By Ajit Bhaskar (@ajit_bhaskar)
Who is the most clutch among these three legends from our generation?
The Stage
Given the somewhat sensitive title of the post, I tried to think of a lot of emotional, heartfelt introductory content but I failed miserably. But it suffices to say that these three players are the best from our generation, particularly in the ODI format of the game.
1st Qualifier: KKR vs DD
Kolkata Knight Riders 162 for 4 (Yusuf 40*) beat Delhi Daredevils 144 for 8 (Jayawardene 40, Kallis 2-24, Narine 2-24) by 18 runs
Match in 140 characters: Pathan and Shukla blitz in last four overs to power KKR to a stiff 162; poor shot selection, umpiring blunder and bizarre tactics cost DD
#TrottsFault: In a tournament which has seen captains struggling over when to send their best hitters to the middle, one more ridiculous instance can be added. When Jayawardene got out, the required run rate was well above 10 an over and the situation required a barnstorming knock like the one Yusuf Pathan played earlier in the game; instead Sehwag sent Negi, known more for his bowling ahead of Taylor. Rao and Negi pottered around as the innings stagnated, and when Ross Taylor finally came out to bat, he had to face Narine with 3 overs left and a RRR touching 14. It was eerily similar to the IPL-3 final, where Tendulkar kept Pollard for too late, costing Mumbai Indians the title.
Charlie Sheen Winning moment: If there was one batsman who could make light weight of the target of 163, it was Sehwag. So when Balaji had him nicking behind in the 3rd over, KKR had put one foot in the final already.
Viagra Performer of the day: Yusuf Pathan has been getting a lot of grief over his non-performance in this year’s IPL, but the KKR management stuck to their guns believing that he would come good eventually. He repaid that ironclad faith with the type of innings, he has built his reputation on. At the end of 16 overs, it looked like KKR would be happy with a total of 140; instead, they got an additional 20 runs which proved to be the difference in the end.
Best tweet of the game: Viru claims he never looks at the pitch before a game. Looking at the bowlers he picked today, I am starting to believe him now. #getlostpls (by @fakeiplplayer)
Eliminator: CSK vs MI
Chennai Super Kings 187 for 5 (Dhoni 51, Hussey 49) v Mumbai Indians 149 for 9 (Smith 38, Bravo 2-10, Morkel 2-31)
Match in 140 characters: Despite early hiccups, Badri and Mussey stabilize as Dhoni and Bravo provide explosive finish to innings…MI fall short by 38 runs
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: Ironically, it was the fall of Jadeja at the start of the 15th over which turned out to be the exact situation CSK would have wanted to be in. With Dhoni and Bravo at the crease, and Morkel to come, CSK had the license to go after the bowling. MSD and Bravo did it in style as they exploded to add 73 runs in 29 balls to post a total that was beyond even MI’s powerful line-up.
Viagra Performer of the day: Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Dhoni revels in situations like these; the treatment he meted out to the first ball he faced was a sign of things to come. All his trademark shots were there, including the helicopter shot only he can perfect. He faced 20 balls, hit 6 fours and 2 sixes at a strike rate of 255 for a blistering 51 that effectively put the total beyond the reach of the Mumbai Indians.
Best tweet of the day: N.Srinivasan to Mukesh Ambani “Hey man. Put chutney ” (by @Sarcasan)
2nd Qualifier: CSK vs DD
Chennai Super Kings 222 for 5 (Vijay 113) beat Delhi Daredevils 136 (Jayawardene 55, Ashwin 3-23) by 86 runs
Match in 140 characters: Murali Vijay’s blistering ton leads a CSK battering of DD as absence of Morkel and strange tactics by Sehwag consign them to defeat
#TrottsFault: For the second game running, Sehwag ensured that team selection and on-field tactics would be the point of contention. Apart from dropping the leading wicket taker Morkel for the sake of team balance, he gave Sunny Gupta, a little known off spinner playing his first IPL game, the responsibility of bowling the first over. The first ball disappeared to the boundary and it never got better after that. Not satisfied, Sehwag decided to come one down while batting, giving DD less chance of a momentum grabbing start which they desperately needed to chase 223.
