MS Dhoni takes his X132 Hellcat for a spin

MS Dhoni took his X132 Hellcat bike for a ride and posted an image on his official Twitter account. The image shot in low light is blurry and Dhoni apologised for the quality, "Sorry the pic is not very clear," the Indian cricket captain tweeted.
Dhoni known for his penchant for bikes bought the X132 Hellcat during the last IPL season. The American speed devil - X132 Hellcat - boasts of some impressive specifications.
The X132 Hellcat is powered by a 2,163 cc engine and is priced at $50,000. It will cost a lot higher in India given the high import duties on high-end bikes. The bike weighs 226 kgs.

The X132 Hellcat is named after the legendary F6F Hellcat fighter plane from the Second World War. The bike is manufactured in Birmingham, Alabama, USA.

Captaincy debate: Should Gambhir take over captaincy from Dhoni?

Ever since Gautam Gambhir led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an amazing victory over Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings in the final of IPL 5, calls for Gambhir to take over the Test captaincy have gained momentum. Bit odd it may sound, but it is the case. Gambhir was down and out after two harrowing Test series abroad and was duly replaced by Virat Kohli as the vice-captain of Team India. But, after leading KKR to IPL glory, he has again staked his claim as the man to replace Dhoni, who looked out of sort as a skipper in the two devastating series in England and Australia.

Whatever one has seen of Gambhir so far, he looks like a good captain. He is aggressive, leads his men from the front, and backs them to the hilt. By his own admission, he knows what insecurity does to a player, and so tries to address the issue by creating an atmosphere inside the team where everybody feels secure. No doubt, this is another very good quality the Delhi lad possesses. A player, who is not out and out talented, and who had to fight really hard to cement his place in the team, should be a better captain than someone who knows very little about failure.

Despite having scored heavily in the first class level, Gambhir remained in and out of the team. It was not until 2007-08 that he finally established himself. He knows how difficult success comes in international cricket and does not want to fritter it away. The ruthlessness of Gambhir on the field comes from this very fact that he understands that there are no free meals in international cricket. The fundamental difference between Gambhir and Dhoni emanates from this very fact.
For Gambhir, winning is everything. He can go any distance to win a cricket match. Like his batting, he subscribes to the theory of ‘winning ugly’ when he leads a cricket team.

Dhoni, on the other hand, has his own qualities. His capability to remain cool under tremendous pressure is unique in itself. The way he confronts challenges, the way he delivers the knock-out punches in crunch situations testifies the inner grit that he successfully hides on the cricket field. His statesman like demeanor on and off the field earns respect and makes him a leader of a national team. His sportsman spirit allows India to become a perfect team to dominate the world without being arrogant.

Is Dhoni not as ruthless as Gambhir? The approach may differ but the fact is that Dhoni is equally brutal as a captain. One may argue that he is not as attacking in Tests as he is in ODIs and T20s, but his brand of captaincy has worked in Tests too. Apart from the last eight Tests in England and Australia, Dhoni also did well as a Test skipper; even leading India to the No. 1 rankings for the first time.
Team India’s abject surrender in the last two Test series was due to their batsmen’s utter inefficiency against fast, short and moving balls, and not because of their captain. No captain in the world, not even the legendary Mike Brearley, could have saved them the blushes. Apart from Rahul Dravid in England, no Indian batsman has done well in Tests, not even the man-in-demand Gautam Gambhir.

The English and Australian bowlers repeatedly took advantage of his technical deficiency against fast rising balls outside the off-stump. In eight Tests, which India lost and which have put a question mark over Dhoni’s credibility as a Test skipper, Gambhir has scored just one fifty, an 83 in the second innings on a batting friendly Sydney pitch. It looked intriguing but Virat Kohli’s elevation as the vice-captain in place of Gambhir in Asia Cup that followed after the Australian tour was not without logic, for he was the only Indian to score a Test ton, while both the future captains-Sehwag and Gambhir- struggled terribly.

Though it would be very foolish to compare opener Gambhir’s batting with that of wicketkeeper-batsman Dhoni, who comes to bat at No. 7 and has another important role as wicketkeeper, in that respect too Dhoni has bettered Gambhir with three half-centuries with two scores of 70s in Birmingham Test and one unbeaten half-century at Sydney.

Should Dhoni be replaced as the Test skipper only because of the abject failure of the batsmen in the team? Should he be punished for his team’s failure? India won’t be playing Tests outside the sub-continent before December 2013, which will be a perfect cakewalk for them. Dhoni or Gambhir, whoever captains India, will, in all probability, lead India successfully. But can the change in leadership guarantee India’s change of fortunes, especially on bouncy tracks and swinging conditions?

As Gambhir says, a captain is as good as his team. We should rather try to improve our team than engaging ourselves with the debate of captaincy. What are the reasons that our youngsters can’t play short balls? Why can’t we produce a fast bowler who can play international cricket for two full seasons? Why can’t we find a single quality spinner to replace Harbhajan Singh? Unless we find answers to these questions, Team India’s woes will continue…

Yuvi hopes to be back for T20WC but admits it`s big challenge

Recuperating from what he describes as a shock that only a cancer patient can understand, Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh says he hopes to be back in action for the World Twenty20 Championships in September even though it would be a "big challenge" for him.

