End of road for Zaheer Khan?

Zaheer Khan international career may have finished after the left-arm spearhead was excluded for the England Test arrangement which initiates from July.

Looking Ahead'

The axing of Zaheer Khan is not surprising at all as selectors are looking ahead as far as Team India’s fast bowling is concerned. I know Zaheer has performed extremely well on the previous tours of England but a team can’t rely on past if they want to win matches overseas. Mohammed Shami, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Ishwar Pandey are talented enough to make their performance count so instead of blocking one place by retaining Zaheer, it was a wise decision to go to England without him.'

Memories of 2011 tour
Zaheer was in tremendous form in 2011. He picked up 21 wickets in the title winning World Cup campaign of Team India and the same was expected from him on the tour of England. He started the first Test match at Lords in the similar fashion picking up two English wickets at the start of the innings but his celebrations were cut short when an unfortunate injury ruled him out of the entire tour. The team led by MS Dhoni couldn’t recover from this loss and was whitewashed in the four-match Test series. Zaheer Khan was recently injured during his IPL campaign with Mumbai Indians but could have recovered before the all important tour of England but selectors were not interested to take any more chances with him as they feared that 2011 was once again on the cards for this Indian maestro.

End of a dream?
Zaheer has achieved what he wanted in the ODIs. He was one of the reasons behind India’s World Cup triumph in 2011.  He has played 200 one-day international matches, picking up 282 wickets in the process but it is Test cricket where his dream has come to an abrupt end. The strongly built lad has played 92 Test matches so far and was looking forward to complete a century in this field but the recent rejection from the selectors could mean the end of his career.

Can he script another comeback?
Zaheer is one player who has a habit of proving everyone wrong. He has always made a comeback from the brink of extinction that too in a superb form. His career has been hampered by injuries but this lad has got special ability of recovering every time he was counted out, Will he be able to repeat his magic once again? Can he script another comeback? It is not an easy question to answer this question but if we go by his recent struggles, things are not looking great for him.

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Srinivasan elected ICC chairman

Indian industrialist Narayanaswami Srinivasan has been elected chairman of the International Cricket Council, declaring he will leave "no stone unturned" in strengthening a sport tarnished by recent match fixing revelations. Srinivasan remains barred by the Indian Supreme Court from carrying out his duties as president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India during an investigation of the Indian Premier League team headed by his son-in-law. He has been named among 13 "persons of interest" investigators wish to question over possible corruption in the IPL. The Supreme Court made clear that the investigation of the Chennai Super Kings should not affect Srinivasan's candidacy for the ICC role. His election was confirmed by the board of the ICC, meeting in Melbourne, after 52 members of the full council signed off major changes to the world body's structure.

"It is an honor to be confirmed as the chairman of the International Cricket Council," Srinivasan said. "I will leave no stone unturned in trying to strengthen the pillars and foundations of our sport, both on and off the field. "I want to ensure that cricket retains and grows its popularity and that the ICC plays a leading role in this global growth." Srinivasan said he wants to see more strong teams in international cricket. "For this to be achieved, we all need to work hard to develop local talent in our countries," he said. "Naturally, there will be more support to those who first show they can help themselves. The ICC is a members' organization and the pathway is now there for any member to play test cricket or in the major ICC events if it performs well enough over a sustained period of time." Srinivasan later told a news conference at the Melbourne Cricket Ground that criticism of his appointment was "unfair." "I believe that some of the criticism is unfair to me and it's not well-founded," he said. "One must judge me by results. It's the first day. I have just been elected. One has to wait and see as to what is the effect I have on the ICC before you make that call," Srinivasan added. "What my image is, the media has a view. I have not done anything wrong for which I should feel hesitant to take this position. Most of the criticism is not well-founded, as time will tell."

Srinivasan disputed suggestions cricket had been damaged by recent corruption allegations. "I can't accept that cricket has an image problem," he said. "There may have been some instances. Rare instances, few and far between." The structural changes approved Thursday flow from a board resolution taking on Feb. 8 and finalized on April 10 which see virtual control of world cricket handed to India, England and Australia. An executive committee will be formed, reporting to the ICC board, and will initially be headed byCricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards. Giles Clarke of the England and Wales Cricket Board will continue to head the Finance and Commercial Affairs Committee. Mustafa Kamal of Bangladesh was elected as the 11th president of the ICC. "This is a memorable and historic day for Bangladesh cricket," Kamal said. "On this day 14 years ago, Bangladesh became the 10th test playing country. Today, a Bangladeshi becomes the 11th president of the International Cricket Council. In Mr. Srinivasan and (chief executive) David Richardson, I have absolute trust and confidence that we have a combination that will not only strengthen our sport, but will also take this great organization to a new level."

sOURCE-http://www.crictoday.com/news/194-slider/12295-srinivasan-elected-icc-chairman.html

Fan Loyalty A missing ingredient from IPL

We’ve all done it. Whether we want to admit it or not, we’ve all become loyal fans of a team at some point of our sports life. A loyal fan is someone who cheers for a particular team because he or she likes them or follows them faithfully. When that team which a fan follows falls from grace, the support system is kept intact. In sports, these are the individuals who stand by their team in the highs and lows. While it’s hard to say what the true value of one fan is to a sports team, we can start at the obvious which is invaluable. What separates loyal fans from everyone else isn’t the number of years they have rooted for a team or the number of games they have watched. Rather, it’s the simple fact that they consider the team they support their team. In what could be considered a sort of pseudo-family, teams and loyal fans share success as well as failure.

The fan loyalty is built over the years as it takes time to make them feel that players are part of their extended family. However, it is different in case of the Indian Premier League. I was recently watching the after match proceedings in one of the matches between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Sunrisers Hyderabad. The fate of the match was decided by the explosive knock of AB de Villiers who single handedly won the match for his side from nowhere. During the post match presentation ceremony he praised the home crowd for standing by them in the tough times. He started his conversation by saying ‘RCB for life’. His reaction was emotional but this has given birth to an important question. Can this format breed fan loyalty? Indian Premier League came into existence in 2008, which was modeled on successful franchise sports like English Premier League, National Basket Association and Major League Baseball. It was an attempt to give Indian fans an experience of city based competition. The complete reshuffle of the players after three or two years is perhaps the most damaging point when it comes to fans loyalty. I know teams are allowed to retain five players but that is not even the half of the squad. Kolkata was happy when their beloved son was purchased by Kolkata Knight Riders but he was allowed to leave after few years. The same could be said about Yuvraj Singh, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and many more. They all started with their home based franchise but after a couple of seasons they were not retained by their respective franchises.