Viagra Performer of the day: There is something about a big game which brings out the best in Murali Vijay. After looking woefully out of form for most of the tournament, Murali Vijay struck a blistering ton which began with a boundary off the first ball of the innings, and ended when he was run out off the last ball of the innings. In between, he had scored 113 from 58 deliveries at a strike rate of 194.82 containing 15 boundaries and 4 sixes. Going into the final against KKR, CSK will be hoping that he replicates his performance one more time.
Best tweet of the game: Sehwag wants the whole world to go bald, tearing out their hair in frustration trying to make some sense of his cricketing decisions. (by @_fakeiplplayer)
Final: KKR vs CSK
Kolkata Knight Riders 192 for 5 (Bisla 89, Kallis 69) beat Chennai Super Kings 190 for 3 (Raina 73, Hussey 54, Vijay 42) by five wickets
Match in 140 characters: Raina’s commanding knock leads CSK to an intimidating 190; in response Bisla and Kallis show KKR the path to glory as new champs are crowned
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: In the end, it all boiled down to a Hilfenhaus no-ball in the penultimate over. With 16 needed off 7, Shakib seemingly holed out to Vijay before realizing that the umpires had called no-ball for height. The batsmen had managed to run two, even, in the midst of all the confusion. With 13 needed off 7, Shakib calmly scooped the re-bowled delivery to the fence, narrowing down the equation to a manageable 9 off 6 balls. From there-on, CSK needed a miracle, which never came.
Viagra Performer of the day: While injury to Irfan Pathan could have ultimately caused the Daredevils’ exit in the play-off, injury to Balaji proved to be a blessing in disguise for KKR. While they lost the services of one of their best bowlers, they gained Bisla, whose unexpected blistering knock waylaid all of CSK’s best laid plans. An ebullient 89 from 48 deliveries squashed any hopes of a three-peat for CSK and brought KKR much deserved IPL glory.
Best tweet of the day: Imagine. We were *this* far away from getting to see N. Srinivasan do a cartwheel. (by @rameshsrivats)
Rising star: Mandeep Singh (432 runs at a SR of 126.31)
Player of the season: Sunil Narine (24 wickets at an ER of 5.47)
Orange Cap: Chris Gayle (733 runs at a SR of 160.74)
Purple Cap: Morne Morkel (25 wickets at 7.19)
Fairplay Award: Rajasthan Royals
So let's say you don't root for either the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) or the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Let's say you hate rooting for CSK because they have already won the league twice and you want to see a different winner. Let's say you believe that Mr N. Srinivasan is the root of all evil and deserves to be punished for wearing dual hats as the caretaker of Indian cricket and the Chennai Super Kings.
Everyone knows that Raphael is the best teenage mutant ninja turtle.
But the makers of the first teenage mutant ninja turtles film tried to ruin that in many ways.
One of which was to make Raphael and whiny loner.
Another was to make him hate cricket.
It all starts when after leaving the other turtles, Raphael (who's cool but crude) finds himself in a fight with a guy and baseball bats.
I wanted to tell you about my team. I have two of them.
Maybe you have a team too. In fact, I'm pretty sure you do.
I'm not talking about the team you follow. Sure "India" is my team, but this is not what I mean. "India", as a cricket team, is an amorphous concept stretched across time and space…
King Cricket shirt is available here.
Have you been too busy studying for your exams to take note of what has been going on in the IPL? Or have you been too engrossed in searching for a job to know who has hit the most ‘DLF Maximums’ over the past week? Maybe all your time is being taken up by stalking your ex-boyfriend; or you could just be some closeted IPL fan who likes to keep up appearances by publicly denouncing the ‘pajama cricket’ but want to know how your favorite IPL team is doing?
Never fear. For the attention-deficit IPL fan in you, I present to you ‘The Plunder Games’ – a weekly recap of all the IPL action. Here, you can catch up with all the past week’s action in just 10 minutes.
