Rain plays spoilsport after Sarfaraz blitz

Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle were gone inside three overs, AB de Villiers was run out before the death, and rain washed out play after the first innings, yet the Chinnaswamy Stadium was dazzled by a 17-year-old's 45 not out from 21, as Royal Challengers Bangalore sped to 200 for 7. Playing his second IPL innings, Sarfaraz Khan clubbed six fours and a six to ensure the hosts did not suffer for conceding two run outs in the middle overs, taking a particular liking to the bowling of Pravin Tambe - a man 26 years his senior.

Sarfaraz began his charge with an upper cut four off James Faulkner in the 16th over, before finding the boundary off successive Shane Watson balls the following over. It was his taking apart of Tambe in the 18th over, though, which made 200 possible for Royal Challengers. Sarfaraz swept Tambe powerfully first ball, then advanced to launch the bowler over his head for six. An inside-out four would come three balls later. The 18 runs from that over pushed the score to 175 for 6, after which David Weise and Harshal Patel helped add the finishing touches.

Rajasthan Royals had began brightly enough, when the recalled Tim Southee had Gayle caught at midwicket in the first over, then had Kohli nicking behind in the third. De Villiers was not compelled to caution by a scoreline of 19 for 2 however, and he struck James Faulkner for three successive fours in the fifth over. He and Mandeep Singh put on a 74-run stand, the highlight of which was de Villiers' wallop over the deep-midwicket fence off Stuart Binny. That shot brought up his fifty off 41 balls, but a mix up with Dinesh Karthik cost him his wicket in the 13th over.

All this would be of no avail in the end, though. Rain began to fall in Bangalore during the innings break, and did not fully abate until 11:39pm, when the match was called off.

Watson and Smith confident of retaining the Ashes

After suffering three successive Ashes defeats in England in 2005, 2009 and 2013, Australia are on course to retain the Ashes, according to Shane Watson and Steven Smith. The dynamic Aussie duo spoke exclusively to ESPN Cricinfo recently about the upcoming Ashes tour and they both sounded confident after Australia’s recent World Cup triumph.

"We've got a very strong squad that's going over to England," Watson said. "We've got good depth and the best part is everyone is in nearly career-best form right now which is most important as well. There is a huge hunger within the group because we know that we haven't won in England for the last three series. I've been involved in two of those. There's a big burning desire to be involved in an Ashes winning campaign in England as well. We're as well prepared as we can be within our group. I'm incredibly excited about what's on the horizon with the Ashes and everyone else is as well."

Steven Smith, who is widely tipped to be named the next ODI skipper of Australia went one step ahead and said that he feels ‘England won’t come close’ to beating them considering Australia’s current form. "I can't wait to get over there and play another Ashes against England in their conditions after beating them so convincingly in Australia. It's going to be nice to go in their backyard. If we continue to play the way we have been playing over the last 12-18 months, I don't think that they'll come close to us to be honest," he said.
On Rajasthan’s IPL campaign

They also spoke about RR’s current campaign in the IPL where they made a terrific start by winning the first five games. They went on to lose the next two with the third one getting washed out. Smith believes that his side is yet to play its best cricket.

Watson then praised the culture the franchise has developed over the years by giving opportunities to unheralded stars. "Some of the other teams spend all their salary caps but in the end it's part of the evolution of our group to give an opportunity to people, like myself in the first year, to impress and get those guys in and around our group because we know they really want to get the best out of themselves and also for the team. We had a good year a couple of years ago when we made the Champions League and this year it feels very special as well with the group we've got around and the depth in our squad has been as good as it ever has been," he said.

James Taylor announced as England captain for Ireland ODI; six uncapped players included

England have announced their squad for the one-off One-Day International (ODI) against Ireland in Dublin on May 8. With England’s ongoing Test series against the West Indies ending only three days earlier, on May 5, it’s no surprise that a number of first-choice players have been excluded with the squad featuring as many as six uncapped players: Jason Roy, James Vince, David Willey, Sam Billings, Zafar Ansari and Lewis Gregory. The side will be captained by middle-order batsman
JamesTaylor, who was part of the side that was a huge disappointment at the recent World Cup.
With the England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) having named only 11 players for the game as of now, a few non-participating players from the Caribbean tour could be added to provide cover in case of injury.


As mentioned earlier, the squad boasts of a youthful, albeit inexperienced, look with only 3 players – Taylor, Alex Hales and Steven Finn – that were part of the World Cup squad being included here.
With places in the England limited-overs set-up likely to be up for grabs after crashing out of cricket’s showpiece event at the group stages, this is a wonderful opportunity for some of these players to step up to the plate and make a case for inclusion even when the senior players are available.    

England squad: James Taylor (capt), Zafar Ansari, Jonny Bairstow (wk), Sam Billings, Tim Bresnan, Steven Finn, Lewis Gregory, Alex Hales, Jason Roy, James Vince, David Willey

Buoyant Bangladesh target another first

An 8-0 streak, stretching back 14 years, for Pakistan over Bangladesh in Test cricket is now under legitimate threat after the hosts won the ODI series 3-0 and the lone T20 in Mirpur.

However, with the change to whites comes the addition of captain Misbah-ul-Haq and the veteran Younis Khan to a batting line-up that will also have the in-form Azhar Ali at No 3. The onus will be on Misbah to change the mood within the team. His exit from the ODI side has coincided with immediate losses for Pakistan, so a lot will be expected of him. Younis had a forgettable World Cup campaign, but it is not quite so easy to forget his five Test centuries in 2014.

Pakistan have a few other players whose experience worked last year but lately have run into poor form. Mohammad Hafeez, who has made 34 runs in four innings on tour, will be important at the top. Asad Shafiq, who has been limited to the nets and the bench so far, and Sarfraz Ahmed, who was "rested" in an ODI, are likely to shore up the middle-order batting at Nos. 6 and 7.

The seam attack will be led by Wahab Riaz, with only Junaid Khan for company, and both have been off colour in Bangladesh. Saeed Ajmal too hasn't had a good return to international cricket. So Pakistan could prefer a second spinner who can contain like Zulfiqar Babar rather than Yasir Shah, who missed the ODIs with injury but has since been bowling in the nets. The Khulna pitch turns from any point after the third day, so Ajmal will be more influential as the match progresses.

Similarly, Bangladesh will expect Shakib Al Hasan to find his rhythm in the longer format, with Jubair Hossain and Taijul Islam for assistance. Their major concern will be the pace attack, which looks thin on threat and experience. Rubel Hossain and Shahadat Hossain have been around for a number of years, but have never come of age in Test cricket.

Bangladesh's batting resources are a bit more exciting. Most of the top and middle-order are in form and greater solidity can be found if Soumya Sarkar is used well. Much, however, will depend on Tamim Iqbal at the top and Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib in the mid

'Zaheer 95% fit' - Duminy

Delhi Daredevils have been running hot and cold in the IPL, but they have received a much-needed boost with the improving fitness of India fast bowler Zaheer Khan

"I think he is about 95% fit, to be honest," captain JP Duminy told PTI. "My thinking is he will be up for selection for the game on [May] the 1st [against Kings XI Punjab]. His progress has been good, he has been very determined to comeback and represent Delhi."

Daredevils have lost four of seven matches so far, the latest of which had them sinking to 95 all out at home against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Yuvraj Singh and Angelo Mathews were two of seven single-digits scores. Duminy had made only 13 himself, but felt there wasn't a need to make "drastic changes". He did, however, concede that "each of us could have done 10% better. Plus, we should not take the credit away from RCB, the way they came out and bowled."

BCCI claims Srinivasan spied on board officials; ICC says Thakur seen with bookie

Former BCCI president N Srinivasan could find himself facing an investigation as allegations have emerged that he spied on other BCCI members while he was board president.

According to NDTV, Srinivasan reportedly used BCCI funds to pay Rs 14 crore to a London-based private agency to tap the phones of board officials and hack their e-mails. The news channel reported that board secretary Anurag Thakur will lead the probe.

In February, 2014 former IPL chairman Lalit Modi had tweeted that someone was spying on Justice Mukul Mudgal, who was in charge of the investigation into IPL spot-fixing and gambling.

“What I just learnt seems straight out of a spy movie thriller. Apparently someone authorised an agency in london- 4 a 24 hour surveillance... On Retired Chief Justice Mudgal whilst he was in london.

I was a secondary target. I am shocked that such a thing happened. I have now .... Asked my lawyers etc to please investigate who was behind this. What we have so far learnt is just like a spy thriller. Will say more as I get more information from my team [sic],” Modi tweeted at the time.
Meanwhile, in what appears to be the drawing of battle lines, the ICC has warned the BCCI about

Thakur associating with an alleged bookie, according to CNN-IBN.

ICC chief executive Dave Richardson sent a letter to BCCI president Dalmiya stating that Thakur was seen with Karan Gilhotra, who is on the ACSU's watch list. The letter apparently included photographs of Thakur cutting a cake and handing a piece to Gilhotra.
The board has yet to reply to the letter, according to CNN-IBN

Srinivasan and India Cements are already facing questions over their claim that the IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings is worth just Rs 5 lakh. The BCCI’s Working Committee meeting was scheduled to take up the matter during its meeting today.

