium here on Saturday.


The Jaipur franchise, who bounced back after their defeat to Delhi in the first game, drafted in Pakistan pacer Sohail Tanvir as well as wicketkeeper Mahesh Rawat at the expense of Kamran Akmal.


Teams:


Bangalore Royal Challengers: Rahul Dravid (captain), Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ross Taylor, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli, Mark Boucher, Praveen Kumar, Anil Kumble, Sunil Joshi, Zaheer Khan, R Vinay Kumar.


Rajasthan Royals: Shane Warne (captain), Graeme Smith, Mahesh Rawat, Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, Sohail Tanvir, Siddharth Trivedi, Munaf Patel, Dinesh Salunkhe, Mohammad Kaif.

A splendid all-round display from Rajasthan Royals (Royal Challengers Wickets vs Rajasthan Royals)

A splendid all-round display enabled Rajasthan Royals cruise to a comfortable seven-wicket victory against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League tournament on Saturday.

For the second successive time, the Bangalore outfit failed to rise to the occasion in front of the home crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium making just 135 for eight in 20 overs after being invited to bat.

In reply, the team led by legendary Shane Warne chased it losing only three wickets with 17 balls to spare.

Man of the match Shane Watson, who dismissed both Dravid and Chanderpaul early, stole the show with a well compiled unbeaten 61 off only 41 balls with eight fours and two sixes.

Graeme Smith made a useful 49 before departing just before victory was achieved.

Royal Challengers don’t challenge (IPL 12th Match Rajasthan Royals inning's Highlights)

Rahul Dravid’s Bangalore Royal Challengers came into their match against the Rajasthan Royals knowing they were in for a tough test, after the Shane Warne led side from Jaipur recovered from losing their first game to win the last two on the trot.

Now that Bangalore’s victory over the Mumbai Indians has been put into perspective, with the Mumbai side emerging as the tournament’s whipping boys, the southern team had some pressure to put another two points on the board.

Their first innings score of 135 from 20 overs did not inspire a great deal of confidence that they would be able to do so.

Dravid himself, as captain and opening batsman, must shoulder some of the blame for that eventuality. He and Shiv Chaderpaul needed to score first up, and even though the world known that Dravid was not exactly created for Twenty20 cricket, seeing him perish to an ill-judged pull to his first, and the match’s second, ball was painful for the home fans.

The Kiwi Ross Taylor came in for Dravid, and has scored 12 runs off his first three balls when Chanderpaul went, similarly to Dravid but off the bowling of Watson, having scored two of nine balls.

If these two international maestros made the going look tough, young Taylor exacted precisely the opposite effect. He hit six fours and three sixes, to score 44 off 20 balls, when he was dismissed in the eighth over. Jacques Kallis had come and gone in the meantime, and what followed was succession of promising innings Shane Warne for another captain’s performance with the ball.

Royals coast to seven-wicket win (IPL 12th match bangalore innings highlights)

Australian allrounder Shane Watson hit a fluent unbeaten 61 to take Rajasthan Royals to an easy seven-wicket win with 2.5 overs to spare against Bangalore Royal Challengers in the IPL tie played at M Chimnaswamy stadium.

After putting the visitors in the right track by restricting Bangalore to a modest 135 for eight by claiming two quick wickets, the Queenslander hit his second successive half century, both match-winning knocks, to help Rajasthan earn their third successive win in four matches.

Bangalore crashed to their second defeat and now has just one win in three matches.

He added a commanding 104 for the third wicket with South African skipper Graeme Smith 49 (42b, 8x4) to give no chance for the home team to make something out of its modest score.

Watson had hit a match winning half century against Deccan Chargers just two days ago. On Saturday, the Aussie was again at his fluent best and was in charge of the Rajasthan innings playing without taking risks in the beginning and then opened out in style. He hit 26 runs off a Praveen Kumar over, cracking five boundaries and a huge six in the 14th over of the innings to take the visitors to the doorstep of a comfortable victory.

Chasing a modest 136 to win, by and large a small total in view of even 200 that is now achievable in this league as shown by Royals themselves against Laxman’s men, Royals made a negative start losing Mahesh Rawat in the first over and then lost big hitter Yusuf Pathan (21) early with Praveen Kumar and Zaheer Kahan striking in tandem.

However, their success ended at that as the Australia-South African pair took the match away from Rahul Dravid’s men, who dished out a disappointing fare.

Earlier, the Royals bowlers stuck to a good line and made maximum use of the bouncy track to restrict Bangalore to 135 for eight, with Watson and Munaf Patel claiming two wickets apiece.

Royals skipper Shane Warne marshalled his bowlers very well as his batsmen gave him no hiccups what so ever in achieving the winning target.

Chennai finish off Kolkata in style (IPL - 11th Match - Kolkata KR v Chennai SK - Presentation)

Matthew Hayden remained unbeaten on 70 off 49 deliveries as he and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni carried Chennai Super Kings crushed Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets in what was supposed to be a very close contest.


Chasing Kolkata's 147, Chennai cantered to the target with five overs to spare.


Parthiv Patel contributed a fine 21 and Dhoni scorede an unbeaten 43 off 27 balls to settle the issue for the home side.


Earlier, Jacob Oram dismissed Brendon McCullum and Ricky Ponting off successive deliveries and Muttiah Muralitharan bowled four overs for just 12 runs as Kolkata Knight Riders were restricted to a very moderate 147-9 on a flat M.A. Chidambaram Stadium pithc here.


Sourav Ganguly won the toss for Kolkata and would certainly have been expecting a much higher score than what his side got. On the other hand, Chennai skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni would be delighted with the bowling performance, as this is unlikely to try his formidable batting line-up.


The contest is largely being seen as a pitched battle between MS Dhoni, India's present ODI skipper and Sourav Ganguly, the former and the most successful Indian captain.


Both teams are yet to lose in the tournament and there were no surprises when both captains announced that they are continuing with their winning eleven.


Kolkata: Sourav Ganguly (capt), Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, David Hussey, Mohammad Hafeez, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma.


Chennai: Parthiv Patel, Matthew Hayden, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt and wk), Jacob Oram, S Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, P Amarnath, Manpreet Gony, Muttiah Muralitharan.

Easy victory for Chennai Super Kings (IPL - 11th Match - Kolkata KR v Chennai SK - Kolkata Batting)

Matthew Hayden has been literally raiding the kitchen at the plush hotel the Chennai Super Kings are staying in. The Aussies opener, an accomplished cook, is freaking out on Indian dishes. He has found the appetiser that triggers an insatiable craving for runs.

For the second game running Hayden towered over the bowlers. He seems to have taken a liking to the ‘Orange Cap’, worn by the player with most runs at any point in the tournament.

