The Plunder Games – Week 2 Recap

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 12: MI vs RR

Mumbai Indians 197 for 6 (Pollard 64, Rayudu 47*) beat Rajasthan Royals 170 (Shah 76, Rahane 40, Munaf 4-28)

Match in 140 characters: Frenetic hitting from Pollard and Rayadu take MI to 197, Rahane and Shah threaten a tight contest, but night belongs to the big Trinidadian

Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: Owais Shah was threatening to overshadow Pollard’s knock with a blistering innings of his own, when a beleaguered Bhajji threw the ball to his go-to bowler, and he didn’t disappoint. Off the first ball, he knocked back Shah’s stumps and that was basically the end of the Royals’ resistance.

Viagra Performer of the day: 33 balls, 6 fours, 4 sixes, all added up to a typical Pollard-ian innings. If that wasn’t enough, he returned to scalp 4 batsmen and take 1 catch.

Best tweet of the game: Once a Shah, Owais Shah. #IPL (by @coolfunnytshirt)

Pinocchio Fact: Pollard’s workout consists entirely of lifting  Junior Ambani everyday (courtesy @_fakeiplplayer)

Game 13: RCB vs CSK

Chennai Super Kings 208 for 5 (Du Plessis 71, Dhoni 41, Murali 3-21) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore205 for 8 (Gayle 68, Kohli 57, Bollinger 3-24) by five wickets

Match in 140 characters: Gayle, Agarwal and Kohli take RCB to 205, du Plessis sets platform, Dhoni maintains tempo, Morkel smokes Kohli to take CSK to thrilling win.

#TrottsFault: The obvious choice might be Virat Kohli; but he is a part-timer, and against Morkel’s clean hitting he had no chance. On the other hand, Vinay Kumar bowled like a novice in the final over dishing out full tosses and no balls, which CSK made full use of.

Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: The game might have been decided off the final ball, but it truly turned on its head in the previous over when Morkel blitzed 28 runs off Kohli.

Viagra Performer of the day: Till this game, Morne was the Morkel grabbing all the attention in this IPL. In the space of 6 balls, Albie changed all that with an adrenaline-packed innings, which swung the game CSK’s way.

Best tweet of the game: It seems Raina has a special place in his heart for long on to mid wicket region.Doesn’t matter if he is batting or bowling. (by @holdingwilley)

Pinocchio Fact: Dan Christian was seen offering bowling tips to Vinay Kumar on the day before the RCB-CSK game.

Game 14: PWI vs KXIP

Kings XI Punjab 116 for 3 (Marsh 64*, Chawla 24*) beat Pune Warriors 115 (Manhas 31, Mascarenhas 5-25) by seven wickets

Match in 140 characters: Pune Warriors stumble and stutter to 115, thanks to a Macarhenas 5-fer; led by Marsh, Kings XI ease to victory

Viagra Performer of the day: Shaun Marsh may have had a horror Aussie summer, but in IPL colors, he still continues to torment the bowlers. His unbeaten 64 extinguished any hopes that the Pune Warriors might have had.

Best tweet of the game: #AltPulseQuestion Who has the most pinchable cheeks – Piyush Chawwwwla or Preity Zinta? #IPL (by @AltCricket)

Game 15: KKR vs RR

Kolkata Knight Riders 137 for 5 (Kallis 31, Bisla 29) beat Rajasthan Royals 131 for 5 (Shah 31, Dravid 28, Shakib 3-17) by five wickets

Match in 140 characters: On a tricky pitch, Royals scrape to 131 as Shakib keeps them in check; KKR chase it down without much of trouble..

Viagra Performer of the day: Shakib al Hasan had a good start to his IPL, with a match winning 3/17 which kept the Royals down to a chaseable target.

Best tweet of the game: Funny that GG is the captain of KKR but the team is playing with MSDs tactics. Take it till the end. (by @siddyness)

Game 16: CSK vs PWI

Pune Warriors 156 for 3 (Ryder 73*, Smith 44*) beat Chennai Super Kings 155 for 5 (Jadeja 44, du Plessis 43) by seven wickets

Match in 140 characters: Despite du Plessis’ and Jaddu’s knocks, CSK don’t get enough, Ryder bats through innings and Smith explodes to chase down 156

#TrottsFault: Its not often that captain cool MS Dhoni costs his team the game; A painstaking 26 with no big hits in the end stalled CSK’s progress and some of his tactics including holding back Jadeja while the Warriors were batting and giving Yo Mahesh the final over backfired spectacularly.