"There are lot of grey areas in the valuation of CSK,” an IPL governing council member told PTI on Thursday. “We will get clearer picture about it after Working Comitte meeting,"
India Cements is attempting to convert CSK into a trust to circumvent the Supreme Court order preventing board officials from having a commercial interest in the IPL. The I{PL franchise agreement requires a franchise owner to pay the BCCI 5 percent of the value of any share transfer, which in this case came to Rs 25,000. The board believes the value of CSK to be in the region of Rs 800 to Rs 1200 crore and that India Cements actually owes the board Rs 40 to Rs 60 crore.

The BCCI could hire an independent valuer to determine the true value of CSK.
That’s not all. According to India Today, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has asked for all the details regarding this case. The ED will also conduct a discreet examination, which will involve checking of documentation, files and rules.

Gavaskar seeks Rs 1.90 crore from BCCI for being IPL president

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has asked for an amount of Rs 1.90 crore as remuneration for rendering his services as president BCCI-IPL during the seventh edition of the cash-rich league last year, which was held in UAE and India.

Gavaskar was appointed 'President, BCCI-IPL' on directive of Supreme Court of India and the apex court had directed the BCCI to pay him adequate compensation as he put his various media commitments (commentary and writing columns) on hold during that period.

According to reliable source in the Working Committee, Gavaskar had written to the Board about the compensation.

"Gavaskar has written a letter to the BCCI.In the letter, he has sought an amount to the tune of Rs 1.90 crore which is equivalent to the money that he had to forego during the period as he couldn't take up his media assignments which includes TV commentary, writing columns and also acting as media pundit," a senior BCCI official, who was present at the Working committee meeting told PTI today.

When asked whether the amount that he has sought has already been approved, the official said, "Not as of now. But obviously, he needs to be compensated as there is a SC directive and we need to follow that. But this letter will be placed before the finance committee, which will approve an amount.

"The amount that Gavaskar would get could be exactly what he has demanded or less depending upon what finance committee's recommendations are," the source added.
Meanwhile, it has also been learnt that Sachin Tendulkar has sought more information from the board on the nature of his role in the advisory panel.

"We have learnt that Sachin is interested to know as to what exactly is expected from him in regards to his contribution in cricket development. If there is a contract, then what are the terms of reference of that contract and other important details," the source added.

Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid are expected to be a part of an elite advisory panel which will take a call on who India's next chief coach will be and that technically rules Ganguly out of the race as far as national coaching is concerned.

IPL 8: Australia pacer Hilfenhaus replaces Finch in Mumbai Indians squad

Fast bowler Ben Hilfenhaus today replaced fellow Australian Aaron Finch in the Mumbai Indian
squad for the remainder of the ongoing Indian Premier League.

The IPL Technical Committee approved the replacement, according to a press release. Finch has been ruled out of the tournament due to a hamstring injury.

Hilfenhaus represented Chennai Super Kings in the 2012 and 2014 seasons of the competition. He took 22 wickets in 17 matches for the Chennai Super Kings.

The Technical Committee of the IPL consists of Anurag Thakur (Hony. Secretary, BCCI), Sourav Dasgupta, Subir Ganguly, Sourav Ganguly and Ravi Shastri.

IPL 8: RR coach Paddy Upton laments top-order failure following defeat to RCB

Ahmedabad: After being defeated by the Royal Challengers Bangalore in a one-sided game, Rajasthan Royals coach Paddy Upton on Friday said his team was 30 runs short, as 170 on board could have been a good total against the rival team.

"Our top order could not do well, some more runs on board could do better. A total of 170 or some 30 to 40 runs on board could have been a good total and not an easy one to chase," Upton told reporters.
Earlier in the match, RCB easily chased a total of 130 runs by losing just one wicket of Chris Gayle.

A crucial partnership of 97 runs between the RCB captain Virat Kohli (62 runs) and AB de Villiars helped the team to finish the game in 17th run.
When asked about the poor selection of shots by RR's batsman especially the young players, Upton said he was not disappointed with them as they had played as per the specific directions given to them.

Upton also said the momentum shifted to RCB when Karun Nair was run out on 16 runs and his team lost three wickets in 72 runs on board.

He said the RR has batting depth upto nine players, but as their middle order did not get exposure in earlier matches, they could not do well in this match.
However, RCB has explosive batsmen like Virat Kohli and AB de' Villiars who could have charged the game to their side.

While, RCB pacer Mitchell Starc, also said that the run out of Karun Nair by local boy Harshal Patel in crucial time has shifted to momentum to his team and it helped them to restrict RR in 130 run.
Starc, who took three wickets in game, said his team did not do good wither with bat or bowl, but they have improved their performance in all sides of the game.

Kohli has also played a good knock in the game and RCB has hopes that he will continue with such performance in the next games, he said.

I feel good about my batting but haven't been able to convert starts: Sehwag

New Delhi: Virender Sehwag still feels the insatiable hunger for scoring runs and says he would like to make the most of his current form by scoring 'big runs' for Kings XI Punjab in the ongoing Indian Premier League.

Sehwag came into the IPL at the back of a decent domestic run but by his own admission, he has not been able to cash in on the starts despite showing glimpses of his brilliance.

"The form has been good, I feel good about my batting but have not been able to convert the starts I am getting. Hopefully, I can set that straight and score some big runs for my team in the coming games," Sehwag told

The 36-year-old, who has now fully adjusted to batting with eye glasses after years of experimentation, has 95 runs in five games at an average of 19 with 47 against his former IPL team Delhi Daredevils being the highest.
In the absence of George Bailey, Sehwag captained Kings XI Punjab to a thrilling Super Over win in their last game, ending Rajasthan Royals' winning run in the tournament.

However, the last year's runners-up have got serious work to do after losing three of their first five games. With Glenn Maxwell struggling to score runs, Sehwag said the form of Shaun Marsh and David Miller augurs well for the team going into the remainder of the tournament.
Marsh played a cracking knock of 65 in his first match of the season to take his team to victory against Royals at Ahmedabad.

"It is not possible to win five out of five games every time. It is a long tournament so you have to perform consistently and that is what we will look to do. The last match was good for us, the batsmen did really well to the get the team over the line.

"We have our top batsmen, Miller and Marsh, in good touch. What was good about the win was that each player took the responsibility and delivered. Mitchell (Johnson) was told to bowl the Super Over and he bowled beautifully and won the game for us," said Sehwag, who is opening with Murali Vijay this season.

He is into his second season with Kings XI Punjab after leaving Delhi Daredevils in 2013. Asked about his experience with the team, he said: "It is pretty chilled out for me here. The coach (Sanjay Bangar) and captain (Bailey) are there to take all decisions and I can just focus on my batting. The priority is to give the team a good start with Vijay and hopefully it turns out to be a good tournament for us".

Sehwag, who has reiterated his desire for an India comeback, says he is in good space and just happy playing.

On playing alongside the likes of Johnson and Maxwell, Sehwag said he enjoys the company of big players as much as the younger crop.

"My experience has been good with everyone. It has been enjoyable here. I am more than happy to help younger players or anyone else who seeks my advice," he added.

Warner is fantastic as captain: SRH mentor Laxman

Ahead of their match against Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad team mentor V.V.S. Laxman heaped praise on skipper David Warner on Friday saying the Australian, as a senior squad player, has taken lot of responsibility and has been fantastic in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL).

"Warner has been fantastic. We have given him the captaincy because of the way he contributed as a leader in 2014. Even though he was not the designated captain, he was contributing in every team meeting. As a senior player he took a lot of responsibility," Laxman said at a pre-match press conference here, ahead of his team's match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday.

"In Australian Big Bash Twenty20 league, the opportunities he got he did well. Since the first match this season he has been very good. He has got immense respect within the group. He has also become matured as a player and as a person," he said.

When asked if pacer Ishant Sharma would get the opportunity to play against Mumbai, the 40-year-old said," Ishant played the first game but unfortunately he bowled a lot of no balls. But he has worked hard over the last one week. But Praveen Kumar has got the opportunity and he did really well."

"We want look at playing the best possible eleven, depending on the conditions,also looking at the opposition we play against. It's unfortunate that Ishant has missed out but Praveen has bowled well. But Ishant has been working really hard with the group," Laxman said.

IPL 8: Chennai's old war horse Ashish Nehra steals the show against Bangalore

IPL 8: Chennai's old war hAshish Nehra turns 36 next week. On the pitch with him during the Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings IPL game was the tournament's youngest player ever — the 17-year-old Sarfaraz Khan.

It was Nehra - the oldest player among the 22 playing - who stole the show.
Nehra last played for India in the World Cup semi-final in 2011. Since then his career has had more downs than ups, mostly because of injuries. So far this season, he is showing news of his career demise have been greatly exaggerated.

 Nehra - the oldest player among the 22 playing - who stole the show. BCCI
Against RCB, Nehra took 4 for 10 from four overs in two spells. It was a wonderful exhibition of what experience can buy you in one of the toughest tournaments for bowlers.

