Friendly match between RCB and KKR

Image: Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan and Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya before a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday.

Image: Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya and his son Siddharth Mallya during a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday

Image: Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan takes a run during a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday

Image: Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya plays a shot during a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday.

Image: Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan plays a shot during a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday.

Image: Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya plays a shot during a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday.

Image: Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shahrukh Khan slips on the pitch while playing a shot during a Friendly match between RCB and KKR, in Bangalore on Saturday.

Kings XI Punjab thump Daredevils, stay in hunt for play-offs

Dharamsala: Paul Valthaty and Shaun Marsh starred with the bat while leggie Piyush Chawla took three wickets to set up a 29-run victory for Kings XI Punjab over the Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League here Sunday to stay alive for the play-offs.

Kings XI Punjab, courtesy a 102-run stand by Valthaty (62) and Marsh (46), posted 170 for six and then their bowlers restricted the Daredevils to 141 for eight at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, which was hosting its first match of the fourth IPL season.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab's Adam Gilchrist, right, celebrates with his teammates their win over Delhi Daredevils

Chawla (3/16) produced career-best figures in the tournament as he turned the ball on a pitch that also offered steep bounce to the fast bowlers.

The win here was Punjab's third successive and kept them in hunt for the play-offs. They have now moved to fifth place in the table with 12 points from 12 matches. Daredevils, already out of the competition, are at the bottom with eight points from 13 matches.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab's owner Preity Zinta throws souvenir at fans during their Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Delhi Daredevils

Daredevils were off to a decent start with Naman Ojha (28) and David Warner (29) sharing 52 runs for the first wicket. But the visitors lost their way after the openers departed in quick succession. 

The asking rate kept mounting and the absence of Virender Sehwag was dearly felt. The Daredevils lost six of their batsmen inside 100 runs and never looked like overcoming a stiff target.

The Kings XI, put into bat, amassed 100 runs in the last 10 overs.

With Valthaty and Marsh clearing boundaries at ease, anywhere near 200 looked a real possibility.

In Image: Delhi Daredevils David Warner plays a stroke 

They got the measure of the difficult wicket and then took the long handle to smash the Delhi bowlers all over the park. They were helped by some sloppy fielding from the opposition who missed run outs and dropped catches at key moments.

Valthaty was given a life on 13 as Venugopal Rao dropped a regulation catch at first slip off Morkel in the fourth over. The Mumbai-based batsman made most of the opportunity and went on to score his second fifty of the tournament, pipping Chris Gayle (436 runs) along the way for the orange cap. Valthaty has 483 runs to his name in 12 games.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab's Paul Valthaty in action 

Marsh, too, was in full swing during his cracking 28-ball knock. The talented Australian hammered three sixes and two fours in Sridharan Sriram's first over and set the tone for a huge score.

Both, however, fell to Irfan Pathan (3-28) in the 15th over that helped Daredevils pull things back a bit, but eventually, not enough.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab's Paul Valthaty acknowledges the crowd after completing his half-century 

Kings XI Punjab beat Kochi Tuskers by six wickets

Dinesh Karthik smashed a quickfire 69 as Kings XI Punjab overcame initial and middle over stutter to thump Kochi Tuskers Kerala by six wickets to keep themselves in contention for a play-off berth in the Indian Premier League here today.

Chasing a stiff 179, KXIP made a struggling start with openers Paul Valthaty (17) and Adam Gilchrist (9) falling cheaply inside five overs for just 31 runs before Karthik and Shaun Marsh (42) helping their side win the match with seven balls to spare with a 111-run third-wicket stand in 9.3 overs.

David Hussey (21 not out from 15 balls) finished the run chase in style with a six off Ravindra Jadeja as KXIP reached 181 for four in 18.5 overs to take his side to their fifth win in 11 matches.

Karthik smashed seven fours and five sixes in his 33-ball knock while Marsh hit five fours and two sixes from 30 balls to set up the win on a batting-friendly pitch at the Holkar Stadium which was hosting the first IPL match.

Pacer R P Singh grabbed a superb 4/25 to threaten to win the match for KTK but the KXIP batsmen were up to the task.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab batsman Dinesh Karthik celebrates his half-century

With the win today, KXIP remained in contention for a play-off berth as they jumped to sixth spot with 10 points with three matches remaining.

KTK, on the other hand, were virtually knocked out of the tournament with 10 points from 12 matches. They have two matches remaining.

The KXIP opening stand yielded just 25 runs in 2.5 overs with Valthaty falling victim to R P Singh after making a promising start, hitting two sixes in consecutive balls in the third over.

Valthaty's middle stump was knocked off as the ball went through the gap between bat and pad. The KXIP opener, who faced 10 balls and hit a four and two sixes, failed once again after promising a lot early in the tournament.

