Dravid ready to perform for Rajasthan Royals

Jaipur-Retirement from international cricket has not affected Rahul David’s love for the sport and he is eager on performing for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

Dravid replaces Australian spin star Shane Warne as captain and coach of the Royals. He turned out for Royal Challengers Bangalore in previous IPL edition. Royals' Indian Premier League-V opener against Kings XI Punjab will be the 1st time Dravid takes the playing field after ending his memorable international career last month.

The 39-year-old said he was at ease with playing T20 and his main challenge would be to rouse the team. I have been playing in this arrange for the past 4 years so I do not think there would be any special feeling. I can say I am a lot keener and all ears,Rahul Dravid told reporters ahead of the match 06-04-2012.

I have full over as captain, coach and mentor from Shane Warne so there are prospect but I feel these are more of words and essentially it is more about coordinate with the support staff to get the results, he said. The expert is also looking forward to work with the talented bunch of home players in the squad.

All team has to rely on domestic players as it is a team match; the four overseas players are not enough. I am happy that we have a few very exciting players in Ajinkya Rahane, Ashok Menaria and few more.

Dravid spoke highly of Menaria.

Menaria is an excite talent and the way he has be batting for the last 7days in the camp here has been amazing. He is at a very main stage of his job. I hope good performance in the IPL takes him forward.I would be happy if I am able to use my practice and help the young people like Menaria and Rahane to go up the ladder, “he added.

Tendulkar hands ended Mumbai Indians captaincy to Harbhajan

Mumbai-Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar on Monday handed over the captaincy of Mumbai Indians in the 5th Season of Indian Premier League tournament to spin bowler Harbhajan Singh.

According to reports, the newest decisions came follow a discussion with the board of Mumbai Indians, a Mumbai- IPL franchise owned by India Win Sports Pvt. Ltd, a group company of Reliance Industries Ltd.

Tendulkar said the decision was taken after due selflessness.

The Mumbai Indians team is more than a team. It is like a family to me. At this point of time, I feel I need a break from the blame of captaincy of the Mumbai Indians. After due thought, I discussed my meaning to hand over the Captain-ship of the team to Harbhajan Singh, said Tendulkar in the media make public.

I was touch by the sociability and wholehearted support they existing me while emphasize that they would allow any decision which helps me to continue enjoying the game, he added.

Harbhajan on his part said it was a huge honor for him.

IPL 2012 will be played at 12 venues over 54 days in India. Starting from April 4 to May 27, there will be 72 matches in the 5th season of IPL.

Sachin, Dravid. Is a greatest mans. Tribute Brett Lee

New Delhi: India's Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid the top players not only the greatest men and monolog, the Australian Brett Lee compliment Gallery. Asian Cup, the Indian, the master batsman, Sachin Tendulkar, the 100th scored a 100 and a new history. International cricket match was The Great Wall 'Rahul Dravid called the announced retirement.

He said Australia's Brett Lee in recent times, the Indian cricket history, and the first appearance of 2important events. One, 16 years experience and Dravid played for the Indian team, announces retirement from international contest. Then Sachin, international scored 100 against.

Not only are these 2great players, great people. Rahul Dravid announced the retirement of the experience, the fan have been upset. In the future year, he was not capable to bowl against the disappointment well. To 100% in the international, not an easy thing. We must fight hard. Sachin will be playing for India, a treasure trove of cricket.

Compound records on the international stage, Tendulkar; Dravid has played not in favor of, the greatest moment of my life. He said Brett Lee.

South Africa thriller Win the T20 series

Auckland, Feb-22: South Africa battle to a thrilling three-run win over New Zealand to claim the Twenty20 series 2-1 after the Black Caps suffer a dramatic late batting collapse in Auckland match on Wednesday.

New Zealand controlled South Africa to seven for 165 and went into the last 2 over’s needing just 10 runs for victory, only to fall short after losing 3 wickets, including ducks for Nathan McCullum and Doug Bracewell.Adding to the tension, James Franklin and Tim Southee both had chances to take victory at the death off the bowling off Marchant de Lange but could not attach bat with ball.

Franklin needed a 6 off de Lange's last ball but missed, scamper down the wicket for a run as the Proteas great, then realized to their shock that the delivery had been ruled a no ball. That gave Southee the chance to be the hero with a boundary but his air swing went nowhere near the ball, strand New Zealand on seven for 162.

It was a below par end for New Zealand after Jesse Ryder marked his come back from injury with 52 and openers Rob Nicol (33) and Martin Guptill (26) started their run chase brightly. But the result was also witness to South Africa's never-say-die position after man-of-the match Johan Botha selected up the vital wickets of Guptill and Ryder to swing the match their way.

It was an amazing team effort, Am really proud of the men, captain AB de Villiers said. We hung on at the end there."De Villiers admit South Africa lost momentum when batting first and he was unsure if 165 runs would be sufficient on the short boundaries at Eden Park.JP Duminy top scored for the tourist on 38 and there were decent help from Hashim Amla (33) and AB de Villiers (29).

But the Proteas never fired and needed a 22-run came from tail-ender Wayne Parnell to edging them towards a competitive total. New Zealand's top main concern early in the innings was to defuse the threat from opener Richard Levi, fresh from a record-breaking winning 117 in the second match, in which he smashed 13 sixes and scored a 45-ball century.

The danger man helped himself to one six from Michael Bates but was dismiss for 11 trying for a 2nd off the next ball, weakness to get enough power onto his attempt and sending the ball marine to Nicol.Nicol was the stand-out performer for New Zealand, taking two wickets and 2 catches as well as being implicated in a run out.