"He backs himself, which is good for a fast bowler,” Dhoni said about Nehra after CSK's beat Delhi Daredevils a few weeks ago. “It is good to see him the way he bowls. He has kept himself fit. He is one Indian pacer who bowls pace effortlessly,"

Nehra had taken 3 for 25 in that match. He improved that against RCB, received his third Man-of-the-Match award in five games, and also tops the bowlers' charts with 10 wickets at an average of 12.10 and a strike rate of 12.

He hasn’t dismiss nobodies either. From the highly-rated Shreyas Iyer to big-hitter Corey Anderson and India's Test skipper Virat Kohli, Nehra has got important breakthroughs at the right moments for CSK..

Against RCB last night, Nehra dismissed both the openers. The ball he bowled to Rilee Rossouw cut in sharply to smash the stumps through bat and pad. He came back to dismisss Virat Kohli just after Kohli had reached his fifty. Nehra then completed his haul by sending back Harshal Patel for a duck.

The moment of the match though, was Nehra giving a flying kiss send-off to Rossouw who had just started hitting the ball well before getting dismissed.orse Ashish Nehra steals the show against Bangalore

IPL 8: Du Plessis getting used to the role of 'finisher' for Chennai Super Kings

South African batsman Faf du Plesis says he is getting used to the role of a "finisher" for his Indian Premier League (IPL) side Chennai Super Kings (CSK).

Asked about his new role after their game against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) on Wednesday which CSK won by 27 runs, du Plesis said he is still "learning". Du Plessis scored a quick-fire 33 runs to propel his team to a healthy 181 for eight. CSK were then able to restrict RCB to 154 for eight at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old said he would love to bat high-up the order again but added he would follow the instructions of the team management. BCCI

“I am learning. It is a new thing for me and something that I want to improve on. My whole life I have batted higher up the order and it is good for my game that I have been given an opportunity to learn how to finish games,” du Plesis was quoted as saying by iplt20.com on Thursday.
The 30-year-old said he would love to bat high-up the order again but added he would follow the instructions of the team management.

“I wouldn’t mind going back up the order. But we have such an explosive opening pair now and they are doing a great job. I’ll just do whatever the captain and the coach tell me to do, but opening the batting is nice,” he said.
The middle-order willower also said he has flexible batting position in the outfit.

“My role is more of gelling the rest of the batting unit together. Last year I batted at number four. We have so many power-hitters and I am not necessarily one of them. I am a power-hitter when I am opening the batting but coming in at the latter stage and hitting is a different skill," he said.

“I am not used to it but I am learning. My batting position is flexible in the team. If we lose wickets upfront, I go in at number four and if we have a good opening partnership MS (Dhoni) goes in ahead of me,” he said.

IPL 8: Sunrisers seek to revive their fortunes against Kolkata Knight Riders

Visakhapatnam: Their morale on the upswing after back-to-back victories, defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will aim to continue the winning run when they take on the inconsistent Sunrisers Hyderabad in their fifth IPL cricket match here tomorrow.

The Gautam Gambhir-led KKR's most recent win came last night against the Delhi Daredevils, a result which took them to fourth position in the points table with three wins and just one loss so far.
Dale Steyn. SportzpicsDale Steyn. Sportzpics
Hyderabad, on the other hand, lost to Delhi in their previous encounter and are currently lying sixth on the table with three losses and merely a win as yet.

The defeat against Delhi was morale-crushing to say the least given that Hyderabad fell short by mere four runs. Considering the situation in which the team is currently in, the think-tank has much to sort in a line-up which relies heavily on foreign imports as far as impact players are concerned.
Their batting seems fragile if the opening duo of skipper David Warner and Shikhar Dhawan fails to give a good start. In fact, even that wasn't enough in their previous match against
Delhi where the middle order let the side down.

Hyderabad's bowling is spearheaded by South African star Dale Steyn and a lot would depend on what he can extract from his four overs along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
KKR, meanwhile, have been performing quite well and in the previous match, it was the bowling which did the job for the title-holders.
The pace duo of Umesh Yadav and Morne Morkel combined well to restrict Delhi and made the job easy for the team's batsmen.

Later, Gautam Gambhir and Yusuf Pathan ensured a reasonably smooth chase and an easy win for the side. Given the current form of the two teams, KKR would start as favourites but if impact players such as Warner or Steyn strike form, there could well be an upset.

Virender Sehwag praises Mitchell, Axar after Kings XI Punjab beats Rajasthan Royal

Ahmedabad: After edging out Rajasthan Royals in a nail-biting IPL game, Kings XI Punjab captain Virender Sehwag credited local boy Axar Patel and Australian allrounder Mitchell Johnson for the victory.

"It was a good game for us. Mitchell Johnson bowled and batted well, credit of the victory should go to Mitchell and Axar," Sehwag told reporters after Kings XI Punjab defeated Rajasthan Royals in a pulsating 'Super Over' contest.
Chasing 192, Punjab spinner Axar Patel blasted a four of the last ball to take the game into a tie.

Shaun Marsh then cracked three boundaries to amass 15-2 in the Super Over, before Mitchell Johnson dismissed Shane Watson and later James Faulkner was run out as Rajasthan suffered to their first defeat following five straight wins.

"Today, luck favoured us but in next games, we will focus on good cricket rather than depending upon luck," Sehwag said.

"Glenn Maxwell was in good form in previous IPL, but this time his form is concern for the team," Sehwag said adding that he will soon come back to form.

Rajasthan's Chris Morris, who bowled the super over, said the score of 192 was not easy to chase.

Morris said he was bowling in a Super over for the first time but he did not feel any pressure.
The South African pacer also praised Ajinkya Rahane, describing him as one of India's best player, whose good form will help Rajasthan.

When asked whether they will try the bench-strength of the team, Morris said the decision will be finally taken by the team management, but all the players are doing pretty well in the nets and they can take the players, who have not played yet in next games.

Ashwin is an exceptional spin bowler, says Vettori

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) head coach Daniel Vettori says Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is an “exceptional” bowler.

“He has been around for a long time and been successful. He is one guy who is always developing himself and updating his game to go with the new challenges. That is a sign that he is an exceptional spin bowler,” Vettori was quoted as saying by iplt20.com on Tuesday.

Speaking about the role of spinners in T20s, the former New Zealand left-armer said the success of Ashwin and South African leg-spinner Imran Tahir shows traditional spinner can be immensely successful in limited overs format.

“If you look at the recent World Cup, there were a few guys who really stood up - Imran Tahir and R. Ashwin in particular. I think if a spinner can succeed in New Zealand on those small grounds and even in Australia, it shows that you are able to perform various roles at the international level,” he said.

“Obviously, spin bowling has changed a bit with more stringent guidelines regarding the elbow flex and it has taken a couple of spinners out of the picture. But the success of Ashwin shows that traditional spin bowlers can be incredibly successful.
Asked whom he enjoyed bowling to in Test matches, Vettori said it had to be Rahul Dravid, the former Indian skipper and middle order mainstay.

“In Test cricket, it has to be Rahul Dravid. I think he was an exceptional player of spin bowling due to his ability to read lengths. That is the toughest batsman to bowl to - someone who can pick that length early and get back and then forward when they have to. I never felt like I bowled a ball that really troubled Rahul. You feel pretty paralysed,” said Vettori.

Bond between senior and junior players the key to CSK's consistency: MS Dhoni

Bengaluru: Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni today said the camaraderie between the young and the senior players was key to the consistent good show of his side in the IPL.
"The reason for CSK's consistency has been the gelling of young and senior cricket players with the help of support staff," Dhoni said in a "meet and Greet' event organised by UST Global, a leading IT services and solutions provider, which is also principal sponsor of CSK.


Answering to a query that not many youngsters are coming out from CSK compared to other IPL teams, Dhoni said it is difficult to drop senior players to accommodate youngsters, but CSK has given some good youngsters who are representing India.

"We had Jadeja coming in as a youngster. We also had Ishwar Pandey, Mohit Sharma, who is playing for India. We also had Pawan Negi. We have young pool of players but we cannot make senior players like Brendon McCullum to sit outside - it is always a difficult choice," he said.
Dhoni further said to have senior players like Suresh Raina and Mike Hussey in the side is beneficial for youngsters as they learn many tricks of the trade.

"It is very beneficial to have senior players like Hussey who can guide young players. That is what we have been doing and that is why we have a pool of talent in our team," he added.
Replying to a query on his baby daughter Ziva, Dhoni said he missed her badly on long Australian tour.

"When she was born I was not in India, had not seen her. It was a tough period," he said.
Dhoni said the birth of a child brings changes in people's lives. "Your life does change with the kind of smile the baby gives you," he said.

Dhoni further said, "She doesn't care whether I play for my country or play for a good franchisee like Chennai. She wants to cry, she cries. It gives a very good feeling."

Dhoni became father just a week ahead of the World Cup in Australia. His wife Sakshi gave birth to a baby girl in February.

