cricket Ajay Shirke, Sanjay Jagdale resign from BCCI posts

New Delhi: Two top BCCI officials, secretary Sanjay Jagdale and treasurer Ajay Shirke, quit from their respective posts on Friday in a bid to put pressure on beleaguered Cricket Board President N Srinivasan in the wake of the IPL spot-fixing and betting scandal.

Jagdale said he quit from his post as he was deeply hurt by the current crisis that has hit Indian cricket.

"Yes, that's true, I have resigned from the post of honorary secretary of BCCI," Jagdale said.

"I don't want to comment further but I am deeply hurt by the recent developments in Indian cricket. I thought it's better to get out so that some new faces come in and deal with it in a better way," he added.

He, however, refused to divulge the details of the resignation letter sent to Srinivasan.

"I can't comment about the resignation letter I have written to the President. It's proper to inform the President and I have done that.

Jagdale said he would no longer be part of the three-man inquiry commission set up by the BCCI to go into allegations against Srinivasan's son-in-low and CSK Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, who was arrested on charges of betting in IPL, and Rajasthan Royals franchise.

"I have already expressed my inability to be part of the commission," Jagdale said.

"I can't comment on whether other BCCI members would follow suit and resign."

He declined to comment on whether Srinivasan should also tender his resignation.

Shirke also confirmed his resignation.

"I have spelt out my reasons (for resignation). I don't want to comment any further. I have already spoken to the media at length," Srirke said.

Shirke said he was not cajoled by Srinivasan not to quit.

Buckling under relentless pressure on him to quit, Srinivasan today convened an emergency meeting of the Board's all-powerful working committee on June 8 to discuss the current crisis arising out of betting and spot-fixing in IPL.

The beleaguered President's decision came after three important members called him up to convene such a meeting and asked him to announce it by the evening in what is seen as the first step towards possibly ousting him.

There was intense speculation that joint secretary Anurag Thakur and five vice-presidents will also put in their papers by tomorrow.

The five vice-presidents are Arun Jaitley (North) Niranjan Shah (West), Sudhir Dabir (Central), Chitrak Mitra (East) and Shivlal Yadav (South).

However, Chitrak Mitra denied that he was planning to quit. "I have no plans to quit nor am I under any pressure to do so," he said.

There were reports that the vice-presidents are set to resign in a bid to put further pressure on Srinivasan so that he quits on his own.

Jagdale later said that he had already declined yesterday to be part of the three-man commission appointed to probe Meiyappan.

"Yesterday, I declined to be part of the Commission and today I resigned," he said.

He said Indian cricket will bounce back from the current crisis.

"In every organisation and walk of life, there are always bad people but good people always outnumber them. Maybe 1 to 2 per cent people are bad. BCCI has been running well over the years and the system has been good.

"Some bad people has brought disrepute to the game but I believe Indian cricket will bounce back stronger from this crisis," he added.

I am shocked and disappointed: Sachin Tendulkar on fixing

New Delhi: Breaking his silence on the raging spot-fixing scandal, Sachin Tendulkar on Friday said that the developments of the last two weeks were "shocking and disappointing" and the faith reposed by the millions of fans in the game should be justified.

Tendulkar said the authorities must take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue and ensure that credibility of the game is restored.

The champion batsman, who retired from IPL after his side Mumbai Indians won the title recently, said as a cricketer he has always learnt to play in the true spirit of the game.

"It has always hurt me when the game of cricket is in the news for the wrong reasons. The developments in the last two weeks have been shocking and disappointing. As cricketers we are always taught to go out, fight hard, give our very best and play in the true spirit of the game," Tendulkar said in a statement.

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The milestone man of Indian cricket said it was important that the authorities get to the root of the problem.

"During this difficult phase, I join every cricketer, from the boys in the maidans across the country to those who represent clubs, states and the country, who trust the authorities to take sincere steps to get to the root of the issue.

"The faith reposed by the millions of fans should be justified and we owe it to them to ensure that Indian cricket is all about pride and joy," the statement added.

Tendulkar's statement on the spot-fixing scandal assumes great importance since none of the current Indian cricketers have spoken on the issue, since it broke out about two weeks ago.

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has steadfastly refused to speak on the scandal, apparently under a gag order from the BCCI.

Dhoni evaded questions on spot-fixing at the pre-departure press conference in Mumbai on Tuesday and also did the same at the media interaction in Birmingham yesterday ahead of Champions Trophy.

The only thing Dhoni said at the press conference in Birmingham was that Indian cricket's reputation was not "gone" and that some people were "slightly mentally weak" compared to others. He said that he will speak when the time was right.

With more and more cricket boards and state unit officials coming out in the open against BCCI President N Srinivasan's continuance over the last few days, it will be interesting to see whether more cricketers also start giving their views, taking a cue from Tendulkar.

IPL Spot-Fixing: Sports Ministry asks Srinivasan to step down

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: The pressure on BCCI chief Ministry N Srinivasan to resign kept mounting as the Ministry of Sports has asked him to step down on moral grounds.

“As there is a conflict on interest, Srinivasan should tender his resignation on moral grounds, pending the outcome of the inquiry,” the Sports Ministry said in a press release.

"The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is in favour of a law to curb malpractices in all sports. It will send its comments on the bill drafted by the Law Ministry, and is looking forward to working with the Law Ministry and other stakeholders for the development of a comprehensive law against match and spot-fixing," the statement read.

The Ministry, meanwhile, rejected reports that it was in favour of legalising betting to curb corruption in sports.

"The Ministry of Sports has also observed that a section of the Media has reported that it is in favour of a law regularising betting in the sporting events in the country.

"The Ministry clarifies that betting is a State Subject and cannot be part of a Central law. The Ministry has made no recommendations to regularise betting to the Law Ministry or to any other organisation," it said.

The press release came hours after IPL chairman and top BCCI functionary Rajeev Shukla said that he and Arun Jaitley have asked Srinivasan to step down as the BCCI president till probe, which looks into the alleged involvement of his son-in-law in betting and spot-fixing, is over .

He, however, made it clear that it is upto Srinivasan to decide whether he wants to quit or not as he is the elected president of the board.

Shukla, who met BCCI vice-president Arun Jaitley today, also said that they would immediately act on the recommendations made by the three-member probe committee.

"Findings of the commission will not be ratified by the
BCCI. It will be implemented straightaway", Shukla told reporters.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India had on Tuesday constituted a three-man inquiry commission including two retired High Court judges to go into allegations against Gurunath Meiyappan — the son-in-law of BCCI chief N. Srinivasan — who has been arrested on charges of betting on IPL VI matches.

Justice T Jayaram Chouta, former Judge of the Karnataka and Madras High Courts, Justice R. Balasubramanian, former Judge of the Madras High Court, and BCCI secretary Sanjay Jagdale are members of the Commission, which will also go into the allegations against three players of the Rajasthan Royals team and its franchise as well as the Chennai Super Kings, of which Meiyappan was the Team Principal.

Earlier on Tuesday, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia became the first BCCI office-bearer to openly call for president N. Srinivasan’s resignation in the wake of the spot-fixing scandal and said the Board should take entire responsibility for the fiasco.

While Scindia wanted Srinivasan to stay out of office until after the case of his son-in-law Gurunath Meiyappan was decided, another Union Minister and senior Board functionary Farooq Abdullah said there was no reason for the beleaguered president to quit.

