Dharamshala, May 17
A couple of hours before the match, thunder, lightning and rain threatened to disrupt this all-important game for Kings XI Punjab. But the storm that was gathering in the sky stopped right in time for the match to begin. However, another storm in the form of Shaun Marsh and Adam Gilchrist gathered on the ground and completely wrecked the Royal Challengers’ bowling attack. The pair put on the highest ever partnership in a T20 game to entirely pulverise the RCB attack. 232 were put on in 20 overs and the record partnership was worth 206 runs.

RCB were never in the game after opener Chris Gayle fell for a duck and captain Virat Kohli could manage a mere 11 runs. Kings XI Punjab won the match by 111 runs.

The crowds had come in to see Chris Gayle turn on the heat but they were not complaining when Gilchrist and Marsh tore into the RCB bowlers. While Shaun Marsh has been consistent right through this tournament, Gilchrist was due for some runs for a long time now. And he responded in terrific fashion here by belting a scorching hundred (106 from 55 balls).

It was the kind of innings from Gilchrist that can demoralise any bowling attack. And the beauty of the knock was that there was hardly anything brutal about the assault.

Mostly the shots were well-timed hits coming from the meat of Gilly’s bat and were placed smartly in the gaps and nine of them went over the ropes. Gilchrist took his time to get going and till the seventh over, he was mostly at the non-striker’s end. The fall of Paul Valthaty’s wicket brought the Kings skipper into the spotlight and he grabbed the initiative with explosive shots. Gilchrist finally came good for Kings XI Punjab in the 13th match of IPL-IV but it was worth the wait. He showed tonight that he can still play those rousing shots — it’s only the consistency that is lacking. And age could be a factor for that inconsistency.

RCB skipper Virat Kohli missed Zaheer Khan, who was rested for this game. The other bowlers struggled to maintain a steady line and were punished. In fact, Zaheer’s replacement Johan van der Wath was smashed for 30 runs by Shaun Marsh in the 15th over of the innings. Marsh remained unbeaten with 79 from 49 balls.

Kohli tried desperately to stem the flow of runs and brought on Chris Gayle to take the pace off the ball. But Gilchrist was unrelenting in his attack and hoisted Gayle for two sixes in one over. The Karnataka bowlers in the side — Mithun and Aravind — were both unimpressive and leaked runs at a rapid rate.

The signs were ominous as soon as RCB started their chase. Praveen Kumar bowled a maiden and Ryan Harris sent back the dangerous Gayle for a duck. Virat Kohli followed soon and the fight was out of the Bangalore camp. Piyush Chawla was once again the most successful bowler for Kings with figures of four for 17.

Kings recorded their fourth straight win and are now very much in the race for a place in the top four. They will play their final league match here against the Deccan Chargers on May 21. And they need to win that one as well.

Scoreboard
Kings XI Punjab
Valthaty c Tiwary b Langeveldt 20
Gilchrist c Gayle b Langeveldt 106
Marsh not out 79
Hussey not out 0
Extras (b 7, lb 14,w 4, nb 2) 27
Total: (2 wkts; 20 ovrs) 232
Bowling: Wath 4-0-50-0, Langeveldt 4-0-48-2, Gayle 4-0-35-0, Aravind 4-0-36-0, Mithun 3-0-29-0, Kohli 1-0-13-0.

Royal Challengers
Gayle c Gilchrist b Harris 0
Tiwary c Hussey b Srivastava 6
Kohli c Karthik b Harris 11
Villiers c Gilchrist b Piyush 34
Asad c Hussey b Valthaty 7
Kaif st Gilchrist b Piyush 15
Arun b Piyush 6
Wath lbw b Piyush 4
Mithun c Hussey b Harris 10
Langeveldt b Srivastava 8
Aravind not out 11
Extras (b 4, lb 1, w 4) 9
Total: (10 wkts; 17 ovrs) 121
Bowling: Kumar 3-1-11-0, Harris 3-0-28-3, Srivastava 3-0-30-2, Valthaty 4-0-30-1, Chawla 4-0-17-4.

New Delhi, May 17
Star Indian boxer Vijender Singh today tied the knot with Delhi-girl Archana Singh in a low-key ceremony here. The marriage was solemnised at the Delhi Flying Club and was attended by the family and friends of the 25-year-old boxer, who is India's first Olympic and World Championships medallist.