IPL 8: Cheeky Pollard sticks plaster on mouth after umpire warning, Bhaji defends him

Defending Kieron Pollard for plastering his mouth after being told to be quiet by the umpire, Mumbai Indians' senior off-spinner Harbhajan Singh the bizarre gesture was unique but not in bad taste.

"The umpire told him to stay quiet, so he wanted to make sure to put the tape on his mouth and be quiet, but he is a bit of character. He likes doing things like that. IPL brings the best flavours of the West Indies boys and there was something very different and unique which was in a good taste," he told reporters here.

Pollard was warned by one of the on-field umpires to stay away from any banter after he was seen trying to unsettle RCB opener Chris Gayle's rhythm by hurling a few words at him.
However, the tall West Indian responded hilariously by plastering his mouth with a tape which amused the spectators, as well as Gayle and Mumbai Indians players including Ricky Ponting and Anil Kumble who were sitting in the dugout.

Asked about his unique on-field behaviour, Pollard said it was just for fun.

If I continue to bat and bowl well, I am hopeful I will play for India again: Harbhajan

Bengaluru: Relieved after ending a four-match losing streak, Mumbai Indians' spin spearhead Harbhajan Singh said head coach Ricky Ponting's positive attitude and calm demeanour played a huge part in keeping the team together in tough situations.

"He (Ponting) is a very positive guy. The way he played cricket throughout his career. He has been very positive about things whether you win or lose. He always says give your 100 per cent and that's what the boys are looking to do," he said after the 18-run win over Royal Challengers Bangalore here.

"The boys had lost four games and yet he stayed calm and composed. He has been fantastic with the team. Moreover, under Ponting's guidance, many youngsters like Unmukt Chand would help themselves to become a better cricketer, especially in the backdrop of his achievements of winning three world cups for Australia.

"I hope under his guidance lot of youngsters will know how to bat in different situations, which will help them to become better cricketers," he added.
Apart from Ponting, Mumbai Indians also have Anil Kumble and Sachin Tendulkar in the dressing room as mentors which motivates players, Harbhajan said.

"We also have Anil Kumble, Sachin Tendulkar, lot of wealth we have in the dressing room, which obviously helps each and everyone of us to go out there and do something for the team," he said.
Asked to rate yesterday's performance, Harbhajan said he is happy about his performance with both bat and ball since the last two IPL seasons and hopes to make a comeback to the Indian team with consistent performances.
"I am happy that I am among wickets this IPL. Even the previous and before that I did well in the IPL. I was the highest wicket-taking spinner. I am happy the way I am going. I will continue to work hard in the nets. If I continue to bat and bowl well, I am hopeful, I will get a chance to play for India again," he said.
Harbhajan said bowling slower through the air has worked wonders for him.
"The slower ball needs to be hit by the batsmen and if you have variation in the slower ball then you are forcing batsmen to take chances. That's what I have been looking to do. I am backing my strengths and looking to bowl slower in the air and with nice shape on it.

"Just making sure I don't give easy boundaries. This is what I have learnt. In last three IPLs I have bowled really slow, which has worked for me and hopefully I will just continue to work hard and keep on getting rewards," he said.


"I am very happy. I am pleased with my performance in the IPL so far. It is a great achievement. I am the only player after Suresh Raina to play 100 matches for one franchisee. I feel great to be part of Mumbai Indians setup," he said.

"The last four games, we did not play well. This game also they (RCB) came back really very strong, but still we managed to get a win, I am happy about it," he said.
Asked whether Mumbai Indians have found the right rhythm and combination, Harbhajan said batting was not a concern even in earlier games.

"In the last two games, we batted well. We were thinking to do something about our bowling and fielding. We have the best bowling attack in this competition," he said.
Harbhajan further said bowlers have to be brave to create chances and take wickets because the T20 format is cut out for batsmen and lavished praise on Yuzvendra Chahal who conceded 27 runs in four overs.

"This format is batsmen-friendly. Bowlers have to be brave and take wickets and produce chances. I think Chahal was fantastic for RCB. He bowled so well that he gave away 27 runs in four overs," he said.

Intention is to attack and take wickets, says Kings XI's Sandeep Sharma

Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) medium-pacer Sandeep Sharma has said that Twenty20 is a format which is harsh on the bowlers and the intention should be to always attack and try to pick up wickets.
Sandeep finished with excellent figures of 4-1-25-4 with an economy rate of 6.25 in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter against Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) on Saturday. But despite his commendable bowling efforts Punjab lost by four wickets.

Sandeep Sharma of Kings XI Punjab celebrates the wicket of Rohit Sharma captain of Mumbai Indians. BCCISandeep Sharma of Kings XI Punjab celebrates the wicket of Rohit Sharma captain of Mumbai Indians. BCCI

His four-wicket haul though helped him become the second leading wicket taker in the ongoing tournament with seven scalps.
"T20 is harsh on the bowlers and you get hit for runs, you can’t avoid that. You should always attack and try for wickets. When you do that you will be able to bowl a few dot balls too and put the opposition under pressure. I was trying to do that," Sandeep was quoted as saying by iplt20.com on Sunday.

The Punjab-born bowler has been bowling his overs upfront this season so far. When asked what has been the reason, he said, "It depends on the captain. He feels that I can take wickets in that phase. The ball was swinging and today there were left-hand batsmen at the crease."
"My natural swing is in-swing and the captain felt I can take Gauti paaji’s (Gautam Gambhir) wicket and luckily I got his wicket and the next batsman’s wicket too."

Speaking on his experience bowling alongside teammate Australian pacer Mitchell Johnson, Sandeep said, "With him the discussion is more on the mental aspect of bowling, like even if you are getting hit how you should remain focused on the next ball."

"He talks about how you should switch your focus on, what you are going to do next and how to prepare for matches. He has spoken about how to maintain a positive body language regardless of how your day is," the 21-year-old said.

The bowler has become an integral part of KXIP bowling line-up. When asked how it feels, Sandeep
said, "It is a dream come true. We have been seeing the league from a young age and to be part of it and perform makes me very happy."

Would be a good idea to have a speed-gun mounted on by bat: Russell

After tonking his way to a match winning 66 from just 36 balls, Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) Jamaican all-rounder Andre Russell said it would be a good idea to have a speed-gun on his bat.
The defending champions were in the rut at 60 for five, but the hard-hitting batsman, alongside Yusuf Pathan (28 not out) took the game away from the Kings and carried his side to victory.

Andre Russell said it would be a good idea to have a speed-gun on his bat. BCCIAndre Russell said it would be a good idea to have a speed-gun on his bat. BCCI

Asked at the post-match presentation ceremony if he would like to a have speed-gun mounted on the bat to gauge the speed at which the ball travels after hitting the willow in his hands, Russell said,”It is a good-idea to have one.”

The 26-year-old further said, "T20 cricket is all about having fun and expressing yourself and that is what I was trying to do.” Commenting on the match, Russell said he believed he could pull it off if he had Pathan’s company till the end.

“The way the game was set up, it wasn't the best of situations but we knew that if we stayed together, we could win it. I played the role of the aggressor,” he said.

“I have got a few good knocks, but I will rate this one on top. I want to create my own style, everyone thinks of me as a fun guy and I want to keep that going,”he concluded.

We're trying everything but it's not coming off, says Mumbai skipper Rohit

Having slumped to their fourth straight defeat in the Indian Premier League, Mumbai Indians skipper Rohit Sharma expressed disappointment with the way his bowlers fared against Chennai Super Kings and said the hosts lost the match when the visitors raced to 90 in six overs.

Replaying to 183/7 posted by Mumbai Indians on Friday, Chennai reached a winning 189/4 in 16.4 overs.

Replaying to 183/7 posted by Mumbai Indians on Friday, Chennai reached a winning 189/4 in 16.4 overs. BCCIReplaying to 183/7 posted by Mumbai Indians on Friday, Chennai reached a winning 189/4 in 16.4 overs. BCCI

Chenai openers Dwayne Smith (62; 30b, 8x4 and 4x6) and Brendon McCullum (46;20b, 6x5 and 2x6) made mincemeat of the rival bowlers as they raced to the 100 mark in only 6.5 overs.
"Pretty disappointed with the way we bowled and our attitude on the field wasn't right. I thought 183 was a good score, but we didn't execute our plans with the ball," said a dejected Sharma at the presentation ceremony.

"There's no way they could score 90 runs in the first six overs. I think that's where we probably lost the game.. Pretty disappointed to lose the game."
Rohit seemed clueless about the reason for his side's poor showing in the initial stage of the tourney.

"We've been trying and possibly doing everything but it's not coming off," he said.
He admitted the team management was yet to zero in on the combination that would provide the right balance to the former champions.

"At the end of the day you need to get the combination right, that' s what we were trying to do. I know it's not working out. We know we've got to find the right balance," he said.

I was sleeping during the auction, didn't tell anybody to give me Rs 16 crore: Yuvraj

Making it clear that the 'Most Expensive Player' tagline doesn't create any presure on him, out-of-favour India veteran Yuvraj Singh said that he "didn't tell anyone to give him" the money that he commanded at the IPL cricket tournament's auctions earlier this year.