Meanwhile, a defiant and combative BCCI President N Srinivasan, who decided to hang on to his position despite the IPL spot-fixing scandal, had on Monday said his resignation is being sought only by a "hounding media".

Srinivasan, whose son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings CEO Gurunath Meiyappan has been arrested for alleged involvement in betting, were booed by the Eden Gardens' crowd during the presentation ceremony of the IPL 6 final on Sunday.

IPL Spot-Fixing: Meiyappan's police custody extended

Zee Media Bureau

Mumbai: A Mumbai court on Wednesday has agreed to extend the police custody of Gurunath Meiyappan, CSK team owner and son-in-law of BCCI chief N Srinivasan, who was arrested in charge of betting and spot-fixing a few days back. He was produced in the court today.

Meiyappan used to place "huge bets" on IPL matches after fixing the game, Mumbai Police had told a metropolitan court which remanded him in police custody till May 29.

The CSK Team Principal, armed with inside information about the Chennai f ranchise, shared those with bookies to make money, Mumbai crime branch, probing the raging betting scandal, told the court.

The 35-year-old top honcho of CSK, twice IPL champions, was in the eye of a huge storm after actor and TV reality show winner Vindoo Dara Singh, arrested for his alleged links to bookies, admitted to having placed bets on his behalf.

Vindoo, winner of reality show Bigg Boss season 3 and son of late wrestler-actor Dara Singh, was allegedly in "frequent touch" with Meiyappan during the IPL matches and was claimed to have told Mumbai crime branch that the CSK owner had lost Rs 1 crore through betting.

The crime branch, according to sources, had call data records of conversations between Vindoo and Meiyappan and they are learnt to have confronted the two with the transcripts.

I will not take up IPL position again: Rajeev Shukla

New Delhi: Frustrated with the spot-fixing scandal and a series of other controversies that have plagued the Indian Premier League, the event`s chairman Rajeev Shukla on Wednesday said he was not keen to take up the position again.

Shukla said his tenure was for a one-year period which is renewed every year and he was not willing to take up the high-profile post for a third consecutive term.

"IPL Chief is a one-year post which gets renewed every year in the AGM but I don`t intend to do the job for a third year," Shukla said on Wednesday.

"I am not craving for any position in the BCCI, my job was to organise the matches and the matches were well organised. The stadiums were packed irrespective of the controversies," he said.

"I have never hankered for any position. When the IPL Chairman`s position was given to me, I took it up as a challenge and I did my job to the best of my ability," he added.

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Shukla said there has been a lot of discussion among the Board members over N Srinivasan`s continuance as BCCI President in the aftermath of the spot-fixing scandal.

"Discussion among BCCI members have already taken place and our immediate concern is to protect the image of BCCI and Indian cricket," he said.

Shukla`s decision not to take up the position again coiuld put added pressure on a defiant Srinivasan, who has steadfastly refused to quit, maintaining that he has not done anything wrong.

Shukla, who became the IPL chairman last year replacing Chirayu Amin, said the event was going on fine till the spot-fixing scandal broke out and the most important thing now is to restore its credibility.

"Misdeeds of a few players and certain people cannot and should not bring bad name to hundreds of players who participated in the IPL with full honesty. The reputation of the IPL cannot be tarnished by a few greedy individuals," he said.

Asked what steps should be taken to restore the credibility of the tournament, Shukla said, "The anti-corruption wing must work in coordination with the Police agencies."

"Keeping an eye on bookies is the job of police. The second suggestion which I has been accepted already is that one ACSU official should be attached with each team throughout the tournament because he will be able to make out which is a rotten egg in the entire basket."

"Third suggestion is whoever is caught should be punished severely by the law of the land. It will teach them a lesson. And lastly, there should be a provision in the contract of the players if anyone is found indulging in corruption, he should be criminally prosecuted."

Shukla said that anti-corruption was not in his domain as the IPL Chairman`s job is to organise the tournament.

"The anti-corruption is entirely the responsibility of the ICC and the BCCI. That`s why the ICC and BCCI ACSU was looking after IPL. They don`t report to IPL chief, they report to the ICC and BCCI," he explained.

In the aftermath of the scandal, a three-member BCCI inquiry committee was formed to probe BCCI chief N Srinivasan`s son-in-law and Chennai Super Kings Team Principal Gurunath Meiyappan, who has been arrested for alleged betting.

The committee is also enquiring into the spot-fixing allegations against three Rajasthan Royals players and its franchise.

Justice T Jayaram Chouta, former Judge of the Karnataka and Madras High Courts, Justice R Balasubramanian, former Judge of the Madras High Court, and BCCI Secretary Sanjay Jagdale are members of the Commission.

"My view that the recommendation of the three-member commission should be binding on the BCCI. It should not go to the BCCI working committee.”

"As far as Srinivasan is concerned, we are of the view that pending the inquiry, he should disassociate himself from the entire procedure, he should stay away from all functional responsibility. So that, a free and fair inquiry can take place," opined Shukla.

Asked whether he had any inkling of spot-fixing taking place in the IPL, Shukla said, "If I had any information, I would have cracked down. We did not have any idea that such things were happening."

It’ll be special to play 200th Test: Sachin Tendulkar

Zee Media Bureau

Mumbai: After winning the Indian Premier League (IPL) title with Mumbai Indians, batting legend Sachin Tendulkar has set his sight on playing 200th Test match for India.

Tendulkar, who recently announced his retirement for IPL, in an interview, said that he was looking forward to the South African tour that will see him adding another feather to his cap.

“The South African tour still has some time to go (in December), but it would be interesting to play the 200th Test. It`s a big number and it will be a special feeling when I reach there," Tendulkar said in an interview.

Tendulkar, with 198 Tests, has already played in the most number of games in the history of cricket and will become the first ever cricketer to have played in 200 matches when India tours South Africa in December.

Spot-fixing in IPL: Sreesanth, two other Rajasthan Royals players detained, suspended by BCCI

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Rajasthan Royals pace spearhead S Sreesanth and two other players - Ankeet Chavan and Ajit Chandila - have been arrested on charges of spot-fixing.

What is Spot-fixing in cricket?» | Fixing Timeline»

The police have also arrested seven bookies in Mumbai and three bookies in Delhi in connection with the case. They are looking for two more bookies in Delhi.

The special cell of the Delhi police arrested Sreesanth from his friend's place in Mumbai while the other two cricketers were arrested last night from the team hotel at Nariman Point.

According to reports, the Delhi Police had been tapping phone calls of several bookies and cricketers, and incriminating evidence has been found against these three players.

According to reports in a leading news channel, arrested bookie Jiju Janardhan is a cousin of arrested cricketer S Sreesanth.The bookie played in the Under 19 and Under 21 squads for Gujarat.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has suspended all the three Rajasthan Royals players pending inquiry.

Two other players are also believed to be under the scanner.

Sreesanth, a veteran of 53 ODIs and 27 Tests, has been in the news for wrong reasons throughout his career.

He had recently sparked off a controversy by taking to a social networking website to express his frustations at the 'slapgate' controversy involving himself and Harbhajan Singh.

Dhoni, Harbhajan responsible for Sreesanth’s arrest, says father

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: Sreesanth’s father has alleged that Indian captain MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh are responsible for Sreesanth’s arrest.

What is Spot-fixing in cricket?» | Fixing Timeline»

Speaking to a news channel he said, that this entire episode is a conspiracy hatched MS Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh.

His father said, that Dhoni had threatened that Sreesanth would never find a place in the team again.

