Amit Mishra, Quinton de Kock earn DD first win of the season

Mishra spins a web

Just two deliveries are required to describe the kind of dominance the Delhi Daredevils managed to exert on the Kings XI Punjab. The first was a classical leg-break — slow and loopy — tossed above Shaun Marsh’s eye-line. It tempted him to come down the track, but Marsh gets beaten in flight.
The ball pitches and deviates, and Quinton de Kock did a pretty competent job behind the stumps. Marsh was dismissed for 13 immediately after Powerplay.

The second was a googly, one which fizzed off the turf to trap David Miller plumb in front. In the end, these two vastly contrasting deliveries from Amit Mishra - fetching him wickets in the first delivery of the opening two overs - was enough to derail what looked like a formidable batting line-up of Kings XI Punjab.

Mishra proved to his captain Zaheer Khan’s trump card. More than anything it was the sense of occasion — the 33-year-old was featuring in his 100th IPL game. He was also aided by the manner in which his captain used him as a wicket-taking option up front. Brought into the attack in the 7th over, Punjab were sitting pretty at 1/37. Instead of going on the defensive, Zaheer went for the kill, keeping a slip straightaway. Buoyed by his captain’s confidence, Mishra hit his straps immediately. He bowled tidy lines, rarely erred in length and cleverly mixed his pace. Punjab, who were banking heavily on their two foreign superstars — Miller and Glenn Maxwell — were clueless to the guiles of Mishra. By the time, Maxwell was dismissed, Punjab’s were meandering into oblivion. Mishra was supported by offie Jayant Yadav, who scalped Axar Patel. Punjab would eventually end their essay at 111/9, but surprisingly, Mishra, the star of the evening, would not finish his quota of four overs. His three-over burst yielded him four wickets, enough to walk away with the Player-of-the-Match award. Mishra’s record in IPL is enviable. In 100 games, he has picked 116 wickets, putting him second to only Lasith Malinga (143) in the list of the highest wicket-takers in this format. For a bowler of such amazing consistency, it’s baffling that he has featured in only seven T20 internationals. What’s even more surprising is that six of those games were played at the World T20 in Bangladesh two years ago, where he finished with a haul of 10 wickets.

More

Pacesetters Gujarat Lions show up for Mumbai sprint

Two years ago, they lost their first five matches and last year they lost their three first games. This year, Mumbai Indians have managed to win their second game away after a listless first match at home. They had chosen to bat in their first game against Rising Pune Supergiants — a strange decision considering the pitch was perhaps best tuned to chase. They made amends in the second game in Kolkata, and though they conceded 187, they managed to canter in the chase courtesy Rohit Sharma and Jos Buttler.

Gujarat Lions have made a sparkling start, winning both their games, with Aaron Finch bagging the man of the match awards on both occasions. At their home base in Rajkot, Suresh Raina, their captain, seemed more than happy to trust the spinners with three of them playing. Their real strength, though, is in that beefy top order. Apart from Finch, they have Brendon McCullum, Raina and Dwayne Bravo — it’s a kind of line-up that would fancy hunting down or setting up targets with confidence.

With his clever slower deliveries that dip tantalisingly late Bravo the bowler continues to win rave reviews, as he should. But Bravo the batsman has been slipping under the radar. The World T20 was almost a non-show, even turning in a match threatening slow knock in the final. In the second game, here, against Ishant Sharma, he showed what he is capable of with three consecutive fours. For the first, he jumped almost to the wide line outside leg stump and when Ishant followed him up with a length delivery, Bravo stood still to unfurl a peachy inside-out over covers. He shimmed again next ball — though not as much as the first — and again brought in his high left-elbow into play to send the ball over extra cover again. For the third he stood at his stance to wallop a full delivery over the offside. On his day, he can not only be attacking but also be stylish.

Mitch McClenaghan marked the return of pinch hitters in T20 with a breezy 8-ball 20 in the chase against Kolkata. The chase was under control but he ensured it didn’t slack off. He teed off three sixes to put any doubt about the chase to rest. Rohit Sharma, who had a poor world T20 tournament, came back to form in IPL with a 54-ball 84 against Kolkata Knight Riders.

Read More

Pune take on Gujarat Lions in clash of IPL debutants

After impressive debuts in their respective Indian Premier League (IPL) matches, Rising Pune Supergiants and Gujarat Lions will face-off at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Thursday.

Pune outclassed defending champions Mumbai Indians by nine wickets in the season opener while Gujarat defeated Kings XI Punjab by five wickets on Monday.