There have been few players who have played for one team across the seasons. The fans have felt bad and have voiced their opinions but when they were not heard, they decided to support the new players. The cash rich league is not that old and still has a long way to go before it can be termed as successful as EPL and other franchise based tournaments. If IPL has to breed fan loyalty, the governing council will have to make sure that players are offered contracts for a longer duration of time. There is a need to let franchise build their squads with few additions and subtractions after the end of each season via transfer window. The owners will have to leave their shortsightedness for success and should take a decision after seeing their team’s performance at the end of the season. Unlike the other leagues across the globe, the Indian Premier League has allowed teams to go into the market with similar budgets. This defeats the purpose of disparity among the franchises, which is good for the health of the tourna ment. However, regular auctions have dented this good factor. This T20 extravaganza needs long term planning in order to be a milestone in the world of sports. AB de Villiers, Rohit Sharma, Dale Steyn, MS Dhoni and few more may finish their respective IPL careers with the same team but few makeshift points are required to increase these numbers in the near future. The fans would be happy if they are allowed to watch same set of players year after year. This could lead to success as well. The support of the home crowd is very vital and the importance can be understood after looking at various football clubs. It is the support of Manchester United fans, which has made this club a successful one in the world. The players feel happy when they play in front of their passionate crowd and the same could happen to IPL teams, if rules are tweaked in their favor. I know it won’t be easy to change the rules but a little try is enough to turn the tide. However, all is not gloomy. The fact that teams like Rajasthan Royals, Mumbai Indians, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Chennai Super Kings have made their home ground their fortress, where opposite teams find hard to register a win, is a good sign for the Indian Premier League. Home ground dominance has been a dominant feature of the various franchise based sporting events in the world and IPL has certainly taken a step forward in this regard.

Source-http://www.crictoday.com/ipl-7/12280-ipl-mania-the-face-of-other-sports.html

IPL Mania the face of other sports

Like it or lump it. Love it or hate it. But you just cannot ignore it. That’s the IPL for you. In fact so firmly has it caught the public imagination that it is known best by the three letters – hardly anyone uses the expansion Indian Premier League. Yes it is not a perfect product – anything but to be candid. It has been scarred by scandals and controversies, the behavior of the players has come under the scanner and there have been several unseemly incidents. But none can deny that overall it has caught the public eye that no other event before it. There have been reports of falling TRP’s, of sponsors displaying a lukewarm attitude but these have been largely unsubstantiated and going by what one sees year after year the IPL’s popularity has hardly been dented – which given the fact that it does not have a totally squeaky clean image is quite remarkable. Simply put it is a product of the times and has fitted in perfectly with the fast changing trends of the new millennium. Indeed it is entertainment for the 21st century but it must be added that the IPL is not just glitz and glamour. The cricket has evolved through the years and from the time when it was looked upon as a format in which batsmen feasted on the hapless bowlers and hit every other ball for a four or a six, the bowlers have hit back and come up with tricks of their own to match the innovative strokes of the batsmen and frequently now we have teams being dismissed for a double digit score well inside the 20 overs or a total of 120 and 130 being defended successfully. Yes, there is strategy and tactics and thinking and planning in the game’s shortest format just as these things exist in the longer formats.

When it first made its bow in 2008 the heady mixture of cricket and Bollywood gave the IPL a new name – cricketainment – a term by which it is best known even today in its seventh edition. Most of the leading cricketers in the world figure in it, it has the backing of superstars from the celluloid world and leading industrialists and everyone loves to be associated with it – be it a commentator, an official or a spectator. The discussion around bars, offices and on the streets still centre on the chances of the eight franchisees depending upon which one you support. The Indian sports lover while being a Manchester United fan is now also a Chennai Super Kings fan and there is merchandise to match. The support is fanatical and the cheering crowds are a testimony to this. The stadium is a sea of yellow, blue or red depending on where the match is being played.

Yes, some of it is hyped. Everything is ``super’’, the atmosphere is ``electric’’ the game is always a ``cracker jacker’’ of a contest and the commentators spare no words in building things up with the cheer leaders lending more than a touch of cheese cake. But then glamour and entertainment is what the IPL is all about basically. T-20 was always going to be a format that would catch on fast and the IPL is an embellishment. And these days it has to be admitted – whether one agrees or not with the idea – that marketing is everything. In any case it must be said that the basic concept involving franchisees and auctions was something new.

Moreover the unparalleled popularity of the IPL has spread to other sports. In the last couple of years we have had similar events in hockey, volleyball and badminton with football and tennis round the corner. Followers of these sports no doubt believe that it will give them a much needed shot in the arm but because of the uniquely exalted status that cricket enjoys in this country the IPL will still easily be the No 1 sporting event by a long way.

Indeed the IPL has changed the concept of sport in India. With the enormous amount of money involved, not to mention big names from the entertainment and industrial world and with the active backing of enthusiastic sponsors sport is no longer a laid back recreational pursuit. It is now professionally run by trained organizers and officials. The success of similar leagues in hockey, volleyball, tennis, badminton and football run along the same lines is bound to have a positive impact on other disciplines too and overall Indian sport will benefit in more ways than one. The fact that Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar are the owners of two football teams and the international tennis league is being organized by Mahesh Bhupathi and has some of the leading players in the game today puts everything in proper perspective. One way or the other there is no denying the fact that the IPL has left its mark on the game in unmistakable terms. It has given rise to similar T-20 leagues around the world the Big Bash in Australia being the most prominent. The growing popularity of Twenty20 cricket while being good for the finances of the game has had its own drawbacks and traditionalists have expressed the fear that the ultimate adverse effect would be on Test cricket. Under the circumstances it was not surprising to read a few years ago that the MCC World Cricket Committee was of the view that Test cricket was on the verge of a sad death in most countries with more and more players considering an IPL contract their ultimate goal.

The world’s leading cricketers are now earning astronomical sums of money by representing an Indian franchisee. City-based cricket has arrived and has spread to other centres, annulling the player’s traditional relationship with his county, state or province. The IPL has also provided little known players with the big stage to display their talent and a few of them have donned national colours largely as a result of their splendid performances in the competition. On the eve of the inaugural competition in 2008 I remember Tendulkar predicting that the IPL would be a super-hit and indeed it caught the public fancy in this country like few events in the past. Everywhere you went the discussion among cricket enthusiasts – and even those having only a passing interest in the game – centered round various aspects of the IPL. Various opinion polls focused on the large number of women followers among the millions of TV viewers and also significant according to the pollsters was that the IPL scored over the soap operas as also Shah Rukh Khan’s then newly inaugurated game show "Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez Hain ". Describing the IPL as `a landmark time in cricket’ Adam Gilchrist who led Deccan Chargers in the initial years was of the view that after 30 years when people look back they would say it is the most important thing to have happened in cricket. "In time to come people will say IPL changed the direction of cricket," he said. In the few years since it can be said that the former Australian great was remarkably percipient. Few however would have expected the IPL to be a template for other sports and so it can be said that it has had a tremendous and positive influence on the changing face of sports in India.

