Movies help me unwind, says Tendulkar

MUMBAI: While the Mumbai Indians continue their winning streak in IPL 4, the team's captain, Sachin Tendulkar, took a short 'timeout' on Wednesday to sign up for movie membership service 'Club X', which gives its members the privilege of a 'first day, first show' of most Bollywood, regional and foreign releases that hit the Indian marquee.

It's been learnt that Sachin's new home in Bandra is currently being equipped with a 20-seater home theatre that will have the best acoustic system and a life size screen to make movie-watching a spectacular experience. "Movies help me relax," said the master blaster, while revealing that even during the World Cup he had managed to watch portions of a few light-hearted comedies that helped him unwind between the grueling practice sessions and gym workouts.

"I was watching movies because I didn't want to read or watch anything related to the game. I just wanted to keep my mind fresh, so I would switch between Discovery, National Geographic and movies. I also rely heavily on music to help me unwind," he added.

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Hope to touch 160km mark in IPL: Shaun Tait

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals' pacer Shaun Tait was at his best on Tuesday against Delhi Daredevils. He hit the 150 kmph consistently, even bowling one to Aaron Finch, which was perhaps the fastest delivery ever recorded in India. Having retired recently from ODIs, Australian Tait is going all out in the fourth edition of the IPL. On Wednesday, he told TOI that it is not beyond him to hit the 160 kmph mark before the tournament ends. Excerpts:

Did you realise that you were bowling at over 150 kmph on Tuesday?

I knew I was bowling quite fast, but didn't know I was going at that speed. In fact, I was bowling well, at least in the first two overs. My body was responding well and it was a nice feeling.

Do you think you can touch the 160 kmph mark during this edition of the IPL?

If conditions suit me, it won't be impossible. It is quite a difficult task to bowl at 160. But I guess the best way is not worry about that but give of your best. That's what I am planning to do. Most wickets here in India are quite flat and you can go all out for pace. Hopefully, I can touch 160.

It's about two weeks after retiring from One-Day Internationals, do you think it was the right decision?

Very much. Now I can concentrate on T20 and I quite enjoy playing in this version of the game. It is not too taxing on my body. I can preserve my fitness and actually prolong my playing career. There are enough T20 matches happening around the world nowadays to keep me busy, so I don't really need to worry.

In T20, you just have to bowl 24 deliveries in a match. Does that help?

Oh yes. You can actually go out and give your 100 % without actually worrying about losing too much energy. Just four overs, that's it. In fact, that's what I did on Tuesday, went all out from the beginning.

In your second over to Aaron Finch on Tuesday, you consistently touched the 150 mark. Did you have a word with him after the game?

It was Aaron to whom I bowled the fastest one, wasn't it? He is a pretty good player. Couldn't have a word with him, but it was nice getting him out.

In the third over, you gave away too many runs...

Ya, David Warner took me for a few runs. He is another good batsman. Maybe I wasn't focusing much, but it was more of Warner getting the runs than me giving them to him.

Talking about 160 kmph, you bowled one last year. Weren't you on the verge of breaking Shoaib Akhtar's record?

I didn't know I was bowling that fast. It was only later that I realised that I had crossed the 160 mark. Was never really thinking about records. I was just bowling the way I am used to.

Would you ever consider compromising speed for control?

The idea is to bowl in the right areas and I have been doing that. Speed is nice to have and we have been training to get the balls just where we would be wanting.

What happened in 2008, when you had to take a break?

There were some physical issues and also mental ones. I wasn't enjoying the game. In fact, at that time I just hated cricket. I wanted to go away. Just wasn't focused and it was a difficult time.

How did you come out of it?

The break helped. Staying away from the game was a great thing at that time. Then T20 came along and I started enjoying them. In fact T20 was just the perfect thing for me. I regained my energy and was back in the game.

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IPL 2011 Schedule – Indian Cricket Match Timetable 2011

IPL 2011 is scheduled to start in first week of april . It should begin a few days after World cup ends. Lalit Modi has been sacked and 2 teams which very removed are back again now after court intervention ( Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab ) . Kochi cricket team has come out of all problems.Now it looks as if 10 teams are going to play. So the number of matches are going to be increased.

IPL Winners:

1st IPL ( 2008 ) – Rajasthan Royals ( RR vs CSK )

2nd IPL ( 2009 ) – Deccan Chargers ( DC vs RC )

3rd IPL ( 2010 ) – Chennai Super Kings ( CSK vs MI )

4th IPL ( 2011 ) – ?