The two new franchises were added to the IPL family after the suspension of Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals.

CSK teammates Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina will for the first time face-off in IPL after playing together for eight editions in the cash-rich tournament.


Dhoni-led Pune thrashed Mumbai in all departments of the game and will hope to register their second win. In-form Ajinkya Rahane, Faf du Plessis, Kevin Pietersen, Steve Smith and Dhoni make a strong batting unit and the top order showed their class against Mumbai.

In their bowling department, the experience of Ishant Sharma and R.P. Singh will come in useful to strike early against Gujarat like they did in the campaign opener.

Experienced off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin who got to bowl only one over against Mumbai will lead the spin bowling department alongside youngster Murugan Ashwin.

On the other hand, Gujarat also have a formidable top order batting line-up with the likes of in-form Aaron Finch, Brendon McCullum, Raina, Dinesh Karthik and all-rounders Dwayne Bravo and James Faulkner to follow.

Praveen Kumar, Bravo, Faulkner, Pradeep Sangwan and left-arm off-spinner Ravindra Jadeja will form a considerable bowling line-up.

More

KKR vs MI: Mumbai Indians stroll in Rohit Sharma’s garden of Eden

Kolkata put an imposing 187/5 on the board, thanks to Gautam Gambhir and Manish Pandey’s 100-run partnership. But Mumbai Indians banked on Rohit Sharma's waltz and a McClenaghan cameo to run down the target with five balls to spare.

The Rohit waltz

Midway into the Mumbai Indians' innings, Rohit Sharma became the buzz at Eden Gardens. About 35,000 fans, most of them Kolkata Knight Riders faithful, had been standing and applauding. They had been entertained with one of the best batting displays of the summer. It had to be the case anyway. From his Test century on debut to world record 264 in an ODI against Sri Lanka, this venue has seldom returned Rohit empty-handed. This is the place where he has lifted the IPL title twice as well. The love affair continued.

Against a victory target of 188, the visitors' chances largely depended on their captain. And what an innings he played. Third ball into the chase, and Rohit flicked Russell over deep square leg for a six. John Hastings, miserly in the first game against Delhi Daredevils, came for the second over, and Rohit unleashed a gorgeous on drive to the long-on fence. Kolkata captain Gambhir sensed the danger and brought on Brad Hogg. But Rohit is a master of picking the length early and his pull to the square leg boundary had authority. After a fallow World T20 — 88 runs in five matches — the opener was once again in his element. He saved the best for last though, when Russell returned for his final spell. Three fours in a row; the last of which was swept from wide outside off to the mid-wicket fence. An unbeaten 84 off 54 deliveries had made the choice for the Man of the Match award a formality.

McClenaghan cameo

Mumbai got stuck a bit after power-plays. Parthiv Patel's silly run out and Hardik Pandya's stutter being the reasons. Leg-spinner Piyush Chawla and chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav had been bowling. Mumbai promoted left-hander Mitchell McClenaghan ahead of Jos Buttler and Kieron Pollard. The pinch-hitter slammed back-to-back sixes off Chawla, clobbered another one off Yadav, scored 20 in eight balls and took the wind out of Kolkata's sails. Brilliant thinking. Horses for courses. Then, Buttler came, played an excellent cameo and slammed the door shut on the hosts.

The 100-run partnership

Manish Pandey has grown pretty well as a limited-overs batsman. The match-winning hundred for India in the final ODI against Australia at the SCG in January attested his progress. He is comfortably Kolkata's most assured hand and tonight he played a rollicking knock.

The hosts might have liked to chase a total on an excellent T20 pitch. But Rohit won the toss and Kolkata had been sent in. It's always difficult to set a par score with the pitch playing so beautifully. But 200 was up for grabs. Pandey's 29-ball 52 and his 100-run second wicket partnership with Gambhir set the base. A big partnership was the need of the hour after Kolkata had lost Robin Uthappa early - done in by the extra bounce from McClenaghan. Pandey and Gambhir wrested initiative.

Calmness is Pandey's forte. He is never hurried and waits for the loose balls. His ability to rotate the strike was the key to his 179-plus strike-rate. When Pandya missed his length, Pandey eased him over long-on for a six. When Harbhajan Singh over-pitched, the young batsman lifted him over the mid-wicket fence. And as left-arm spinner Jagadeesha Suchith - in for Vinay Kumar - enticed him with flight, he danced down the track and hit him straight for a maximum.

