THE MEGA-FINALS - Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Superkings

The two best teams in the inaugural DLF IPL will be going head-to-head in what promises to be a mouth-watering, heart-stopping climax. Don't go by the one-sided matches in the semi-finals ! Just think back to the last time these two great teams met in Chennai to remember what a superb game of cricket it was. Here's to a repeat of such a game - with one key difference - the end result !!!

Not only are these the two best teams - they are also the two best-led teams. Warne and Dhoni are the two magicians who will conduct the show. It's one of India's most charismatic and successful limited-overs captain against arguably the greatest captain the World never had !

Teams
Rajasthan have truly been a great team - a worthy opponent to face in the finals - unlike say, Punjab, who were more pretenders than anything else. They have given us some wonderful cricket, some delightful memories - the way Shane Warne has led this team has been simply inspiring.

Strengths - Batting order with well-defined roles, Tanvir, Warne, Watson - the best all-rounder
Weaknesses - Will miss Smith, Perhaps the seamers to backup Tanvir and Watson ?

Chennai - we have displayed the one great trait of a champion side - the ability to lift our game when it matters most. We peaked at the start of the tournament, went through a bit of a lean patch but are just beginning to bring our best at the climax. You can rely on the captaincy of Dhoni to handle situations like these.

Strengths - Raina striking some serious form, Dhoni, Morkel - an all-rounder not quite as good as Watson, but a fair competitor, Ntini striking form, Gony
Weaknesses - Opening - remains the Achille's heel of our team, back-up bowling.

League Record 2-0 in favor of the Royals
First game we were blown off by the Sohail-storm, but in the home game we gave a memorable fight. However, Watson did not play that game. But the main backbone of the batting in that game Graeme Smith is out injured, so that could be a huge bonus

Royal Contests
Akmal v Ntini
Asnodkar v Gony
Watson v Morkel
Yusuf v Murali
Raina v Tanvir
Dhoni v Warne

So let's get the party started ! Bring out your drinks, put out your tents and start pouring in your rants and opinions on this mega-blockbuster !

First Semifinal - Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils - Review

Result:
A complete royal demolition job ! The devils could not dare !

Analysis:
Terrible as the Devils were, one has to compliment the Royals for a superb performance. Asnodkar was brilliant against McGrath, Smith showed great commitment in playing through the injury, and Watson and Pathan simply dictated the course of the game by their superb play.

With the ball again Watson was just magnificent.

Daredevils have been so reliant on luck and their top-order in this series that they were bound to come apart against a worthy opponent especially considering their main batsman Gambhir is a bit of a hoicker and a flasher.

What It Means For Us
a) This is a good wicket. Good bounce, good carry. So good batsmen as well as good bowlers should do well here. There is very little scope for ordinary players so might as well focus on the specialists

b) Opening partnership is critical. Even if the first 3 overs are quiet it is fine. It is overs 4-6 that need to be capitalized upon.

c) We need to be at our very best to challenge both teams.

Lasting Memories
Warnie exhorting a team having fun with McGrath when the latter was batting, McGrath telling Munaf how to bowl the bouncer even as he was batting.

Gambhir getting frustrated with his inability to strike the boundaries.

Royal Contest Results
Smith v McGrath - Smith has the last laugh
Yusuf v Mishra - Yusuf wins
Gambhir v Tanvir - Tanvir restrics Gambhir
Sehwag v Warne - no contest, but Watson destroys Sehwag

First Semifinal - Rajasthan Royals v Delhi Daredevils Preview

It's the first knockout. No more second chances. No more opportunities for revenge or comebacks. One of the Royals and the Daredevils will be going home disappointed tonight and the other will be readying for the mega-finals on Saturday.

Favorites ?
I would like to see Rajasthan in the finals - because I believe they are by some distance the better team, although possibly Delhi might be the preferable opponent for us if we go through tomorrow. I do think Rajasthan have the edge despite their loss in the last league game.

League Record 1-1
Delhi had beaten Rajasthan on the second day of the championship at home when Warne's men were yet to get things in order and were written off by all as minnows. However, Warnie returned with interest in the home game - a comprehensive win for the Royals.