Game 65: KKR vs MI
Kolkata Knight Riders 140 for 7 (Tiwary 41) beat Mumbai Indians 108 (Narine 4-15, Balaji 2-11) by 32 runs
Match in 140 characters: Tiwary leads the way as KKR stumble to 140; in response, Mumbai Indians can’t figure out Narine and cant score off Balaji to lose by 32 runs
#TrottsFault: Herschelle Gibbs. His tedious knock of 13 from 24 balls meant that the Mumbai Indians never got the momentum going at the start of the chase.
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: The game was delicately poised halfway through MI’s innings as they had 9 wickets in hand with 80 runs to get. In a moment, Narine broke through Tendulkar’s defences with a vicious off break to ensure that the incoming batsmen would be always looking out for an unplayable delivery, thus keeping them on the defensive for the rest of the innings.
Viagra Performer of the day: Another day in the life of Sunil Narine. 4 wickets for 15 runs in 3.1 overs at an economy rate of 4.73. The wait for a batsman who can truly tame him, continues.
Best tweet of the day: Sunil Narine’s deliveries are like a Maruti 800 driven by a Delhi aunty talking on her cellphone, don’t know which side it’s gonna turn. (by @GabbarSingh)
Game 66: KXIP vs CSK
Kings XI Punjab 123 for 4 (Gilchrist 64*, Bravo 2-18) beat Chennai Super Kings 120 for 7 (Bravo 48, Awana 2-12, Praveen 2-18) by six wickets
Match in 140 characters: Kings XI pace quartet restrict CSK to 120; a Gilly special makes light weight of the target as CSK’s playoff fate hangs in balance
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: CSK had struggled to 46/3 at the end of 10 overs, but were looking up to captain Dhoni to do the needful and rescue them out of their hole. Instead, the impressive Awana pressured him into playing an expansive stroke, only to be caught at third man. CSK never got going after that.
Viagra Performer of the day: Despite the impressive bowling performance by the Kings XI pacers, the game was not completely out of CSK’s hands yet as they had the in-form Hilfenhaus opening the bowling. The man who had to face him was Gilchrist, a veteran of many a battle but returning after a long break due to injury. Gilly never let the pressure settle by taking the attack on, and in the process brought home an easy win for KXIP.
Best tweet of the game: The IPL should replace that bowling machine they use for the biggest six scoring comp with Piyush Chawla. (by @birchola)
Game 67: RCB vs DD
Royal Challengers Bangalore 215 for 1 (Gayle 128*, Kohli 73*) beat Delhi Daredevils 194 for 9 (Taylor 55, Zaheer 3-38) by 21 runs
Match in 140 characters: Gayle and Kohli demolish a Morne-less attack; despite valiant efforts by Rosco and Russell, DD fall short by 21 runs
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: Ross Taylor had timed his return to form perfectly, as the Daredevils gave a serious fright to RCB while chasing. So, when he got out swinging with the equation reading 57 runs to win from 22 balls, the bowlers finally began to breathe easy.
Viagra Performer of the day: He scored 1 run off the first 8 balls he faced. When he walked off at the end of the innings, Gayle had scored 128 from 62 balls with 13 sixes. At this point, there are no adjectives left to describe the phenom that is Chris Gayle.
Best tweet of the day: Good game to miss @mornemorkel65 :):) (by @albiemorkel)
Game 68: DC vs RR
Deccan Chargers 128 for 5 (Akshat Reddy 42, Trivedi 2-20) beat Rajasthan Royals 126 for 8 (Dravid 39, Mishra 2-20) by five wickets
Match in 140 characters: Mishra and Steyn confound to keep Royals to 126; Reddy leads a comfortable chase for Chargers as RR lose their shot at play-offs
Charlie Sheen Winning moment: Since the fielders were of no help, Mishra decided to do the work himself by bowling a special delivery to get rid of Shane Watson. With the exit of their most dangerous player, the Royals struggled to get any momentum going against a determined bowling attack.