IPL 2011 Schedule

Apr 8 8PM . Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders Chennai
Apr 9 4PM . Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals Hyderabad
Apr 9 8PM . Kochi v Royal Challengers Bangalore Kochi
Apr 10 4PM . Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians Delhi
Apr 10 8PM . Pune Warriors vs Kings XI Punjab Navi Mumbai
Apr 11 8PM . Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers Kolkata
Apr 12 4PM . Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils Jaipur
Apr 12 8PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians Bangalore
Apr 13 4PM . Pune Warriors vs Kochi Navi Mumbai
Apr 13 8PM . Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings Mohali
Apr 14 8PM . Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore Hyderabad
Apr 15 4PM . Mumbai Indians v Kochi Mumbai
Apr 15 8PM . Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders Delhi
Apr 16 4PM . Chennai Super Kings v Royal Challengers Bangalore Chennai
Apr 16 8PM . Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab Hyderabad
Apr 17 4PM . Rajasthan v Kolkata Knight Riders Jaipur
Apr 17 8PM . Pune Warriors v Delhi Daredevils Navi Mumbai
Apr 18 8PM . Kochi v Chennai Super Kings Kochi
Apr 19 4PM . Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers Delhi
Apr 19 8PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore v Rajasthan Royals Bangalore
Apr 20 4PM . Mumbai Indians v Pune Warriors Mumbai
Apr 20 8PM . Kolkata Knight Riders v Kochi Kolkata
Apr 21 8PM . Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals Mohali
Apr 22 8PM . Mumbai Indians v Chennai Super Kings Mumbai
Apr 23 4PM . Kolkata Knight Riders v Royal Challengers Bangalore Kolkata
Apr 23 8PM . Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab Delhi
Apr 24 4PM . Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians Hyderabad
Apr 24 8PM . Rajasthan Royals v Kochi Jaipur
Apr 25 8PM . Chennai Super Kings v Pune Warriors Chennai
Apr 26 8PM . Delhi Daredevils v Royal Challengers Bangalore Delhi
Apr 27 4PM . Pune Warriors v Chennai Super Kings Navi Mumbai
Apr 27 8PM . Kochi v Deccan Chargers Kochi
Apr 28 4PM . Kolkata Knight Riders v Kings XI Punjab Kolkata
Apr 28 8PM . Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians Jaipur
Apr 29 8PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore v Pune Bangalore
Apr 30 4PM . Kochi v Delhi Daredevils Kochi
Apr 30 8PM . Mumbai Indians v Kings XI Punjab Mumbai
May 1 4PM . Rajasthan Royals v Pune Warriors Jaipur
May 1 8PM . Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers Chennai
May 2 8PM . Delhi Daredevils v Kochi Delhi
May 3 8PM . Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders Hyderabad
May 4 4PM . Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals Chennai
May 4 8PM . Pune Warriors v Mumbai Indians Navi Mumbai
May 5 4PM . Kochi v Kolkata Knight Riders Kochi
May 5 8PM . Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils Hyderabad
May 6 8PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kings XI Punjab Bangalore
May 7 4PM . Kolkata Knight Riders v Chennai Super Kings Kolkata
May 7 8PM . Mumbai Indians v Delhi Daredevils Mumbai
May 8 4PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kochi Bangalore
May 8 8PM . Kings XI Punjab v Pune Warriors Mohali
May 9 8PM . Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings Jaipur
May 10 4PM . Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians Mohali
May 10 8PM . Deccan Chargers v Pune Warriors Hyderabad
May 11 8PM . Rajasthan Royals v Royal Challengers Bangalore Jaipur
May 12 8PM . Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils Chennai
May 13 8PM . Kochi v Kings XI Punjab Indore
May 14 4PM . Mumbai Indians v Deccan Chargers Mumbai
May 14 8PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore v Kolkata Knight Riders Bangalore
May 15 4PM . Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils Dharamsala
May 15 8PM . Kochi v Rajasthan Royals Indore
May 16 8PM . Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians Kolkata
May 17 8PM . Pune Warriors v Deccan Chargers Pune
May 18 4PM . Kings XI Punjab v Royal Challengers Bangalore Dharamsala
May 18 8PM . Chennai Super Kings v Kochi Chennai
May 19 8PM . Pune Warriors v Kolkata Knight Riders Pune
May 20 8PM . Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals Mumbai
May 21 4PM . Kings XI Punjab v Deccan Chargers Dharamsala
May 21 8PM . Delhi Daredevils v Pune Warriors Delhi
May 22 4PM . Royal Challengers Bangalore v Chennai Super Kings Bangalore
May 22 8PM . Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals Kolkata
May 24 8PM . Qualifier 1 Mumbai
May 25 8PM . Eliminator Mumbai
May 27 8PM . Qualifier 2 Chennai
May 28 8PM . Final Chennai

IPL schedule for every match with timing will be updated once the team qualify for Semi-Final &

India to play cricket with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: In a fresh friendly gesture to Pakistan, India has decided to resume the bilateral cricket series which was put on hold in retaliation against the 26/11 terror attack on Mumbai.

The decision was announced by foreign minister S M Krishna here on Wednesday, strengthening the growing estimate, including in the country's security establishment, that Pakistan may have been fully reprieved over 26/11.

The announcement came just after the disclosure that Tahawwur Hussain Rana, a Pakistani expatriate who along with David Coleman Headley did the recce for the mass slaughter in Mumbai, had told a US court that he was acting at the instance of the Pakistani government and ISI.

Krishna said India would take up Rana's statements with Islamabad.

No window before March 2012

There's no way India can play Pakistan before March next year when the Pakistan team is anyway scheduled to visit India. Immediately after IPL ends on May 28, Team India flies to the West Indies for 5 ODIs, 3 Tests and a T20 match. It then flies straight to England (4 Tests, 5 ODIs and one T20). That tour ends on September 16; the Champions League begins some 10 days later. From October to December, India will host England and West Indies. A few days later, it leaves for Australia for a two-and-a-half month tour.

Pune Warriors beat Kochi Tuskers Kerala by 4 wickets

NAVI MUMBAI: Robin Uthappa started his innings with a reverse sweep and ended with a reverse sweep. His less celebrated teammate Mohnish Mishra scored one four and had just one dot ball in the first 17 he faced. But his last four balls were 4, 6, 0, 6 off Muttiah Muralitharan which gave a pulsating end to the match on Wednesday night.


Pune Warriors India won their second match in a row, this time against fellow dubutants Kochi Tuskers (who have lost both their games now) by four wickets with seven balls to spare. Kochi's 148-8 proved insufficient on a track which had something for the bowlers.