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: du Plessis’ stumping off Rahul Sharma’s bowling killed CSK’s momentum early in the game and despite some lusty hitting by Jadeja, they fell short by atleast 25 runs.

Viagra Performer of the day: Steve Smith has been the biggest success story for the Pune Warriors. In the field, he is incredibly quick with a safe pair of hands. With the bat, he has applied the finishing touches well. His dismantling of Kulasekara in the penultimate over tilted a game which was heading for a tight finish, in favor of the Warriors.

Best tweet of the game: Faf Du Plessis will wear an Orange Cap, yellow jersey and Trousers + Red boots when CSK take the field, Will look like a Tamil Hero. #IPL (by @forwardshortleg)

Pinocchio Fact: The reason why Dinda Jumps So high before bowling is because he was born in a leap year (courtesy @joydas)

Game 17: KKR vs KXIP

Kings XI Punjab 134 for 9 (Mandeep Singh 38, Narine 5-19 ) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 132 for 7 (Das 35, Chawla 3-18) by 2 runs 

Match in 140 characters: Narine mesmerizes as Kings XI are kept down to 134, despite a good start, KKR stumble as Chawla and Harmeet shock Kolkata

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: Despite Chawla’s heroics earlier, the game was going to be won or lost by little known Harmeet Singh, when he was thrown the ball for the final over. KKR needed 9 runs to win the game but could only manage 6, as Kings XI stole an unlikely win.

Viagra Performer of the day: Sunil Narine is one of the better spinners in international cricket these days, and in this game he showed why he is highly rated. In 4 overs of masterful bowling, he kept the batsmen guessing as he returned with figures of 5/19. Though his team lost the game, Narine was easily the best performer among the two sides.

Game 18: RR vs RCB

Rajasthan Royals 195 for 2 (Rahane 103*, Shah 60) beat 136 Royal Challengers Bangalore (Agarwal 34, Trivedi 4 for 25) by 59 runs

Match in 140 characters: Rahane sizzles and Owais smashes as RCB run for cover, Trivedi leads a disciplined Royals effort in the field as they surge to top of table

#TrottsFault: If it was Kohli who had a horror game with the ball last time, it was S Aravind’s turn in this game. Not too long ago, he featured in the national team, but after the ruthless punishment at the hands of Rahane, it is hard to see him coming back after this effort.

Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: While it was Rahane and Shah who set a massive target, it was Pankaj Singh’s two wickets in the 5th over (Agarwal and Gayle) which sealed the game in favor of the Royals.

Viagra Performer of the day: IPL 5 could well be the tournament which opens the door for Rahane to enter into the Indian T20 side. For long, he has been considered a batsman for the longest form of the game, and only recently did he make his foray into ODIs. After a scintillating 98 last week, his century against RCB was one full of power and grace which showcased his full repertoire. Greater things await the new maestro from Mumbai.

Game 19: DD vs MI

Delhi Daredevils 93 for 3 (Sehwag 32) beat Mumbai Indians 92 (Harbhajan 33, Umesh 2-10, Nadeem 2-16) by seven wickets

Match in 140 characters: Nadeem leads a strong Daredevils performance in the field despite Bhajji heroics with the bat as Sehwag and Mahela lead a controlled chase

#TrottsFault: The entire MI top order, including Rohit Sharma who apart from running out Rayadu, kept playing high risk shots when the situation warranted some rebuilding.

Viagra Performer of the day: For a team which does not have any high profile spinners, Shahbaz Nadeem is perhaps as big a boon as any of the fancy top order batsmen. He strangled MI right at the top of the game, and induced them into playing rash shots to get away.

Best tweet of the game: MI: Duniya hila denge, DD: Mahela denge, Taylor: Sila denge, RCB: Pila denge (by @crownish)

Game 20: RR vs DC

Rajasthan Royals 197 for 5 (Hodge 48*, Mishra 3-32) beat Deccan Chargers 196 for 2 (Duminy 58*, Dhawan 52) by five wickets 

Match in 140 characters: Duminy leads a strong Deccan ‘Charge’ as Royals are left with a target of 197, Dravid, Rahane and Hodge’s fireworks ensure thrilling win

#TrottsFault: Steyn had a rare off day, as Dravid and Hodge tucked into him at crucial times, even as he returned expensive figures of 0/44 in 3.4 overs.

Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: The Royals’ chase was so well planned that they didn’t really look like they were in trouble at any stage. Little known wicket keeper Yagnik duly dispatched Steyn for two boundaries in the final over to seal the win.