He further said that all this was being done because of Sreesanth’s recent outburst on Twitter against Harbhajan Singh.

‘Pollard`s send-off, of Watson an act of cowardice’ : Dravid

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians all-rounder Kieron Pollard`s over-the-top celebration to send off Rajasthan Royals batsman Shane Watson in an IPL match here has invited strong criticism from visiting team`s skipper Rahul Dravid who termed it as an ‘act of cowardice’.
‘One of the things that I find when you send off batsman after you have got him out is that it is an act of cowardice. That is my personal opinion. Batsman can never respond after you have got him out and you send him off,’ said the former India captain in the post-match media conference last night.
‘Saying something on the field is part and parcel of the game. Having a chat, a bit of banter while the game is on is fine but my personal opinion is that when you send a batsman off after you have got him out is an act of cowardice,’ Dravid said in a strong reaction to the incident at the Wankhede Stadium.
It started when Pollard said something to Watson who had just come out to bat, and a miffed Australian all-rounder retorted leading to a verbal spat. On-field umpires had to intervene and separate the two players before the incident got ugly.

Watson was later caught by Pollard and the West Indian gave the batsman a send-off with his hand gesture after celebrating the dismissal.
Dravid also felt that the umpires could have handled the situation better.
‘I guess it was a competitive game. Things can get tough in a T20 game. These things can happen, so I wasn`t very surprised. I thought it could have been managed a little bit better. In terms the way the umpires managed it, it could have been managed a lot better. It`s the way things are sometimes. Things can get heated in the middle,’ he said.
The unsavory episode also invited the ire of the match referee who hauled up the home team skipper Rohit Sharma and the errant fielder in a hearing after the game.
Sharma, however, played down the incident and the Trinidadian always celebrated a dismissal like that and there was nothing personal in it.
‘We were just at the match referee`s hearing (before attending the presser) and what Pollard said was that is what he always does. That is the kind of celebration he does even when he takes wickets. You can go and watch the video of his celebration. I don`t think he was personally pointing to anyone. It was his personal celebration,’ he said.
‘All these things happen. It is part of the game. I don`t think we should take it too seriously. All these things keep happening, we shouldn`t be talking about this I feel,’ he said.

Sharma also alleged that it was Watson who had started the fight when Pollard was at the crease by saying something to the big-built West Indian all-rounder.
‘Not me but certainly Pollard got something from Watson. So these things keep happening, so there isn`t too much to look into,’ Sharma said when asked if Mumbai had got a bit of sledging when they were batting.
The MI skipper further said that aggressive cricket brings out the best in his players and he refused to agree that his team took it a bit too far.
‘I don`t think we were verbal. We always play aggressive cricket and that`s how we bring the best out of us. We really don`t care about what other people say. I don`t see any reason for not being aggressive. We play the cricket we know and display the kind of cricket we want to show,’ he said.

Yusuf Pathan first IPL batsman to get obstructing the field decision

Ranchi: India`s Yusuf Pathan on Wednesday became the first batsman in the Twenty20 history, and sixth overall, to be ruled out for obstructing the field.

Test cricket has seen only one batsman, Briton Len Hutton, getting out in that fashion while four players so far have been ruled out in the ODIs, latest being Pakistan`s Mohammed Hafeez against South Africa early this year.

Pakistan`s Rameez Raja (1987) and Inzamam ul haq (2006) while India`s Mohinder Amarnath (1989) are the other three batsmen who were out in similar fashion in ODIs.


Pathan earned the dubious distinction of becoming first batsman to get out in that way in the shortest version of the game while playing for his IPL side Kolkata Knight Riders against Pune Warriors.

The match was in tight situation on Wednesday when the incident happened. After managing to negotiate a yorker from Wayne Parnell, Pathan attempted a single. As Pathan ran, the bowler too tried to get close to the ball but Pathan pushed the ball with his foot, causing obstruction in the field.

The matter was referred to third umpire and he was declared out. His dismissal in the 18th over was turning point of the game as KKR did not have the batsmen to score required 23 runs from 13 balls after that.

Pune restricted Kolkata to 163 for seven to complete their third win from 15 matches.

IPL 2013 Live Score: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Pune Warriors

Zee Media Bureau

LIVE SCORE» I LIVE COMMENTARY»
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TOSS: Kolkata have won the toss and elected to field first.

On a high after back-to-back wins, Kolkata Knight Riders will start favourites against the struggling Pune Warriors India when the two bottom-half teams clash in Ranchi in an IPL match on Wednesday.

Having achieved back-to-back wins, the Gautam Gambhir-led KKR may have to again depend on off-spinner Sunil Narine and experienced all-rounder Jacques Kallis against Pune, a team they beat only last week.

Both played pivotal roles in their win against Royal Challengers Bangalore in KKR`s previous match.

READ THE FULL PREVIEW HERE»

SQUADS:

PWI: Robin Uthappa(w), Aaron Finch(c), Manish Pandey, Yuvraj Singh, Luke Wright, Angelo Mathews, Raiphi Gomez, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ali Murtaza, Wayne Parnell, Ishwar Pandey

KKR: Manvinder Bisla(w), Gautam Gambhir(c), Jacques Kallis, Ryan ten Doeschate, Yusuf Pathan, Manoj Tiwary, Debabrata Das, Rajat Bhatia, Sachithra Senanayake, Sunil Narine, Lakshmipathy Balaji

IPL 2013: Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals- Preview

Mumbai: Having snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Sunrisers Hyderabad, heavyweights Mumbai Indians would have their tails up when they take on Rajasthan Royals in their final Pepsi IPL home game on Wednesday.

POINTS TABLE» I SCHEDULE»

The positives from the match against SRH at their impregnable bastion, Wankhede Stadium, would be taken by table toppers Mumbai into the contest against a fighting fit and upbeat Rajasthan in what promises to be a no-holds barred contest.

The reward for another win for either team -- a sure shot place in the play-offs and a chance to finish the league in the top two positions -- would egg both sides on.

Mumbai all-rounder Kieron Pollard`s blistering attack in the last four overs of the contest yesterday against Hyderabad must have sent alarm bells ringing for the Royals who have come here on a high after winning all eight home games.

Their earlier clash at Jaipur on April 17 was a disaster for Mumbai who were bundled out for a lowly 92 in 18.2 overs chasing the Royals imposing score of 179 for 3 built mainly around local boy Ajinkya Rahane`s unbeaten 68 off 54 balls.

Similar to the visitors` unbeaten run at home, Mumbai too have been unscathed in seven games in their backyard this season but they very nearly came a cropper against Sun Risers last night.

The best news for Mumbai is the return of Pollard at his best which guided the team home despite needing more than two runs a ball when he arrived at the crease last night.

Pollard`s timely reminder of his abilities could not have come at a better time for the home team with the most important phase of the tournament coming up soon.

Mumbai have got decent if not spectacular starts from Sachin Tendulkar and Dwayne Smith in most of the games, but a worrying factor could be the senior India batsman`s retirement from the crease when on 38 yesterday after he felt some unease in his palm while hitting a six.

The dip in form of Smith in the last few games must also be causing a bit of concern and it remains to be seen whether Ricky Ponting makes a return to the playing XI after sitting out many games due to lack of form.

Dinesh Karthik (435 runs from 14 games) and skipper Rohit Sharma, who has been in splendid form with 457 runs, including four half tons at just over 54 per innings, have been the middle order bulwarks.