Gilchrist, who was struggling in his 15-ball stay, departed with a soft dismissal as he holed out to Parthiv Patel and KXIP were 31 for two in the fifth over when he left.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab batsman and team captain Adam Gilchrist (L) run along with his teammate Shaun Marsh (R) between the wickets

One-down Marsh and Karthik, who came in at the fall of Gilchrist, however, revived the innings with a century-plus stand for the third wicket.

Marsh hit three fours in the sixth over bowled by S Sreesanth as KXIP were 49 for two after the first power play. Karthik then smote Vinay Kumar for a six and a four in consecutive balls.

Marsh and Karthik took calculated risk to find the boundaries as KXIP reached 84 for two at the halfway mark. The in-form Australian put the pressure on opposition side with two sixes off compatriot Brad Hodge in the 12th over with one sailing inches above a leaping Sreesanth as KXIP took 19 runs from that over.

As if competing each other, Karthik then reached to his third IPL fifty with a six off Jadeja and then followed it up next ball with another hit for maximum result to take 16 runs from the 13th over and bring down the asking rate to less than seven per over.

In Image: Kings XI Punjab batsman Paul Valthaty reacts after he was bowled out

Chennai Super Kings beat Delhi Daredevils by 18 runs

Chennai: Mahendra Singh Dhoni sent the bowlers on a leatherhunt as Chennai Super Kings kept their unbeaten record at Chepauk intact with a comfortable 18-run victory over Delhi Daredevils in a 12th round IPL encounter today.

Dhoni smashed his way to an unbeaten 63 off only 31 balls (5x4, 4x6) and along with an equally effective Subramanium Badrinath (55) guided CSK to a formidable 176 for four in 20 overs. With no Virender Sehwag in their line-up, the target was virtually impossible for Daredevils to chase as they managed only 158 for six in 20 overs.

Irfan Pathan scored an unbeaten 46 but that was never going to be enough.

With this win CSK notched up their eighth win in the competition and stretched their unbeaten streak at home to six matches.

The match will however be remembered for the contrasting half-centuries by Dhoni and Badrinath as they added 96 runs for the fourth wicket in only 9.2 overs.

In Image: Chennai Super Kings fielder Dwayne Bravo (R) celebrates with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (L) after catching out Delhi Daredevils batsman Colin Ingram

Dhoni clobbered the Daredevils bowlers racing his way to a 28-ball half century. He finished with a flourish hitting Irfan Pathan for consecutive sixes off his final two deliveries. The exhibition of clean hitting reminded one and all Dhoni of the old who had the penchant for taking on the bowlers straightaway.

On the otherhand, Badrinath (55, 43 balls, 6x4, 1x6) who is almost a certainty to board the flight to Caribbean did his reputation no harm as he played with lot of precision rotating the strike and punishing the loose deliveries.

The final two overs yielded 37 runs while CSK scored 109 runs off the last 10 overs having scored 67 from the first 10.

For Daredevils who erred by selecting five pacers on a slow track, Ajit Agarkar turned out to be the most expensive bowler leaking 49 runs from four overs while Pathan gave away 40 from his four.

In Image: Mahendra Singh Dhoni plays a shot

Dhoni started off with a pulled boundary off Ajit Agarkar and then launched into Andrew McDonald for straight six and then helped himself with a boundary. Both Dhoni and Badrinath ran the singles and twos well as they waited for the loose balls.

When Agarkar came back for his second spell, he played an audacious pull-shot and followed it up with a deft scoop past the short fine leg.

The Indian captain moved into the 40's when patted statemate Varun Aaron's full-toss straight past the bowler.

The best stroke however remained a lofted shot off Agarkar over extra cover that brought up his second six.

With an able ally in Badrinath who was wise enough to rotate the strike, Dhoni ensured that his side put up another commendable score on a slow Chepauk track.

In Image: Super Kings batsman Subramaniam Badrinath plays a shot 

Kings XI stay in play-off hunt with upset win over Mumbai

Munaf Patel's five-wicket haul went in vain as table toppers Mumbai Indians produced a spineless batting display to slump to a humiliating 76-run defeat at the hands of Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match here today.
Chasing a challenging 164-run target, Mumbai lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for just 87 runs in 12.5 overs at the Punjab Cricket Association ground.
Young left-arm spinner Bharghav Bhatt was the pick of the Kings XI bowlers, scalping four wickets for 22 runs while Praveen Kumar returned picked up two wickets for 19.
Mumbai's lacklustre batting performance can be gauged from the fact that big-hitting Kieron Pollard was their top-scored with 17 runs followed by Aiden Blizzard (15).
Image: Bhargav Bhatt of Kings XI Punjab reacts as he claims his fourth wicket and wraps up the Mumbai Indians' innings during an Indian Premier League cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Chandigarh, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011. Kings XI Punjab won by 76 runs.

