WASHOUT ENDS KOLKATA'S HOPES

Kolkata Knight Riders could become the third team to be out of the running for a spot in the semi-finals as chances of a match remain bleak though the rain has stopped. The ground staff reckon they will need two hours to ensure the Kotla is fit for play but it will be past the cut-off time if it takes that long.
20.30 local time A persistent drizzle delayed the start of the Delhi Daredevils’ home game against the Kolkata Knight Riders at the Feroz Shah Kotla. A rained-out match will eliminate Kolkata from the semi-final race while Delhi will need to beat the Mumbai Indians on Saturday and hope Mumbai don’t win their other two matches to make it through.
The cut-off time for the match to start is 23.10 local time (17.40 pm GMT). The match will be a 20-over affair as long as it begins before 21.00 local time.
Delhi has been lashed with unseasonal rains over the past three days and though the pitch and surrounding areas have been covered, the wet outfield poses a problem. The curator Radhe Shyam said two Super Soppers have been pressed into service and called the Kotla “one of the best grounds in the country in terms of drainage”.
Delhi’s previous home game, against Kings XI Punjab last Saturday, was also affected by rain and they lost after Punjab blasted 94 in eight overs to win on the Duckworth-Lewis method.
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May 19, 2008
Delhi keep alive semi-final hopes with win
Delhi Daredevils beat Bangalore Royal Challengers by five wickets in their Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.
Scorecard
It was Delhi’s sixth win in 12 matches and kept alive their chances of reaching the last four. For Bangalore, who are already out of the race, it was their ninth defeat in 11 matches.
Chasing a target of 155, Delhi began aggressively with captain Virender Sehwag(47) and Gautam Gambhir (39) putting on 90 runs for the opening wicket in just seven overs.
Sehwag was in a belligerent mood as he smashed nine boundaries and a six in his 19-ball knock. He was particularly severe on Praveen Kumar.
The latter had the final word though, taking the prized scalp, thanks to a splendid catch by Bharat Chipli.
Two overs later and after the addition of 10 more runs, Gambhir, who had earlier become the first batsman in the tournament to surpass 500 runs, was run out by Cameron White.
And then there was a wobble.
Tillekeratne Dilshan (4), AB de Villiers (21) and Dinesh Karthik (6) were dismissed in a space of 11 runs (rather, 11 balls) as Anil Kumble (two for 18) and Dale Steyn (one for 26) did most of the damage.
However, the total was never going to be enough and Shikar Dhawan (unbeaten 16) and Ferveez Maharoof (13 not out) ensured Delhi reached their target without further damage and with 10 balls left.
Earlier, Shreevats Goswami’s debut half century (52) and Misbah-ul-Haq’s (47) late charge resurrected Bangalore Royal Challengers from a wobbly start to carry their team to a modest 154 for 7.
After Sehwag won the toss and asked the opposition to bat in their crucial match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Delhi Daredevils kept the home team under a tight lease.
Except for Goswami taking the visiting bowlers head on and Misbah scoring a 25-ball 47 (2X4; 4X6) towards the close to take the score past 150, Rahul Dravid-led side were never dominating with Glenn McGrath (2/25 from 4 overs) and Farveez Maharoof (2/13 from 4) bowling with immaculate line and length, and wickets falling at regular intervals.
Goswami, who was part of India’s recent U-19 World Cup triumph, top-scored with 52 from 42 balls which he made with the help of seven fours and a huge six.
He hit a six and three fours off Pradeep Sangwan in the eighth over to collect 18 runs from that over to stand tall among ruins. He was out in the 16th over off Maharoof while trying to accelerate the innings only to hole out at point to Tillekaratne Dilshan.
McGrath began with his miserly self giving away just one run in the opening over and claiming the wicket of Bharat Chipli for two, caught by Rajat Bhatia in the fifth over.
The retired Australian gave away just three and five overs in his next two overs to tie down Bangalore Royal Challengers to 35 for one in the first five overs.
Sehwag, who got the flak for some of his questionable decisions in earlier matches, made some intelligent shuffling of his bowlers who got immediate success each time.