Source-http://www.crictoday.com/ipl-7/12280-ipl-mania-the-face-of-other-sports.html

Sri Lanka clinches test series

Shaminda Eranga ended Jimmy Anderson's stubborn resistance with the penultimate ball as Sri Lanka won the second test at Headingley by 100 runs to clinch its first ever test series win in England. Anderson faced 55 balls without scoring in a desperate last-wicket stand with Moeen Ali (108 not out) before he fended an Eranga bouncer to Rangana Herath at leg gully, giving Sri Lanka a victory of 1-0 series victory with one delivery to spare. The Sri Lanka players piled on each other in celebration, while Anderson slumped over his bat. He was in tears as he accepted England's player of the series award. England resumed the fifth and last day at 57-5, needed to bat through the day to avoid defeat. The equation was helped by a rain-shortened morning session, when Sri Lanka didn't take a wicket. But the momentum changed after lunch when Nuwan Pradeep removed Joe Root (31), when he edged to Lahiru Thirimanne at gully.

Dhammika Prasad then dismissed Matt Prior (10) with a bouncer played to Kaushal Silva at short-leg for his maiden five-wicket haul in a test. There was a review to check for a no-ball, and Prasad's heel was judged to be fractionally behind the line. He finished with figures of 5-50. Herath followed Prasad by striking twice, removing Chris Jordan (21) and Stuart Broad (0) lbw. Ali reached his maiden test century from 281 balls with a flick to fine leg for four off Pradeep. He batted all day for England, including a 20-over partnership with No. 11 Anderson. "I'm obviously very gutted — 100 to save the game would have been fantastic," Ali said. "It doesn't mean as much with the guys being so disappointed." The result means England drops to fifth in the test rankings, below India. Sri Lanka is sixth. The England squad next hosts India in a five-test series. The defeat came in the first test series for England under new coach Peter Moores, who replaced Andy Flower following England's humiliating 5-0 Ashes series loss in Australia. Moores said England's first-innings collapse from 311-3 to 365 all out proved costly, as it had a chance to build a more substantial lead than 108 over Sri Lanka. "There are some tough lessons in that game for us," Moores said. "We got ourselves in a great position but we didn't drive that home. There has got to be a ruthless nature to how you play your cricket at this level."

Source-http://www.crictoday.com/news/194-slider/12289-sri-lanka-clinches-test-series.html

WI in sight of victory

The West Indies bowlers produced a spirited performance to put a series-leveling victory in sight against New Zealand after four days of the second cricket test. The Black Caps, facing a first-innings deficit of 239, reached 257-8 in their second innings, leading by 18 with two wickets in hand. Kemar Roach toiled manfully on a placid Queen's Park Oval pitch to claim 3-53 while fellow pacer Jerome Taylor took 2-46. Left-arm spinner Sulieman Benn grabbed 2-62 from a marathon 49 overs, and claimed a sensational return catch. Kane Williamson top-scored with 52 while BJ Watling provided a defiant, unbeaten 36 in 4 1/2 hours at the crease. Wicketkeeper Watling shared a resolute, undefeated ninth-wicket stand of 43 with Mark Craig, 29 not out. The pair helped New Zealand stretch the match into the fifth day and lifted slim hopes of the tourists' preserving their 1-0 lead in the series. The West Indies grabbed wickets at regular intervals during an attritional day after the Black Caps resumed on 73-1.

The determined overnight partnership between Williamson and opener Tom Latham carried on for the first 45 minutes, taking New Zealand to 84 before the lanky Benn struck. Latham gloved to silly point after a delivery from the left-armer reared off a good length. The left-hander scored 36 off 138 balls and his stand with Williamson was worth 75. The West Indies had to wait another hour before they broke New Zealand's resistance again as pacer Roach finally prised out Williamson, who spent 214 minutes at the crease. The right-hander hit five fours off 178 balls before nibbling outside the off stump and edging to wicketkeeper and skipper Denesh Ramdin. Benn provided the highlight of the morning session just before the break, diving full length to his right to haul in a one-handed catch from Jimmy Neesham's crunching drive. Neesham departed for 7 at 121-4. Ross Taylor and Watling added 32 in an hour either side of lunch before Gabriel made a crucial breakthrough. Taylor, who had defied for just over two hours in scoring 36 off 88 deliveries, edged a drive behind. Jerome Taylor gained reward for his accurate swing bowling with the scalp of Hamish Rutherford on 13, lbw playing no stroke to an in-dipper. New Zealand took tea at 181-6 and quickly slumped to 212-8 as Roach struck twice with the second new ball against aggressive tailenders. Ish Sodhi, on 14, edged a cut to Ramdin, while Tim Southee, 15, spooned a leading edge to extra cover where Kirk Edwards flung himself to his left to haul in a fine, two-handed catch. But the hosts could not quite complete the job as Watling and Craig held out for almost two hours to the close. Craig survived one chance off Benn on 5, short leg Jermaine Blackwood putting down a chance to his right.

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The IPL Sandstorm in the UAE

For a second time in its seven year history, the Indian Premier League tasted international waters as it moved to the United Arab Emirates for the first leg of the IPL 7 season. While skeptics abounded about the choice of venue as well as the viability factor in financial terms, ultimately cricket proved to be the biggest draw. By the time the UAE leg of the IPL was over, the tables had turned quite literally from last season, bringing fresh excitement and promise to the seven year old tournament.

Arabian Nights, Desert Extravaganza

After a long hiatus, cricket from India touched ground in the gulf region. The original design for the IPL was never for the domestic Indian Twenty20 tournament to leave home for foreign shores. Yet for a second time in its brief history, the organizers felt the need to move the IPL out of the base country over apprehensions about adequate security given the fever of the general elections sweeping the country this summer season. Not to lose base with local spectators though, the organizing committee of the IPL decided to allot the three venues in the UAE in Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi a total of twenty matches in the first part of the IPL 7 season in April for the rest of the tournament to return to India in May.

Any qualms at the outset about the decision to take cricket to the region that has shared a rather turbulent relationship with India’s cricket history over the last decade and a half in particular were soon assuaged and even drowned in the din of the IPL once it got underway. As things turned out, there was plenty of cheering and not just from the cheerleaders. While the IPL 2 season received encouraging response when it was forced to shift base to South Africa, the overwhelming response, largely and presumably from India’s expatriate contingent, in the Middle East has ensured that the brand IPL itself continued to thrive despite change of venue. The gate revenue from virtually sell-out crowds from every match– confirmed by the Indian cricket board - ensured that the tournament could have been dubbed a successful experiment after the IPL had the opportunity to choose between South Africa and Bangladesh also amongst other alternate possible venues for 2014.

Capacity crowds, a home carnival atmosphere, generally high scoring entertaining matches, world class stadia and facilities and an incident-free tournament ensured that the UAE had won over cricket hearts, particularly so after the ties with Sharjah were broken under rather trying circumstances for Indian cricket. The huge fillip from the Indian contingent staying and working abroad never allowed the tournament to feel homesick and that in itself was something the Indian cricket board could have only hoped for after IPL found itself embroiled in controversies and scandals that almost overshadowed the staging of the tournament back home. Instead the IPL was given not only a rousing welcome but also, such hospitality that there would have been a twinge or two in the hearts of teams, franchisees and fans when the Indian Premier League left the Arabian nights behind to return home.

