Centurion, May 1 (IANS) A cracking 98 from Suresh Raina paved the way for Chennai Super Kings' 38-run victory over defending champions Rajasthan Royals in their Indian Premier League (IPL) match at the Centurion Park here Thursday.
The breezy 55-ball knock from Man of the Match Raina guided Super Kings to a challenging 164 for five in 20 overs in what appeared to be the repeat of 2008 IPL final. But this time, Super Kings avenged their loss as they restricted Rajasthan Royals to 126 runs in 19.3 overs with some good performances from bowlers Lakhsmipathy Balaji (4-21), Albie Morkel (2-21) and Jacob Oram (2-27).
The win was Super Kings' first in the IPL against Rajasthan Royals after having lost both their matches last year. The win was also Super Kings' first after three matches.
Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne's decision to field initially proved spot on. The maverick Warne introduced spin in the second over with Yusuf Pathan (2-17), who removed openers Matthew Hayden (1) and Parthiv Patel (3) in quick successions to leave Super Kings in trouble.
Raina and Badrinath (29) then got Super Kings back on track with their 67-run stand for the third wicket. Raina was in no mood to waste time and he set the tone of his innings by hitting Dimitry Mascarenhas for a six and four.
At the other end, Badrinath relieved the pressure off Raina and the duo picked Pathan for some special treatment. While Badrinath rotated the strike, Raina kept up his powerplay and hit 10 fours and five sixes during his stay.
Warne's 'wild thing' Kamran Khan was not in his element as Raina hit the youngster for one six and his captain Mahendra Dhoni (22 not out) hit two more in the same over.
Raina fell short of a deserving century while trying to hit Munaf Patel but scooped the ball to Graeme Smith.
Chasing 165, Rajasthan Royals faltered from the start and failed to get a good partnership. Ravindra Jadeja (37) played a lone hand but that was not good enough to take his team closer to a win.
Super Kings' bowlers were disciplined in their performance and Morkel got some good swing with the new ball. He picked up Graeme Smith (2) and Swapnil Asnodkar (10) while Balaji wrecked the middle-order.
Raina powers Super Kings past Rajasthan Royals
Rajasthan Royals pip Knight Riders via 'Super Over'
Newlands Stadium witnessed intense drama as Rajasthan Royals pipped Kolkata Knight Riders via 'Super Over' in an edge-of-the-seat thriller in the Indian Premier League here today.
Put into bat, Rajasthan Royals had earlier managed 150 for six, a total they owed largely to Yusuf Pathan (42) even though it was Abhishek Raut (21 not out) who provided the late charge for them.
Chasing a victory target of 151, Chris Gayle (41) sizzled at the top while Sourav Ganguly (47) too shone as the Knight Riders managed exactly 150 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
In the 'Super Over', Knight Riders managed 15 runs off Kamran Khan's over with Chris Gayle scoring 13 off it before being dismissed in the final ball.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals scored 18 off Ajantha Mendis' first four balls with Yusuf Pathan hitting 6,2,6 and 4 to seal the win.
Rain may force abandonment of Cape Town match
CAPE TOWN:It has been raining all day in this lovely city and it looks likely that the match between Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders would become the second game to be abandoned in the DLF Indian Premier League here.
The players from both Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders preferred to not make the trip to the ground at the scheduled hour. The covers have been on the pitch all day and there were huge puddles, making the chances of play very bleak.
Last week, Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals shared the two points from a rained-off match in Durban.
The crowds will soon develop their own favourites
The IPL Season I was always going to be a tough act to follow, and it seems just the other day when the best cricketers in the world assembled in India to play six weeks of pulsating cricket. When I look back at the inaugural season, what I remember is the absolutely spectacular opening ceremony, which actually got dwarfed by the intensity of the match between us and the Kolkata Knight Riders. We were second best on the night, but the intensity with which the game was played proved to the world that while IPL was trumped up as an incredible marriage of Bollywood with cricket, it was in essence about tough, combative cricket at the highest level.
Even as a South African, I would have to admit that the my immediate reaction to the news that the Indian Premier League was being shifted out of India, to South Africa, was one of disappointment. The tournament is obviously Indian in essence, and I still feel that we will miss the frenzy and excitement that is part of cricket in India. That said, it was also a bit of good news on the personal front, and the families of all the South African cricketers were delighted when they heard that we would not be traveling out again.
