Know about the Indian Premier League 2012

The Indian Premier League 2012 is the fifth edition of the IPL, a Twenty20 tournament played by clubs consisting of Indian international and domestic cricketers along with cricketers from other countries. The IPL first began in the year 2007 and was an instant success since then. The IPL has mixed Cricket with Entertainment with some of the leading stars in the Film industry joining the mega event in various roles.

The fifth season of the IPL will see 9 teams take part with a total of 76 matches to be played between April 4^th and May 27. The last season had 10 teams in total, but one of them – Kochi Tuskers Kerala was terminated due to some violations.

Each of the 9 teams play against each other twice in the league matches. This will be followed up by the Playoff stage, which will consist of two Qualifier Matches, 1 Eliminator Match and a Final. The opening match and also the Final of the DLF IPL 2012 will be played at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

Here are the nine teams taking part in the DLF IPL 2012: Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers, Delhi Daredevils, Kings XI Punjab, Kolkata Knight Riders, Mumbai Indians, Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore and the Pune Warriors India.

As many as 12 venues will be used for the various matches to be played in the DLF IPL 2012.

Winners of the Previous Editions of the IPL:

DLF IPL 2008: Rajasthan Royals led by Australian Spinning legend – Shane Warne won the inaugural IPL beating Chennai Super Kings.

DLF IPL 2009: For starters, the second season of the IPL moved to South Africa because of security concerns in India with also the general elections scheduled at the same time. Deccan Chargers led by Australian Great Adam Gilchrist defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore to clinch the title. Ironically both these teams were sitting at the bottom of the table in the first season!

DLF IPL 2010: Chennai Super Kings led by Captain Cool MS Dhoni went onto defeat Mumbai Indians to clinch their first IPL title.

DLF IPL 2011: Two new franchises made their debuts in the IPL 4 namely Pune Warriors and Kochi Tuskers Kerala to add more colour to the tournament. The Chennai Super Kings led by MS Dhoni won the tournament for the second time in a row and this time they defeated Royal Challengers Bangalore in the Final.

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West Indies draw series with 14-run win

West Indies 160 (Smith 63, Lee 3-23) beat Australia 146 for 9 (Warner 58, Samuels 3-23, Edwards 3-23) by 14 runs.

 Indies Breaks The Proud of Kangros :) :):) :)

Chasing a modest 161-run target, Australia were well-set at 75-2 at the halfway stage, but their chase slowed with off-break bowler Marlon Samuels taking three crucial wickets to dismiss skipper George Bailey (24), Mike Hussey (14) and Matthew Wade (17).

Opener David Warner top-scored with a 43-ball 58 with five fours and three sixes.

Seamer Fidel Edwards, who had dismissed Shane Watson for nought in the first over, returned to turn the screw by getting rid of Daniel Christian and Brett Lee with successive deliveries in the 19th over to finish with three for 23.

That left Australia seven wickets down and needing 19 off the final over, bowled by Dwayne Bravo.

Kieron Pollard took a fine catch in the deep to dismiss David Hussey (19) off the fourth ball with 17 still needed and the game was up as Australia finished on 146 for nine.

Bravo had also played a key role in the dismissal of dangerman Warner, running out the opener with a direct hit in the 13th over with the score on 98 for three.

"It was a great start from the West Indies, I think we pulled it back to about par, 160, and I thought we were on course to knock it off," said Bailey.

"They put pressure on us. The wicket of David Warner was huge, run-outs change matches."

West Indies captain Darren Sammy admitted his team should have scored more.

"We knew it was a 180-plus pitch. We tried Polly and myself up the order to try and get some momentum -- that didn't work but we kept going," said Sammy.

"The work we've been doing in the camp and throughout the series has been paying off and I want to ask the boys to keep doing that. We want to keep doing well in the Tests and hopefully continue the good results."

West Indies squandered a blistering start to be bowled out for just 160.

After winning the toss, West Indies looked good for a huge score when they raced to 65-0 from six overs and 110-2 by the 10th.

Openers Dwayne Smith and Johnson Charles got them off to a flying start.

Charles made 37 off 21 balls with six fours and a six before he was first man out in the seventh over.