Uthappa's first reverse saw him hit Muralitharan for four and the last one proved to be his downfall. In between, he led Pune Warriors' mini massacre of Kochi bowling. Pune needed 34 off 33 balls with six wickets in hand when Uthappa attempted that stroke. The ball hit the top of off stump from behind his back.

At that point, it seemed Pune would lose the plot. But 27-year-old Mishra had other ideas. The Bhopal lad, earlier with Deccan Chargers, made it tragic for Kochi.

Uthappa's first had come after a team's boundaryless patch of 22 balls in which the 'hosts' lost two wickets. Graeme Smith (24 off 24), who had a collision with Rahul Sharma while fielding and had to bat with a runner, again got out against the run of play hitting a full toss to deep mid-wicket while Mithun Manhas holed out to long-on.

Pune seemed to be struggling when field restrictions were a bit lenient after six overs. They were 44-1 after six but could add only 17 runs in the next four. Captain Yuvraj didn't look comfortable and his attempted cut was plucked by Parthiv Patel behind the wickets.

Earlier, Aussie Brad Hodge (39 off 36) and Ravindra Jadeja (47 off 33, 3x4s, 3x6s) added 88 runs for the fifth wicket in 10.3 overs to give Kochi a fighting chance after being 24-4.

Pune Warriors again had a dream start to the match after losing the toss, led by Wayne Parnell who took three wickets in two overs. He had VVS Laxman play on for a blob, had captain Mahela Jayawardene (2) caught behind and got Parthiv Patel (21 off 19) caught at first slip.

However, Hodge and Jadeja took the score to 112 by the 16th over before Kartik took a brilliant low catch at long-off to send back Hodge and then Jadeja played a careless shot (high at extra cover) to hand back the momentum as Jesse Ryder's (2-0-8-1) neither-spin-nor-pace did the trick.

Left-arm spinners Murali Kartik, Yuvraj Singh and leggie Rahul Sharma went for 60 runs in combined nine overs and Parnell went for 20 runs in his last two overs after being 2-0-5-3 in his first spell.

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Shaun Tait hurls fastest ball in India

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne had told Shaun Tait to bowl as fast as he could. The Australian pacer obliged, with a delivery of 157.7 kmph, easily the fastest ever seen in India. "It's always good to have a bowler like him in the team," Warne said after the Royals beat Delhi Daredevils by six wickets here on Tuesday.

"After the Delhi team had faced Malinga, we thought we should give them a taste of Tait," Warne added. That's like rubbing salt to injury and Tait responded by dismissing Virender Sehwag in the first over. Tait did flounder towards the end with David Warner going after him, but Warne would just term that as unlucky.

Tait wasn't the only one Warne reserved his praise for. Rahul Dravid'sinnings met with the skipper's approval as much as the wicket at the

Sawai Mansingh Stadium and Ashok Menaria's short but aggressive innings. "We have been working on Dravid," Warne said. "We have been telling him that his job is not just to block and run. He is one of the greatest players and he showed that today. He showed his class. He is a very nice guy and it's great to have him around." Warne added that Rajasthan Royals' psychological trainer Jeremy Snape too has been talking to Dravid.

The skipper is quite impressed with young Menaria and sees a bright future for him. "He has proved his worth at the under-19 level, but we had to get him to play in front of a crowd. The stage was just right for him to come in at number four." Warne compared him him Ravindra Jadeja of 2008 and finds the Rajasthan player much better. "He is a better batsman and excellent on the field. He is going to be a very good player." Menaria can be useful with his left-arm spin too.

Warne also found the wicket perfect for a T20 game. "All credit to Taposh," he said, referring to Taposh Chatterjee, the curator.

Even Daredevils skipper Sehwag praised the wicket, but expressed disappointment at the top-order failure. "If we lose wickets in the first powerplay, things get difficult," he said. He was willing to share the blame for yet another batting failure. "I need to give the team better starts."

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Tendulkar named Wisden's leading cricketer for 2010

LONDON: Wisden, regarded as the bible of cricket, has named Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar as the leading cricketer in the world for the year 2010.

The iconic batsman became the seventh recipient of the Wisden award after teammate Virender Sehwag, Australians Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne, England's Andrew Flintoff, Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan and South African Jacques Kallis.

The 148th edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack was launched on Wednesday and it was the first time that Tendulkar has won the award since it started in 2004.

In 2007, Wisden had identified Tendulkar as the player to have won such an award for 1998 - had it been instituted then.

Tendulkar, who realised his long-cherished dream when India won the World Cup earlier this month in Mumbai, has also been named in Wisden's 2009 Test XI, at his accustomed number four position.

Sehwag, who took the honour in the last two years, has also found a place in Wisden's 2009 Test XI, forming an attacking opening partnership with Bangladesh's Tamim Iqbal.

The 37-year-old Tendulkar scored more than 1500 Test runs, including seven centuries in the year 2010 averaging 78.

In February, he became the first in world cricket to score a double-hundred in One-day Internationals, while in December he became the first man to score 50 Test tons, both landmarks achieved against the best pace attack in world cricket -- South Africa.

Tendulkar's citation read: "Wisden acknowledges his greatness by naming him as the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2010."

Wisden, this year, named just four cricketers -- Eoin Morgan, Chris Read, Jonathan Trott and Tamim Iqbal -- instead of the usual five. Tamim became the first Bangladeshi to secure an honour that dates back to 1889.

Five Indian players -- Sehwag, Tendulkar, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, VVS Laxman and Zaheer Khan -- made it to Wisden's 2009 Test list.

For the first time since Wisden Test XI began in 2008, there was no room for an Australian while only two of England's cricketers -- James Anderson and Graeme Swann -- made it to the final eleven.