"Playing for India is going to be a huge challenge for me because the body has been under a lot of shock which nobody can understand except me," Yuvraj told `ICC Cricket 360` show.

"Only a cancer patient can understand what he is going through. So it`s going to be a big challenge for me to come back and play for India again," he added.

The all-rounder refused to commit to when he anticipates returning to the cricket field, stating that he is keen to avoid coming back prematurely.

"Well I can`t really give a time-frame but I have to see how my body is recovering and how fast I can come on the field. Actually I don`t want to rush and I don`t want to come back at 75 per cent fitness.

"I might take six months, I might take two months. So I don`t know. But the day I feel 100 per cent I surely will be back," he said.

Yuvraj, who is best remembered for his astonishing six sixes off one Stuart Broad over at the ICC World Twenty20 Championships in 2007, hinted that he may be available for selection for the next edition.

"I think (the) favourites are India because we`ve got the biggest hitters - biggest hitters in town that`s what I want to say. Hopefully I should be back by then.”

"I`m not saying I`m the reason, it`s just that I feel we have the strongest side and if we can sort out our bowling in T20s I`m sure we can be a strong unit. There are other strong teams like Australia, South Africa which always compete at the top level at world events," he said.

Yuvraj also spoke of his emotional battle against cancer.

"Initially it was hard to accept that a guy like me who is training six to seven hours a day, running around all the time as an athlete, can get diagnosed with something like this. It took a long time to sink in but eventually I made peace with it. I knew I have an issue and I have to sort it out," he said.

Yuvraj said the incredible support he received from Indian fans during his treatment made a huge difference to his recovery and spirit.

"The support was overwhelming, especially from India. One of the students from a college in Indianapolis came to see me and I felt like I was in India.”

"I just want to thank everybody for their support and for their care. I went through chemotherapy which is hard for everybody but the wishes and the love is what made me come back," said the dashing left-hander.

Yuvraj also justified sharing his emotional journey in coping with cancer in a very public manner via his personal Twitter account.

"There was a lot of speculation on what cancer I had, what had been going on, so I just want to keep everybody in the loop by saying this is what is happening and this is how my treatment is being done and I`m being positive.”

"I just want to spread the message to other people who are diagnosed with such a disease that they can also fight it with the support of their family and their loved ones."

Having already returned to light training, Yuvraj believes that his recovery is going well, and is enjoying a healthier lifestyle.

"I`m feeling good. It`s been two months since I finished my chemotherapy. Initially my energy levels were low but now I am following my diet and eating loads of food and it`s getting better in recovery.”

"I`ve done six or seven sessions of very light training and light yoga. I`m just getting back into the groove of being a normal person, breathe normally, which is a lot of excitement and fun for me at the moment." 

Pakistan beat Sri Lanka to square T20 series

Pakistan defeated Sri Lanka by 23 runs in the second and final Twenty20 international on Sunday to square the series 1-1.

Sri Lanka, who won the opening match by 37 runs on Friday, were bowled out for 99 after restricting Pakistan to 122 for 6. Shahid Afridi was the star of Pakistan's win, smashing a 33-ball 52 not out and then taking two wickets with his leg-spin. 

Pakistan were struggling at 41 for 4 before allrounder Afridi steadied the innings with a 68-run stand for the fifth wicket with Shoaib Malik, who hit three successive fours off leg-spinner Kaushal Lokuarachchi in his 26-ball 27.

Afridi, who on Sunday became the first player to appear in 50 T20 internationals, hit one six and five fours in his fourth half-century.

Lokuarachchi bagged two of the first four wickets to reduce Pakistan to 41 for 4, removing skipper Mohammad Hafeez (24) and Umar Akmal (5) in his four-over spell. Paceman Nuwan Kulasekera was the most impressive bowler, finishing with 2 for 13 off four tight overs.

Sri Lanka, who lead the series 1-0 following their 37-run victory in the opening match on Friday, rested skipper Mahela Jayawardene and paceman Lasith Malinga and brought in Isuru Udana and Chamara Kapugedera.

Allrounder Angelo Mathews led the hosts. Pakistan made one change, replacing Umar Gul with Yasir Arafat.

 

Kolkata crowned IPL 5 champions

Shahrukh Khan performed cartwheels and went on an embracing rampage. Wasim Akram likened the win to Pakistan’s World Cup triumph. Gautam Gambhir shed his stoicism momentarily and allowed his face to crease into a wide grin – and rightly so!

After all, the most maligned of IPL sides had finally lifted the biggest prize. Following season after season of humiliation, Kolkata Knight Riders rode on Manvinder Bisla’s swashbuckling 48-ball 89 and held their nerve to carve out a five-wicket win over defending champions Chennai Super Kings in the final of IPL-V on Sunday night. The result stopped Chennai well short in their tracks as they attempted an unlikely hat-trick of IPL titles.

Chasing Chennai’s imposing 190, Kolkata were served well by Bisla, who slammed five sixes to vindicate his replacement of Brendon McCullum in the eleven and partnered Jacques Kallis for 136 runs in just 82 balls to power Kolkata ahead, after the visiting team had lost skipper Gautam Gambhir in the first over of the pursuit. This was the highest successful chase in an IPL final.

