IPL 2010 Points Table as of March 23

Team	P	W	L	NR	Pts	NRR
MUM	4	3	1	0	6	+1.33
BAN	4	3	1	0	6	+1.21
HYD	4	3	1	0	6	+0.45
CHN	4	2	2	0	4	+0.45
KOL	5	2	3	0	4	- 0.85
DEL	5	2	3	0	4	- 0.92
MOH	4	1	3	0	2	- 0.28
JAI	4	1	3	0	2	- 0.95

Kings XI Punjab reigns in thriller

The humdinger at Chepauk twisted and turned before concluding in an explosive tie. Then came the Super Overs. What a finish!

Yuvraj Singh held his nerve under the cauldron, reverse-sweeping the fourth delivery from Muttiah Muralitharan to the fence to provide Kings XI Punjab a tremendous come-from-behind victory. Chennai Super Kings made nine for two — each side can lose a maximum of two wickets in the Super Over — off five deliveries bowled by Kings XI Punjab paceman Juan Theron.

Matthew Hayden was bowled off the second ball, Suresh Raina slog-swept the fourth ball for a six and then was held at cover off the fifth. Theron, rightly, bowled a fuller length. Would the contest swing again? Mahela Jayawardene dismissed off-spinning wizard Muralitharan's first delivery for a six over long-on. He was held at long-on off the second.

Muralitharan spun one past Yuvraj but the left-hander settled the issue off the next ball.

CSK now has two wins and two defeats — both at home — in four matches. And the thriller here gave Kings XI Punjab its first win in four games.

Earlier, chasing 137 after opting to field, CSK required 10 runs off the final over delivered by Irfan Pathan. The host, then, needed three off three.

The left-armer, holding his nerve, conceded a brace off his fourth ball, sent down a dot ball and then had R. Ashwin caught at mid-off with the final delivery of the innings. Kings XI had given itself a lifeline.

Earlier, the left-handed Pathiv Patel 57 (58b, 4x4, 2x6) had held the innings together for most part of the chase. Matthew Hayden biffed a 24-ball 33 but this was a night when the CSK could not sustain momentum.

For Kings XI, Irfan Pathan, opening the innings, played a few spanking shots. When Manpreet Gony pitched short, he was pulled and slashed to the boundary. And Yuvraj Singh pressed on with some tremendous blows at the finish.

The scores: Kings XI Punjab: R. Bopara c Balaji b Morkel 1 ( 8b), I. Pathan b Balaji 39 ( 32b, 5x4, 1x6), K. Sangakkara st. Patel b Muralitharan 15 ( 16b, 2x4), M. Jayawardane lbw b Muralitharan 3 ( 5b), Yuvraj c (sub) Bailey b Morkel 43 ( 28b, 4x4, 2x6), M. Kaif c Morkel b Muralitharan 14 ( 16b), M. Bisla (run out) 7 ( 9b, 1x4), P. Chawla (not out) 8 ( 4b, 2x4), J. Theron (run out) 0 ( 1b), R. Powar (not out) 2 ( 1b), Extras (lb-2, w-2): 4, Total (for eight wkts. in 20 overs) 136.

Fall of wickets: 1-18, 2-54, 3-58, 4-64, 5-109, 6-124, 7-124, 8-125.

Chennai Super Kings bowling: Morkel 4-0-23-2, Goni 2-0-20-0, Ashwin 4-0-32-0, Balaji 4-0-29-1, Muralitharan 4-0-16-3, J. Kemp 0.1-0-1-0, Raina 1.5-0-13-0.

Chennai Super Kings: P. Patel st. Sangakkara b Chawla 57 ( 58b, 4x4, 2x6), M. Hayden b Powar 33 ( 24b, 4x4, 2x6), S. Raina (run out) 15 ( 11b, 1x6), M. Vijay lbw b Theron 0 ( 3b), S. Badrinath c Sangakkara b Yuvraj 2 ( 2b), A. Morkel (not out) 12 ( 12b, 1x4), M. Gony b Theron 2 ( 6b), R. Ashwin c Kaif b Pathan 2 ( 5b), Extras ( b-2, lb-3,w-7, nb-1): 13, Total (for seven wkts. in 20 overs) 136.

Fall of wickets: 1-65, 2-96, 3-97, 4-104, 5-121, 6-127, 7-136.

Kings XI Punjab bowling: Pathan 3-0-22-1, Powar 4-0-22-1, Srivastava 3-0-25-0, Theron 4-0-17-2, Chawla 4-0-27-1, Yuvraj 2-0-18-1.

Kings XI won in Super Over

Mumbai Indians steamrollers KKR

IN SUBLIME FORM: Sachin Tendulkar was simply unstoppable against Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday.

Sachin Tendulkar's value to Mumbai Indians' batting is beyond question. The captain set the pace with a blazing 71 off 48 balls (10 fours) to steamroller Kolkata Knight Riders in the DLF IPL 2010.

The home team cruised to a seven-wicket victory, mocking at the visitor's target off 156 by racing across the line in 18.3 overs for the loss of only three wickets.

Shikhar Dhawan and Saurabh Tiwary were his able lieutenants at the Brabourne Stadium on Monday, smashing 23 off 21 balls and 30 off 24 balls respectively, to drive the Knight Riders' attack up the wall. Different strokes came off Tendulkar's blade, an imperious frontfoot drive to long-on, a controlled pull to square leg, a clever placement between cover and mid-off and a smashing hit across the line to mid-wicket. His 50 came off 35 balls and except for one dropped chance by a hasty Murali Kartik on the follow-through, KKR bowlers made no impression.

Dhawan, opening for the first time in place of Sanath Jayasuriya, got down to the business straightaway, picking three fours in Shane Bond's opening over. The left-hander created space at the crease for forcing shots, his best being a shot through point after leaning back to hit a ball pitched on the off-stump. Tendulkar attacked Ishant Sharma, while Tiwary waded into Gayle.

KKR lost the plot at the start. Ganguly, opening the batting after winning the toss, showed the caution usually reserved for the 50-50 version. Gayle was denied opportunities to free arms for huge swings. Both even allowed themselves the luxury of getting their eye in. Owais Shah (31 off 23 balls) showed the way to bat in T20, but by then it was too late.

Zaheer and McLaren cramped batsmen for room right through. Malinga kept firing in around the off-stump and Harbhajan's control over length coming round the wicket kept runs to a trickle. MI pacemen conceded just 34 in the first five overs. Gayle needed time to settle down and the more enterprising Ganguly flicked off his pads for boundaries, using the pace generated by McLaren.

Gayle broke his sober approach at the crease with a swatted six off Bravo, dismissing the ball over mid-wicket with a languid swing. The ninth-over mandatory time-out saw the openers manage 60 runs before a crude sweep off Harbhajan resulted in the first breakthrough. Malinga came on for his final fling in the 14th over. Gayle finally got cracking against Zaheer, kickstarting with a one-handed pull to fine leg, then swung a full toss down the same route, followed by a trademark six over long-on.

The scores:

Kolkata Knight Riders: C. Gayle lbw b Zaheer 75 (60b, 7x4, 2x6), S. Ganguly b Harbhajan 31 (34b, 5x4), O. Shah b Zaheer 31 (23b, 3x4), A. Matthews (not out) 3 (3b); Extras (b-6, lb-3, w-6): 15; Total (for three wkts. in 20 overs): 155.

Fall of wickets: 1-70, 2-152, 3-155.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Malinga4-0-28-0, Zaheer 4-0-27-2, McLaren 4-0-38-0, Bravo 4-0-36-0, Harbhajan 4-0-17-1.

Mumbai Indians: S. Dhawan c Ganguly b Kartik 23 (21b, 4x4), S. Tendulkar (not out) 71 (48b, 10x4), S. Tiwary c Ganguly b Ishant 30 (24b, 3x4, 1x6), K. Pollard lbw b Ishant 7 (7b, 1x4), R. Sathish (not out) 21 (11b, 3x4); Extras (w-4): 4; Total (for three wkts. In 18.3 overs): 156.

Fall of wickets: 1-61, 2-117, 3-129.

Kolkata Knight Riders bowling: Bond 3-0-31-0, Ishant 4-0-44-2, Gayle 4-0-31-0, Kartik 4-0-21-1, Mathews 3.3-0-29-0 .