For the home team, it was the familiar top order wobble with struggling Jacques Kallis (25) edging a consistent Sri Lankan Maharoof delivery for wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik to make a brilliant catch diving to his right in the seventh over.
Kallis, promoted to open the innings, made his 25 from 21 balls with the help of three fours and a huge six off Sangwan in the second over.
Dravid himself could not carry forward his fine form of the last match and lost his timbers to Dilshan in the 11th over for nine while trying to accelerate the dipping run rate after his side could just gather 70 runs from 10 overs and 102 for after the end of 15th.
It was left to debutant Goswami who came one down to make a match out of it and the young wicketkeeper did a brilliant job before Misbah complemented him with a cameo which included two fours and four sixes.
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May 17, 2008
Kings XI Punjab win by 6 Runs
Kings XI are ahead of the D/L Equation by 6 runs now. So, if the game stops here, Punjab will race away with a win in this contest.
Virender Sehwag is not happy with the ongoings at the moment, the rain has eased out for sure. The umpires are not happy with the groundsmen here, the covers haven’t yet been pulled in.
Not even 20 overs were bowled, but there was no shortage of excitement and drama as the Kings XI Punjab inched closer to a semi-final spot with a win that in the end was sealed with a six off the final ball of the match.
With less than three overs remaining in their curtailed innings and nine wickets in hand, Delhi Daredevils came out with the intention to score the maximum possible runs. However, three quick wickets, strong winds, and an exceptional final over from James Hopes helped Kings XI Punjab keep Delhi down to 118, a small battle won after the home side had raced to 94 for 1 in 8.1 overs before a rain interruption reduced the contest to 11 overs a side. Punjab’s target, after the Duckworth/Lewis revision, will be 123.
Delhi’s openers had blazed away before the break, and Sehwag was looking ominous on 47 off 19. Post-resumption, Shikhar Dhawan launched a Ramesh Powar full toss over midwicket, but a mishit soon after found a fielder. Sehwag reached his fifty off 23, before Hopes struck twice in the 11th over, and conceded just three.
8.1 overs Delhi Daredevils 94 for 1 (Sehwag 47*, Gambhir 40, Dhawan 1*) v Kings XI Punjab
A light drizzle delayed the start, but Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir kicked off proceedings at the Feroz Shah Kotla with a blistering start for Delhi Daredevils. After 8.1 overs, the team had piled up 94 for 1 before rain played spoilsport and halted an ominous-looking Sehwag, who was batting on 47 off 19 balls.
Delhi decided to bat at the toss, and their opening pair made full use of the Powerplay overs, racing to 68 after six. Gambhir was the aggressor in the initial overs, but Delhi were lucky not to lose their openers early. Having got a six off a top edge in Sreesanth’s first over, Sehwag tried to launch one over Sreesanth’s head in his next over, but the ball took the edge and ballooned towards mid-off, where Yuvraj Singh spilled a sitter. Two balls later, Gautam Gambhir got a thick outside edge, but VRV Singh was slow off the blocks at third man, the ball bounced in front of him, and the lackadaisical effort enabled the ball reach the boundary.
At the other end, Gambhir made room against Irfan Pathan and sent the ball racing through the off side for fours, forcing Punjab to place a fielder on the boundary. Gambhir rode his luck as well, a Pathan delivery nearly hit the stumps after clipping his pads, while a few mistimed shots managed to stay clear of the fielders.
VRV Singh was slapped through the leg side for four by Gambhir, bringing up Delhi’s 50 in just 5.2 overs. Sehwag, who had been getting a thin share of the strike, then hit carted consecutive sixes through the off side, and a fuller delivery was steered wide of the wicketkeeper to make it 22 for the over.
Ramesh Powar was brought in after the Powerplays, and Sehwag nearly holed out to long-on - the ball falling short of Piyush Chawla - but the offspinner did manage to deceive Gambhir, and had him castled. It didn’t deter Sehwag, though. He smashed a four and six in Chawla’s first over, then stepped out against Powar and deposited him over midwicket, before rain brought a stop to the excitement.