Viagra Performer of the day: Brad Hodge who scored an unbeaten 48 at a strike rate of 228.57. In a high scoring match featuring plenty of slam bang innings, his knock stood out.

Game 21: RCB vs PWI

Royal Challengers Bangalore 186 for 4 (Gayle 81, Tiwary 36*, de Villiers 33*) beat Pune Warriors 182 for 6 (Uthappa 69, Ryder 34, Samuels 34) by six wickets

Match in 140 characters: Utthappa, Ryder and Samuels power the Warriors to 182, Gayle leads a spirited assault while de Villiers and Tiwary steal an unlikely win

#TrottsFault: While it is tough to choose between Rahul Sharma and Ashish Nehra, the winner is the lanky Delhi seamer. He is the more experienced performer who has been in this situation numerous times before. With RCB needing 24 runs in the final over, one would have backed Nehra to defend it more times than not. Unfortunately, those days are gone long by.

Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: Gayle whacked 5 sixes in a Rahul Sharma over to pull back the chase for RCB and de Villiers played a manic yet creative innings to haul them to the precipice of an improbable win; but in the end, it was left to the much maligned Tiwary, who defied the script and pummeled the last ball to the boundary in the final over, triggering wild celebrations in Bangalore.

Viagra Performer of the day: AB de Villiers’ knock of 33 in 14 deliveries might not seem out of place in T20s; but the figures don’t tell the story of an innings which contained innovative strokes under tremendous pressure and which ultimately helped RCB over the line.

Best tweet of the game: Uthappa says Danny Morrison is too loud. Tell us something we don’t know, lad. #IPL (by @headless_sky)

Pinocchio Fact: Chris Gayle has been signed up as the new ambassador for iPhone 4S – since their punchline suits him every time he goes to bat. “This changes everything. Again.”  (courtesy @CluelessVictory)

Tweet of the week:

DD must be seeing their past in MI’s present. #ipl (by @boredcricket)

Ensuring Ashwin doesn't burnout

Reblogged from No Sacred cows !:

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Over the last 12 months, Ravichandran Ashwin has bowled 589 overs for his national team and 79 overs for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK). He has played in 38 matches for India and 22 matches for CSK. In all, he has been on the field for 80 days. Add to this, the travel involved – In just this period, Ashwin has travelled to five of the nine other test playing nations and 17 different cities in India.

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Valid thoughts...Hope the people concerned are taking note...

The Plunder Games – Week 1 Recap

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 1: CSK vs MI

Mumbai Indians 115 for 2 (Levi 50) beat Chennai Super Kings 112 (Pollard 2-15, Malinga 2-16, Ojha 2-17) by eight wickets 

Match in 140 characters: Vijay stutters, Dhoni is run out, Ojha fires, CSK stumble to 112…Levi strikes, Tendulkar retires hurt, Sharma gets his box checked, MI win

#TrottsFault: Apart from getting IPL debutant du Plessis run out, Vijay’s nervy batting forced the rest of the batsmen to search for hidden demons in the pitch.

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: In his first appearance for the Bombay Desis (aka Mumbai Indians), Ojha struck to remove danger man and IPL God Suresh Raina. CSK never really recovered after that.

Viagra Performer of the day: It is rare to see players justifying their hype in their first game itself; yet, that was what Levi did. He removed any notions of a contest with some brutal strikes, and he will get more dangerous as the tournament progresses.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: The strategic time-out is actually a 2 minute silence for Lalit Modi

Best tweet of the game: How to lose a loyal fan following. Tip 1: Replace Whistle Podu with some hands up nonsense. Tip 2: Invest gazillions on R Jaddu. (by @knittins)

Game 2: KKR vs DD

Delhi Daredevils 100 for 2 (Irfan 42*, Finch 30) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 97 for 9 (Shukla 26, M Morkel 3-18) by eight wickets

Match in 140 characters: Rain delays, match reduced to 12 overs a side, Morkel and Yadav strike, DD to chase 98, Sehwag and Finch start well, Irfan finishes in style

#TrottsFault: Marchant de Lange did not have his national team-mate Levi’s dream IPL debut….instead, at the most crucial stage of the match, he gave bowled plenty of hit-me deliveries to Irfan Pathan who duly obliged.

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: In the space of two deliveries, Morkel ensured that KKR would struggle to an inadequate total by dismissing the dangerous Kallis and ‘blink-and-you-will-miss-him’ Tiwary, who might just be the unluckiest Indian cricket player right now.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: Gambhir and Sehwag agreed to a 12 over game, as they are both fans of finishing games early.

