Bangalore RC, Rajasthan Royals earn thrilling wins in IPL

It was a royal special at Kingsmead as Bangalore Royal Challengers and Rajasthan Royals pulled off thrilling wins in the Indian Premier League on Thursday.

Bangalore beat Chennai Super Kings by two wickets to move into joint fourth position with Deccan Chargers and revive their hopes of reaching the semifinals next week.

Rajasthan cut it even closer in the second match, clipping Mumbai Indians by 2 runs when Mumbai needed four runs from the final over with three wickets in hand.

Rajasthan, the defending champion, rose to third in the eight-team table, while Mumbai slipped to sixth.

Delhi Daredevils lead the Twenty20 tournament with 16 points, followed by Chennai and Rajasthan on 13, but with Chennai enjoying a better run rate.

Mumbai looked like climbing to third with a victory when it needed four runs from the last over to over to overhaul Rajasthan's 145-7. But Mumbai, at 142-7 was all for 143 with a ball to spare.

"All credit to the guys," Rajasthan captain Shane Warne said. "It is these last games that show the spirit of your group. We just wanted to put up a good performance and not worry about winning or losing. But the guys came and showed the desperation and spirit in the side."

Warne, with 3-24 in four overs, was named man of the match, but pace bowler Munaf Patel led the attack in the last over.

He trapped Dhawal Kularni for 1 on the second ball, and Chetanya Nanda was run out for a duck on the third by a throw from Yusuf Pathan to make it 142-9. Harbhajan Singh came in and scored a single, leaving Mumbai needing three runs off the last two balls.

Lasith Malinga played on the off side and set off for a single, but Warne scooped it up and threw to Patel to run him out at the non-striker's end to end the drama.

"I felt towards the end there was a bit of panic and that cost us the game," said Mumbai captain Sachin Tendulkar, who was trapped by Warne for a 30-ball 40.

Bangalore's Vinay Kumar hit the wininng runs in their game with two balls to spare. Set a relatively easy target after bowling out Chennai for 129, Ross Taylor hit 46, sharing a 56-run fourth wicket stand with Virat Kohli (38 off 35 balls) to set up Bangalore nicely after a slow start.

Taylor fell with five runs needed off the last five balls and two wickets in hand.

Kumar then guided his team home in a nervous finish, benefiting from a misfield that allowed a boundary.

"It was a great effort," said Bangalore captain Anil Kumble, who took 2-12. "The bowlers were brilliant and the fielding was brilliant but we struggled a bit at the end. (Jacques) Kallis was brilliant up front .. .everyone contributed."

South Africa allrounder Kallis took 2-18 in four overs including a maiden. Kumar claimed 2-30 in three. The IPL's leading runscorer Matthew Hayden topscored for Chennai with 60.

Today, Kings XI Punjab plays Delhi.

[the article was originally published at http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=949564&lang=eng_news]

Turning up the IPL heat

After three weeks of frantic, non-stop cricket, the battle for semi-final spots in the 2009 Indian Premier League is starting to take shape and Wednesday's key clash between leaders Delhi Daredevils and the Deccan Chargers at Kingsmead (4.30pm) is going to be keenly contested.

After a week's break, it's Durban's turn again to host the IPL circus with Wednesday's match followed by a double-header on Thursday. The final double-header will take place in Durban on Wednesday next week, completing a grand total of 16 matches in Durban - the most held in any of the eight venues.

Victory for the Delhi franchise, who also have a game in hand, would go a long way to confirming their position in the top four but the top of the table is so congested that a win for the Chargers would take them level on points with their opponents.

In such a tightly contested competition only one of the eight franchises, the Kolkata Knight Riders, are out of contention for the semis.

Delhi opener Gautam Gambhir has been deputising, pretty successfully, as the team's captain in the absence of the injured Virender Sehwag. One of the points of interest for another big crowd at today's match is whether big-hitting opener Sehwag will be fit to return and, if he does, who will make way for him?