Bisla’s dismissal to an Albie Morkel slower ball when 52 were needed to win in a shade over five overs put Super Kings back in the match. And M.S. Dhoni’s team looked to have attained supremacy when Laxmi Shukla and Yusuf Pathan were out soon after.

KKR needed 20 off the last two overs as Ben Hilfenhaus, until then the pick of Chennai’s bowling, returned to bowl. He lured Kallis into a slice off a full-toss, and on the next ball – another full-toss – appeared to have nailed Shakib Al Hasan. But that delivery was called a no-ball – not only was Shakib not out, he had also scampered a couple as Murali Vijay was busy celebrating the void catch.

The Bangladeshi scooped the last ball of Hilfenhaus’ over for four, leaving KKR with just nine to get off Dwayne Bravo’s last over of the innings. Consecutive boundaries from Manoj Tiwary took Shahrukh Khan’s franchise home with two balls to spare.

Earlier, M.S. Dhoni finally won a toss and unsurprisingly elected to bat in what was Chennai’s third consecutive IPL final. Once again the defending champions were aided by an off-color batsman who chose the most opportune time – the summit clash – to come good.

Hussey (54, 43b) and M.  Vijay (42, 32b) added 87 for the opening wicket in just 62 balls, and then Suresh Raina roared back into form with a 38-ball 73. The southpaw smashed five massive sixes on his way to partnering Hussey for 73 runs in a shade less than seven overs, as Chennai posted 190, thwarting whatever advantage Kolkata had hoped ‘mystery’ spinner Sunil Narine would gain them.

It was surprising that Gambhir, who had harped on his spin advantage all through the build up, gave Iqbal Abdullah just one over, and did not allow Shakib his full quota either. Narine, the second-highest wicket-taker in IPL-V, went for a scalp-less 37 in his quota of four as Raina waded into him. Suspect against the short ball, he acquitted himself well against that delivery on Sunday night.

Raina pulled Jacques Kallis for maximum over mid-wicket and reserved similar treatment for Brett Lee - L. Balaji’s replacement - biffing him over his head for a morale-crushing blow. Lee finished with 42 runs taken from his four overs. Chennai had begun quietly, taking just six from the first two overs, but as Lee ran in for the third, the carnage started. Hussey lofted the Aussie speedster for four right behind him and then Vijay creamed another one through mid-wicket.

When Lee returned for the sixth over of the innings, the tempo shifted. Vijay and Hussey struck a six apiece, taking the toll from Lee’s over to 19. Vijay was out to a sensational catch by by Shakib in the deep, giving way for Raina to bat. The left-hander ensured a more than competitive total for his side, and Chennai would have considered the match over and done with at the halfway stage. Little did they know that Bisla and Kallis had something entirely different in mind.

Shah Rukh Khan has given a bad name to IPL: Rozlyn Khan

Rozlyn Khan might not have substantial work to her credit but has succeeded in making headlines quite frequently. The small time actress and model who made news for showing off her butt for an IPL promotion photo shoot, has given her testimony on Sidhartha Mallya and Shah Rukh Khan.

Rozlyn has slammed the Bangalore Royal Challengers owner by calling him an ill-mannered man. Talking to a daily, she said, “The news reports claim that Zohal Hameed - about whom Sid tweeted in derogatory manner - was staying in a hotel room, which was booked in his team`s name. So, it means, Zohal was invited to that party. In any case, in such high profile parties, people can`t just walk in without having a proper invite. So, it`s like you first invite a girl and then try to molest her! Even if that girl had dubious credentials, and was asking for Sidhartha`s BB pin, Sid never gave her his pin, right. So, why`s he insulting her publically, and washing the dirty linen in public! He had the option of throwing her out of the party, if she was such a negative character. It`s so cheap so belittle her later; Siddharth Mallya is really not a gentleman! Moreover, nobody has the right to misbehave with a girl or molest her, even if she`s a call girl!”
The model went a step ahead by accusing Shah Rukh Khan of defaming IPL.

“Even Shah Rukh Khan has given a bad name to IPL. Frankly speaking, all these pangas and scandals didn`t happen during the IPL matches, they happened, either after a match, or during the after-parties. But, all these things have earned a bad reputation for the IPL,” she said.

Hmm…so does Rozlyn think she is doing a much better job by showing off her butt to promote a sport! We really wonder.
 

IPL Molestation Case: Appanna identified, Pomersbach 'confessed' claim cops

It began with allegations of an IPL player molesting a woman at a five-star hotel in Delhi. Two days of investigation by the Delhi Police suggest one other cricketer was involved. Here are 10 big developments in this story:

1) Luke Pomersbach, the 27-year-old batsman from the Royal Challengers Bangalore, has confessed to molesting an American citizen named Zohal Hameed at a five-star hotel in Delhi last week, according the cops.

However, his confession is not admissible in court because it was not recorded before a magistrate. The statement was recorded on Friday.

2) Mr Pomersbach, who is Australian, has told reporters that he is not guilty. He was arrested for a few hours on Friday before being granted bail.

3) He has been accused by Ms Hameed of trying to kiss her in a hotel suite she shared with her fiancé, a businessman named Sahil Peerzada. They met at a party, after which Mr Pomerbach visited their suite. When he tried to molest Mr Hameed, she claims, her fiancée intervened and was hit repeatedly on the head by the cricketer.

