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Kohli guides RCB to emphatic win Virat Kohli led Royal Challengers Bangalore to an effortless win on Tuesday. — PTI
Under pressure from players, ECB urges BCCI to schedule future IPLs to suit
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Test or T20, Jadeja is always at home in Mohali
Going by his recent show here, Chennai Super Kings all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja (L) can comfortably say Mohali feels like home. — Tribune photo: Sukhchandan
Tendulkar to feature in animated cricket programme
East Bengal vs Tampines Rovers: Singaporean linked to match-fixing
Captains Misbah, Hafeez deny rift reports
China’s Guan Tianlang, 14, gives a lesson to Crenshaw to show he’s ready for the world’s best at Masters
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Kohli guides RCB to emphatic win
Bangalore, April 9 Chasing a commendable target of 162, Kohli made a mockery of Sunrisers bowlers as he singlehandedly guided his team to victory smashing 11 four and four sixes off 47 balls as they knocked off the runs with 14 balls remaining. It was a sweet revenge for RCB who had lost to Sunrisers in a 'Super Over' two days back. The match swung decisively in RCB's favour in the 16th over bowled by Amit Mishra after 'Strategic Time-Out' where Kohli smashed the bulky leggie for 21 runs. This included to straight sixes. In the next Thisara Perera over he got another 16 runs to close in on the match and couple of boundaries from Ishant sealed the issue. He had a partnership of 66 with Moises Henriques (7) for the fourth wicket but it was Kohli who was in complete control as he paced his innings in brilliant fashion. The ploy to open the bowling with Hanuma Vihari failed miserably this time as Agarwal hit him for a four and six to get him out of the attack. The local boy then pulled Ishant for a six over deep fine leg to get 15 runs from the over. But the youngster paid the price for being over aggressive as he mistimed a pull-shot off a back of length delivery from Perera which ballooned up for skipper Sangakkara to take an easy catch. Ishant however got the big wicket of Chris Gayle (13) as he bowled one that moved a shade after pitching and the Jamaican nicked it to Parthiv Patel behind the stumps. Kohli's first scoring stroke was six over mid-wicket off Perera. Along with AB de Villiers, he added 49 runs but the South African failed to clear the fence off a rank long hop from leggie Cameron White as gave a simple catch to Hanuma at deep mid-wicket fence. Kohli, however played his free-flowing natural game to complete 50 off 31 balls as he punished the loose deliveries at will. He got an able partner in Moises Henriques who did nothing flashy as he quickly gave the strike back to his captain. Earlier, Cameron White and Perera's slambang approach during the final five overs saw Sunrisers Hyderabad reach a competitive 161 for six. White and Perera added 80 runs in only 7.2 overs to take the new IPl franchise to a comfortable position. While White clobbered three fours and three sixes in his 34-ball-52, Perera hit four huge sixes and a four in his knock of 40 which came off only 24 balls. The last six overs of the innings produced a whopping 77 runs as Sunrisers had scored only 84 in their first 14 overs. The duo came together in the 11th over with the scoreboard reading 62 for three. They didn't take risk initially but created a launchpad for a furious assault on the RCB bowlers. The turning point was the 16th over of the innings bowled by Moises Henriques that yielded 18 runs. The two bowlers who came out unscathed from the Perera-White onslaught were veteran spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (1/23) and India discard Rudra Pratap Singh (3/27) who gave away only 50 runs in their 8 overs taking four wickets between them. The bowler who went for maximum was Ranganath Vinay Kumar who gave away 43 in his four overs. Normally, considered as a safe bet in T20 matches, Vinay Kumar's length deliveries were sent soaring into the stands by Perera. The start wasn't a good one for the home side as they lost Akshath Reddy (12) caught by Vinay Kumar at the edge of the circle at mid-off RP's bowling. Parthiv Patel (20) was sent back by Murali who foxed the left-hander with a doosra. Sangakkara scored 23 off 24 balls before he was caught by Virat Kohli at cover when he tried to get a move on as Perera and White joined hands for a splendid partnership. — PTI Scoreboard RC Bangalore
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Under pressure from players, ECB urges BCCI to schedule future IPLs to suit
counties