Up until now Australian David Warner has played the big-hitting role at the top of the order.

Another fascinating development is that Glenn McGrath, who, despite being valued at $350 000, has yet to play a game in this year's tournament - easy money for him although it is no doubt frustrating for the most economical fast bowler in world cricket.

Perhaps the lean, lanky paceman, who retired from international cricket after the 2007 World Cup, is being kept out of the side by his compatriot Dirk Nannes.

Durban fans will again be keen to see the prolific AB de Villiers who has struck 271 runs for his team at an average of 67.75, the best of the tournament.

By contrast the Deccan Chargers have had a topsy-turvy time, winning their first four matches and then losing four of the next five. They will be hoping to continue the form they showed in their last match when they thumped 2008 champions the Rajasthan Royals by 53 runs.

After a sizzling start Herschelle Gibbs has suffered a big slump in form and was dropped for the match against Rajasthan. He hopes to return to action at Kingsmead, one of his favourite run-making grounds.

On Thursday the double-header will feature the Royal Challengers Bangalore against the Chennai Super Kings in the early match, with the 4.30pm clash between the Mumbai Indians and the Rajasthan Royals.

The pitch for all three matches will be the Test strip which provided some high-scoring matches last week. Former Kingsmead groundsman Phil Russell, who is helping with pitch preparation, predicted the surface would be a "belter" although a little slow because of the weekend rain.

[the article was originally published at http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=6&click_id=4&art_id=vn20090513064429456C804418 by Patrick Compton]

Kings XI, Mumbai Indians in a must-win situation

Both Mumbai Indians and Kings XI Punjab are in a must-win situation as they face each other in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Centurion Park here Tuesday.
The two teams have to win all their four remaining matches if they want to make the semi-finals. But Mumbai Indians will also be looking to avenge their three-run loss to Kings XI Punjab in their previous encounter April 29.

Both the teams have come back to their winning ways after having lost their past few matches.

Mumbai Indians comprehensively defeated Bangalore Royal Challengers Sunday and will be hoping to carry forward the winning momentum.

South African Jean Paul Duminy, the Man of the Match against Royal Challengers, said that Mumbai Indians will be looking for a win against Kings XI.

“It has been a good experience so far. But there are few more games that we need to win now. Hopefully, we can carry forward this winning momentum to the coming matches. I am happy that I contributed to my team’s cause,” said Duminy.

Mumbai Indian’s chief mentor Shaun Pollock said that the team is planning to take each game at a time.

“We know that if we don’t win all the matches then we will be out of the tournament. Our future is in our hands. We have to play matches against top five teams of the tournament. We would like to take each game at a time. At some stage in the tournament every team faces such situations,” said Pollock.

Mumbai Indians are one of the most balanced side in the IPL. With greats like Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya in their batting line-up, they also have Zaheer Khan and Lasith Malinga in the bowling department. Zaheer, who missed the last match, is expected to be back in the side.

Kings XI Punjab also have a good batting line-up but their bowling and fielding hasn’t been up to the mark. The return of Australian speedster Brett Lee has, however, bolstered their bowling attack.

Lee, who is making a comeback from an injury lay-off, was the best Kings XI bowler in their win against Deccan Chargers Saturday. He also wielded the bat sensibly to take his team to a win with one ball to spare.

Kings XI coach Tom Moody said: “The competition’s particularly close. We obviously welcomed back Brett Lee; he made us a little more potent at the top with some pace. And he also showed his skills down the order to be able to finish the game (with a victory). His energy in the game was important.”

Moody, however, is not happy with the quality of cricket his team has played so far in the league.

“We haven’t played particularly played good cricket so far. And we look forward to improving every game we play,” he said.

The coach is worried about his bowlers’ inability to deliver in the death overs.

“So that’s something we need to address seriously. It is a good time for players to reflect and work on the areas that we need to polish up on,” Moody maintained.