Asked if being paid an unbelievable Rs 16 crore is creating pressure on him, Yuvraj was dismissive.
BCCIAsked if being paid an unbelievable Rs 16 crore is creating pressure on him, Yuvraj was dismissive.

"Not really. I was sleeping when the auction was going on. And I didn't tell anybody to give me that money. Whatever money would have given to me, I would have played IPL," Yuvraj said on the eve of Delhi daredevils' match against Sunrisers Hyderabad.
The 33-year-old all-rounder also didn't want to ebtertain thoughts in the line of whether this would be a launchpad for his India comeback.

"I am enjoying my cricket at the moment and I am not thinking too far ahead. Hopefully, as a team we want to get Daredevils back on track. The win in the last match was needed to boost the morale after 11 defeats. In the last game, I got a lot of overs to plan my innings as I needed some time out there in the middle," said the stylish southpaw.

He said that his relationship with Gary Kirsten is still the "same" as it used to be when the South African coached the Indian national team.

"It's the same relationship that we had when he was the India coach. We have a great understanding and somehow Gary gets the best out of me. When he was the India coach, he was managing only 16 players but in a franchise, you need to manage 25 players," he said.

This infographic explains why the IPL continues to be a money spinner

Move over Chennai Super Kings. Kolkata Knight Riders are now the most valuable franchise brand in the IPL.

According to American Appraisal, a brand valuation firm, defending IPL champion KKR’s brand value rose almost 25 percent to $86 million, giving it a clear lead over second placed Mumbai Indians, valued at $72 million.

Meanwhile CSK dropped to third as its value decreased by $5 million to $67 million in the wake spot-fixing and gambling allegations against team principal Gurunath Meiyappan, and the Supreme Court of India’s ruling on the conflict-of-interest of franchise owner, and former BCCI president, N Srinivasan.

The other gainers were Kings XI Punjab and Sunrisers Hyderabad, the former appreciating by 28 percent and the latter by 40 percent. Meanwhile Delhi Daredevils find themselves last on yet another IPL table, with their brand value dropping from $40 million to $34 million.

“The highest gainers in terms of individual franchise brand values are Kolkata Knight Riders (US$86mn) and Kings IX Punjab (US$41mn) who saw an increase from their 2014 brand values mainly driven by a fantastic on field performance and continued fan engagement,” the report said.
“Chennai and Delhi however saw a decrease in their brand values, one recovering from a spate of recent controversies that dampened advertiser sentiment and the other failing to improve its standing on the points table.”

However, the report did not explain how Sunrisers’s brand made the biggest jump in percentage terms. Sunrisers finished 6th in 2014 compared to 4th in 2013 and only Delhi Daredevils have fewer followers on social media (Facebook & Twitter).
Overall, the value of the IPL rose 9 percent from $3.2 billion to $3.5 billion.
American Appraisal.American Appraisal.

“The evidence of growth is clearly visible in the few sponsorship deals and media rights renewed by the IPL Governing Council including the new digital media rights, which saw an increase of 50% over the earlier deal,” the report said. “With the TV rights up for renewal by 2017, the IPL is clearly set for a huge windfall on similar lines as the EPL, which saw an increase of 83% over its earlier TV
rights deal.”

The report also pointed out that “player selection is not just limited to skills and performance but also to the ability of a player to garner sponsorships, case in point being Delhi Daredevils’ acquisition of Yuvraj Singh for a record INR 160 million.
When it comes to social media, the IPL is three-layer cake. CSK and KKR are at the top, with 11.8 million and 11.7 million Facebook and Twitter followers combined.

Mumbai Indians, Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers make up the middle layer, with MI boasting 9.5m followers, KXIP 7.4m and RCB 6.5m
The bottom comprises Rajasthan, Sunrisers and Delhi, with 3.2m, 3.1m and 2.6 million followers respectively.

CBI officer Priyadarshi appointed as head of IPL scam probe team

The Supreme Court on Friday appointed CBI officer Vivek Priyadarshi to head the investigating team that is assisting former chief justice R.M. Lodha in determining the role of BCCI official Sunder Raman in the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) betting and spot fixing scam.

The apex court bench of Justice T.S. Thakur and Justice Fakkir Mohamed Ibrahim Kalifulla passed the order appointing Priyadarshi as the new head of the investigating team after it was told that the earlier head of the investigating team -- IPS officer B.B.Mishra -- has retired upon superannuation.
BCCIS Sreesanth. BCCI


The court said that Priyadarshi can have a team of investigators of his choice to assist him in conducting the investigations.
Priyadarshi will be discharging his new responsibility besides his duties as Superintendent of Police (Anti-Corruption) with the CBI.

The court said this, noting that they have limited role to further inquire into the role of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official Sunder Raman.
The court said the CBI director would allow Priyadarshi to make himself available to the Justice Lodha Committee.

Reiterating its May 16, 2014, order, the court said that Priyadarshi and the other officers of the investigating team will have the powers to investigate, require attendance of witnesses, the power to examine witnesses, the power to search and the power to seize and all other powers necessary for investigation, except the power to arrest.

The Supreme Court constituted the Justice Lodha Commission to make administrative reforms in the BCCI, and asked the commission to look into the activities of Raman in the entire matter.
Erstwhile BCCI president and incumbent International Cricket Council (ICC) chairman N. Srinivasan is also being probed by the panel for his role in the scam and is awaiting the verdict on his conduct as the BCCI president during the scandal.

Blow for Daredevils: Mohammed Shami ruled out of IPL 8 due to knee injury

India pacer Mohammed Shami's knee injury turned out to be more serious than Delhi Daredevils
made it out to be as he has been ruled out of the entire IPL cricket tournament.
Shami, who took 18 wickets in the World Cup, had problems with dodgy knee as he was rested for one game against UAE which Bhuvneshwar Kumar played.

"Shami is out of the tournament. He might have to go for operation. He should not have gone for IPL. He will take at least two months for recovery," a BCCI official told PTI on condition of anonymity.

IPL Governing Council to discuss scrapping flop CLT20

Looks like the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) officials have finally realised that the Indian public may be suffering from an overdose of cricket — and the solution to retain the novelty of the game — especially the shortest format — is to scrap the Champions League Twenty20.

A Mumbai Mirror report quotes an unnamed high-ranking official saying a review of the yearly tournament will take place during the IPL Governing Council meeting in Delhi on Sunday.

With the IPL being BCCI's primary money-maker, they don't need another tournament to take attention away from their most glittering product. With the CLT20, they have to share the profits with Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. Also, it comes just two months after the IPL.

Even the broadcasters have developed cold feet with the CLT20. The report says that Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the tournament, has been losing about $100 million a year on the tournament. Viewership of the CLT20 barely registered above a flatline from the start and with Star bound to compete with Sony for IPL rights in the future, Star would rather save up for when that day comes, rather than lose money now.

CLT20 could get one last chance to prove itself though — and that would mean holding it in UAE or South Africa to generate more interest. The IPL was a big hit in both countries — but with so much cricket on the calendar, the BCCI would be smart to realise that CLT20 is a product the cricket calendar can do without.

Is she there? Yes she is: Anushka and Dhawan's wife Ayesha cheer during RCB v SRH

Shikhar Dhawan (top left), his wife Ayesha Mukherjee and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma (right) - who is also Virat Kohli's girlfriend, attended the RCB vs SRH IPL match. Sportzpics.

Kambli blames 'friend' for Twitter rant against Sidhu, challenges hecklers to a fight

Around midnight on Tuesday, 14 April Vinod Kambli sent out two tweets which made him look silly but were in complete conjunction with his recent behaviour on news channels.
The tweets, which have since been deleted, were posted by Kambli's verified account @vinodkambli349.

The first one said: "Garavh n rameez n sidhu going mad.siddhu Teri bak bak chup karo nahin toh aishi Teri siddhu teri Kulengaaa g**nd phaat jayaangee." (sic)

And the second one went: "Siddhu sirf saayri mein busy hai.comments koun karegaa mera baap. himmat hai toh siddhu ko bolo mera sammna kare.iski toh kar donga mein." (sic)
The below picture is confirmation of the tweets sent out, and so are the apologies Kambli later tweeted when he realised what had gone out from his account.

IPL 8: Starc, Milne return will give RCB bowling a big boost, says Kohli

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) may have faltered against SunRisers Hyderabad after notching up a win in their first game, but captain Virat Kohli expects a complete turnaround once Adam Milne and Mitchell Starc recover from their respective injuries to make it to the playing XI.
Even though Kohli backs local recruits Varun Aaron and Abu Nechim to hit their straps soon, he believes that New Zealand medium-pacer Milne and Starc’s return will certainly give the bowling attack a big boost.

“Guys take some time to get into rhythm ... So we need to give them time. Someone like Varun and Abu, they have the ability to hit the length. Once they get into the groove, I think Adam Milne coming in from next game onwards — hopefully he is almost 100 per cent fit and that will boost bowling big time ... Mitch Starc joining us, then it is going to be a complete turnaround,” he told reporters at the post-match press conference.