Best tweet of the game: Delhi Daredevil’s strategy worked. Dress Agarkar up as Marchant de Lange. (by @greatbong)

Game 3: MI vs PWI

Pune Warriors India 129 for 9 (Smith 39, Malinga 2-16) beat Mumbai Indians 100 for 9 (Dinda 4-17) by 29 runs

Match in 140 characters: Malinga, Bhajji and Munaf keep Pune to 129 even as Smith steadies the Warriors, Kartik, Dinda wreak havoc on MI’s top order, Ganguly smiles

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: Defending a measly target of 130 against some of the best hitters is always going to be a tough ask; but the Indians’ chase never got off to a start thanks to a double-strike by Dinda in the second over where he dismissed Rayadu and Rohit. In the absence of Sachin, the chase got more difficult and ultimately proved beyond them.

Viagra performer of the day: Kartik struck twice and Dinda four times; but if it wasn’t for ‘Piggy’ Smith’s important knock of 39 which pushed the Warriors to a defendable total, it wouldn’t have mattered. In the process, he made Ganguly a very happy skipper.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: Harbhajan Singh announced before the game, that the Mumbai Indians wanted to win it for Sachin’s injured finger.

Best tweet of the game: Haha cricket, look at @kartikmurali go at BossDK! Must be because he’s added an “H” to their good name. #ipl5 (by @boredcricket)

Game 4: RR vs KXIP

Rajasthan Royals 191 for 4 (Rahane 98) beat Kings XI Punjab 160 for 9 (Mandeep 34, Cooper 4-26) by 31 runs

Match in 140 characters: Dravid plays a familiar supporting role, this time to young Rahane who dazzles with 98, RR cruise to 191, Kings XI have no answer to Cooper

#TrottsFault: At one point, Rahane was toying with Praveen so badly, that it looked like PK was going to grab a stump at any moment and violate the batsman. For a person who shone brightly on the ill-fated tour of England last year, it has been a steep decline since, and today’s performance effectively let the Royals run away with the game.

Viagra Performer of the day: While Cooper made a debut to remember, the win was nicely set up by Rahane, whose classy 98 was a treat for sore eyes. None of his shots were hit in anger, and yet he serenely accelerated to his highest T20 score and helped set a challenging target for the Kings XI.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: Rahane gave credit to Tendulkar’s batting tips for his performance; which explains his getting out in the 90s.

Best tweet of the game: Gotta love the Royals. They took Hogg out of the comm box (by @MadFastBowler)

Game 5: RCB vs DD

Royal Challengers Bangalore 157 for 8 (de Villiers 64*, Bracewell 3-32) beat Delhi Daredevils 137 for 7 (Murali 3-25) by 20 runs

Match in 140 characters: No Gayle show due to injury but de Villiers ensures a challenging total..Sehwag fails, Murali mesmerizes and the game goes RCB’s way

#TrottsFault: Amazing how fortunes can fluctuate in the space of a game. Fresh from spearheading DD’s win in the last game with the bat, Irfan Pathan was the most expensive bowler in the next conceding 47 runs of his allocated overs.

Viagra Performer of the day: In the absence of Gayle and the rare failure of Kohli, the onus was on de Villiers to lead RCB’s innings and he didn’t disappoint. His unbeaten 64, eventually proved to be very decisive.

Best tweet of the game: Some teams pick India hopefuls. Daredevils pick India’s hopeless.#ipl5 (by @BoredCricket)

Game 6: CSK vs DC

Chennai Super Kings 193 for 6 (Jadeja 48, Bravo 43*) beat Deccan Chargers 119 (Jadeja 5-16) by 74 runs

Match in 140 characters: du Plessis starts things off, Jadeja maintains the tempo, Bravo explodes in style…after that, with ball it was a Jadeja show all the way

#TrottsFault: Only one contender. While one ex-CSK bowler had a great day with the ball in the first game, another one was mercilessly slaughtered in the second. Gony, who is also an ex-India pacer was taken to the cleaners by Bravo, which ensured the target would be beyond the Chargers’ meager resources.

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: It was a leading edge which went for six runs in the 19th over, which aggravated the hitter Bravo for some reason. From next ball, it was carnage as he struck four more sixes to bring to total 40 runs scored off the last two overs.