[the article was originally published at http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/kings-xi-mumbai-indians-in-a-must-win-situation-preview_100191066.html]

Gautam Gambhir scores sixth ton in IPL

Following are the statistical highlights from the game between Delhi Daredevils and Kolkata Knight Riders:

— The 58-run partnership between Morne van Wyk and Brendon McCullum was Kolkata's best for the opening wicket in the IPL 2009. The pair surpassed the 57-run partnership between Brendon McCullum and Chris Gayle against Kings XI Punjab at Durban.

— Kolkata raced to their hundred in 14.2 overs, which is their fastest in IPL 2009. They had taken 15.2 overs for their 100 against Rajasthan Royals at Cape Town and also against Mumbai Indians at East London.

— Morne van Wyk (74) posted the highest score by a Kolkata batsman in IPL 2009, beating Brad Hodge's 73 against Mumbai Indians at East London on May 1.

— The maiden by Amit Mishra was the first by a Delhi bowler in IPL 2009

— Kolkata Knight Riders (154-3) posted their highest total in the IPL 2009, just beating the 153-3 against Kings XI Punjab at Port Elizabeth on May 3.

— Delhi Daredevils kept intact their record of not losing a wicket in the very next over after the strategy-break.

— Gautam Gambhir (71 not out) made his highest score in IPL 2009 and his sixth fifty in all IPL games.

— Delhi Daredevils provided the third instance in IPL 2009 of a side winning a match by nine or more wickets.

[the article was originally published at http://cricketnext.in.com/news/stats-gambhir-scores-sixth-ton-in-ipl/40611-27.html]

Punjab struggle to 119-8 against Mumbai in IPL

Kumar Sangakkara top-scored with an unbeaten 45 not out as King Kings XI Punjab limped to 119-8 against the Mumbai Indians in the Indian Premier league on Wednesday.

Lasith Malinga was the pick of the bowlers for Mumbai, taking 2-12 from his four overs.

Sangakkara was the only batsmen to make a real impression against the Mumbai attack, with opener opener Karan Goel the next highest scorer with 12.

Goel was the first wicket to fall, stumped by wicketkeper Pinal Shah after missing a ball from Harbhajan Singh in the fourth over.

Punjab failed to add to its score and were reduced to 2-18 when Ravi Bopara (6) was caught in the slips by Sachin Tendulkar off Dwayne Bravo.

Captain Yuvraj Singh (10) then failed to clear long-on with a low stroke off JP Duminy and was caught by Zaheer Khan.,

Mahela Jayawardene was also caught at long on for seven by Shikhar Dhawan, reducing Punjab to 4-52. Irfan Pathan was the next to fall, suprised by Zaheer Khan's extra bounce, and caught in the deep by Dwayne Bravo for seven.

Malinga got his first wicket when a ferocious inswinger hit Wilkin Mota (5) on the pads and found the stumps.

Two balls later Malinga clean bowled Piyush Chawla with a full delivery for 5.

Ramesh Powar was run out in in the last over by Shah for 10.

[the article was oringially published at http://www.etaiwannews.com/etn/news_content.php?id=934773&lang=eng_news&cate_img=145.jpg&cate_rss=news_Sports]

T20 has nothing to do with age says Tendulkar

DURBAN: Old pros have certainly put up some of the best performances of the IPL so far and Sachin Tendulkar believes that Twenty20 format has nothing to do with age as it is thought to be by many.

Tendulkar has himself led the way for Mumbai Indians along with Sanath Jayasurya while the performance of Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Anil Kumble, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly in the IPL have given further strentgh to the batting maestro's claim.

''I don't know who says that it's a young man's game.

Clearly, he doesn't know much about cricket. It's a cricketers' game so it really doesn't matter whether you are young or old.

It is a cricketer's match,'' Tendulkar told the official IPL website (iplt20.com).

Both Tendulkar and Jayasuriya, who is pushing 40, handed out a stern lesson to one and all in Mumbai Indians' win against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Both the batsmen also put up the highest opening partnership of the tournament. Just earlier in the day the other senior pros, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist and Herschelle Gibbs showed just why they are still feared.