Toss Delhi Daredevils chose to bat v Kings XI Punjab
After a light drizzle delayed the start, Virender Sehwag, the Delhi Daredevils captain, decided to bat against the Kings XI Punjab at the Feroz Shah Kotla. Sehwag said the pitch could get slower as the match progresses, and Punjab fielding two specialist spinners in Piyush Chawla and Ramesh Powar indicated the same. Rain caused a delay of nearly 15 minutes, but there was no reduction in the number of overs.
For Delhi, Shoaib Malik comes in place of Manoj Tiwary while Mohammad Asif, who struggled with form and fitness during their last game against the Deccan Chargers, makes way for left-armer Pradeep Sangwan. There’s still no place for AB de Villiers, but expect him to come on as a substitute, an issue which became a point of contention during Delhi’s previous game.
A win for Delhi, equal on ten points with the Mumbai Indians and the Kolkata Knight Riders, will boost their hopes of a semi-final spot, while Punjab would be looking for their seventh win in their last eight matches.
TeamsDelhi Daredevils: 1 Virender Sehwag (capt), 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 5 Shoaib Malik, 6 Tillakaratne Dilshan, 7 Farveez Maharoof, 8 Rajat Bhatia, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Pradeep Sangwan, 11 Glenn McGrath.
Kings XI Punjab: 1 Shaun Marsh, 2 James Hopes, 3 Luke Pomersbach, 4 Yuvraj Singh (capt), 5 Mahela Jayawardene, 6 Irfan Pathan, 7 Ramesh Powar, 8 Piyush Chawla, 9 Uday Kaul (wk), 10 Sreesanth, 11 VRV Singh.
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May 15, 2008
Magical Mishra bowls Delhi to victory
A dramatic final-over hat-trick by Amit Mishra, when Deccan Chargers needed a gettable 15, helped Delhi Daredevils over the finish line and halt a four-match losing streak with a tense 12-run win against Deccan Chargers. Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan set it up with attacking half-centuries to post 194 before Mishra came up with timely wicket bursts in two phases of the chase to halt Deccan’s charge first and then seal the win.
Delhi’s early victories were fashioned by the combined efforts of their miserly new-ball pair and an in-form top order. Today, it didn’t matter that the bowlers didn’t have the best day at the office. Gambhir and Dhawan hunted as a pair, made the best out of what the benign pitch had to offer, and the score of 194 was just sufficient to guarantee a victory, despite a spirited effort by Venugopal Rao at the end.
Desperate for a win to keep their chance of staying alive in the tournament, Deccan changed their strategy to counter the threat of Glenn McGrath and Mohammad Asif by promoting Shahid Afridi. Suddenly, both bowlers, used to bowling miserly spells, were suddenly in unfamiliar territory as Deccan rocketed to 44 in the first four overs. In the midst of the blaze, Delhi pulled back with the wicket of Gilchrist, caught brilliantly by Dilshan at mid-off, but it didn’t stop Afridi from going over the top.
With Gibbs for company, the pair wrecked Asif and McGrath for 34 off two successive overs, which included scoops over extra cover and pulls over deep backward square leg. Both generated tremendous bat speed and a result, shots cleared the boundary ropes by huge margins, some landing several rows back.
At the end of the Powerplay, Deccan progressed at nearly 12 an over but from then on, fortunes turned. Sehwag tossed the ball to the legspinner Mishra he struck first ball, as Afridi mis-hit one that really stopped on him. He cleaned up Gibbs’ middle stump in his next over to temporarily halt Deccan’s assault.
Rohit Sharma then redressed the balance for Deccan, dominating a stand of 39 for the fourth wicket with Styris. Rajat Bhatia, the medium pacer, came in for some harsh treatment as Rohit bludgeoned him for 19 off a single over, sending a low full toss over long-on before pulling a short ball over deep square leg.
However, a timely bowling change swung the tide in Delhi’s favour. Maharoof returned in the 13th over and cleaned up Rohit’s offstump as he attempted a paddle sweep and as a result of that, the momentum slipped and the asking rate started to climb. Scott Styris couldn’t quite push on, managing only two boundaries in his 29. That increased the pressure on Rao, and for the second time in as many matches, fought a lone battle. The home side felt the pinch when Rao carted Maharoof for two sixes in an over, backing away and picking up the slower deliveries.