It needed a special delivery to get him out, after he had reached his half-ton. And Harbhajan produced one, holding back his top-spinner a little and grabbing a comfortable return catch. But by then, Kolkata had been set up nicely.

Gambhir played his part with a 52-ball 64. He timed the ball well for his four fours and a six. But the left-hander had been lucky to survive on 30 and 55 with Rohit and Jasprit Bumrah flooring simple chances. Andre Russell came early with a clear brief to throw the kitchen sink and the big Jamaican laid into Tim Southee, hitting him for two sixes and then, turning his attention towards Harbhajan with another six and a four. He had raced to 36 off 16 balls, when McClenaghan breached his defence and it proved to be a turning point with Kolkata scoring only 23 runs in their last 2.4 overs. After Russell's charge, 200 looked to be very gettable.

Wankhede to get RWITC water for IPL matches

Even as Board of Control for Cricket in India and Mumbai Cricket Association wait nervously for the Bombay High Court's decision on Tuesday (April 12) regarding the shifting of Indian Premier League matches from Maharashtra due to severe water crisis in the state, Sharad Pawar has played a masterstroke, which might just see at least the Wankhede Stadium hosting its share of eight IPL games.

Sensing that there was growing unrest among NGOs, politicians and the general public over plans to provide 40 lakh litres of water to Wankhede to help it host IPL matches this season even as the state reels under the effect of a severe drought, the MCA president requested the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC) to help provide water to the iconic stadium from its Sewage Treatment Plant at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. With the racing season about to end, the RWITC, which uses this water to maintain its racetrack, much to the relief of the MCA and local IPL franchise Mumbai Indians, has agreed to Pawar's plea.

In a letter to Pawar (a copy of which is with the TOI) on Monday (April 11), the RWITC secretary BA Engineer wrote, "Our club has received a request to provide seven-eight tankers of our sewage treated water on a daily basis up to the end of May 2016, to water the MCA's Wankhede Stadium. We can supply this water so that acute water crisis can be overcome to enable you to conduct your cricket matches. The charges will be decided at a later date."

"I am thankful to the RWITC for agreeing to help us out in this time of crisis," Pawar told TOI from New Delhi. This ecofriendly mode of supplying water to the Wankhede Stadium's pitch and rest of the ground may just convince the Bombay High Court to allow the IPL show to go on at the Wankhede. If that does happen, it will be another feather in the cap for the seasoned politician in his successful innings as a cricket administrator.

Read More

Bravo's over turned the game on its head, feels Finch

Aaron Finch, Gujarat Lions' opener, felt Dwayne Bravo's second over of the spell - where the all-rounder accounted for the wickets of Kings XI Punjab's destructive batsman Glenn Maxwell and captain David Miller - tipped the scales in his team's favour during their tournament opener against the hosts in the Indian Premier League 2016 on Monday (April 11).

"It was the turning point in their batting innings, I think," Finch said in the post-match conference, after Lions scripted a five-wicket win on their IPL debut.

"When you've got two guys like Maxwell and Miller, with the firepower they have got and the six-hitting capability, I suppose, to get them both in the same over, to be able to have two new batters in to dry up (the runs) for a small period there was absolutely crucial."

Kings XI were cruising at 78 for no loss in the ninth over when Ravindra Jadeja got rid of both the set openers - Manan Vohra and Murali Vijay - in his successive overs. It was, however, Bravo's twin strikes in his second over to send Maxwell and Miller back in the hut in the space of three deliveries soon after, that strangled the hosts' innings. The West Indies all-rounder returned in the final over to add two more wickets to his credit and finish with career-best figures of 4 for 22.

"He's been absolutely brilliant for every team that he has played for. For the West Indies, here at Gujarat, even at Chennai (Super Kings) he was fantastic. He's someone who just keeps getting better and better with age and he's not slowing down. He brings so much to the table with bat, ball and field. Very happy that he is on our side," Finch gushed.

For a team that has been put together from scratch, it was a commendable start to the season. Except for probably the first over of their chase, when Brendon McCullum departed for a duck, Lions hardly put a foot wrong. If the bowlers leaked too many runs in the powerplay, Jadeja and Bravo's timely strikes more than made up for it in the middle overs to restrict Punjab to a sub-par 161. 

Finch, however, also credited the other bowlers - Praveen Kumar and James Faulkner in particular - for pulling the things back after the team had conceded 52 in the first six overs.