4) Mr Peerzada is in a Delhi hospital and is likely to be sent home today. His statement to the police-recorded on Sunday - corroborates his fiancée's version.

 5) CCTV footage shows KP Appanna, also from Mr Pomersbach's team, accompanying the cricketer to Ms Hameed's hotel suite a few hours after the fight erupted. This was the Australian's second visit to the hotel room. Ms Hameed claims the two cricketers tried to force their way into her room. She has identified Mr Appanna as "a skinny Indian guy" who was an IPL player. The police say the security cameras clearly establish his identity.

6) Mr Appanna is likely to be interrogated by the police today.

7) Ms Peerzada has reportedly told the police that he knows Royal Challengers Director, Sidhartha Mallya well, and was invited by him to the party where he met Mr Pomersbach. Mr Mallya's father, Vijay, owns the cricket team.

8) Two friends of Mr Peerzada who were present in the hotel suite when the fight erupted are expected to furnish crucial evidence.

9) Vijay Mallya, who owns the Royal Challengers, said on the weekend - "I think it was probably one of the late night brawls. Royal Challengers regrets the incident. Let the investigation be fair and proper, let the law take its own course. We will fully co-operate."

10) Pomersbach has a troubled past. In August 2009, he was involved in a drink and driving case. He was arrested and charged by the police with failing to stop, failing to accompany the police, driving with a blood alcohol level in excess of .08, assaulting a public officer, obstructing police and escaping legal custody. He pleaded guilty and was fined and had his driver's licence cancelled. The Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) responded by suspending him indefinitely.

He has also been to a rehabilitation centre for his reported alcohol problem. He signed with the Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League in June 2011, but backed out of both his Western Australia contract and the Scorchers contract, to deal with depression.

Busted rave party in Mumbai was advertised on Facebook: Cops

IPL players Rahul Sharma and Wayne Parnell, of the Pune Warriors, are among about 100 people who were detained on charges of consuming banned drugs at a rave party at the Oak Woods Hotel in Juhu on Sunday night; they were later released. More IPL players were allegedly present at the party, but had managed to leave before the police raided the hotel.

There were also reportedly a number of celebrity children, people connected to the film industry, including actor Apoorva Agnihotri, and foreigners among those detained. There is no confirmation yet on whether they did consume banned drugs, but police said they had seized about 110 grams of cocaine and drugs like Ecstasy from the party venue. Medical tests have been conducted on 52 men and 38 women at the Cooper Hospital. Reports are awaited and the police they would take action against those whose blood or urine samples showed traces of drugs.

The police have arrested a man, Vijay Vishesh Handa, who they said organised the party, under the Narcotic Drug and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. The cops said invitations for the party were sent out through social networking site Facebook. A message posted on the site said, "Support the party, not the drug", the police said, adding that they were trying to ascertain whether this was the way to inform people that there would be drugs at the party.

The two Pune IPL players are among those who have been tested. Rahul Sharma said after his release that he was at Oak Woods hotel but a different party. "I went for a birthday party at Oak Woods Hotel in Juhu. I had just reached there but nobody was present," he said. His mother defended him saying, "My son went for a birthday party. How would he know whether people are going to take drugs over there or there is going to be a police raid? My son is fine, there is no problem. He has done no wrong."

Actors Himanshi Choudhary and Apoorva Agnihotri were reportedly at the party and have been tested for drugs. Himanshi tweeted this morning, "Wasn't a Rave. It was just a party. All in hospital for blood test now." She also tweeted, "This wud not have been blown outta proportion. I heard the figures on drugs procured, seems bizarre. Will only know after da results of test."

Additional Commissioner of Police Vishwas Nagre Patil of the Mumbai police said they were focused on finding out who the peddlers were. A complete investigation would reveal more, he said.

Deccan knock RCB out, push CSK into play-off

Royal Challengers Bangalore were knocked out of IPL 5 after losing to Deccan Chargers by 9 runs, making way for Chennai Super Kings into the play-offs in game 71 at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Both RCB and CSK ended with 17 points, but a better run-rate (+0.100) pushed CSK into the play-offs and will take on Mumbai Indians in the first eliminator round in Bangalore on May 23.  Delhi Daredevils will take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the first qualifier in Pune on May 22.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli (42) provided some resistance in the middle but Chargers pace sensation Dale Steyn and leg-spinner Amit Mishra's impressive bowling performance crushed Bangalore to 123/9.

In a must-win game, RCB batsmen faced the real test after the early loss of Chris Gayle (27). Criticized for being overdependent on the Jamaican giant, batsmen found it difficult to keep up the momentum on a slow track.

Chargers pacer Steyn struck again claiming the important wicket of Tillakaratne Dilshan (4). Saurabh Tiwary was retired hurt due to a hamstring niggle. AB de Villiers came in for Tiwary but failed to hang on for long.

Deccan leg-spinner Amit Mishra double-strike in the 10th over put a huge dent in RCB's run chase. De Villiers (4) and Mayank Agarwal (1) were dismissed in the space of four balls.

After Mishra's double blow, Tiwary (30) returned to the field, who along with skipper Kohli added a steady 46-run stand for the fifth wicket. Deccan bowler Ashish Reddy claimed the wicket of Kohli putting Tiwary under pressure with the run-rate soaring.