Earlier, Munaf produced his first five-wicket haul of the tournament as Kings XI Punjab lost the plot after an impressive start to be eventually restricted to 163 for eight.
Sent into bat, Kings XI were coasting at 129 for two at one stage but lost as many as six wickets in a span of just 39 runs in the last five overs to see their innings go haywire from a comfortable position.
Munaf was the wrecker in chief for Mumbai, picking up five wickets for just 21 runs while tournament's highest wicket-taker Lasith Malinga gave him the perfect support from the other end with figures of two for 24.
Shaun Marsh top-scored for Kings XI with a 34-ball 43 while Dinesh Karthik (31 off 24), captain Adam Gilchrist (28) and Paul Valthaty (14) all got starts before fading out.
Image: Mumbai Indians' players celebrate with Munaf Patel, center facing camera, after Patel claimed five wickets during an Indian Premier League cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Mohali, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

The win not only took Kings XI up to the ninth position in the standings with eight points from 10 games, but also kept alive their hopes of making it to the play-offs.
Despite the defeat, Mumbai continue to lead the table with 16 points from 11 matches. Mumbai's chase was far from rosy as they lost their top six batsmen inside the first 10 overs with the scoreboard reading just 63.
Blizzard, however, got Mumbai off to a blazing start spanking Praveen for three consecutive fours to pile up 12 runs of the first over before the pacer picked up two vital wickets to send the visitors onto the backfoot. Captain Sachin Tendulkar (6) was Praveen's first casualty as he steered one to Marsh at backward point in the third over.
Left-arm spinner Bipul Sharma then accounted for Rohit Sharma in the next over with Gilchrist producing a smart glove work and then a over later Praveen picked up his second victim -- Blizzard caught behind the stumps by the Kings XI skipper.
Image: Shaun Marsh of Kings XI Punjab hits a ball during an Indian Premier League cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Mohali, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Mumbai's misery was further compounded when Andrew Symonds was run out for eight, courtesy an unnecessary mix up with Ambati Rayudu.
If that was not enough, in-form Rayudu and Tirumalasetti Suman were the next to go in a span of four deliveries. Harbhajan Singh and big-hitting Kieron Pollard rode on some luck before they too perished in search of big shots.
From there on defeat was inevitable for Mumbai and it was just a matter of time before Bhatt sealed the match in favour of the home team with three wickets -- Pollard, Dhawal Kulkarni and Munaf -- in the 13th over.
Earlier, it was a miserable batting performance from the Kings XI middle and lower order with just the top four registering double figures. Asked to bat, Kings XI lost Valthaty early for a run-a-ball 14. He was caught by Blizzard at deep mid-wicket off Munaf in the third over.
Image: Shalabh Srivastava of Kings XI Punjab reacts after claiming a wicket during an Indian Premier League cricket match between Kings XI Punjab and Mumbai Indians in Chandigarh, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Ganguly shines on comeback as Pune beat Deccan by six wickets

Veteran Sourav Ganguly silenced his critics by marking his belated return to the Indian Premier League with a gutsy batting display as Pune Warriors notched up a comfortable six-wicket victory over Deccan Chargers here today.
The 38-year-old Ganguly remained unbeaten on 32 off as many balls as Pune, after being asked to bowl first, achieved the target with 10 balls to spare.
After Mitchell Marsh helped Warriors restrict the hosts to 136 for eight with impressive figures of four for 25, Manish Pandey was unlucky to miss a well-deserved half century by a run but did enough to pave the way for his team's victory.
Equally impressive was Pandey's opening partner Jesse Ryder, who made a hurricane 35 of 20 deliveries.
Image: Pune Warriors India cricketer Sourav Ganguly,left, and Callum Ferguson celebrate their team's victory during an Indian Premier League cricket match against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