He claimed bronze medals in both these events. The couple will host a reception at Vijender's native village Kaluwas in Bhiwani tomorrow. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, BJP MP Shahnawaz Hussain, former Union Minister Captain Satish Sharma, Indian Boxing Federation chief Abhay Singh Chautala and national boxing coach G S Sandhu were among the prominent guests at the wedding ceremony, which lasted just a couple of hours before the couple and their families drove off to Bhiwani.

Gandhi, a friend of the boxer and an avid boxing fan himself, stayed at the venue for about ten minutes and wished the newly-wed couple. Vijender wore a cream sherwani for the occasion while his software engineer bride was dressed in a red sari designed by Tarun Tahiliani. Archana hails from Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh and works with the British High Commission in the capital.

"A new chapter of my life starts today and I hope it would be as successful as my boxing career. But I have very little time for prolonged celebrations as I would be heading to Cuba for a training tour later this month. The Asian Championships are also coming up next month, so it's back to training pretty soon for me," Vijender said after tying the knot.

Among the boxers, Commonwealth Games bronze-medallist Jai Bhagwan and Commonwealth Championships gold-medallist Dinesh Kumar attended the ceremony.

The rest of the guest list mainly comprised of local Haryana politicians and close family friends. Vijender, who returned to the country a couple of days back after winning a bronze at the Arafura Games in Australia, had reportedly been dating the girl for the past four years. — PTI

London, May 17
Ending India's "domination" of the ICC and dismissing the "nonsense" idea of having a window for the IPL would top Tony Greig's agenda if the former England captain is given charge of cricket's world governing body. "Number one, we have got to try and get the ICC right. We have a situation at the moment where the ICC is dominated by India. They tell Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and one or two other countries what to do and they always get the vote," Greig told the 'BBC' in an interview.

"It's very hard, but somehow we have got to change things at that level," he added. Greig said there is too much cricket being played and having a separate window for the IPL would be ridiculous while players complain of burnout. "We are playing too much cricket. I would be getting all the countries from the world and saying hey listen, what is this nonsense of giving Indian domestic cricket an open window? "To give the IPL (Indian Premier League, a domestic Twenty20 competition) an open window, and reduce by two months the time available for cricketers to play around the world, in the current environment is just ridiculous.

"We have got to look very, very closely and make sure we do not destroy the cornerstone of the game which is Test cricket," said the 64-year-old former all-rounder, who is now a commentator.

Greig said it was unfortunate to see players such as Chris Gayle coming up with batting fireworks in the IPL while the West Indies took on Pakistan in a Test series. "It is laughable that (Chris) Gayle and (Kieron) Pollard are playing in the IPL when the West Indies are playing Pakistan - that is just ridiculous." Greig, however, maintained that he loves the cricketing atmosphere in India.

"I took to India and the subcontinent very much...I loved the place," said Greig, ahead of the publication of a new biography, 'Tony Greig: A Reappraisal of English Cricket's Most Controversial Captain,' by David Tossell. "It was the first time I really felt as if we were entertaining people, as the people there loved the game so much - to go to those stadiums and find them packed full. To this day (Kolkata's) Eden Gardens remains one of my top three grounds, just because of the incredible atmosphere," he added. — PTI

Chennai, May 17
Out of reckoning for the playoffs, IPL debutants Kochi Tuskers Kerala would aim to sign off on a positive note, but that looks easier said than done as they take on the unbeaten-at-home defending champions Chennai Super Kings in an IPL match here tomorrow.

It is an unequal battle given the fine form Chennai are in, but Kochi have sprung a few surprises in the event. Chennai have kept a clean slate at home, winning all the six matches in their backyard. Placed second in the league table, Chennai have won eight matches out of the 12 they have played.

Kochi have no chance of making the qualifiers, as they don't just have to win big against Chennai, they also have to pray that Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings XI Punjab lose their remaining two matches. This is Tuskers last league outing, while Chennai have their last match against Royal Challengers slated for May 22 in Bangalore.

Interestingly, Kochi had beaten Chennai in their earlier match through the Duckworth-Lewis method after rain reduced the game to a 17-overs-a-side affair. Things have turned around dramatically for Chennai after that, but the same cannot be said about Kochi as they have not shown consistency in the tournament so far.