Pressure eventually mounted over Tiwary who fell off Veer Pratap Singh. With 14 required off the last over, Reddy dismissed Vinay Kumar(7) and Muttiah Muralitharan(0).

Deccan Chargers ended their campaign on high with two wins in a row knocking out Rajasthan Royals and Bangalore. Deccan finish above Pune Warriors in eighth spot with nine points.


Deccan Chargers innings report

An impressive knock from JP Duminy  (74) helped Deccan Chargers score a modest total of 132/7

Despite the slow start and loss of crucial wickets early on, Chargers all-rounder JP Duminy smashed five sixes and four boundaries to score his second fifty this season and help the team post a decent total.

Chargers were rocked early on when RCB pacer Zaheer Khan struck in the first over to bowl out in-form Shikhar Dhawan(5). More trouble followed when Akshath Reddy (7) and Cameron White (1) were dismissed in successive overs by pacers Vinay Kumar and Prashant Parameswaran.

Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakkara (15) looked to recover along with Duminy but the pair managed to score a slow 31 before RCB's spin maestro Muttiah Muralitharan dismissed the fellow Sri Lankan.

Chargers were down to 51/4 after the dismissal of their skipper Sangakkara. Duminy took the resposibility to lead the team past the 120-run mark including a quick 71-run with wicketkeeper-batsman Parthiv Patel for the 5th wicket.

Vinay Kumar ended with impressive figures of three wickets conceding 22 runs in four overs while RCB pacer Zaheer claimed 2 wickets for 30 runs. Parameswaran and Muralitharan took one wicket apiece.

Toss Report

Royal Challengers skipper Virat Kohli won the toss and opted to bowl firs.

Bangalore have retained the same squad which beat Delhi Daredevils on Thursday while Chargers skipper Kumar Sangakarra returned to the playing XI replacing Chris Lynn.

RCB have no choice but only a win can seal a play-off berth. The Chargers on Friday, won by five wickets to eliminate Rajasthan Royals from this season.

Playing XI:

Deccan Chargers: Kumar Sangakkara (captain) Cameron White, Parthiv Patel (wicketkeeper), Shikhar Dhawan, Amit Mishra, Manpreet Gony, JP Duminy, Dale Steyn, Veer Pratap Singh, Akshath Reddy, Ashish Reddy.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (captain), Mayank Agarwal, Prasanth Parameswaran, AB de Villiers (wicketkeeper), Tillakaratne Dilshan, Chris Gayle, Zaheer Khan, Muttiah Muralitharan, Harshal Patel, Saurabh Tiwary, R Vinay Kumar.

Umpires: S Ravi (India) and Simon Taufel (Australia)
Third umpire: Johan Cloete (South Africa)
Match referee: Andy Pycroft (Zimbabwe)

SCORECARD 

 

Deccan Chargers Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore

Event:   Indian Premier League 2012		Venue:   Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad, India
Match Type:  IPL
Toss:  Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss and decided to field
Umpires:   S Ravi (India) , SJA Taufel (Australia)
Third umpire:   JD Cloete (South Africa)		Referee:   AJ Pycroft (Zimbabwe)
Match result:   Deccan Chargers won by 9 runs		Man of the Match:   DW Steyn

Deccan Chargers - Innings
Batsman's Name	How Out	Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s	S/R
S Dhawan	b Z Khan	5	4	-	1	-	125
P Akshath Reddy	c AB de Villiers b R Vinay Kumar	7	11	-	-	-	63.6
KC Sangakkara (C)	c R Vinay Kumar b M Muralitharan	15	22	-	1	-	68.2
CL White	c MA Agarwal b P Parameswaran	1	5	-	-	-	20
JP Duminy	c (sub) KP Appanna b Z Khan	74	53	-	4	5	139.6
PA Patel (Wk)	c CH Gayle b R Vinay Kumar	16	21	-	1	-	76.2
A Ashish Reddy	b R Vinay Kumar	4	4	-	-	-	100
DW Steyn	not out	0	0	-	-	-
V Pratap Singh
A Mishra
MS Gony
Extras	1b     5lb     4w		10
Total	7 wickets, innings closed, 20 overs		132
Fall of wickets	1-6 (S Dhawan, 0.6 ov), 2-19 (P Akshath Reddy, 3.3 ov), 3-20 (CL White, 4.2 ov), 4-51 (KC Sangakkara, 11.1 ov), 5-122 (JP Duminy, 18.5 ov), 6-132 (PA Patel, 19.5 ov), 7-132 (A Ashish Reddy, 19.6 ov)

Royal Challengers Bangalore
Bowler's Name	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wickets	Wides	No-Balls
Z Khan	4	0	30	2	-	-
R Vinay Kumar	4	0	22	3	2	-
P Parameswaran	3	0	12	1	-	-
M Muralitharan	4	0	30	1	1	-
HV Patel	4	0	26	0	-	-
TM Dilshan	1	0	6	0	1	-