Teams
Delhi
Strengths - Top order, McGrath, Fielding
Weaknesses - Middle order, Backup bowling (esp. fifth bowler)

Rajasthan
Strengths - Versatile, well-oiled batting, Warne - bowler and captain, Tanvir - best bowler of the series, Watson
Weaknesses - Some of the players rely a lot on Warne's captaincy, these could be individually targeted.

Royal Contests
Smith v McGrath
Yusuf v Mishra
Gambhir v Tanvir
Sehwag v Warne

King's X1 Punjab v Rajasthan Royals - Review

A thumping performance by Punjab but clearly, Rajasthan were taking this game lightly, weren't they ?

Definitely a great show of strength for Yuvraj's side and it will be a mammoth challenge facing them in the semifinals.

Marsh was sublime. Hopefully he has exhausted his quota of runs for the tournament. Great to see the second string Rajasthan team take the fight to the opposition though - the innings of Neeraj, Akmal and Yusuf were very heartening.

Punjab beat Rajasthan but still finish at #2.

The league stage is over - Onward to the semifinal !

Revenge Battle Results
Watson v Yuvraj - Yuvraj wins again !
Salunkhe v Yuvraj - Minor win for Yuvi
Pankaj v Yuvraj - Thumping win for Yuvi again
Yusuf v Yuvraj - Draw
Kaif v Sreesanth - Thumping win for Sree again
Chawla v Watson - Close battle Chawla has last laugh, part revenge

King's X1 Punjab v Rajasthan Royals - Preview

A dress rehearsal for the finals ? Hopefully not, as a Chennai supporter, but that is how this match is being touted elsewhere. Regardless, this is bound to be a compelling game between two of the best teams in the Championship.

Royals won the battle last time around when both teams were going in having lost their first games and under severe pressure. That was the time when the Royals were already being written off for having such a "weak" team while the captaincy abilities of Yuvraj Singh were being severely questioned.

As we come to the last league game of the inaugural DLF IPL how these self-proclaimed pundits have been left embarrassed. Well, expect a high-voltage clash to round off.

Teams
Rajasthan - Smith missed the last game - is he fit enough to be back ? If he is will Akmal miss out or will the unbelievable Tanvir be rested ?

Punjab - It is important to get Sangakkara firing on all cylinders. So also Yuvraj, but I seriously doubt if he can turn it all around at this stage.

Revenge Battles
Hopes v Warne
Trivedi v Sangakkara
Sangakkara v Warne
Jayawardene v Salunkhe
Watson v Yuvraj
Yuvraj v Warne
Salunkhe v Yuvraj
Pankaj v Yuvraj
Yusuf v Yuvraj
Irfan v Trivedi
Warne v Irfan
Watson v Chawla
Kaif v Sreesanth
Akmal v Hopes
Sreesanth v Watson
Hopes v Watson
Chawla v Watson
Sreesanth v Jadeja
Chawla v Jadeja

The Last Hurrah

It was my last day in Chennai. Tomorrow I would leave for home, perhaps never to return to this lovely city again. Of course, I would wish to, and dearly want to, but who is to say what the future has in store for us? Chennai had given me so many wonderful memories, taught me so many important lessons and generally, offered me a very pleasant stay. But it was all coming to an end, as all good things must. But not before another visit to the Chepauk.

Today, the Chennai Super Kings took on the Rajasthan Royals, the top team in the championship by a long way, in a crucial game. As an added bonus, Shankar Mahadevan was scheduled to perform before the game. Cricket had been the highlight of my stay in Chennai and there was no way I could have given this a miss.

I made my way in, nice and early, mainly to catch in as much of the Shankar Mahadevan performance as possible. It was a bit of a disappointment as the loud-speakers in our stand were not functioning properly. Also, all said and done, a cricket stadium is not acoustically the best equipped arena for a musical performance.

I was initially a bit disappointed at the crowd response. It seemed like an afternoon game would not attract the large crowds that I had seen a couple of weekends ago for the evening game against Punjab. These fears proved to be unfounded though – as people took their own sweet time to make their entry but by the time the toss was done the stadium was already nearly full.

We never really got into the game while we were bowling. From the first over when Makhaya Ntini conceded a free hit that was efficiently put in the stands by Asnodkar, it was just not our day with the ball. Dhoni fielding in the deep did get the crowds going and added spark to the game but in the end we ended up conceding a mammoth 211.