It might interest readers in India to know that the IPL Season I was keenly followed on television all over South Africa, and most cricket lovers here are really clued in on the various teams in the fray. No wonder then, that there is a tremendous buzz around the tournament, and don't be surprised if you see large, vociferous crowds at the games. Cricket has received a tremendous shot in the arm in South Africa after the national team's recent successes, and the IPL will benefit from the enthusiastic support that the sport has been enjoying here. Apart from that, South Africans are present in almost all the teams, so the crowds will soon develop their own favourites. In fact, as a team with more than its share of South Africans, we are counting on being well-supported wherever we go.
The Royal Challengers, Bangalore, will be a keenly watched team this time round, and that is not only because of the large number of local boys aka South Africans in the team. The team was one of the most keenly watched ones last year, and I would be the first to admit that we did not live up to the expectations of our supporters.
To be fair, a lot of the hype ahead of the inaugural IPL was media created and the team itself had nothing to do with it. We also happened to have a very well-known owner in Dr Vijay Mallya, who quite naturally, expected a lot of his team. If cricket is a cruel game, the T20 version is really brutal. If you get a couple of unlucky breaks in your first few games, it's hard to turn the tide. This is why I feel that the one thing we need to do this time is start well.
Momentum is a huge factor in a tournament like the IPL and we need to get going early. The Rajasthan Royals demonstrated how a team is hard to stop once they get on a hot streak. If you have the momentum to win enough games to make the last four, the rest depends on how good you are on the given evening. Of the final four, only Kings XI Punjab rallied from behind – the rest made it comfortably because they began well.
For Bangalore, the biggest change is the entry of Kevin Pietersen as captain of the side for the games that he is available. He is part of the team for the first half of the league stage before national duty reclaims him. I remember Kevin Pietersen as a youngster playing in South Africa. Since I was already in the national side when Kevin was playing his first-class cricket for Natal, I did not know him personally. However, I did play against him on a couple of occasions. Even though it was early in his career, Kevin was earmarked as a player to watch out for as much for his shrewd cricketing brain as for his incredibly destructive batting. Speed is of essence in T20 cricket, particularly as far as decision-making is concerned. Kevin is young and familiar with this format, and he has the confidence to back his instincts.
Captaining at the IPL is in some ways more demanding than at any other level because each team has a few players who have captained national sides. Today, Kevin is one of the most prominent cricketers in the world. He has always relished a challenge and loves to lead by example, qualities that will be required of him in the coming weeks. It will certainly help that he is quite familiar with the conditions in South Africa, and while I have not yet spoken to him about strategy, it will be interesting to share the dressing room with him.
The other interesting entrant in our unit would have to be Jesse Ryder, who had an exceptional series against India. He is also a player who can change the course of a game, and I think he has the game that will suit South African conditions. This edition has plenty of new players like Ryder and Jean Paul Duminy who can play decisive roles in their team. Last year proved that the IPL was as good a platform as any for a young player to announce himself on the international scene, and ambition is going to spur many youngsters, from India and elsewhere, to put up special performances this time as well.
As a team, it is important that we learn from the last season without really dwelling too much on our final standing. If the inaugural season was a batsman’s tournament, this one could well be one in which a few of the quick bowlers will dominate. I will not be surprised to see some of them emerging as the top performers this time round. Even if that does not really happen, I feel that conditions in South Africa, particularly the pace and the bounce will ensure a more balanced contest. T20 will remain skewed in favour of the batsmen, but it really becomes an interesting contest when the bowlers are at least able to make the batsmen sweat for their boundaries.
The beautiful people from India have already arrived in South Africa and more are expected through this week. Shah Rukh, Preity, Shilpa and of course Lalit Modi are all in South Africa and they have ensured that the glitz and glamour that propelled the IPL into prominence remains untouched even outside India. However, for us cricketers, the main challenge is to keep the eye on the ball and as professionals it's all about playing with pride for our teams. It's important to be focused from the start because, as I said earlier, in tournaments like this a good beginning is extremely important.