Royal Challengers Bangalore - Innings
Batsman's Name	How Out	Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s	S/R
CH Gayle	b DW Steyn	27	10	-	3	2	270
TM Dilshan	lbw DW Steyn	4	12	-	-	-	33.3
V Kohli (C)	c MS Gony b A Ashish Reddy	42	40	-	2	3	105
SS Tiwary	c KC Sangakkara b V Pratap Singh	30	27	-	1	1	111.1
AB de Villiers (Wk)	c JP Duminy b A Mishra	4	11	-	-	-	36.4
MA Agarwal	b A Mishra	1	2	-	-	-	50
Z Khan	b DW Steyn	0	4	-	-	-	0
R Vinay Kumar	c JP Duminy b A Ashish Reddy	7	7	-	1	-	100
HV Patel	not out	5	5	-	-	-	100
M Muralitharan	c JP Duminy b A Ashish Reddy	0	1	-	-	-	0
P Parameswaran	not out	0	1	-	-	-	0
Extras	3w		3
Total	9 wickets, innings closed, 20 overs		123
Fall of wickets	1-30 (CH Gayle, 2.5 ov), 2-36 (TM Dilshan, 4.3 ov), 3-55 (AB de Villiers, 9.2 ov), 4-57 (MA Agarwal, 9.5 ov), 5-103 (V Kohli, 15.6 ov), 6-104 (Z Khan, 16.5 ov), 7-111 (SS Tiwary, 18.1 ov), 8-120 (R Vinay Kumar, 19.2 ov), 9-121 (M Muralitharan, 19.4 ov)

Deccan Chargers
Bowler's Name	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wickets	Wides	No-Balls
DW Steyn	4	0	8	3	-	-
MS Gony	4	0	38	0	2	-
V Pratap Singh	4	0	26	1	-	-
A Mishra	4	0	26	2	-	-
A Ashish Reddy	4	0	25	3	1	-

SRK banned from Wankhede for five years

Shah Rukh Khan seems to be in the eye of the storm right now with his recent fracas at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai post the IPL match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders. Now we hear that the Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) which had stated that they would take a decision to penalize the actor has reached a verdict.

In fact the MCA which had lodged a police complaint against Khan on Thursday, have since decided to ban the actor from the stadium. In a unanimous decision reached by the MCA, the Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner, Shah Rukh Khan has been banned for a period of five years from entering the Wankhede Stadium. However, this is a cut down from the earlier proposal of a life-time ban.

IPL spot-fixing: BCCI's inquiry committee meets Shalabh Srivastava

The BCCI on Wednesday began the probe into the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the cash-rich IPL with one of the suspended domestic players, Shalabh Srivastava, deposing before the Inquiry Commission.

Barely a day after the BCCI cracked the whip by suspending five tainted players in the wake of the television sting operation which claimed to expose corruption in IPL, Ravi Sawani, who is heading the inquiry commission, met Srivastava to hear his side of the story on the sting operation.

The meeting, which took place at a five-star hotel, is learnt to have lasted for an hour.

There was, however, no official word from the BCCI on the development.

Sawani, a former chief of the ICC's Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU), has been asked to submit his report to the BCCI's Disciplinary Committee within 15 days. Sawani is now the chief of BCCI's Anti-Corruption unit.

Apart from Srivastava, the BCCI had on Tuesday suspended Mohnish Mishra, T P Sudhindra, Amit Yadav and Abhinav Bali with immediate effect pending inquiry. The decision was taken after a lengthy tele-conference of top BCCI officials and members of the IPL's Governing Council.

The Cricket Board had swung into action a day after the expose as the issue rocked the Parliament and former players and cricket administrators called for strong action to rid the game of even a whiff of a scandal.

Sawani will meet the other four suspended players in the coming days before finalising his report, a top BCCI source said.

Television channel India TV had on Monday claimed to have blown the lid off "murky deals" in the IPL among players, organizers, owners and big guns of Indian cricket.

The TV sting operation which was aired at prime time on Monday created a flutter in the Indian cricket establishment prompting the BCCI to react quickly. The channel had claimed it had done a sting operation in which many players confessed on hidden camera that they get much more than their prescribed auction, under the table. According to the channel, its operation also revealed that spot-fixing is not only prevalent in IPL but also that first class matches are fixed and women played an important role in match-fixing.

The IPL's Governing Council had sought video footage from the TV channel and is understood to have scrutinised the tapes before taking the decision of suspending the players.

Srivastava, who deposed before the Commission on Wednesday, is a left-arm seamer from Uttar Pradesh and was India's highest wicket-taker at the Under-19 World Cup in Sri Lanka in 2000. After severing ties with ICL team Delhi Giants, Srivastava was signed up by Kings XI Punjab in 2011.

Four of the five players suspended had played in the rebel Indian Cricket League.

IPL spot-fixing sting: 5 players suspended

The Indian Premier League's (IPL) Governing Council on Tuesday, suspended five players from cricket, who were caught in a TV channel's sting operation for their alleged involvement in spot-fixing.

IPL chairman, Rajiv Shukla made an announcement on Tuesday evening and briefed the media. These players are suspended pending an inquiry.

TP Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers), Amit Yadav (Kings XI Punjab), Abhinav Bali, Mohnish Mishra (Pune Warriors) and Shalab Srivastava (Kings XI Punjab) are the suspended players. Apart from Sudhindra and Mohnish, the other three players haven't played in this year's IPL.

IPL Governing Council members and BCCI officials had a teleconference for over six hours on Tuesday and arrived at this decision.

"The Governing Council has recommended to BCCI President, strong possible action to those who are found guilty or suspicious (in spot-fixing) in TV report. After that conversation, there are other matches which are not of IPL in the TV report, they will also be referred to BCCI. A preliminary inquiry will be conducted by Ravi Sawani, who is heading BCCI's anti-corruption unit," Shukla said.