It was only when Fleming deposited Yusuf Pathan into the stands did the match really come alive for us – though he departed soon after with a silly run out. When Raina joined Parthiv we still had no clue that we were about to see something special. In no time Raina had launched a spectacular thrilling attack on Munaf and the whole stadium reverberated to the strokes of Raina’s bat. That ignited spark soon raged into a fire – one that burnt long after Raina departed throwing his wicket away through the Parthiv-Morkel partnership and up until Dhoni was fooled by Tanvir at which point the fairytale finally came to an end.

It would have been a perfect way to sign off had we been able to cross the line. Of course, life is not perfect, but I left the stadium once again with no regrets, as I left Chennai the day after. I shall continue to support Chennai through the rest of the tournament and hopefully, be back again for another season at some point in the future.

Mumbai Mess It Up - YET AGAIN

For the third time in a row, Mumbai has managed to pull off defeat from the jaws of victory and in the process granting free passage to the semifinals for the Daredevils !

Just how the bowlers and fielders could mess up sufficiently for the two little lefties to take the game away is beyond imagination !

Full credit to the Royals though - esp the miniature Niraj Patel and Ravindra Jadeja !

Initially the much awaited Tendulkar v Warne contest didn't really materialize. While Tendulkar looked like he wanted to wait before launching himself on a difficult pitch he surrendered his wicket just at the wrong time. It was only the heroics of Takawale that took Mumbai to 145 in the first place.

So now Mumbai's destiny is out of their own hands. They will have to hope for a poor performance from Chennai tomorrow. Of course, we are not going to talk about that, are we ?

Revenge Battle Results
Watson v Jayasuriya - Draw
Kaif v Raje - Draw
Uthappa v Warne - REVENGE for Warne

Battle-e-Royale

It will be after 4 years that the great magician Shane Warne will be taking on the player he ranks the best he has ever faced in a battle of any format. This has to be the star attraction in a game that is nevertheless critical for the survival of 3 teams in the IPL !

Shane Warne's Royals are not one of them - they are safely through and most likely assured of the No. 1 spot. But Sachin Tendulkar's Mumbai cannot afford to put a foot wrong from here on - defeat here would not mean the end of the World but it would mean that they would have to rely on last placed Deccan to put it past Dhoni's men in the game tomorrow.

Chennai and Delhi will also be keenly watching the result of this game.

Teams
Graeme Smith's absence would be a huge plus for the Indians, but Watson might be back to make a difference with bat and ball. Akmal is striking great form for the Royals too, and the little dynamite Asnodkar is as dangerous as ever. Of course you cannot forget Sohail Tanvir the most dangerous bowler in the IPL so far, alongwith Warne himself.

For Mumbai their success against the Royals in their last game came largely on the basis of their good bowling launched on the performance of the great Shaun Pollock. But he has been a bit off the boil lately and suffering from some niggles. Mumbai must hope that he comes good. As also that Warne's presence in the opposition inspires the Little Master to come back with something special. Otherwise an in-form Jayasuriya might just not be enough given that the team is packed with lazy baby elephants like Uthappa.

Revenge Battles
Asnodkar v Raje (Raje)
Yusuf v Nehra (Nehra)
Watson v Jayasuriya (Tie)
Kaif v Raje (Raje)
Uthappa v Watson (Uthappa)
Uthappa v Warne (Uthappa)

A Spirited Fight - But Just Not Enough !

Hmm .. I suppose if you can contrive to throw away a match like this, then sometimes luck can hit you hard in all the wrong places despite coming up with a most spirited and laudable effort like today. The other night against Bangalore, the bowlers came up with a superlative performance that the batsmen wasted and today, when the batsmen finally stood up to the challenge, the bowlers had done just so badly that it proved a mile too far in the end.

So with the sixth loss, and with Mumbai refusing to do us a favor by eliminating Delhi we are locked in a tight battle with the other two for two semifinal slots - a battle that is likely to go down to the wire.

As a game of cricket, today was fantastic. Rajasthan Royals batsmen played really well - Smith, Asnodkar and Akmal in particular, although you have to admit that our bowling was lacklustre. With the reply we gave them it does seem like it was a very true batting wicket. In the end, that man Sohail Tanvir proved the difference yet again with two very miserly spells, most crucially the last one in which he got the wicket of Dhoni.