Viagra Performer of the day: While Bravo provided the finishing touches with the bat, Jaddu boy had earlier stabilized CSK’s innings after a brief mid-innings stutter. Then with the ball, he rolled over the Chargers with a five-wicket haul and justified his price tag in the process.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: Actor and loyal Chargers fan Siddharth has decided to make a new movie based on DC’s performance – Cricketil Sodhappuvadhu Eppadi (How to screw up in Cricket)

Best tweet of the game: Boss you just SHADAB ok! #JakatiTellsWhite (by @tracerbullet007)

Game 7: RR vs KKR

Rajasthan Royals 164 for 5 (Hodge 44, Menaria 40, Lee 2-29) beat Kolkata Knight Riders 143 (Tiwary 59, Cooper 3-28) by 22 runs

Match in 140 characters: Menaria, Hodge and Shah power RR to 164, KKR never take off after losing Kallis and Gambhir early, Tiwary reminds evryone he’s still around

Charlie Sheen Winning Moment: One of the lesser known pace bowlers in the IPL, Amit Singh derailed KKR’s chase when he dismissed Kallis and Gambhir off successive deliveries.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: When it was his turn to bat, out of habit, Tiwary carried the drinks to the pitch instead of his bat.

Game 8: PWI vs KXIP

Pune Warriors 166 for 6 (Samuels 46, Uthappa 40, Harmeet 3-24) beat Kings XI Punjab 144 for 8 (Bipul 35*, Rahul 2-34) by 22 runs

Match in 140 characters: Samuels, Utthappa, Smith and Pandey shine to lift PWI to 166, Kings XI have no answer to an inspired all round performance in the field

#TrottsFault:  Bipul Sharma with figures of 0/40 off 2.4 overs. No contest.

Viagra Performer of the day: Marlon Samuels did everything that was asked of him. With the bat, he set the platform for the bottom half of the middle order to explode; with the ball, he was miserly and never let the Kings XI take any easy runs off him.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: After instructing the Kings XI cook not to prepare oily items to prevent cases of ‘butter-fingered’ fielders, Preity Zinta has instructed the team bus driver to drive to destinations with the players running behind, so as to improve their ‘chasing’ skills.

Game 9: DC vs MI

Mumbai Indians 142 for 5 (Rohit 73*, Steyn 3-12) beat Deccan Chargers 138 for 9 (Dhawan 41, Christian 39, Munaf 4-20) by five wickets

Match in 140 characters: DC score 138 but not before Munaf and Bhajji create a scene..Steyn gives a masterclass but Christian does not and Sharma steals a win

#TrottsFault: When you watch a world class bowler steaming in at the other end and causing all sorts of trouble for the batsmen, you are supposed to be inspired. Instead, Dan Christian decided to bowl the exact opposite of Steyn’s performance. The result was two full tosses in the final over which Rohit Sharma made full use of.

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: The first nail-biter of the tournament was not decided till the final ball of the match. Needing 3 runs to win, Christian bowled a full toss to Sharma which was duly dispatched over long on. And just like that, the Chargers lost a game which they were in control of, for the most period.

Viagra Performer of the day: Munaf gave a disciplined performance with the ball, and an undisciplined one with the mouth. Rohit Sharma played the sort of innings, which makes long time Indian cricket fans pull their hair in frustration; but there was one player who was simply superior to everyone else. Dale Steyn bowled 4 overs, conceding only 12 runs. Against one of the most powerful batting line ups in the IPL. To put it simply, he bowled ‘like a boss’.

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: After the game, the Deccan Chargers decided to punish Dan Christian by making him pad up in the nets to face an angry Steyn with the ball. Without any protective gear.

Best tweet of the game: With Munaf Patel in disgrace, the PA system plays “Munni Badnaam Hui”. Nice. (by @greatbong)

Game 10: RCB vs KKR

Kolkata Knight Riders 165 for 8 (Gambhir 64, R Vinay Kumar 2-18) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore123 for 9 (Vinay Kumar 25, Balaji 4-18) by 42 runs 

Match in 140 characters: Aggressive start by Gauti, Kallis and Bisla propel KKR to 165; Gayle, Kohli and ABd flop as Bala-Lee derail the Royal Challengers

#TrottsFault: Harshal Patel was signed up by RCB based on a devastating bowling performance against Karnataka a few months ago; in this game though, he was taken apart by KKR’s top order and with the likes of Mithun and Aravind in the squad, he might have to return to bench-warming duties.

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: Despite the presence of Gayle and Kohli, de Villiers remains as the in-form batsman for RCB and so, his wicket was always going to be very crucial for KKR. So, when Balaji bowled a peach of a delivery to send him back, the Knight Riders were cock-a-hoop, justifiably.