"Pending inquiry, the five players are suspended from all cricket activities with immediate effect. There names are TP Sudhindra, Amit Yadav, Abhinav Bali, Mohnish Mishra and Shalab Srivastava. We will await the report of the preliminary inquiry and proper action will be taken only after that," Shukla added.

The IPL Governing Council has acted after India TV channel claimed to have exposed these players in spot-fixing through a sting operation on Monday.

The channel claimed it had done a sting operation in which many players confessed on hidden camera they get much more than their prescribed auction under the table.

According to the channel, its operation also revealed that spot-fixing is not only prevalent in IPL but also that first class matches are fixed and women played an important role in match-fixing.

Superstars of Indian cricket and even an international player, who is a captain of one of the teams, are involved in fixing the matches, the channel said in a statement.

Asked about the sting operation, BCCI chief N Srinivasan said, "We will ensure that the integrity of the game is protected. BCCI believes in the integrity of the game. We will take the strictest possible action. We will have to have the tapes and the moment we see it, whoever is the player, we will take very very strict action."

"If there is any truth in it... It is a fact that we will take strictest action. Even if it means suspending the player immediately. But (that has to be) based on some evidence and fact, for which I have asked the COO of IPL Sundar Raman to request for the tape," he said.

Shah Rukh asks people to stop comparing him with Ganguly

A visibly annoyed Shah Rukh Khan today sought to put an end to his comparison with KKR`s former captain Sourav Ganguly and asked the fans to "grow up" and stop correlating the two.

"Grow up please. This is sport. Let`s play it like a sport. We keep on talking about Kings and Khans... This is crap to be honest. I say this with love and respect to all of you," SRK said on the sidelines of the Kolkata Knight Riders post-match party.

The Bollywood superstar, who raged a debate after he dumped the left-hander following a forgettable three-season stint, said it`s high time people get over it and leave the former India skipper alone.

"To be honest, if we don`t outgrow this, it is embarrassing not only to us, not only to me, it’s embarrassing for Dada also... We should get over this. Every time I come to Kolkata, if you are going to bring this up for a few headlines and some spicy titbits I think it`s a little unfair." he said.

"It`s not only unfair to me. It is unfair to the great legend that Sourav Ganguly is... Let him play his cricket, lead his life in whichever team he plays for, whether it`s an Indian team, an IPL team or a domestic team.


"We should all be cheering for the greatness that he has achieved instead of making him small with these comparisons and belittling the importance of what Sourav Ganguly has achieved in Indian sports history," the actor said.

Asked whether he might think of bringing in Ganguly as a mentor for his side, Shahrukh, in a tongue-in-cheek manner, said, "I`m the mentor of this team. The owner of this team. The hero of this team. I`m the God of this team."

"Generally what I`m saying is we have a lot of love for all the cricketing greats. We have had some wonderful memories with him. We wish him all the best. We wish him whenever he plays. He is one of the great legends the country will ever see in any sport.

"Personally, I`m the greatest fan of Dada as far as cricket is concerned. We worked together (for a commercial) many years ago. We had a lot of great moments together with his family," he reiterated.

Ganguly, who headed Pune Warriors against KKR earlier this month at the Eden Garden, stirred Bengali`s emotions to the hilt as loyalties were divided among the masses. The match was seen as a Dada versus Khan battle.

The Knight Riders play Mumbai Indians tomorrow at the Wankhede stadium, before heading to Pune for a return leg match on May 19.

Having suffered two defeats in succession, the Knight Riders need to notch one win from their remaining two matches to advance to the next stage.

Bravo hits six off last ball to seal Chennai's win

Dwayne Bravo smashed a six off the last ball to seal a dramatic five-wicket victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in Game 63 of IPL 5 here at the Eden Gardens on Monday night.
Nine runs were needed off the last over bowled by Rajat Bhatia. Dwayne Bravo took a single off the first and Chennai captain MS Dhoni was bowled in the next. The visitors required 8 off 4 balls. New man Ravindra Jadeja smashed the ball to long-on and took two runs.

Jadeja took a single off the fourth ball. With two balls remaining in the match, with Bravo on strike, Chennai were five away from the target. An excellent ball from Bhatia beat Bravo complete as his bat slipped out of his hands and flew.

It was tension everywhere with five needed off the final ball. Bhatia bowled a low full toss and Bravo swung his bat hard and launched the ball into the long-on stands for a dramatic victory.

Kolkata Knight Riders Innings Report
Chennai Super Kings bowlers bounced back from a poor start to restrict Kolkata to 158/6 in 20 overs.

It was a fine effort from the defending champions after Kolkata captain Gautam Gambhir and Brendon McCullum had threatened to take the home team to a big total. Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati who opened the bowling, was the most economical bowler with figures of 2/26 in four overs. Ravichandran Ashwin, Ben Hilfenhaus and Ravindra Jadeja had one dismissal each.

Openers Gambhir and McCullum provided Kolkata with a great start but once the duo departed, they had a middle order collapse which allowed Chennai to come back into the game.

Kolkata had raced to 99/0 in the 12th over. But the run out of McCullum on the third ball of the 12th over with the score reading 99, triggered a massive turnaround in the match. Soon after McCullum left the ground, Gambhir followed him.