He perished in the penultimate over, when Deccan needed 25 at the start of it, skying one to AB de Villiers at long-on. A sliced six over backward point by Ravi Teja suddenly turned the script and Deccan needed 15 off the last over. Sehwag turned to his best bowler of the evening, Mishra, for the final over. Teja, Pragyan Ojha and RP Singh all failed in their attempt to clear the ropes and Mishra picked up the second hat-trick of the tournament.
The high-scoring contest contradicted early predictions about the grassy pitch assisting the seamers. After losing Sehwag to a wild slash, the Delhi innings gained momentum in the fourth over when Gambhir took on RP. He adjusted brilliantly to a short delivery aimed at his face and slapped him over backward square leg, then stepped down and pulled the next over deep midwicket and followed it up with a slice past backward point to take 20 off the over.
Dhawan came into his own once the support seamers - Sarvesh Kumar and Styris - operated, punishing anything full on the pads and finding the gaps. The spinners were not spared either. After reverse-sweeping Rao for four, he smashed Afridi out of the attack with successive fours, smashing the first over his head and the next over extra cover to bring up his fifty.
Gambhir too carted Afridi for a huge six over deep midwicket shortly after reaching his half-century and in the process went past the 400-run mark in the tournament. Pragyan Ojha, the left-arm spinner who was kept out till the 15th over, struck with his second ball, firing one down the legside after seeing Gambhir give him the charge.
Lusty blows by the two Sri Lankans - Farveez Maharoof and Dilshan - took Delhi close to the 200-mark though Deccan played into their own hands with some ordinary displays in the field. That proved crucial in the end and Delhi can take heart from the fact that the architects of the victory were largely the local players and not the overseas recruits.
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May 14, 2008
Sanath ton guides Mumbai to emphatic win
Sachin Tendulkar’s return dominated most of the pre-match buzz but it was the eruption from Sanath Jayasuriya that Mumbai toasted at the end of a comfortable nine-wicket win, their fourth in a row, at the Wankhede Stadium. Chennai appeared to have cobbled together a fighting total, in conditions that assisted swing bowling, but Jayasuriya’s sizzler, the second-fastest IPL hundred that was punctuated with 11 sixes, put an emphatic end to the contest.
Mumbai’s bowlers set-up this win with a fine new-ball exhibition that knocked off the top order. Shaun Pollock wasn’t leading Mumbai today but his immaculate early spell (4-1-9-1) led an impressive effort that justified their decision to field first. Mahendra Singh Dhoni and S Badrinath stitched together a 95-run stand but 156 was never going to be challenging if even once batsman got going.
It was inevitable. Jayasuriya, who had made a short trip home during Mumbai’s extended break, was yet to explode in the IPL and there was nothing Chennai could do once sixes began to drip off his bat. Nonchalant short-arm jabs sailed over the midwicket fence and a few powerful slashes soared over third man. The bowlers were rattled - they leaked wides and drifted on the pads too often - and fed Jayasuriya in his favourite areas. The fact that 102 off his 114 runs came in fours, told a story.
It was an innings reminiscent of the mid-90s, a time when Jayasuriya filled bowlers with a sense of fear. In fact it was at the same ground when he hammered an unforgettable 151 not out in the Independence Cup in 1997, an innings that was appreciated in hushed silence. This, though, was a celebration in power-hitting, with the crowd getting fully behind Jayasuriya in his fiery mission. One can only imagine the possibilities if Tendulkar had decided to bat first, allowing Jayasuriya a full 20 overs.
The manner in which he treated his fellow Sri Lankan bowlers was interesting - he attempted a couple of audacious reverse-paddles against Muttiah Muralitharan before blistering Chamara Kapudegera for 26 runs in five balls. He rushed to his hundred with two pulled sixes off Kapugedera - celebrating like a schoolboy who reached his maiden ton - and capped it off with one more that landed on the roof of the Wankhede. It was an unforgettable innings and Mumbai’s response to what Adam Gilchrist did to them a few weeks back.