Brendon McCullum donned the cap after overhauling Kumar Sangakkara’s tally during the early part of this game. Hayden and McCullum will play in the IPL only for a few more days as they have to join National duty. Till they leave the battle between the two should go down to the wire. Sangakkara, Andrew Symonds and Mike Hussey will be hot on the chase.

Hayden now has 176 runs from three games against McCullum’s 187. McCullum smashed 24 off 12 balls, Hayden made an unbeaten 70 off 48 balls in the battle between two of the most high profile sides.

In the end MS Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings won by nine wickets. The 86-run partnership between Dhoni and Hayden sealed the verdict for the home team in chase of a modest total as Ganguly’s Kolkata Knight Riders tasted their first defeat of the IPL.

Though the batsmen took centre stage it was New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram’s three wickets, including that of McCullum and Ricky Ponting that set up the game for the Super Kings. It must have been a heartening sight for the hapless bowlers in this format of the game to see Oram take the Man of the Match honours.

However, there was very little to cheer for the Knight Riders’ bowlers as Hayden and Parthiv Patel put on 66 for the first wicket, before Dhoni joined the Australian in the middle. Kolkata needed someone to play a big knock and seize the early initiative but that never happened.

In a practice game before the IPL kicked off Laxmi Ratan Shukla hit 36 at a strike rate that hovered around the 200 mark before retiring. At the M Chidambaram Stadium he didn’t have the freedom to throw his bat at every ball. Kolkata’s leading knights weren’t at their best. Ponting and T20 specialist David Hussey didn’t open their accounts; Sourav Ganguly wasn’t at his fluent best. Early on, only McCullum’s cameo raised hopes of a huge total.

On Saturday, all-rounder Shukla, who in his formative years was tipped to be the next big thing, played a leading role in his side’s recovery. McCullum had smashed 16 runs off one Manpreet Singh Gony over.

Wriddhiman Prasanta Saha hit three consecutive fours off medium-pacer Palani Amarnath. From Shukla there were four boundaries; not in a flurry but spaced out, and also a flat six over mid-wicket off Joginder Sharma.

Shukla after taking his team to a respective total was run out in a bizarre fashion. Ishant Sharma was left stranded beside him following a misunderstanding but Shukla strayed out of his crease and Joginder took off the bails and uprooted the stumps at the non-striker’s end and MS Dhoni appealed at the right time.

It meant that Shukla was out. It was a cruel end to a fighting innings but then nothing really went the Knight Riders’ way. Maybe things would have been different if Shah Rukh Khan was here to cheer his team.

Comprehensive win for Chennai Superkings (11th Match - KnightRiders Vs SuperKings - Last 2 Overs)

Matthew Hayden's commanding half century coupled with a disciplined bowling effort resulted in Chennai Super Kings' comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League encounter on Saturday.

Electing to bat in the battle of two unbeaten sides, the Knight Riders were restricted to a modest 147 for nine in their allotted 20 overs with New Zealander Jacob Oram returning figures of three for 32 for the home side.

The Super Kings surpassed the target with three overs to spare. Hayden hit three fours and as many sixes in his 49-ball innings and was well supported by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a quickfire 43 off 27 deliveries which was studded with six hits to the fence and two over it.

The duo shared an unbeaten 86-run stand for the second wicket after Parthiv Patel fell to Ajit Agarkar for 21 in the ninth over of the innings.

Comprehensive win for Chennai Superkings (11th Match - KnightRiders Vs SuperKings - Last 2 Overs)

Matthew Hayden's commanding half century coupled with a disciplined bowling effort resulted in Chennai Super Kings' comprehensive nine-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in an Indian Premier League encounter on Saturday.

Electing to bat in the battle of two unbeaten sides, the Knight Riders were restricted to a modest 147 for nine in their allotted 20 overs with New Zealander Jacob Oram returning figures of three for 32 for the home side.

The Super Kings surpassed the target with three overs to spare. Hayden hit three fours and as many sixes in his 49-ball innings and was well supported by captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni who hit a quickfire 43 off 27 deliveries which was studded with six hits to the fence and two over it.

The duo shared an unbeaten 86-run stand for the second wicket after Parthiv Patel fell to Ajit Agarkar for 21 in the ninth over of the innings.

Super Kings thrash Knight Riders (IPL - 11th Match - Kolkata KR v Chennai SK - Chennai Batting)

Pacing their chase to near-perfection, Chennai Super Kings strolled to their third consecutive win, drubbing Kolkata Knight Riders by nine wickets in the Indian Premier League here Saturday.

After Jacob Oram's three-wicket haul that restricted Knight Riders to 147 for nine, the Super Kings, thanks to Matthew Hayden's second successive half-century (70b, 3 x 6, 6 x 4), cruised to victory that put them on top of the IPL leaderboard with six points.

Scorecard

The Super Kings batted sensibly taking no risks whatsoever and romped home with ease.

Hayden, who had made 81 in the previous game against Mumbai Indians, put on 66 for the first wicketwith Parthiv Patel, the highest opening stand in the tournament so far, to provide an ideal platform for skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni (43, 27b, 2 x 6, 3 x 4) to finish the game in style.

Given the relatively modest target, the Super Kings focussed on denying the Riders early breakthroughs and then had plenty in reserve to step up the pace when it was required with Hayden clubbing a few sixes.

Hayden and Dhoni added 86 runs for the unfinished second wicket even as the Knight Riders grew in frustration and started to spray the ball around.

Earlier, the Riders, having won both their previous two games, began promisingly with opener Brendon McCullum blazing away, but a twin strike by Oram broke the back of the Kolkata innings that never really recovered from these setbacks.

The Kiwi all-rounder returned with figures of three for 32, a far cry from his 0-37 and 0-53 in the two previous games both of which Super Kings won.

Oram first got rid of McCullum who top-edged a catch and off the very next delivery, out-of-form Ricky Ponting offered a tame catch with Riders on 32 in 2.4 overs.

Thereafter, it was an endless procession as the Riders batsmen in their anxiety to quicken the pace, fell to indiscreet shots.

Super Kings skipper Dhoni kept the pressure on, shuffling his bowlers and not allowing the batsmen to settle down.

Off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan applied the brakes on the Riders, conceding just 12 runs in his four overs while Palani Amarnath picked up two crucial wickets, those of David Hussey and Md. Hafeez.

Barring Lakshmi Ratan Shukla (42, 33b, 1 x 6, 1 x 4), none of the other Riders batsmen looked comfortable on a pitch that had a bit of movement and appreciable bounce, but certainly no demons lurking under the surface.

Super Kings also fielded quite well, holding the catches that came their way and giving little away on the ground.

Mohali prove a point, take away two (IPL Match 10 - 2nd innings Highlights - Punjab Vs Mumbai)

S. Sreesanth cried tears of joy and relief as Kings XI Punjab, so desperately hard-pressed for points, finally notched up a win over Mumbai Indians by 66 runs here.