Best tweet of the game: Via [GaneshAthreyaa]@pitchinv:Kohli is as good as both the KKR openers. Cos if you merge Gauti and Kallis you get Gaalis (by @pitchinv)

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: When play was held up at the start due to faulty electrical firing, commentators received frantic tests from a certain Shastri saying, “The atmosphere is absolutely electrifying” (courtesy @knittins)

Game 11: CSK vsDD

Delhi Daredevils 111 for 2 (Pietersen 43*, Sehwag 33) beat Chennai Super Kings 110 for 8 (M Morkel 2-19) by eight wickets

Match in 140 characters: Brilliant Daredevils fielding and panicked Super Kings running restrict CSK to 110, Sehwag’s blast and KP’s zing seals the deal for DD

#TrottsFault: Whoever is responsible for CSK’s running between wickets

Charlie Sheen Winning moment: In a match where the Super Kings played like Run Out Kings, Raina’s dismissal turned out to be the most important one, as he was the only one who looked comfortable in CSK’s troubled innings.

Viagra Performer of the day: In a match which was marked by high quality fielding by the Daredevils, the pick was van der Merwe; he was literally everywhere, throwing himself around, saving numerous boundaries and to cap it all, bowled a fine spell, conceding only 15 runs off his allocated overs.

Best tweet of the game: Today CSK are like the tambrahm guy on twitter. Just can’t score (by @diogeneb)

Pinocchio Interesting Fact: The half hour delay in the game was due the Delhi Police, who were ensuring that it is safe to play after 8 pm.

TOP TWEET OF THE WEEK:

The tournament is wide open. Someone please donate a lungi to cover it up. (by @ABvan)

How to Become an IPL Team Fan in Four Easy Steps

Reblogged from Deep Backward Point:

Ducking Beamers* wonders how to become a fan of an IPL team– the teams changed drastically year-over-year, there are only weak city-based ties and some teams are just plain bad:

This is my major problem with the IPL: why should I support one franchise over another?

In my opinion, it’s easy to pick a team. Here are my steps:

• STEP #1: Never root against…

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Tendulkar: genius captured in 19 seconds

Reblogged from ________________:

It was 2007. We were at Trent Bridge. The veteran cricket photographer Patrick Eagar was covering his 300th Test. He was kind enough to spare a few minutes for a chat, a wide-ranging discussion on cricket photography. At the end of the interview I asked him to name a cricketer who was tough to shoot. He considered the question for a few seconds.

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A Game of Thrones in Mumbai

The Mumbai Indians’ quest for IPL glory has led to the latest development in their camp: Sachin Tendulkar taking a ‘break’ from captaincy and Harbhajan Singh taking over the reins.

First of, there won’t be too many arguments in favor of Sachin continuing as skipper. Throughout his career, the Mumbai maestro has never mastered the art of captaincy, be it for India or the Mumbai Indians. Highlights of his captaincy includes more mis-steps than master-strokes; for instance, keeping Pollard for too late during the final of IPL-3. There is no doubt that he is a good mentor for the younger players in the squad and a good sounding board for fellow veterans; but captaining a team is something he is better off without. In that sense, relinquishing the captaincy makes sense, though I don’t understand the term ‘taking a break’. Does that mean, he will want the reins back, when he feels sufficiently rejuvenated and motivated? In that case, this move doesn’t make sense.

In contrast, Harbhajan Singh seems to be the natural successor to Tendulkar. While he may have been discarded from the Indian team for the past few months, there is no doubt that when he dons the role of captain, he brings a certain element of flair and luck to the team. In the time he has been away from the national side, he has led Mumbai Indians to a Champions League title, India Green to a shared Challenger Trophy and Punjab to the final of the domestic T20 trophy. He has put in decent performances in these games, showing that captaincy doesn’t affect his natural game (for better or worse!). He reminds me of Saurav Ganguly, a fighter who liked to lead by example and was unafraid to be expressive on the field. Perhaps, the Mumbai Indians need that extra jolt of passion from their skipper to cross the final hurdle and win the IPL for the first time.

Singh is lucky that he has a bevy of talented performers in the side, both international and domestic. While he may receive a lot of support from Tendulkar, it will be ultimately up to him to make the decisions at crunch time and keep the team unified in pursuit of a single goal. This could be the latest challenge for a person known to have a volatile temperament and it will be interesting to track his progress.

Which brings us back to the matter of Tendulkar taking a ‘break’ from captaincy; if Singh fails, does it mean Tendulkar will be back in command next time? If Harbhajan leads the team to the title, will Tendulkar accept that his days of captaincy are over? Or will Mukesh bhai and Nita bhabi have the final word in this game of thrones?