With Pollard showing enough signs he can cause mayhem when required, especially at this ground where the track is good for hitting through the line, the lone worry in the middle has been the poor form of Ambati Rayudu who has notched up only 163 runs so far.

Mumbai bowling has been manned splendidly by pacers Mitchell Johnson and Lasith Malinga (20 and 13 wickets respectively) and the spin twins of Harbhajan Singh and Pragyan Ojha (17 and 14).

Royals too must also be pretty pleased with the recent run of Shane Watson who is a match-winner with both bat and ball (483 runs and 8 wickets from 12 games).

A Watson-Pollard skirmish within the larger battle also looks a mouth-watering prospect.

Ajinkya Rahane, for whom this is his Ranji Trophy home ground, has been the most consistent batsman for the visitors with 433 runs from 14 games along with skipper Rahul Dravid (387 from 14).

The surprise packet has been Stuart Binny who has been a vital cog with his all-round prowess (219 runs and 5 wickets).

With the lanky James Faulkner (19 wickets) and Kevan Cooper (16) spearheading the new ball attack in splendid fashion, Royals` only worry could be lack of effective spin bowling options.

Both teams would have one more league games in hand, after tomorrow`s match, and both are away matches with Mumbai taking on Kings XI Punjab (May 18) and Royals lining up against Sunrisers (May 17).

The teams (from):

Rajasthan Royals: Rahul Dravid (Capt), Ajinkya Rahane, Ajit Chandila, Ankeet Chavan, Ashok Menaria, Brad Hodge, Brad Hogg, Dishant Yagnik, Harmeet Singh, James Faulkner, Kumar Boresha, Kevon Cooper, Kusal Janith Perera, Owais Shah, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Shukla, S Sreesanth, Sachin Baby, Samuel Badree, Sanju Samson, Shane Watson, Shaun Tait, Shreevats Goswami, Siddharth Trivedi, Stuart Binny, Vikramjeet Malik.

Mumbai Indians: Ricky Ponting (Capt), Abu Nechim Ahmed, Akshar Patel, Aditya Tare, Aiden Blizzard, Ambati Rayudu, Amitoze Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dinesh Karthik, Dwayne Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Harbhajan Singh, Jacob Oram, Jalaj Saxena, James Franklin, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell Johnson, Munaf Patel, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Phil Hughes, Pawan Suyal, Pragyan Ojha, Rishi Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Suryakumar Yadav, Sushant Marathe, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal.

Dale Steyn says India`s Champions Trophy squad is a strong one

Mumbai: India might have left out seasoned campaigners Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir from their ICC Champions Trophy squad, but South African speedster Dale Steyn feels even without the trio, skipper Mahendera Singh Dhoni has a strong side at his disposal.

"India have got a great side. If you look at the IPL, the highest run getters, the highest wicket takers are all Indian players and all of them are in Champions Trophy. They are going to do just fine. Hopefully not too fine against us," Steyn said.

Sehwag, Yuvraj and Gambhir have been omitted from the 15-man Indian squad by the selectors due to indifferent form.

India and South Africa are scheduled to kick-off the eight-nation tournament on June 6 at the Sophia Gardens at Wales, in a Group B match.

Apart from India and South Africa, the four-team Group B also features West Indies and Pakistan, and Steyn said it`s a tough pool.


"It`s a good group. It`s a difficult group. All the teams are doing well and they are playing some good cricket at the moment. The rankings don`t matter. There are some star players in every team that can just knock you out. We have got our work cut out for us when we go there. I am looking forward to that challenge," Steyn said about the group.

Steyn was of the opinion that the conditions in England would be dry in June and it could be challenging for both batsmen and bowlers.

"I think it gets dry there now in June. I know when we played the Test series last year, it was quite difficult to bowl on. It is also difficult to score on too. There weren`t too many high scoring games in the ODIs we played. There weren`t any 300 plus kind of scores, they were like 270 or 260. It always keeps the bowlers in the game. I will assess it when I get there," he said.

South Africa, too, would be missing key players like Jacques Kallis and Graeme Smith and Steyn felt that the team lacked experience, but was also confident that the youngsters are capable of performing well.

"Between the two (Kallis and Smith) of them, there is like 500 ODIs, so massive. As cliches go, it is the opportunity for younger guys to do their stuff. I believe that the guys who are stepping up are just as capable of what these guys can do. It is the experience factor that we lack, that`s all," he said.

Young South African batsman David Miller, who has been included, has been impressive with his match-winning knocks in the ongoing IPL and Steyn said the 23-year-old has a golden chance to make his mark in world cricket.

"He (Miller) has played only a handful of ODIs. His ability, if not, is as equal to a Smith or Kallis, it is just the experience (that he lacks). He has not played many games for South Africa. He has got a better chance going to Champions Trophy and doing well and making himself a household name," he said.

On A B de Villiers` captaincy, the 29-year old said, "He (de Villiers) is very good. He is a great player. He is one of those freaks. I am so happy that he is in my team. He is going to do just fine."

The world`s top-ranked bowler said that he doesn`t like to bowl to de Villiers as it dents his confidence.

"I don`t bowl to him (de Villiers). I need to keep my confidence, I don`t bowl to him. If I had to bowl to him in the nets, I would walk out there with my tail between the legs. There is no point. I try to bowl to the new ball batters and they leave me and make me feel good about myself," he said.

South Africa have not managed to win an ICC Trophy in years and Steyn said if they manage to win the upcoming Champions Trophy, it will be the perfect farewell gift for outgoing coach Gary Kirsten.

"It would be a perfect gift for him (Kirsten). Our chances are as good as anybody else. We just have to go there and play good cricket and see what happens there," he said.

The speedster added that the chokers` tag that has been associated with the Proteas doesn`t bother him anymore.

"It doesn`t matter anymore, personally. I have never gone into a competition wanting to lose. I have always gone in wanting to win. If someone plays better cricket than me then they deserve it. Hopefully this time around we can play better cricket than all other teams," Steyn said.

Steyn said the fatigue factor could come into the picture at the Champions Trophy and cautioned about likely player burn-outs because of constant cricket.

"We (South Africa) have played Pakistan. I played four games against Pakistan in nine days. Came here, played every game in IPL and then I go to Champions Trophy and play every game there. That is the way it goes.

"We have only got 365 days and we have got to cram as much as cricket as possible. It is important that the players decide when to take rest and when not to take rest," he said.

"I love the game and everyone loves the game. There is no reason why we shouldn`t be playing as much cricket as we can. You got to do it sensibly as a player, because if you play every single game, you are going to break down," he said.

"It is tough. But we do what we can on our days off to make sure that we are fit and fine," he added.

Former West Indies bowling great Michael Holding had praised Steyn and wondered how long could the South African last due to excessive cricket but Steyn said he believes he can continue in the same vein for a few more years and that he wants to play Tests till he calls it a day.

"I am only 29. Hopefully I can last for a little bit longer. I am good at bowling fast and that is what I want to do. I want to bowl fast till I retire. I don`t want to lose 15 kmph just to play all three formats of the game. I would rather do what I am good at, as long as I can. Time would come when I have to decide, but right now I feel capable that I can still do it," he said.

"At the end of the day, Test cricket is the purest form of the game. Everybody wants to play Test cricket. I want to play Test cricket until I die, seriously. It is one format of the game where I don`t feel like anybody can come out there and dominate. If you want to give up something it would be T20s and one-dayers," he added.