Tendulkar showed the way to Mumbai Indians in their last match with a match-winning 68 against Knight Riders which included a lot of power hitting and innovation as well.

The cheeky shot that he played off Chris Gayle certainly showed that age has nothing to do with this format. He scooped the ball from close to the short third man and got himself a boundary.

''That was an innovative stroke. I wouldn't say it is the most innovative one ever that I have played. But it was something different,'' said Tendulkar.

He shared a stand worth 127 with Jayasuriya and was all praise for his old comrade.

''It's fantastic, even last year I enjoyed batting at the other end and it was fantastic. He has got excellent hand-eye co-ordination, very quick feet, very quick hands. Needless to say that he is one of the best strikers in the world.

The rate at which the master blaster was going against the Knight Riders, a century was very much on the cards but the Mumbaikar does not have any regrets.

''I am not playing for 100s, I am playing for the team.

And, if I score a hundred even better for the team. The idea is not to chase a 100. If it comes my way it's fine.
''As long as my contribution is there for the team, that is what matters. If it has helped us to get to a good total, I am a happy person.''

[the article was originally published at http://www.sakaaltimes.com/2009/04/29135911/T20-has-nothing-to-do-with-age.html]

A weekend of the cricket veterans

The South African pitches and conditions will expose the batsmen's limitations in the 2009 IPL. The four games on the weekend underlined the fact that even in T20 format, there is no substitute besides class and experience. It was the veterans who showed the way and set the trend for the competition.

The best moments over the weekend matches were Dravid's six, Sachin's shot over cover, Vetteori's spell and Warne's guile that mocked at the batsmen. Never mind that Warne's Rajasthan Royals lost, but in those four overs, he provided salvation from the boring sixes and boundaries, the same was for Kumble and Vettori. Of course, there was the slinging Malinga making a statement for the quick bowlers, but frankly this IPL is likely to show a lot of surprises.

The point is that if you take a simplistic perspective of cricket as it being just a sport and there is more to life, then you might enjoy the offerings, though it is only in between the commercials on the television. Most people i know have strong reservations over the break after 10 overs, for it takes away the momentum and continuity. The organizers can justify the gimmick saying they would like to earn as much as they spend.

Watching the likes of Sachin and Dravid was indeed a pleasure. While a big innings from Sachin is always to be expected in any format, Dravid was revelation to those who believed that he is a misfit for T20 cricket.

Dravid was intent on making a strong statement to his detractors as this was so evident in his celebration on reaching 50. It is a pity that Dravid would soon be flying back home to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

The other two veterans who batted, Kumble could barely hide his blushes after the performance.

All the eight teams were not prepared for the very English conditions in Cape Town with all the rain and the moisture, and hence the pronounced movement off the deck. There was something for the spinners too.

Of the eight teams on the weekend,Royal Challengers, Mumbai Indians and the Deccan Chargers were the most improved lot whereas these same teams were at the receiving end last year.

[credit : http://sify.com/sports/cricket/ipl/iplfullstory.php?a=jeuoeNdhfeg&title=Weekend_of_the_veterans&cid=14602148]

Tendulkar - I will not take anything for granted

Cape Town: They might have made a resounding start to their IPL campaign with a convincing win over last year's runners-up Chennai Super Kings, but Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar is not ready to take things for granted and wants to build on the good start.

Tendulkar, who scored an unbeaten 59 to script his team's victory in the opening match of the second edition of the Twenty20 extravaganza, said, "The start is good but it is still a long way to go. I won't take anything for granted."

Tendulkar, who was adjudged Man of the Match, said the initial overs were difficult for batting and lavished praise on Sanath Jayasuriya and Abhishek Nayar for adjusting well.

"When I lost the toss, I realised there was a dampness in the wicket. The first 6-7 overs were difficult and later on Abhishek Nayar came and played a terrific innings and my job basically was to just be there and play till the end and guys on the other end played their strokes," he said.