The bowlers deserve an honourable mention. It was a slew of medium-pacers who propelled Mumbai to an upset win over the Rajasthan Royals in the previous game and they utilised bowler-friendly conditions here too. The ball swung around through the innings and six medium-pacers shaped the ball either way to make life difficult for the batsmen.
Pollock turned in a typically miserly spell, including a maiden to finish off against a relatively new Dhoni. Dhoni, who said he would have fielded first had he won the toss, watched his side slump to 46 for 4 with the top order struggling against the accurate medium-pacers.
Pollock should have had Stephen Fleming in the first ball of the second over - when an edge fell just short of first slip - or even in the third - when Jayasuriya muffed a skier at point - but he had to settle for S Vidyut’s wicket two balls later when Rohan Raje clung on to another skier at mid-off. Suresh Raina fell poking to an away-swinger from Dwayne Bravo before Chamara Kapugedera, the right-hander, did exactly the same to Dhawal Kulkarni’s nippy away-cutter.
Dhoni and Badrinath redressed the balance somewhat. The pair improvised when the opportunity presented but it was Dhoni’s fierce hitting that gave the bowlers no chance - even if he wasn’t in position the power behind the shots was always going to take it to the boundary ropes. Badrinath, who repertoire ranges from the square drive on the back foot to the paddle over short fine leg, brought up his second successive fifty. It appeared as if it could be a defendable total but Jayasuriya’s blitz sunk them in a trice.
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Blasts cast shadow over Jaipur match
The bomb blasts in Jaipur has cast a shadow of uncertainty over Saturday’s IPL match between the Rajasthan Royals and the Bangalore Royal Challengers in the city. Bangalore have offered to host the game at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
“We have conveyed our decision to the IPL council,” Martin Crowe, the Bangalore coach, told Cricinfo from Chandigarh, where the rest of the team is currently staying. “The franchises are discussing the issue. A final decision will be made tomorrow. We are going to Delhi tomorrow and will probably head over to Bangalore after a night’s stay in Delhi.”
However, Fraser Castellino, the CEO of the Jaipur franchise, said he had not heard of this development and didn’t want to comment on the possibility. Bangalore have already hosted Rajasthan in the tournament - on April 26 - in a game that the visitors won by a comfortable margin.
At least five major blasts rocked Jaipur, the base of the Rajasthan Royals, with the death and injury toll on the rise. The Rajasthan team haven’t been affected: most of the team is currently holidaying in Goa and the others have gone back to their respective homes.
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Knight Riders win by 23 runs
Shoaib Akhtar made a dramatic IPL debut taking four wickets in a blistering new-ball spell to condemn the Delhi Daredevils to their fourth straight defeat. In what could be a key match in the scramble for a spot in the semi-finals, the Kolkata Knight Riders batting fizzled and posted only 133 but Shoaib and an inspired fielding effort vindicated captain Sourav Ganguly’s decision to bat first and saw them through to a 23-run win, their third successive triumph.
Unable to break the shackles put by the Delhi Daredevils’ battery of medium-pacers, the Kolkata Knight Riders’ batsmen posted only 133 on a good batting pitch. Kolkata’s batting has been their weakness through the tournament and it failed again with only Salman Butt and David Hussey making more than 13.
In what could be a key match in the scramble for a spot in the semi-finals, Kolkata opted to bat first backing their formidable bowling line-up to defend the runs. Their attack was bolstered by Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar, who made his IPL debut after his five-year ban was suspended for one month, coming in place of Umar Gul.
Glenn McGrath was typically miserly with the new ball and Pradeep Sangwan also didn’t offer too many loose balls as Kolkata struggled to inject momentum to their batting. Aakash Chopra’s troubles with the bat continued and he managed only 13, despite being reprieved early on by Gautam Gambhir at wide slip.
His dismissal was greeted with a roar by the Eden Gardens crowd as Kolkata’s captain Sourav Ganguly strode out. They had more to cheer as he imperiously slammed his second ball, a free hit, over the bowler’s head for six, but were silenced two deliveries later when he was bowled by Yo Mahesh after his attempted pull failed to make contact with the ball.