Indian bowlers tend to lose pace over time and Steyn said, "Conditions definitely help. If you are playing in the right conditions, there is always motivation to bowl fast. If you are playing in the wrong condition then you want to be a batsman."

India tour South Africa for a three-match Test series later this year and asked how the current crop of players would fare, Steyn said, "Hopefully not as well as they fare here in India. I am going to be biased obviously.

"I love playing against them. Most of them are good mates of mine. I have played with Virat (Kohli) and Shikhar (Dhawan), I don`t know (Cheteshwar) Pujara that well but he seems like a good kid, a good guy. They are good players and they would adjust and cope and handle the conditions. But hopefully I would like to get an edge over them," he added.

Sachin Tendulkar has sprained left hand: MI

Mumbai: Mumbai Indians, who have qualified for the IPL play-offs, could miss the services of Sachin Tendulkar for Wednesday`s last home game against Rajasthan Royals if he fails to recover sufficiently from the injury to his left hand.

"He has a left wrist sprain. It does not look bad. The team management will take a call on his playing tomorrow afternoon," a team spokesperson said on Tuesday.


Tendulkar sprained his hand when hitting a six in MI`s come-from-behind victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday night and retired hurt after making an unbeaten 38 in 31 balls.

Tendulkar has scored 287 runs from the 14 games he played so far this season, with 54 as his best effort.

MI have been assured of a play-offs berth following today`s defeat of Royal Challengers Bangalore at home against Kings XI Punjab.

IPL 2013: RCB vs Kings XI Punjab- Preview

Bangalore: A question mark hanging over their play-off chances, Royal Challengers Bangalore return to the comfort of home as they clash with Kings XI Punjab in a crucial IPL match, here on Tuesday.

Four defeats in their last six matches have landed them in a situation where they must win their penultimate contest, otherwise not only they will have to win their last match but also pray that results of some other matches go their way.

Bangalore have played their last six matches away from home and returning to the familiar conditions, where they have not lost a single match, would be a comforting factor.

The last time they played at Chinnaswamy stadium was on April 23 when they trounced Pune Warriors by 130 runs. After that they have travelled to six different venues and managed just two wins.

The recent five-wicket defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders in Ranchi on a very slow pitch, hurt them badly as it gives Sunrisers Hyderabad a chance to snatch fourth position from them. Hyderabad play Mumbai in an away contest on Monday.


And RCB are now playing an opponent, which they had no mat in their last meeting but a hurricane knock by David Miller pulled the rug from under their feet.

Bangalore would like to return the compliment when they host Punjab and they would find themselves in a hole if they don`t win on Tuesday as the visitors are also fancying an outside chance by winning their remaining three matches to get to 16 points.

With 16 points and currently at the fourth spot, RCB have to win their remaining two games to make it to the play-offs as Sunrisers Hyderabad (16 points) and KKR (12) also stand a chance to qualify, provided they win their remaining games.

RCB captain Virat Kohli would expect orange-cap holder Chris Gayle to explode with his bat in this game as the West Indian has been quiet in last few matches.

For Gayle Chinnaswamy has been a happy hunting ground as he has scored 427 runs here out of the 603 scored this season.

Kohli is also a vital cog in the RCB batting lineup as he has to ability to shift gears according to situation. The flamboyant cricketer has scored 521 runs with 99 as his highest individual score this season.

Cheteshwar Pujara, who has worked on his attacking instincts and has added aerial shots to his repertoire, has a role of a sheet-anchor in the side while AB de Villiers has been a tremendous finisher of the game. He has invented a few amazing shots, very useful in this format of the game.

Talented Australian all-rounder, Moises Henriques, is also an impact cricketer and RCB need all their players to contribute.

On the bowling front, Ravi Rampaul, Murali Kartik and Vinay Kumar have done well for RCB but profligates Jaydev Unadkat and Abhimanyu Mithun are a matter of concern.

Good thing is they are up against a side, which is inconsistent in batting. Adam Gilchrist, one of the most feared batsmen of his generation, has been a disappointment this year, scoring a dismal 162 in ten matches.

After dropping himself due to poor form, the Australian left-hander has played some useful innings against Rajasthan and Hyderabad in last two encounters.

The batting which comprises of players like David Hussey, Shaun Marsh and Mandeep Singh have failed to click as a unit, and barring couple of individual performances, has let down the team on most occasions.

Gilchrist would expect killer Miller to repeat his swashbuckling performance he put up against RCB at Mohali. He had launched a blitzkrieg to dwarf the visitors with a match-winning unbeaten whirlwind 101.

However, Punjab`s strength has been their bowling attack led by medium pacer Praveen Kumar that also includes medium pacers Parvinder Awana, Manpreet Gony, leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and recent inclusion Bipul Sharma.

Teams (from):

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Virat Kohli (C), A B de Villiers, Abhimanyu Mithun, Abhinav Mukund, Andrew McDonald, Arun Karthik, Cheteshwar Pujara, Chris Gayle, Christopher Barnwell, Daniel Christian, Daniel Vettori, Harshal Patel, Jaidev Unadkat, K P Appanna, Karun Nair, Mayank Agarwal, Moises Henriques, Murali Kartik, Muttiah Muralitharan, Pankaj Singh, Prasanth Parameswaran, R Vinay Kumar, Ravi Rampaul, Rudra Pratap Singh, S Aravind, Sandeep Warrier, Saurabh Tiwary, Sheldon Jackson, Sunny Sohal, Syed Mohammad, Tilakaratne Dilshan, Vijay Zol, Zaheer Khan.

Kings XI Punjab: Adam Gilchrist (c), Mandeep Singh, Luke Pomersbach, David Miller, Manan Vohra, David Hussey, Piyush Chawla, Praveen Kumar, Harmeet Singh, Bhargav Bhatt, Parvinder Awana, Azhar Mahmood, Bipul Sharma, Siddharth Chitnis, Aniket Choudhary, Manpreet Gony, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Shaun Marsh, Dimitri Mascernhas, Nitin Saini, Sandeep Sharma, Rajagopal Sathish, Sunny Singh, Paul Valthaty.

IPL 6: CSK vs Delhi Daredevils-Preview

Chennai: Comfortably placed at the top of the table, Chennai Super Kings would focus on sealing their playoff berth after an abrupt loss when they take on a lowly Delhi Daredevils in their own den in an IPL match here on Tuesday.

The Daredevils, already out of contention for a berth in the play-offs, have only pride to play for against the mighty opponents at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

The Chennai with 10 victories and four loses from 14 matches have virtually advanced to the play-off stage of the tournament.

Their form took a bit of a tumble when CSK, who have won the title twice before, suffered a five-wicket loss against Rajasthan Royals on Sunday night.

Chasing 142 for a win, the Royals lost three wickets inside five overs before Shane Watson played a blistering knock of 70 off just 34 balls to end the match in dramatic fashion with 17 balls to spare.


It must have come as a wake-up call for the CSK, but they are expected to bounce back given the presence of high-profile and in-form players in their ranks.

Except for a few loses, CSK haven`t put a foot wrong. The batting line-up comprising Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the envy of other IPL outfits.

In the bowling department, the team boasts of the likes of Albie Morkel, Mohit Sharma, Ravichandran Ashwin, Chris Morris and Dwayne Bravo. All of them have done their bit and would be quite a handful for the Delhi batsmen.

