Today Match: Rajasthan vs Kolkata

Rajasthan Royals will be bolstering by the return of Shane Watson when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match in Jaipur today.

Under the wily Shane Warne, Royals have commenced their IPL IV campaign in great style; comfortably defeat Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils by eight and four wickets correspondingly in their first two games.

Watson, who was in unhelpful form against Bangladesh in the just-concluded three-match ODI series, should further strengthen Rajasthan's batting as well as bowling.

Watson scored a mammoth 294 runs against Bangaldesh, which included a twister 185 not out in the second ODI, as well as a world record of 15 sixes.

Rajasthan's batting was the foundation of their victories in the opening matches, with South African Johan Botha playing the lead role with victorious knocks of 67 and 39.

Watson, in all prospects, will substitute Shaun Tait and open the batting along with ever-dependable Rahul Dravid.

Warne is spoilt for choice as far as his foreign quota is troubled. Apart from himself, he has Tait, Watson, Johan Botha and Ross Taylor to choose from.

However, with only four foreigners allowed to characteristic in the playing eleven, he has a few problems up his sleeves as he, Botha and Taylor is certain to play on Friday.

Read more »

Watson tops ICC all-rounder rankings

India pockets US$175,000 for finishing as the number-one ranked Test side while Australia earns US$175,000 for final on top of the ODI table at the 1 April cut-off date. Australia’s Shane Watson has become the top-ranked ODI all-rounder and has also achieve a career-best ranking to date in the Reliance ICC ODI Rankings which were free on Thursday at the end of Bangladesh and Australia series which completed on Wednesday.

Watson has pipe Shakib Al Hasan into number-one place in the all-rounders’ rankings after taking three wickets and scoring 294 runs in the series. He now leads the Bangladesh captain by a at ease 44 points margin.  

Watson’s scores of 37, 185 not out and 72 in the succession have also help the 29-year-old Queenslander vault nine seats to a career-best fourth position. He is now the highest-ranked Australia batsman with Mike Hussey staying in sixth place, Captain Michael Clarke increasing two places to 11th spot and former captain Ricky Ponting moving one place up to 16th position.

For Bangladesh, Imrul Kayes has climb four places to 42nd place but Shakib has slip two places to 26th spot. In the Reliance ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers, Mitchell Johnson’s seven wickets in the series have given he a lift of seven places and he now sit in sixth place. Brett Lee is the other Australia bowler who has betters his ranking as he has return to the top 20 in 20th place after a jump of three places.

The news for Bangladesh bowlers is not very good as Abdur Razzak, Shakib Al Hasan and Mashrafe Mortaza have drop in the newest rankings. Razzak has fallen five places to 11th place, Shakib has slipped three places to 15th spot and Mashrafe has dropped four places to 36th place.

Meanwhile, India and Australia have won US$175,000 each for final as the number-one ranked sides in Test and ODI Championship tables, correspondingly at the 1 April 2011 cut-off date. India has been session on top of the Test Championship table since December 2009 while Australia has been occupy the number-one position on the ODI Championship table since leapfrogging South Africa and India in September 2009.

In adding to the US$175,000, India has also pocketed US$75,000 for final as the second-ranked ODI team while South Africa has also earned US$75,000 for finish in second position in the Test Championship table at the cut-off date.

Read more »

Shah Rukh: desire to win IPL for Ganguly

 

Sense the glumness amongst fans, Kolkata Knight Riders' owner Shah Rukh Khan said he needs to succeed the title for Sourav Ganguly. Kolkata Knight Riders, who played their first match of the Indian Premier League period 4 at their home ground without city's favourite son Sourav Ganguly, witnessed their lowest-ever turnout, prompt team co-owner Shah Rukh Khan to get into the injure control mode.

Playing their first match at home with no the 'Prince of Kolkata', Ganguly, who was shun in the Indian Premier League auctions, the Eden Gardens witness empty seats with a producer of just about 25,000 in the 63,500-capacity stadium.

Gauging the state of affairs, the Bollywood superstar was quick to offer their maiden victory over Deccan Chargers on Monday to their previous iconic player Ganguly.  "I really want to come first this because I am not playing here. preferably, I want to do this for Kolkata, I want to do this for Sourav Ganguly, I want to do this for IPL," Shah Rukh said after their nine-run win over the Hyderabad team.

Shah Rukh also said Ganguly strength not is in performance for the Knight Riders but the former Indian captain is still a part of the team in soul and spirit. "In the three years of despair, what has kept us going is that Kolkatans have wedged with us. Dada is part of our team always in soul and spirit.

"Whenever I've come to the Eden I've only felt love. I never consideration whether it's because of one player or any other reason. I'm just happy being here."  Shah Rukh hopes that Ganguly would come and applaud Knight Riders in the upcoming six home matches.

Read more »

Deccan charge beat Royal challenges by 33 Runs

Deccan Chargers 175 for 5 (Chipli 61*, Sohal 38, Zaheer 3-32) hit RC Bangalore 142 for 9 (Kohli 71, Steyn 3-24, Gony 3-31) by 33 runs 

Hyderabad: Deccan Chargers snap their seven-match behind streak at their home ground with a 33 run severe of Royal Challengers Bangalore in their Indian Premier League match on Thursday. Bharat Chipli first help Deccan set up a big total of 175 for five with a sweltering victorious 61 after being put into bat before the home side controlled RCB to 142/9 to break the plague of not winning any of their seven earlier matches at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal here.

This was also Deccan`s first win this period after behind their first two matches. Deccan bowlers complement the excellent show by their batsmen with pacers Dale Steyn and Manpreet Gony taking three wickets each by surrendering 24 and 31 runs correspondingly.

Ishant Sharma, Daniel Christian and Amit Mishra chip in with one wicket respectively. RCB, who misplaced to Mumbai Indians in their last match after starting their campaign on a winning note, suffer early jolt by behind four wickets inside seven overs and they could never get well from there.

Virat Kohli fought a lone battle with an excellent 51-ball 71 which was studded with five fours and three sixes but he did not get carry from his other RCB colleagues. Chasing an inflexible target of 176, RCB had just one extensive partnership -- 54 from 5.4 overs for the sixth wicket between Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara. Steyn and Ishant did the early injure to RCB with swing and bounce.

Ishant got achievement in his first over and the second of the innings by removing unsafe Tillakaratne Dilshan for just seven, caught at the rear by Deccan captain and wicketkeeper Kumar Sangakkara.

RCB sent in Zaheer Khan as one-down but the team-management`s ploy to use him as pinch hitter unsuccessful as he was out for naught after facing three balls with a Steyn full toss noisy at the wickets. RCB were 16 for two in the third over. 

Sangakkara bring in Gony in place of Steyn in the fifth over and Deccan got instant success in the form of the wicket of opener Mayank Agrawal. Agarwal holed out to Amit Mishra at mid-on while trying to play a big shot as RCB found themselves in trouble at 27 for three in the fifth over.

Gony added one more wicket to his kitty by dismiss key man AB de Villiers for a seven-ball duck in the seventh over as RCB drooping to 29 for four and deep difficulty. Asking rate shot up to 12 an over by the 10th over at the end of which RCB could crore just 53 for four. 

Saurabh Tiwary (7), who was bought for a huge sum in the auction, dissatisfied once again as he top-edged a Mishra release while trying for a big shot to bring down the asking rate for Sangakkara to take an easy catch.

Read more »