President presents 56th National Film Awards

HONOUR FOR TECHNICIAN: President Pratibha Patil presents the Dada Saheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award to veteran cinematographer V.K. Murthy at the 56th National Film Awards 2008 in New Delhi on Friday.

NEW DELHI: Veteran cinematographer V.K. Murthy became the first technician to be awarded the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke award at the 56th National Film Awards (2008) presentation ceremony here on Friday. President Pratibha Patil presented the award to Mr. Murthy, who is best known for his works in classics like Pyaasa and Kaagaz Ke Phool.

Having started his career in 1957, Mr. Murthy, who shot India's first cinema-scope film Kaagaz Ke Phool, was given a standing ovation by the audience and found a special mention in the President's address.

Anirudh Roy Choudhary was presented the Swarna Kamal for directing Antaheen (Bengali), the best feature film, while Neeraj Pandey and Ronnie Screwwala of UTV Motion Pictures were presented the Swarna Kamal as part of the Indira Gandhi Award for best first film, for A Wednesday (Hindi).

Popular Hindi film Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! fetched its director Dibakar Banerjee a Swarna Kamal for the best popular film providing wholesome entertainment.

In the best actor category, Upendra Limaye walked away with the honours for his performance in Marathi film Jogva, and Priyanka Chopra took home the best female actor award for her role in Fashion. The film also fetched Kangana Ranaut the award for best supporting woman actor. “At 22 receiving this award is a great achievement,” she said.

Arjun Rampal took home a Rajat Kamal for the best supporting actor in Rock On (Hindi). The film was also adjudged the best Hindi film.

Master Shams Patel was declared the best child artist for his role in Thanks Maa (Hindi).

Best Actor Upendra Limaye with Best Female Actor Priyanka Chopra.

In the best singers category, the winners were Hariharan for Jogva and Shreya Ghoshal for Jogva and Antaheen. Ms. Ghoshal, who was not there to collect her award, has won the honour thrice earlier.

The Nargis Dutt Award for best feature film on national integration was given to Assamese film Aai Kot Nai.

Little Zizou was awarded the prize for best film on family values while Jogva was selected as the best film on social issues.

Abhaya Simha received the Swarna Kamal for his directorial debut Gubbachigalu (Kannada) in the best children's film category, while Jugal Hansraj was awarded the Swarna Kamal for his film Roadside Romeo in the best animation film category. The Special jury award went to Malayalam film Bioscope.

Bala, director of the Tamil film Naan Kadavul, won the best director award while the award for best cinematography went to Avik Mukhopadhyay for Antaheen.

In the non-feature film category, Director Haobam Paban Kumar received the award for the best non-feature film AFSPA 1958, and the special jury award was presented to Rajesh S. Jala's Children of the Pyre. The award for best director in this category was given to Umesh Kulkarni for Three of Us.

In the category for best writing on cinema, Bollywood Melodies by Ganesh Anantharaman was awarded the best book on cinema, while Altaf Mazid and R.K. Bidur Singh won the best film critics award.

In her address at the end of the presentation ceremony, Ms. Patil said the interest in Hindi cinema was growing internationally and Indian films and music compositions had been receiving international acclaim and awards.

She said cinema needs to be continuously nurtured, as a part of our efforts to not only excel in making films, but also to use it as a medium to tell our stories, as well as give expression to the importance of a humane approach in life.

“Cinema has an immense influence on thinking and on lifestyles particularly of the young generation. There is much positive energy that can be generated by using films, for conveying the message of good values to society and also eradicating harmful social evils,” she said.

Referring to the impact on Hindi cinema globally, she said: “During my visits abroad, often references are made by my interlocutors to the popularity of Indian films, and their role in promoting cultural understanding. India's profile and stature on account of our rapid economic growth, our skilled human resources and future prospects, is increasing.”

The President also made a special mention of Mr. Murthy and Master Shams Patel. “I was told that he is an amateur actor with no acting experience and that this was his first film. His award for a film at his first attempt deserves applause from all of us,” she said about Master Shams.

Pune and Kochi to join 2011 Indian Premier League

Pune and Kochi have been announced as the two new franchises in the Indian Premier League.

At an auction in Chennai, Pune was bought by Sahara Adventure Sports Group for $370m and Kochi went to Rendezvous Sports World Limited for $333m.

The two new franchises will join the IPL from 2011, taking the total number of teams to 10.

Earlier this month, the MCC scrapped plans to buy into an IPL franchise and host matches at Lord's.

Competition to buy the teams reflects the success of the world's richest cricket league, whose third season is currently underway.

Some of India's wealthiest businessmen have bought into the franchises.

IPL 2010 Points Table as of March 20

Team	P	W	L	NR	Pts	NRR
RCB	4	3	1	0	6	+1.21
MI	3	2	1	0	4	+1.52
CSK	3	2	1	0	4	+0.60
DC	3	2	1	0	4	+0.43
KKR	4	2	2	0	4	- 0.91
DDD	4	2	2	0	4	-1.03
RR	4	1	3	0	2	- 0.95
KXIP	3	0	3	0	0	- 0.38

Kallis guides RCB home

Jacques Kallis continued to rewrite the art of batting in Twenty20 cricket with composed, calculated hitting as Royal Challengers Bangalore brushed aside Mumbai Indians by seven wickets in the DLF-IPL III here on Saturday.

A picture of poise and balance, his unbeaten 66 (45b, 10x4) helped the visitor (155 for three) make light of Mumbai Indians' 152-run target. Kallis is unbeaten in four back-to-back knocks so far.

The Challengers captain, Anil Kumble, showed earlier with the ball that his hunger for wickets burns fierce as ever in a fitting setting, a packed Brabourne Stadium.

Kallis and Manish Pandey (40 off 27 balls) sucked the momentum out of the Mumbai attack with ruthless strokeplay. The burly South African went after Lasith Malinga, shifting weight onto the front foot for a rocket-like drive to long-off and carting the next ball into the hoarding at mid-wicket with an easy swing of the bat.

Brutal Methods

Pandey's methods were more brutal, clearing the ropes at long-on against Harbhajan Singh with a powerful drive after picking the length early. He hit three fours and two sixes before making way for Robin Uthappa to continue the shock treatment.

The turning points for Challengers, earlier, were Kumble defusing Saurabh Tiwary's threat with a googly and Rahul Dravid covering ground at mid-wicket to complete a brilliant catch with an outstretched hand.

The two India stalwarts came up with inspiring moments when opportunity presented itself.

An aggressive Tiwary, who stepped out against Kumble, did not have time to correct himself and heard the rattle behind as Kumble (4-0-18-1) celebrated a classic spinner's dismissal. Dravid's catch cut short R. Sathish's brilliance at the crease just when the wily Mumbai batsman had got into the mood to tear into the bowling.

He led the charge for Mumbai with stylish shots and fantastic running between the wickets. He harvested boundaries with slick placements and put bowlers and fielders under pressure. Zaheer's huge blows at the end resulted in three fours and one six in 23 off nine balls, coming as an unexpected boost to the Mumbai total.

Vinay Strikes

Vinay Kumar pegged Mumbai back with a three-wicket burst in his third over, pitching short outside the off-stump for A.T. Rayudu's attempted slice into Boucher's gloves, then seeing off the great man Sachin Tendulkar bowled leg-stump in another flick to fine-leg. His third victim was Bravo, a leg-before verdict coming after repeated appeals.

The scores: Mumbai Indians: S. Jayasuriya lbw b Steyn 2 (5b), S. Tendulkar b Vinay Kumar 25 (22b, 4x4), A. Tare c Pandey b Kallis 9 (10b, 2x4), S. Tiwary b Kumble 25 (21b, 3x4), A. Rayudu c Boucher b Vinay Kumar 3 (4b), D. Bravo lbw b Vinay Kumar 1 (2b), R. Sathish c Dravid b Steyn 24 (22b, 3x4), K. Pollard c Kohli b Steyn 21 (19b, 1x4, 1x6), Harbhajan c Kallis b Praveen Kumar 4 (6b), Zaheer (not out) 23 (9b, 3x4, 1x6), L. Malinga (not out) 0 (0b); Extras (lb-10, w-4): 14. Total (for nine wkts. in 20 overs): 151.

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-36, 3-71, 4-74, 5-75, 6-76, 7-123, 8-125, 9-135.

Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling: Praveen 4-0-37-1, Steyn 4-0-26-3, Kallis 4-0-35-1, Vinay Kumar 4-0-25-3, Kumble 4-0-18-1.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: M. Pandey c Pollard b Harbhajan 40 (27b, 3x4, 2x6), J. Kallis (not out) 66 (45b, 10x4), R. Uttappa c Malinga b Zaheer 23 (15b, 2x4, 1x6), V. Kohli (run out) 17 (12b, 2x6), E. Morgan (not out) 7 (6b); Extras (b-1, lb-1): 2. Total (for three wkts. in 19.1 overs): 155.

Fall of wickets: 1-85, 2-116, 3-136.

Mumbai Indians bowling: Zaheer 4-0-18-1, Malinga 4-0-25-0, Bravo 3.1-0-35-0, Pollard 2-0-24-0, Harbhajan 4-0-35-1, Jayasuriya 2-0-16-0 .

IPL Points Table as of March 20

Team	P	W	L	NR	Pts	NRR
MI	2	2	0	0	4	+2.55
RCB	3	2	1	0	4	+1.46
CSK	3	2	1	0	4	+0.60
DC	3	2	1	0	4	+0.43
KKR	3	2	1	0	4	- 0.64
DDD	4	2	2	0	4	-1.03
KXIP	3	0	3	0	0	- 0.38
RR	3	0	3	0	0	-1.99

Hayden hammers Daredevils into submission

Matthew Hayden hammered a blistering 93 as Chennai Super Kings cruised to a five-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils in their Indian Premier League match at Ferozeshah Kotla.

When Mathew Hayden makes hay, the job for Chennai Super Kings is mostly done.

It was one such evening at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground when the big-made Aussie came good and left Delhi Daredevils reeling at the receiving end of a brutal assault.

Hayden, aptly named Man-of-the-Match, made a formidable task of chasing 186 look ridiculously easy by playing one of the most destructive knocks seen in the Indian Premier League. The left-handed opener’s 43-ball 93 studded with seven sixes and nine boundaries proved decisive as Super Kings won by five wickets and as many deliveries to spare.

Hayden made sure the scoring rate remained in excess of 10 runs an over until he departed in the 14th over with the score at 142 for three. After some anxious moments, due to the cheap dismissals of Albie Morkel and Justkin Kemp, the Super Kings covered the remainder of the journey by riding on the shoulders of new-captain Suresh Raina and M. Vijay.

The second successive victory for the visiting team resulted in the home team’s second consecutive loss in the competition.

In fact, what Virender Sehwag’s 38-ball 74 did to set up Delhi Daredevils’ 185 for six, began to look increasingly inadequate once Hayden got down to the job he does best.

Using the much-talked about ‘mongoose’ bat, (a variant with a smaller blade and a longer handle) from the fourth over, Hayden continued to punish the new bowlers by turns. “He bats the same way,” said Delhi skipper Dinesh Karthik referring to Hayden’s bat. The burly Australian had practiced well with the bat to put it to good use tonight.

Having hit three boundaries off Vidarbha boy Umesh Yadav in the second over of the innings, Hayden smashed a six and three boundaries of Rajat Bhatia and then helped himself to three sixes off Tilakaratne Dilshan. These ‘big’ overs kept Chennai well ahead of the asking rate and Daredevils firmly on the defensive.

However, Hayden missed a well-deserved century after failing to clear a diving Dilshan at long-on. “We thought we had a chance when we got Hayden but we were 10 runs too short,” said Karthik.

Earlier, for the second time in three games, Sehwag provided the foundation for Daredevils. As is his wont, Sehwag went for the bowling straightaway. A total of 200 looked very much possible with Sehwag treating every bowler with equal disdain.

An exasperated Raina employed six bowlers in the first eight overs that yielded 79 runs for the wicket of Darren Warner, the Aussie who not justify the reputation of being a ruthless hitter. “With Sehwag in form, you can’t do anything. I just wanted to be different,” said Raina.

Sehwag smashed three sixes – off Balaji, Kemp and Ashwin – and collected 10 boundaries almost at will and had every bowler at his mercy.

Just when Raina seemed running out of options, Muralidharan struck twice in three deliveries to send back off-form Dilshan and Sehwag.

Dilshan, in spite of playing the longest of the four innings so far in the competition, failed to look convincing and fell after failing to clear Raina at midwicket. Sehwag, looking for straight six, mistimed the shot and holed out to Kemp who tumbled and completed a one-handed catch at long-off.

AB de Villiers, too, departed in the following over to leave Delhi worried. But Dinesh Karthik, Mithun Manhas and Rajat Bhatia took turns to keep the run-rate over nine runs per over. Bhatia smashed two sixes off Balaji before falling to him in the penultimate over.

The scores:

Delhi Daredevils: D. Warner c Hayden b Balaji 6 (8b, 1x4), V. Sehwag c Kemp b Muralitharan 74 (38b, 10x4, 3x6), T. Dilshan c Raina b Muralitharan 15 (24b, 1x4), D. Karthik lbw b Joginder 19 (14b, 2x4), AB de Villiers c Raina b Ashwin 2 (3b), M. Manhas (not out) 32 (22b, 5x4), R. Bhatia c Raina b Balaji 21 (9b, 1x4, 2x6), A. Mishra (not out) 6 (3b, 1x4), Extras (lb-4, nb-1, w-5) 10, Total (for six wickets in 20 overs) 185.

Fall of wickets; 1-35, 2-102, 3-103, 4-107, 5-146, 6-177.

Chennai Super Kings bowling: A. Morkel 3-0-26-0, R. Ashwin 4-0-41-1, Joginder Sharma 4-0-43-1, L. Balaji 3-0-21-2, J. Kemp 1-0-14-0, M. Muralitharan 4-0-25-2, S. Raina 1-0-12-0.

Chennai Super Kings: P. Patel (run out) 6 (6b, 1x4), M. Hayden c Dilshan b Mishra 93 (43b, 9x4, 7x6), S. Badrinath c Mishra b Yadav 14, (15b, 3x4), S. Raina (not out) 49 (34b, 3x4, 3x6), A. Morkel c Mishra b Dilshan 0 (3b), J. Kemp b Nannes 4 (8b), M. Vijay (not out) 14, (6b, 1x4, 1x6), Extras (lb-2, w-8) 10, Total (for five wickets in 19.1 overs) 190.

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-64, 3-142, 4-154, 5-169.

Delhi Daredevils bowling: D. Nannes 4-0-18-1, U. Yadav 4-0-38-1, P. Sangwan 4-0-46-0, R. Bhatia 2-0-31-0, T. Dilshan 2.1-0-30-1, A. Mishra 3-0-35-1.

Deccan take charge at home with victory over Kings’ XI

Irfan Pathan’s blitzkrieg went in vain as Andrew Symonds produced an all—round display to guide Deccan Chargers to a thrilling six run victory over Kings XI Punjab in an Indian Premier League match here today.

Symonds first scored a sparkling 38—ball 53 and then followed it up with the crucial wicket of Mahela Jayawardene (14 off 9) and two important catches off Ravi Bopara (38 off 32) and Irfan Pathan to restrict Kings XI’s to 164 for eight.

For Kings XI, Pathan played a gem of an innings with a blistering 60 off just 26 balls to single-handedly bring the Punjab side inches closer towards the target from nowhere.

Apart from Pathan, Bopara and Jayawardene, only one Kings XI batsmen —— S Sreesanth (12 off 5) managed double figures.

Vaas (2/27) was the pick of the bowlers for Deccan, while Symonds (1/22), RP Singh, Pragyan Ojha and Sharma all accounted for a victim each.

Earlier sent into bat, Symonds notched up back—to—back half centuries in the event while skipper Adam Gilchrist made a quick—fire 12—ball 33 to help Deccan post 170 for seven on the board.

With this victory, Deccan has returned to the top half of the points table with two wins out of three matches, while Kings XI have slumped to their third consecutive defeat in the Twenty20 tournament.

It was a dismal start to Kings XI’s run chase as they lost two wickets, including that of their skipper Sangakkara inside the third over.

Last match half centurion Manvinder Bisla was run out for a duck as T Suman came up with a direct hit. Four balls later Vaas castled Sangakkara’s timbers with a beautiful off—cutter.

As if that was not enough, Yuvraj Singh’s (4) poor show with the bat continued as he ballooned a Vaas delivery to give a simple catch to Gibbs at cover point.