Chasing Mohali's 182, Mumbai were restricted to a pathetic 116 for nine, and are still without any points.

Brett Lee bowled a sensational first spell for the Mohali team, while Piyush Chawla had a spell of 2-16 off four overs to settle the issue for Mohali.

Dwayne Bravo scored 23 for the Mumbai side and Shaun Pollock 22, but it was never going to be enough.

Sri Lankan star Kumar Sangakkara scored a brilliant 94 as Kings XI Punjab scored 182 in their 20 overs against Mumbai Indians.

The Mohali side would have expected one of their other batsmen to share a stand with Sangakkara, but no one stayed on long enough and Mumbai skipper Harbhajan Singh would be satisfied with the performance on the field.

Harbhajan himself was the leading wicket-taker for the Mumbai team with three scalps.

Mumbai Indians once again went in with Sachin Tendulkar as their captain is still not fit, putting them in quite a situation as they go into the game desperately needing a win. Harbhajan Singh once again won the toss, and again like the previous games decided to field first.

Kings XI Punjab are also in a pretty desperate situation in the India Premier League, and they too would be hoping to turn around with a win. They are at the bottom of the table, without any points to their name, while Mumbai are just a shade better, that too only because of their run-rate.

The Mumbai squad brought in Saurabh Tiwary to replace offie Vikrant Yaligati, while Yuvraj Singh decided to drop James Hopes and replace him with VRV Singh.

Teams: Mumbai Indians: Sanath Jayasuriya, Luke Ronchi , Robin Uthappa, Abhishek Nayar, Dwayne Bravo, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh, Musavir Khote, Ashish Nehra, Dhaval Kulkarni, Saurabh Tiwary.

Kings XI Punjab: Karan Goel, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Sunny Sohal, Brett Lee, Piyush Chawla, S. Sreesanth, VRV Singh.

Harbhajan slaps Sreesanth during match (IPL:10th match Shreesanth Crying)

Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh and Kings XI paceman S Sreesanth were on Friday involved in a bitter row, following which the fast bowler was seen crying bitterly on the ground at the end of their IPL match here.

Harbhajan allegedly slapped Sreesanth after the paceman said something to Harbhajan which offended the off-spinner.

The off-spinner however had a long chat with Sreesanth in the dressing room of the Punjab team and even believed to have apologised for his behaviour.

Harbhajan though did not speak on the issue when he came to address the post match conference.

"Can we have questions on just cricket," Harbhajan said when asked about what happened between him and Sreesanth.

The winning captain Yuvraj Singh was upset by the unsavoury incident and termed it "ugly".

"This is really an ugly incident. You do not want to see such things off the field specially after such a win. I am pretty upset at what has happened. This is totally unacceptable," he said apparently criticising Harbhajan Singh.

Yuvraj though said he did not know what actually transpired between the two.

"I do not know what exactly happened but one does not want to see such things happening."

Kings XI coach Tom Moody was also visibly upset by the incident and termed as "unacceptable" Harbhajan's behaviour.

"At the end of the day, players shake hands. But today saw more that from Harbhajan and Sreesanth. It is unacceptable behaviour and I am sure officials will take of note.

"The positive thing is that Harbhajan had a long chat with Sreesanth. But I am not sure what ramifications this incident will have," Moody said.

Upset after his team's third successive defeat, the turbanator also looked unhappy with his teammates.

"When you lose nothing seems to be okay. I won't bowl and bat for other people. They have to be captain of their own bowling and own bowling. I can not do other's job," he said angrily when asked if captaincy was tough.

"I don't like losing. When you lose, you don't feel happy."

Kings register first win of IPL (Sangakkara's Big Hits @ Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians, IPL)

Kumar Sangakkara's confident 94-run knock coupled with disciplined bowling fashioned Kings XI Punjab's 66-run victory over Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League match on Friday.

Sangakkara missed out on a well deserved century but propelled his team to a competitive 182, after being sent to bat by the rival skipper.

The hosts then restricted their opponents to 116 for 9 in their quota of 20 overs with Chawla coming up with a brilliant four-over spell, in which he claimed two wickets conceded just 16 runs.

Brett Lee also produced exceptional figures of 4-0-9-1 while Irfan chipped in with two wickets in his team's first victory in the tournament. (PTI Photo)

Sangakkara Steers Kings XI Punjab to First IPL Victory (IPL Match 10 - 1st innings Highlights - Punjab Vs Mumbai)

Kumar Sangakkara's confident 94-run knock coupled with disciplined bowling fashioned Kings XI Punjab's 66-run victory over Mumbai Indians in their Indian Premier League match here on Friday.

Sangakkara missed out on a well deserved century but propelled his team to a competitive 182, after being sent to bat by the rival skipper.

The hosts then restricted their opponents to 116 for 9 in their quota of 20 overs with Chawla coming up with a brilliant four-over spell, in which he claimed two wickets conceded just 16 runs.

Brett Lee also produced exceptional figures of 4-0-9-1 while Irfan chipped in with two wickets in his team's first victory in the tournament.

Mumbai Indians' run chase was far from ideal with both the openers making an early exit courtesy brilliance of Australian paceman Lee.

The fast bowler removed dangerous Sanath Jayasuriya (1) with a superb catch off his own bowling and then effected Luke Ronchi's run out with an athletic fielding in the third over.

West Indian Dwayne Bravo (23) and Robin Uthappa (21) then did the spade work, lifting the visitors with a 47-run third-wicket partnership.

But the duo went back to the pavillion in a gap of four runs, dealing severe blows to the hopes of the Mumbai team.

Rookie Piyush Chawla clean bowled Bravo and local boy VRV Singh had Uthappa caught at short mid-wicket to give another blow to visitors hopes.

The visitors paid the price of not building partnerships as batsmen succumbed to pressure of soaring run-rate and plunged to their third successive defeat.

The Mumbai team, playing without injured captain Sachin Tendulkar, soon found itself in a spot of bother with half of the team back in the pavillion with the scorecard reading just 91.

Shaun Pollock put up good resistance with his 22-run knock before being undone by a stunning one-handed catch by Yuvraj Singh off S Sreesanth.

Earlier, Sangakkara held one end almost throughout as wickets fell regularly from the other on the batting friendly strip of the PCA stadium.

The Sri Lankan came to the crease after the departure of Irfan Pathan and went back in the penultimate over while attempting a big shot off Harbhajan Singh.

He tried to hoick Singh to get his century with a six but only managed to find Dhawal Kulkarni in the deep, missing out on a well deserved century.

His innings came off 56 balls and was adorned with 13 boundaries and one shot over the fence.

He also shared crucial 73-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Karan Goel.

The partnership ended with the run out of Goel as he was too late to respond to the call of his partner.

Goel, just before departing, got a lip cut after being smashed on the helmet grill by a quick bouncer from Dwayne Bravo.

