There's a "question mark" over Mahela Jayawardene's availability for King's XI Punjab's next appearance in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League at Pretoria on Tuesday, according Colonel Arvinder Singh, spokesman for the franchise.

Jayawardene pulled a hamstring attempting an abortive second run in KXIP's last game against Deccan Chargers on Saturday. According to Singh, the Sri Lankan visited a doctor again on Monday, but it won't be clear until just before the match whether he's fit to play.

If Jayawardene is ruled out, the likely replacement could be Australian Luke Pomersbach. A left-handed middle order batsman, who can also bowl right arm medium pace, he's been a success with KXIP in the past.

KXIP's other option could have been Shaun Marsh, who made quite an impact last year. But following this opener's injury in Australia's recent limited overs series against Pakistan, he's unfortunately a write off this year.

KXIP need to win three of their remaining four matches to be in the running to qualify for the semi-finals.

For the first time in more than a week, no matter what the outcome of Monday’s match between Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers (a face-off between two former teammates in a near invincible Australian unit, Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist), Delhi Daredevils will remain at the top of the standings in the Twenty20 Indian Premier League for at least until Wednesday.

The league leadership had been switching sometimes every four hours, with two matches a day being played out even on weekdays in this slightly abbreviated tournament as compared to the inaugural event last year.

By defeating Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday night, Daredevils (14 points from nine matches, including seven wins) went past Chennai Super Kings (13 points from 10 games, with six wins and one no-result). CSK’s next outing is on Thursday.

Royals, who were third in the league table on Sunday night with 11 points from 10 matches, can at best get to 13 points, if they beat Chargers.

On the other hand, if Chargers eclipse Royals, they would reach 12 points.

It’s remarkable that Daredevils have established their supremacy without utilising the all-time great fast medium exponent Glenn McGrath (though now retired from international cricket) for a single match and with skipper Virender Sehwag out of commission for nearly half their engagements.

Gautam Gambhir, standing in for Sehwag, however, indicated that the regular captain could be back in action in their next game on Wednesday. He was “80 percent fit” on Sunday, he claimed.

Sehwag’s return to full fitness will, more than anything else, be good news for the Indian team, slated to defend their World Twenty20 title next month in England.

Meanwhile, Knight Riders captain Brendon McCullum and director of coaching John Buchanan attempted to put a gloss on their performance on Sunday, wherein they lost by seven wickets to Daredevils – their eight failure in a row.

The two spoke about how they “fought” after being nine for three and then 123 for eight in 20 overs, the “spirit” in the side. Only the most charitable would be convinced. South African media are perplexed that Charl Langeveldt hasn’t got a break for Knight Riders where several less experienced cricketers from this country have been encouraged by nearly all franchises, primarily because of their knowledge of local conditions.

It’s that stage of the competition when public interest, especially in small place like this, is ebbing as was evident from the attendance in this encounter between defending champions Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers, contenders in the current tournament, won by the latter by 53 runs.

Chargers, thereby, rose above Royals in the league table to 3rd place, now enjoying 12 points to their rivals’ 11, with a match in hand. West Indian Dwayne Smith really set up Chargers’ victory with a knock of 47 from 32 balls. But Royals didn’t do themselves any favours with their running between the wickets.

If Adam Gilchrist received a raw deal from the umpire, so did Graeme Smith. Both were adjudged leg before wicket; in the case of the latter, the ball hit him above his knee roll – often a good clue. But it was Chaminda Vaas’ very first ball of IPL 2009 and, therefore, a notable debut after being ignored.

In the circumstances, Royals’ chances of recovery rested to a certain extent on the consistent Naman Ojha, who came in a number four. But a brilliant throw from Dwaraka Teja in the covers extinguished his effort before it could really burgeon.

Yusuf Pathan was lucky to survive an appeal for lbw; but Pragyan Ojha had the last laugh, as the strapping right-hander played what can be best described as a nothing shot to spoon a catch to mid-off.

But it wasn’t curtains yet for Royals. Unheralded some of their players may be; but untalented they are not. While the venture was disintegrating at the other end, the diminutive Swapnil Asnodkar, who had opened with Smith, produced a fairly sparkling 44 off 39 balls (including a six through Tiru Suman’s hands at midwicket) before he, too, was run out.