But before that Raina, Parthiv and Morkel really took the fight to the Royals. Raina's early assault on Mumaf was particularly breath-taking. Mind you, today was a full stadium and it reverberated with every stroke Raina lashed. In the end, one has to say, that yet again, he threw his wicket when there was no need to. Warnie's spell when he got Parthiv also proved to be critical.

Positives
1) Fight - I feared that the team might collapse under the sheer pressure of the volume of the runs. To their credit this didn't happen and the challenge brought out the best in the batsmen
2) Raina, Parthiv Morkel striking form - superb batting !

Negatives
1) Bowling - Though it was a batting track the bowling never looked to have any incision, or worse, even purpose. I would say the likes of Ntini should take major blame for this
2) Fleming - What a meaningless waste of a wicket !
3) Dhoni - I worry that increasingly bowlers are figuring out how to keep him quiet and he is also getting out in the process

Fortunately, we still have our destiny in our own hands, unlike Delhi. We have to beat bottom-placed Deccan Chargers in our last game and we are through. Maybe after we brought shame upon ourselves against Bangalore, and Lady Luck punished us against Rajasthan for that, hoepfully all things should fall into place for this crucial game. In the last two games we have shown that our bowlers and batsmen can do it - they just need to put it together.


Revenge Battle Results
Tanvir v Parthiv - Draw
Tanvir v Fleming - Draw
Munaf v Raina - REVENGE for Raina
Tanvir v Morkel - Tanvir wins !
Warne v Morkel - Morkel wins again !
Asnodkar v Gony - Asnodkar wins AGAIN
Yusuf v Murali - Draw

Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals - Preview

Cross-posted on Chennai Super Kings

On May 4, in the sands of the Rajasthan desert, a different kind of storm struck. It was in the form of a tiny left-arm fast bowler with a weird action running through the top order of the Chennai Super Kings with a force and guile unmatched. Tomorrow, the battle will resume - the storm will be eager to rebound with a bang - in its path it has destroyed other cities too - and now when it blows down South to Chennai can Dhoni's warriors show the strength to hold their own against it ?

It was around this time that Rajasthan made the leap to the top of the table - and they have managed to hold on to that spot ever since. That was also when Chennai themselves relinquished control over top spot and have been more or less at No. 3 ever since. Rajasthan will be itching to stay on top of course, and continue their momentum. Expect a battle in which fire is fought by fire when these two proud teams take to the field.

Teams
Chennai: Does Parthiv get another chance ? Will Dhoni be fit enough to keep wickets ? Will we get our batting order right ? And more importantly will the batsmen be able to show some sense and cool unlike last time ?

Rajasthan: It seems like everything that Warne touches will turn to gold. If he asks any random player, young or old, Indian or foreign, to do a job for him, the player will do it. What will be interesting is to see how he actually sustains the momentun - and how long can he do it ? After all winning 9 out of your 11 matches should take its toll. It is worth noting that the one match in they failed against Mumbai they did not get a start and lost wickets at regular intervals. We would do well to pick up some hint here. Yusuf Pathan is a major threat. Then of course there is the magician Warne himself - who had completely baffled MSD last time around, and the tiny left-armer Sohail Tanvir.

Revenge Battles
Tanvir v Parthiv
Tanvir v Fleming
Tanvir v Vidyut
Munaf v Raina
Trivedi v Raina
Watson v Badri
Warne v Dhoni
Tanvir v Morkel
Warne v Morkel
Asnodkar v Gony
Asnodkar v VIdyut
Yusuf v Murali
Yusuf v Vidyut
Watson v Vidyut

Note: Tomorrow will be my last day in Chennai. I have had a most memorable stay in Chennai. I shall of course continue to support the Chennai Super Kings after I leave. Today I will be at the stadium for one last time to support my team ! Thanks Chennai ! Go Super Kings !

To The Script

The demise of the Knight Riders has turned out exactly as I had foreseen. Do not play Taibu, open with a pathetic batsman like Hafeez, fill your top order with average to past-their-best players, deprive your talented youngsters of time in the middle by pushing them low down and you will get exactly what the Knight Riders did - a far less than adequate total.