Spinning Ta bles

Perhaps the biggest draw for the spectators of the IPL 7 season lay in the fact that the tournament did not pan out along predictable lines. One would have thought that given that the tournament is in its seventh year, some teams would have completely dominated the standings. Fortunately for IPL in the UAE, that was not the case. Instead, the tournament brought forth exciting new team lineups as a result of player reshuffles and while a few players struggled to find their feet with their new franchisees, others thrived beyond expectations. Kings XI Punjab, who have been struggling to get a foot in the door in the IPL in the boardroom as well as on the field, found themselves on the top of the world while last year’s ecstatic champions, the Mumbai Indians, were languishing rather ignominiously at the bottom by the time the UAE journey was complete. While Kings XI Punjab walked away from the UAE with a clean five wins out of five matches record, the Mumbai Indians found themselves diametrically on the opposite side of the spectrum, failing to record a single win after five matches. It went downhill very quickly for the Mumbai Indians who boast of a world class bench of support staff that includes Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting, Robin Singh, Jonty Rhodes, Anil Kumble to mention only a few. Unfortunately that failed to translate into a winning formula and process with the play on the field leaving a lot to be desired from a team who seemed to have finally got their design and act together last year to lift both, the IPL trophy and the Champions League Twenty20 trophy, last year. However, the Mumbai Indians never found their rhythm in the desert sands and therefore, raised no storm for the crowds to cheer about. They, however, provided great entertainment by allowing opposing team such as the Kings XI Punjab to completely dominate the action, particularly with the bat.

Expectations were high from the Royal Challengers Bangalore yet again and although the team did get off to a good start with two wins off successive matches, the next three matches failed to yield any points. A couple of rather low scoring matches also included one that involved the Royal Challengers Bangalore who were shot out for seventy by the Rajasthan Royals. The Rajasthan Royals themselves were a tad fortunate in that they snuck through to the third position by virtue of the tied Super Over match against the Kolkata Knight Riders that saw the former win the contest on the basis of greater number of boundaries scored.

The story proved little different for the other teams who returned with a mixed bag of results. In the end, the mid-section saw four teams tied on eight points with two wins and three losses each after five matches respectively and these included the Kolkata Knight Riders, the Royal Challengers Bangalore, the Sunrisers Hyderabad, and the Delhi Daredevils. Amongst the highlights shared amongst these middling teams would include Chris Lynn’s catch on the boundary that kept the Kolkata Knight Riders in the news and Bhuvneshwar Kumar giving Dale Steyn a run for his money with his bowling for the Sunrisers Hyderabad even as the team found a dependable Australian batting partnership in opener Aaron Finch and number three David Warner. Ajinkya Rahane was a rarity in that he was the only Indian in the list of highest run getters to keep the home flag flying high even as the bowling list seemed to do more justice to the home contingent although Sunil Narine and Lasith Malinga continued to hold fort as prime foreign bowling talent. J.P. Duminy kept it interesting for the Delhi Daredevils who were saved the blushes by the bottom trailing Mumbai Indians.

Repeat victors from previous seasons, the Chennai Super Kings remained just below the radar, deservedly one rank below the Kings XI Punjab after the latter gave the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led IPL team a hiding of a chase they barely saw coming. The Chennai Super Kings managed to maintain a respectable record, pulling out four wins out of five matches and that was largely due to a winning combination at the top of the batting order.

Foreign Bats, Desi Beat

Speaking of successful batting combinations, while the Mumbai Indians were disappearing like quick sand, the Chennai Super Kings managed to walk away rather respectfully from the UAE leg even while remaining under the radar. Huge credit would then go to their two new opening batsmen providing maximum entertainment and keeping the team high on the points table. With Twenty20 being a largely batting dominated sport, it seemed the IPL had lived up to those high entertainment expectations in the UAE with teams benefitting more than others from the player reshuffle earlier in the year.

Where Mumbai Indians struggled to find a consistent opening pair, the Chennai Super Kings were more than happy to reap the benefits of snatching Dwayne Smith at the auctions. Mumbai Indians’ loss was the Chennai Super Kings’ gain simply because where Michael Hussey has struggled to find his rhythm in the opening slot for the Mumbai Indians, Smith has settled in rather beautifully into the role and complemented the destructive New Zealander, Brendon McCullum, who found his sure footing once more since that lung opener in 2008 when he took the IPL by storm.

Even the Chennai Super Kings managed to stay just below the radar and their openers managing to prove the maximum thrust, even they could not overshadow the elation of the ascendance of another team in the IPL. Poaching worked wonders for the Kings XI Punjab in that the world was provided with the exhilarating M&M show. Glenn Maxwell, in particular, was an expensive buy for the Mumbai Indians last year but was underutilized in an over-stacked talent rack. At the Kings XI Punjab team, the Australian cricketer has enjoyed a free rein and in his partnership with another dynamic young South African batsman in David Miller, revealed Kings XI Punjab as serious contenders to the throne in 2014. The Maxwell-Miller partnership broke the backbone of more than one team and it is not easy to ruffle the feathers of the otherwise cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has skippered the Chennai Super Kings since the inception of the IPL. Maxwell in particular was not only majestic but also, brutal in his stroke play, essentially plundering at will to score in the nineties twice and on three occasions, coming close to scoring his first IPL century. That minor blip, however, could not stop the Kings XI Punjab from scoring five wins on the trot and essentially being the raging success in the desert leg of the IPL.

While Maxwell’s bat yielded 300 runs from five matches at a fearsome strike rate of 201.34 with an average of sixty, the destructive damage with the bat was complimented by the fifteen wickets shared between Laxmipathy Balaji and Sandeep Sharma, lending a nice balance to the winning strategy of the high flying Kings XI Punjab. It was hard to look past the team who virtually dominated all the headlines coming out of the Arabian caravan.

Mirage in the sand

But not everything in the UAE was a rip roaring success. Although the overall and feel of the experience of the IPL in the UAE appeared a resounding success, there were many minor disappointments on the player level that would have been hoped to have been corrected when IPL 7 – Part 2 got underway in India. For one, some of the Indian batting contingent failed to live up to the hype much to the disappointment of the crowds hoping to see some of India’s finest talent.

All eyes were on the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s most exorbitant buy, Yuvraj Singh, who was yet to justify the price tag of Rs.14 crores when the IPL left the UAE. But the Royal Challengers Bangalore’s disappointments in the UAE stemmed from the fact that many of their big guns including the explosive Chris Gayle remained largely silent. Likewise, much was expected from the Delhi Daredevils captain, Kevin Pietersen, after his retrenchment from England cricket’s plans for the future. However, a finger injury saw him miss the beginning of the Arabian escapade, proving to be a dampener.

India’s comeback hopeful, Virender Sehwag, showed semblance of brilliance with his stint with the Kings XI Punjab but nothing concrete enough to croon about even as his team unearthed a few match winners including their skipper, George Bailey. Sehwag’s former India opening team mate, Gautam Gambhir, fared even worse. As skipper of the Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir was expected to kick off matters for his team. Instead Gambhir would want to forget the UAE sojourn in a hurry given that he collected three ducks on the trot as his team struggled to get momentum going their way.