On being asked what could be a decent total on the South African wickets, Tendulkar said anything around 150 would make a good fight.

"Looking at about 145-150 would be a decent total. Don't look at 180 plus but if you can get into 150-160 then it could be a good total," he said.

[credit : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/007200904182280.htm]

Surprise wins for Bangalore Royal Challengers and Mumbai Indians

Cape Town: Bangalore Royal Challengers crushed defending champions Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians did the same for runners-up Chennai Super Kings to give a astounding start to the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Saturday.

Mumbai Indians had a disastrous start in the inaugural tournament losing first four matches last year beat Chennai Super Kings by 19 runs in the opening match of the IPL.

The Bangalore Royal Challengers team, led by skipper Kevin Pietersen, annihilated Rajasthan Royals by a massive 75 runs though they had finished last in the inaugural edition.

The 3 Indian veterans of cricket - Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble, led the way for their teams, using their experience of playing on bowler-friendly wickets.

Sachine Tendulkar's 59 off 49 balls was the highlight of Mumbai Indians, whose total was 165 for seven wickets.

The Sri Lankan fast bowler Lasith Malinga (3-15), and Sanath Jayasuriya (2-34) restricted Chennai Super Kings to 146 for seven wickets.

In the second match, Dravid, who was replaced by Pietersen as Bangalore Royal Challengers captain, struck back, hitting 66 and guiding the team through a difficult phase to reach 133.

Rajasthan Royals, who had a fairytale inaugural season, were all out for the lowest IPL score of 58 runs with Kumble picking five wickets.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to bowl under cloudy skies, after a delayed start appeared spot on as Tendulkar and his opening partner Sanath Jayasuriya (26) had an unconvincing start. Jayasuriya was run out, ending the 39-run opening stand.

It turned out to be a forgettable debut for Andrew Flintoff, who was on the receiving end of Abhishek Nayar's onslaught. Nayar made a quickfire 35 off just 14 balls and hit Flintoff for three sixes in a 22-run over.

While chasing, Chennai Super Kings suffered the first set-back as Malinga got opening batsman Parthiv Patel with the second ball of the innings.

Matthew Hayden (44) played carefully but as the innings progressed he found his touch. The retired Australian opener fell while chasing a wide Jayasuriya delivery to Zaheer Khan.

Flintoff (24) and Dhoni (36) tried their best but could not see their teams through.

Tendulkar was guarded in his assessment of the team's performance.

"I am glad that we have started well, but I don't want to take anything for granted. It's too early in the tournament and it's same for the other teams also." he said.

The second match started on a exciting note with Dimitry Mascarenhas (3-20) dismissing Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor in the first over in successive balls.

Royal Challengers were soon left tottering at 52/4 before Dravid, a master of these conditions, summoned his class to anchor the innings. His 48 balls for 66 had eight fours. Pietersen added 32.

"I am in good touch after the tour on New Zealand. Conditions here are ideal for a player like me. You have to play good cricketing shots when the ball is moving. I played few balls to set myself in the middle and then played strokes," Dravid said.

The Rajasthan Royals were sloppy in their run-chase with the batsmen getting out to poor shots. Praveen Kumar (2-7) swung the ball to create trouble for the batsmen. Ryder soon joined in (2-14) to leave Rajasthan Royals at five for 28 runs. They could never recover from such a disastrous start.

Kumble, who bid farwell to international cricket last year, running through the middle-order and tail in a flash, picking 5-5.

Rajasthan Royals captain Shane Warne said it was an "embarassing" beginning."We are the champions and we should have backed ourselves. Bangalore had a bad last year and they came out firing. Chasing a low score, we should have won with couple of overs left. The shot selections of our batsmen were bad."

[credit : http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000200904190384.htm]

Tendulkar can make it happen for the Mumbai Indians in IPL-2

Indians will be looking to a fully-fit, in-form Sachin Tendulkar to make them serious contenders in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL), beginning here Saturday. They will take on Chennai Super Kings in the first match.
The most expensive of IPL teams, owned by business tycoon Mukesh Ambani, missed iconic Tendulkar in the first seven matches of the inaugural edition due to a groin injury. But his timely presence was inspiring for the team to recover remarkably from a disastrous beginning and reach within striking distance of the semi-final.

