Story Mumbai Indians - Duniya Hila Denge Hum!!! - Bangalore in Deep Trouble

[AkshayS]

Nice to see White making something good.
Nice presentation and it should be Pragyan.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Impressive Mumbai win easily

Dwayne Bravo celebrates his wicket with Harbhajan Singh​

Mumbai Indians produced their most convincing Indian Premier League performance since crushing Delhi Daredevils in their second game of the season at the Feroz Shah Kotla. They restricted Kings XI Punjab to 119 for 10 at the Punjab Cricket Association Stadium, then an effortless 42 from Shikhar Dhawan and 44 from Saurabh Tiwary made the run-chase a cakewalk, as a full house watched them romp home by nine wickets with 20 balls to spare.

It was almost the perfect Twenty20 game from Mumbai Indians. The bowlers were exemplary, led by Dwayne Bravo, as Yuvraj Singh - the man who smashed Stuart Broad for six sixes in an over - batted into the 14th over for 19. The ground fielding was fast and accurate while the catching, except for one drop by Kieron Pollard, was secure. Contrast this with Kings XI Punjab who lost Mahela Jayawardene 10 minutes before the game, were laboured with the bat sloppy in the field.

The stage scores of Kings XI Punjab's innings show the hold Mumbai Indians exerted. After six overs they were 36 for 2, after eleven 55 for 3 and in total the innings included just 10 fours and two sixes. Bravo was outstanding, conceding little under six an over and picking three wickets, showing how good twenty20 bowler he is.

By contrast, Mumbai Indians' latest opening pair gave the run-chase the ideal flying start. Dhawan looked a different player than the one who scratched around during the last season in South Africa, cracking effortless boundaries during the Powerplay, while Rajgopal Sathish was more agricultural. Sathish at times appeared to be trying to hit the ball too hard. A couple of drives, though, showed why the selectors like him as an opening option, before he swung a catch to long-on.

As he is prone to do after one too many energy drinks, Saurabh Tiwary was rather skittish early on and offered a leading edge which Yuvraj Singh couldn't hold before he'd scored. However, by the end he was dominating the attack with his strenth, while Dhawan played his game. The strokeplay of Dhawan and Tiwary that sealed the crushing victory was what the visitors never managed.

Kings XI Punjab were never really in the contest once Marsh was denied the chance to light the fuse. He faced just eight balls in the first four overs, and by the end of fourth over he was bowled by Zaheer Khan. He was pinned to the crease, especially by Malinga whose second over went for a single, and he also cracked him on the helmet with a bouncer. The key for Mumbai Indians's quick bowlers was the extra pace provided by the surface. Unlike in Mumbai, where the short stuff was dispatched by the batsman on easy-paced surfaces, here Zaheer and Malinga were able to keep them on the back foot.

Kumar Sangakkara broke the stranglehold by taking 12 off the sixth over including a slog-sweep over deep square-leg for six, similar to those he played during his brilliant innings against Kolkata Knight Riders in the same stadium. But a direct hit from Napier got the crucial wicket. Yuvraj Singh finally cut loose with a sweep six off Harbhajan, but it was brief onslaught. Harbhajan had his revenge when he bowl the wrong one to get Yuvraj leg before.

Batting was no easier against the slow medium pacers, when Dwayne Bravo was introduced in the 11th over and his second ball went through James Hopes' half-hearted push. He should have struck again next ball when Irfan Pathan edged to slip, but Pollard couldn't get his hands in an ideal position. Bravo got his wicket when Irfan Pathan went for a huge one, but missed the ball and was stumped by Ambati Rayudu - who took the brave decision of standing to the stumps to Bravo - and a ball later Ramesh Powar was made walking as he gave a simple catch to Graham Napier at mid-on.