South Africa has responded amazingly to the challenge of getting this tournament started with such little notice. However, the excitement of the fans and the steady influx from India of team owners, sponsors and spectators has been helping creating a tremendous sense of anticipation for the tournament. The stage is now set for Season II and it's upto us to ensure that the magic of Season One continues, this time with a South African twist. (Gameplan)
Hayden hits second fastest half-century in IPL
Port Elizabeth, April 21 (IANS) Mathew Hayden's match winning 65 off 35 balls for Chennai Super Kings against Bangalore Royal Challengers here was the second fastest half-century in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Hayden got his 50 in just 22 balls Monday night here at the St. George's Park. His half-century is next to Yusuf Pathan's 21-ball fifty for Rajasthan Royals against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad last year.
Hayden has aggregated 298 in six innings at an average of 59.60, including three fifties.
The following are the statistical highlights of the Twenty20 match between Chennai Super Kings and Bangalore Royal Challengers:
Chennai Super Kings (179 for five) registered the highest total in the second edition of the IPL so far, surpassing the 165 for 7 by Mumbai Indians against Chennai Super Kings at Cape Town Saturday.
The score is Chennai's highest against Bangalore, eclipsing the 178 for five at Bangalore last year.
Chennai Super Kings with their comprehensive win over Bangalore Royal Challengers, have now won ten games out of 18 in the IPL. Rajasthan Royals have won the most matches (13) and Kings XI Punjab 10.
Chennai Super Kings' 92-run victory is their highest by runs margin in the IPL, surpassing their 33-run win over Kings XI Punjab at Mohali, April 19, 2008. The victory is Chennai's second in three games over Bangalore.
Muttiah Muralitharan (3/11) has for the first time claimed three wickets in an IPL innings, eclipsing the 2 for 39 against Rajasthan at Mumbai on June 1,2008.
Muralitharan received his first MOM award in the IPL.
Parthiv Patel and Hayden recorded the first century stand for the opening wicket for their side.
Bangalore Royal Challengers (87) posted their second lowest score in the IPL, their lowest is 82 against Kolkata Knight Riders at Bangalore last year.
Chennai Super Kings' 92-run victory is the third biggest in terms of runs in the IPL - the top two being by 140 runs by Kolkata over Bangalore at Bangalore and by 105 runs by Rajasthan over Delhi Daredevils in the first edition of the IPL.
Dhoni dubs Flintoff best bowler in ODI cricket!!!
London, Apr 20 (ANI): Chennai Super Kings skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has dubbed Andrew Flintoff as the "best bowler in one-day cricket" ahead of today's big clash with Kevin Pietersen's Bangalore Royal Challengers.
The two giants of the English cricket come head-to-head, as Bangalore Royal Challengers take on Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League today.
Having doled out 1.1million pounds a man, both IPL sides are looking for strong performances at Port Elizabeth from the highest-paid cricketers on the planet.
The pair enjoyed contrasting fortunes in their debuts on Saturday, with Pietersen leading a 75-run win over Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals, while Flintoff's introduction was less enjoyable as Sachin Tendulkar steered Mumbai Indians to a 19-run victory.
But despite the lukewarm start, CSK skipper MS Dhoni claims Flintoff's hefty pricetag is still justified.
"It's not about how much of money you are buying a player for, it's about how important he is or how much he contributes to your side. Flintoff is the kind of guy that you really need. We are talking about the best bowler in one-day cricket right now.
"You pay the money because you want him in the side and how important he is to your side is what really counts," The Sun quoted Flintoff, as saying.
The Lancashire all-rounder also finished the game with an ice-pack on his dodgy left ankle, but Dhoni insists there is nothing to fear.
He added: "I don't think he's injured. As far as the playing XI is concerned for the next match, we'll have a look and re-assess things then. (ANI)
IPL
Top Cricketers Involved in IPL (Indian Premier League)
•Mahendra Siggh Dhoni
•Ricky Ponting
•Adam Gilchrist
•Shoaib Akhtar
•Mahela Jayawardene
•Sanath Jayasuriya
•Yuvraj Singh
•Matthew Hayden
IPL (Indian Premier League) Franchise Owners
Mumbai franchise (IPL Mumbai Indians Team): Mukesh Ambani (The Reliance Industries chairman) - for $111.9 million over a 10-year period.