“Until then we have to use available resources to pick wickets and need to bowl in right areas. We were not able to do that in the game against SunRisers,” he added.
Kohli said the team needs to analyse whether to change the batting order or get in experienced players like Subramaniam Badrinath.
“It is very important that the guys get to bat in the right slots or we have more options in Sarfaraz Khan and Badrinath and experienced guys who haven’t played a game so far ... We need to sit and analyse probably a few changes here and there in the batting order that will help few guys come in to the kind of plans they want to be,” he said.
Backing Mandeep Singh, who has failed so far, Kohli said there is a need for giving ample opportunities to each player but at the same it is necessary to figure out the time required for rotating the players.
“He [Mandeep Singh] is someone who has performed at the top of the order for Kings XI. We will have to see what best works for us. We will have to sit and take a call on that — whether we want to give Mandeep a chance at the top of the order ...we need to back guys — we need to give ample opportunities and at the same time, we need to figure out how much time we have in the tournament. Good we only had two games — we won one and lost the next game,” he said.

Replying to a query, Kohli said Yuzvendra Chahal was the biggest positive in the last game as he bowled exceptionally well in wet condition and on a flat track.
“Chahal bowled with the wet ball in those conditions. The wicket being flat and the ball was coming nicely in the second innings — that is the big positive for us ... His bowling is the biggest positive from this game and there is not much about to say about rest of it,” he said.

Kohli said the team has had no worries on the batting front but emphasised on the execution of the plans, which they failed to do against SunRisers on Monday.
“Batting has not been a worry for us in the last couple of years. There is someone to step up all the time and someone to pick up at right times. Guys are in good mental space as far as hitting the ball and planning for the game is concerned, but what matters is how you execute on that particular day,” he said.

Asked about AB de Villiers injury, Kohli said he should be fine.
“He told me he has done that few times in his career and he should be fine — he is walking around fine. He is going to be okay,” he said. The South African had twisted his ankle while fielding.

IPL 8: Desperate Mumbai Indians look for a turnaround against Rajasthan Royals

Ahmedabad: Buoyed by their thrilling last-ball win against Delhi Daredevils, a confident Rajasthan Royals will take on a beleaguered Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League cricket encounter, here on Tuesday.

Having won their first two matches on the road, the Steven Smith-led side will be playing their first match in their "adopted home" venue of Sardar Patel Stadium in Motera. For Royals, the tournament couldn't have started on a better note as they had two contrasting victories in their first two games.

While the the 26-run win against Kings XI Punjab in Pune was a walk in the park, the Royals were stretched to the limit by Daredevils in their second match where Tim Southee got them home with a splendid last-ball boundary.

The IPL unearths new talent every year and the talk after the first five days has been about young Baroda all-rounder Deepak Hooda, who has surprised one and all with composure and big-hitting abilities.

The 25-ball-54 against DD has made the young Haryanvi 'talk of the town' and with Ajinkya Rahane and Smith for company, the youngster would be expected to blossom further. For Mumbai Indians, it's been the worst start possible as they were comfortably beaten by seven wickets in their opening encounter against defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders while Harbhajan Singh's individual brilliance could not stop them from losing the second match by 18 runs.

On paper, Royals will start as favourites but MI can't be written off. Even during last season, they had lost five matches on trot in the UAE leg before recovering remarkably to make it to the play-offs.
But batting has been a bit of a bother for MI, who have icons like Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble and Ricky Ponting on board to help the players. Barring Rohit Sharma in the first game and Harbhajan Singh in the second game, the MI top-order has not performed as per expectation

IPL 8: Clinical Sunrisers Hyderabad squash Royal Challengers Bangalore

Skipper David Warner blasted a 27-ball 57 (6x4, 4x6) to help Sunrisers Hyderabad notch their first success in two outings with an eight-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League on Monday.
Warner and fellow-opener Shikhar Dhawan (50 not out, 42b, 4x6, 2x4) put on 82 runs in 7.2 overs as Sunrisers hunted down RCB's total of 166 all out, posting 172 for two in 17.2 overs.

Dhawan played a mature innings as he along with Lokesh Rahul (44, 28b, 4x4, 1x6) added 78 runs for the unfinished third wicket to carry Sunrisers over the finish line in style.
Warner thus justified his decision of opting to field on winning the toss on a damp night following heavy rains in the evening. Fortunately, the rains stayed away, but the large partisan crowd was left disappointed by RCB's limp performance.

Warner's power-packed innings took much the pressure off the chase as the visitors took control while Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers turned increasingly disheartened as Sunrisers made light of the target.

The closest that RCB came to checking the chase was when leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal removed Warner, who was trapped leg-before and Kane Williamson (5), stumped by Dinesh Karthik, but Dhawan dropped anchor to guide Sunrisers home.
Earlier, RCB promised a lot but delivered little as their frontline batsmen, openers Chris Gayle (21, 16b, 3x4, 1x6) and Kohli (41, 37b, 4x4, 2x6), and AB de Villiers (46, 28b, 5x4, 2x6) failed to build on good starts.

Once the Sunrisers got rid of Gayle who chanced his arms once too often, it was a gradual downhill ride for the home team although Kohli and de Villiers raised visions of a big total.
Sunrisers kept their composure to strike telling blows at vital moments with Boult claiming three wickets in the 19th over and fellow-seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar taking two in the 20th to peg RCB after Ravi Bopara, the former England star, had removed Kohli and Mandeep Singh off consecutive deliveries, in the 12th over.
RCB never quite recovered from these body blows to crash to their first defeat in two outings while the Sunrisers, who played better cricket, emerged deserving winners.

Brief scores:
Royal Challengers Bangalore 166 all out in 19.5 overs (Chris Gayle 21, Virat Kohli 41, AB de Villiers 46, Trent Boult 3 for 36, Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2 for 30, Ravi Bopara 2 for 31) lost to Sunrisers Hyderabad 172 for 2 (David Warner 57, Shikhar Dhawan 50 not out, Lokesh Rahul 44 not out, Yuzvendra Chahal 2 for 28) by 8 wickets.

Boult unfazed by pressure after stellar World Cup

New Zealand fast bowler Trent Boult, currently representing Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2015, has covered a journey in cricket not many players can claim to have had. Boult has carved his way from Tests to ODIs to domestic T20s, with his recent match-winning performances, a journey unlike what many players take. The joint highest wicket-taker in the 2015 World Cup and ranked sixth in Tests and ODIs, Boult was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for Rs 3.8 crore (approx. US $633,000) in the IPL auction two months ago and the confident bowler said that he is not under much pressure coming into the IPL.

"I don't think there is too much pressure to be honest," Boult told ESPNcricinfo. "I enjoyed the World Cup immensely but I don't think the pressure beats me and I'm not worried about the expectation and all that. If I can put that aside and just enjoy being here, I think that will bring out the best in me. [In my game there are] not too many changes. I think the more that I've played, the more that I've grown as a cricketer and a bowler."

Before the World Cup, the 25-year-old swing bowler had played only 16 ODIs, and coming into the IPL he had only 40 Twenty20s under his belt. Boult, however, is not nervous about the day when he will be belted around the park and won't have anything to show in the wickets column.

"Me personally, I try not to think about it too much, it's part of the game," he said. "In Twenty20 cricket you are going to get hit for boundaries and sixes. How quickly you can put it behind you, how quickly you can come back and hopefully take some wickets…I know it's easier said than done but the best players in the world have their ways to get through that.

"[Having a go-to delivery], that's the key. I think you need to have a ball that you are most comfortable bowling, that you can bowl in the pressure situation. It's just one of those things to have a slower ball, to have a yorker or whatever it is to go to at the pressure [times], it's very important. For me it's the yorker, it's the delivery I feel most comfortable bowling under pressure."

The one main difference Boult, or any other fast bowler who played in the World Cup, will face will be the change in conditions in the IPL, compared to the helpful pitches of Australia and New Zealand. Boult said the conditions made it imperative for bowlers to adapt early on in the tournament.

"Yes, obviously it was pretty helpful to be in our home conditions which us as a team, us as bowlers we were familiar with," Boult said. "I think we knew what lengths to bowl and what lines. The grounds we played at the ball swung nicely but I guess the challenge is to come to India - obviously much different climate, much different environment and very different wickets. I think the ball will swing here, just won't be the same as back in New Zealand, so we have to quickly adapt to that and make sure my line and length is right and I'm hoping that I can be tricky for the batsmen."

One batsman he couldn't trick in his IPL debut was New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, when Sunrisers took on Chennai Super Kings on Saturday. The IPL is the first time Boult is playing a domestic T20 tournament outside New Zealand - barring the 2014 Champions League T20 in which he represented his home side, Northern Knights - and his debut set up a much anticipated clash against McCullum.

"Brendon was in good form and he seemed to be ahead of me," Boult said. "He's very intimidating and he was in very good form. The plan was for me to get the ball to swing and pitch the ball up but it didn't swing much. Once it becomes pretty straight and narrow you expect some boundaries. He played a terrific innings and it was definitely a good learning curve to bowl to someone like that. We went through our plans but the wicket was a bit different than what we thought and it was a lot slower so those plans unfortunately didn't work so well."