In recent fixtures, every time Rohit Sharma has been introduced into the attack, something has happened, including a hat-trick in an earlier game. Now, his first ball resulted in Asnodkar’s exit; and he thereafter gobbled up three quick wickets to hasten the inevitable.

But Sharma, who’s been retained in India’s World Twenty20 squad, is not quite fulfilling his potential as a batsman. Needless rushes of blood have truncated his essays, as it did on this occasion.

Gilchrist characteristically began by whipping Morne Morkel to midwicket for six in the very first over. Thereafter, the dreaded finger went up to a ball that pitched outside leg stump.

Suman, opening the innings, adopted the role of pinch hitter and drove a full length ball from Pathan to long off for six. But his effort was nipped in the bud by a fine catch against the full blaze of the sun by Lee Carseldine.

Andrew Symonds, now, attempted to take control. He was particularly severe against the ageing Shane Warne, once taking a big stride forward to clout him to long on for six.

The Aussie, though, wasn’t as comfortable against Ravindra Jadeja, who bowled him around his legs for 30. Earlier, Sharma in a lapse of concentration stepped out to the same bowler and was easily stumped. Vaas, preferred to Herschelle Gibbs, was promoted to number six to maintain the run rate, which he did with a quick 20, laced as it was with a six off Abhishek Raut. 

Scoreboard

Deccan Chargers:
Suman c Carseldine b Trivedi 29
Gilchrist lbw b Pathan 10
Rohit st Ojha b Jadeja 9
Symonds b Jadeja 30
Smith c Raut b Pathan 47
Vaas c Carseldine b Pathan 20
Venugopal c Jadeja b Warne 12
Ravi Teja not out 7
RP not out 0
Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2
Total (7 wickets; 20 overs) 166
Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-42, 3-70, 4-83, 5-120, 6-155, 7-164.
Bowling: Morkel 3-0-20-0, Munaf 1-0-3-0, Yusuf 4-0-34-3, Trivedi 3-0-33-1, Warne 4-0-36-1, Jadeja 4-0-26-2, Raut 1-0-13-0.

Rajasthan Royals:
Smith lbw b Vaas 1
Asnodkar run out 44
Carseldine st Gilchrist b Vaas 8
Ojha run out 16
Yusuf c Smith b Ojha 6
Jadeja not out 19
Raut b Rohit 1
Morkel c Ravi Teja b Rohit 8
Warne b Rohit 0
Trivedi b RP 1
Munaf run out 5
Extras (lb 1, w 3) 4
Total (all out; 19.3 overs) 113
Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-19, 3-43, 4-74, 5-83, 6-85, 7-96, 8-97, 9-98.
Bowling: RP 4-0-22-1, Vaas 4-0-19-2, Symonds 4-0-30-0, Ojha 3.3-0-25-1, Smith 1-0-4-0, Rohit 3-0-12-3.

Player of the match: Smith

Guangzhou, May 11
India outclassed Australia 4-1 in their first Group 3 tie of the Sudirman Cup badminton championship here Monday. India’s only loss came in the women's doubles where Shruti Kurian and Aparna Balan were pairing for the first time. The mixed doubles pair of V. Diju and Jwala Gutta gave India a rousing start, dispatching Benjamin Walkate and Kate Wilson Smith 21-19, 21-15 in just 24 minutes.

World No. 12 Chetan Anand showed his class as he thumped Jeff Tho 21-14, 21-14 to make it 2-0 for India. In men's doubles, Rupesh Kumar and Sanave Thomas faced little difficulty in overcoming Glenn Warfe and Benjamin McCarthy 21-12, 21-15 to win the tie.

Saina Nehwal, World No. 10, took just 20 minutes to trounce Leisha Cooper 21-11, 21-15. India then fielded the scratch combination of Shruti and Aparna, who lost to Eugenia Tanaka and Kate Wilson Smith 21-16, 19-21, 18-21. India next play Ukraine who beat Scotland 3-2 in a thriller. — IANS

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