Sangakkara raised 17 runs from Pollock's third over with a flurry of boundaries all over the park and then hit young pacer Dhawal Kulkarni for 16 runs in the next over to up the tempo.

Yuvraj Singh (18) came on the crease after the fall of Goel but could not last long.

Skipper Harbhajan Singh (3/32) was the most successful bowler for the visitors.

Warne cameo helps Jaipur win (IPL - Match 9 - DC vs RR - Last Over)

Andrew Symmonds was given the responsibility to bowl the final over as Jaipur needed 17 runs of it. Pankaj Singh took 2 runs of the first ball and then followed it with a single. Warne then scored an important boundary and then smashed two massive sixes to seal an incredible victory for the Jaipur team, as they won by three wickets.

RP Singh was then brought back into the attack. Jadeja tried to hit the ball a long way, but missed it completely, only to get a single. Warne then took a single of the next ball to make it 21 runs of 10 balls. Jadeja was then clean bowled Jadeja as his stumopa went cartwheeling. Dinesh Salunke was the new man to come in and he was off the mark immediately. Salunke was then run out, courtsey of a big mis understanding. Warne then took a single of the next ball. Jaipur were 197/7 after 19 overs.

Afridi then came into the attack and he immediately removed Kaif of the first ball caught in the deep, he then removed Smith of the next ball to bring the Hyderabad team right back into the match. The two quick wickets bring two new batsman in the middle. Afridi could have got three but a sitter was spilled in the deep by the fielder and that also got Jadeja of the mark. Afridi was all charged up as he bowled two dot balls. Warne then sliced a boundary of the last ball. Jaipur were 192/5 after 18 overs.

Vaas was then brought back into the attack to bowl the 17th over. Smith welcomed him back with a glorious boundary over mid-wicket. He then took another single of the next ball. Kaif then scored another single of the next ball. Smith then scored another single of the next ball and Kaif gave the strike back to him. Smith then finished the over with another couple as Jaipur were 186/3 after 17 overs.

Kalyankrishnan then came back into the attack and Smith took a single of the first ball. Kaif then took a single of the next ball. Smith then hit another aix of the next ball. He then sliced a ball to the third man area for another boundary. Smith then took a single of the next ball and Kaif finished the over with another boundary. Jaipur were 176/3 after 16 overs.

Symmonds then continued his spell and Kaif hit a huge six of the first ball and then took a single to give the strike to Smith, who again gave the strike to Kaif. He then hit two consecutive sixes to take Jaipur to 159/3 after 15 overs.

Afridi then bowled a great over, giving away just 5 runs of it, which also brought up the 50 of Graeme Smith. Jaipur were 139/3 after 14 overs.

Andrew Symmonds then came into the attack, as Smith took a single of the first ball and gave the strike to new batsman Mohammed Kaif, who got of the mark, by easily playing it to mid-on. Smith again took a single of the next ball. Kaif then sliced another ball to the boundary. He then finished the over with another single. Mumbai were 134/3 after 13 overs.

Afridi then continued his spell, as Smith took a single of the first ball. Watson then cleverly sliced a ball to take another single. Smith then scored another single of the next ball as Watson returned the favor to Smith, who again gave the strike back to him. Watson was then cleaned up by Afridi, Jaipur were 126/3 after 12 overs.

RP Singh then came back into the attack as he gave away a single of the first ball. Smith then scored another single of the next ball to keep the strike rotating and the score moving. Pathan then smashed another six over mid wicket to bring up his fifty, whixh is also the fastest in the IPL. He then scored consecutive boundaries. Jaipur were 98/1 after 9 overs.

Kalyan Krishna the new bowler in the attack came in and got single of the first two balls and Pathan then smashed another six of the next ball and then taking a single to gibe the strike to Smith, who played out the over with a dot ball. Jaipur were 82/1 after 7 overs.

Pragyan Ojha then came into the attack and was greeted with two magnificent boundaries by Smith, to bring up the 50 runs partnership. Smith then took a single and Yusuf Pathan then hit another six of the next ball. He again went for a big one but missed it completely and also escaped a close stumping shout. He added another single to the total as Jaipur were 73/1 after 6 overs.

Yusuf Pathan then smashed two consecutive sixes of Graeme Smith of the first two balls of the new over, followed it with another boundary. He then took a single of the next ball as Smith smashes another ball to the ropes and then ends the over with another single. Jaipur were 57/1 after 5 overs.

RP Singh then continued his spell and was lofted over his own head for a boundary and then for a massive six over extra cover. Singh then bowled a wide delievery. Pathan then went for another big hit, but missed it completely. He then took a single of the next ball to give the strike to Smith, who charged down the track and smashed another boundary of the last ball. Jaipur were 35/1 after 4 overs.

Vaas continued in the next over, and got Akmal caught at the point region, to get the first break through to the Hyderabad team. The new batsman in was Yusuf Pathan, who got off the mark immediately. Smith then scored a boundary of the last ball to end the third over, as Jaipur were 19/1.

RP Singh came in to bowl the second over and he was greeted with a huge six over fine leg by Kamran Akmal, who then escaped a strong lbw appeal and also took two runs via leg bye. Akmal then played the ball fine to the third man region for another single. Smith then played out two dot balls, as he was looking to get his eye in. Jaipur 14/0 after 2 overs.


Chaminada Vass came out to bowl the first over for the Hyderabad team. The Jaipur team had a shaky start, as they had a run out appeal of the first ball itself. Kamran Akmal then scored a boundary of the next ball to get the Jaipur team underway. He then took a single of the next ball to the give the strike to Graeme Smith, who played out the over. Jaipur were 5/0 after the first over.

In the last over, bowled by Shane Watson, Arjun Yadav scored two consecutive boundaries and then was caught behind by Kamaral Akmal as Hyderabad finished at 214/5 after 20 overs.

Symmonds then brought up the fastest hundred in IPL as he scored a huge six of Shane Warme. He then scored a single of the next ball. Sharma then scored another single to give the strike back to Symmo, who smashed another six of the next ball and again took another single. Sharma tried to hit Warne out of the ground, but was caught at mid-off. Hyderabad ended the 18th over at 186/4.

Munaf Patel was then brought back into the attack. He was smashed for two boundaries by Sharma. He then took a couple of the next ball and then played out two dot balls, to end the 17th over Hyderabad were 171/3.

Warne then continued the attack and was taken for a single by Sharma. Symmonds then smashed a boundary and then followed it with another single. Sharma then hit another boundary over extra cover, followed by another single, to give the strike back to Sharma. The 16th over finished with another single, as Hyderabad were 161/3 after 16.