On the other hand, the Daredevils, placed second-last in the points table with as many as 10 defeats from 13 games have nothing to lose.

Given the current scenario, they can play without any pressure. There is no burden of expectations on the misfiring batsmen and the out-of-sorts bowlers. They now can just go on to play party-poopers.

Delhi`s top order has failed for inexplicable reasons. Neither Virender Sehwag nor captain Mahela Jayawardene have lived up to their reputations. Australian left-hander David Warner is the only one who has done his bit.

The promising players in Unmukt Chand and Ben Rohrer have also failed to make an impression.

As far as their bowling is concerned, they have not been able to fire in unison.

The likes of Morne Morkel, Irfan Pathan, Umesh Yadav and Shahbaz Nadeem need to come up with splendid performances to pose any challenge to a strong CSK unit.

Daredevils coach T A Sekhar is aware of the condition of the pitch here and would look to deploy the best combination possible.

The fans would only pray to the weather gods to keep the rains away as there is a cyclone threat looming large.

Teams (from):

Chennai Super Kings: M S Dhoni (C), Akila Dananjaya, Albie Morkel, Srikkanta Anirutha, Ankit Rajpoot, Baba Aparajith, Ben Hilfenhaus, Ben Laughlin, Chris Morris, Dirk Nannes, Dwayne Bravo, Francois du Plessis, Imtiyaz Ahmed, Jason Holder, Michael Hussey, Mohit Sharma, Murali Vijay, Nuwan Kulasekara, R Karthikeyan, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Ronit More, Shadab Jakati, S Badrinath, Suresh Raina, Vijay Shankar and Wridhiman Saha.

Delhi Daredevils: Mahela Jayawardane (C), Virender Sehwag, David Warner, Umesh Yadav, Manpreet Juneja, Ashish Nehra, Naman Ojha, Irfan Pathan, Andre Russell, Kedar Jadhav, Ajit Agarkar, Johan Botha, Unmukt Chand, Morne Morkel, Shahbaz Nadeem, Ben Rohrer, Royston Dias, Muralitharan Gautam, Sidharth Kaul, Jeevan Mendis, Yogesh Nagar, Sujeet Nayak, Pavan Negi, Aristh Singhvi, Roelof van der Merwe, Venugopal Rao and Gulam Bodi.

Batting well is more important than scoring runs: Vijay

Jaipur: He might be struggling for runs in the ongoing Pepsi Indian Premier League, but Chennai Super Kings` batsman Murali Vijay feels that he has been batting well in the tournament, which according to the opener is more important than scoring runs.

"...You have to be consistent and I am just working on that. The main thing is that I am batting well and that is more important for me than getting runs. I know that if I keep hitting the ball well runs will come automatically," Vijay said after scoring his second half-century of the IPL 6 against Rajasthan Royals yesterday.

Vijay, who has been picked up in the 15-member Indian squad for the upcoming Champions Trophy in England, has had a quiet season so far, scoring just 208 runs in the 11 games he played.

Despite being on top the ladder, the 29-year-old said Chennai cannot afford to be complacent in such a crucial juncture of the tournament.

"We are comfortably placed in the points table but we don`t want to take anything for granted. So, the next game is going to be much more important for us. We are just looking forward to it," he was quoted as saying by iplt20.Com.

Vijay praised Rajasthan all-rounder Shane Watson who scored a blazing half century to take the game away from Chennai.

"He (Watson) is a world class player and on his day nobody can stop him. He played well on Sunday. Hopefully the next time we turn up we will put up a better show."

Asked about positives that Chennai derived out of yesterday`s match, Vijay said, "Obviously our batting! We batted really well at the start. That was a concern early on. Now it is like everybody getting runs, so that is a good sign for CSK."

We know how to beat Mumbai Indians, says Watson

Jaipur: Almost assured of securing a place in the play-offs of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL), in-form Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Shane Watson says they know how to "beat Mumbai Indians" in their own den.

"Well the most important thing is to keep playing good cricket. We played Mumbai Indians here at home and beat them very convincingly in the last game. So we know exactly what we have to do to beat Mumbai Indians," Watson said.


Rajasthan, who are sitting pretty at the second position, play Mumbai in their next match on Wednesday.

"We have had a bit of success in Mumbai the last few years as well in the Wankhede Stadium. It is a beautiful wicket so I am looking forward to playing there," he said.

The Royals have maintained their unbeaten streak at home intact as they recorded a comfortable five-wicket win over table toppers Chennai Super Kings at the Sawai Man Singh Stadium on Sunday night, and Watson played a key role with a swashbuckling 34-ball 70.

"We have had a lot of success here, lot like the first year I played here. We certainly know the conditions well and most importantly we have got a really good team at the moment.

"Everyone is chipping in when we need to, so it is working out nicely," the Aussie said.

On Stuart Binny`s innings -- he scored 41 off just 23 balls -- Watson complimented the player from Bangalore.

"Stuy has been amazing, both with the bat and the ball. The conditions suited him beautifully. He swung the ball nicely and with the bat he just comes out and finds the boundary very much straightaway.

"That certainly takes a lot of pressure off me. Initially when he first came out, I suppose that over from (Ravichandran) Ashwin was going to be really important to be able to try and pull that run rate back a little bit."

And when asked what he told Binny after losing four wickets early, he said, "We didn`t talk that much to be honest. We knew instinctively that Ashwin was going to be someone we have to really try and score runs off."

Need to make a strong start against India in CT, says de Villiers

Dubai: South Africa will have to make a strong start against India in their opening match of the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy if it wants to lay its hands on a piece of ICC silverware, a feat the country has not achieved since 1998, Protea captain A B de Villiers said.

De Villiers feels that the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy is a golden opportunity for South Africa to shed its tag of perennial chokers in big tournaments.

"We are really looking forward to the ICC Champions Trophy in England and Wales. This is another opportunity for us to win that elusive ICC trophy and it will be a great test for our ODI squad looking ahead to the World Cup in two years," de Villiers said.

"I personally think every opponent in our group is a threat. Our recent 3-2 win over Pakistan only highlighted the threat they (Pakistan) can pose in the limited-overs format, and India and West Indies can both be destructive if they arrive on the day. We are going to have to start strong in our opening match against India at the Cardiff Wales Stadium and hopefully use the momentum for the extra advantage through the group stages," he said.

"Our performances (in ICC events) have not been a true reflection of the talent and skill that we possess, and this year we will be out to change that. We will always have this monkey on our back until we win the competition so hopefully this time around we will be able to overcome the pressure."

The Pretoria-born wicketkeeper-batsman, who has 5,542 ODI runs to his name to date, singled-out some key players, including players from not only his own side, for special praise.

"The nature of ODI cricket is such that any player can take the game away on the day. I think looking specifically at our group, Chris Gayle is one of the major players that stands out, as well as Mahendra Singh Dhoni who is a master-class with the bat," he said.

"I think the one element that has worked in our favour has been our process of focusing on ourselves. We have some big game-changers in Dale Steyn and Hashim Amla, and some exciting youngsters who are brimming with potential. JP Duminy will also make a comeback after a long absence and I`m looking forward to having him back," de Villiers said.

"We have some quality cricketers in our current ODI squad. I think if we can collectively take the confidence and momentum we gained during our series win over Pakistan, any player in our squad can win the game for us on the day. We have a balanced makeup of experience and youth in our squad. I think that will be to our advantage in the competition," he added.