The panel that picked the Test team comprised of former players Ian Bishop, Ramiz Raja and Ian Chappell and Wisden's editor Scyld Berry.

The 2009 Wisden Test XI: 1) Virender Sehwag (India), 2) Tamim Iqbal ( Bangladesh), 3) Kumar Sangakkara ( Sri Lanka), 4) Sachin Tendulkar (India), 5) Jacques Kallis (South Africa), 6) VVS Laxman (India), 7) Mahendra Singh Dhoni (India, capt and wk), 8) Graeme Swann (England), 9) Dale Steyn (South Africa), 10) Zaheer Khan (India) and 11) James Anderson (England).

DD vs MI: Malinga gives Mumbai Indians a yorking start

NEW DELHI: In Twenty20 cricket, very few matches follow a script but the Delhi Daredevils-Mumbai Indians encounter was always going one way. Lasith Malinga ensured that the devils were not up for the dare in their first match of the IPL-4 at the Ferozeshah Kotla here on Sunday.


The Sri Lankan paceman went from villain to hero for Mumbai in a week's time, claiming 5/13 in 3.4 overs to bundle out the Daredevils for 95 in 17.4 overs. Harbhajan Singh chipped in with 2/14 in three overs.

MI skipper Sachin Tendulkar (46 n.o., 50b, 3x4, 1x6) and Rohit Sharma (27 n.o., 30b, 3x4) never broke a sweat as they cruised to the target to claim a eight-wicket win with 19 balls to spare. It was as comprehensive a victory as possible in a Twenty20 contest.

The Mukesh Ambani-owned side were the boss on the field from the moment Malinga got hold of the ball. His second delivery in the match cannoned into opener David Warner's middle-stump, who was a tad too late on the shot.

Malinga, who had dismissed Tendulkar cheaply in the World Cup final in Mumbai last week to the chagrin of the whole of India, made it a double-strike as 17-year-old Delhi batsman Unmukt Chanda's stay in the middle lasted just two minutes with the ball again finding the middle stump.

Even Virender Sehwag, who began the innings with a towering six off Harbhajan in the first over of the match, treated Malinga with the highest respect. The Delhi skipper played out the first maiden of IPL-4 in the fourth over of the innings.

Delhi's hopes of posting a competitive total ended with Tendulkar sending back his opposite number Sehwag for 19 (16b, 2x4, 1x6) with a pin-point throw from short fine-leg. Naman Ojha (29, 30b, 2x4, 1x6) and Venugopal Rao (26, 25b, 3x4) tried to resurrect the innings from a dismal 40/4 in the seventh over with a 42-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Left-arm spinner Ali Murtaza ended the stubborn partnership by prizing out Ojha before Malinga returned for a second spell.

And just 10 Malinga deliveries were enough to pack off the Delhi lower-order. Venugopal was too late in getting his bat down to a ball that landed on his middle stump. Morne Morkel (2) broke a bat in his efforts to keep another Malinga toe-crusher out but soon enough his stumps went cartwheeling. Malinga completed the third-best figures in IPL foxing Ashok Dinda with a slower delivery to complete a five-wicket.

Only Sohail Tanvir (6/14) and Anil Kumble (5/5) have recorded better figures than Malinga in IPL. But more than the figures Delhi will find it hard to recover from the mental scars left by a "Slinga" Malinga.

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Giving Tendulkar Bharat Ratna would require change of rules

NEW DELHI: The calls for bestowing Sachin Tendulkar with the 'Bharat Ratna' may have got louder after India's World Cup triumph but giving the country's highest civillian honour to the batting icon would require tweaking of the criteria that have been laid down for the coveted award.

The 'Bharat Ratna' was started in 1954 and has so far been given to 41 eminent personalities, none of whom are sports-persons, the reason being the criteria for the coveted honour.

Constitutional expert Subhash Kashyap says given the current rules "Tendulkar does not qualify for the honour and giving the award to him would require a change in the rules."

According to the criteria at present, the award is given for exceptional contribution in the fields of art, literature, science and social service. The criteria do not have any mention of sports.

Kashyap says the government has to decide whether it wants to include sports in the criteria for the award. The sports ministry will have to present such a proposal for cabinet approval.

"Once the cabinet gives its approval, the home ministry can bestow this honour on not just Sachin Tendulkar but any other athlete," he said.

Indian cricket team's prominent players such as Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Harbhajan Singh, Yuvraj Singh and Virender Sehwag have all asked for the honour to be bestowed on Tendulkar after the side's World Cup win.

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Played a maiden over after 10 years: Sehwag

NEW DELHI: Delhi Daredevils' skipper Virender Sehwag may have been smashing bolwers around the park for years now. But never in the last ten years, the Najafgarh Dasher played out six deliveries without having scored a single run.

But on Sunday, Sehwag for the first time in 10 years spoke about the one maiden over he was forced to play.

Mumbai Indians' Lasith Malinga bowled Sehwag a maiden during Indians' eight wicket win on Sunday.

"I think after 10 years I played a maiden today. It was a plan. We lost two wickets so I thought let me play Malinga because others may not be able to pick him.

"We have 10 new faces in the in Delhi squad and it will take a little time for us to come together," Sehwag said.

The Daredevils, playing their first match in this edition in their home ground Feroze Shah Kotla, crashed to an eight wicket defeat with fast bowler Malinga picking his best IPL figures of 5-13.

Sehwag said they were 30-40 runs short but hoped that his inexperienced side will come out good in the coming matches.

"A 140-150 is a good total here, but everything went Mumbai's way."