Trivedi's next over began on a brutal note when Symonds clobbered the medium-pacer over extra-cover and not a fielder moved. Four runs, the result. Trivedi, then bowled a no-ball which gave Symonds another opportunity to free his arms. Symonds did not capitalize on the lapse and just picked up a single. And a grunt of disappointment from the big fella ! Rohit Sharma, who got going last over, again tried to give it the China sink in the next delivery, but could only manage to find the fielder at mid-on, Dinesh Salukhe who mopped it well. Symonds, again going for the slog sliced it to backward point, where Yusuf Pathan tipped it over the cross-bar, giving Symonds another run. And that was followed by a superb boundary, straight past the bowler - it was powerfully struck by Symonds. Symmo into his 80s now. And what a shot to end the over - a gentle flick, just effortlessly stroked by Symonds past mid-wicket for the biggie. Hyderabad,

Pankaj Singh was then introduced into the attack by Warne, in a big to stop the run-leak. He couldn't do much as Rohit Sharma cut loose as the batsman went downtown on a couple of occasions in the over. The first one was a close call, as Yusuf Pathan made a brilliant attempt to catch Sharma running back towards mid-on, while the other one was a one-handed chip over long-off which just about cleared the boundary for a six. Hyderabad ended the 14th over at 129/3.

Following up his masterstroke in the early part of the Hyderabad innings, Warne brought on Yusuf Pathan again and the pattern of the previous overs was retained as it began with some steady running between the wickets and that one six, that Symonds has been scoring every over came again this time, when he just flicked one from Pathan for a big one. Hyderabad finished the 13th over at 118/3.

Dinesh Salunkhe, then came on to bowl the 12th over of the innings and even though he began on sedate note, Symonds went on the charge, with a six - he's making a habit of scoring one six an over at least. Hyderabad chugged along to 108/3 after 12 overs.

Shane Warne bowled the 11th over of the innings and although it started off with singles on a regular basis, Andrew Symonds turned it on in the last two balls of the over, with two ferocious hits to the fence. First, a massive six over long-on and backed it up with a fiery stroke over the bowler's head for a boundary.



Siddharta Trivedi then continued the attack and Sharma then placed a single of the first ball. Symmonds then smashed a boundary of the next ball. He then placed another single. Hyderabad after 10 overs 85/2.

The new bowler Siddhart trivedi was welcomed by Symmonds with a huge six and then followed it with a single. Hyderabad were 72/2 after 8 overs.

Yougster Pankaj Singh was then brought into the attack as he bowled right on the pads, to get away with a dot ball. He was then cut to the third man area for a single. Laxman then tried to take a single, but was denied by some quick fielding by the Jaipur team. Laxman then flicked another ball to fine leg for a single. Singh then bowled a perfect yorker to Symmonds, which was well played by him. He then finished the over with another single. Hyderabad were 61/2 after 7 overs.

Shane Watson shared the attack with Munaf. He bowled the fist ball to a surprise opener in VVS Laxma, who flicked the ball of his pads for a single and got of the mark. Gilly then played another drive, which was superbly fielded to restrict it to only a single. Laxman then played a classic flick, this time finding the boundary. Laxman then played two dot balls, as he was looking in good touch. He then finished the over with a brilliant straight drive to finish the second over. Hyderabad were 22/0.

Munaf patel opened the bowling for the Jaipur team as he was right on the money. Gilchrist let the first ball go through, just to get his eye in. Gilly then played a beautiful cover drive on the off side to get the first boundary of the match and also to get of the mark. He then played two more boundaries on the last two balls of the over, as Hyderabad were 12/0 after the first over.

Hyderabad, playing its second home game was coming in to get into the winning momentum. A star-studded side, with lot of big hitters has struggled till now in the tournament, as its high profile batting order has failed to create any impression.
Jaipur on the other hand won their first game, when they defeated Mohali and were looking to continue the winning ways.



Teams:

Hyderabad - Adam Gilchrist(wk), VVS Laxman (c), Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Sanjay Bangar, Arjun Yadav, Chaminda Vaas, Rudra Pratap Singh, Pragyan Ojha, D Kalyankrishna


Jaipur - Graeme Smith, Kamran Akmal(wk), Mohammed Kaif, Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Ravinder Jadeja, Pankaj Singh, Dinesh Salunkhe, Shane Warne(c), Siddharth Trivedi, Munaf Patel.

Warne clinches thriller for Rajasthan Royals (Rajasthan Royals Vs Deccan Chargers - IPL Match 9 )

Andrew Symonds' fastest hundred went in vain as Rajasthan Royals notched up a thrilling three-wicket win over Deccan Chargers in their Indian Premier League encounter on Thursday.

Shane Warne (22) repaid Symonds in the same coin by hitting him for two successive sixes in the final over to script his team's victory.

Chasing 215 to win, Royals overhauled the target with a ball to spare with Warne coming up with a 22-run cameo off just nine balls.

Requiring 17 runs off the final over, Warne wielded willow to great effects as he twice hit Symonds over the ropes to seal a nail-biting win.

Royals made a befitting reply through Yousuf Pathan (61) Greame Smith (71) and Mohammad Kaif (34).

The hosts had piled up 214 for five, largely built around Symonds' unbeaten knock of 117 runs, after put in to bat by rival skipper.

Pathan and Smith, who made his IPL debut today, shared a crucial 98-run partnership for the second wicket.

Andrew Symonds hit an unbeaten 117-run knock helped the hosts post a total of 214 for 5.

Symonds studded with seven sixes and 11 boundaries off 53 balls, making full use of a dropped chance at the individual score of 75.

Put in to bat, the hosts overcame early blows to pile up the huge total, thanks to some lusty hitting by Symonds and his 111-run fourth-wicket stand with Rohit Sharma (36).

Yousuf Pathan failed to latch on a catch off Siddharth Trivedi at point giving the Australian a chance to notch up his hundred in just 47-balls.

VVS Laxman (16) along with Andrew Symonds added 43 runs before Warne caught him off his own bowling.

Deccan Chargers stumbled in beginning when they lost Adam Gilchrist (13) and Shahid Afridi (10) in quick succession.

Just when Adam Gilchrist was looking to flay Royals bowlers, Warne introduced Yusuf Pathan.

Pathan with his off-spin deceived Adam Gilchrist, who misread the length and was stumped by Kamran Akmal.

Shahid Afridi was next to go as he danced down the track to loft a Pathan delivery but was caught by Ravindra Jadeja at mid-on.

Teams:

Deccan Chargers: VVS Laxman (Captain), Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Sanjay Bangar, Ashok Yadav, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, D Kalyankrishna

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Warne (Captain), Grame Smith, Kamran Akmal, Mohd. Kaif, Yusuf Pathan, Shane Watson, Ravindra Jadeja, Pankaj Singh, Dinesh Salunkhe, Siddharth Trivedi, Munaf Patel.