Read More

Bombay High Court questions hosting IPL matches in drought-hit state

The Bombay High Court has sought an explanation from the BCCI and the three state associations in Maharashtra on why water should be "wasted" on hosting IPL 2016 matches when the state is facing one of its worst-ever droughts. After making a series of stinging remarks questioning the BCCI's priorities, the board's counsel sought time to prepare a contingency plan and the case was adjourned till April 7.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by Loksatta Movement, a Mumbai-based NGO, which wanted the IPL matches, scheduled to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur, relocated following a severe state-wide drought in recent months.

The court has asked the BCCI and the concerned state associations - the Mumbai Cricket Association, the Maharashtra Cricket Association and the Vidarbha Cricket Association - to give "a detailed account" of the amount of water that will be needed for the tournament. However, no orders have yet been passed by the court.

The division bench of Justices VM Kanade and MS Karnik observed "that this entire thing (of the utilisation of water for IPL matches) needs to be thought over". The court also reportedly asked the BCCI counsel whether "cricket matches were more important than people or preserving water".

Overall Maharashtra is scheduled to host 20 matches in the ninth edition of the IPL. Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai will host eight matches, including the tournament opener on April 9 and the final on May 29. Nine matches have been allotted to the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium in Pune, including the Eliminator on May 25 and Qualifier 2 on May 27, while three matches will be played at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium in Nagpur, designated as home games for Kings XI Punjab.

Arshil Shah, the advocate appearing on behalf of the petitioner, said: "We argued that there is absolutely no water available in areas like Latur and Parbhani [districts]. People are fighting over water. It is a severe law-and-order situation. In such times, the court observed it would be a criminal waste of water for cricket matches to be held in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur." According to Shah, the BCCI and the IPL "have the means and resources" to shift matches out of Maharashtra.

Read More

IPL 9: With Dhoni in the team, Rising Pune Supergiants hope to fly high

Rising Pune Supergiants on papers have one of the most well-balanced squad out of the eight One of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchisees. Led by captain cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Supergiants will be coached by Stephen Fleming. The Dhoni-Fleming duo made Chennai Super Kings the team to beat in the previous editions and will be hoping to do the same with Supergiants.

Pune Supergiants are one of the two teams that will make its debut this year. They will be replacing Chennai Super Kings who have been suspended for a period of two years due after the spot-fixing scandal along with Rajasthan Royals.

Though Dhoni is now the skipper of a new team, most of his teammates will be same who played with him at CSK. Under Dhoni, CSK had won two IPL titles and as many Champions League T20 trophies.

Apart from Dhoni, the other CSK players in the team are offspinner Ravichandran Ashwin, South Africa batsman Faf du Plessis and Indian pacer Ishwar Pandey. They also have with them England’s swashbuckling batsman Kevin Pietersen, Ajinkya Rahane and Aussie skipper Steven Smith.

Dhoni has already said that he is happy with the balance of the squad. He is also upbeat about the quality of allrounders in the team and is hopeful that the franchisee can make its presence felt in the first year itself.

“I feel that more the allrounders, better the team. I consider my team is perfect as it has a good combination of players. With the inclusion of Saurabh Tiwary and Albie Morkel, it is a balanced side. It’s really great to have Stephen Fleming back as coach. He is an outstanding thinker. It is also good to have Kevin Pietersen. He is a solid batsman and I think his presence is going to bolster our side," Dhoni had said.

Read More

BCCI likely to axe 'expensive' commentator Sunil Gavaskar: Report

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar is likely to be removed by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from its list of commentators, reports said Tuesday.

According to a report in The Times of India, the cricket board is possibly planning to end its association with Gavaskar once his contract comes up for renewal in April or May.

The newspaper also reported that the BCCI is not too happy with the huge fee Gavaskar demands in his role as a commentator. While other commentators are paid between Rs 35,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day, the former captain was reportedly paid eight times that amount for a day's commentary.

"The board's rant is that the fee paid to Gavaskar is astronomical vis-a-vis the fee for which some others are ready to commentate for the BCCI panel. 

While other commentators are paid anywhere between Rs 35,000 to Rs 1 lakh per day for their services, Gavaskar was reportedly paid eight times that amount for a day's commentary," the daily quoted its sources as saying.