Today First T20 India vs. Australia

Australia (possible) 1 David Warner, 2 Shaun Marsh, 3 Aaron Finch, 4 David Hussey, 5 George Bailey (capt), 6 Travis Birt, 7 Mitchell Marsh / Daniel Christian, 8 Matthew Wade (wk), 9 Brad Hogg, 10 Brett Lee, 11 James Faulkner.

India (possible) 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Suresh Raina, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 7 Ravindra Jadeja / Irfan Pathan, 8 R Ashwin, 9 Praveen Kumar, 10 Vinay Kumar, 11 Umesh Yadav.

The stadium Home bush in Sydney's west was built for the 2000 Olympics and has a far greater capacity than the SCG to will become the 19th ground in the country to host international cricket.

India always appear a more dynamic outfit when Suresh Raina is present and he will provide spark not only in the batting line-up but also in the field in spark is precisely what India need to rediscover after their Test slump.

They are both sides are also hoping to use the series to narrow down their list of potential players for the World Twenty20, to be held in Sri Lanka in September this year.

CLT20B Bangalore Went to Final Match

IN THE last two T20 games played at the Chinnaswamy sports ground, 836 runs have been complete in 78.3 avers. Fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore, although, aren't concerned by this dreadful lack of challenge for batsmen. Their home side has now entered the final game of the Champions League; chase down 204- for the second game in a line.

New South Wales did the majority things correct today after being inserted by Daniel Vettori. The Australian side forced themselves on Bangalore's bowlers in making 203-2. David Warner's stunning 123 (68b) and his power-packed 146-run position with wicketkeeper and batsman Daniel Smith place the manner for the day.

In these times when bats are serious, limits are short, and bowlers are masochistic creature who lives only to be punish, a lone act of disobedience makes a huge distinction. So it was today. RCB's Tillakaratne Dilshan bowled his four over’s for just 10 -- a fine attainment in a game anywhere 26 sixes and 34 fours were scored.

The idea constant itself during Bangalore's pursue, at what time Patrick Cummins' three wickets in four balls give Bangalore a surprise. Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli had their feet on NSW's throat. Gayle (92 off 41b, 8x6, 8x4) nearly became the first batsman to score four T20 hundreds, and added 141 off just 66 balls with Virat Kohli (84, 49b, 10x4, 3x6), who guide them home.

 

Youthful seamer Cummins, just out of school, had accepted 22 in his next over. In his third, he detached Gayle with a secondary LBW, and then beat Saurabh Tiwary's high backlift with a quick Yorker. He misses a hat-trick by a ball, dismiss Mayan Agarwal with an unsure caught-behind.

Cummins' opening 16 balls went for 1-42; in his last eight balls he had 3-3. A team of silent over does went by, previous to Kohli attempt Bangalore out of a scared state of affairs, taking 16 off Mitchell Starc's 18th over. It was easy thereon. The worrying thing as regards today's game is that most of the 26 sixes weren't small ones, above all during Bangalore's chase. Gayle and Kohli time and again hit them more than a few rows back. In one case, Gayle clears the roof.

Smith had bounty to say from at the back the stumps as he had while batting. Sreenath Aravind gave him a bite as he walks off. Throughout the chase, Gayle had to step in to break a quarrel stuck between Smith and Kohli, who was very expressive today, celebrate these sixes and fours by punch the air.

Warner's wicked innings made it the first time of a batsman creation back-to-back hundreds in T20 cricket. Three days ago in Chennai, his winning 135 had knocked in the defensive champions Super Kings out of this tournament. He had strike eight sixes and 11 fours there. Today, the short boundaries of the Bangalore Chinnaswamy Stadium prove no face for him. 

Warner's Australian complement Dirk Nannes and Aravind was singled out for verdict. Warner goes after almost the whole lot they'd bowled at him. Nannes accepted 36 off 15 balls to him and Aravind 39 off 15.The highlight of the innings, although, was the switch-hit off RajBhatkal. Warner dappled the slower one early,changed they deportment and hold, and slogged so they victors so they took.

Champions League T20 cricket semis promise fireworks

A attractive finale -ball six and a wicked winning century cover set the stage for a inspiring finale when the big success matches of the Twenty20 Champions League be play over the weekend.

Royal challengers Bangalore surpass a not easy target of 215 set by South Australian Red backs what time Arun Karthik shattered the last ball from Daniel Christian over mid-wicket in the final league game on Wednesday.

A day of previous, David Warner had fractured an winning 135 off 69 balls with eight sixes and 11 fours to supported New South Wales Blues bang out caring champion Chennai Super Kings from the race.The two thrillers lit up a 10-team beat contest play over the past two weeks ahead of half-empty stand in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Chennai.

Royal Challengers will clash with New South Wales in the first semi-final in Bangalore on Friday, while English county Somerset meets Mumbai Indians in Chennai a day later. The last will be played in Chennai on Sunday night for the summit prize of $2.5 million. The runners-up get home $1.3 million.

The third version of the match, feature the top Twenty20 cricket sides from in the region of the world, has strained a deprived answer as of Indian fans in the face of a passionately contest beginning league.All the 10 teams, alienated into two groups, remain in argument for the semi-finals pending the final round of league matches.

New South Wales topped group with a six points, even as Mumbai Indians ended next with five points in ill will of the lack of star batsman Sachin Tendulkar owed to toe damage.Mumbai is so poorly tired with injuries that the organizers acceptable them to field five overseas players, in this place of the predetermined four, in their live XIs

Four teams completed with two wins each one in group B, but Somerset advanced by fast an extra point from a gray match, as Royal Challengers nudge in front of Kolkata Knight Riders and South African Warriors on better run-rate. The additional teams in the fray were Trinidad and Tobago and Cape Cobras of South Africa.