Viagra Performer of the day: While Steyn was his usual miserly self, it was Amit Mishra who stole the spotlight with a fine exhibition of leg spin bowling. 2/20 off 4 overs including the important wicket of Watson meant that he was the star player for once, instead of Steyn, for the Chargers.
Game 69: KXIP vs DD
Delhi Daredevils 145 for 4 (Warner 79) beat Kings XI Punjab 141 for 8 (Chitnis 38, Mahmood 36, Morkel 4-20, Yadav 3-19) by six wickets
Match in 140 characters: Morkel and Yadav dismantle KXIP’s top order before Warner’s blazing innings knocks Gilly’s men out of the tournament
Viagra Performer of the day: Umesh Yadav is one of the few Indian fast bowlers to excel in this edition of the IPL. This time, he was at the top of his game, even as he prised out the wickets of Gilchrist, Mandeep and Hussey to ensure that the KXIP would not get to a challenging total.
Game 70: PWI vs KKR
Kolkata Knight Riders 136 for 4 (Shakib 42, McCullum 41, Parnell 2-18) beat Pune Warriors 102 for 8 (Yusuf 2-12, Shakib 2-18) by 34 runs
Match in 140 characters: PWI’s depressing run ends as KKR come out on top in a pitch only Shakib and McCullum manage to negotiate
Viagra Performer of the day: Its a wonder that Shakib al Hasan doesn’t get more games for his team, as he manages to come up with game changing contribution whenever he gets a chance. On a tricky pitch for batsmen, Shakib powered KKR to a good total and with the ball, he ensured that PWI didn’t get any leeway.
Game 71: DC vs RCB
Deccan Chargers 132 for 7 (Duminy 74, Vinay 3-22) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 123 for 9 (Kohli 42, Steyn 3-8, Ashish Reddy 3-25) by 9 runs
Match in 140 characters: A Duminy special ensures a late surge for the Chargers as they post 132; Steyn leads a super-charged performance as RCB choke for last time
#TrottsFault: Its not often that one can blame Gayle for his team’s loss, but in the most crucial game of the season, he chose to take Steyn on instead of playing him out and shepherding the chase. The result was a wild swing which got himself castled and put pressure on a middle order which apart from himself and de Villiers has been very unconvincing this year.
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: Despite the early hiccups, it looked like RCB were on course for the win when Kohli and Tiwary were batting. It all changed in the last ball of the 16th over, when Kohli hit the ball straight to the fielder at long on and exited the ground in a fit of rage against himself. From there, it was only one team which was going to win the game.
Viagra Performer of the day: Dale Steyn has been one of the few shining lights for the Chargers this season. A terrific spell of bowling accounted for Gayle and Dilshan, which robbed RCB of their best batsmen at the top. He finished with figures of 3/8 from his 4 overs and ensured that the Deccan Chargers wouldn’t be going home with the wooden spoon this year.
Best tweet of the game: Somewhere in Chennai, Dhoni is sitting in front of the telly whilst stroking a cat in his lap and saying “It’s all going as planned” (by @KunalVanBhatia)
Game 72: RR vs MI
Mumbai Indians 163 for 0 (Smith 87*, Tendulkar 58*) beat Rajasthan Royals (Watson 45, Kulkarni 3-18) by ten wickets
Match in 140 characters: Watson and Binny power RR to what seems like a challenging total; riding on luck, Tendulkar and Smith ease MI to a 10 wicket win
Viagra Performer of the day: Dhawal Kulkarni got his first game of the season and he didn’t disappoint, with figures of 3/18 in 4 overs. It will be a tricky decision for MI, as they debate whether to retain him for the play-off game or plump for the experience and loud mouth of Munaf Patel.
Best tweet of the week:
By banning #SRK from Wankhede, MCA has sent a clear message that they’ll not tolerate ugly behaviur. Except by players like Munaf, of course (by @rameshsrivats)
Have you been too busy studying for your exams to take note of what has been going on in the IPL? Or have you been too engrossed in searching for a job to know who has hit the most ‘DLF Maximums’ over the past week? Maybe all your time is being taken up by stalking your ex-boyfriend; or you could just be some closeted IPL fan who likes to keep up appearances by publicly denouncing the ‘pajama cricket’ but want to know how your favorite IPL team is doing?