But it was Ganguly who stole the limelight with a fluent unbeaten knock which contained three boundaries and a six.
In a match that generated interest as well as anticipation for the former India skipper's return to the highly popular tournament, Ganguly strode to the crease at the fall of opener Ryder's wicket.
In the company of Pandey who was just two years old when Ganguly made his international debut way back in the Australian summer of 1991, the experienced left-hander proved a point or two to all those who ignored him during the IPL auction in January.
A run-a-ball innings after a long lay-off was par for the course.
That he made those runs with the help of three boundaries and a massive six off Mishra over deep square-leg, only goes on to show that he still has it in him to play in the league.
Image: Pune Warriors' cricketer Jesse Ryder plays a shot, as Deccan Chargers' Kumar Sangakkara looks on during an Indian Premier League cricket match in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Chasing a modest 137 for their fourth victory in the tournament, Pune rode on Ryder's enterprise and Pandey's controlled aggression to race to fifty in just six overs.
Slow left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha broke the opening partnership by having Ryder bowled, but not before the burly New Zealander smashed five boundaries and two sixes.
Even as all eyes were on Ganguly, Pandey managed to play an innings which was as important as the one played by Ryder.
Boundaries came in thick and fast and there was no stopping the duo till Ryder went for that wild heave.
Skipper Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa didn't last long enough as they were snared by Daniel Christian, but that hardly mattered.
Image: The bails fly off the wicket to dismiss Pune Warriors' cricketer Yuvraj Singh during an Indian Premier League cricket match against Deccan Chargers in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Marsh bowled with purpose after Deccan skipper Kumar Sangakkara elected to bat.
The Warriors did not get off to a good start as Chargers openers Shikhar Dhawan and DB Ravi Teja raised a half-century stand in six overs to set the tone for a competitive total.
But clever bowling coupled with some mindless batting helped the Warriors fight back into the match.
Besides Marsh, Yuvraj picked up two wickets including that of Dhawan, the team's first breakthrough.
Marsh and the other bowlers' efforts ensured that Dhawan and Ravi Teja's brisk start is wasted.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar bowled a tight first over conceding just four runs but, in the following over, Ravi Teja cut and drove Shrikant Wagh for two successive boundaries to make it run-a-ball.
Image: Pune Warriors Mitchell Marsh, right, celebrates the dismissal of Deccan Chargers' cricketer Dwaraka Ravi Teja, left, during an Indian Premier League cricket match in Hyderabad, India, Tuesday, May 10, 2011.

Chennai Super Kings outplay Rajasthan Royals by 63 runs

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's brutal assault and Murali Vijay's brisk fifty was backed up by some sensible bowling as Chennai Super Kings outplayed Rajasthan Royals by 63 runs in their Indian Premier League match here today.
After Chennai rode on Dhoni's onslaught towards the end to post a formidable 196 for three, the bowlers led by Doug Bollinger's three for 22, bundled out Rajasthan for 133 to more or less seal a play-off berth.
With seven wins from 11 matches, Chennai are now second with 14 points.
Apart from Dhoni's 19-ball 41, Michael Hussey (46 of 30) and Suresh Raina (43 off 27), too, impressed with their innovative strokeplay after Vijay laid the platform with a blazing 53 off 40 balls after rival skipper Shane Warne put the visitors in.
During his brief stay at the wicket, Dhoni smashed three sixes and as many fours.
Image: Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni bats during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur, India, Monday, May 9, 2011.

While Vijay scored two fours and three sixes, Hussey hit eight boundaries. Raina found the fence six times. Ajinkya Rahane top-scored for the hosts with an entertaining 52 off 36 balls.
Chasing a mammoth target, Rajasthan needed a flying start but neither Shane Watson nor Rahul Dravid lasted enough.
If the early dismissals of the two openers were not enough, Rajasthan were dealt a telling blow when Albie Morkel accounted for the dangerous Ross Taylor. Barring Taylor, the batsmen that followed the openers lacked experience of playing under pressure, but Rahane proved to be an exception.
The hosts were in the doldrums at 70 for four in the 10th over and while he could not really threaten the Chennai outfit, Rahane, one can say, tried to save Rajasthan from embarrassment in front of the home crowd.
Image: Chennai Super Kings Murli Vijay acknowledges the crowd after his half century during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur, India, Monday, May 9, 2011

During his stay at the crease, Rahane played some effective as well as beautiful shots that for a brief while, revived hopes of a turnaround.
Rahane made his intention clear by hitting Dwayne Bravo for two consecutive boundaries in the fifth over of the innings. The cut in front of point, which raced to the boundary in no time, was a treat to watch.
Rahane then swept Ravichandran Ashwin past short fine leg, but the bowler fought back stongly to signal the end of Watson three deliveries later.
Trying to go for a sweap to a tossed-up ball, Watson only managed a top edge, which Shadab Jataki accepted, though after a fumble. A couple of quiet overs later, Morkel removed Taylor with a full, widish delivery.
Image: Rajasthan Royals Ajinkya Rahane bats during an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings in Jaipur, India, Monday, May 9, 2011.

The hosts slipped further as Ashwin had Ashok Menaria caught behind with a slow and a short-of-a-length delivery.
Rahane, at the other hand, found the ropes with ease as Rajasthan trotted towards the 100-run mark. It took a brilliant catch from Raina at long-on to bring to an end Rahane's innings, much to the disappointment of the home fans.
Abhishek Raut smashed a six and a four before running himself out and after that, Chennai completed the formality without fuss. Earlier, Hussey kicked off the Chennai innings with a swept boundary in the very first ball of the match at the Sawai Mansingh stadium.
Both Hussey and Vijay found the ropes with alarming regularity as Chennai crossed the 50-run mark in the sixth over.
Image: Super Kings Bowler Ravichandran Ashwin (L) celebrates the wicket of Rajasthan Royals batsman Shane watson during the IPL Twenty20 match between Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings at the Swai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on May 9, 2011.