Symonds then sent packing a dangerous—looking Jayawardene and after Bopara’s dismissal, victory was just a formality for the Hyderabad side.

But Pathan ensured that it was not an easy win for the Hyderabad side as he used his long handle to great effect and hit three fours and five sixes to take Kings XI very close to the elusive win.

However, it was not to be as needing 19 runs off the last over, Pathan fell to Jaskaran Singh, caught in the deep by Symonds.

Sreesanth came up with three boundaries in the last over but it was not enough to take Kings XI to their first victory in IPL III.

Earlier apart from Gilchrist and Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs made a run—a—ball 23, while T Suman (26 off 22) and Chaminda Vaas (16 off 10) provided the necessary impetus towards the end to take Deccan to the competitive score.

Yuvraj Singh (2/21) was pick of the Kings XI bowlers while Irfan Pathan, Shalabh Srivastava and Bipul Sharma all picked up a wicket each.

Gilchrist was at his destructive best from the onset. He greeted Sreesanth with two fours and two sixes to pile up 24 runs of the second over.

India's First GSM + GSM or GSM + CDMA Phone

Bright Telecom, which markets its range of mobile phones under the 'G-Fone' brand, has announced at the launch of the G-588, a full QWERTY keyboard laden, dual SIM, dual mode phone in India. The dual mode feature means that the phone can be used in different modes like GSM + GSM or GSM + CDMA.

The G-588 comes with Nimbuzz preinstalled making it social networking friendly right away. It also has a decent multimedia player that supports various file formats. The G-588 supports upto 8GB of memory via microSD cards. It also comes with a localized, Indian Calendar that has listed major festival and cultural events of India.

The phone has a landscape, 2.2-inch screen capable of displaying 65k colors. Here is a brief low down on the specs of the device:

* Dual mode CDMA + GSM OR GSM+ GSM)
* QWERTY keypad
* 1.3 MP camera
* MP3 / MP4 player
* Video recording and playback
* Bluetooth
* FM radio
* Big display
* Exp memory upto 8GB
* WAP/GPRS
* Phone book
* SMS
* wap/gprs


The G-588 will retail at a price of Rs. 4,799, which does not seem too bad for a phone that looks like a BlackBerry!

Praveen Kumar's Hat-Trick for RCB's Victory

RCB makes it a no contest

HAT-TRICK: Royal Challengers' Praveen Kumar being greeted by team members after taking the hat-trick wicket of Paras Dogra of Rajastan Royals. Photo: Bhagya Prakash K.

A perfect blend of incisive bowling and emphatic batting brought ecstasy to Bangaloreans at the Chinnaswamy Stadium here on Thursday night.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) bowlers came to the party and executed their plans to a nicety. They shackled Yusuf Pathan and found their high-point through Praveen Kumar's hat-trick to pave the way for a facile ten-wicket victory over Rajasthan Royals in their DLF Indian Premier League match.

Powering ahead

Royals mustered 92 and RCB cantered home in 10.4 overs with openers Manish Pandey (42 n.o., 30b, 7x4, 1x6) and Jacques Kallis (44 n.o., 34b, 7x4) whittling down the runs with power and panache.

Royals' skipper Shane Warne came on to bowl in the sixth over but there was nothing much he could do as his team's meagre total meant that the former champion had perhaps lost the contest during the break. It was Royals' third consecutive defeat while RCB registered its second win from three matches.

After Kumble had opted to field, Royals struggled for batting fluency. Openers Naman Ojha and Michael Lumb fatally chanced their arms against Jacques Kallis and skipper Anil Kumble as the RCB attack remained niggardly.

Soon a sub-text of cat-and-mouse-game was played out when Yusuf Pathan walked in to a rousing round of applause after Kallis had castled Abhishek Jhunjhunwala. The trio of Dale Steyn, Kallis and Vinay Kumar repeatedly sent the cherry zipping past Pathan's nose.

Though the big-hitter clattered Vinay for two sixes, his marauding instincts remained muted. Yusuf (26) failed to capitalise on two reprieves, as a sprinting Rahul Dravid and a diving Vinay grassed him on 19 and 24, and eventually was stranded by Virat Kohli's throw.

Memorable 17th over

At the other end, Damien Martyn (19) failed to turn the clock back and was Praveen's first victim in a decisive 17th over. Martyn shaped to drill one past covers and found his stumps in disarray. Praveen then lured Sumit Narwal into a pre-meditated hoick and the steepler nestled within Manish Pandey's juggling palms.

A hat-trick was on and Praveen was not denied. After he castled Paras Dogra, the RCB fielders embraced him even as the stands erupted with joy.

Praveen's hat-trick, the seventh in the IPL and the first in the current edition, added a welcome halo to a perfect bowling outing for Kumble's men. The sparkle was enhanced later as Pandey and Kallis hurtled past the target at break-neck speed.

The scores:

Rajasthan Royals: N. Ojha c Uthappa b Kallis 16 (18b, 1x4), M. Lumb st. Boucher b Kumble 10 (18b, 1x4), D. Martyn b Praveen 19 (24b, 1x4), A. Jhunjhunwala b Kallis 5 (7b, 1x4), Yusuf (run out) 26 (24b, 1x4, 2x6), P. Dogra b Praveen 3 (9b), S. Narwal c Pandey b Praveen 0 (1b), S. Warne b Kumble 4 (7b), M. Morkel st. Boucher b Kumble 2 (9b), M. Patel (run out) 0 (2b), S. Trivedi (not out) 0 (1b), Extras (lb-2, w-4, nb-1): 7. Total (all out in 19.5 overs): 92.

Fall of wickets: 1-27, 2-31, 3-38, 4-75, 5-85, 6-85, 7-85, 8-91, 9-92.

Royal Challengers Bangalore bowling: Praveen 4-0-18-3, Steyn 4-0-18-0, Vinay 4-0-25-0, Kallis 4-0-20-2, Kumble 3.5-0-9-3.

Royal Challengers Bangalore: M. Pandey (not out) 42 (30b, 7x4, 1x6), J. Kallis (not out) 44 (34b, 7x4), Extras (w-7): 7. Total (for no loss in 10.4 overs): 93.

Rajasthan Royals bowling: Munaf 3-0-23-0, Morkel 3-0-34-0, Warne 2-0-12-0, Narwal 2.4-0-24-0.

Mumbai Indians Threatans Delhi Daredevils!!!

Dwayne Bravo and Sanath Jayasuriya took two wickets each as Mumbai Indians thrashed Delhi Daredevils by 98 runs to take to the top place in the Indian Premier League at the Ferozshah Kotla, in Delhi, on Wednesday.
Sent in to bat, Sachin Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary smashed blazing half-centuries to help Mumbai Indians post a huge 218 for seven in their 20 overs.

- IPL-III Complete Coverage
In reply, Delhi never really threatened before finishing with just 120 for nine in 16.3 overs, suffering their first loss in the tournament in the process.
Captain Gautam Gambhir did not come out and bat after sustaining a hamstring injury while fielding.
Dwayne Bravo (2 for 11), Sanath Jayasuriya (2 for 17) and Harbhajan Singh (2 for 23) did well with the ball, as Mumbai Indians registered the biggest victory in IPL 3, the third highest in all three editions. The previous best in the ongoing tournament was also by Mumbai, 212 for six against Rajasthan Royals in their opening match.
Tendulkar, dropped on 36, came out all guns blazing to give Mumbai a flying start before he was dismissed for 63 from a mere 32 balls, inclusive of 11 boundaries.
Youngster Saurabh Tiwary hit his second straight fifty, slamming 61 from 37 deliveries, that was laced with four boundaries and three sixes.

Mumbai Indians:

Sachin Tendulkar displayed his golden touch right at the start, guiding a wide delivery from Dirk Nannes through point for a boundary off the first ball he faced in the opening over of the match. Mumbai's captain hit a boundary each in the next two overs to take the total to 29 for no loss after three. He then helped himself to a couple of streaky boundaries, courtesy edges off Maharoof in the fourth over, as Mumbai got off to a flier. Things got worse for Delhi when captain Gautam Gambhir was forced to go off the field with a hamstring injury.