Ravi Bopara on the other hand, played his natural game scoring some useful boundaries in his 21-ball 32 for Priety Zinta's team but the tailenders fail to support him. Piyush Chawla the legspinner was run out by brilliant throw from midwicket by Kieron Pollard and an over later Graham Napier got his first ever Mumbai Indians wicket when he bowled Vikramjeet Malik for a duck. Last man Shalabh Srivastava gave a simple catch to Dwayne Bravo at long-on of the last ball of the innings as Punjab were bowled out for 119 in their alloted 20 overs. The target was never going to be a huge task for the Mumbai Indians and it showed as Shikhar Dhawan and Saurabh Tiwary guided them to an easy win.

 

[BKB1991]

KXIP were owned. I love the writing its truely cricinfo styles!

 

[AkshayS]

KXIP got owned.
Just a shocker that R.Satish is opening.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

KXIP got owned.
Just a shocker that R.Satish is opening.

I had no one there who could open the batting.

 

[Prithvi]

I had no one there who could open the batting.

Ambati Rayudu is a Opening Batsman and plays very aggressive cricket when he opens.
Check out some scorecards of Hyderabad Heroes when He opened.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Jayawardene out for ten days

Mahela Jayawardene injured his hamstring just before the match against Mumbai Indians​

Kings XI Punjab have been struck a major injury blow after Mahela Jayawardene was ruled out for at least ten days with a hamstring strain. He pulled out of the Indian Premier League match against the Mumbai Indians at the PCA Stadium shortly before the toss after hurting himself in the warm-up.

He was replaced by Shaun Marsh for the Twenty20 game, but the injury means he will miss the next two to three matches for the Kings XI Punjab, starting with the match against Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday. His possible return date would be their last match against the Chennai Super Kings at Dharamsala on April 18. Jayawardene is crucial to Kings Xi Punjab's current form, his batting providing power to the middle order.

They have a few options in the squad to cover for Jayawardene. Shaun Marsh has been kept out of the side by Ravi Bopara, while James Hopes provides a second allround possibility, but no one can give the middle order experience that Jayawardene gives.

Kings XI Punjab have been hit by a few injuries during this season. Brett Lee cut his right index finger before the match against Mumbai Indians, and Kumar Sangakkara was unable to keep at the PCA Stadium against the Mumbai Indians due to a bad back.

 

[MaD]

That could just make all the difference

 

[Varun]

Jayawardene injured ? He was looking in good touch. What's with KXIP now?

 

[BKB1991]

Yes, I hate the KXIP so Its a great move!! :banana2

 

[AkshayS]

Ambati Raydu is a great opener.
He's just fantastic out there opening the innings.

 

[surendar]

lol, in reality - 10 minutes before the game they got Mahela into the game and he scored a century. Here, 10 minutes before the game they lost Mahela. Ten minutes can do anything to one's career. Great writing as always. Keep it up.

 

[shantanu_rooney]

Tyagi shines in Tense last over win for Chennai

Chennai Super Kings celebrate a Citi Moment of Success​

Chennai Super Kings kept their cool in a one-run win over Deccan Chargers at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium. Chasing 162, Deccan Chargers got a good start from Adam Gilchrist and after his departure VSS Laxman played the anchor role with 36 runs from 42 balls. With Herschelle Gibbs smashing a 22-ball 56 including five huge sixes, Deccan Chargers were actually in control going into the final three overs, needing 19 runs with Gibbs and Andrew Symonds at the crease. However, Sudeep Tyagi removed Gibbs and Andrew Symonds in the 17th over to dent the Deccan Chargers chances. The home side could have still won, needing seven off the final six balls, but a brilliant last over by Sudeep Tyagi saw him take wickets of Monish Mishra and Suman and restrict the host for 160. Earlier, after being sent in, Chennai Super Kings relied on half-centuries from Murali Vijay and Suresh Raina to post a tall total.

 

[Prithvi]

VSS Laxman! How's he??

 

[Aussie Team]

Well, Laxman want to play test not T20....:laugh