Is There An Indian Cricket Bubble?

Reblogged from Ducking Beamers: A Cricket Blog:

Sorry for the lack of posting; was away on vacation with the family. During the trip, I had an interesting conversation with my father about the IPL and the value of cricket. Our question was: How do you begin to attach a dollar figure to an obsession like cricket? It’s one thing to say, as many (annoyingly) do, that cricket is a religion in India.

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11 newbies to watch in IPL 2012

It’s IPL time, boss.

The time for colorful razzmatazz, dancing cheerleaders, local celeb spotting and pithy commentary is here –  and yes, you get to watch some high octane cricket too.

The fifth edition of IPL is bound to be more tightly contested than the previous edition, for the simple reason being that the Indian cricketers couldn’t have had a more contrasting build-up to this year’s IPL. Last year, they entered the tournament fatigued and emotionally spent after the World Cup win while this year, they will be itching to prove themselves after a couple of disappointing months on the international stage.  The favorites are the usual suspects: Chennai Super Kings, Mumbai Indians, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders. CSK will be looking for an unprecedented 3rd straight title, while the other three are still searching for their maiden triumphs. The other teams have a lesser shot, but can take hope from the campaigns of Rajasthan Royals in IPL1 and Deccan Chargers in IPL2, which showed that if you grab the opportune moments, glory is not impossible.

This year, there are quite a few international players who will be making their IPL debuts, and most of them are match-winners in their own right. While the likes of Pollard, Gayle, Kohli, Raina, Sehwag etc are proven IPL performers, it will be interesting to see if these players can make a name for themselves in the biggest domestic T20 tournament in the world. I present to you, the  Newbie XI to watch in IPL 2012:

Richard Levi

Country: South Africa

IPL team: Mumbai Indians

Role: Opening batsman

T20 stats: HS – 117, Avg – 30.87, SR – 149.69

As if the Mumbai Indians were not bursting at the seams with batting talent, they have added a new explosive batsman to the team. Levi is one of the most dangerous players in the South African domestic T20s and within 2 games of his international T20 debut, he made the world sit up and notice with a blistering 117 against the Kiwis when the Saffers were chasing 174. A player who is built and strikes like Pollard, is just one more headache for the opposition bowlers. Will he be the new star in IPL 2012?

Tamim Iqbal

Country: Bangladesh

IPL team: Pune Warriors

Role: Opening batsman

T20 stats: HS – 91, Avg – 19.57, SR – 107.15

Its really surprising that a man known for his audacious hitting and rapid fire starts has a modest record in T20s. All that could change, given his recent form and new found consistency. With the likes of Ganguly and Graeme Smith to mentor him, Iqbal would be learning from the best, and will be aiming to make his captain and his countrymen very proud.

Dinesh Chandimal

Country: Sri Lanka

IPL team: Rajasthan Royals

Role: Wicketkeeper-batsman

T20 stats: HS – 88, Avg – 33.89, SR – 126.18

Sri Lanka’s newest batting star is heading north as the Rajasthan Royals search for their second IPL triumph. A stylish batsman who has shown impressive consistency and maturity in his brief international career so far, he could be trusted to double up as a wicket-keeper as well. He has already shown his appetite for Indian bowling, and considering that he will be facing a lot of that in the next two months, it is safe to assume that he will relish the opportunities.

Michael Clarke

Country: Australia

IPL team: Pune Warriors

Role: Middle order batsman

T20 stats: HS – 67, Avg – 22.03, SR – 108.85

The Aussie Test captain is a late addition to IPL 5, thanks mainly due to Ganguly’s admiration over Clarke’s exploits over the summer. Clarke already has an interesting history with IPL despite not having played in it at any time, thanks to Lalit Modi who did not share the Aussie’s estimation that he was worth 2 million dollars. Times have changed; Modi is out and Clarke is in. In the recent ODI series down under, he showcased a new aggressive side to his batting; and with his sharp fielding and ability to bowl some tight overs, he could well end up making Saurav Ganguly a very happy skipper.

Marlon Samuels

Country: West Indies

IPL team: Pune Warriors

Role: Middle order bat/part-time spin

T20 stats: HS – 102, Avg – 32.88, SR – 120.81, BBI – 2/14, ER – 7.08

Samuels belongs to the Gayle school of cricket. Cool and casual on the outside; give him a bat and see him explode. A man with a colorful history which saw him banned for a short while, he could be the X-factor for the Warriors in the absence of Yuvraj Singh. Like Gayle, he can bowl some handy offspin as well.

