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Punjab bounce back in style Super Kings, Riders evenly matched
Buoyant Royals hold edge
Cheerleaders can perform, but no vulgarity: Police
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Rs 2-crore IPL betting racket busted
PCB to launch PPL next year
‘IPL may trigger premature retirements’
Stadium to have new pitch
Boxers get cash awards
Jeev slips to tied 16th
Davydenko in semis
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Punjab bounce back in style Mohali, April 25 First Kumara Sangakkara, who notched up brilliant 94 and then Punjab bowlers responded magnificently bowling out Mumbai for paltry 116 as the hosts registered a thumping 66-run win in the DLF IPL Twenty20 match at the PCA Stadium here tonight. Mumbai suffered a blow before the start of the game as their skipper and the lynchpin of their batting Sachin Tendulkar failed to recover from the groin injury and was ruled unfit for the match. Their bowlers, however, did a reasonable job restricting Punjab to a total well below 200-run mark. Punjab put 182 on the board before being bowled out in 20 overs. The Australian spearhead Lee, who had to remain contend with modest personal contribution in the earlier two matches so far, chose the right occasion to perform on the PCA track which has the reputation of assisting the bowlers willing to bend their backs. Lee was bang on target right from the first over as Mumbai began their chase. It was his second overs in which he effected the dismissals of dangerous openers Sanath Jayasuriya and Luke Ronchi that put Mumbai on the back foot. Breathing fire, Lee showed rare athleticism and commitment. Firing one delivery at 152 plus kmph, the fast bowler was agile enough to take a return catch to send back dangerous Jayasuriya. Immediately thereafter, he bowled another 150 plus scorcher and showed remarkable presence of mind and reflexes to pick the ball and uproot the stumps in a jiffy to run out Ronchi. Leg-spinner Chawla was brilliant in the middle overs. Bowling a penetrative spell and claiming the crucial wickets of Bravo and Saurabh Tiwari, he put the skids on the run rate. Irfan Pathan then returned to send back Abhishek Nayyar and Harbhajan as Mumbai were bowled out for 116, this being their third successive defeat. Punjab’s innings was based on determined 94 by Sangakkara. The Sri Lankan wicketkeeper batsman came good at the most opportune moment for Punjab. Though the rest of the batsmen failed to come good, Sangakkara held one end in tact with some solid strokeplay as well as deft nudges to keep the scoreboard ticking. He was in the act in the fifth over. Playing forceful strokes, he clobbered Shaun Pollock for 17 runs in the fifth over of the innings, including a six and two boundaries. Then he turned his attention to seamer Dhawal Kulkarni in the next over as the hapless seamer conceded another 17 runs as the batsman completed 36-ball half century. Striking the ball well, he next despatched Bravo for a spanking four which thudded onto the point fence as the run rate picked up momentum. Yuvraj Singh was middling the ball well and hoisted Pollock for a six over long on to complete hundred of the innings in 10.2 overs. In the same over, Punjab skipper was into his stroke a bit early as Bravo fielding at long off took a brilliant catch lunging forward to send Yuvraj back. Yuvraj made 9-ball 18 with a six and a four. The wickets kept on falling after that and there was no worthwhile stand. Punjab lost the last six wickets with the addition of just 30 to be bowled out for 182. Sangakkara was adjudged Man of the Match. Scoreboard Kings XI Punjab: Goel run out 18 Pathan c Kulkarni b Nehra 6 Sangakkara c Kulkarni b Harbhajan 94 Yuvraj c Bravo b Pollock 18 Sarwan c Harbhajan b Nehra 7 Jayawardene c sub b Harbhajan 12 Sohal c Nehra b Kulkarni 0 Lee not out 16 Chawla lbw b Harbhajan 0 Sreesanth c Ronchi b Kulkarni 0 VRV Singh run out 4 Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 4, nb 1): 7 Total (all out; 20 overs): 182 Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-81, 3-107, 4-121, 5-152 , 6-155 , 7-159 , 8-169 , 9-170, 10-182 Bowling: S Pollock 4-0-40-1, A Nehra 3-0-22-2, D Kulkarni 4-0-37-2, Harbhajan Singh 4-0-32-3, D Bravo 3-0-27-0, M Khote 2-0-22-0. Mumbai Indians: Ronchi run out 11 Jayasuriya c & b Lee 1 Uthappa c Sarwan b VRV Singh 21 D Bravo b Chawla 23 Tiwary b Chawla 17 Pollock c Yuvraj b Sreesanth 22 Nayar c Chawla b Pathan 2 Harbhajan lbw b Pathan 0 Khote hit wicket b Sreesanth 8 Kulkarni not out 2 Nehra not out 2 Extras: (lb 1, w 4, nb 2): 7 Total (9 wickets; 20 overs): 116 Fall of wickets:
1-14, 2-14 , 3-61, 4-65 , 5-91 , 6-94 , 7-94, 8-105, Bowling: B Lee 4-0-9-1, I Pathan 4-1-19-2, VRV Singh 4-0-40-1, S Sreesanth 4-0-31-2, P Chawla 4-0-6-2. MoM: Kumara Sangakkara
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Super Kings, Riders evenly matched
Chennai, April 25 Knight Riders, with victories against Bangalore Royal Challengers and Hyderabad Deccan Chargers, currently head the points table on superior net run rate while Super Kings who defeated Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians, are currently placed third behind Delhi Daredevils who too have won both their matches so far. The Super Kings have already made it known that they would like to win their opening four games and then try to sustain the momentum. To achieve this, they are dependent on the two Australians, opener Matthew Hayden and Mike Hussey, to provide them solid starts, whether batting first or chasing. To Super Kings' good fortune, left-hander Suresh Raina has been in top form and has proved to be as invaluable an asset as the Australians. The Aussies return home after the fourth game against Royal Challengers April 28 in Bangalore, and hence the anxiety in the Super Kings camp is to make the most of the two quality batsmen who have played key roles in their two victories. In contrast, the Knight Riders, boasting of an equally strong batting line-up with Brendon McCullum, skipper Sourav Ganguly, Ricky Ponting and David Hussey, would be seeking to retain their top spot on the leader board and appear fairly optimistic of putting it across the Super Kings considering that they boast of a superior bowling attack. Young Ishant Sharma has spearheaded the Knight Riders' attack and looks to be in prime form at the moment. With Ashoke Dinda, Mohammad Hafeez, Murali Karthik and Ajit Agarkar to back him up, it is as good an attack as any IPL captain could hope for. In fact, Super Kings have been let down by their bowlers, notably opener Jacob Oram who has proved rather expensive in both the matches. In effect, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has just four specialist bowlers among whom seamers Joginder Sharma and Manpreet Gony have been the pick. Sri Lankan spin wizard Muttaiah Muralitharan has been blowing hot and cold, but the Super Kings are hoping he would strike form sooner rather than later. In both the matches so far, Dhoni has not used a sixth bowler and that itself is an indication of the limitations he has to contend with. The Knight Riders have suffered a setback with the West Indian opening batsman Chris Gayle still nursing a groin injury. His presence at the top would have been a huge boost for the Kolkata outfit. A final decision on Gayle's availability or a replacement, if required, would be made soon. On paper, both the teams appear equally matched, but with another high-scoring game in prospect considering the featherbed of a pitch, a humdinger is in the offing. Even a total of 200 cannot guarantee victory as Super Kings would testify after just about defeating Mumbai Indians by six runs after scoring 208. The playing elevens of both the teams would be finalised only on the day of the match after another inspection of the pitch. Another factor that both teams have to deal with is the hot and humid weather as the game is scheduled for a 4 pm start. The city has been labouring under torrid heat for the past few days and it is just about entering into the peak phase of summer. Under these circumstances, there will be a premium on players' fitness.