Although the IPL 7 was far from complete, it had to be said that the overall experience of the IPL in the UAE was a resounding one, one that held promise that mainstream cricket, apart from being proxy hosts for the Pakistan cricket, could return to the region. The overwhelming majority of cricket loving expat population made it a relatively cost effective, worthwhile enterprise, one that could be explored by the BCCI for further commercial ventures. The IPL was made to feel at home even before it touched base back home. That the BCCI was elated by the prospect was more than evident when they released a statement that appreciated the Gulf adventure for “an unprecedented success in terms of fan turnout, television viewership, digital views and ticket collection”. While teams would look to maintain or improve their momentum depending on how they fared in the Middle East, the IPL and spin offs may have just found a home away from home in the United Arab Emirates.

NZ tour of WI: A battle of equals

With the conclusion of the Indian Premiere League, there might be a collective gloom among cricket lovers across the globe. However, the international cricketing calendar is such that it hardly gives you space to brood and the true cricket lovers would always be spoilt for choices.

This year, the international cricketing summer begins with New Zealand’s tour to the West Indies. The tour, which constitutes of three Tests and two T20 international matches, promises to be an engrossing affair and fans of the both nations would hopefully be satiated by the end of it. What is interesting is that both the sides have recently faced off against one another and know their strengths and weaknesses quite well. West Indies had toured New Zealand in late December-early January for a full-fledged series comprising of three Tests, five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and two T20s. Though New Zealand won the hard fought Test series 1-0, West Indies came back to equal the ODI series 2-2 (with one match being abandoned due to rain). New Zealand won the T20 series comfortably; affecting a whitewash by winning 2-0. Nevertheless, what stood out from that series was that both the sides; irrespective of the conditions, are on equal measure when compared to each other. According to the ICC’s international Test rankings, New Zealand stands at the sixth position while the West Indies is struggling at the eighth number. It clearly indicates that there isn’t much to choose between the two sides and each would have to play out of their skins to oust the other. Now let us have a brief look at the players to watch out for both the teams in this series.

Players to watch out for New Zealand

Brendon McCullum: Fresh from an outstanding triple century (302) in his last Test match against India at Wellington, Brendon McCullum is truly in the form of his life. His 525 runs in the two match Test series against the Indians was a world record and it seems that the responsibility of leading the side is perhaps pushing the dashing right-hand batsman to play more maturely. Additionally, McCullum has also relieved himself from the wicket-keeping duties and can now solely concentrate on his batting. As was evident from his epic knock against India, McCullum is relishing the role of being the senior batsman and his current purple patch may cause West Indies dear.

Ross Taylor: Though, this senior New Zealand batsman hasn’t exactly been setting the stage on fire of late, it would be foolish to count Ross Taylor out. The attractive right-hand batsman has the ability to tear apart any opposition in the world and it is only a matter of time before he lets his bat do all the talking. In his last series against the West Indies, Taylor had scored heavily; with a double century and two centuries in three Tests and the West Indians would certainly be wary of him. He has played many memorable knocks in the past for his country and the slow and low pitches of West Indies are likely to suit his style of play. Ross Taylor forms a vital cog of New Zealand’s middle-order and the team would expect him to play some responsible knocks for them.

Kane Williamson: He is the rising star of New Zealand cricket and could well go on to be one of the great New Zealand batsmen ever if he stays true to his skills. The 23 year old did have a sedate series against India, but his sparkling 113 at Auckland in the first Test match of that series was a clear display of his class. Coming at number three, Williamson’s role in the batting order assumes prime significance and it remains to be seen how he fares in the slow and low tracks of West Indies. He has played the West Indies bowlers in their last tour to New Zealand and did fairly well. If the young batsman has got to show his class to the world, there would not be a better stage than in front of the cricket loving public of the Caribbean.

Tim Southee: The right-arm medium fast bowler is in good form currently and should enjoy bowling in the tracks of West Indies which always has something for the quicks.

Though the tracks of the Caribbean would not be the same seaming and bouncing ones found in New Zealand, it should still aid the 25 year old’s bowling style. His biggest challenge of course would be facing up front to Chris Gayle and if somehow Southee manages to come up trumps in the battle, his team would be at an advantageous position. Another fact that might help Southee is that the West Indies squad has a number of lefthanders and his outswingers might trouble them.

Trent Boult: He is another bowling star in the making for New Zealand and if handled properly could go on to make many records for his country. Having taken 82 wickets in just 22 matches, Boult has shown that he is a force to reckon with. The left-arm fast bowler has the ability to bowl at pace and can move the ball both ways. He is in good rhythm currently and should trouble the West Indians, known to be susceptible to swing and bounce. How well he performs with the old ball may well be the deciding factor for New Zealand’s outcome in the Test series.

Players to watch out for West Indies

Chris Gayle: The tall Jamaican would undoubtedly be the man to watch out for in the entire tour. Having torn apart bowlers all over the world, Chris Gayle would be at ease on the familiar pitches at home. Though Gayle’s Test form has been a little moderate off late, but you can expect him to be up to the challenge when the series commences. What would perhaps work as an added motivation for Gayle, would be the fact that he would be playing his 100th Test match at Jamaica; his home ground, which incidentally is the also the First Test match of the series.

Denesh Ramdin: The wicket-keeper batsman has been named as the West Indies captain for the Test series and for West Indies to do well, a lot would depend on his captaincy. Coming lower down the order, Ramdin’s batting too would be under scrutiny. He has played some vital knocks for his team from that position in the past and now, as the captain of the side, his role becomes even more pertinent. Ramdin has already led his side in three T20s and an ODI, but leading a Test team is an altogether different challenge.

Shivnarine Chanderpaul: The 39 year old is clearly one of the unsung heroes of West Indies cricket. There have been innumerable instances when Shivnarine Chanderpaul, through his gritty performances, has bailed his team out of trouble. His batting is unorthodox and not very attractive to look at, but what matters is that it is effective. With 29 Test centuries and 11219 runs in 153 Test matches at an average of 51.93, Chanderpaul clearly is one of the best batsmen in the world today. Though the world hasn’t exactly given Chanderpaul due credit for his feats, he is unlikely to brood over it. He loves being the ‘silent guardian’ of West Indian cricket and would surely be the one thorn that New Zealand would find hard to remove.


Tino Best: This robust fast-bowler has just 57 Test wickets in 25 Test matches. However, stats rarely do tell the full story. Tino Best is a bowler with heart and has the markings of the great West Indies bowlers from the yore. He has pace and can extract steep bounce from even the most docile tracks. Best has been handed the responsibility of leading the bowling attack and thus his role would be one of the most important ones for West Indies’ chances in the series. He might not get wickets in heaps, but can surely trouble the best as was seen in Sachin Tendulkar’s last Test match where he was regularly uncomfortable facing up to Best.