Big-hitting Pollard, who had scored a maiden T20 fifty on Tuesday, was caught behind off Lee after making just one in the eighth over with the total on 76.

Smith top-scored thanks to a 34-ball innings of 63, which featured six fours and four huge sixes, but once he was caught in the deep off slow bowler Xavier Doherty, the runs dried up.

Bravo, with 23 off 24 balls, was the only other batsman to reach double figures as West Indies lost their last eight wickets for just 40 runs before they were bowled out with two balls to spare.

Lee was the pick of the Australian bowlers with 3 for 23.

The two sides, who also drew the one-day series 2-2, will now play a three-Test series beginning in Barbados on April 7.
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South Africa wins due to Rain (D/L) Method

 Chasing a massive 220-run target, India were at 71 for no loss in 7.5 overs when rain stopped the match against South Africa in the one-off Twenty20 game in Johannesburg on Friday.
Openers Gautam Gambhir (49 not out off 28 balls) and Robin Uthappa (18* off 19 balls) gave India a solid start to their run chase but are still 11 runs short of the D/L target at the stage.

India raced to fifty in 5.5 overs.

Sent in to bat, Colin Ingram (78) and Jacques Kallis (61) helped South Africa set 220-run target for India.

The duo added magnificent 119-run partnership for the second wicket to set up a strong platform for a big total as the hosts compiled 219/4 in their 20 overs. It was South Africa's highest score in Twenty20 Internationals.

Surprisingly, part-timer Suresh Raina was asked to bowl the final over and he conceded massive 21 runs in the end.

Ingram smashed three huge sixes and eight boundaries in his quick-fire 50 balls innings whereas, Kallis hit two sixes and five fours in his impressive 42-ball 61 knock.

Raina scalped the important wicket of in-form Ingram to reduce South Africa to 168/3 in 17.1 overs after R Ashwin gave India a crucial breakthrough when he dismissed Kallis in the 15th over.

Kallis raced to his fifty off 36 balls soon after Ingram scored his maiden T20 fifty off 38 balls in the previous delivery. Ingram slammed a six and six boundaries for his fifty.

Pacer Irfan Pathan struck in his first over to give India an early breakthrough. Irfan dismissed opener Richard Levi (19) to put a break on the South Africa's blistering start.

Levi hit four boundaries in his seven-ball short stay before Irfan reduced Proteas to 22/1 in 1.4 overs.

Earlier, India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on the toss and decided to field against the hosts on Friday.

Robin Uthappa returned for India after a while for the match whereas, Farhaan Behardian and Dane Vilas are making their debuts for South Africa.

The match is being organised to commemorate 150 years of the settlement of the Indians in South Africa but its scheduling did raise a lot of eyebrows.

Ingram, Kallis lift South Africa to 219

20 overs South Africa 219 for 4 (Ingram 78, Kallis 61) v India

Half-centuries from Colin Ingram and Jacques Kallis lifted South Africa to their second-highest T20I total, and the fourth-highest ever. With all his three medium-pacers going for runs, MS Dhoni was forced to overuse his part-time spinners, who collectively went for 87 in seven overs.

Kallis showed no sign of any jet lag after having flown halfway across the world from New Zealand just in time for this game. Ingram, with a T20I strike-rate of 117.85 before this match, stroked his way to his maiden half-century in the format, his 78 taking 50 deliveries.

There was no respite for India right from the start as their three medium-pacers - with similar pace and reliance on swing - were easily taken for boundaries. Richard Levi provided India a sampler of what was in store for them, dismissively swatting Praveen Kumar and Irfan Pathan for a couple of fours each. Irfan provided temporary relief to his captain when he got Levi to edge one going across to slip but Ingram signalled there would be no let-up with an exquisite punch past point for four off his first ball.

Vinay Kumar began promisingly with an over that went for just two but Ingram and Kallis ensured South Africa were always in charge. Both the batsmen charged out to carve the medium-pacers through the off side for fours.

India seemed to have stopped the torrent of runs to some extent as R Ashwin and Suresh Raina got through a couple of tight overs but Kallis and Ingram responded in style. Ashwin and Rohit Sharma were dispatched over midwicket for huge sixes.