From being New Zealand's frontline bowler only in Tests, his wicket-taking ability has made him one of the most feared quick bowlers in the world currently. He was given the opportunity to open for New Zealand in ODIs as well, leading into the World Cup in which he took 22 wickets - the same as Man of the Series Mitchell Starc.

"I played about a dozen ODIs before the start of the World Cup and gained a lot of confidence out of playing the tournament and learnt more about my game," Boult said. "Getting to bowl to some good batsmen around the world has taught me a lot so hopefully I can continue the form and bring it to this IPL campaign.

"Shane Bond has been very good to work with. Obviously a very experienced cricketer himself and not so much technically, but with me he's shared his thoughts on field placements, how to get the right line…those sorts of things. Not so much for the white-ball format, more in Test-match cricket."

Until six months before the World Cup, Boult was seen primarily as a Test bowler. It was only when he was picked for the home ODIs against South Africa last October and the ODIs against Sri Lanka earlier this year that he started taking wickets with the white ball as well. Boult was not among the top five wicket-takers against Sri Lanka, and played four out of the seven matches in the series, but was still picked ahead of Matt Henry, who was making news for bowling consistently above the 145kmph mark.

"Obviously the difference between Tests and shorter format is that batsmen are coming at you a lot more and looking to attack against my deliveries," he said. "I think my thinking has to be much quicker and I have to plan to be ahead of the batsmen as much as I can. That can sometimes get very difficult. But I think that's probably the biggest challenge."

Discipline, pride key for West Indies' turnaround - Simmons

Discipline and pride will be the key to West Indies' revival, according to their new head coach, Phil Simmons.

Simmons is facing a tough baptism in his new role. Having only joined up with the side a week ago, he admits he knows few of the players intimately and has had little time to prepare ahead of the Test series against England beginning in Antigua on Monday.

But he feels he has the support of the West Indies Cricket Board and is confident that, given hard work, he can help the team rise from their position as No. 8 rated Test team to a place in the top three.

Simmons urges more series for Ireland
Ireland will soon be playing against West Indies, if Phil Simmons' wishes count for anything.

Simmons, who has just returned to the Caribbean as coach of West Indies after eight years in a similar role with Ireland, remains committed to helping the Associate nation develop and promises to "do everything he can" to ensure the fixtures against Full Member opposition that Ireland have been craving to sustain their development.

Simmons suggested that part of the severance agreement brokered between the West Indies Cricket Board and Cricket Ireland would involve such fixtures taking place "soon."

"I'm sure that was spoken about in the negotiations about me leaving," he said from Antigua as he looked forward to his first Test in charge of West Indies starting on Monday.

"I'm sure that will happen soon. I will always push for that. I'd have no problem with that at all. I'll do everything I can to keep things going there.

"All the Full Members need to back them."

He did warn that progress will take time, though.

"It's been well documented that we're not in a good place as far as cricket is concerned," Simmons admitted. "We need to get back in that good place.

"It's been frustrating [to witness West Indies' decline]. It would be for anyone who has represented West Indies. It's been disappointing to see the way we've played.

"I know we're not in the best of places right now

"But it's something special to coach your own country. And once we get to that level of doing everything professionally I think the talent will come through."

A lack of talent is, in Simmons' view, the least of West Indies' problems. He remains convinced that the region continues to produce hugely naturally talented cricketers but that there is a failure to develop them.

"Talent has never been the problem," he said. "There's always been talent coming through. It's what we do with that talent between 18 or 19 and 24 or 25. We've got to address that. That doesn't mean the national team; it means the teams below that."

And that's where discipline and pride come in. Simmons intends to instil a new work ethic within all levels of West Indies cricket and to ensure the players know they are representing the hopes of people throughout the region and beyond.

"It's a lot about discipline," Simmons said. "Whatever you do - bowl, bat or field - discipline comes through.

"And pride comes into it. Life is about pride. Anything you do, you have to do it with pride and do it to the best of your ability.

"At our best we represented five-million people but we enjoyed what we did on the field. We knew we represented the Caribbean people and people from afar but we made sure we enjoyed it.

"My coaching philosophy is: practise hard; play easy. We have to be doing things a lot harder in practice. And that will make things easier when we get on the field.

"Guys have to be given a benchmark every time. If I'm 19 and I can do A, B and C, by the time I'm 22, I should be able to do D, E and F to be an international cricketer and get to the top three in the world, which is where you should want to be.

"We have to get the team to understand more of what professionalism means. Once we get to that level of doing everything professionally I think the talent will come through."

Among those talented players are the uncapped Bajans, Carlos Brathwaite, a seamer, and Shai Hope, a wicketkeeper-batsman who recently made a double-century in domestic cricket. Simmons is impressed by both.

"I think young Hope is technically sound," Simmons said. "To score a double-hundred at any level, you have to be technically sound. He showed in the practice game that he can bat for a longer period of time. That's a big thing with young cricketers now; some of them just want to go out and play shots. But he showed he had the temperament.

"Braithwaite just bowled like a Test bowler in the practice game. His line and lengths troubled the batsmen."

Progress may take time, though, and Simmons urged supporters not to judge his success too early or simply on the first few results.

"It's about getting a system in place and making sure it works properly," he said. "So it's not about winning a Test series v England or Australia.

"I was eight years at Ireland and I don't think everything was finished. It's about putting a system in place so that, five or 10 years from now we're back where we want to be.

"And that we stay there. The system must last. It has to keep going no matter who comes after me."

Bowling key for Sunrisers on RCB home turf

Big picture
Lifted by the confidence of a win over the defending champions, Royal Challengers Bangalore are set to begin their first batch of home matches. Their opponents on Monday, Sunrisers Hyderabad, lost their opening match to Chennai Super Kings. Yet despite the contrasting results, both teams have a similar set of problems to address.

Take Chris Gayle's 96 out of the match against Knight Riders - an innings that itself was helped by a few reprieves - and Royal Challengers had little to show for in terms of performances with the bat and ball. The three frontline pacers all gave away runs at more than nine an over and their batting acquisitions - Dinesh Karthik, Mandeep Singh and Darren Sammy - failed to hold the chase together, falling to expansive shots at crucial times. It may be a one-off failure for the middle order but Royal Challengers have an option of dropping Virat Kohli down to no. 3 or 4 for stability and use someone like Manvinder Bisla as an opener.

The bowling is Sunrisers' stronger suit, but the absence of Dale Steyn left them considerably weakened in the opening game, and their lengths to Brendon McCullum and co did little to alleviate the problem. Like Royal Challengers against Knight Riders, the Sunrisers middle order, too, struggled, tied down even further by the pressure of a steep chase. Their immediate worry will be to pick an attack that can limit the Royal Challengers batting on their home turf. They will also have to contend with the weather, with evening showers forecast for Monday.

Watch out for
Sunrisers face an issue with their combination on the batting and bowling fronts. Do they bring in Dale Steyn at the cost of Trent Boult or Ravi Bopara? Or do they drop Bopara for Eoin Morgan? And is No. 6 too low a position for Kane Williamson?

Yuzvendra Chahal was one of the most impressive bowlers for Royal Challengers in IPL 2014, and had a promising start to the 2015 against Knight Riders, finishing as the most economic bowler for the side in the game with the key wicket of Gautam Gambhir. Royal Challengers will hope he can build on this start and better last season's performance.

Stats and trivia
A total of 531 sixes have been hit in IPL matches at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai is next with 463. In terms of boundary fours, the Chinnaswamy is second (1157 fours) after Feroz Shah Kotla (1172).
Chris Gayle's run-out in the match against Knight Riders was the first time the batsman was dismissed in that fashion in the IPL.

Quotes
"I am not going to let composure or complacency get in my game. I am looking forward to another big game back home."

Gayle 96 guides wobbly RCB to win

Royal Challengers Bangalore kept losing wickets at one end. Chris Gayle kept hitting fours and sixes at the other. Even as Royal Challengers threatened to implode at 133 for 6 in a chase of 178, Gayle turned down a few singles and hit a few more sixes. Four short of a hundred, and with seven needed for victory, the man who prefers not to run ran himself out scrambling and diving for a rare second. Royal Challengers still got home with an over to spare, such had been the impact of Gayle's seven fours and seven sixes in his 96 off 56.

Gayle was put down twice; the first was a tough chance for Morne Morkel diving forward at deep square leg with Gayle on 33. The second was a much simpler catch for the same fielder at the same position with Gayle on 63. Yusuf Pathan was the bowler to suffer on both occasions.

Before he dropped the match, Morkel had worked up testing pace and bounce to take out Gayle's opening partner Virat Kohli on the pull for 13. Morkel and Sunil Narine kept Gayle and Kohli quiet at the start, and the Kolkata Knight Riders spin army started to take toll on a helpful surface. Dinesh Karthik and Mandeep Singh fell trying expansive strokes against Pathan to leave Royal Challengers 56 for 3.