Mumbai Indians lost the first four matches under the captaincy of Harbhajan Singh, who was banned for the rest of the IPL for slapping teammate S.Sreesanth. They bounced back to win six matches in a row with Shaun Pollock leading from the front.

The star firepower of Sanath Jayasuriya, Pollock and Dwayne Bravo lifted the team from the dumps. Youngsters Abhishek Nayar and Dhawal Kulkarni, too, played a crucial role in reviving the team’s fortunes.

Mathera marauder Jayasuriya will be a month shy of 40, making him the most aged player in the tournament, but he will be as dangerous as ever. Last year he sprang back to form, scoring 514 runs to become the second highest scorer in the tournament.

This year, he will have a fulltime partner in Tendulkar and seeing the two open the batting will be one of the highlight of the tournament.

Pollock will be doing the job behind the scene as a coach. Former India player Praveen Amre and Jonty Rhodes are the other two coaches of the team.

Zaheer Khan, who was exchanged with Bangalore Royal Challengers’ Robin Uthappa, will be a big bonus to the team. He will lead the attack with fiery Sri Lankan slinger Lasith Malinga.

Mumbai Indians made a smart buy in South Africa’s latest batting sensation J.P Duminy at the auction. Duminy was bought for a whopping US$950,000. They also got Bangladesh batsman Mohammad Ashraful and New Zealand fast bowler Kyle Mills besides trading Ashish Nehra for Shikhar Dhawan from Delhi Daredevils.

They will count on a strong line-up of allrounders in Bravo, Ryan McLaren, Duminy and Essex’s Graham Napier, who hit a world record 16 sixes, cracking 152 against Sussex in a T20 match.

Squad: Sachin Tendulkar (captain), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Sanath Jayasuriya, Dilhara Fernando, Dwayne Bravo, Luke Ronchi, Saurabh Tiwary, Rohan Raje, Ajinkya Rahane, Pinal Shah, Abhishek Nayar, Dhawal Kulkarni, Yogesh Takawale, Lasith Malinga, Jean-Paul Duminy, Kyle Mills, Mohammad Ashraful, Graham Napier, Jaydev Shah, Ryan Mc Laren, Shikar Dhawan, Chetnya Nanda, Raheel Shaikh, Jude Singh.

[credit : http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/world-news/in-form-tendulkar-can-make-it-happen-for-mumbai-indians-in-ipl-2-profile_100180588.html]

Mumbai Indians - Team Preview

Performance in IPL 2008

Mumbai had a disastrous start, losing their first four games to Bangalore, Chennai, Punjab and Hyderabad but bounced back remarkably well before ultimately failing to make it to the semi-finals.

After four successive defeats, Mumbai won their next six games on the trot - the best streak of the tournament- as they appeared to peak at just the right time.

Mumbai will rue their 1-run defeat to Punjab since it not only ended their winning streak but also their hopes of a semi-final berth as the team seem to lose momentum. Two more defeats followed before Mumbai beat lowly Bangalore to finish in fifth position.

Who's in, who's out

Mumbai shopped for South African sensation Jean-Paul Duminy in this year's auction and splashed out an eye-popping USD 950,000 to acquire the stylish southpaw.

New Zealander Kyle Mills (USD 150,000) and Bangladesh captain Mohammad Ashraful (USD 75,000) were part of their signings.

Mumbai was also involved in two swaps, trading Robin Uthappa for Zaheer Khan with Bangalore and Shikhar Dhawan for Ashish Nehra with Delhi. Jaydev Shah was also added to the roster while Dwayne Smith, Dominic Thornely and Ashwell Prince were released from their contracts. Shaun Pollock will not return as a player after taking up the role of the coach.