Symonds hits fastest IPL ton, Chargers set Royals 215 to win - IPL 9th Match (Symonds 117* Highlights @ Deccan Chargers v Rajas

Andrew Symonds struck form, hitting the fastest hundred of the tournament to steer Deccan Chargers to a challenging 214 for five in their Indian Premier League encounter against Rajasthan Royals here on Thursday.

Put in to bat, the hosts overcame early blows to pile up the huge total, thanks to some lusty hitting by Symonds and his 111-run fourth-wicket stand with Rohit Sharma (36).

Symonds hit an unbeaten 117-run knock, studded with seven sixes and 11 boundaries off 53 balls, making full use of a dropped chance at the individual score of 75.

Yousuf Pathan failed to latch on a catch off Siddharth Trivedi at point giving the Australian a chance to notch up his hundred in just 47-balls.

And he did it in style by lofting the rival skipper Shane Warne for a huge long-on six, during his superb innings, which made the rival bowlers look like ordinary.

Paceman Munaf Patel and spin-great Warne bore the brunt of the Symonds fury as they conceded 55 and 47 runs in their quota of four overs.

Chargers' skipper VVS Laxman came to open the batting with Australian Adam Gilchrist and the duo put on 22 for the first wicket before Yousuf Pathan's double strike in the third over.

Royals skipper Shane Warne brought in Pathan early in the innings and the bowler responded with two wickets in an eventful over.

Pathan dismissed the dangerous Gilchrist (13) on the second ball of the over as the Australian came forward, got deceived in the air, and was stumped by wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal.

Shahid Afridi then joined his skipper and hit a six and a boundary before handing a catch to Ravinder Jadeja at mid-on while attempting a big shot.

Laxman (16) and Symonds then put on 43 runs for the third-wicket, which not only helped hosts to recover from 32 for two but set the platform for the big score.

Laxman became vicitm of Warne as he offered a caught and bowled chance while flicking, which the leggie accepted gleefully.

Mumbai go down by Six Runs (IPL Highlights 8th Match Last Over)

A heart-stopping 45 from 20 balls by Abhishek Nayar threatened to take Mumbai Indians home - but it was a long shot, and the six-run margin doesn't reveal how far ahead Chennai Super Kings were in the game.

Needing 75 runs from 30 balls, Mumbai looked done and dusted. But some bold hitting later, their captain Harbhajan Singh and local boy Abhishek Nayar scaled down the equation to 19 from 6 balls. Harbhajan hit three sixes in his 28.

With Mumbai raising the heat in humid conditions at the Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai captain MS Dhoni called on his trusted hand Joginder Sharma to bowl the last over. But Nayar, known for big hits in the domestic circuit, retaliated by thumping Sharma for two one-drop fours.

It came down to 11 from 4 balls, when Sharma overstepped and allowed Mumbai a free hit. However, because of a scrambled single, Nayar got off strike, leaving Ashish Nehra to heave at the free hit and miss. The single was a tactical error in the heat, and that was that.

Eight from two balls proved too much for Nayar, who had batted heroically to bring Mumbai back into the game.

Earlier in the day, two feisty fifties from Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina took Chennai to 208-5 on a good batting wicket. However, the outfield was moist and slippery and bowling on it was going to be hard.

Hayden had some luck, a caught behind appeal going his way, as he scored 81 from 46 balls with typical brute force and also some atypical feathery touch.

For a while, Raina led his senior partner, feasting on a Mumbai attack that had no bite. The most economical spell was captain Harbhajan Singh's 2-0-14-0.

Even the miserly Shaun Pollock was clobbered around going for 3-0-32-0, including a reverse sweep from Hayden that went for four.

Raina and Hayden both brought up their fifties in 33 balls. The Indian eventually fell attempting a big hit and finding long-on.

Hayden carried on the good work with his captain MS Dhoni, who made 30 in 16 balls to tip Chennai over the 200-run mark.

Hayden got out attempting an impossible single as a throw from cover by Harbhajan caught him short at the striker's end.

Chennai have now won two while Mumbai have lost two in the Indian Premier League so far.

Valiant Mumbai fall short by six runs (Mumbai Indians Full Innings Highlights - IPL Match 8th)

Mumbai Indians stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh and young left-hander Abhishek Nayar brought their side to within shouting distance of the huge Chennai Superkings total.


Chasing 209 for a win, Mumbai ended at 202-7, with Nayar remaining unbeaten on 45 off 20 balls, while Harbhajan contributed 28 off 14 balls.


With this win, Chennai have four points from two games while Mumbai are yet to open their account.


Earlier, Matthew Hayden and Suresh Raina were involved in a 104-run third wicket partnership, which helped Super Kings score 208-5.


Hayden scored an attacking 81 while Raina contributed 53 runs. Mahendra Singh Dhoni chipped in with a quickfire 30 as the hapless Mumbai bowlers were taken to task by all the Chennai batsmen.


Earlier, Mumbai Indians went into their second Indian Premier League match, again with their iconic player and captain Sachin Tendulkar, still out of action with a groin injury. Mumbai stand-in skipper Harbhajan Singh won the toss and elected to field on the placid MA Chidambaram Stadium pitch here.


There were two changes in the Mumbai team, with West Indian Dwayne Bravo replacing Australian Dominic Thornely, who was injured in the game against Bangalore Royal Challengers, a game that they lost by five wickets. The Chennai team went in with the same XI that had beaten Kings XI Punjab by 33 runs in their first game.


Teams: Chennai Superkings: Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Michael Hussey, Mahendra Singh Dhoni , Suresh Raina, Jacob Oram, S Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, P Amarnath, Manpreet Gony, Muttiah Muralitharan.


Mumbai Indians: Sanath Jayasuriya, Luke Ronchi, Robin Uthappa, Dwayne Bravo, Abhishek Nayar, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh , Musavir Khote, Ashish Nehra, Dhaval Kulkarni, Vikrant Yeligati.

Chennai Super Kings win edge of the seat thriller (IPL - 8th Match - Chennai SK v Mumbai Inds - Highlights)

In a repeat show of the Twenty20 World Cup final, Joginder Sharma lived upto captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni's expectation and sent down a crucial final over as Chennai Super Kings pipped Mumbai Indians by six runs in a thrilling Indian Premier League tie here.

Harbhajan Singh (28) and Abhishek Nayar's (45 not out) spectacular rearguard action had the Mumbai side needing 19 off the last over when Dhoni tossed the ball to Joginder.

The bowler conceded two fours in a row and bowled a no ball as well. But he kept his cool in the end and kept it tight as Mumbai Indians eventually finished on 202 for seven.

Chasing 209, Mumbai looked in dire straits with its top order firing blank. The Abhishek-Harbhajan duo, however, refused to give up and waged a grim battle.

They stuttered early in the chase with Luke Ronchi (2) falling cheaply and Sanath Jayasuriya (20) departing just when he was looking dangerous.

Robin Uthappa (43), however, took the Chennai attack by the scruff of the neck and milked 19 runs from a Jacob Oram over to spice things up.