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PWI vs KXIP: Pune Warriors thrash Kings XI Punjab by 7 wickets

NAVI MUMBAI: Four accurate and intelligent overs from medium-pacers Alfonso Thomas (2-27) and Shrikant Wagh (3-16; his best figures in T20), and a few moments of madness allowed IPL debutants Pune Warriors to rip through the Kings XI Punjab batting line-up and dismiss them for below par 112-8 at the DY Patil stadium on Sunday.

Warriors skipper Yuvraj Singh (21 not out) and Robin Uthappa (22 not out) added match-winning unbeaten 45-run for the fourth wicket to help the debutantes register an easy win.

It proved a cakewalk for Pune as they reached the target in 13.1 overs for the loss of three wickets.

Robin Uthappa (22; 14b, 1x4, 2x6s) and Yuvraj Singh (21; 15b, 2x4s, 1x6) capitalised on their lifelines to guide Pune to a resounding win.

Uthappa was dropped by Nathan Rimmington when he was on 2, while Yuraj was dropped at first slip by Piyush Chawla. The duo made the most of it to snuff the life out of the Kings XI challenge. Mithun Manhas (35) and Jesse Ryder (31 off 17, 6x4s) had set the tone for a successful chase. Skipper Yuvraj fittingly scored the winning runs.

Kings XI skipper Adam Gilchrist had said at the toss that he had played a few games here and knew the pitch well. But the former Australian wicketkeeper clearly seemed to have misread the pitch. Gilchrist (1) went for the pull to a delivery from Warriors' South African import Thomas but could only manage to get some bat on it through to the 'keeper Robin Uthappa who held the snorter.

The other Kings XI opener, Shaun Marsh (1), followed suit in the next over. Marsh flicked a full length delivery from Vidarbha left-arm pacer Shrikant Wagh, right to Rahul Sharma at short fine-leg, who lapped it up in a flash.

With the openers out of the equation, a little restraint and patience from the new batsman Paul Valthaty (6; 1x4) would have him and his side a long way in the innings. But the 27-year-old played a shot that never was off Thomas for a simple catch to Jesse Ryder at point.

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Tendulkar has been unbelievable in last two years: Kapil Dev

LONDON: Iconic Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar has been "unbelievable" in the last two years and keeps getting better with age, feels 1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev.

"Sachin in the last two years has been unbelievable. This genius is other way around, more he gets older more he plays like a champion," Kapil Dev, known as the Haryana Hurricane, told members of the Indian Journalists Association here last evening.

The former all-rounder was all praise for the current Indian team under Mahendra Singh Dhoni which won the World Cup last week in Mumbai.

"India has a team who can beat anybody. They still are not playing to their potential," he said.

"The Indian team is far better than any other team, without doubt."

Asked about the secret of the Indian team's success, Kapil said, "India's growth is seen in every championship - Commonwealth, Asian games and World Cup. We are definitely flying and flying very well and shining. Now India is the World Champions, besides being No 1 Team in the world in Test cricket.

"We have put money on the table and we have shown that we can play well too. That is what World Cup has done to India. Now only thing is when you reach the top position, your attitude changes."

Asked why the team had faltered in the run up to the final, Kapil said, "When you have such a strong batting line up, complacency sometimes sets in. Despite that they were winning. They are far far better players than they performed. Even Dhoni fired only when it needed most, in the final."

The former pacer was also lavish in his praise for India's dashing opener Virender Sehwag.

"He is a ruthless player. He changes the dynamics of the cricket altogether. He keeps the game so simple."

Kapil said India could improve further if the team gave more attention to its bowling department.

"Yes, bowling is a matter of concern," he said. Asked to compare the current team with the one that won the World Cup in 1983, Kapil said, "This cricket team is far better than the 1983 team. We did not have any experienced players in the 1983 team. We were absolutely raw, no big match temperament. But we combined better.

"But in the present team there are stalwarts like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, M S Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh. In 1983, man to man, West Indies was far better than us."

Asked whether IPL had its effect on the Indian side, he said, "Everybody benefited from IPL. There is both positive and negative side. The positive is you start learning to win. The negative is you don't get enough rest."

Kapil said the BCCI should put money on junior cricket and Ranji.

"They have to make up their mind. If we want growth in sports, then school sports have to be given due attention. If we can give facilities we can have 10 Sachins and Dhonis in the country.

"During our time, Sunil Gavaskar was like a God and If we don't get another Sachin, it will be sad."

Asked whether cricketers should be exempted from tax for the prize they win, Kapil Devi said, "The law should be uniform for all sportsmen. Other sportsmen who have got laurels in athletics, badminton and other games must be given same exemptions."

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DC vs RR: Deccan Chargers set 138-run target for Rajasthan Royals

NEW DELHI: Siddharth Trivedi (3-15) and Shane Warne (2-21) helped Rajasthan Royals restrict Deccan Chargers to 137/8 in their Indian Premier League match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Saturday.


Trivedi was peak of the bowlers for Royals as he took three crucial wickets of Deccan skipper Kumar Sangakkara (0), Bharat Chipli (6) and Daniel Christian (26) and also conceded just 15 runs in his four overs.

Scorecard

Royals captain Warne struck two crucial wickets as he dismissed JP Duminy (14) and Ishank Jaggi (25).

Chargers lost Sangakkara (0) and Shikhar Dhawan (24) in quick succession after a flying start.

Siddharth Trivedi clean bowled Bharat Chipli in the eighth over to reduce Chargers to 53/3.

Trivedi also dismissed Sangakkara for nought in the sixth over after Amit Singh provided Royals crucial breakthrough in the previous over.