Never fear. For the attention-deficit IPL fan in you, I present to you ‘The Plunder Games’ – a weekly recap of all the IPL action. Here, you can catch up with all the past week’s action in just 10 minutes.
Game 54: MI vs RCB
Royal Challengers Bangalore 142 for 1 (Gayle 82*) beat Mumbai Indians 141 for 6 (Karthik 44) by nine wickets
Match in 140 characters: RCB bowlers finally fire to restrict the Mumbai Indians to 141; Gayle and Kohli seal the chase without any fuss, as RCB move to 4th spot
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: When the Mumbai Indians somehow rebuilt their way back to 100/4 in 15 overs, it looked like they had a good launching pad for the big hitters to come in and boost the run rate; instead it was that man Murali, who not for the first time derailed the opposition’s hopes by picking two wickets off successive deliveries.
Viagra Performer of the day: Chris Gayle got the Orange Cap, scored 500 runs in the tournament, and scored another match winning knock to lead RCB to victory. He has hardly been troubled this season, and it is a troubling sign for all bowlers as IPL 5 reaches it business end.
Best tweet of the game: Umpire thinks about giving it out. But then sees it’s Bhajji, decides NO WAY can Bhajji get a wicket. (by @thecricketcouch)
Game 55: DC vs DD
Delhi Daredevils 193 for 1 (Warner 109*, Ojha 64*) beat Deccan Chargers 187 for 4 (Dhawan 84, White 65) by nine wickets
Match in 140 characters: Dhawan and White power DC to what looks like a winning total; despite Viru’s early dismissal, Warner leads a blistering response for the win
Viagra Performer of the day: There were some people who doubted that Warner would adequately fill in the void left by KP’s departure; this innings was their answer. An unbeaten century at a strike rate of 200 made a difficult target look like a walk in the park.
Game 56: CSK vs RR
Chennai Super Kings 127 for 6 (Raina 23, Morkel 18*, Anirudha 18*) beat Rajasthan Royals 126 for 6 (Hodge 33, Hilfenhaus 2-8) by four wickets
Match in 140 characters: RR stumble to 126 in a rain-affected innings; the bowlers try their best but a brutal onslaught by Morkel and Srikkanth gives CSK the win
#TrottsFault: Its not often that Watson can be faulted, but his expensive third over virtually sealed the game in favor of the Super Kings.
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: One expected Morkel to be CSK’s only hope at the start of the 18th over; so it seemed only natural that Srikkanth, being the junior partner should concede the strike to the South African that he might go for the runs. Instead, of the first two balls he faced Watson, he swung for the fences, fetching a 6 and a boundary. That essentially swung the game CSK’s way.
Viagra Performer of the day: Ben Hilfenhaus had a forgettable outing against the Mumbai Indians as he conceded 14 runs of the final 3 deliveries to lose the game for CSK. This time, he made amends with an economical spell of 2/8 off his allocated 4 overs. It meant that the Royals got frustrated into throwing away their wickets, handing the momentum to the Super Kings.
Game 57: RCB vs PWI
20 overs Royal Challengers Bangalore 173 for 3 (Gayle 57, Dilshan 53) beat Pune Warriors 138 for 9 (Vinay 3-32, Zaheer 2-21, Murali 2-16) by 35 runs
Match in 140 characters: Gayle is off to a flier, Dilshan settles first then attacks, Tiwary provides finishing touches as RCB power to a total beyond PWI’s reach
Viagra Performer of the day: Chris Gayle. 57 off 31 deliveries including three 4s and six 6s. Enough said.