With Kolkata at 47 for 2 after seven, Salman Butt and David Hussey tried to rebuild and while they strung together a 40-run stand, they were unable to provide the acceleration the innings desperately needed. Besides Butt’s two powerful drives through cover off Mahesh, there weren’t too many boundaries and the runs came mainly in the form of singles. Just as they were giving Kolkata a platform from which they could take off, Butt perished for 48, slicing a Mahesh delivery to McGrath at mid-off.
Hussey then had to play his by-now-familiar role of trying to rescue Kolkata from the top order’s failings. He is the world’s leading six-hitter in Twenty20s but even he failed to provide the necessary fireworks; there were a couple of huge sixes on the leg side but he fell attempting another for a run-a-ball 31, lobbing a catch to midwicket.
Three of Delhi’s big wins have come chasing, and they will fancy their chances of getting their campaign back on track after three consecutive losses saw them slipping from first to fifth. The silver lining for Kolkata is that their total is above-par, given that the average batting first at the Eden Gardens so far is 125.
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May 13, 2008
Shah Rukh Khan cuts cost, dumps 5 players
In an apparent bid to cut cost, the Kolkata Knight Riders team management “politely” asked five of the players, who are yet to feature in the side’s 14-member squad in any match, to leave the team hotel. The players are Ranadeb Bose, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sourasish Lahiri, Yashpal Singh and Hokkaido. One of the players said they were “politely given the option of either staying at the team hotel or going home”.
“It was clear what the team management wants. Apparently coach John Buchanan feels that he has found his set combination and had no need for the fringe players,” one of the players said.
Ranadeb Bose, one of the players spoke to TIMES NOW and said, “I did not expect this was coming. I was surprised when John said that we have to win more games and we have to concentrate on the first 11 or first 14. This is unfair on our part that we will not practice or play any game. So, it is better we go back and relax rather than staying with the side.”
However, team owner Shah Rukh Khan justified this eviction and said that no player has been dumped and all of them continue to play for Kolkata Knight Riders. He said, “John has been feeling that there is not much time for all the twenty-three players to practice. We have to concentrate on the core team because ours is more spread out. Which is why we have constricted the team to lesser amount of people so that they can concentrate on practicising effectively with whatever little time they have in their hands. This is purely a technical decision by John Buchanan.”
Justifying further SRK said, “All the five players are a part of our team and they remain contracted to the Kolkata Knight Riders. They will be with us and we have given them the same explanation of having less time for practice. The franchise is for life and all of them will get a chance to play for the team. There is nothing controversial about the same out here. This is just a technical move so that we can focus more on the upcoming matches and win them.”
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Bhajji’s fate sealed, Nanavati submits report to BCCI
BCCI-appointed commissioner Sudhir Nanavati, who probed Harbhajan Singh-S Sreesanth slap-row, arrived at BCCI office and submitted his report on Tuesday. ( Watch )
The report will be assessed by BCCI president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday and will decide on Harbhajan Singh’s fate, according to sources.
Sources also revealed that there’s a lesser chance for the ace spinner to get a life ban but he might be punished with a 5-10 ODI match ban. The on-going speculations on Bhajji-Sree slapgate row should end after the much-awaited decision will be out in a week or so.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati said. “I reiterate that viewing the footage shocked me but made my task easier”.
BCCI says disciplinary committee has to first examine the report and then give a verdict on the issue. The date of meeting of the disciplinary committee has not been decided as yet.
It’s a scandal that sent shockwaves through the cricketing community and fans alike. On Tuesday, all eyes were on one man - BCCI appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati who was slated to submit his report on Bhajji-Sreesanth Slapgate controversy. Nanavati prepared a 14-page report with ten pages of annexures, which was handed over to the BCCI disciplinary committee. After Board President Sharad Pawar goes through it, the committee will then decide on the quantum of punishment to be given to the person found guilty.