Amit Singh scalped Dhawan after Deccan openers added 40 runs. Dhawan hit a six and two fours in his quick-fire 24 off 15 balls.

Earlier, Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first against Deccan Chargers in the second match of the IPL 4 at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.

Teams:

Rajasthan Royals: Shane Warne (c), Amit Singh, Johan Botha, Rahul Dravid, Ashok Menaria, Jacob Oram, A Paunikar, A Raut, Shaun Tait, Ross Taylor, Siddharth Trivedi.

Deccan Chargers: Kumar Sangakkara (c), Shikhar Dhawan, JP Duminy, B Chipli, D Christian, D Ravi Teja, I Jaggi, A Mishra, Dale Steyn, Ishant Sharma, Pragyan Ojha.

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RCB start as firm favourites against Kochi Tuskers Kerala

KOCHI: Kochi Tuskers Kerala (KTK) will be aiming for a dream debut when they take on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in their opening match of the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League.

For the Kochi fans, it will be a momentous occasion as their only association with big time cricket has been the odd ODIs involving India. The Kerala Ranji Trophy team never delivered at the domestic level save producing a couple of Test players like S Sreesanth and Tinu Yohanan.

If the debutants under the stewardship of Mahela Jayawardene can upset the Daniel Vettori-led RCB at home, the interest and popularity of the team among the locals will skyrocket. Also it will be a shot in the arm for the owners as the franchise was mired in various controversies in the lead up to the event.

On paper, RCB top-order that boasts of names like AB de Villiers, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virat Kohli and the very talented Saurabh Tiwary can murder any opposition on a given day. The quartet is one of the best among 10 teams and it will be a real test for Kochi bowlers to restrict this line-up for a modest score.

With Dilshan likely to open the batting, one can expect a lot of entertainment from the dashing Lankan. The fans may not have got their share of 'Dilscoop' during the World up but in the shortest version, Dilshan can be expected to line himself up for that overhead shot.

De Villiers is another player who can rip apart in any bowling. Not to forget Kohli who is fresh from his World Cup triumph and would be itching to show one and all as to why Vijay Mallya's team decided to retain him.

Not to forget Saurabh Tiwary who got more than a million dollar deal during the auctions. Tiwary whose towering sixes were a hit with the Mumbai Indian fans during the last edition would hope that gets into the groove for RCB straightaway.

When it comes to batting, Kochi may face a few problems as they don't have a good Indian batsman in their line-up.

Apart from Parthiv Patel who is an effective T20 player, there aren't any big Indian names. VVS Laxman is not likely to make much of a difference in this format.

A lot will depend on how many times skipper Jayawardene and New Zealand opener Brendon McCullum fire. McCullum who will forever be remembered for his unbeaten 73-ball-158 during the first edition hasn't really fired after that knock.

Sri Lankan Thisara Perera has been one of the better buys by Kochi as his all-round abilities are in sync with the demands of Twenty20 cricket. It was his little cameo in the final overs that helped Lanka post a challenging total against India in the World Cup final.

When it comes to bowling, the two teams are on even keel. If RCB have a top quality seamer in Zaheer Khan and the best left-arm spinner in the world in skipper Vettori, Kochi will have the wily old Muttiah Muralitharan trying to pull a trick or two out of his bag.

Murali will be ably supported by R P Singh who has been out of national reckoning for the past couple of years. With India's tours of West Indies and England coming up, the likes of R P, Vinay Kumar, Ravindra Jadeja will be eager to prove themselves.

Likely Teams:

Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB): Daniel Vettori (capt), TM Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Virat Kohli, Saurabh Tiwary, Mohammed Kaif, CM Gautham (wk), Zaheer Khan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Dirk Nannes, Ryan Ninnan/Abrar Kazi

Kochi Tuskers Kerala: Mahela Jayawardene (capt), Brendon McCullum, Parthiv Patel (wk), VVS Laxman, Owais Shah/Brad Hodge, Ravindra Jadeja, Thisara Perera, Rudra Pratap Singh, Ramesh Powar, R Vinay Kumar, Muttiah Muralitharan.

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Chargers hope to improve record against Royals

HYDERABAD: The last time Rajasthan Royals played in Hyderabad, they changed the game on its head in the final over as Andrew Symonds turned hero to villain in a trice, his blazing century lost in the maze of his mate Shane Warne's lusty hits.

Much water has flowed under the bridge since. Royals went on to claim top honours followed by Deccan Chargers in IPL 2. Symonds has moved on to a new franchise but Royals have cashed in on the confidence from that improbable first win and have the wood on Chargers, having won five of their six encounters in three editions.

There has been so much of change in personnel - Chargers let go of all their overseas recruits from first three editions - going into IPL 4, and their poor record at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium makes it imperative that the hosts hit the ground running in the day game of Saturday's double header.

With Warne in the opposition, the challenge only becomes formidable. In the words of Delhi Daredevil turned Charger Amit Mishra, "Warne is a legend. It is so good to watch him in action and I'll definitely try and talk to him whenever I get time."

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IPL 4: Chennai Super Kings beat Kolkata Knight Riders by 2 runs

CHENNAI: The Indian Premier League is alive and kicking.


Any doubts about its success in the post World Cup scenario was put to rest on Day 1 of the fourth edition. All the elements of drama that has made the IPL the biggest form of entertainment during Indian summer was there as Chennai Super Kings eked out a two-run win against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Manoj Tiwary (27) had brought KKR back with a couple of sixes in the 19th over chasing 154 but once Suraj Randiv removed him in the same over, KKR needed nine off the last. Tim Southee bowled full and straight in the last over and despite the desperate efforts of SRK's boys, Dhoni & Co got off to a winning start.