Best tweet of the game: You know how good Gayle is? Made ShastriBot abandon tracerbullet and look up words like Scud and Skimmer. That good. (by @thecricketcouch)
Pinocchio Fact: At the end of RCB’s innings, new Pune Warriors skipper Steven Smith sent a request to the IPL’s governing committee if they could sublet their batting innings to the Delhi Daredevils. (courtesy @BoredCricket)
Game 58: KKR vs MI
Mumbai Indians 182 for 1 (Rohit 109*, Gibbs 66*) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 155 for 4 (Kallis 79, Yusuf 40*) by 27 runs
Match in 140 characters: Sharma and Gibbs dazzle to take MI to 182; KKR never get close despite a Kallis 50 and a return to form for Yusuf Pathan
Viagra Performer of the day: Rohit Sharma’s maiden IPL ton served not only as a reminder to the natural talent this man possesses, but also how frustrating it is for long time observers to see him fail at the highest level. Hopefully, this is a sign of bigger things to come for him.
Game 59: CSK vs DD
Chennai Super Kings 115 for 1 (Vijay 48*, Hussey 38) beat Delhi Daredevils 114 for 5 (Nagar 43*, Hilfenhaus 3-27) by nine wickets
Match in 140 characters: Hilfy’s opening spell knocks out the DD top order and CSK have no trouble in chasing down the target with ease
#TrottsFault: David Warner was coming off a brilliant ton in his last game and much was expected of him again. He might have forgotten to account for one thing though: His century came against an all-Indian bowling attack. Against a much superior Hifenhaus, he went for an arrogant shot which didn’t clear mid-off, and ultimately put his team’s fragile middle order in strife.
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: Virender Sehwag has been a huge factor in DD’s rise to the top of the table; while his failure against the Chargers didn’t cost them too much, his wicket in the first over against a superior CSK meant that the Daredevils had to do all the hard work if they wanted a winning total, and ultimately that proved beyond them.
Viagra Performer of the day: For the second game running, Hilfenhaus’ opening spell helped CSK win the game. He is no speed demon like Steyn or a yorker machine like Malinga, but his intelligent use of swing is helping the defending champions in their late attempt to make it to the play-offs.
Best tweet of the day: Mumbai bats like Delhi. Now Delhi bats like Mumbai. Strange Saturday this. (by @knittins)
Game 60: RR vs PWI
Rajasthan Royals 170 for 4 (Rahane 61, Watson 58) beat Pune Warriors 125 for 9 (Smith 37, Chandila 4-13) by 45 runs
Match in 140 characters: Rahane and Watson power the Royals to a challenging total, before little known Chandila’s hat-trick leaves PWI in tatters
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: When Chandila ambled in and claimed his hat-trick victim Utthappa, the game was pretty much done and dusted there. PWI were 11/3 at the start of the 3rd over and chasing 171, there was no way back for them from there on.
Viagra Performer of the day: Ajit Chandila. Apart from claiming the first hat-trick of this year’s IPL, he only conceded 13 runs off his allocated overs.
Game 61: DC vs KXIP
Kings XI Punjab 194 for 6 (D Hussey 65*, Gurkeerat 29*) beat Deccan Chargers 190 for 4 (Dhawan 71, White 67) by four wickets
Match in 140 characters: Dhawan and White (again!) power DC to what seems to be a winning total, only for Hussey and (unknown till now) Gurkeerat to steal a win
#TrottsFault: Of all the deliveries to bowl in the final ball of an innings when the batting team needs one run to win, the bouncer is the worst choice. If the batsman misses, he can more often than not steal a bye, and if he connects, it is more likely to clear the fielders who have been brought in to stop a single. Gony chose to bowl a bouncer, Gurkeerat managed to connect his swing, and just like that the Chargers managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Again.
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: When David Hussey could only get a single off the second delivery of the final over to concede strike to Gurkeerat, the Chargers would have sensed one final shot at winning the game. Instead, for the second game in running, a little known domestic player turned the spotlight on himself, as Gurkeerat smashed the next two balls for a 6 and 4, resigning the Chargers to another last over loss.
Viagra Performer of the day: Though Gurkeerat got the honor of delivering the winning moment for his team, it was skipper David Hussey who won the game for KXIP from a difficult situation. When he came in to bat, the required rate was well above 11 an over. By the end of the innings, he returned with an unbeaten 65 off 35 deliveries to prove why he is KXIP’s most valuable player.