Mumbai also signed Graham Napier and Ryan McLaren, both prolific all-rounders in the English Twenty20 competition.

Players to watch out for

Sachin Tendulkar: Sachin Tendulkar is loved the world over and will be cynosure of all eyes in South Africa as well. He missed the inital games last season but is expected to be available for the entire duration this time around. Not only has he been among the runs for India, he has amassed his runs in a manner which reminds us of the Tendulkar of the nineties. Tendulkar on song will be vital to Mumbai's success.

Graham Napier: The cricket world stood up and took notice of Napier's talent after he blasted a 52-ball 158 for Essex in a Twenty20 game. He scored runs heavily and quickly last season and is a decent medium pacer, capable of bowling the yorkers in the death overs.

Zaheer Khan: Zaheer Khan has led the Indian attack superbly in all conditions in recent times. Zaheer will enjoy the conditions in South Africa and his recent form suggests that batsmen will find it difficult against him.

Shikhar Dhawan: Dhawan scored consistently for Delhi, notching up four fifties in last year's IPL and Mumbai will be hoping he picks up from where he left off. A batsman in the classical mould with shots all around the wicket, Dhawan is the ideal number three.

Trivia

Dhawal Kulkarni of Mumbai bowled 3 wides in a row in his last over against Chennai, thus becoming the first bowler to have such a dubious record.

Sanath Jayasuriya of Mumbai Indians, the oldest player in the IPL, holds the record for the most sixes - 31.

Sanath Jayasuriya hit more fours than anyone else in the IPL. He hit a total of 57 boundaries.

Mumbai won their match at home against the Kolkata with a staggering 87 balls to spare, the highest margin in terms of balls remaining in IPL 2008.

Mumbai Indians used as many as three captains - Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh and Sachin Tendulkar - in the 14 games they played.

Tendulkar holds the record for the most number of catches in an IPL match with 4 catches in the match between the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Harbhajan slapped Sreesanth after Mumbai lost to Kings XI Punjab in a tense game following which Harbhajan was banned from the remainder of the tournament.

5 of the Mumbai Indians batsmen got run out in the game against the KKR. This is a record of a sorts for the IPL.

Current Squad

Sachin Tendulkar, Dwayne Bravo (WI), Shikhar Dhawan, Jean-Paul Duminy (SA), Harbhajan Singh, Dilhara Fernando (SL), Sanath Jayasuriya (SL), Zaheer Khan, Ryan McLaren (SA), Dhawal Kulkarni, Lasith Malinga (SL), Kyle Mills (NZ), Graham Napier (ENG), Chetanya Nanda, Mohammad Ashraful (B'desh), Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohan Raje, Luke Ronchi (AUS), Jaydev Shah, Pinal Shah, Rahil Shaikh, Yogesh Takawale, Saurabh Tiwary

Coaches

Head Coach: Shaun Pollock (SA)

Assistant Head Coach: Pravin Amre

[credit : http://www.cricbuzz.com/component/latest_cricket_news/Story/12957/team-preview-mumbai-indians]

IPL braces up for White Mischief

New Delhi: England star Kevin Pietersen will have a bunch of "naughty' and "hottie" cheerleaders rooting from the sidelines when he makes his Indian Premier League debut on Saturday.

Pietersen, bought by the Bangalore Royal Challengers for a record $1.55 million, will clash with good friend Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals on the opening night in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Royal Challengers, owned by flamboyant liquor and airline tycoon Vijay Mallya, had hired the Washington Redskins cheerleaders for the inaugural IPL season last year in India.

The scantily-clad girls obviously failed to inspire as the Royal Challengers finished seventh out of eight teams in the glitzy Twenty20 tournament.

So Mallya dropped the Redskins and hired 24 members of the US-based Varsity cheerleader group for the second season, renaming them the "White Mischief Gals".

"A little bit naughty, a little more hottie and a lot more mischievous," a Mallya company release said of the group, named after his 'White Mischief' brand of vodka.