Sunil Narine: The rightarm off-break bowler from Trinidad is known more for his heroics in the shorter format of the game than in the Test matches. His subtle variations, dexterity and guile make it hard for batsmen to hit him in ODIs and T20s. However, Sunil Narine is yet to announce his arrival in the Test arena. To be fair to him, Narine has only played six Test matches as of yet and with some regular chances he is sure to add to his tally of 21 wickets. In his last Test innings, incidentally against New Zealand, he returned with figures of 6/91. With New Zealand historically known to struggle against spin, Sunil Narine could well be the ace of Ramdin’s pack.

The pitches

The pitches would obviously be the centre of attention as that is where all the action would be played. Let us briefly look at the three different stadiums where the Test matches would be played and the nature of the pitches there. The first Test would be played at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica. The pitch here was known to be lively with good pace and bounce, but over the years it has toned down and despite the grounds men’s best efforts it remains slow and low. Spinners can have a big role here and batsmen who can grit it out can play some long innings. The second Test match would be played at the picturesque Queen’s Park Oval in Port of Spain, Trinidad. The pitch here has true bounce which the fast bowlers should enjoy. However, the bounce also helps the batsmen who have been known to get big scores in this ground. The final Test match of the series is to be played at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. The stadium is relatively new; being established in 2006, and it is yet to be determined the true nature of the wicket here. From the records, it seems that the pitch here is quite favorable to bowlers, and batsmen would have a tough time setting their pace and playing a long innings.

The T20 series

Apart from the Test matches there would also be some light entertainment for the fans in the form of two T20s to be played between the two sides. With the likes of Corey Anderson, Jimmy Neesham and Brendon McCullum in New Zealand’s T20 side and Chris Gayle, Sunil Narine and Dwayne Smith in the West Indies line up, a crackling and exciting series is to be awaited.

The overall scenario

Overall, one should expect a hard fought and a grueling and engrossing series between the West Indies and New Zealand. Both the sides are well balanced and seem to be on equal stead when pitted against each other. To stake its claim as a serious Test playing nation, this tour is New Zealand cricket’s best chance. On the other hand, West Indies would like to rise up the charts from the bottom of the Test rankings and doing well on this tour might be their first step towards it. Exciting times for cricket lovers thus lie ahead. Fact Box 1: T20 World Cup winning captain Darren Sammy has announced his retirement from Test cricket after losing the captaincy to Denesh Ramdin. Sammy said that ‘he was no longer needed in Tests by the selectors’. Sammy would continue to lead West Indies in ODIs and T20s. Fact Box 2: Former New Zealand batsman Craig McMillan has been signed up as the batting coach of New Zealand for this tour. “It’s a career path I’m looking forward to pursuing,” McMillan, who played 55 Tests and 197 one-day internationals for New Zealand, was quoted as saying to the Dominion Post on his appointment.



RESOURCE:-http://www.crictoday.com/magazine/top-story/12260-nz-tour-of-wi-a-battle-of-equals.html

Sri Lanka survives dramatic day

Sri Lanka survived by one wicket to draw the first test against England after finishing on 201-9 at Lord's. England declared overnight on 267-8 and set Sri Lanka an improbable 390 runs to win and for most of the day the match looked set for a draw. But the hosts started to glimpse victory through an inspired spell around tea from James Anderson, who ended with 4-25. Sri Lanka, which finished 188 runs behind England, lost six wickets in the final session. Stuart Broad struck with the first ball of the final over before being awarded the 10th wicket of Nuwan Pradeep lbw on the penultimate delivery — only for Pradeep's review to show he got a huge inside edge on the ball before it smashed into his pads. "We couldn't bat well after tea," Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews said. "I thought it (the draw) was safe at tea but you can't relax with the attack they've got." England captain Alastair Cook was pleased with his side's effort. "I can't praise the lads enough today, it was a flat wicket," Cook said. "We had to wait for the ball to reverse swing and it took longer than we thought. We had a chance going into the last hour and we've come up just short." Anderson took Mahela Jayawardene for 18 in the penultimate over before tea, as he found enough reverse swing to entice an edge through to Matt Prior. After the break, he bowled Kumar Sangakkara, who made a disciplined 61 off 168 deliveries and four balls later got an edge from Lahiru Thirimanne (2) through to Chris Jordan at second slip. It is the 10th time Anderson has taken Thirimanne's wicket, and Sri Lanka were rattled on 170-6, losing three wickets for 11 runs. But Mathews put on a valuable 24 for the sixth wicket with Prasanna Jayawardene, who survived an lbw appeal from Anderson with the score still on 170. Jordan eventually took Jayawardene's wicket lbw after a successful review, before Stuart Broad, with the new ball in his hand, dismissed Nuwan Kulasekkara the same way with 6.5 overs remaining. Mathews then fell to Anderson with 18 deliveries remaining, making a stubborn total of 18 in two hours and fifteen minutes at the crease, facing 90 balls. Broad then struck with the first ball of the final over to edge England nearer to victory, dismissing Rangana Herath for 1.

The 27-year-old Broad had earlier taken his 50th wicket at Lord's, removing opener Dimuth Karunaratne for 16. Broad is the fourth player to reach the milestone after Fred Trueman, Ian Botham and teammate Anderson. Jordan's first wicket of the day came from Kaushal Silva, caught after flicking the ball down legside to Prior for 57, his second half century in the test. But England has reason to feel aggrieved for not getting the win. Both teams were guilty of a slow over rate, as the anticipated number of overs failed to be reached for the first four days. England were six short when it fielded the entire third day. "It's something you look at, there's quite a lot of distractions here at Lord's but it's something we will get better at," Cook said. "At the moment, it's disappointing we couldn't get over the line." Mathews lauded the efforts of Sangakkara for following up his first test century at Lord's of 147 with his 61 on the final day. "What a player Kumar is," Mathews said. "He played some tremendous knocks in both innings and was feeling very comfortable out there. When he got out, we were under pressure." The second test at Headingly starts Friday, and the tourists will be without wicketkeeper Jayawardene, who returns to Sri Lanka with a finger injury. He is replaced by Kithruwan Vithanage.

Source by-:http://www.crictoday.com/news/194-slider/12258-sri-lanka-survives-dramatic-day.html

Brand Ambassador: A long lasting impact

India is one country where there is huge fan following for the Bollywood stars and cricket players. Apart from their profession, there are indulged in other activities as well. I still remember how the Indian government decided to use Aamir Khan and Mohammad Kaif in their pulse polio campaign to fight this problem in Uttar Pradesh.  If we talk about cricket, the players are all-rounders as they switch gears from one format to others that too without any hesitation.  Apart from their cricketing activities, they are put in the areas which are completely different from the game. Their services are used in diversified areas. Indian cricketers are signed by big corporate houses to promote their respective brands. Much like successful film stars, they are considered role models from every section of the society. Sachin Tendulkar was the first cricketer in India, who was signed by different brands in order to gain mileage for their products. After him, we saw another megastar in form of MS Dhoni, who wrote new chapter in the world of endorsements. These two had the nerve of the entire nation in their hands and were successful whatever they did outside the cricketing field.  MS Dhoni is still active in the sport and is promoting various brands.