Mumbai seemed back on the track but Joginder retained his penchant to rise on the occasions and castled Uthappa to deal a deadly blow. Uthappa's 36-ball knock included six fours and a six.

Shaun Pollock (17) to sizzled for a while and so did Dwayne Bravo (24). With the asking run rate skyrocketing, Harbhajan and Abhishek threw bat at everything that resulted in some lusty shots as well but it was too late by then.

Earlier, Matthew Hayden blasted 81 and featured in a century stand with Suresh Raina (53) as Chennai Super Kings amassed 208 for five.

With a 46-ball knock that was studded with 12 fours and two sixes, Hayden once again proved the thorn in the flesh for Harbhajan, who led the Mumbai side in absence of their regular captain Sachin Tendulkar, down with a groin injury.

Harbhajan, finally, found some solace when his direct throw caught Hayden short of ground towards the end of the innings.

Put into bat, the Chennai Super Kings got off to a rollicking start with Parthiv Patel (14) and Hayden putting on 34 runs in the first three overs before Ashish Nehra applied the brake.

Nehra had Parthiv caught behind and five runs later, Mike Hussey (5) too was back in the hut after dragging a Dhaval Kulkarni delivery onto his stumps.

In Raina, Hayden found an able ally and the duo scored at a brisk rate. Raina was fluent as he smote Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh and Abhishek Nayar over the ropes to keep pace with Hayden, who was his aggressive self at the other end as they put on a century stand.

The duo put on 104 runs in about 10 overs before Raina holed out to Bravo to depart after a 37-ball knock that included three sixes and as many boundaries.

Hayden, however, maintained the momentum and though Harbhajan pressed into service as many as eight bowlers, including himself, runs came thick and fast.

Dhoni (30) chipped in with a 16-ball cameo to take the side past the 200-mark.

No one can stop me on my day: Sehwag - (IPL 7th Match-Delhi vs Hyderabad-Sehwag 30 runs in a over)

After his buccaneering unbeaten 94 powered Delhi Daredevils to a comprehensive win against the Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad on Tuesday night, Virender Sehwag said none can really stop him when he gets going and it was one of those days.

After his buccaneering unbeaten 94 powered Delhi Daredevils to a comprehensive win against the Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad on Tuesday night, Virender Sehwag said none can really stop him when he gets going and it was one of those days.

After the hosts put on a modest 142 for 8 in their allotted 20 overs, Sehwag led from the front and slammed an unbeaten explosive 41-ball knock of 94 to guide his side to an easy nine-wicket victory in just 13 overs.

"Someone asked me yesterday what would be our strategy and I just told him if the day belongs to me, none can stop me. And it was such a day," said Sehwag whose swashbuckling innings earned him the Man of the Match award.

Sehwag was especially harsh on Andrew Symonds and Sanjay Bangar and he in fact milked 30 runs off an over from the Australian all-rounder.

"I knew they don't have real pace and I can take chance against them. So I stayed back and played my shots against them," he said, almost nonchalantly.

He also showered praise on his bowlers, especially Mohammad Asif and Glenn McGrath and felt the Deccans never really got going in the match.

His opposite number VVS Laxman said the batsmen did not put enough runs on the board to give the bowlers any cushion in the match.

"You see 142 was just not enough. We did not capitalise on the first six overs and then lost wickets at regular intervals. It is not easy for a new batsman to come and start playing his shots. we could not concentrate enough.

"It's extremely disappointing to lose in such a manner in front of the home crowd," Laxman rued.

Delhi Daredevils Highlights - Sehwag Innings 94* (Viru serves up a Delhi-cacy) (22/04/08)

A quality Delhi bowling attack came up against a Hyderabad batting order seemingly made for Twenty20 cricket and set up yet another comfortable win. The quintet of quick bowlers scripted yet another clinical triumph, this time by nine wickets. Virender Sehwag would have liked a bigger target than 143 for he ended on a brilliant 94 off 41 balls and was on course for a hundred.

With TA Sekar at the helm of cricket affairs in the team and Dennis Lillee as advisor it doesn't take an Einstein to deduce that Delhi's accent will be on pace. Glenn McGrath was bang on target from ball one, but it was the man who has openly admitted to idolising the Pigeon, Mohammad Asif, who provided the early magic.

Adam Gilchrist played away from his body to one that moved just enough off the pitch to cause problems and dragged the ball back onto his stumps.

Laxman lasted six balls for two runs before a perfectly pitched indipper from Asif beat the stroke and castled Hyderabad's captain.

On the bright side, Hyderabad looked to their power-packed batting line-up to reverse the run of play. For a time Andrew Symonds managed that, taking on McGrath and lofting him magnificently back down the ground and through the off side. Venugopala Rao, whose across-the-line efforts were far from successful, made room and carved one over cover. Unfortunately for him, it was one of those rare shots that he timed well and picked out Shikhar Dhawan on the ropes.

When Symonds fished outside the off to a clever outswinger from Farveez Maharoof, he only managed an outside edge which Dinesh Karthik held well, tumbling to his right.

If 45 for 4 was bad, things took a further downturn when the dangerous Shahid Afridi, inexplicably batting as low as No. 6, was trapped plumb in front off Rajat Bhatia's first ball. In the 13th over only 60 runs were on the board, and a noisy crowd egged on by a banshee of a DJ-cum-announcer, went silent. Rohit Sharma eased the pain briefly, confirming the pitch was offering no special assistance to the fast bowlers.

Maharoof was at the wrong end of Sharma's charge and the 18th over read 6-6-4-4-4-2. But when Sharma holed out for a 36-ball 66, Hyderabad were still well short, ending on 142.

That proved to be woefully short as Delhi blitzed to victory with seven overs to spare on the back of Sehwag's innings. Gautam Gambhir fell early, but it mattered little. With no pressure from the target, Sehwag had the luxury of choosing which balls to hit, and he did so with brutal precision. Sehwag took 30 off Symonds' second over, the 13th of the innings, with the sequence reading 4-6-4-6-4-6. With their bowling performing like clockwork, and the batsmen finishing the job in style, Delhi have played two near-perfect matches so far.

Sehwag Hits Symonds for 30 Runs,

Virender Sehwag decimated the Deccan Chargers with a violent unbeaten 94 as Delhi Daredevils cantered to an easy nine-wicket win in the Indian Premier League on Tuesday.

Rohit Sharma's 36-ball 66 had propped up the Deccan Chargers to a modest 142 for eight after the hosts were reduced to 60 for five at one stage.

But with skipper Sehwag on fire, Delhi Daredevils overwhelmed the target in 13 overs losing just one wicket for their second victory in a row.

Sehwag's 41-ball blitzkrieg of 94 not out included 10 hits to the fence, besides six towering sixes.