Best tweet of the game: If all teams win their must win games then will we have all teams in semis? (by @onejubb)
Game 62: MI vs RCB
Mumbai Indians 173 for 5 (Rayudu 81*, Pollard 52*) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 171 for 6 (Agarwal 64, Dilshan 47) by five wickets
Match in 140 characters: Mayank’s blazing finish sets up a tricky chase for MI; despite early stutters, Rayadu and Pollard get the win in commanding fashion
#TrottsFault: RCB’s fifth bowler conundrum. Its the one thing keeping them from being a genuine contender for the title of champions.
Viagra Performer of the day: Not for the first time this IPL, Rayadu has ensured a last over win for MI. On present form, it will be really hard for the selectors to keep him out of the team for the World T20 championship.
Best tweet of the game: Nice to see Munaf Patel hasn’t let this match faze him at all. He continues to be crap. #getlostpls (by @_fakeiplplayer)
Game 63: KKR vs CSK
Chennai Super Kings 160 for 5 (Hussey 56, Narine 2-14) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 158 for 6 (Gambhir 62, Jakati 2-26) by five wickets
Match in 140 characters: GG and Baz get KKR off to a flyer before CSK pull it back; Mussey and Vijay do the same before Narine induces panic; Bravo finishes in style
#TrottsFault: It was not so much a fault as it was inexperience which failed the rookie de Lange at a critical stage of the game. The 19th over in this IPL has been harsh to the bowlers and this time was no exception either. MSD ransacked 14 runs off the first three balls to give CSK a great shot at winning the game, which they ultimately did.
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: CSK need 5 runs in 2 balls. Bravo swings and misses. Now the equation is 5 off 1. Bravo swings again and JUST clears the boundary to win the game. A few meters is all thats different between a win and a loss.
Viagra Performer of the day: Forget Malinga and Steyn. Narine has been the standout bowler in this IPL. Once again, he confounded the opposition batsmen to pull his team back into the contest. 4 overs, 14 runs and 2 wickets. In the end, it wasn’t enough, but he couldn’t be blamed for it.
Best tweet of the day: 8.1 Kim Jong-Il to Vijay, SIX, Kobe Bryant to complete the over#tweetlikeCricinfo (by @congusmaximus)
Game 64: DD vs KXIP
Delhi Daredevils 140 for 5 (Jayawardene 56*, Awana 3-22) beat Kings XI Punjab 136 for 8 (Hussey 40*, Yadav 3-21, Aaron 2-19) by five wickets
Match in 140 characters: Hussey weathers a Yadav-Aaron pace attack to drag KXIP to 136; despite losing early wickets, Mahela stays till the end to lead DD to playoff
Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: At the start of the 18th over of DD’s innings, the required run rate was touching 9, even as KXIP’s most impressive bowler of the day, Awana ran in to bowl. Irfan Pathan, who has been more effective with the bat than his brother in this IPL, struck 3 boundaries to relieve the pressure and put the Daredevils on a certain path to victory.
Viagra Performer of the day: While Aaron and Yadav impressed with pace earlier in the game, the star of the day was Awana, who bowled against better batsman and returned impressive figures. While his figures were sullied in his final over, it was a top class exhibition of smart bowling and gives some hope for India’s future of fast bowling.
Best tweet of the week:
Ashish Nehra on being grilled by ICC anti-corruption bureau will be saying :”I swear, it wasn’t fixed! I was genuinely bowling badly!!!” (by @coolfunnytshirt)
The little Little Master, already perfecting the ‘disappointed walk back’ look…..
The chief attraction of Harsha Bhogle is his outsider nerdiness. As a non-athlete, he stands alone among cricket greats and legends in the studio. In doing so, he gives the cricket fan a vicarious thrill: if he can talk to established cricketers, so can I. By being so inclusive, Bhogle is a creature of the rise of televised cricket, which expanded the boundaries of the cricket world -- a very clubby circuit, once upon a time -- to include a currently impossibly large cast of characters.