Sreesanth’s outburst on April 25th in Mohali after his match against the Mumbai Indians shocked the entire cricketing world and went on to become one of the defining moments of the inaugural Indian Premier League. It was Harbhajan Singh – the bad boy of the cricketing world – who was responsible for those tears. Following the row, the IPL Governing Council slapped a 11 IPL match ban on Bhajji. But that was not all. The BCCI appointed Commissioner Sudhir Nanavati was asked to probe into the incident, which has been completed, leaving the decision of further ban upto the BCCI.
Sudhir Nanavati was slated to submit his report at the BCCI headquarters on Tuesday and the report can well end Bhajji’s smiles for sometime. However, Nanavati confirmed that the report is neatly drafted with all the details required to assist the BCCI to take a final call on the slapgate row.
Harbhjan Singh is already suspended from the IPL and his match fee confiscated after match referee Farokh Engineer found Bhajji guilty of slapping Sreesanth. With Nanavati’s report, the turbanator could be in for more trouble from the disciplinary committee - headed by Sharad Pawar, as the BCCI has been uncompromising over this breach of discipline.
Earlier, BCCI-appointed Commissioner, Sudhir Nanavati, probing the slapping row between Harbhajan Singh and S Sreesanth, after completing his report in Ahmedabad on Monday said that he was under tension while preparing it.
“I was under tension not because of the subject, but because the issue that I was investigating was very sensitive. So many eyes were on me. I can’t afford to make any mistakes,” said Nanavati who is slated to submit the final report to BCCI on Tuesday in Mumbai.
“I was very cautious while drafting the report. I have written each and every word carefully and I can justify every sentence in the report,” said the Ahmedabad-based lawyer.
Nanavati was to submit the report on Monday, but on Saturday he had announced that he would be submitting the report on Tuesday as he had to appear for some cases in the Gujarat High Court. He had stated that the stipulated time of 15 days, to complete his inquiry report, also ends on Tuesday.
The senior advocate had on Friday (May 9) wrapped up the investigation in the slapping row after hearing Harbhajan and Sreesanth in Ahmedabad. After completing the hearing, Nanavati had said he was satisfied with the answers given by both the players and did not feel the need to question anybody else.
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Tendulkar to make IPL debut against Chennai
Mumbai Indians’ hopes got a big shot in the arm when their icon player and captain Sachin Tendulkar on Monday declared himself fully fit to play his first Indian Premier League match against Chennai Super Kings at Wankhede stadium on May 14.
“Yes I will be playing the match on May 14. I feel very comfortable. It has been tough and disappointing to have missed the two Tests against South Africa and the first seven IPL ties,” Tendulkar, who has not played a competitive match since March-end due to a groin injury, said.
Tendulkar said though ace South African all-rounder Shaun Pollock had done a commendable job as captain, resurrecting the team’s fortunes after a string of defeats in the first four matches, he would take over the reins now that he is fit.
“Shaun Pollock was the makeshift captain and has done a terrific job but I will be captaining the side,” Tendulkar said.
He will open the innings with Sri Lankan ace Sanath Jayasuriya for the Mumbai Indians against Chennai, Tendulkar said.
The batsman however refused to be drawn into comments over off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who has been banned from the IPL for slapping S Sreesanth after the Mumbai Indians match against Punjab Kings XI at Mohali.
“It is a past chapter. Let’s put it behind and look ahead,” Tendulkar said.
Talking in detail about his rehabilitation process, the ace batsman explained that the first half was spent in taking complete rest.
“The first half of my rehabilitation was done by taking rest and I was not allowed to play. I spent time on strengthening my muscles,” he said.
When asked about the team’s performance so far, especially the defeats, Tendulkar said the first two matches were very close and in the crunch moments went in the opposition’s favour.
The third and fourth matches the team could not compete as expected, he said, adding the key for the turn around in the team’s fortunes leading to its three match winning streak was the ability to take early wickets.
“We could get early wickets and that was the key,” Tendulkar said.
The master batsman was also very confident that the crowd would support the home team as has always been the case at the Wankhede stadium.