Luke Wright

Country: England

IPL team: Pune Warriors

Role: All-rounder

T20 stats: HS – 117,  Avg – 25.05, SR – 146.22, BBI – 3/17, ER – 8.27

For a player who doesn’t feature prominently in England’s plans at the moment, Wright happens to be one of the rare Englishmen playing in this year’s IPL. He’s had somewhat of a hot streak in T20s right now, on the back of an impressive time at the BBL, where he was one of two centurions. He might be a poor man’s Shane Watson, but in the current form he is in, he could well turn out to be one of the crucial players for the Warriors.

Doug Bracewell

Country: New Zealand

IPL team: Delhi Daredevils

Role: All-rounder

T20 stats: HS – 37, Avg – 27.60, SR -139.39. BBI – 3/21, ER – 8.29

Bracewell comes from an illustrious cricketing family, and his talent was there for all to see, when he decimated the Australians in their last Test series. A muscular batsman who can also be a tough bowler to face, it will be interesting to see how he performs in front of raucous crowds and soaring temperatures, but given his impressive track record, he could well be one of the surprise stars of the tournament.

Andre Russell

Country: West Indies

IPL team: Delhi Daredevils

Role: Bowler/occasional batsman

T20 stats: HS – 58, Avg – 19.31, SR – 148.58, BBI – 4/35, ER – 8.04

West Indies are currently on a resurgent path, and Andre Russell is one of the players at the forefront of it. A typically athletic Caribbean player, he can be irresistible on his day, with bat or ball. Indian fans will not forget his heroics against them in the recent past, and the Daredevils will he hoping that he can maintain his fondness for Indian opposition for another two months atleast.

Stuart Broad

Country: England

IPL team: Kings XI Punjab

Role: Fast bowler

T20 stats: BBI – 3/13, ER – 6.68

Broad will be making his IPL debut a year after he was signed up by the Kings XI, as he missed IPL 4 due to injury. Being one of the few English players in the tournament, the England T20I captain will be eager to prove his mettle in subcontinental pitches, before the World T20 Championship in September. He might be forever remembered by Indian fans as the hapless bowler who Yuvraj tonked around for six 6s in an over, but Broad still remains as one of the best T20 bowlers in the world. Along with Ryan Harris and Praveen Kumar, he could form a pretty impressive pace attack for the Kings XI.

Sunil Narine

Country: West Indies

IPL team: Kolkata Knight Riders

Role: Off-spinner

T20 stats: BBI – 4/9, ER – 4.73

Sunil Narine has the potential to be the breakout star of IPL 5. He caught the eye of many during the last Champions League, where he befuddled many batsmen and almost single-handedly knocked out CSK from the tournament. Now, he has transferred that form to the international arena, where he has been bamboozling the Aussies recently. As the economy rate shows, he is not too generous with conceding runs and along with Iqbal Abdullah and Shakib al Hasan could form the most dangerous troika of spin in the IPL.

Marchant de Lange

Country: South Africa

IPL team: Kolkata Knight Riders

Role: Fast bowler

T20 stats: BBI – 2/36, ER – 9.75 (in 3 games)

Vernon Philander is the South African pace bowler who is hogging all the headlines right now, and with good reason; but lest it be forgotten, de Lange made an equally impressive entry when he grabbed a 5-fer on Test debut. A young strapping fast bowler built like a bull, he is capable of sending thunderbolts and can hurry up the batsmen with brute pace. Of course, as the IPL has shown, speed alone is not sufficient to impress, and it will be a big test for de Lange to show that he has got the brain to go along with the brawn.

Phi·lan·der (verb)

Reblogged from Deep Backward Point:

Phi·lan·der (verb)

1. to have casual or illicit sex with a woman or with many women; especially : to be sexually unfaithful to one’s wife.
2. to have casual or illicit relationships with the corridor of uncertainty; especially: to be unfaithful to one’s off stump.

Usage: Boucher caught Dilshan philandering without footwork.

Philandered: Vernon Philander Destroys Sri Lanka Inside 3 Days

Its only a matter of time before the new addition to Philander's meaning is updated...

Ballsiness

Reblogged from Deep Backward Point:

Of all the popular numbers, miles per gallon is a bit of a liar. It doesn’t say what many people think says.

Take three cars. The Honda CR-V gets 20mpg, the Honda Civic 30 mpg and the Insight gets 40mpg. So the Insight is 10 better than the Civic. The Civic is 10 better than the CR-V. Simple, right?

Wrong. Let’s flip the number around to…

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