Chandigarh, April 9 England players wish to play in the IPL, but are unable to do it because the later part of the IPL clashes with the start of the English county season. Several England players were, in fact, barred from taking part in the IPL after it emerged that they could be signed up by one of the IPL franchisees. The ECB chief executive, David Collier, has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to schedule future IPL tournaments in a way that fits in better with the English county season. Michael Lumb, who was one of three England cricketers barred by Nottinghamshire from taking part in the 2013 Indian Premier League, has admitted he considered going freelance rather than miss out on the opportunity to play in the most lucrative event on the growing Twenty20 circuit. Late last month, one of these players, the 33-year-old Michael Lumb, had warned that the money from the IPL and other T20 leagues could encourage players to reject long-term contract with their counties and freelance around the world. "I think you will see more and more of that with the money being thrown round these leagues, especially among players who don't see themselves playing Test cricket, if the English clubs don't allow their players to go because it clashes with county fixtures," Lumb had said. The ECB has been put under great pressure by its players who want a share of the easy money going around, especially in the IPL. In an interview in London, Collier said that he had had talks with officials from the BCCI, Cricket Australia and Cricket South Africa. The aim was to seek a solution to the problems created by the IPL and other T20 leagues, which are luring away cricketers and creating tensions among cricket boards and their contracted players around the world. The ECB currently re-negotiating central contracts with the England players who -- through their union, the Professional Cricketers' Association - are pressing for significant pay increases. They wish to be compensated because of their inability, due to their contracts with the ECB or various counties, to participate in the IPL. The players contend that their counterparts from, say, Australia, are able to make much more money than them because they can play in the IPL or Australia's Big Bash. England is the only Test-playing nation whose domestic season clashes, even if partly, with the IPL. "We have had very fruitful talks with India," Collier said. "In an ideal world, we would like the IPL to be concluded by April 30, which is the cooler season for India. We have put that to them, they are doing their best, but they realise there are some limitations." "It would make things a lot easier for us. We still have to get the workload balance right, but it would make it a lot easier for our players to be available for that period and certainly the BCCI are fully aware of that," he added. "There is a willingness on the part of both boards to see if we can make any progress."
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Karthik, Rohit shine in MI win Mumbai, April 9 Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 209/5 in 20 overs (Karthik 86, Rohit 74*, Tendulkar 1, Ponting 0, Nehra 2/49); Delhi Daredevils 165/9 in 20 ovs (Warner 61, Juneja 49, Morkel 23*, Ojha 2/34, Pollard 2/35).
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Test or T20, Jadeja is always at home in Mohali
Mohali, April 9 But if you go by the word of 'rockstar' who also happens to be a T20 specialist, and quite successful at that, it isn't that complicated. He says, "Jiska din ho… if a batsman gets an over or two or a bowler gets two wickets in an over, that's it. I don't think big names matter too much in a T20 game.” The judgement is delivered by the member of a team which has won the IPL twice and comes from someone who is held in great esteem by their skipper MS Dhoni. Jadeja isn't quite a big turner of the ball, neither does he have many variations up his sleeve. His forte is accuracy. He sticks to his line and length and waits for the batsman to err. To state that time and runs are at a premium in a T20 would be stating the obvious and this is the caveat Jadeja has been exploiting day in and day out in this T20 format. His candid words, if glossed over perfunctorily, may sound like an old school rant, but there is a remarkable similarity when he says that he gets a feel from the Mohali pitch. "Jab bi yaha aata hu… ek feel sa aata hai," he says and repeats the word "feel" a couple of times in a sentence or two. It doesn't take much to guess that Jadeja is referring to his recent Mohali tryst in the Test series against Australia. Even otherwise, Mohali, a seamers' paradise, feels like heaven to this Saurashtra allrounder. He has had a fruitful outing here in Ranji Trophy for past some years. So what exactly makes the difference between two teams in this unpredictable format? “You try to keep a watch on the favourite shots of players. What they do in crunch situations and then make strategies accordingly,” he said. Chennai Super Kings will take on Kings XI Punjab at PCA Stadium Mohali on Wednesday night.
