IPL Preview: Bangalore vs. Chennai

Shielding champions Chennai Super Kings get on Royal Challengers Bangalore in what assure to be an absorbing first IPL playoff match in Mumbai on Tuesday.
Chennai vs. Bangalore

IPL Overall

Chennai Super Kings contain won 35 and lost 24 out of 60 played - success % 59.16 (Tied 1).

Bangalore has won 30 and lost 29 out of 59 contests - success % 50.84.

IPL - Chennai vs. Bangalore - Head to Head

Bangalore has won 5 and lost 4 out of nine played next to Chennai - success % 55.55.

IPL 2011

Bangalore, with 19 points (Played: 14, Won: 9 and Lost: 4 Abandoned: 1) are at the top in the Points Table.

Chennai, with eighteen points (Played: 14, Won: 9 and Lost: 5) are placed second in the Points Table.

Approaching milestones

- Abraham de Villiers (933) requires 67 runs to complete his 1,000 runs in the IPL.

- Mahendra Singh Dhoni (1374) needs 26 runs to complete 1400 runs in the IPL.

- Chris Gayle (974) requires 26 runs to complete 1000 runs in the IPL.

- Suresh Raina (1732) requires 68 runs to complete 1800 runs in the IPL.

- Albie Morkel (56) needs four wickets to complete his 60 wickets in the IPL.

- Gayle (38) requires just two sixes to become the first batsman to register 40 sixes in the IPL.

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Afridi probable to Miss Ireland series

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi is allowing for skipping the ODI series next to Ireland afterward this month due to his father's illness.

The flamboyant all-rounder wants to use more time with his ill father, who is getting treatment in the United States.

"His brother is in the USA but Afridi needs to spend time with his father and might seek consent from the PCB in next few days," a source said.

Pakistan will be travelling to face Ireland in the two ODIs to be played on May 28 and 30.

Sources also extra that Afridi, who left for the USA on May 17, was already miserable due to his upset removal as the captain of Pakistan's ODI team by the PCB. Afridi was sack by the chairman of the board, Ijaz Butt last week and replace by senior batsman, Misbah-ul-Haq for the Ireland series.

Misbah is currently most important the team in the Test series against West Indies.
"Afridi is miserable with the way he was detached as captain with no being given any reason for the choice. He is all the more amazed since he led the team to the ICC World Cup semi final and also to ODI series win over the West Indies," the source said.

Afridi was sack after he criticized coach Waqar Younis for meddling in team selection during the 3-2 one-day series win against the West Indies.

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PCB mull release Zulqarnain's dues

The Pakistan cricket Board is allowing for releasing the hovering payment of contentious wicketkeeper Zulqarnain Haider. Well-placed source said that the wicketkeeper had request the inner minister Rehman Malik to help him in his case.

The PCB had detained up all payments of Zulqarnain last year following he fled the Pakistan team hotel in Dubai last November throughout the one-day series next to South Africa.

Haider land up in London seeking asylum after he claim that an unknown person had endangered him with dire penalty for not cooperating in fixing the one-day series next to South Africa.

The keeper return home in late April from London after retreating his asylum request with the British home office and after getting reassurances from Malik that he would be provide full security and safety in Pakistan.

"When Zulqarnain meet with Rehman Malik he requests him to ask the PCB to release his payments from last year's series in England and in the UAE," one source said.

"Malik lately during his meeting with the PCB Chairman, Ijaz Butt told him that the board should think plateful out Zulqarnain as since he was not live any cricket because of his case and was facing a financial crisis," the source said.

The board held up all payments to Zulqarnain after they held an in house query into the entire incident and declared that the keeper had violated the team code of conduct by leave-taking the team hotel without authorization of the team management.

The board has now shaped a corrective group to investigate the case and record the statement of Zulqarnain who lately respond to the become aware of sent to him by the inhouse committee last year.

"The keeper is proverb he is ready to face all consequences but the board should let go him some payments as he is also not receiving any help from his section who sacked him after he reach London," the source said.

The PCB has said that it would only take a choice on whether to allow Zulqarnain back into cricket after the punitive committee completes its proceedings.

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‘Topping IPL table show our quality’

Royal Challengers Bangalore franchisee director Siddharth Mallya on Monday said the information that the team top the points table after creature written off, shows its character.

"After our first win, we unluckily lost our three next games. The comments team wrote us off, the reporters wrote us off, the critic wrote us off. They said we had chosen a incorrect team. Where is (Rahul) Dravid? Where is (Robin) Uthappa? They asked," he told reporters during a promotional event.

"To rebound back from there, it shows the nature of the team. We have twisted a new IPL record of winning seven games in a row and were victorious in eight successive games if we contain the one wash away by rain. We are here on our value. However, we still have a long way to go," he added.

The junior Mallya was also all admire for the orange cap owner Chris Gayle, who has score 511 runs in nine innings to alone direct the Royal Challengers' revival. "For Chris Gayle to have the orange cap is extraordinary. He has scored over 500 runs in nine innings. It is not amazing that we normally hear in our lifetime," he said.

Mallya said IPL without Lalit Modi was like a "sugarfree candyfloss" and his being there was being missed. "Lalit Modi had a vision. He was a prophet. None of this would have been probable with no his vision. IPL 4 without Modi is like a sugarless candyfloss. It looks the same, taste the similar but you know something is missing."

"It is not that much has distorted. But yes we miss him," he said.

Mallya said although the IPL ratings had taken a hit this year, the fans were enjoying it nevertheless.

"After the ICC World Cup, there was a fear that people would be unwell of cricket. I don't see that to be a big subject. Personally, in Bangalore, most of the matches have been sell out. The ICC World Cup win has been a big help."

"The official ratings have been short but we have to take the World Cup into explanation as well," said Mallya.

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