Dhoni turned to the slow-mediums of Virat Kohli. Kallis lofted him past long-on for four and crashed the next two deliveries past sweeper cover. After having slog-swept Ashwin over deep midwicket, Kallis found the fielder on the second attempt to depart for 61 off 42 but by then the second-wicket stand had realised 119 off 80.

More punishment lay in store for India as Vinay disappeared for 20 in the 17th over, 14 of those coming in three deliveries against Ingram who slashed, flicked and cut for boundaries.

Though Ingram holed out to deep midwicket off the first ball of the 18th, Farhaan Behardien and Justin Ontong took 14 off the 19th over bowled by Irfan. With Praveen and Vinay available to bowl the last over, Dhoni went for Raina.

Srilanka Steal Victory From English

Sri Lanka took less than 10 minutes to take the last two English wickets to clinch the Galle Test by 75 runs. This first Test Match was wrapped up in three days and two sessions!

Suraj Randiv took two wickets in two consecutive deliveries to wrap up the Test match after Tea. 

First he got James Anderson nicking a jumping off break to the Wicket Keeper and then had last man Monty Panesar dabbing at a turning delivery to the diving Dilshan at second slip. England got bowled out for 264 in 99 overs with Rangana Herath taking 6 for 97 and Suraj Randiv chipping in with 4 for 74.

Rangana Herath who also claimed six wickets in the first innings got the Man of the Match for spinning Sri Lanka to a 75-run victory.

West Indies v Australia, 2nd Twenty20,

Match Facts March 30, Kensington Oval Start time 1400 (1800 GMT)

The first Twenty20 on Tuesday was one of the most one-sided matches of the tour so far. Australia kept West Indies to 150 and then chased down the target with 11 balls to spare and eight wickets in hand, which by T20 standards is a trouncing. West Indies have responded by dropping Darren Bravo, who was scratchy, but what they really need from their top order is fewer dot balls and more turning over of the strike.

A few more boundaries wouldn't hurt either. If Johnson Charles gets going he can be dangerous but two of the most destructive batsmen in West Indies' order, Kieron Pollard and Darren Sammy, often bat too low to have a serious impact. They need to work out their batting order and ensure that too much is not left for the last few overs. There was a lot to like about Australia's performance on Tuesday, from the death bowling of Shane Watson and Brett Lee to the century stand between Watson and Michael Hussey, who complemented each other perfectly. Under George Bailey, this side is starting to find its feet. Brad Hogg would likely be in Australia's best XI - he was rotated out of this tour to give Xavier Doherty and Nathan Lyon a chance - but otherwise expect a very similar side to this outfit when Australia play their first match of the World T20 in Sri Lanka later this year. For now, the aim is to win the series 2-0 after the drawn ODI series. 

There was a lot to like about Australia's performance on Tuesday, from the death bowling of Shane Watson and Brett Lee to the century stand between Watson and Michael Hussey, who complemented each other perfectly. Under George Bailey, this side is starting to find its feet. Brad Hogg would likely be in Australia's best XI - he was rotated out of this tour to give Xavier Doherty and Nathan Lyon a chance - but otherwise expect a very similar side to this outfit when Australia play their first match of the World T20 in Sri Lanka later this year. For now, the aim is to win the series 2-0 after the drawn ODI series.

West Indies v Australia, 1st Twenty20

Australia coast to victory. 

Australia 153 for 2 (Watson 69, M Hussey 59*) beat West Indies 150 for 7 (Pollard 54*, Christian 3-27) by 8 wickets.

Hussy And Watson Rocks :)

Australia defeated West Indies by 8 wickets with 11 balls to spare in the First T20I at the Beausejour Stadium in Gros Islet, St Lucia. Batting first after winning the toss, West Indies were restricted to 150 for 7 with Brett Lee taking 2 for 30 and Daniel Christian chipping in with 3 for 27. Kieron Pollard smashed 54 from just 26 balls with 2 fours and 5 sixes to help his side to some sort of respectability.