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Tendulkar to feature in animated cricket programme
Mumbai, April 9 The 3D computer-generated imagery of action, comedy and adventure animation series would be co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and Moonscoop, and the first season will comprise 26 episodes of 22 minutes each. "The work has started and it will be ready by next year," a spokesperson for Shemaroo Entertainment said. In the series, Tendulkar is appointed by The Programme for International Training of Cricket Heroes (PITCH), to head a training camp for the finest young cricket talents from around the world, a media release said. While coaching and teaching the young hopefuls the finer points of the game, Tendulkar also mentors them to be down to earth. "I have always been fascinated with the world of animation and have enjoyed watching it with my children. The challenge for the production team will be to ensure that some human values and learnings are imparted while continuing to entertain the viewers through the series," Tendulkar was quoted of saying in the release. "It will indeed be a different experience to see one's own rendition on the animated screen, performing larger than life action much beyond the limitation of the real world," he added. The adventurous Master Blasters series, featuring Tendulkar, along with twelve kids, is animated with fun filled, 3D comedy action and cricket. — PTI
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East Bengal vs Tampines Rovers: Singaporean linked to match-fixing
Singapore, April 9 Eric Ding Si Yang, 31, was arrested on Saturday for allegedly supplying prostitutes to induce three Lebanese referees to fix an AFC Cup match on April 3 between Singapore-based club Tampines Rovers and India's East Bengal. "There is evidence to suggest the involvement of international syndicates for the offences committed by the accused," Singapore state prosecutors said in a written submission opposing bail. But despite prosecution objections, District Judge Kamala Ponnambalam granted the businessman bail, set at Sg$150,000 ($121,000). Singapore has a long history of match fixing, and syndicates from the wealthy Southeast Asian island have been blamed by European police for orchestrating an international network responsible for rigging hundreds of games worldwide. The suspect, described by local media as a nightclub owner who drives an Aston Martin sports car, had his passport confiscated and is required to report regularly to Singapore's anti-corruption agency while on trial. Investigators said referee Ali Sabbagh and his fellow Lebanese assistants Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb accepted the sexual favours but were abruptly pulled out before the match started. The Lebanese are being held in suburban Changi Prison pending their bail hearing on Wednesday. All four suspects are charged with corruption —three counts in the case of Ding — and are the first to be arrested since Singapore came under pressure in Feb to crack down on match-fixing. The prosecution said Ding was a “high flight risk" because he has homes in Singapore and Bangkok, where his Thai wife and their daughter live. “The forfeiture of bail money in event of an accused's abscondment is a calculated loss which syndicate can easily recover through illegal betting in a single game,” the prosecution said. — AFP
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Captains Misbah, Hafeez deny rift reports
Lahore, April 9
"Both Hafeez and Whatmore support and back each other and that has put great pressure on Misbah, affecting his performance," Butt told local media. Pakistani cricket has a long and sorry history of infighting and Hafeez said Butt's accusations were bad for Pakistan. “Ijaz Butt is a respected person and he should have thought that such a statement affects a country's image," Hafeez, sitting alongside Misbah, told a press conference. Misbah said Pakistan lost because South Africa played better. “I said this in South Africa, I repeated this on the team's return and now I say this again — we lost because South Africa were a better team and the reason of our defeat was not differences," said Misbah. Hafeez, who replaced Misbah as one-day skipper in May last year, said the Pakistan team needed better and more positive support. "Such baseless reports of differences do not help,” said Hafeez, who flopped with the bat in both Tests and one-dayers. Pakistan's next assignment is the eight-nation Champions Trophy in England in June, and Misbah was upbeat. “Pakistan has done well in England so I am quite hopeful that we will achieve good results in the Champions Trophy,” he said. Pakistan face India, South Africa and the West Indies in the group stage of the tournament, while defending champions Australia, England, Sri Lanka and New Zealand make up the other pool. — Agencies
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Augusta, April 9 Guan was equally impressive in his interview session, as he answered questions in English with a very natural, self-assured demeanour. Asked if he felt intimidated by joining the 93-player field featuring the world’s greatest players, eighth-grader Guan said: “I’m not going to say that. I think it’s going to be a little pressure to me, but I’m not going to push myself too hard. I’m going to enjoy the game.” “I have the confidence and I know I can play well. So I’m going to play like myself,” said Guan, who arrived at Augusta almost three weeks ago to get acclimatised. — Reuters
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Kohli, Dravid fined for slow over rate
Mumbai’s Karthik, Rohit plunder Delhi
Sehwag misses second match in row for DD Team atmosphere helped, says Virat
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Virat Kohli led from the front with a breathtaking unbeaten 93 as Royal Challengers Bangalore made short work of a challenging target from Sunrisers Hyderabad winning by seven wickets in a IPL-6 match.
Chasing a commendable target of 162, Kohli made a mockery of Sunrisers bowlers as he singlehandedly guided his team to victory smashing 11 four and four sixes off 47 balls as they knocked off the runs with 14 balls remaining.
It was a sweet revenge for RCB who had lost to Sunrisers in a 'Super Over' two days back.
What does a team require to win a T20 match? Big names. No. Past reputation. No. Current form. No. Even after the IPL jamboree entered the sixth edition this year, the pundits are still passionately engrossed in decoding the T20 myth.
Senior India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar will make his television debut in an animation series called 'Master Blasters' in which he will be seen mentoring young talents from across the world.
The 3D computer-generated imagery of action, comedy and adventure animation series would be co-produced by Shemaroo Entertainment and
Moonscoop, and the first season will comprise 26 episodes of 22 minutes each.
Misbah had already denied similar reports on the team's return from South Africa where Pakistan were routed 3-0 in Tests and were edged out 3-2 in the one-day series, defeats which local media blamed on differences within the side. But former chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Ijaz Butt reignited the controversy on Tuesday, alleging Hafeez and team's head coach Dav Whatmore had formed a nexus that left Misbah sidelined.