Well one might reasonably argue that they still had a fair chance when they got the Royals down to 70/4 but that was when Pathan took the game away and it is precisely the player of the category of Pathan that Ganguly's team missed - or rather their lopsided batting didn't allow the likes of Shukla, Saha and Das to blossom.

The most interesting moment of the day, for me, came when a piece of paper fell out of Ganguly's pocket while running and Warne picked it up and had a good look at it before returning it to Dada ! Ganguly, was, to put it precisely, not amused. At the end of another long night, he looked jaded, tired and in need of some support.

Kolkata's campaign is all but over - another one bites the dust. The Royals bandwagon meanwhile continues to roll on - who can stop them ? Well they do have arguably their toughest games coming up - against Mumbai, Chennai and Punjab. Should be exciting viewing.

Revenge Battle Results
Ganguly v Warne - Ganguly might have struck Warne for a six, but ended up the losing captain, so Warne wins it again
Smith v Sharma - Smith got Sharma away for a couple of boundaries, so got a bit back there
Asnodkar v Sharma - REVENGE for Sharma !
Asnodkar v Gul - No show
Kaif v Agarkar - Draw
Pathan v Agarkar, Hussey, Shukla - No show !
Watson v Gul - Draw
Jadeja v Gul, Hussey - no show
Jadeja v Shukla - No show
Tanvir v Butt - Draw
Ganguly v Trivedi - Trivedi WINS AGAIN !
Agarkar v Watson - Draw
Agarkar v Tanvir - No show
Hussey v Trivedi - Hussey gets partial revenge
Hussey v Warne - Warne completely tied Hussey down - partial revenge !
Das v Tanvir - Tanvir WINS

Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals - Preview

Must-win for The Riders
Just as today was a must-win for Delhi, so also is tomorrow for Kolkata. The only difference being that Delhi had to do it (and did) against bottom-placed Bangalore, while Kolkata have to do it against the mighty Rajasthan. Additionally Delhi's win puts the pressure on Kolkata all the more. Under normal circumstances I would have given Kolkata a fair chance, mainly because playing at home, is a big advantage for them. But with the batting as poor as it is, I don't think even the most lethal combination of Shoaib Akhtar and the Eden factor will be able to bail them out.

Rajasthan Away From Home ?
Warnie's team boast a splendid 8-2 record but when you split it it reads 6-0 at home, and 2-2 away. Tomorrow should be a tester for bigger away battles to come - against Chennai and Punjab as well as the home game against Mumbai.

Teams
For Kolkata I don't see how they can get the batting in order - the only hope I see is if Taibu plays and plays a major role. The injury scare to Shoaib will weaken the bowling as well. Will be interesting to see if they draft in the mysterious Mendis straight away.

For Rajasthan, they are spoilt for choices really. I would like to see Kaif bat high up and play an important role.

Revenge Battles
Warne v Ganguly - how can we forget the controversial incidents in the last game ?
Smith v Sharma - Sharma got him early last time
Asnodkar v Sharma, Agarkar - Asnodkar devastated these
Asnodkar v Gul - Gul was the one who got Asnodkar in the end
Kaif v Agarkar - Kaif was one of the few failures in that game, caught and bowled Aggie
Pathan v Agarkar, Hussey, Shukla - Pathan followed up Asnodkar in smashing them around
Watson v Gul - first ball duck for Watson albeit with some help from the umpire
Jadeja v Gul, Hussey - Another one who made merry
Jadeja v Shukla - Shukla was the one who got him
Tanvir v Butt - All Paki battle - Tanvir got the better of his teammate last time
Ganguly v Trivedi, Munaf - Ganguly did well against the young pacers
Agarkar v Watson - Watson was the one who got him
Agarkar v Tanvir - smashed him for a 4 and a 6
Hussey v Trivedi - The youngster got Hussey
Hussey v Warne - All Aussie battle, Hussey did manage to get Warne away
Das v Tanvir
Saha v Trivedi

Pathetic, Pitiable, Sad

If you thought Bangalore Royal Challengers had been poor so far in this tournament, today's performance can only be classified thus. What was Praveen Kumar up to ? First he does this, then he follows it up by standing as stationary as the pole star on the field, when an effort at a catch was the minimum that was expected, and then he tries to smash the greatest leg-spinner of all time out of the park the first ball he faces, to be promptly caught on the boundary like.