Bangalore franchise (IPL Bangalore Royal Challengers Team): Vijay Mallya, who also owns a Formula 1 team – for $111.6 million over a 10-year period.
Kolkata franchise (IPL Kolkata Knight Riders Team): Shah Rukh Khan (Red Chillies Entertainment) - $75 million over a 10-year period.
Chandigarh franchise (IPL Kings XI Punjab Team): Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia – for $75 million over a 10-year period.
Hyderabad Franchise (IPL Deccan Chargers Team): J Krishnan (Deccan Chronicle) – for $107 million over a 10-year period.
Rajasthan Franchise (IPL Rajasthan Royals Team): Fraser Castellino (Emerging Media group) – for $67 million over a 10-year period.
Chennai Franchise (IPL Chennai Super Kings Team): India Cement – for $91 million over 10-year period.
Delhi Franchise (IPL Delhi Daredevils Team): Yogesh Shetty (GMR Group) – for $84 million over a 10-year period.
Indian Premier League 2009 (IPL 2009) 2 season is going to start from April 10 2009 to May 29 2009. The format of IPL 2009 will be same as IPL 2008
ipl fixtures
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IPL Teams
Team: Bangalore Royal Challengers
Owner’s Name: Vijay Mallya
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Rahul Dravid (icon) - 15% more
Anil Kumble - $5,00,000
Jacques Kallis - $9,00,000
Zaheer Khan - $4,50,000
Mark Boucher - $4,50,000
Cameron White - $5,00,000
Wasim Jaffer - $1,50,000
Dale Steyn - $3,25,000
Nathan Bracken - $3,25,000
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - $2,00,000
Team: Mumbai
Owner’s Name: Mukesh Ambani
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Sachin Tendulkar (icon) - 15% more
Harbhajan Singh - $8,50,000
Sanath Jayasuriya - $9,75,000
Shaun Pollock - $5,50,000
Robin Uthappa - $8,00,000
Lasith Malinga - $3,50,000
Dilhara Fernando - $1,50,000
Loots Bosman - $1,75,000
Team: Kolkata
Owner’s Name: Shah Rukh Khan
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Sourav Ganguly (icon) - 15% more
Shoaib Akhtar - $4,25,000
Ricky Ponting - $4,00,000
Brendon McCullum - $7,00,000
Chris Gayle - $8,00,000
Ajit Agarkar - $3,30,000
David Hussey - $6,75,000
Ishant Sharma - $9,50,000
Murali Kartik - $4,25,000
Umar Gul - $1,50,000
Tatenda Taibu - $1,25,000
Team: Delhi Daredevils
Owner’s Name: GMR Holdings
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Virender Sehwag (icon) - 15% more
Daniel Vettori - $6,25,000
Shoaib Malik - $5,00,000
Mohammad Asif - $6,50,000
Dinesh Karthik - $5,25,000
AB de Villiers - $3,00,000
Farveez Maharoof - $2,25,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan - $2,50,000
Manoj Tiwary - $6,75,000
Gautam Gambhir - $7,25,000
Glenn McGrath - $3,50,000
Team: Chennai Super Kings
Owner’s Name: India Cement
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
M.S.Dhoni - $1.5 million
Muttiah Muralitharan - $6,00,000
Matthew Hayden - $3,75,000
Jacob Oram - $6,75,000
Stephen Fleming - $350,000
Parthiv Patel - $3,25,000
Joginder Sharma - $2,25,000
Albie Morkel - $6,50,000
Suresh Raina - $6,50,000
Makhaya Ntini - $2,00,000
Michael Hussey - $3,50,000
Team: Mohali
Owner’s Name: Preity Zinta & Ness. Wadia
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Yuvraj Singh (icon) - 15% more
Mahela Jayawardene - $4,75,000
Kumar Sangakkara - $7,00,000
Brett Lee - $9,00,000
S.Sreesanth - $6,25,000
Irfan Pathan - $9,25,000
Ramesh Powar - $1,70,000
Piyush Chawla - $4,00,000
Simon Katich - $2,00,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan - $2,25,000
Team: Jaipur
Owner’s Name: Emerging Media
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
Shane Warne - $4,50,000
Graeme Smith - $4,75,000
Younis Khan - $2,25,000
Kamran Akmal - $1,50,000
Yusuf Pathan - $4,75,000
Mohammad Kaif - $6,75,000
Munaf Patel - $2,75,000
Justin Langer - $2,00,000
Team: Hyderabad
Owner’s Name: Deccan Chronicle
Players - Bid Amount (figures in USD):
V. V. S. Laxman (Captain) - $375,000
Andrew Symonds - $1,350,000
R. P. Singh - $875,000
Rohit Sharma - $750,000
Adam Gilchrist - $700,000
Shahid Afridi - $675,000
Herschelle Gibbs - $575,000
Chaminda Vaas - $200,000
Scott Styris - $175,000
Nuwan Zoysa - $110,000
Chamara Silva - $100,000
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Anonymous on January 1st, 2009 at 1:56 pm
book ipl tickets online at chennai banglore mumbai kolkata delhi hyderabad
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admin on January 1st, 2009 at 2:09 pm
scores online
daily matches schedule
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Suresh Raina's biggest fangirl!!!!! on January 10th, 2009 at 7:42 am
for IPL 2009 matches in Eden Gardens
EAGERLY waiting for the IPL………
The Indian Premier League second season will be DLF IPL 2009. Indian Premier League is established by the BCCI in 2007.