"Necklines plunging, hemlines rising, they are all set to let the mercury soar, higher than any of the sixes that come from the blades of Kevin Pietersen."

The cheerleaders, the release added, have been "specially trained in flirty acrobatic skills for a scintillating on-field performance."

The use of cheerleading squads last year provoked complaints from some conservative quarters in India.

The Mumbai Indians forced their cheerleaders to don pants instead of skirts after protests from political parties.

The White Mischief Gals will travel across South Africa for all Royal Challenger matches during the five-week tournament, offering fans "flirtatious messages and tips," the statement said.

Pietersen will only enjoy their support for the first two weeks, as he is due to return to England in early May to prepare for the Test series against the West Indies.

[credit : http://cricketnext.in.com/news/ipl-braces-up-for-white-mischief--in-pics/39941-18.html]

Red FM to partner Mumbai Indians again

MUMBAI: Red FM's Mumbai station is partnering the IPL team Mumbai Indians for the second time in a row. As the official radio partner of Reliance Industry’s Mumbai Indians for the second season of DLF IPL, Red FM will give eight ‘Fadu fans’ a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch some exciting matches of the Mumbai Indians live in South Africa.

Starting 13 April, Red FM has planned a treasure hunt for the tickets. As a run up to the matches, for a period of four weeks eight locations in the city will be identified and the RJs will give on-air clues to bring the listeners closer to the final location of the tickets. The clues will be devised to crack the code format with a password. Listeners from all over the city will be invited to call in with their estimates and guesses to the location of the ticket. Finally they would have to give the ‘password’ to the person who holds the ticket and only then can they win it. The listener who reaches the location first wins. Red FM OBs will be stationed on locations to capture the excitement and the confusion amongst the listeners. Two tickets to South Africa are up for grabs every week and all of Mumbai has a chance to win. All one has to do is stay tuned in to Red FM and solve all the clues.

Commenting on this first of its kind initiative, Anuj Singh, National Marketing Head and Station Head (Mumbai), Red FM, said, “Cricket is one of the main pillars of Red FM’s programming and who better than Mumbai's No.1 station to partner with Mumbai's home team! Like RED FM, the Mumbai Indians too exemplify the essence of the city and we are thrilled to continue our association with the team. Mumbaikars have the spirit to bring in the excitement and energy into the game. In an ultimate show of support Red FM had turned to Blue FM last year, this year too with our treasure hunt panning across the city, Mumbai will be the playground for the Mumbai Indians Fadu Fan!”

Red FM has planned a very innovative 360 degree campaign across on-air, on-ground and multimedia. The different phases of the campaign will be unveiled in different stages, maintaining listener curiosity and involvement throughout the series.

Last year, in a first of its kind brand integration, Red FM turned to Blue FM for a whole day for the Mumbai Indians. For the first time in the history of radio, a radio station changed its brand name, identity and jingle to support a cricket team. Red FM also won two WOW awards for excellence in events and experiential marketing for the initiative.

[credit : http://www.radioandmusic.com/content/editorial/news/red-fm-partner-mumbai-indians-again]

Let warm Durban host IPL final

JOHANNESBURG: Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock on Wednesday said Durban should host the final and semi-final matches of the Indian Premier League because of the favourable weather conditions in the city.

"Durban is the only city in the country with the warm weather to make it feasible to hold matches that deep into winter," Pollock said.

Pollock, adviser to the Mumbai Indians franchise, though was apprehensive how local fans would connect with the teams.

"Our fans may struggle initially to identify with teams. In that respect, it would have been better to have franchises based in particular cities to give people time to get to know 'their' team," he said.

The tournament will see 59 matches being played in five weeks, which Pollock said would be very demanding from players, who will shuttle between six different venues.

"It will also mean, with 25 players per franchise, that guys will lead a nomadic life on the road, unable to leave their stuff at their base camp," Pollock said.

[ credit : http://ipl.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Let-warm-Durban-host-IPL-final-Pollock/articleshow/4313265.cms ]