However, it was Maharoof who provided Delhi the first breakthrough, claiming the wicket of compatriot Sanath Jayasuriya for 7. The left-hander tried to loft it over mid-off but didn't get enough elevation and substitute Yogesh Nagar took a few steps back before leaping high and taking a one-handed catch and falling down in acrobatic fashion. But the next two deliveries of the over were despatched for boundaries through mid-on and cover respectively by Tendulkar, who raced to 34 from 14 balls, as Mumbai put up 46 for one after four overs.
Aditya Tare, promoted up the order yet again, made his intentions clear as he slapped Pradeep Sangwan for a flat six over midwicket, in the next over.

Tendulkar, on 36, got a lifeline when he charged down to Sarabjit Ladda and tried to hit straight, but the resultant thick edge was dropped by Amit Mishra , at the point region, as he ran back. Tendulkar made Delhi pay for the let-off as he stepped down the wicket to the next delivery and hit one straight back over the bowler for a boundary to get to 43 from just 18 deliveries.

Tare was looking only to attack the bowlers and he showed his intent by slamming one over the mid-off fielder for his second six. But, the very next delivery, Sangwan had his revenge, bowling the batsman in the seventh over. Tare was out after a quick 17 from 10 balls attempting another big shot. Tendulkar then raced to his half-century off just 23 deliveries, inclusive of nine boundaries, in the eight over. It was the fastest half-century by any Mumbai Indians' batsman in the three editions of the IPL.

Saurabh Tiwary took no time to get going and swept Amit Mishra for a huge six over square leg. In the next over, Maharoof bowled a wide down the leg side and gave away five runs, as Mumbai raced past the 100-run mark after nine overs, the fastest in this year's IPL. Tiwary creamed a full delivery from Maharoof through the point region to take Mumbai to 112 for two after ten overs. Mishra also suffered, as Tendulkar hit him for back-to-back boundaries. However, the leg-spinner had the last laugh by dismissing the master batsman. Tendulkar was caught at long-off after a cracking innings of 63 from 32 balls, inclusive of 11 boundaries, that gave Mumbai a solid platform for a huge total.

The in-form Ambati Rayudu was sent ahead of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo. The Mumbai youngster also did not waste any time in settling down and hit Mishra straight over for a big six. Mumbai 136 for three after 13 overs. Tiwary continued to bat in his trademark, attacking, fashion and dismissed Sangwan for a huge six over long-on to race to 37 from 22 balls. Rayudu took leg-spinner Ladda to the cleaners, hitting a boundary and a six straight down the ground as Mumbai went to 165 for three after 15 overs.

It continued to rain sixes at the Kotla as Rayudu pulled a short delivery from Nannes over midwicket and Tiwary lifted Mishra over the sightscreen for another maximum in the 17th over. Tiwary completed his second successive half-century from 31 deliveries by sweeping Mishra through midwicket for a boundary. Mumbai were 187 for three after 17 overs and set for an imposing total. Maharoof gave Delhi temporary relief when he claimed the wicket of Rayudu, caught at long-off after a brisk 34 from 21 balls, that was laced with a boundary and three sixes.

Debutant Kieron Pollard (1) also got an early reprieve when Mishra, running in from long-on, failed to hold on to a difficult catch off Nannes in the 19th over. Tiwary's smashing knock of 61 from 37 balls, that included four boundaries and three sixes, came to an unfortunate end when he was run-out by Karthik. Dwayne Bravo started the last over with a huge six, but two deliveries later was caught at midwicket for 9. Pollard also failed to shine in his first outing in the IPL. He scored 10 before being stumped off the final delivery of the innings. Mumbai Indians finished on a huge 218 for seven in their 20 overs, the highest score in this year's tournament. For the second match in a row they crossed the 200-run mark. With Gambhir struggling with a hamstring injury, Delhi's chances rest on Virender Sehwag and Tillakaratne Dilshan .

Delhi Daredevils:

With Gambhir unavailable because of the hamstring injury he suffered while fielding, Delhi sent in Tillakaratne Dilshan to open the innings with Sehwag. Dilshan went on the attack from the first ball, hitting Zaheer Khan over mid-off for a boundary. Sehwag finished the over in the same fashion, flicking one through the vacant fine leg region. The two batsmen repeated the dose in the next over. Lasith Malinga got the first wicket for Mumbai. He foxed Dilshan with a slower delivery and had him bowled for 17

Dwayne Bravo, who arrived earlier in the day after a long flight from the Caribbeans, showed no signs of jet lag as he claimed two wickets in his second over. Sehwag, who had scored 26 from 16 balls, hit one straight down the throat of the fielder at mid-off. Four deliveries later, AB de Villiers dragged one back to his stumps as he attempted to cut Bravo after scoring 11. Dinesh Karthik started in style, hitting three consecutive boundaries off the first three deliveries he faced. But, like his team mates before him, he also did settle down to play a big innings. After scoring 16 from six balls he was brilliantly stumped by Aditya Tare down the leg side off Harbhajan Singh. Sanath Jayasuriya struck with his first delivery of the game as Mithun Manhas hit one straight to R Satish at long-off.

Farveez Maharoof decided there was no point in hanging out in the middle and went after Harbhajan, hitting him for a boundary and two sixes in a row. But the experienced Jayasuriya cut short his cameo and had him stumped after a quick 28 from 18 deliveries as he looked to charge down the wicket. Big money-signing Kieron Pollard made his first meaningful contribution of the game when he beat Amit Mishra all ends up, bowling him for 3.
Pradeep Sangwan was run-out for 4, caught short by a direct hit from Bravo at point. Harbhajan then finished off things, bowling Dirk Nannes for 3 as Delhi Daredevils were bundled out for 120 in 16.3 overs.

In the end, Gambhir's absence because of injury proved a big blow. Equally hurting was Dilshan's poor run of form in the three matches the team has played so far. So, thus far, it can be said Mumbai have looked the most convincing of all the eight teams, especially with their batsmen firing on all cylinders. With this thumping victory, Mumbai Indians jumped to the top of standings with four points from two games, while Delhi slipped to third, behind Kolkata Knight Riders.

IPL 2010 Points Table as of March 16, 2010

Team P W L NR Pts NRR
DDD 2 2 0 0 4 +0.71
KKR 3 2 1 0 4 -0.64
CSK 2 1 1 0 2 +0.60
DC 2 1 1 0 2 +0.50
MI 1 1 0 0 2 +0.20
BRC 2 1 1 0 2 +0.11
KXIP 2 0 2 0 0 -0.43
RR 2 0 2 0 0 -0.80

Dhoni destroys Knight Riders

Chennai Super Kings opened their account in the 2010 Indian Premier League with a 55-run win over the Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens.

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni from the front with 66 not out as the Super Kings, beaten by the Deccan Chargers in their opening game, posted 164-3. Kolkta never came close in reply, managing just 109, as they suffered their first defeat in three outings in this season's competition. South Africa all-rounder Justin Kemp picked up 3-12 for Chennai having not been required to bat earlier in the evening.

Matthew Hayden managed just a single before dragging on a delivery from Ishant Sharma while fellow opener Murali Vijay perished in similar fashion off the bowling of Laxmi Shukla having made 33. When Suresh Raina was bowled by Brad Hodge for 18, the Super Kings were in a spot of trouble at 55-3 in the 10th over.

Blistering Knock

However, Dhoni swung the momentum back in his side's favour with a blistering 33-ball knock that included six fours and three sixes. Subramaniam Badrinath, who finished up on 43 not out, kept his captain company in an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership worth 109.

Kolkata simply never recovered from losing the in-form Hodge to the second ball of their reply, slumping to 55-5 in a hurry. Balaji removed Wriddhiman Saha (22) and Owaih Shah (five) in successive overs before Kemp took centre stage, Knight Riders captain Sourav Ganguly becoming his first victim for 11. The right-arm seamer went on to trap the dangerous Angelo Mathews leg before for five, while Rohan Gavaskar became his final victim when he was well caught in the deep by Vijay. Shukla offered some resistance with 19 but the hosts failed to even bat out their overs, Murali Karthik being the last to fall when he was run out for 21.

Paiyaa - En Kathal Solla...

IPL 2010 Points Table

These are the points in IPL 2010 as of March 14

Points Table

IPL Standings

Team	P	W	L	NR	Pts	NRR
KKR	2	2	0	0	4	+0.42
DC	2	1	1	0	2	+0.50
DDD	1	1	0	0	2	+0.26
MI	1	1	0	0	2	+0.20
RR	1	0	1	0	0	- 0.20
KXIP	1	0	1	0	0	- 0.26
BRC	1	0	1	0	0	- 0.28
CSK	1	0	1	0	0	-1.55

KKR Rockz with the help of Tiwary and Matthews!!