AB de Villiers came in and targeted Knight Riders' newest mystery spinner KC Cariappa. The South African had already cracked five boundaries in 12 balls and Royal Challengers appeared to be back in the game when he walked past a flatter one from Cariappa. The asking-rate was almost 12 when Shakib Al Hasan's flight lured Darren Sammy to his fall in the 15th over.

Gayle had gone about his innings in typical fashion till now. He had been troubled by Narine's offbreaks, he had mishit a few, but he had also swung some deep into the stands. The over after Sammy fell, Gayle pulled and lofted Pathan for successive boundaries. It was the same over in which Morkel was to put Gayle down decisively.

Uncharacteristically, Gayle now started to push for twos. Abbott was run out off the first such attempt. Gayle responded by turning down singles off the next two balls, yorkers from Shakib. Forty-four needed off 21. Shakib missed the yorker twice in succession. Six, and six more.

Gayle was properly cruising now. Narine was pulled and swept for consecutive fours and two runs taken off the third. With seamer Harshal Patel on strike for the last two balls of the over, Gayle pushed him to try and hit at least one for six. Harshal succeeded on the second attempt.

Gayle could have reached his century two balls later off Morkel had Manish Pandey not managed to jump at deep midwicket and throw a flat hit back in. He saw what had happened in the deep and tried to regain the strike but could not beat Pandey's throw. He had done enough to ensure, though, that Royal Challengers beat the defending champions.

That had looked improbable with the way Royal Challengers had gone in their season opener. Misfields, missed chances and overthrows in a nervy fielding performance had helped Knight Riders gallop to 177 for 6. Gambhir and Robin Uthappa put on 81 upfront inside 11 overs, with the Knight Riders captain making it successive fifties at the start of the season. Knight Riders were jolted by the fall of Suryakumar Yadav and Pandey off successive deliveries in the 17th over but Andre Russell blasted an unbeaten 41 off 17 to propel them to what they thought was a good enough total. However, probably no score is sufficient in this format if Gayle lasts as long as the 19th over of a chase.

Junaid to replace injured Sohail

Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Khan has been ruled out of the upcoming tour of Bangladesh after sustaining a back injury, and he will be replaced in the ODI squad by Junaid Khan, who had already been selected for the Tests and T20Is.

Sohail, 31, retired hurt with lower back pain after bowling four overs during a conditioning camp on Friday. He was initially treated by the team physiotherapist, but later sent for a medical scan. After an initial report, it was decided that he rest for at least two weeks.

"After the uncertain fitness of Sohail, we have decided to add Junaid Khan to continue in the ODIs as well," Haroon Rasheed, the PCB's chief selector, told ESPNcricinfo. "We cant say how serious Sohail's injury is at the moment but he is presently advised two weeks rest."

Sohail was recently called up for the 2015 World Cup, where he picked up 12 wickets including a five-for against India in the opening match in Adelaide. Before coming back into national contention, he had played the last of his five ODIs in Zimbabwe, in 2011.

Junaid had missed the tournament with a knee and thigh injury, and has been out of the team since October. He, however, recovered well ahead of the Bangaldesh series after undergoing a rigorous rehabilitation programme at the National Cricket Academy in Lahore.

It is good to win close games - Dhoni

Dhoni relieved after 'important' win

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni was pleased that his team-mates could keep their cool when it mattered most, as the hosts edged past Delhi Daredevils by one run at the MA Chidambaram Stadium. Super Kings had 19 to defend off the last over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo, and despite three meaty blows from Albie Morkel, including a four off the last ball, they held on to open their campaign with victory.

"You have to hold on to your nerves," Dhoni said after the game. "I thought the last one was in the slot, and Bravo won't be happy with the ball he bowled, but it is good to win close games. It was important to win because this was our first match here in a long time. Not just for us, but for the crowd, because they appreciate opposition too. A crowd you want to do well in front of."

Super Kings, having been inserted, were restricted by spin to 150 for 7, but made a great start to their defence as Ashish Nehra ran through Daredevils' top order to leave them rattling at 39 for 3. Dhoni had high praise for the seamer, who he believed bowled "effortlessly".

"Nehra is good, at times he is prone to injuries, but he backs himself, which is good for a fast bowler," Dhoni said. "It is good to see him the way he bowls. He has kept himself fit. He is one Indian pace who bowls pace effortlessly."

Nehra, who collected 3 for 25 and was adjudged the Man of the Match, said that despite posting only a middling total, Super Kings always backed themselves to claw their way back into the game.

"These totals of 140-160 are always tricky to chase," Nehra told iplt20.com. "These are the games that get close in the end about 70-80% of times. If you bowl well, you can really take it till the end. We did that today and kept our nerves in the end.

"I have been someone who always looks to attack. When you're defending a total of 150, you have to pick wickets upfront and that's what we looked to do today. We kept it tight and got wickets."

Coulter-Nile upbeat despite close defeat

Daredevils seamer Nathan Coulter-Nile believes his team can take a lot of heart from their one-run loss to Super Kings. Daredevils, who finished bottom of the table in the last two editions of the IPL, came into the game with a completely revamped squad, but Coulter-Nile felt the team has much better depth this time to cope with the hectic two-month schedule.

"If you don't win games, they will either put you out of the team or they will change the team," Coulter-Nile told iplt20.com. "Last year we won only two games and things had to change. That's what has happened. I believe we have a really good bunch of people around now and we have more depth than we did last year. I hope we see people filling the gaps and take us over the rope."

Coulter-Nile picked up 3 for 30, including the crucial scalps of Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina early in the innings, as Daredevils kept Super Kings to 150, a total Coulter-Nile felt his team shouldn't have had trouble chasing down.

"We were pretty happy as 140-150 is always chaseable. I thought this was a beautiful wicket for cricket. Given that they were 59 after the first six overs, 150 was a pretty decent score for us to restrict them to.

"It was one hell of a game of cricket and that's what everyone wants to see. You don't take too much heart out of a lost game. We want to win every match, so it's a bit disappointing."

Import-heavy Sunrisers run into domestic bigwigs

Big Picture
Sunrisers Hyderabad are in only their third IPL season. Despite an impressive debut season in 2013, they slumped to sixth position last year under two different captains. They must be itching to make amends this year, and even bought Kevin Pietersen who pulled out later on. They then named David Warner as captain, who will lead a talent-heavy side resting on pillars of imported raw material, making them one of the strongest squads on paper this season.

But in their quest to start strong and afresh, they run into heavyweights Chennai Super Kings. If a team thinks they have a plan to beat Super Kings, they must rethink those and have plans B, C… till Z ready as back up. On Thursday Super Kings showed how to win a match even when Brendon McCullum and Suresh Raina both fail. They showed how to defend 150 on an Indian pitch. They showed how to flaunt a bowling attack comprising only Indian frontline bowlers against a deep batting line-up and still win.

Some questions still remain about their weak link from last year - seam-bowling options. Barring Ashish Nehra, no other Super Kings fast bowler conceded less than 7.50 per over against Delhi Daredevils and if they want to make changes, they have Kyle Abbott, Matt Henry, Irfan Pathan and Andrew Tye waiting in the barracks. And a question everyone asks but it always goes unanswered - shouldn't MS Dhoni move up the order?

Unlike Super Kings, whose core is made up of domestic players, Sunrisers will draw their strength from overseas talent. To conceal a weak middle order, they would want their captain Warner, and former captain Shikhar Dhawan to fire upfront. Another contrasting factor in their ranks compared to Super Kings' is their lethal bowling line-up. Dale Steyn, Trent Boult, Praveen Kumar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ishant Sharma. Pace, bounce, swing, seam, venom…you name it, they have it. It is bound to bring up some mouth-watering clashes such as McCullum v Boult, Raina v Steyn, Warner v Mohit, Dhawan v Nehra.

Michael Vaughan & Alec Stewart open to England director role

vaughan & stewart said they are open to England director role in an interview

Harbhajan owes success to 'Golden Generation' of Indian cricket

Kolkata: World Cup winning off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Thursday owed his success to the golden generation of Indian cricketers and said he was lucky to play under the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.

"I'm very lucky to have had seniors like them and the wealth of knowledge they had. I've become successful because of them and achieved something," India's highest wicket taking off-spinner said.

"I'm grateful to these guys, they have played a big role in my career."

He also praised local hero Ganguly and termed him as one of the best captains to lead India. "Sourav Ganguly is one of the best captains of Indian cricket team ever," he said on the sidelines of launching Harbhajan Singh Institute of Cricket's first eastern India centre at the Delhi Public School in Mega City, Rajarhat on the outskirts of the city.

Having been successful, the 34-year-old now wants to pass on the knowledge to the promising youngsters and said it's important not to tinker with the natural talent.

"The same way I want the youngsters associated with me be it in Punjab or Mumbai Indians to learn."

"Every cricketer has his own style of batting or bowling. There's no copybook cricket. Look at Virender Sehwag or Virat Kohli, everybody is gifted with their own technique.

"We don't want to tamper with their natural talent. The idea is not to manipulate with the natural rhythm. We'll be focused on to harness the natural talent from the available resources," he said giving example of former South African chinaman bowler Paul Adams.

"Nobody had dreamt of an action of releasing the ball with head down."