South Africa is in Group B alongside world champions India, current ICC World Twenty20 holders West Indies and Pakistan, all good sides according to the South Africa skipper.

"They are all quality cricket sides and they have some key players who can win the game on the day. We`ve played India and Pakistan in the past couple of years and both the series went down to the last match. That`s a key indication of the depth and talent of the sides in our group. It`s going to be a challenge that we are definitely up for," de Villiers said.

Speaking about the importance of the tournament ahead of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in 2015, the 29-year-old said: "It`s crucially important; it makes it so much more exciting because of the strength versus strength setup of the competition. It`s a good measuring stick for the competing teams to rate where they are, especially looking ahead to the World Cup in two years.

"I`m looking forward to it, it`s my first 50-over competition as captain and I have a stern belief that this time around we can change our fortunes."

The ICC Champions Trophy will be held in England from June 6 to June 23.

IPL 2013: Rajasthan Royals remain invincible at home; beat DD by 9 wkts

Jaipur: Jaipur: Rahul Dravid and Ajinkya Rahane struck fluent half-centuries as Rajasthan Royals inched closer towards securing a play-off berth with a comprehensive nine-wicket victory against Delhi Daredevils in an Indian Premier League match, here on Tuesday.

SCORECARD» I COMMENTARY» I AS IT HAPPENED»

Dravid led from the front with a classy 48-ball-53, his fourth half-century in this IPL edition, while Rahane played an equally impressive unbeaten knock of 63 as Royals maintained their impeccable record at home. They now have 16 points with eight wins and look like firm contenders for a berth in knock-out round.

Delhi Daredevils, whose season has gone from bad to worse stay put on eight position with six points.

Royals registered their seventh win at home with 13 balls to spare, scoring 155 for one. Shane Watson remained unbeaten on 14-ball 28, laced with three fours and one six.

Dravid and Rahane added 108 runs for the opening-wicket partnership in just 13.4 overs with the former India captain playing the more aggressive knock of the two.

In the process, Royals also registered their highest opening-wicket partnership in this edition of the IPL, surpassing 98 runs against Pune Warriors last week.


For Daredevils, Rohrer hit a fine 39-ball 63 under trying conditions while Mahela Jayawardene (34) and Kedar Jadhav (23 no) also chipped in with useful contributions to help their side post a competitive 154 for four but, in the end, the total did not prove to be enough.

Royals made a confident start to their run-chase with the trusted opening pair of Dravid and Rahane once again providing their team a good start.

Both made short work of Delhi bowlers and enthralled a near sell-out crowd with their vast repertoire of stroke-play.

Delhi's misery was further compounded by their butter-finger fielders when Rahane was dropped by Pawan Negi at extra-cover off Morne Morkel when the batsman was at an individual score of 4.

Rahane made full use of the reprieve and raised a century-plus partnership with Dravid. It was a treat to watch vintage Dravid show as he cut and drove Delhi bowlers to reach his second successive fifty in the tournament in just 45 balls.

The fact that Daredevils made as many as four changes in their bowling department for this game did not come to any help to them as the duo of Dravid and Rahane played them with utmost ease.

Dravid was finally out in the innings' 14th over when he was caught by Ajit Agarkar off Siddharth Kaul at long-on while going for an expensive pull. However, Rahane and Watson ensured that Royals remained invincible at home with an unconquered 47-run partnership for the second wicket.

Earlier, Rohrer put on display some innovative shots to single-handedly guide Daredevils past 150 runs, which looked unlikely at one stage with the visitors struggling at 78 for four.

He found an able ally in Kedar Jadhav (23 no, 21 balls, 2x4) and together in his company added an unbeaten 76-run partnership for the fifth wicket. The last five overs yielded 53 runs for the Daredevils.

Electing to bat under scorching heat, Delhi were off to a poor start as Virender Sehwag (11) and CM Gautam (2) were sent back to pavilion in quick succession with scorecard reading 22 for two.

Sehwag looked in good touch, hitting James Faulkner for two consecutive fours, before the lanky Australian pacer flummoxed him with a slower ball which swung in uprooting the off-stump.

Sehwag, as usual, committed himself to the shot a tad too early playing across the line.

Gautham, playing his first IPL match, departed in the very next over as he chased a wide delivery outside his off stump to give a simple catch to wicket-keeper Sanju Samson off Shane Watson.

Skipper Jayawardene held one end strongly and, in the company of David Warner (13), tried to resurrect the innings while picking up a few occasional boundaries. That included four hits to the fence off Shaun Tait's second over.

However, Warner failed to contribute much to the team's cause and was caught by Sachin Baby off Stuart Binny at extra cover just before the first strategic time-out.

Rohrer tried to break the shackles with two successive fours off Mumbai leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, who became the oldest IPL debutant at 41 years and 212 days.

Jayawardene too tried to free his arm and hit Siddharth Trivedi for a six over mid?off before he ran out of patience and gifted his wicket at a crucial juncture.

Jayawardene failed to read the line of the ball and landed Dravid an easy catch at mid-wicket off Trivedi. At 78 for four, Rohrer took the onus on himself and mixed caution with aggression to take the team’s total past 150-run mark.

IPL 2013 Live Score: Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians

Zee Media Bureau

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Updates by Suyash Srivastava
Follow Suyash Srivastava here on twitter: @Syu4u»

LIVE SCORECARD» | LIVE COMMENTARY»

POINTS TABLE» I SCHEDULE»

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KKR innings:

Over 9 || Score 55/3

Ojha to continue. Two runs came off the first two balls. The third was wide and Pathan once again went for that slog-sweep, didn’t connect and drags it onto the stumps! Ojha picks his second wicket, he has bowled well today. Eoin Morgan is the new man in. Now this is going to be a crucial partnership. Three from the over.

YK Pathan b Ojha 13 (8b)

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Over 8 || Score 52/2

Nechim into his second over. The third ball was short and wide and Pathan pulled it for a boundary past deep midwicket. Six from the over.

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Over 7 || Score 46/2

Ojha to continue. And he strikes first ball, Bisla is stumped! There was a lot of flight which lured Bisla to charge down the wicket, the ball spun sharply and Karthik did the rest. Pathan is the new man in. He scored his first fifty for KKR in the previous match and his team would want a similar kind of effort from him. Pathan slog-sweeps the fifth ball high over deep-midwicket for a SIX! Eight from the over.

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Over 6 || Score 38/1

Malinga comes into the attack. Bisla got an edge off the fifth ball that ran past third-man for a boundary! Eight from the over.

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Over 5 || Score 30/1

Johnson to continue. Just one from the over. Johnson once again has been spot on so far.

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Over 4 || Score 29/1

Ojha comes into the attack. Bisla shimmied down off the last ball and worked that towards deep midwicket for a boundary! Seven from the over.

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Over 3 || Score 22/1

Johnson to continue. Bisla edged the second ball and it was dropped by Harbhajan at first slip! The next ball was pitched short and Kallis top-edged it over the keeper’s head for a boundary! The last ball was half-volley and Bisla drove that beautifully straight down the ground for a boundary! Ten from the over. Johnson has been unlucky again.

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Over 2 || Score 12/1

Abu Nechim to bowl the second over. He began with four dot balls and then bowled a short delivery which was dispatched for a boundary at deep midwicket by Jacques Kallis! The last ball was short and wide and Kallis went all the way over point for a SIX! Two top shots from the South African. Ten from the over.