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Bangalore, April 25 The thrilling last over victory over Deccan Chargers, Hyderabad, yesterday has boosted the confidence of the Jaipur team. But the local team has also had a convincing win against a strong Mumbai Indians. This win had come after the bad loss in the league opener against Kolkata Knight Riders. Dravid's men are now bolstered with the arrival of Pakistani hard hitter Misbah-ul-Haq, who joined the team yesterday. With the eight teams in the league finally coming to grips of the T20 format's intensity with the league entering the second week, a thrilling run chase is on the cards. The wicket, in the first game, offers good bounce and New Zealand wicket keeper Brendon McCullum's heroics notwithstanding, the bowlers had a satisfying day. Especially after the break, the pitch offered good bounce and movement due to dew effect and hastened fall of the Bangalore's innings. Much will be expected from the Challengers by the home fans who were disappointed over their team capitulating to a paltry 82, chasing a stiff target against Kolkata, in the first game. Dravid will have to ensure that his team earns the second win to be in the hunt for a position at the top. The team has to pull up its socks not only to win but also improve its poor run rate, which is the lowest among the eight teams. Rajasthan Royals, though without an icon in the team, is being well guided by skipper and coach Shane Warne, who was instrumental in the Royals pulling off an improbable win against Hyderabad yesterday. It is the only IPL team to have a foreign captain and a playing coach. Anil Kumble, who is in the injured list, is still doubtful about playing tomorrow. The ace leggie is recovering from a groin injury sustained during the Australia tour. — UNI
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Cheerleaders can perform, but no vulgarity: Police
Mumbai, April 25 As the police cleared the air on whether the scantily-clad cheergirls will be allowed to perform in a Navi Mumbai stadium on April 27 by imposing some conditions, the 'ban cheerleaders' chant grew loud with West Bengal joining Maharashtra in targeting the dancing beauties. Senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu also joined the chorus of protests saying the dance was a "distraction and nonsense" as a debate raged over whether US-style cheerleaders had a role during cricket matches in the country. "The girls are merely artistes who perform as per the instructions of organisers," Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Ramrao Wagh said, adding that a performance license has been granted to the organisers of the match between Mumbai Indians and Deccan Chargers to be held at Nerul's D Y Patil stadium. In the event of the cheerleaders indulging in obscenity, Wagh said, the "license holders" (the organisers) will be prosecuted under various provisions of the Bombay Police Act for indecency in a public place and breach of license terms. Wagh said the show should not be vulgar or obscene nor offend the dignity of women. He however said there have been no instructions from the government. West Bengal Sports Minister Subash Chakravarty said the cheerleaders had no role and were out of context during sporting encounters and there was no need to import Western culture. Chakravarty, who was supported by PWD Minister Kshiti Goswami(RSP and Water Investigation Minister Nandgopal Bhttacharya(CPI), said he will take up the issue with Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya. The controversy over the cheerleaders figured in the Maharashtra Legislative Council for the second day today with the government saying it would examine whether to put a halt to their dance shows. Deputy Chairman Vasant Davkhare wanted a ban on the shows. Minister of state for Home Siddharam Mhetre said that the government would examine the issue whether steps can be taken to stop such performances. — PTI
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Rs 2-crore IPL betting racket busted
Ludhiana, April 25 In a shift from the usual way of running the betting racket from a closed room, the group used to operate from a moving car. The police have recovered 15 mobile phones and two laptops from their possession. SP City-I Ashish Chowdhry told reporters that the accused Rajesh Khanna, Mukesh Kumar and Harish Kumar were arrested when the police intercepted the car in which they were travelling. The accused sped away as soon as cops tried to stop them. They were caught after a long chase near Salem Tabri last night. The fourth accused Bharat Bhushan managed to escape. The police said the bookies had direct contact with bookies based in Delhi and Mumbai. They allegedly recorded all the conversations on their laptops besides keeping records of the clients. The police said mobile numbers of hundreds of persons have also been found.