KKR, at one point seemed to be cruising with 93/1 off 12 overs with Jacques Kallis and Yusuf Pathan well entrenched. But a moment of magic from CSK skipper Dhoni turned things around.

Kallis played one towards square leg and ran for a single. Dhoni saw the chance, chased the ball like a hungry leopard, picked it up and threw down the stumps at the batsman's end leaving Yusuf a few inches short. KKR, chasing 154, lost the plot and wickets tumbled in a heap.

The moment Yusuf got out, Dhoni got his two best bowlers, offie Randiv and R Ashwin into action. Both brought all their skill into play, using subtle variations of flight and Kallis (54), who looked in complete control till then, failed to keep a sweep down off Ashwin and gave a catch to short fine-leg.

KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir, quite inexplicably, held himself back till No. 6, and once he got out following a mix-up with Tiwary, things started going downhill for KKR. Yet, Tiwary did his best, but he too, lost his head and SRK had to digest the bitter pill of defeat once again.

Earlier, KKR fielders missed three easy catches which let CSK off the hook.

The defending champions had just started when Anirudh Srikkanth (64 off 55 balls) offered a dolly to Yusuf Pathan off his own bowling. The all-rounder failed to latch on the offering and the batsman made the most of it. His effort was the backbone of the CSK innings after M Vijay was dismissed early by left-armer Iqbal Abdullah.

The next drop occurred a couple of overs later, with Pathan being the culprit again.

Gambhir had just brought in L Balaji and Suresh Raina, just settling in the crease, mistimed a pull to offer Pathan a chance at mid-off. The second highest-paid player of IPL 4 jumped in the air, got his hands to it, only to floor it again to give Raina a second chance. That helped Raina stitch a 75-run partnership with Srikkanth in nine overs to set the platform up for the rest of the CSK batsmen.

However, the ball before Raina got out, Srikkanth had offered another simple chance to Eoin Morgan, Pathan being the bowler on this occasion, but the England player dropped him at deep midwicket.

Given two lives, Srikkanth settled in nicely, played a few crisp shots and kept the scoreboard ticking. And when skipper MS Dhoni joined in, things really started to roll for CSK. The skipper, still on a high after his brilliant innings in the IPL final, waited for the right moment to launch a brutal assault. He singled out leg spinner Sarabjit Ladda and hit a couple of huge sixes in the 15th over and CSK were up and running.

And by the end of it, MSD's all-round effort made the day for the CSK fans.

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Bangladesh win toss, field first against Australia

DHAKA: Bangladesh skipper Shakib Al Hasan won the toss and opted to field first against Australia on Saturday in their first match of a three-game one-day international series at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium.


Both sides are meeting in their first international encounter after disappointing World Cup campaigns.

Australia, three-time World Cup champions, was knocked out in the World Cup quarterfinals two weeks ago for its worst tournament result in 19 years.

Bangladesh failed to get out of the group stage after suffering humiliating defeats against the West Indies and South Africa.

Ricky Ponting resigned as test and ODI skipper after nine years of reign following the World Cup and agreed to continue to play under new captain Michael Clarke.

Bangladesh drafted in fast bowler Mashrafe bin Mortaza, who missed the World Cup due to a knee injury.

Teams:

Australia: Shane Watson, Brad Haddin, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clarke, Cameron White, Mike Hussey, Steve Smith, Mitchell Johnson, John Hastings, Brett Lee, Xavier Doherty.

Bangladesh: Tamim Iqbal, Imrul Kayes, Shahriar Nafees, Roqibul Hassan, Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Mahmudullah, Sohrawardy Shuvo, Mashrafe bin Mortaza, Abdur Razzak, Shafiul Islam.

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Vettori looks to Kumble for inspiration

Bangalore: Daniel Vettori is counting on the experience of Indian spin great Anil Kumble as he begins his first stint as captain of Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Indian Premier League.

Vettori, part of the Delhi Daredevils line-up in the first three seasons, was Tuesday named as skipper of the franchise owned by multi-millionaire liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

Kumble, the former India and Bangalore captain, retired from all forms of the game earlier this year and has taken up the role of mentor for the team.

"Anil's presence is really important for me," New Zealand left-arm spinner Vettori was quoted as saying in The Hindu newspaper on Thursday.

"He has led this team extremely well in the past. His knowledge of the conditions, the team, players and his overall expertise of the game is exceptional.

"From a personal point of view and team's point of view, Anil's presence will be immensely beneficial."

Bangalore had a disastrous first season in 2008, finishing seventh in a field of eight teams, but fared much better in the next two editions. They were the losing finalists in 2009 and finished third last year.

Packed with such powerhouse performers as India's Virat Kohli and Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan, the side is eyeing their first title win in the cash-rich Twenty20 championship.

Vettori said he will be helped by the fact that three of his current teammates had played with him for Delhi.

"Dilshan, AB (de Villiers) and (Dirk) Nannes have been around with me for three years, and so it will be a bit comfortable for us as a group to come and be part of the new environment," he said.

Vettori retired from international T20s and quit the ODI captaincy after the World Cup, where he led the Black Caps to the semi-finals.

Tendulkar & co eye missing IPL crown

Reliance Industries' Mukesh Ambani-owned Mumbai Indians can now be called 'dream team' not just because it has Sachin Tendulkar in it. Besides Tendulkar, this bunch has a couple of cricketers, who, by combining together, will be a marketing man's dream come true.

Just imagining Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds walk out on the field together to play for the same team gives one goose pimples!