Gavaskar was paid Rs 90 lakh for the India-South Africa series last year, while former India cricketers Anil Kumble made Rs 39.1 lakh for the same series while Sanjay Manjrekar got Rs 36.49 lakh, the newspaper said quoting its sources

Read More

Brathwaite admits he mis-hit key six

West Indies hero Carlos Brathwaite revealed Monday he had mis-hit one of the massive sixes which clinched cricket's World Twenty20 trophy as he commiserated with Ben Stokes for monstering his bowling.

The 27-year-old Brathwaite pummelled four sixes in a row at the start of the last over in Sunday night's final to dramatically deny England victory at Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

His third six over long off brought the scores level and took the game away from England once and for all.

In an interview with ESPNcricinfo, Brathwaite said he had followed his partner Marlon Samuels' advice to "swing for the hills". He described the shot that sailed several rows back in one of the stands as "a mis-hit".

"I miscued the third one, but a 65-metre six and a 94-metre six are still six runs," said Brathwaite.
"I just got it over, kind of spooned it over long-off. And then, I knew the West Indies are world champions, but I didn't want to get too far ahead of myself."

With only one run needed off three deliveries, the rest of the team gathered around the boundary rope and then surged onto the field in jubilation as the fourth ball also went for six.


A distraught Stokes, whose death bowling was one of the key factors in England's passage to the final, sank to his haunches as the West Indies players celebrated around him.

Samuels and Stokes, who have a history of onfield clashes, had more verbal exchanges during the final over which led to the West Indies batsman being fined 30 percent of his match fee.

An unrepentant Samuels taunted Stokes at the post-match press conference by saying the England all-rounder should have been aware that winding him up would only backfire, but that he "doesn't learn".
But Brathwaite was more magnanimous on Monday, calling Stokes "an absolute legend in his own right". Cricket could be a cruel game, he said.

"You shouldn't forget what he has done for England in the past couple of months... To Ben, tough luck last night, commiserations to you and the England team. Wish he has a long and successful career ahead of him."

Shift IPL matches out of Maharashtra due to drought: BJP

Mumbai BJP Secretary Vivekananda Gupta has demanded that Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches scheduled to be played in Maharashtra should be shifted out of the state due to prevailing drought conditions.

Gupta, in a letter addressed to BCCI President Shashank Manohar, stated that a standard cricket field requires a minimum of 80,000 to 1,00,000 litres of water per application.


Approximately two to three such applications are required per week that comes to 1,60,000 to 3,00,000 litres of water per week to maintain turf growth and repair damaged areas, he was quoted in a statement issued here today.

19 IPL matches are slated to be played at Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur between April 9 and May 29. The final match of the tournament is to be held at Wankhede Stadium here on May 29.

The BJP leader said more water was needed during hot and windy conditions and less during winter conditions. Thus, more than 70 lakh litres of water will be required to maintain the grounds for the 19 matches.

The BJP leader further stated the state, from where the BCCI President hails from, is facing one of its worst droughts in the last one century.

“Rainfall in last two years in Marathwada and Vidharbha region was the lowest. Successive low rainfall has resulted in falling ground water levels, which has impacted 90 lakh farmers in the state,” he said.

Gupta said the BCCI president cannot turn a blind eye to the grim drought situation in the state and the sufferings of the farmers.

“When our state is affected by drought, will it be wise to waste 70 lakh litres of water? Even Mumbai faces acute water shortage. This is the time to show sympathy to our ‘annadatta’ (farmer). I hope you will support and sympathise with our farmers and shift the venue of IPL matches to other states,” he said.

Mumbai Indians to face Pune in IPL 2016 opener

The 2016 edition of the IPL will begin on April 9, when defending champions Mumbai Indians will take on new entrants Rising Pune Supergiants at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. The final, too, will be played at the Wankhede Stadium on May 29.

The Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune will host the home games of new franchise Rising Pune Supergiants, while the Saurashtra Cricket 

Association Stadium in Rajkot will be the home stadium of Gujarat Lions. This year's edition will not see any afternoon games (1600 IST start) on weekdays.

Apart from the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur will host two home games of Delhi Daredevils. The VCA Stadium in Nagpur will host three home games for Kings XI Punjab, apart from their usual home ground in Mohali.

Zaheer Khan to captain Daredevils in IPL 2016

Zaheer Khan has been appointed as captain of the Delhi Daredevils for the 2016 IPL season.

Zaheer joined Daredevils in 2015; he played seven of the team's 14 matches, taking seven wickets at an average of 22.28 and an economy-rate of 6.45. He described his appointment as a "huge honour".