Despite all this, his bowling remained decent. I sympathize with Praveen Kumar. It must be difficult to play in a team that is losing consistently and miserably especially for a young talented lad full of attitude and a taste for success, as he has clearly had in Australia. Still, this is no way to behave on and off the field.

Dravid's frustration was evident. Clearly he would have felt like pulling his hair off and giving Praveen Kumar a sound telling off but being the gentleman he is and a losing general at that, all he could do was make a mild protest. The whole team today played as if it completely lacked interest, again with the notable exceptions of Dravid, Kumble and Zaheer Khan.

It was soothing to see Dravid's innings though - especially the fight he showed. Not just hitting those sixes, which we know he is well capable of, but first, refusing to take the fielder's word for the catch, and then holding on to the strike in the last over to score as many runs as possible. There was a message there, to the cricket world, but much more so, to his own teammates that said - "You bunch of no-hopers may be going through the motions, but I shall fight out till the end and never give up".

Other than this saving grace, the Bangalore performance was such that they deserve every bit of thrashing that critics, or Mallya might heap upon them.

Rajasthan put in another superb performance. After the heroics of Pollock and Jayasuriya last week, for the Mumbai Indians, another 38-year old, perhaps the greatest of them all produced a truly grand (citi ?) moment of success with a mind-boggling return catch of Zaheer Khan, to become the highest wicket-taker. This after Sohail Tanvir and the other seamers had done a wonderful in job in shattering the top order yet again.

It was indeed a bit of a surprise that despite losing only one wicket, the Royals managed to put up only 197 on the board. In the end, a 65 run defeat was a flattering margin for the royally challenged.

By the way, Asnodkar in the limited overs team for India any one ?

Revenge Battles Results
Dravid v Watson - Draw
Kallis v Watson - Draw
Kohli v Patel - Draw
Boucher v Warne - No show
Praveen v Warne - Warne wins ! REVENGE !
Praveen v Rawat - No show
Zaheer v Pathan - No show
Praveen v Watson - Draw

Rajasthan Royals vs Bangalore Royal Challengers - Match Preview

Royals vs Royals ! But one at the top of the table the other at the bottom ! Hehe ! Well by all cricketing sense, this should be an easy walk in the park for Shane Warne's team but the IPL has once again emphasized the old adage of it being a game of uncertainties. Dravid's team are again only playing for pride - I would be interested in seeing how Dravid himself goes against Warne here.

On a more sombre note this match takes place in Jaipur which has done remarkably well to shake off the tragic events of a couple of nights ago. It is indeed courageous and brave of all concerned to go ahead with the game especially the foreign stars.

Teams
For the Royals, Graeme Smith has had a couple of off games recently, he will be keen to get back into the groove. Dmitri did so well the other day that one wonders whether Tanvir will get a spot - yes that Tanvir who had destroyed Chennai with 6/14 not so long ago. Kaif will also be keen to make a contribution. Will Asnodkar get another game again ? Of course, Watson will be the lynchpin and the master, Shane Warne will be the commander.

For the Royal Challengers, despite all the criticism heaved at him, Dravid has been the one batsman to show some sort of form and class. Boucher is clearly looking like a fish out of water. Misbah has failed to deliver but I think a big innings is around the corner for him. Will the opening partnership continue to let Bangalore down ? Will Kohli continue to throw his wicket ? It seemed Steyn was suffering after the last game - will he be fit ? Will there be a spot for Kallis ?

Revenge Battles
Dravid v Watson
Kallis v Watson
Kohli v Patel
Boucher v Warne
Praveen v Warne
Praveen v Rawat
Zaheer v Pathan
Praveen v Watson

Nearly all the above battles were won by the Rajasthan team last time except for Praveen's duels with bat against Warne and ball with Rawat. Also Zak dismissed the dangerous Pathan early. Can he get his revenge ?