IPL - 7th Match - Deccan Cs v Delhi DD - (Sensational Sehwag carries Delhi to nine-wicket win)

Virender Sehwag seemed to have a train to catch, as he rocketed Delhi Daredevils to a sensational nine-wicket win over Hyderabad Deccan Chargers.


Sehwag scored 94 not out off just 41 deliveries as his partnership with Shikhar Dhawan (25 not out) took his side to a facile win. Delhi now have two wins from two matches while Hyderabad have yet to score a win in the IPL.


Chasing Hyderabad's modest 142, Delhi never gave the hosts any chance to fight back as first Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, then the captain and Dhawan, decimated the attack.


The 13th over of the match, bowled by Andrew Symonds, went for 30 runs as Sehwag hit three sixes and three boundaries. In total, Sehwag hit ten boundaries and six sixes.


Young Rohit Sharma carried the Hyderabad Deccan Chargers on his shoulders as bigger names like Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Shahid Afridi failed, to take his side to a fighting 142-8 against Delhi Daredevils.


Sharma scored a sensational 66 runs off just 36 deliveries, hitting six fours and four sixes.


Sharma scored 26 runs off one over by Faraveez Maharoof. He carried Hyderabad from a precarious 70-5 after 15 overs to a total that can at least be called challenging for the Delhi batsmen.




For the Delhi team, Pakistani fast bowler Mohd. Asif was the best bowler, claiming two wickets for 19 runs in four overs.


Earlier, Deccan Chargers captain VVS Laxman thought it apt to make use of the pitch first, especially with perhaps the best batting line-up, which doesn't seem even remotely similar to the one they played earlier on in Kolkata.


The Chargers play their first game at home, and are up against an upbeat Delhi Daredevils side, who have been bolstered by the arrival of the Pakistan duo of Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif, as well as another change in Yo Mahesh. Daniel Vettori, Mithun Manhas and Brett Geeves sat out the fixture.


Hyderabad, on the other hand, included the explosive Shahid Afridi to go with the existing firepower of Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds, while Scott Styris was benched.


Teams:


Delhi Daredevils: Virender Sehwag (captain), Gautam Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Shoaib Malik, Manoj Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik, Rajat Bhatia, Mohammad Asif, Yo Mahesh, Farveez Maharoof, Glenn McGrath.


Hyderabad Deccan Chargers: VVS Laxman (captain), Adam Gilchrist, Venugopal Rao, Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Shahid Afridi, Arjun Yadav, Sanjay Bangar, RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha, Chaminda Vaas.

IPL - 7th Match - Deccan Cs v Delhi DD - Highlights - 1

Home-grown heroes — one an established star and the other a T20 hero whose stock is on the rise — were the leading men at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium here on Tuesday.

Virender Sehwag entertained like only he can as Delhi’s icon led the way in his team’s successful chase of a modest target. Rohit Sharma earlier saved Chargers the blushes belting 66 off 36 balls in a team total of 142, but watched helplessly as Sehwag mercilessly crushed any resistance on his way to a 41-ball 94. The Daredevils won with seven overs to spare.

In one Farveez Maharoof over, Sharma hit 26 runs (6, 6, 4, 4, 4) off the first five deliveries. Sehwag did better. He took 30 runs off one Andrew Symonds over — the sequence of scoring shots was 4, 6, 4, 6, 4 and 6 in the 13th over. Earlier, he hit 21 off the 23 runs Sanjay Bangar conceded.

Sehwag batted like a millionaire who had no worries in exhausting all his talent in one night. Fresh from his marauding triple-century at Chennai against the South Africans, he displayed the carefree approach and clean hitting that has brought him maximum benefit. He reduced the contest to a farce with 10 boundaries and 6 sixes. Adam Gilchrist and Symonds, the marquee big-hitters, for a change were being entertained rather than being the entertainers, but one suspects they would have preferred watching their younger teammate Sharma’s innings.

The $750,000 Deccan Chargers spent to lure Sharma out of his hometown in Mumbai and travel down south wasn’t a bad investment after all.

Sharma, one of the young stars in India’s World T20 win, dug the Chargers out of a hole after the top order perished in the face of some tidy bowling, first from Mohammad Asif and then Maharoof early on.

The first ball Sharma faced from another youngster, Yo Mahesh, was sent crashing to the backward point fence. He slipped as he turned at the non-striker’s end before the ball reached the boundary. Symonds, his partner at that point, looked concerned, but Sharma dusted himself and was up for the fightback he was going to script. A misunderstanding between him and the experienced Sanjay Bangar later in the innings saw the senior partner giving up his right to reach the safe end, and wisely so.

He went past 50 and the team total crossed the three-figure mark. The scoop to fine-leg off that Maharoof over was full of finesse, while the other hits lacked no power or timing.

Sharma has in the recent past shown the tendency to perform under pressure. He did it against South Africa in the World T20 in a must-win game, when the chips were down and also made an impact during the CB Series with two valuable half-centuries.

For the Chargers though, things don’t look good and it won’t be a surprise if the franchisee owner, a newspaper baron who witnessed the game, has a word or two with skipper Laxman and the team management. That something special is yet to be seen from the VVS camp.

IPL Match 5 - 2nd Innings Highlights - Mumbai Vs Bangalore

IPL Match 5 - 1st Innings Highlights - Mumbai Vs Bangalore

IPL Match 6 - 1st Innings Highlights - Punjab Vs Rajasthan

JAIPUR: Shane Watson smashed a blistering unbeaten 76 to steer an inexperienced Rajasthan Royals to a six-wicket victory over a star-studded Kings XI Punjab in their Indian Premier League match at Sawai Man Singh stadium here on Monday night.

Coming in at the fall of Yusuf Pathan when his team was tottering at 19 for 2 in the third over in chase of 167 for a win, Watson plundered five sixes in his 49-ball whirlwind innings to help his side bounce back after their comprehensive nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Delhi Daredevils in their first match.

The Australian all-rounder fittingly hit the winning runs, a four off S Sreesanth, to raise 168 for four for his team with 11 balls to spare.

He changed the complexion of the game after his side began on a disastrous note with opener Mohammad Kaif dismissed by Sreesanth's first ball and second over of the innings and next man in Yusuf Pathan felling cheaply for just seven to Brett Lee.

Watson was menacing throughout the innings and hit two sixes off James Hopes and one each off Piyush Chawla, Sreesanth and Wilkin Mota, besides five fours from his blade.

Young Ravindra Jadeja contributed a valuable 25-ball 36 with the help of five boundaries and a six.

Watson shared two crucial partnerships, first a 39-ball 51 with fellow Australian Darren Lehmann (17) for the fourth wicket and the unseparated 36-ball 69 with Jadeja.

Pakistani wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal, who took field within hours of landing in India, played a cameo of 15 from 10 balls which included a huge six off Lee, before perishing to Hopes.