Virat Kohli, the vice captain of the Indian team, followed in their footsteps and is part of the multiple brands at the moment. Such cricketers were or are famous for selling soaps, soft drinks, shoes, mobiles and cars. It is standard practice in India to use cricketers as brand ambassadors and pay them handsome amount to boost the profile of the company and the products. A top star getting lots of money because of their corporate alliance is a normal practice in the country. It happens all the time. It is also a routine procedure for the cricketers to make themselves a part of the social campaign concerning health, environment, education and much more. However, there are several social campaigns, which are designed or made for some serious business. These are not put in practice to gain financial mileage or raise the volume of a particular brand but have a clear aim of leaving impact in the society. Sachin Tendulkar is associated with several such campaigns. In it continued endeavor to help build sustainable communities, Coca-Cola India and NDTV in association with their NGO partners, UN-Habitat, Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and Sulabh International had embarked upon a unique initiative - 'Support My School' campaign. The campaign is aimed to develop over 100 healthy, active and happy schools in rural and semi-urban towns by improving basic amenities and subsequently generating monetary resources, hence benefiting over 50,000 students across the country. Apart from this, he was also appointed UNICEF’s first brand ambassador for South Asia and is all set to work in promoting hygiene and sanitation in the region.

We don’t have data about the improvement in these fields after Sachin Tendulkar took over as the brand ambassador. However, there is one hundred percent surety that changes have taken place. Virat Kohli was hired by Election Commission to campaign for them in Delhi urging youngsters to vote in the election, which was held in 2013. His appeal had an effect as the voting percent increased. I won’t say that it happened just because of drafting Virat Kohli but atleast there was some change in the mindset of the young crop of the capital. Many feel that cricket stars can improve image, help reach out to the public and can produce positive impact.  It is not easy to calculate the final and the whole outcome of social campaigns featuring renowned cricket players but the choice and the contribution of the brand ambassadors can’t be debated. Nobody can argue about the pan India popularity of Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni and many other cricketers of the past. This trend should continue in the near future as our country needs to fight with several evils by riding on the shoulders of the cricketers.

Why Bangladesh series is a waste of time and energy?

We all need a rest, or break, from the routine of our major activity. The amount of cricket which is being played these days is really a concern for the cricketers as there is hardly any gap between the tournaments. This has either resulted in injuries or has led to poor form. The whole Indian fraternity is worried about the poor performance of Mohammad Shami in the last few series. He was sensational in the starting but has lost his charm. His not so good performance is because of the continuous load he has been subjected to in international cricket. The right arm fast bowler needs rest to regain his lost touch. Look at the Australian and England cricket board, they can lose the match but are not ready to lose their player on account of injuries. They have rested players even in the most important matches as they consider their players most important. However, BCCI, the right cricket board in the board is only concerned about making money and increasing their domination in the world. Of all the stupid things they have done in the recent times, the latest one stands out. Team Indian will tour Bangladesh after the Indian Premier League.

The stage has been set for three ODIs despite knowing that the same team is due to leave for the England’s tour on 22nd of June. The three ODIs will be played in Dhaka on June 15, 17 and 19. I am unable to understand the logic behind this tour. It’s a fact that BCCI doesn’t believe in logics as it could lead to financial loses and Indian players are like slaves for them. It’s a very common trend that Slaves have no right over their masters and are bound to listen what they are told. How could three meaningless games against Bangladesh help team for the Test matches? The best thing would have been a break from any sort of action till the upcoming English tour. It would have help players to get rid of the tiredness they have attained during the Indian Premier League. If they were not willing to rest the players, the ideal thing would be to send them early to England. It is no more a hidden fact that English conditions are difficult to adjust as it requires temperament and skills. It was a nightmarish experience when our team toured England in 2011. The same could happen once again as players are being treated as robots.

Apart from this, there are just two practice matches before the Test series. Isn’t this stupid? They could have organized few more matches but money is honey for them. Leave the entire cry behind the practice matches and let’s take you back in 2011. Several key players were injured and it was used an excuse for the hammering we received last time in England. How players got injured? Some of them carried injuries since the 2011 cricket World Cup, which got aggravated in the IPL. If this was not enough, the players were sent to West Indies to play ODIs and Test matches. Remember, in 2011 India arrived in England from the West Indies and were short of match practice in testing conditions before the Test series. The consequences were horrendous for the whole team.  India is on the run since October and the break after the IPL was needed. Seniors players have been rested but the likes of Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane will bear the brunt of tight scheduling as they are certain to play in the Test matches. I know BCCI has commitments to fulfill but they shouldn’t do this at the expanse of the players. It would have been good if the three match series against Bangladesh was organized in the later part of the year.  The tour of Bangladesh is a waste of time and energy as far as players are concerned. It’s high time that BCCI starts understanding the need of rest otherwise we might lose some bright talent in the near future. It is Indian cricketers and their popularity, which has made BCCI immensely rich and if these ambassadors are taken for granted the results, could become devastating for the board one day.

Team India’s future stars

Once senior generation stars failing, their place is taken up by upcoming stars and that’s a beauty of any sport. Yuvraj Singh, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja made their international debut at a young age and we have seen what they have done for the Indian cricket. Yuvarj Singh has failed in the longest version of the game while Ravindra Jadeja is also finding hard to adjust himself according to this format. However, there are few upcoming lads who have in them to succeed at the highest level in Test as well as in ODIs.

Baba Aparajith
This 19 year old cricketer is fast moving up the ladder in terms of performances. The right hand batsman from Tamil Nadu has already established himself in the playing XI of the Ranji side. He has a solid technique with great temperament, which is the main reason behind his success. He has already played 24 first class matches, scoring 1425 runs with five centuries and five half-centuries. An average of 52 is enough to sum-up what this lad has done in a short span of time. Even in the 50 over format, Baba has an average of more than 33 (603 runs) in 20 games with a strike rate of almost 80. He has in him to be successful in the shorter format as well. He was part of the Chennai Super Kings in the recently conclude Indian Premier League but due to competition for places, he was not included in the playing XI. However, he would have learnt a lot from the senior pros. If he continues in the same fashion, we could see him in the national colors after one or two years.

Lokesh Rahul
He has become a big name in the domestic circuit with some match winning performances in the last season. The 22 year old right hand batsman was in supreme touch and was one of the reasons behind Karnataka’s treble winning run. He along with Robin Uthappa made sure that their domestic side had a good start in each and every game. Rahul scored more than 1000 runs in the four day format of the Ranji Trophy in the last edition. He has accumulated more than 1600 runs in the 23 games sofar, which is worth applauding. If he has a class in a four day game, his scores in the shorter format is simply amazing. He has played 24 games, scoring 925 runs with 2 hundreds and 6 fifties. The strike rate is 73.35 which will improve with a passage of time. Rahul played some good knocks for his IPL franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad in the seventh season. He is another guy who could make it to the Indian team.