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PCB to launch PPL next year
Karachi, April 25 A senior official of the board said this year's Twenty20 competition, which has been delayed until August 10, would be the last time that the popular domestic event would be held on regional basis and without team sponsors. "From next year, we will offer franchise of teams like in the IPL to interested companies and individuals and work has already begun in this direction," the official told PTI. He said the Twenty20 national championship would also be expanded to possibly include foreign players. "But that will definitely depend on the sort of money the companies and individuals buying the franchise of teams are willing to offer for overseas players," the official said. He said the board had, however, decided to have a mandatory rule that every city team would have at least four under-19 players in their playing eleven in a bid to promote new talent and give them exposure alongside established players. He said PCB's marketing department had already started the groundwork for a Pakistan Premier League but everything would depend on the response from sponsors and companies. He said the board would offer exclusive television rights of the Twenty20 event in its package of international television rights which would be up for bidding this year. "The fact is that Twenty20 leagues are now a popular form of cricket and we don't want to lag behind other countries in this regard," he said.
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‘IPL may trigger premature retirements’
Karachi, April 25 Akram said in interview from Lahore that he enjoyed watching the IPL matches and the abridged format was necessary keeping in mind the time constraints. "But I still believe that the IPL and Indian Cricket League will create problems in international cricket. You will see players retiring prematurely from international cricket to play in these lucrative leagues," Akram said. Explaining the case, he said, "Suppose I am a 34-year-old bowler with an uncertain future in the national side. I would retire prematurely to play in IPL or
ICL, rather than risk being dropped from the team," he said. — PTI |
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Stadium to have new pitch
Chamba, April 25 In March this year, a cricket academy was set up here, under the aegis of HPCA, which was inaugurated by the Deputy Commissioner of Chamba Munish Garg. The academy has started imparting training to the youngsters. In the academy young cricketers of the region would be taught the basics of the game by professionals and this will help in not only attracting more talent but also make the game even more popular. The work of levelling the pitch has started and for that purpose special loam (top soil) is being brought from Chandigarh. The training of the cricketers will start as soon as the pitch is ready in a couple of months. In 1996, the state government had planned to upgrade the existing sports stadium adjacent to police barracks here to international level. But nothing had been be done till now.
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New Delhi, April 25 ''The boxers certainly deserve all the credit for their achievements at the international level,'' Gill told mediapersons. ''The sports ministry will give all possible support to the boxers to motivate them further,'' he added. Gill also applauded the activities of the Indian Ameteur Boxing Federation (IABF). The boxers who were awarded are: Sunil Kumar (Rs 11 lakh), S Santosh Singh (Rs 7 lakh), Harpreet Singh (Rs 5 lakh), Paramjit Singh (Rs 3 lakh), Chotte Lal Yadav (Rs 3 lakh), Parmjit Samota (Rs 2 lakh), Naoba Metei (Rs 2 lakhs), Baljeet Singh (Rs 2 lakh), Parminder Singh (Rs 1 lakh), Akshay Kumar (Rs 1 lakh), Suresh Kumar (Rs 1 lakh), Dinesh Kumar (Rs 1 lakh), Bhupender (Rs 80,000), Balwinder (Rs 80,000), Manjeet Singh (Rs 60,000). The women boxers who were awarded are: N Sarita Devi (Rs 10 lakh), Choto Loura (Rs 3 lakh). — UNI
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Jeev slips to tied 16th
Shanghai, April 25 Even though Jeev, SSP Chowrasia, Digvijay Singh and Shiv Kapur hung around for the weekend action, compatriots Jyoti Randhawa, Rahil Gangjee and Gaurav Ghei failed to make the cut in the $2.3 million event sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and China Golf Association.— PTI |
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Their campaign in tatters, Kings XI Punjab bounced back in style. Having slumped to two defeats in a row, they desperately needed a win to keep their campaign alive and kicking.
It could well boil down to a battle of nerves as the two unbeaten teams in the Indian Premier League, Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders, clash at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here tomorrow.
Mumbai, April 25