When asked if he would be looking to strike good form after an injury lay-off like in the past, he said, “I always try hard.” About the rivals from Chennai, Tendulkar said, “They are a tough side. There will be plenty of talking done in the team before the match, it will be a question of implementing them.”
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Drogba & Terry recover for final

Both Terry (left) and Drogba should be able to play in Moscow
Chelsea boss Avram Grant expects John Terry and Didier Drogba to be fit for the Champions League final in Moscow.
Terry dislocated his elbow while Drogba hurt his knee against Bolton on Sunday and were doubts for the 21 May final.
But Grant told a news conference on Wednesday: ""They trained today so I don't think there is any problem."
Drogba told French newspaper L'Equipe his injury was "nothing serious", adding: "No-one wants to miss this gigantic match."
Drogba confirmed that the knee he hurt on Sunday was the same one that had been operated on last December, but said: "I put ice on it immediately. I will be at training this week."
606: DEBATE
How important is it that Terry and Drogba be fit for the final?
He called the Moscow showdown so important that it was regarded in the Chelsea dressing-room as "the match of our careers".
Chelsea lost out to United at the weekend in the race for the Premier League title as Sir Alex Ferguson's men secured the defence of their crown with a 2-0 win at Wigan.
United will head to Moscow looking to complete the double, but Drogba said: "This Champions League match is different.
"It will play itself out over 90 or 120 minutes, like in the FA Cup final last year (which Chelsea won 1-0 thanks to Drogba's goal in the second period of extra time).
"We know that we can beat United, we proved it again in the league a fortnight ago.
"But they deserved their title and were rewarded for their consistency. We made too many mistakes."

Interview: Chelsea boss Avram Grant
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson believes his side have the edge after pipping Chelsea to the league title.
But Grant insisted: "I don't think any team has the advantage.
"We've played two times against them this season, we won two weeks ago and we lost at Old Trafford in my first game.
"I don't think they are better than us and in these games anything is possible."

Messi better than Ronaldo - Cole

Messi and Ronaldo went head-to-head in the Champions League
Chelsea's Joe Cole says Barcelona's Lionel Messi is ahead of Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo as the best player in the world.
Cole said Messi's form in Barca's Champions League semi-final defeat by United settled the debate.
"Ronaldo's been fantastic but in the semi-final Messi showed he's the top man," said Cole, who will face Ronaldo in next week's Champions League final.
"He is only 20 as well, imagine how good he will be in the next 10 years."
Messi has been linked with a £80m move to Chelsea, and Cole admitted he would be delighted if the speculation proved to be true.
"If we could sign him, I'd love to play alongside him," he added.
Cole's comments will help to crank up the atmosphere ahead of Wednesday's final between United and Chelsea in Moscow.
606: DEBATE
Ronaldo or Messi?Ronaldo is the most highly rated player in the English game and has been bestowed with awards for his scintillating form this season.
The 23-year-old's 31 league goals were instrumental in United's Premier League title success, and he was named both the Football Writers' Association footballer of the year and PFA player of the year for two years in a row.
But the Portugal winger has been accused of sometimes failing to sparkle on the big stage and many believed he was outshone by Messi over both legs of the Champions League semis.
Chelsea finished two points behind Sir Alex Ferguson's men in the league but Cole's team-mate Florent Malouda believes losing out to United for the title will have little bearing on Wednesday night's result.
"We have the players to overcome the Premier League disappointment. We have the potential to win, we are optimistic for the final," said the Frenchman.
"What makes the difference is to concentrate, to give the best we can for this match.
"I think they [United] deserved to be in the final, they deserved to win the Premier League but for this match we have more things to say."
Meanwhile, Chelsea striker Salomon Kalou has urged Didier Drogba to stay at Stamford Bridge.
The Ivory Coast international has been linked with a summer move to AC Milan, but compatriot Kalou said: "I enjoy playing alongside him and I have learned a lot with Didier.
"We will support him whatever his decision is. We don't really talk about contract things but I would love him to stay. He will make the decision but I hope he will stay with us.
"He is one of the best strikers in the world. There is Cristiano Ronaldo and Fernando Torres but he has shown he is one of the best in the last couple of years."