It is the ultimate cricketing fantasy coming true. Two cricketers, who were embroiled in 'Monkeygate' - one of the biggest feuds to have gripped the sport three years back - will now turn out in the same colours!

While both bring a tremendous amount of skills on the table with their explosive all-round abilities, it is the chemistry, or maybe the lack of it, between them, that will gather maximum eyeballs, which of course, will be focused on cricket's most famous World Cup winner Tendulkar too.

Add the explosive Kieron Pollard, 'slinger par excellence' Lasith Malinga and the precociously talented Rohit Sharma to the mix, and you have a 'Super Six' who can be called the USP of Mumbai Indians this season. Every other team in the IPL would envy and fear the kind of ammunition MI have up their sleeve. These six big guns, if they fire as well as they can, will be enough to blow away any opposition to smithereens.

Tendulkar, of course, would be keen now to add the IPL crown as the cherry on his 'World Cup cake'. The maestro batted brilliantly to steer his team into the final last season, and would look to go one better this time.

Coach Robin Singh will be relived by the fact that the support cast looks good too. Ambati Rayudu, R Satish and new signing T Suman performed well last season, and South African wicket-keeper batsman David Jacobs, who impressed with his big-hitting during the Champions League in South Africa, will be a useful value addition.

Munaf Patel, who seems to be bowling as well as he has ever done in his life, should provide Malinga good support in the pace department. The stress this time seems to have been on all-rounders, which explains the purchases of James Franklin and Moises Henriques.

The youth wing of the side looks in good shape too, with seamers Dhawal Kulkarni, Abu Nechim and Mumbai U-19 batsman Suryakumar Yadav promising much for the future. So, will Tendulkar be smiling again on the night of May 28? It's time his IPL dream comes true too. On sheer talent, this team deserves the title. Perhaps the Master Blaster would be fourth-time lucky.

Watch out, opposition

Captain: After winning the World Cup, Sachin Tendulkar will be keen to add the only trophy missing from his glorious cabinet.

Coach and support staff: Robin Singh was coach of Deccan Chargers in Season I, but the team finished bottom of the table. In Season III, he joined Mumbai Indians and took them all the way to the final.

Key players

Andrew Symonds: He is not a part of the Aussie set-up anymore, but he possesses game-changing talent both with bat and ball. His fielding is brilliant too. His big-hitting will add to MI's power in the middle.

Kieron Pollard: No batsman hits the ball harder and longer in the game today and he showed that in the league game against Delhi Daredevils in Mumbai and the semis against Royal Challengers. MI will be banking on the big Trinidadian to do the business again.

Lasith Malinga: Was treated as one of their own by the Mumbai crowd and was cheered lustily even though he dismissed Tendulkar in the World Cup final.

Squad: Sachin Tendulkar (C), Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel, Rohit Sharma, Abu Nechim, Aditya Tare, Ali Murtaza, Ambati Rayudu, Dhawal Kulkarni, Pawan Suyal, R Satish, SK Yadav, Sarul Kanwar, T Suman, Yuzvendra Chahal, Aiden Blizzard, Andrew Symonds, David Jacobs, Dilhara Fernando, James Franklin, Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Moises Henriques.

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IPL-4 set to start with a bang on high viewership

MUMBAI: The fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is expected to be bigger, if not better, in terms of business even without Lalit Modi at the helm. It will be bigger largely on account of ticket sales and sponsorship deals clinched individually by the ten teams has been able to muscle in for itself.

To top it all, television viewership-the big money spinner for the IPL-is expected to grow by 20% from 143 million that the tournament clocked last year. On the back of this figurencreased viewership , SET Max, the official broadcaster of the tournament, expects to rake in a plum Rs 1,000 crore in ad revenue, up from about Rs 700 crore it pocketed last year.

The growth has been consistent over the last three editions of IPL.

"We have seen this trend from the first edition of the tournament, when the viewership was about 90 million. The number has now jumped significantly. The trajectory is expected to continue this year too," said Rohit Gupta, president, Multi Screen Media, which owns SET Max.

However, nothe tea may not be on a roll. While some of the bigger teams have been able to command a premium of about 20-25% compared to last year from sponsors, others have not had it that great. Things are not all rosy for these franchisees as they battle a format change, rebuilding teams and lack of time between the end of the high-pressure World Cup and the IPLstart of the Twenty20 tournament.

"At the moment, we are not sure about how much better we will do this year in terms of business. But there has been a steady increase in all the revenue streams. But it will be a watershed year considering the kind of changes we have gone through," said Amrit Mathur, CEO, Delhi Daredevils, one of the few teams which has consistently made profits. Mathur said Delhi Daredevils has almost sold out tickets for its opening match against Mumbai Indians and expects the same for its other fixtures. Franchisees can earn anywhere between Rs 20-25 crore from ticket sales alone if it's a full house.

Even on the commercial side, most contracts have been renegotiated or signed afresh for this year considering the sponsorship deals were for three years. "We have been able to add 17 sponsors this year and expect ticket sales also to grow substantially," said Raghu Iyer, CMO, Rajasthan Royals. But what is worrying the teams is that they cannot raise the entry prices for tickets as it will deter fans from making it to the stadium.

Besides, the local revenue where the team sells sponsorship for player's uniforms and earns through ticket sales, franchisees also earn a share of the central pool. The central sponsorship is pegged at Rs 35-40 crore per brand annually. DLF, Vodafone, Citibank and Volkswagen are the official partners.

Team owners said what has really taken a toll this year on most of the teams is the lack of brand building before the tournament, specially for the two new teams -Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Pune Warriors-since the World Cup ended just a week before the IPL was to start.

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