No one has ever questioned Manoj Tiwary’s talent. But his detractors have often pointed that this gifted Bengal batsman tends to lose focus at big occasions.

On Sunday, against the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League, it was the 24-year old’s turn to silence his critics. He has been by far, the best batsman to have played for Bengal, after Sourav Ganguly.

The stage was set and Manoj ensured everyone took note of his batting prowess. A target of 136 is never a tall order in T20 cricket. Just when some people were questioning captain Sourav Ganguly’s decision of sending Manoj to open the batting again after his first-ball duck in the match against the Deccan Chargers, the Howrah lad came out all guns blazing.

A 29-ball 50 and a partnership of 101 for the first wicket with an equally impressive Brad Hodge (50 off 45 balls) ensured a seven-wicket victory for the Kolkata Knight Riders against the Royal Challengers. Despite a few hiccups in the late overs, KKR reached the target with four balls to spare.

The best thing about Manoj’s innings was the way he attacked the RCB bowlers in spite of pulling a hamstring. A six off Jacques Kallis over deep mid-wicket and couple of beautiful cover drives were enough to show the Doubting Thomases what he is capable of.

If that wasn’t enough, he lofted Dale Steyn over long off for another six. A square cut off Anil Kumble and then a slog sweep were examples of how one fights adversities. A delicate paddle sweep showed that Manoj is capable of playing at the highest level. By the time he was dismissed, his skipper’s decision had been vindicated.

There are days when matches are won by individual brilliance.

There are days when matches are won by teamwork. Again there are some days when the art of captaincy makes the difference. Sunday was such a day for Sourav. While Sourav got everything right, Kumble, once his most trusted lieutenant, got it wrong by messing up the batting order.

Any captain is hugely satisfied if the his men execute his plans to perfection. In the afternoon, Sourav’s bowlers did just that. Sourav wanted them to bowl to one line and they did it efficiently. After bailing out his team with the bat the other day, Angelo Mathews became the man with the golden arm.

His figures — 4-0-19-4 — would make any captain proud. Angelo did not do anything exceptional. He just bowled wicket to wicket, and it paid off. Rahul Dravid, who hit a majestic cover drive earlier, played one on to his stumps in a bid to up the ante while Manish Pandey, who struggled throughout, also played on.

Ishant Sharma was also brilliant in his first spell, pitching the ball up in his first three overs giving very little room to RCB batsmen. Murali Kartik complemented the pacers as he varied his line, mixing the flighted deliveries to good effect.

The result was a smart dismissal of Virat Kohli. He was induced to go for the lofted shot. Barring Jacques Kallis (65 ..), no one showed the stomach for fight.

KKR has made a good start to the IPL, (they had incidentally beaten RCB and the Chargers in their first two matches of the first edition) but the real test begins on Tuesday when they play Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s Chennai Super Kings who have an all-win record against Sourav’s men.

Chennai lose their first IPL 2010!!!

Each apparently content in their post-international careers, Adam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas still have the ability and sheer presence to turn a team's mood upside down in one evening, proving that the IPL is as much about cool heads and years of experience as it is about youthful exuberance. Gilchrist began by winning the toss and larruping 38 from 17 balls, becoming the first batsman in the IPL to reach 1000 runs, Symonds overcame a sluggish start to slam the game's only half-century, and Vaas snuffed out Chennai Super Kings' chase with three wickets in his opening burst. The result was that the defending champions Deccan Chargers smoothed over their opening-day loss to Kolkata Knight Riders with a professional win.

This win was set up by Deccan's batsmen, namely their three big overseas imports. A frenetic burst at the start, powered by Gilchrist, was followed by a sedate period when Deccan were tied down by Chennai's assortment of spinners and medium-pacers, but the decisive spell that followed went the visitors' way. Herschelle Gibbs' innings was nowhere near as manic as his captain's but it proved far more valuable, because he saw out a tough period on a surface with variable bounce and then accelerated at the end.

Symonds proved a good ally, initially playing second fiddle to Gibbs - at one stage he was 3 off 17 balls and then soared to 50. Gibbs and Symonds fell in succession, after getting Deccan past 150, and a 22-run final over, bowled by two men due to Sudeep Tyagi's full-toss barrage, left Chennai needing 191 to win. Chennai conceded 63 in the last five overs and that proved to be the decisive period of the match.

Gilchrist, who at the toss said matter-of-factly that he wasn't too concerned at his team's first loss, set the tone by smashing Sudeep Tyagi's first over for 18 runs. Albie Morkel was also tonked for fun runs and after three overs the score was 41 for 0. A double-wicket over from R Ashwin, called on to bowl the fifth over, changed the mood in the stadium and forced Deccan to consolidate. Ashwin was taken off after that big over and from 55 for 2 Deccan added just 12 runs in the next four overs.

Upon resumption after the strategic time-out, Gibbs created a few risk-free shots to keep the runs flowing. Justin Kemp, on his IPL debut, was taken for two calculated fours, wrists rolled on both occasions, and Muttiah Muralitharan was reverse-paddled to third man. Murali didn't offer the batsmen any room and that meant they had to try different scoring options to make runs. Symonds had been especially bogged down after failing to score off Murali, Ashwin and Kemp, who in 16 balls allowed him just three singles, but in L Balaji's second over he carved a six and four off consecutive deliveries to move to 14 from 20 balls.

A 95-run stand off 75 balls was ended when Morkel fielded and hit the stumps off his own bowling to send back Gibbs at the start of the 18th over, and five balls later Symonds was caught a frame short of his crease for 50 off 43 balls. Chennai had a good chance to keep Deccan down, but Tyagi's horror evening culminated with Rohit Sharma and T Suman flogging three fours and a six before a second beamer ruled him out after five deliveries. Kemp bowled the final ball and allowed just one, but Deccan went into the interval all charged up.

That drive was clearly channeled into their effort in the field. Before this tournament few outside the Deccan camp would have backed Vaas to feature heavily for the defending champions, given that he had played just seven games in the past two seasons for indifferent returns. But for the second game running, he jolted the opposition top order with a double-wicket over, and by the time he took his third wicket, that of the bulwark Matthew Hayden, Chennai were hemorrhaging at 31 for 3. It was simple stuff; pitch straight, get some cut, let the batsmen cope with the rest. As he had in Mumbai, Vaas even snuck in a maiden over. It was top stuff.

Vaas began his second over by cleaning up M Vijay with an inside edge, had Suresh Raina pull him for six, but when he pitched fuller Raina was lured into a fatal prod to Gilchrist. Much was made of Hayden's expected use of the Mongoose bat, but he came out with a normal piece of willow and fell for just 17, paddling Vaas to RP Singh at short fine leg. Pragyan Ojha struck with his third ball to get S Badrinath miscuing an attempted inside-out drive to long-off and at the end of the Powerplay, Chennai were 37 for 4.

Even a 16-run Jaskaran Singh over, during which Dhoni and Kemp plundered boundaries, didn't deter Deccan. Symonds came on to bowl some seam-up stuff and cleaned up Dhoni (42 from 29), and in the next over Rohit struck to leave Chennai at 115 for 7. Symonds capped a good evening with a second wicket and Chennai finished on 159, a total that owed much to Morkel's belligerent 42.

True Love Song

Mumbai Indians vs. Rajasthan Royals!! - Highlights

Raining Sixes by Yusuf in IPL 2010 (8 sixes)

Yusuf century fails to lift the Royals

In cricket, two half-centuries can be more than a hundred.

Yusuf Pathan realised it the hard way as his century, the fastest in the Indian Premier League, could not stop the Rajasthan Royals from going down to the Mumbai Indians by four runs at the Brabourne Stadium here on Saturday.

Pathan’s 37-ball 100, studded with nine fours and eight sixes, seemed to put the Royals in sight of an improbable victory after being reduced to 66 for four at one stage, but the hosts’ total of 212 for six proved to be a little too much in the end.

The defeat must have rubbed salt in the wound of Yusuf since he got out in the most unfortunate way, run out by the bowler backing up too far at the non-striker’s end. Perhaps it was a tribute to his awesome form that the Mumbai Indians could not dismiss him in any other manner.

The Baroda Bomber’s century, only the second fastest in the T20 format after Andrew Symonds’ 34-ball 100 in an English domestic match between Kent and Middlesex in 2004, overshadowed two other attacking knocks earlier in the day.