Gambhir made a fine 62 off 43 balls with six fours and three sixes. McCullum contributed 37 off 29 in the opening wicket stand of 99 runs.

Toss Report

Chennai Super Kings captain MS Dhoni won the toss and elected to field first against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Kolkata have brought back pacemen Lakshmipathy Balaji and also Marchant de Lange. Brett Lee and Shakib Al Hasan miss out. Brendon McCullum also returns while Manvinder Bisla is dropped. Chennai were forced to leave out their big-hitting all-rounder Albie Morkel in favour of Faf du Plessis. Morkel is not well.

"Good fight back by chennai.. I'm down with some virus, back at the hotel supporting the men in yellow in my bed!!," tweeted Morkel (@albiemorkel) towards the end of Kolkata innings.

In these two teams' earlier meeting this season, on April 30, Kolkata had won by five wickets with Gambhir scoring a half century at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

Playing XIs

Kolkata Knight Riders: Gautam Gambhir (captain), Jacques Kallis, Manoj Tiwary, Brendon McCullum (wicketkeeper), Yusuf Pathan, Debabrata Das, Rajat Bhatia, Laxmipathy Balaji, Sunil Narine, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Marchant de Lange.

Chennai Super Kings: MS Dhoni (captain and wicketkeeper), Murali Vijay, Srikkanth Anirudha, Michael Hussey, Ravindra Jadeja, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ravichandran Ashwin, Faf du Plessis, Shadab Jakati

Umpires: Simon Taufel (Australia) and Johan Cloete (South Africa)

Third Umpire: S Ravi (India)

Match Referee: Raju Mukherjee (India)

SCORECARD

Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Chennai Super Kings

Event:   Indian Premier League 2012		Venue:   Eden Gardens, Kolkata, India
Match Type:  IPL
Toss:   Chennai Super Kings won the toss and decided to field
Umpires:   JD Cloete (South Africa) , SJA Taufel (Australia)
Third umpire:   S Ravi (India)		Referee:   S Mukherjee (India)
Match result:   Chennai Super Kings won by 5 wickets		Man of the Match:  MEK Hussey

Kolkata Knight Riders - Innings
Batsman's Name	How Out	Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s	S/R
G Gambhir (C)	b SB Jakati	62	43	-	6	3	144.2
BB McCullum (Wk)	run out (MS Dhoni)	37	29	-	4	1	127.6
JH Kallis	c R Ashwin b SB Jakati	4	9	-	-	-	44.4
MK Tiwary	c DJ Bravo b RA Jadeja	12	14	-	1	-	85.7
YK Pathan	c DJ Bravo b R Ashwin	11	8	-	-	1	137.5
DB Das	not out	19	10	-	2	1	190
LR Shukla	c SK Raina b BW Hilfenhaus	9	6	-	-	1	150
R Bhatia	not out	1	1	-	-	-	100
M de Lange
L Balaji
SP Narine
Extras	2lb     1w		3
Total	6 wickets, innings closed, 20 overs		158
Fall of wickets	1-99 (BB McCullum, 11.3 ov), 2-100 (G Gambhir, 12.1 ov), 3-111 (JH Kallis, 14.4 ov), 4-127 (YK Pathan, 16.6 ov), 5-128 (MK Tiwary, 17.2 ov), 6-156 (LR Shukla, 19.3 ov)

Chennai Super Kings
Bowler's Name	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wickets	Wides	No-Balls
SB Jakati	4	0	26	2	-	-
BW Hilfenhaus	3	0	26	1	-	-
R Ashwin	4	0	26	1	-	-
SK Raina	2	0	17	0	-	-
RA Jadeja	4	0	39	1	-	-
DJ Bravo	3	0	22	0	1	-

Chennai Super Kings - Innings
Batsman's Name	How Out	Runs	Balls	Mins	4s	6s	S/R
MEK Hussey	c R Bhatia b SP Narine	56	39	-	4	4	143.6
M Vijay	b SP Narine	36	25	-	5	1	144
SK Raina	run out (R Bhatia, BB McCullum)	8	10	-	1	-	80
F du Plessis	c MK Tiwary b R Bhatia	13	16	-	-	-	81.3
MS Dhoni (C) (Wk)	b R Bhatia	28	21	-	3	1	133.3
DJ Bravo	not out	11	7	-	-	1	157.1
RA Jadeja	not out	3	2	-	-	-	150
A Srikkanth
R Ashwin
BW Hilfenhaus
SB Jakati
Extras	4lb     1w		5
Total	5 wickets, 19.6 overs		160
Fall of wickets	1-97 (MEK Hussey, 10.2 ov), 2-97 (M Vijay, 10.4 ov), 3-110 (SK Raina, 13.2 ov), 4-127 (F du Plessis, 17.1 ov), 5-151 (MS Dhoni, 19.2 ov)

Kolkata Knight Riders
Bowler's Name	Overs	Mdns	Runs	Wickets	Wides	No-Balls
M de Lange	3	0	37	0	-	-
L Balaji	4	0	33	0	1	-
SP Narine	4	0	14	2	-	-
JH Kallis	3	0	25	0	-	-
R Bhatia	4	0	33	2	-	-
YK Pathan	2	0	14	0	-	-