Prediction: Easy win for Rajasthan (but I hope that's not the case, for Dravid's sake)

A Largely Forgettable Game

The reason this game turned out to be exciting-ish in the end is only due to the way the two teams competed against each other to play poor cricket. There was nothing sparkling about the batting on either side with the exception of Watson's innings and there was nothing too smart about the bowling either. All in all not a bad game to give a miss.

The umpiring issue is a joke. A bigger joke however is how the power can suddenly go off in the middle of the game preventing the third umpire from getting the feed.

Chargers v Riders, Daredevils v Royals

Two matches coming up today, and I'm not particularly interested in either. So just doing a brief preview. Chargers have got to win this to stay in with a mathematical chance. Unfortunately even with Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma firing they haven't been able to win anything. If the Riders can win this and the Daredevils lose, then the Riders can put themselves right in contention for the semis.

It will be interesting to see Gilchrist take on Ishant and if he plays, Shoaib. In the other game, it's Warne vs Sehwag. No other contest particularly piques me, so will only keep a brief tab on these games.

Two Great Games, One Damp Squib

Been busy with work and other stuff for the past day or so. So didn't get much time to post here.

What a game between Delhi and Chennai ! The Dhoni magic is at work again ! Yo ! We are right back in it and a couple of wins would all but ensure our path to the semifinals.

The other game was also fantastic ! A closely fought bowler dominated game is exactly what I like ! What a spell by Dada ! Nice to see the smile on his face again. Heart goes out to Dravid. I think the fielding in the last two overs of the first innings is where the tide turned and cost Royal Challengers the game.

Today's game was a complete waste of time. A Gilchrist 50 was of no use to the Chargers as that bloke Afridi continues to let his team down. He is a total misfit at No. 5 where he has ample opportunity to betray his team. He should either open where it gives the team a chance to repair if he flops or bat low at 7.

Hope to be back in regular action from tomorrow. Adios.

Beating The Best

Mumbai Indians have made it a habit of beating only the best. Something akin to reverse-minnow-bashing. First they beat Kolkata when Kolkata were still one of the top teams, then they beat the then No. 1 Delhi and now Rajasthan.

Seriously the DY Patil Stadium is an intimidating arena for visiting teams as Shastri rightly put it and I think Reliance are just being foolish by shifting the games to the Wankhede.

A word for Nehra - what is this guy up to ? Expect a whole lot of reports and reviews about how on his day Nehra is still the best in the country and talks of his imminent return when the fact is all he has done is dimiss Pathan, Tanvir and Rawat in an IPL 2020 game in a spell of 4 overs

Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians - Preview

Warne vs Tendulkar

Agony and Ecstasy !

These would be the contrasting emotions fans would have experienced in the coastal cities of Mumbai and Chennai yesterday ! Mumbai showed the fighting spirit needed to win, Chennai were outclassed and thrashed as Robin here lucidly puts it. Mumbai, despite being able to put up only a moderate total rallied under captain Pollock to pull of the win. Chennai on the other hand had to face the ignominy of coming up with the second-lowest total in the tournament in what can only be termed as the most abysmal of performances.

Where do the teams go from here ?
Mumbai with that win, have made a leap from the bottom of the table to No. 5 while Chennai drops 2 spots to No. 4. Of course, Chennai still has a 4 point lead over Mumbai which will take some work to erase. But Mumbai can only go from strength to strength from here. If (and that's a big if) Sachin Tendulkar finally takes the field and decides to put one past Warne, his old foe, that would just blow the competition wide open as Warne's Rajasthan Royals are the undisputed leaders at the moment. Chennai, meanwhile, have a lot of introspection to do. First they need to ensure they don't slip up against bottom-placed Hyderabad at home. This is potentially dangerously slippery encounter. Hyderabad may have lost almost everything under the sun, but a lot of their games were very tight and as their one win shows, if Adam Gilchrist fires at the top of the order they can look a completely different team.

A word for the other two teams that were in action yesterday. What can you say about Warne except "hats off" ? He has managed to better 7 Indian captains, present and former to go right up to the top of the table. He has proved what a great loss World cricket and Australian cricket suffered by not appointing him as captain. Sohail Tanvir was an absolute sensation ! 6-14 in a 20 over game ? At one point his figures read 5-2 !!

Delhi I think were a bit complacent. I worry that their middle order is undercooked and not strong enough to back their fabulous top order and superb bowling lineup.