Kochi's regular captain Mahela Jayawardene would not be at the helm for the team's final IPL game this season, as he has left for England to join the Sri Lankan national team for an upcoming Test series. In his absence, Parthiv Patel, who has been selected for next month's tour of the West Indies, is expected to lead the side.

Jayawardene had brought about victories against top three teams on the points table - Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians and Kolkata Knight Riders. Considering their knack for upsets, Kochi cannot be completely counted out of tomorrow's contest. Kochi's bowling lacks in many respects as Rudra Pratap Singh, the wily left-arm seamer, has been a letdown and the temperamental Sreesanth has been more of his usual tantrum-throwing self rather than a disciplined performer.

As for Chennai, revenge would be high on the agenda. Apart from the home advantage, Chennai players have gelled very well on the field and the bowlers have won quite a few matches for them, besides the already strong batting line up. — PTI

New Delhi, May 17
Virender Sehwag, who underwent a successful shoulder surgery in London last week, is expected to be fit before the important tour of England, according to the star player's childhood coach A.N. Sharma. "He spoke to me after surgery and informed that it went off well. He is hopeful he will recover in time for the England series," Sharma said today.

When asked whether he would be able to bowl his off-breaks again, Sharma answered, "...that completely depends on how quickly he gets the strength back in his shoulders. He will have an extensive rehabilitation programme at the NCA in Bangalore. Hopefully, everything will be fine."

Sehwag left the IPL campaign after playing 11 matches as Delhi Daredevils were out of the race for play-offs. The injury he sustained is known as slap lesion or labrun tear (shoulder blade tear). It happened during the 2009 IPL and it subsequently ruled him out of that year's Twenty20 World Cup.

His surgery was conducted by renowned British surgeon Andrew Wallace, who had earlier successfully treated Sachin Tendulkar's tennis elbow. The former India vice-captain is likely to go back to London after a month and half to get a thorough check-up done. — PTI

Mumbai, May 17
Knocked out of the play-off race after suffering a six-wicket defeat against Deccan Chargers here today, Pune Warriors India captain Yuvraj Singh said they will now have to play for pride in their remaining two games of the ongoing IPL. Deccan ended Pune's slim hopes of qualifying for the play-offs by first restricting them to 136 for nine and then overwhelming the target comfortably with four balls to spare.

And expectedly, Yuvraj held his batsmen responsible for not putting up enough runs on the board at the D Y Stadium here. "We had to win all three but unfortunately nothing went our way. The batters let the team down again. No point in saying we are a better team than we looked, you have to perform," he said after the match.

"Some youngsters will get a chance and some overseas players. Now we have to play for pride," added Yuvraj.

Deccan skipper Kumar Sangakkara, who played his last IPL game of this season as heads to England for national duty, said it was an all-round display by his team for the second match on the trot after some lacklustre performances in the initial stage of the tournament.

"Another well-played game. We bowled really well. But we have to do a lot of work, be more athletic, fielding will be a key for us. Batting and bowling, skill wise, we are alright," he said. Sangakkara will not play Deccan's last match against Kings XI Punjab on May 21 as he will fly to England tomorrow morning to join the Sri Lankan team.

"It was a privilege playing with the Deccan Chargers. All the local Indian boys have made a lot of difference for us. England will be a nice change. I love to play Tests and we will need to make a few technical adjustments," Sangakkara said.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra, who was adjudged man-of-the-match for his impressive spell of two for 26, said Deccan key to success in the last two games was the performance of its foreign recruits. "I am feeling nice that the team is winning. I am working hard on my bowling. The wicket was helping spin a bit, so I also tried the googly," he said.

"Our overseas players were not performing, but they have done well in the last two games." — PTI

New Delhi, May 17
Holding the game's administrators responsible for the team's poor show in the just-concluded Azlan Shah Cup in Malaysia, former chief coach Vasudevan Bhaskaran has said the Indian hockey need fresh legs ahead of next year's Olympic qualifiers.

2009 champions and 2010 co-winners, India finished a lowly sixth out of seven teams in this year's Azlan Shah Cup and Bhaskaran said the need of the hour for the erstwhile powerhouse of world hockey is a strong bench strength. "We have to qualify for London Olympics anyhow.

“We don't want to face the agony of not qualifying for the Olympics, like 2008. But for that, we need fresh legs in Indian hockey," Bhaskaran, who led India to its eighth and last Olympic gold in 1980 Moscow Games, told PTI from Chennai.