Australia lost David Warner in the first over itself for a duck to left arm quick Krishmar Santokie. But a 108-run stand for the 2^nd wicket between Shane Watson (69 from 43 balls with 5 fours and 6 sixes) and Michael Hussey (59* from 45 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes) laid the foundation for an easy win. Skipper George Bailey remained unbeaten on 21 (from 17 balls with 2 fours) as Australia wrapped up victory in 18.1 over.

Australia prevailed by 30 runs in the final one-day international to level the five-match series at 2-2.

Christian came into the Twenty20 team alongside James Pattinson, with George Bailey taking over the captaincy for the shortest format from Watson.

The West Indies were without Andre Russell, who was ruled out after battling a hamstring injury during the one-day series.

It is the first time the West Indies have played a T20 international for five months and for both sides the main concern is to get in some crucial practice ahead of the World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka in September.

The second Twenty20 match is in Bridgetown on Friday.

Srilanka Vs England , Test , 2012

Unconquered Mahela Jayawardene carries SL to 289 for 8.

 Jayawardene hit an unbeaten 168 as the hosts recovered from a disastrous 15-3 by the fourth over to move to 289-8 by stumps at a Galle International Stadium packed with some 8,000 English supporters.

Mahela Jayawardene single-handedly carried Sri Lanka to a respectable 289 for 8 in the opening day’s play of the First Test at Galle. Barring Mahela’s knock, the rest of the Lankan batsmen failed to get going. Infact the second highest score for the day was just 27 from Chandimal! The 34-year-old Mahela Jayawardene, was lucky to get dropped twice by Monty Panesar in the final session. The Sri Lankan Skipper remained unbeaten on a superb 168 (from 290 balls with 20 fours and 3 sixes) by the close of play on Day 1.

Resuming the final session at 168 for 5, Sri Lanka lost Prasanna Jayawardene (23) when he was struck on the pad by a reversing inswinger from James Anderson in just the fifth ball after Tea. Next man, Suraj Randiv was run out for 12 by a direct throw from Andrew Strauss at point to the bowling end when the former was sent back by Mahela Jayawardene in an attempted single. Sri Lanka slipped to 191 for 7 in 66 overs at this stage.

 Mahela Jayawardene got great support from Rangana Herath who hung in there for 30 balls and helping his Skipper top add up 62 valuable runs for the 8^th wicket. Herath got out to Samit Patel in an attempted predetermined paddle sweep, which he missed for an lbw dismissal. By the end of play, Mahela got decent support from no.1 Chanaka Welegedera who is on 10*. Mahela Jayawardene punished the English bowlers on what seems to be a flat pitch.

 Jayawardene deserved better. With his patience, his shot selection, his concentration and his technique, he provided the perfect example for his team-mates to follow. Three times he came down the wicket to thump sixes over long-on - once off James Anderson and twice off Graeme Swann - though generally he contented himself with waiting for the poor ball and putting it away with clinical precision.

England did allow him four moments of fortune, however. When he had 64, Anderson was unable to cling on to a desperately tough chance at first slip off the bowling of Swann (Sri Lanka would have been 138 for 6 had it been taken) before, on 90, Anderson missed a much more straightforward chance off his own bowling. 

 Then came two moments of vintage Panesar. Jayawardene, on 147, pulled directly to him at backward square and Panesar parried the ball for four. Worse was to follow. Panesar dropped a much simpler chance at mid-on off Stuart Broad when the batsman had 152. It provided a reminder of why Panesar, for all his skill as a bowler, has spent so much of his career on the outskirts of the international team. 

At first it appeared Sri Lanka might be blown away as they lost three wickets in the first four overs. Lahiru Thirimanne became Anderson's 250th Test wicket in the bowler's 67th Test - he is just the sixth England bowler to reach the milestone - as he prodded at one angled across him, before Kumar Sangakkara suffered the third first-ball dismissal of his Test career after he was drawn into a loose drive. Broad then took the edge of Tillakaratne Dilshan's bat with a beauty that bounced and left him off the seam. 

 Thilan Samaraweera was run out backing up after the bowler, Anderson, managed to lay a hand on a fierce return drive from Mahela Jayawardene only to see the ball deflect on to the stumps at the bowler's end. It was, some might say, an unfortunate end to a promising innings, though Samaraweera was backing up unnecessarily far. 