The second season is tentatively scheduled between April 10 and May 29 2009.
The format of the tournament would remain unchanged from the 2008 season format.
The eight franchisees will first play against one another in a league on home-and-away basis.
The top four teams will then figure in the two semi-finals and a final
IPL 2nd Edition Schedule [IST timing]
Teams ::
RR - Rajasthan Royals
RCB - Royal Challengers Bangalore
MI - Mumbai Indians
CSK - Chennai Super Kings
KKR - Kolkata Knight Riders
DC - Deccan Chargers
DD - Delhi Daredevils
KXIP - Kings XI Punjab
Timings
April 18: RR v RCB (4 pm) at Cape Town; MI v CSK (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 19: KKR v DC (4 pm) at Cape Town; DD v KXIP (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 20: RCB V CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
April 21: RR v MI (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v KXIP (8 pm) at Durban
April 22: DD v CSK (4 pm) at Durban; RCB v DC (8 pm) at Cape Town
April 23: KKR v RR (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
April 24: KXIP v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
April 25: KKR v CSK (4 pm) at Cape Town; DC v MI (8 pm) at Durban
April 26: RR v KXIP (4 pm) at Cape Town; RCB v DD (8 pm) Port Elizabeth
April 27: KKR v MI (4 pm) at Cape Town; CSK v DC (8 pm) at Durban
April 28: DD v RR (4 pm) at Pretoria
April 29: MI v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; KKR v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
April 30: DD v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria; RR v CSK (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 1: RCB v KXIP (4 pm) at East London; MI v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 2: RR v DC (4 pm) at Johannesburg; CSK v DD (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 3: MI v RCB (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v KKR (8 pm) at East London
May 4: DC v CSK (4 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 5: DD v KKR (4 pm) at Durban; KXIP v RR (8 pm) at Durban
May 6: MI v DC (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 7: KXIP v CSK (4 pm) at Pretoria; RCB v RR (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 8: DD v MI (4 pm) at East London
May 9: DC v KXIP (4 pm) at Bloemfontein; CSK v RR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 10: KKR v DD (4 pm) at East London; RCB v MI (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 11: DC v RR (4 pm) at Bloemfontein
May 12: RCB v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria; KXIP v MI (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 13: DC v DD (4 pm) at Durban
May 14: MI v RR (4 pm) at Durban; CSK v RCB (8 pm) at Durban
May 15: KXIP v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley
May 16: CSK v MI (4 pm) at Johannesburg; DC v KKR (8 pm) at Port Elizabeth
May 17: RR v DD (4 pm) at Kimberley; KXIP v DC (8 pm) at Johannesburg
May 18: CSK v KKR (4 pm) at Pretoria
May 19: DD v RCB (4 pm) at Johannesburg
May 20: CSK v KXIP (4 pm) at Durban; RR v KKR (8 pm) at Durban
May 21: DC v RCB (4 pm) at Pretoria; MI v DD (8 pm) at Pretoria
May 22: Semi-final 1 at Pretoria
May 23: Semi-final 2 at Johannesburg
May 24: Final at Johannesburg