"When I was the chief coach, the pool was almost the same and there is no big difference visible in the last five years. We don't have any dearth of talent, but there is urgent need to nurture them. We need to forget the power struggle between Indian Hockey Federation and Hockey India," he said.

"People say that we missed midfielder Sardara Singh in the Azlan Shah Cup, but that is not an excuse. We must have three or four players for each position. Why don't the administration try to broaden the pool? questioned Bhaskaran, who was the coach of the national team during the 2006 World Cup at Monchengladbach, Germery.

Lauding young penalty corner specialist Rupinder Pal Singh for his impressive performance in the Azlan Shah Cup, Bhaskaran suggested zone-based tournaments to broaden the country's reserve pool in hockey. — PTI

Jalandhar, May 17
The Delhi men’s team lifted the Federation Cup Hockey title as they defeated a spirited Punjab side 2-1, while Haryana eves had a cakewalk as they thrashed the hopes of Punjab 4-1 at the PAP Astroturf in Jalandhar on Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, an organized Delhi team dominated Punjab right from the word go. Delhi took the lead and opened their account in the 13th minute of the game when Mohit posted a field goal 0-1. Till half time the winners were leading 0-1.

The second half of the match saw Punjab score an equaliser through Karanpal Singh (1-1). Punjab missed many scoring opportunities while hitting Delhi on the counter, and lost as many as seven golden chances of capitalising on penalty corners. For Delhi, Munish Rana scored the final goal in the 53rd minute, leading the team to victory.

New Delhi, May 17
Annu Raj Singh became the fifth Indian shooter to book a berth in next year's London Olympics after clinching the 10m Air Pistol silver medal at the ongoing ISSF World Cup in Fort Benning, USA.

Singh, who had never won a World Cup medal before this, qualified for the finals with 389 points, tied with eventual gold-medallist Olena Kostevych of Ukraine. The 27-year old shooter ended up second overall with a total score of 486.6 points, after scoring 97.6 points in the final.

The bronze medal went to 2011 European Champion Celine Goberville of France, who closed with a score of 486.3 (388+98.3) - just 0.3 points away from the silver medal.

Singh, ranked 33rd in the world before the final yesterday, joins rifle shooters Ronjan Sodhi, Gagan Narang, Hari Om Singh and Sanjeev Rajput, to clinch a quota place for the London Olympics. More than 600 athletes coming from 70 countries are participating in the third ISSF Rifle and Pistol World Cup stage of the year. — PTI

New Delhi, May 17
Basketball Federation of India has announced the appointment of three pre-eminent American coaches to lead India’s men’s and women’s national basketball teams, and further the BFI’s grassroots growth of the game in India.

Kenny Natt, with 3 years of playing and 13 years coaching experience in the National Basketball Association (NBA), was named as the Head Coach of the Indian Men’s Senior Team, and esteemed U.S. college men’s and women’s coaching veteran Pete Gaudet as the Head Coach of the Indian Women’s Senior Team.

Natt and Gaudet will be taking over the reins from Bill Harris and Tamika Raymond, respectively, who led such efforts in 2010.

Additionally, Zak Penwell, a highly trained, experienced, and regarded strength & conditioning coach will serve in that capacity to support all men’s and women’s national basketball team efforts. All the three coaches will be based at the BFI in New Delhi.

BFI Chief Executive Officer Harish Sharma, "We are excited beyond words to bring on board these three incredible coaches, who will play a critical role in helping us achieve our vision of growing basketball in India.”

Chandigarh, May 17
Volkswagen Motorsport India today announced the starting grid of drivers for the Polo Cup India 2011, the second season of the highly acclaimed one-make touring car series.

The 20 drivers will compete in six races held between June and December 2011. The first race will be flagged-off on June 17th at the Kari Motor Speedway in Coimbatore.

“The overwhelming response and incredible success of the debut season of the Polo Cup India is a testimony to the talent pool in India and the interest in the sport. The Volkswagen Polo Cup India is set on international standards and gives young talent the best precondition to compete internationally.

With second season of the Polo Cup India, we strengthen our commitment towards promoting Motorsports in India.” Dr. John Chacko, Volkswagen Group Chief Representative India, President and Managing Director, Volkswagen India Private Limited, expressed.