Dinesh Chandimal, meanwhile, presented Samit Patel - preferred to Ravi Bopara (whose side strain would have prohibited him from bowling) or Tim Bresnan - with a maiden Test wicket as he miscued an ugly slog-sweep to cover and miscued to cover. It was the shot of a young man who had almost forgotten the art of batting for long periods of time; not surprising, perhaps, when you consider that he has not batted in first-class cricket since the first week of January.

May go with spin against Windies: Clarke

Captain Michael Clarke said Sunday Australia could play two spinners in the opening Test against the West Indies next month before he left to join up with the rest of the squad in the Caribbean.

 Clarke stayed in Australia for treatment on a hamstring injury and has followed the ongoing one-day series against the West Indies on television.

"The wickets look really slow and have spun as much as any wickets around the world," Clarke told reporters at Sydney airport.

"We always talk about spin in India and Sri Lanka but the wicket in St Vincent, that's as much as I've seen the ball spin and bounce for a long time.

"If conditions are like what we've seen in the one-dayers, then it's something we definitely need to consider (playing two spinners)."

Clarke believes spinners Michael Beer and Nathan Lyon could make a good double act in the Test series, starting in Barbados on April 7.

"They're two very good spinners who have great control," he said. "I've seen them both throughout the Australian summer bowl very early in an innings, so they can control the new ball as well.

"From what I've seen in the one-dayers, I think they'll both be a handful."

While he admits Australia have not been at their best in the one-day series, Clarke said it was going to take some players time to adjust to the Caribbean conditions.

The West Indies are chasing their first ODI series win over Australia in 17 years and lead 2-1 with one match to play.

"I would like to have won every game but conditions have been tough," he said.

"It's a lot different from what we've been facing in Australia. It's been a great experience for guys who haven't been to the West Indies before.

"We've got plenty of time plus we've got a three-day tour game before the first Test and we will be 100 percent ready to go for that first Test match."

Sourav Ganguly is back

Sourav Ganguly is back at the helm of affairs in an IPL team again in this season. After having a rather dampened season last time, this season Dada will hold the key to the Pune Warriors side. In the absence of a key player like Yuvraj Singh, the Pune franchisee will have a lot of expectation from their most experienced player. (Content Source : network1media)

Bangladesh seeks reversal of Asia Cup final result :(

Bangladesh will ask the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) to review an incident in the final over of the Asia Cup final against Pakistan on Thursday which they believe cost them the game.  

Pakistan won by two runs after Bangladesh could score six runs only from the final over bowled by Aizaz Cheema.

Enayet Hossain Siraj, chairman of the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) cricket operations committee, told reporters on Saturday that Cheema had deliberately blocked batsman Mahmudullah in the final over.

He said the BCB would demand five penalty runs which if granted could force the ACA to reverse the result.

“We have seen video footage of the incident repeatedly. It is clear that Cheema blocked Mahmudullah deliberately,” Siraj said.

“We will lodge a written appeal to the ACC very soon and will also give a copy to the International Cricket Council.”

FROM OWNER OF BLOG KINZI:-

                                                       Not fair Approach by Bangladesh Board , And this step could be break fans heart who love Bangals tigers performance in Asia Cup 2012.

West Indies v Australia, 4th ODI,

West Indies 294 for 7 (Pollard 102, Barath 41) beat Australia 252 all out (Lee 59, Hussey 57) by 42 runs.

David Hussey, Brett Lee half centuries go in vain for visitors.

West Indies have taken the crucial series lead of 2-1 with one more match to go in the Digicel ODI Series against Australia. The hosts defeated the Aussies by 42 runs in the 4th ODI at Gros Islet in St Lucia. Australia chasing 295 were bowled out for 252 in 46.3 overs. Brett Lee scored a valiant 59 from 48 balls (with 5 fours and 5 sixes) before being the last man out for the visitors.

 Australia were reduced to 62 for 3 in 10.1 overs and the West Indies seemed to be in tremendous control of the match once the dangerous Shane Watson (28 from 24 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes) miscued a pull shot off Darren Sammy to mid on. Off spinner Sunil Narine strangled the Aussies with his sharp turning deliveries and the run scoring came to a huge halt. The hosts went onto reduce the Australians further to 112 for 5 in the 21st over to smell victory.