Karun Nair
He was another hero of the Karnataka’s phenomenal Ranji season. The 22-year-old scored consecutive centuries in Karnataka’s 2013-14 Ranji quarter-final and semi-final victories. Karun Nair played 6 games for his state side, scoring 494 runs with 3 centuries to his name. The best thing about Nair is that he can play attacking cricket as well. He has a strike rate of almost 90 with 1 century and 4 fifties (559 runs) in the 18 domestic ODIs. He was one of the find of this year’s IPL. Rajasthan Royals were blessed to have someone like him in their side. He was tremendous in his shot selection and played with freedom. Karun Nair managed 330-run at a strike rate of 142.24 in the cash rich league.

3 Best Moments of IPL-7

The seventh edition of the Indian Premier League lived upto its billing. It had all the excitement, passion and emotion. It is not right to say that this was the best edition till date but it certainly gave us moment of brilliance with the bat, ball and fielding. Let’s take a look at those spectacular moments.

Rain’s exceptional knock
He was in devastating form in the second qualifier against Kings XI Punjab.  Chasing 227 for victory, Raina made all the bowlers pay. No matter who was the bowler and where the ball was pitched, the left hand batsman was quick to send them for fours or sixes. It was his effect that Chennai Super Kings reached 100-run in the powerplay. His 87-run off 25 balls had class written over it. He hit 12 fours and 6 sixes with a strike rate above 300. However, his run-out brought an unfortunate end to the innings. His departure led to CSK’s collapse and they finally lost the match by 24 runs.

Chris Lynn’s flying beauty
The match was almost over for Kolkata Knight Riders when AB de Villiers hit Vinay Kumar what looked like a certain six but Chris Lynn’s acrobatic effort made that certain six into a catch which almost sealed the match in KKR’s favor. He timed his movement to perfection and molded his body in such a fashion that he didn’t fell over the ropes thus completing one of the most spectacular catches in the history of the game. It won’t be wrong to say that catches do win matches.

Mumbai Indians mammoth chase
It was a game where unthinkable was achieved. Mumbai had to chase 190 in 87 balls to derail Rajasthan Royals from 4th spot in the points table in order to qualify for the playoffs. They were almost out of the equation but boy their batsmen had different plans in their minds. Corey Anderson, the New Zealand all-rounder, accumulated an unbeaten 95-run off 44 balls to put things under control. Apart from him Ambati Rayudu’s 30-run off 10 balls played an important role in Mumbai’s phenomenal win by 5 wickets.

Young guns who set the stage on fire

Apart from the famous players, there were few Indians who set the stage on fire in the Indian Premier League. The batsmen made sure that their performances were noted while the upcoming bowlers didn’t hesitate in going for a kill in the event.

Akshar Patel, Kings XI Punjab
The 20 year old was the find of the tournament with consistent performances under his belt. He got the Emerging Player of the Tournament award for his brilliant bowling. The tall lad was difficult to play and he took the wickets of well established international stars. He took 17 wickets in 17 matches at a strike rate of 6.13 which is phenomenal for any bowler. The best thing about him was his habit of learning from his mistakes. If he was hit for a four or a six, he made sure that same thing is not repeated on the next delivery. It was his exceptional show with the ball which led to his selection for the upcoming tour of Bangladesh. Apart from his bowling, he is a handy batsman and he proved this on few occasions in the just conclude cash rich league. Even his fielding was of top class in the IPL.

Yuzvendra Chahal, Royal Challengers Bangalore
He was warming the benches with Mumbai Indians till last year but boy he showed his caliber this time round for his new IPL franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore. Still only 23, he played every game for his team, picking up 12 wickets in 14 games. His economy rate was 7.01, which cannot be termed bad by any means. The batsmen tried their best against him but with little success. He didn’t stop himself from going for flight to take wickets. Instead his flighting deliveries proved too much for the opposite batsmen.

Sandeep Sharma, Kings XI Punjab
He didn’t play the last few matches including the all important finale against Kolkata Knight Riders but he was one of the most impressive bowlers in the seventh edition of the IPL. He has controlled over his swing while his habit of taking early wickets, helped his team immensely. His success against the likes of Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli sums up everything. The right arm fast bowler took 18 wickets from 11 matches. The economy rate (8.81) was slightly on the higher side but keeping in mind about the nature of the shortest format, it is ok.

Karun Nair, Rajasthan Royals
Let’s thank to Rahul Dravid for unearthing another jewel through Indian Premier League. The 22-year old batsman made his presence felt with some eye-catching knocks in his debut season. He was one of the reasons behind Royals several win in the seventh edition.  He finished the tournament with 330-run at a strike rate of 142.24. He was brilliant on the front foot while his back foot shots had class written all over it.

Manan Vohra, Kings XI Punjab
There was lot of debate when he retained by the Kings XI Punjab as everyone thought that Punjab based franchise has made a big mistake. He was kept out of the team for nine games but once he was included in the playing XI, Vohra never looked back.  The right hand batsman scored 324-run from just 8 games at a strike rate of more than 139. He hit 27 fours and 16 sixes in the league which set the tone for his team.

Heroes of KKR’s IPL Triumph

ings XI Punjab was the favorite against Kolkata Knight Riders before the finale but things went against them. The Knights from Kolkata landed their second IPL trophy in three years thus becoming the only second team two win the crown twice after Chennai Super Kings. It was a team effort which helped them in lifting yet another IPL trophy. Let’s take a look at those players who played a major part in the triumph.

Manish Pandey’s superman show
Manish Pandey was making runs in the previous matches but nobody even dreamt off what he did in the title decider. After setting his eyes in, the local Karnataka boy went on rampage with some blistering strokes. The wickets were falling from the other end but he didn’t lose hope. His knock of 94 runs off 50 balls overshadowed Saha’s brilliant hundred for the opposite team. Pandey’s inning had 7 fours and 6 sixes. He didn’t spare any bowler. His cuts, drives and pulls were of top class and attracted huge round of applause from the fans.

Cameo from Yusuf Pathan
He was in pathetic from in the first half of the season and was even dropped from the playing XI. However, the Baroda bomber made a sensational comeback in the last few games of the season. Riding on good form, he played an important cameo in the finale. His 36 runs off 22 balls was laced with four sixes and somewhat took KKR closer to title victory. He was the main reason behind taking off pressure from Manish Pandey’s shoulder.

Brilliant bowling from Shakib
Kings XI Punjab scored 199-run from the allotted 20 overs which was a huge score considering pressure and nervy moments. However, there was one bowler from the Knights side, who kept the batsmen in check throughout the proceedings. Shakib-al-Hasan, the Bangladeshi all-rounder and the lifeline of KKR’s middle order, bowled an inspirational spell. He conceded just 26 runs from his four overs when his fellow bowlers went for more than 10 in an over. It was his bowling which kept the score at 199 otherwise, KXIP could have score around 230.

King Khan’s presence Shah Rukh Khan has always backed his Knights despite their poor performances and painful exits from the previous editions of the Indian Premier League. His presence in the final match was moral boosting for the team. He was constantly cheering for them, which was enough to lift their spirits. The famous Bollywood actor is the co-owner of the KKR and his mature avatar suddenly turned into three year old children when his team won the title. He was seen dancing, playing and celebrating with the players. Cheerful owner, Cheerful team.