Saurabh Tiwary (53) and Ambati Rayudu (55) more than made up for the relative failure of the two big guns, Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar, with their entertaining partnership of 110 runs.

What Tendulkar failed to do to Shane Warne, the 20-year-old Tiwary did, and in breathtaking style. The left-hander first clubbed the leg-spinner for two fours in his second over and then perched him over the long on boundary in the following over.

Rayudu, back to the fold after a stint in the Indian Cricket League (ICL), also showed his class with reverse sweeps and fluent on-drives. But all that was consigned to the scorebooks after Yusuf’s innings.

Yusuf began with a six over the sight-screen off Dmitri Mascarenhas. He then had a hat-trick of sixes off Ali Murtuza before plundering 26 runs in the next over by R. Sathish.

The second six in that Sathish over was actually caught by Ryan McLaren at long off boundary, but the fielder had stepped over the ropes while taking the catch. Yusuf then tonked Jayasuriya for two sixes, the second of which brought up his century.

After his departure, Paras Dogra sustained the onslaught with two sixes and three fours off Sathish. That reduced the equation to 19 runs from 12 balls. Zaheer Khan then produced a tidy over, which left the Royals 12 away from the target before the final over by Malinga.

Dogra was run out scampering for a single, and Amit Uniyal inside edged a wild heave on to his stumps. It boiled down to nine runs from two balls.

Sachin, Gambhir & Sangakkara fined for slow over rate

The IPL on Sunday advised that Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir and Kumar Sangakkara have each been fined US$20,000 for their teams maintaining slow over rates during their respective matches in Mumbai and Mohali on Saturday.

Tendulkar was fined after the Mumbai Indians were assessed to be two overs behind required rate after allowances were taken into consideration during their win against Rajasthan Royals at Brabourne Stadium. Under the IPL s Code of Conduct relating to minimum over rate offences, Tendulkar was fined US$20,000 by match referee Andy Pycroft.

In Mohali, both the Kings XI Punjab and Delhi Daredevils were each assessed to be one over behind their required rate after allowances were taken into consideration at the end of their match at Punjab Cricket Association Stadium. As a result, Kings XI Punjab captain Sangakkara and Delhi Daredevils skipper Gambhir were fined US$20,000 each by match referee Srinivas Venkataraghavan.

Leader Trailer - Watch It!

IPL 3: Knight Riders banking on change in attitude

After performing below par in the first two editions, Kolkata Knight Riders are hoping a change in attitude would do the trick in the third season of the Indian Premier League that commences on March 12.

"We have made many changes and one of those is the change in attitude. You will see that when we play in the IPL," said team owner and Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan at a promotional event for the team on Tuesday.

KKR commence their campaign in the 45-day event on the opening night with a clash against defending champions Deccan Chargers at the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai.

Team skipper and former India captain Sourav Ganguly also echoed Shah Rukh's views, saying that the T20 format of the game called for a different outlook.

"We want to play this format freely. This is what this format demands. We should all enjoy what we do. We will keep it simple. Whoever hits the white ball better will win," he remarked when the new team purple-coloured jersey was also unveiled.

Shah Rukh conceded the team did not have a good run in the first two editions.

"We have had the nicest of runs as far as the economics of the team are concerned. Yes, we had not performed (on the field) to the extent that we can. We would put our best foot forward. We will gauge our success from the way we play the game. It would be nice if we could win the IPL," he said.

Shah Rukh was stumped for an answer when asked about the continued stand-off between television news channels and the IPL authorities over covering the event.

"I don't understand it, it's too complicated and convoluted. NBA (National Broadcasters Association) is a fantastic unit. Lalit Modi (IPL chief) and his team are also a fantastic unit. I hope the issue will be resolved," he said.

New chief coach Dav Whatmore and bowling coach Wasim Akram conceded they were new to the job in the IPL.

"It's a new experience for me. It's a challenge for us to get act together in six weeks. We will do everything possible we can," Australia-born Whatmore said.

Former Pakistan captain Akram said, "It's a new experience to me too. The team is very talented. The boys are working hard and I have the belief we will do well."

'We want to be world's largest sporting league'

Mumbai: At a time when some of Europe's leading football teams are on the brink of bankruptcy, when golf is battling to survive without its leading light, and the threat of a labour stoppage looms over the National Football League, sports administrators could be forgiven for doing their best to damp expectations.

Not so Indian Premier League Commissioner & Chairman, Lalit Modi.

Less than a week before the Deccan Chargers start the defence of their trophy against the Kolkatta Knight Riders in the third IPL season, the most powerful figure in cricket has outlined his plan to make the tournament the most-watched sporting event on the planet. "Our objective is to be the single largest sporting league in the world, and we have an opportunity to get there," Modi says.

Such ambitious talk is at odds with the air of quiet reservation traditionally associated with this quintessential English game.

But then Modi, 46 years old, has shaken cricket from top to bottom since he and his colleagues took control of the Board for Control of Cricket in India (BCCI), the sport's national governing body, in 2005.

Reorganising the sport along business lines, he negotiated record sponsorship and broadcast deals for the India national team. Three years later, he launched IPL: an enterprising league with deep pockets that has left the cricket establishment agog and has taken the commercialisation of sport to a new level.

Bringing together Bollywood, big business and Twenty20, the IPL has drawn thousands of frenzied supporters, attracted millions of dollars of television advertising and handed an elite band of international players previously unheard-of riches.

In short, he has transformed the way cricket is played and watched around the world. And Modi sees no let-up in cricket's commercial revolution. "There are 1.2 billion people in India who eat, drink, live and breathe cricket, so we've got that advantage - the sheer numbers in our country.

"If those numbers of people are watching, then advertisers will follow, and (the IPL) will continue to grow. It will take us a few years to get to the level of the top sports leagues in the world - they've been there a long time and have built huge fan bases - but we've got numbers on our side."

India's cricket-mad population does lend a certain logic to Modi's global plans, but that isn't the limit of his ambition.

In January, the IPL announced a deal with YouTube to stream live games free in every country except the US (Willow TV holds the North America internet rights), making it the first major sporting event to be streamed across the globe.

Last week, Modi agreed to a deal with UK network-TV station ITV to air each of the six-week tournament's 60 matches, the first time live cricket has been broadcast on free-to-air TV in Britain since 2005.

Now he wants to knock soccer off its perch as the world's game.

"It's important for us to make sure that the product is available globally. Last year we were averaging 90-odd million eyeballs. But this year, we've got some great new partners, and we're hoping to hit 150 million eyeballs a day. With YouTube, it allows us to go in and make sure that anybody in the world is able to watch the game of cricket. We want to be the largest sporting event in the world."

Properly marketed, Modi believes Twenty20 cricket can take over the world - including the US.

"Obviously the US market is more focussed on American sports now, but I think Twenty20, with its three-hour format, lends itself to new markets," says Modi, who expects to stage IPL matches in the country by next year. "It's a very explosive game, there's always action all the time and the fortunes of a team change with every ball. That becomes extremely important from a viewership point of view and also from an excitement point of view."

The powerhouse franchises of US sport aren't likely to be hit by cricket just yet. Though the sport has been played in the US since the days of George Washington - himself a keen player - cricket has never managed to establish a significant foothold in the country.

But Modi is convinced the IPL can crack the American market - which includes roughly three million Asian Indians, according to the last census - and has a history of coming good on his ambitious pronouncements. Before he launched the IPL in 2008, Modi boldly claimed he could get $1 billion for 10 years' worth of TV rights for his new tournament - then did.

This aggressive brand of sports capitalism has drawn charges that Modi has sold the sport's soul. In particular, purists fear for the future of Test cricket, which has seen a marked decline in TV viewing outside of the U.K. and Australia.

Commenting on these criticisms, Modi is adamant the IPL's success is "growing the pie" for the sport as a whole. He remains marketing director of the BCCI, which is responsible for India's Test and One-Day teams and says both have a future, although he expects Twenty20 to become the dominant format of the sport.

"I think Test cricket will always be the pinnacle of all forms of cricket in terms of skill, and people will continue to watch that, although we must tweak it to make it more convenient to watch," he says, adding that the introduction of day-night was behind the explosion of popularity in Twenty20.