 The homeside was made to wait for sometime because of a terrific partnership of 67 runs for the 6th wicket between David Hussey (57 from 54 balls with 7 fours) and Matthew Wade (15). However, both the batsmen got dismissed at the wrong time to diminish any chances of an Australian victory at 196 for 7 in the 39th over. Kemar Roach who cleaned up the off stump of David Hussey fired an accidental beamer which hit the hand of Brett Lee painfully. That blow fired up Lee as he took his revenge against the same bowler hitting him for as many as 24 runs in an over!

The Aussies were fighting back thanks to Brett Lee’s clean strikes with the willow but the no.7 was losing partners at the other end. Lee eventually got dismissed in the 47th over caught at long off but not before a stunning 59 from just 48 balls which contained 5 fours and 5 sixes. Australia got bowled out for 252 to lose the match by 42 runs.

 It was tremendous bowling from Sunil Narine as he gave away only 21 runs in his 10 overs besides taking a crucial wicket towards the end. Darren Sammy and Andre Russell bowled superbly taking two wickets each. Russell was simply impressive as he troubled the Australian batsmen with his pace and bounce. Unfortunately, Russell showed signs of damaging his knee though which might keep him out of action! The Man of the Match award went to Kieron Pollard for his brilliant century.

 

Pollard can destroy a fielding side's bearings. He blocks more balls than most, but when he hits, he hits so powerfully that his blocking becomes irrelevant. Even when he did not quite middle a pull against Watson, late in his innings, leaning back like a boxer on the ropes, it careered for six over long-on, an area where he got roughly half his runs. 

 Johnson Charles' innings was made of different stuff. He is only the second cricketer from St Lucia to represent West Indies and was playing in front of his home crowd for the first time. He was angsty, understandably so, needing 30 balls to reach double figures. He encouraged the crowd into excitement with a straight six against Clint McKay but fell for 37 soon after the mid-point, holing out at long-on to an unusual dancing catch by Lee. 

 Adrian Barath, back in the side after a hundred for Trinidad against Guyana a week ago, provided early impetus with nine fours in all in his 41 from 31 balls. But Marlon Samuels' contribution was excruciating and Dwayne Bravo fell first ball.

Australia's reply malfunctioned as early as the second over when David Warner, one of the few batsmen capable of matching Pollard's slugging style, spooned a drive against Dwayne Bravo to mid-on.

Watson played smoothly for a while, only to pull Darren Sammy's loosener to mid-on. Sammy's short ball, not often regarded as devilish, enjoyed further spoils in his next over when Charles plunged forward at third man to hold a top-edged hook from Forrest and leave for ice pack treatment on a damaged shoulder.

 If Sammy's breakthroughs frustrated Australia, two wickets in an over for Russell would have irked them even more. Russell, defying a knee complaint, could barely muster a limping celebration as he first had George Bailey caught at the wicket, cutting, and then two balls later defeated Mike Hussey's attempted pull.

Angry Afridi knocks out fan at the airport

Angry Shahid Afridi Knocks Out Fan at Karachi Airport 23rd Mar 2012. VIDEO

To the utter disappointment of the whole nation, the great “Boom Boom Shahid Afridi” Friday night punched a fan in the face who was only begging him for an autograph, Geo News reported.

 Reportedly, Afridi, who was coming out of the airport after arriving here from Bangladesh, flew off the handle, after cohorts thronged him for autographs. 

It seemed he was not happy with this fan following and was seen almost running out of the airport with a swarm of his admirers in tow.

After repeated gestures of annoyance, which failed to deter the crowd, he swung a mighty right hand at one of the buffs knocking him out then and there, which proved he could be a “Bang Bang Boxer Afridi” as well.

Later talking to Geo News, Shahid Afridi's brother said that Afridi lost temper when the crowd almost trampled his (Afridi's) daughter.

He said that the reckless fans did not ever care about the three-year old girl, who could have been seriously injured in this stampede like situation.

ZAKA ASHRAF (CH.PCB) SAID :- ITS PERSONAL MATTER OF AFRIDI , BUT PLAYERS SHOULD CALM AND QUITE

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