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Over 1 || Score 2/1

Gambhir and Bisla to open for KKR, Johnson will bowl the first over. And Johnson strikes, Gambhir is bowled! Johnson once again impresses with his pace and Gambhir drags one onto the stumps. Big big blow for KKR! Kallis is the new man in. Good start from Johnson, two runs and a wicket!

G Gambhir b Johnson 0 (2b)

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Mumbai innings:

Over 20 || Score 170/6

McLaren to bowl the final over. Johnson took a single off the first ball. The second ball was short and Karthik hit it high in the air at short fine leg and was dropped by Narine who misjudged it. The third ball was a half-volley and Karthik smashed that straight down the ground for a SIX! Johnson worked the fifth ball towards long off for a couple. The next ball was a wide, and that beat the keeper, 5 wides! This would hurt KKR. The last ball was a full-toss again and Johnson made some room and spanked that over long-off for a SIX! Another tremendous finish by Mumbai! 25 from the last over.

Dinesh Karthik 34* (18b) Mitchell Johnson 10* (6b)

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Over 19 || Score 145/6

Narine to bowl his final over. The first ball was short and Karthik pulled that towards deep square leg for a boundary! The third ball was bowled at the pads and Karthik worked that towards fine leg for another boundary! And now Harbhajan is run-out! Karthik worked the ball at short fine-leg and ran for a non-existing single, Pathan’s throw was a direct hit and Harbhajan was well short off his ground. Johnson is the new man in. Ten from the over.

Harbhajan Singh run out 0 (0b)

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Over 18 || Score 135/4

McLaren into his third over. And Rohit Sharma is caught at deep square leg! Sharma went for the pull and Morgan took the catch and then lost his balance but as he went behind the ropes, he threw the ball high and came back to collect it inside the ropes. Excellent effort that. Pollard is the new man in. The fourth ball was a slow bouncer and Pollard hammered that towards deep midwicket for a boundary! But McLaren bangs one short at pace, Pollard goes for the pull, mistimes it and Narine at short fine leg takes an easy catch! Rayudu is the new man in. And guess what, Mumbai are losing wickets in quick successions, now Rayudu is run-out! Karthik worked the last ball towards deep backward point where Balaji dived to his right and saved a boundary, and threw an excellent throw that dismissed Rayudu! Five runs and three wickets from the over.

AT Rayudu run out 0 (0b)

KA Pollard c Narine b McLaren 4 (4b)

RG Sharma c Morgan b McLaren 16 (11b)

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Over 16 || Score 119/2

Bhatia to continue. The third ball was short and wide and Sharma played a cut shot past point that got him a boundary! The last ball of the over was a half=-volley and Sharma clobbered that over long-on for a SIX! Thirteen from the over.

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Over 15 || Score 106/2

Narine into his second over. Just five from the over.

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Over 14 || Score 101/2

Abdulla to bowl his final over. The first ball was full and wide and Smith launched that over covers for a boundary! But Abdulla has the last laugh as Smith is caught at long on! It was once again wide and Smith went for it and mistimed it. Eight from the over. The openers are out, Rohit Sharma and Karthi at the crease.

DR Smith c McLaren b Iqbal Abdulla 47 (53b)

Over 13 || Score 93/1

Rajat Bhatia comes into the attack. The second ball was pitched on the leg stump and Tendulkar plays a paddle scoop that runs past fine leg for a boundary! Bhatia has got the breakthrough, Tendulkar is bowled! He was trying to play a similar shot that earned him a boundary in the over, didn’t connect this time and was bowled! Nine from the over.

SR Tendulkar b Bhatia 48 (28b)

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Over 12 || Score 84/0

Abdullah into his third over. Tendulkar shimmied down the track off the fifth ball and went over the bowler’s head for a boundary! Seven from the over.

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Over 11 || Score 77/0

Kallis to bowl his third over. The last ball was a short one and Tendulkar pulled that towards the fine-leg region for a boundary! Eight from the over.

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Over 10 || Score 69/0

The play was disrupted for a while and when it resumed, Abdullah came to bowl his second over. The fifth ball was pitched full and Smith swept that for a boundary though fine-leg. Six from the over.

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Over 9 || Score 63/0

Kallis to continue. Three singles came off the first three balls. Kallis bowled two dot balls and Smith kept the strike with a single off the last ball. Time for a break and this has been a great start by the Mumbai Indians.

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Over 8 || Score 59/0

Iqbal Abdullah comes into the attack. The third ball was short and wide and Smith smashed that past point for a boundary! The next ball was a length ball and Smith went towards wide of long-on for a boundary! Nine from the over.

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Over 7 || Score 50/0

Kallis comes into the attack. The third ball was pitched slightly short and Smith spanked that towards deep midwicket for a boundary! Tendulkar took a single off the last ball that brought Mumbai’s 50. Good start this for the home team.

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Over 6 || Score 41/0

Here comes the Mystery man, Narine to bowl his final over. The first four balls were dot balls and Smith took a couple at midwicket off the fifth ball. Smith keeps the strike with a single off the last ball.

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Over 5 || Score 38/0

Balaji into his third over. Just five from the over.

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Over 4 || Score 33/0

McLaren to continue. The second ball was pitched full and Tendulkar clears the fielder at mid off to score his first boundary! The next ball was pitched short and Tendulkar handsomely pulls that for a boundary at midwicket! The next ball is bowled at length again and Tendulkar hits that towards long on for his third consecutive boundary! The fifth ball is a full-toss and Tendulkar works that past the fielder at point for a boundary! The last ball is banged short again, Tendulkar gets an edge that flies past third man for Tendulkar’s fifth consecutive boundary! What an over this has been! Tendulkar on fire! 20 from the over.

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Over 3 || Score 13/0

Balaji to continue. Just two from the over. Balaji has done an excellent job so far.

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Over 2 || Score 12/0

McLaren to bowl the second over. Tendulkar gets off the mark with a single off the first ball. The third ball was pitched full and Smith plays a straight drive for a boundary! And Smith plays a carbon copy shot off the next ball for his consecutive boundary! Eleven from the over.

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Over 1 || Score 0/0

Tendulkar and Smith to open for Mumbai, Balaji will bowl the first over. There was an appeal for caught behind off the fourth ball but the ball didn’t carry to the keeper. Balaji made another appeal for lbw off the fifth ball but umpire Dharmsena wasn’t interested. And Balaji begins with a maiden!

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TOSS: Rohit Sharma has the won the toss and Mumbai will bat first.

Kolkata Knight Riders have lost seven out of 11 matches and need to win every match from here onwards. After scoring a few good knocks initially, Gambhir has been struggling with the bat. He scored 59, 53, 60 against Bangalore, Hyderabad and Punjab and since hasn’t score a 30 plus score in six matches. KKR won their last game against Rajasthan at the Eden Gardens where a slow track worked in their favour. Sunil Narine hasn’t managed to bother the batsmen ever since he picked a hat-trick against the Kings XI Punjab.

Mumbai Indians on the other hand would be high on confidence after they defeated two-time IPL winners Chennai Super Kings in a low-scoring game. Mumbai are currently looking like a balanced squad as they have a formidable spin duo in Harbhajan and Ojha while Malinga and Johnson have done pretty well throughout the series. Johnson in particular has been in incredible form as he dismissed three batsmen in his second over against Chennai which proved to be the turning point of the game. Tendulkar’s form is a matter of concern for the Sharma-led side and only if the Little Master can make some significant contribution with the bat, Mumbai can become a serious contender for the semis.