Yet he is less certain about the future of club cricket outside the IPL. Now that India is firmly established as the most lucrative market, the world's top players - who can make up to US $200,000 for a fortnight's work in the IPL, as opposed to roughly £40,000-a-year in England's County Championship - are likely to gravitate toward the sub-continent.

With sponsors and advertisers sure to follow, administrators in England especially are haunted by the prospect of the IPL becoming cricket's equivalent of the National Basketball Association - the only club league of consequence and the inevitable destination for all the world's top stars.

To be like the NBA "is our aim and that's what we hope to achieve," Modi says.

Drinking tea 'cuts down ovarian cancer risk'

Having two cups of black tea or one cup of green tea a day can help cut down risk of developing ovarian cancer in women, says a study .

Researchers at the University of Washington studied 2,000 women and noticed a 54 per cent risk reduction in those who drank one or more cups of green tea a day, the Daily Express reported.

A second study by the National Institute of Environmental Medicine in Stockholm discovered that those drinking at least two cups of black tea daily slashed the risk of ovarian cancer by nearly 50 per cent.

Studies have emphazised the cancer-protecting properties of both teas that have also been observed to help the heart, boost the brain and bring down 'bad' cholesterol levels.

Is it still the man’s job to approach a woman?

During this Women’s Herstory Series, I want to discuss relevant issues that women face today while also honoring great women of the past and present. As the economy has moved away from the agrarian society and into the industrial sector, more women have left conventional roles of homemaker, housewife, and other domestic occupations. Now, we see more women in powerful positions making strides in the professional sector. Women have fought for equal rights, representation, and access to resources that their male counterparts freely enjoy. We demand equal pay and opportunity in all sectors both private and public. But for all of the fuss that women make about equality in their professional standing, do we really want the potential burden of equality in our dating lives too?

Burden in the equality of dating sounds like a loaded phrase. But, as I’ve met more and more very eligible single women who are looking to date, I encounter a common denominator in many of these singles. Most women that I know of still believe that it is the man’s job to approach and pursue a woman. Ironically, these are the same women who fiercely claim to be independent, self-confident, and self-assured. Well if you’re so independent, self-confident, and self-assured, why not walk up to your Mr. Right?

I challenge women with this archaic mentality of waiting for a male to approach them. While you’re waiting for your next date, potential male suitors are passing you by. When these women who wait on men to find them don’t have anyone ask for their number, they immediately internalize the lack of attention. Show me a woman who feels rejected and I’ll show you a woman who will start to temporarily self-destruct. “It must be my hair” or “I didn’t wear the right outfit” she’ll whine to herself and girlfriends. From the conversations that I’ve had with the opposite sex, a woman doesn’t have to always wear the perfect outfit. She’s allowed to have her imperfections. (Men who don’t allow for imperfection aren’t worth your time anyway.)

“So why aren’t these men approaching me if I’m a full package?” many women ask. It’s probably because they pick up on all your independence, self-esteem, and self-confidence that you boldly present. These men are more than likely intimidated by you. Or, these may may falsely believe that you’re seeing someone else if you look too busy to be bothered. Some women inadvertently make themselves inapproachable. If you find that you’re not attracting as many fellows as you want to, do a self-evaluation of your own approachability. Approachability exists in the little things like direct eye contact, body language, a cute smile and perhaps saying something like “Good day.” These ice-breakers show that a woman is friendly and open worthy of a second glance. It may be intimidating at first, but practice this a few times. There is such a false idea that women who make themselves available are being trashy. Proper advertisement of one’s availability and exploiting oneself are completely different sides of the self-propagating scale.

Men have told me that it is actually sexy if a woman approaches. It shows a genuine sense of self-confidence and an ability to go after what one wants. What man doesn’t want the kind of woman who knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to get it? So, cast aside your self-esteem that may be a bit superficial and try on a pair of big girl panties. Go after the one that you really want. Who knows, maybe he was too afraid to go after you…

In sum, if we’re going to ask for equal rights, we better be prepared for what that really means. It means that you need to take all that equality that your ancestors have fought for and put it into practice. You can’t have all the glory without any of the guts. My question to the readers are:

1.) When was the last time you were approached? How did the scenario look?

2.) When was the last time you approached someone? What did that look like?

3.) Would you be willing to approach a man and ask for his phone number or a future coffee date?

4.) Do you think it’s time for women to start empowering themselves and approaching men?

If you have any interesting answers to these questions, write something in the comments section. I always read them.

If u really love u shdn't miss tis!

Oscars 2010: The Hurt Locker scores over Avatar

Mauro Fiore accepts the Oscar for best achievement in cinematography for “Avatar”.

Sandy Powell accepts the Oscar for best achievement in costume design for “The Young Victoria”.
Paul N.J. Ottosson poses backstage with the Oscars for best achievement in sound editing and sound mixing for “The Hurt Locker”.

From left, Joe Letteri, Stephen Rosenbaum, Andrew R. Jones and Richard Baneham pose backstage with the Oscar for best achievement in visual effects for "Avatar".

Rick Carter, Kim Sinclair and Robert Stromberg accept the Oscar for best achievement in art direction for “Avatar”.


Iraq war movie The Hurt Locker took the Oscars by storm on Sunday, winning six of the major film honours, including best film and best director for Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first woman to win that honour.

The drama about a squad of bomb-defusing specialists and the emotional toll war takes on them also secured writer Mark Boal the Academy award for best original screenplay, and claimed honours for film editing, sound editing, and mixing.

The Hurt Locker and Bigelow won Oscars over stiff competition from her ex-husband James Cameron, whose sci-fi adventure Avatar is the top-grossing film of all time with $2.5 billion at box offices and was seen as a favourite for best film.

"This really is, there's no other way to describe it, it's the moment of a lifetime," Bigelow said at the 82nd annual Academy Awards function at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles on Sunday.

Avatar earned just three Oscars, all in the technical categories — visual effects, cinematography, and art direction. Rick Carter and Robert Stromberg received the award for outstanding art direction while Mauro Fiore received the award for cinematography.

Sandra Bullock was named best actress for The Blind Side in a first for the actress once dubbed America's sweetheart, because she won so many early fans in her romantic comedies.

For The Blind Side she took the part of a real-life, strong-willed mother who helps take a homeless youth off the street and turns him into a football success.

Jeff Bridges won the Oscar for best actor for Crazy Heart. The son of Hollywood star Lloyd Bridges held his trophy high over his head, looked to the heavens and, thanking his late parents, shouted, "Mom and Dad, yeah. Thank you Mom and Dad for turning me on to such a groovy profession."

Austrian actor Christoph Waltz and African American actress Mo'Nique took home Oscars for best supporting actor and actress, respectively.

Waltz won the first Oscar to be presented on the night for his diabolical turn as Nazi officer Hans Landa in the Quentin Tarantino film Inglourious Basterds.

It was the first Oscar for the veteran stage and television actor. Waltz, 53, beat Hollywood veterans like Matt Damon for Invictus, Woody Harrelson for The Messenger, Christopher Plummer for The Last Station, and Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones.

Mo'Nique won the Oscar for her harrowing role as an abusive mother in Precious: Based on the novel Push by Sapphire, claiming her first ever Academy Award.

Mo'Nique was widely seen as the front-runner for the award. She was previously known mostly for her stand-up comedy and for roles on television.

Geoffrey Fletcher won the Best Screenwriter award for Precious: based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.

Disney Pixar's balloon adventure Up won in the category of best animated feature. That gives Pixar Animation Studios, which was bought by the Walt Disney Co in 2006, an industry-leading five Oscars for animation since that award was first handed out in 2002. Up director Pete Docter accepted the award on behalf of the studio and his animation team.

The film also won the best original score award for Micheal Giacchino.

Ryan Birgham and T Bone Burnett won the award for best original song for Crazy Heart.

Logorama was adjudged the best short film while The New Tenant won in the category of live action short. Kavi, a film by Gregg Helvey on an Indian boy and whose parents who work as bonded labourers was among the nominees for best live action short film.

Music by Prudence won the documentary short subject award

Star Trek won the Oscar for best makeup.

Sandy Powell won the award for best costume for The Young Victoria.

The Cove won the award for best documentary feature film. Matt Damon gave the award to Louie Psihoyos and Fisher Stevens.

Argentina's The Secret in Their Eyes won the Oscar for best foreign film. The film is about a retired prosecutor who is haunted by a 25-year-old rape and murder case and tries to find the culprit.