"It is a huge honour to captain Delhi Daredevils," Zaheer said. "To get this responsibility is a way for me to give back to the game. I firmly believe that with the players currently involved we have the makings of a very good side, a young side that can surprise people. The potential of this group of players is immense and it is now up to us as players to turn that potential into consistent performances."

Daredevils' team mentor Rahul Dravid was full of praise for Zaheer, and expressed high hopes for the bowler's forthcoming stint as captain.

"Zaheer has been a leader for a very long time. Anyone who has followed Indian cricket will know the impact Zak has had," Dravid said. "Zak has a big personality, but it is the steel, focus and drive behind the outward confidence which I think he will bring to the captaincy and that I am sure will inspire the rest of the team. He has the respect of the dressing room and the franchise is proud to have him as our captain."

Zaheer had retired from international cricket last October, but he had last played for India in February 2014.

IPL for women will be fantastic for the game - Lanning

Australia Women's captain Meg Lanning wants an IPL for women because she believes it could have an impact similar to that of the Women's Big Bash League, which was played for the first time in Australia in the 2015-16 season.

Lanning, who captained the Melbourne Stars in the WBBL, said the success of the league was "great for the game". It took place after a year of conceptualisation, following Australia's triumph at the 2014 Women's World T20 and was a roaring success with players from England, South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand taking part in the franchise-based tournament; no Indian player, however, participated in the league. The tournament attracted record crowds and strong viewership numbers on television. The ECB is set to launch its own franchise-based tournament, comprising six teams, called the Women's Super League, which will start from July 30.

"We've seen women's Big Bash kick off to a good success in Australia. There's Super League in England as well. If there was an IPL for women here to be started, it will take the game forward and players will love to be involved in," Lanning said. "Super League is another great step forward for the women's game. Girls are interested in playing as well. [The] Women's Big Bash League was great for the game. An IPL will be fantastic. India have made serious improvements in the last few years. Hope Super League works well and you never know what can happen from there."

Lanning also felt Twenty20 cricket was the best platform to showcase women's cricket. "It is certainly a very exciting form of the game," she said. "It creates a great atmosphere and people want to watch it. T20 has been the vehicle of women's cricket for last few years. We love playing Tests when we get a chance and we love playing more. There's no doubt T20 is the way forward for the women's game."

Lanning's views were echoed by Charlotte Edwards, the England Women's captain, who played for the Perth Scorchers in the WBBL. "We would really like to see an IPL and even Indian players playing in the Super League and WBBL," Edwards said. "It will be great for our game. You have seen what IPL has done for the men's game; it will be fantastic for women's cricket if it happens."

Women's cricket in India seems to have taken a turn for the better in recent times. Central contracts were formally announced in November, with India Women's captain Mithali Raj being one of 11 cricketers to receive a fixed yearly remuneration. In January, the Lodha Committee report called for a greater presence of women in the BCCI's power structure, with representation in key decision-making bodies.

Raj, who spoke of the need for the sport to be marketed better in India, was delighted with the response the women's team received at the World T20 despite India's early exit. Last week, Mohali hosted a first-of-its-kind double-header in India involving the men's and women's team. Prior to that, India's matches in Delhi and Dharamsala witnessed crowds in excess of 7000. Raj attributed the changing landscape to the popularity of the game, and hoped the enthusiasm could be sustained.

"It was a good experience to play in such a crowded stadium. It wasn't new for us personally since we had experienced it in Australia, but to see the fans cheer for us was unique," Raj said. "Somewhere it is the game that the girls have played that has attracted such good crowd. If you want to just market the game, then T20 is the best format. But to have quality players coming through, you have to have day games, so there has to be a fine balance.

"But the recent turn of events has been positive. Matches have been televised, so a lot of girls have been encouraged. Team's performance has been good in recent times; BCCI has taken a lot of interest like introducing central contracts. So young players can professionally approach the sport now."

Samuels, Braithwaite seal spectacular WT20 win

Carlos Brathwaite hit four consecutive sixes in the last over as the West Indies stunned England to lift the World Twenty20 title in Kolkata on Sunday.

The Windies went into the last over needing 19 to win and with expert death bowler Ben Stokes handed the ball, it looked like England would see out the win.

But Brathwaite held his nerve to fire the Windies to an unlikely four-wicket win with two balls to spare, leaving Stokes devastated on the field.

Marlon Samuels anchored the West Indies' run chase of 156 with an unbeaten 85, including nine boundaries and two sixes, after England had posted 155-9 in their 20 overs.

After being reduced to 11 for three, Samuels single-handedly kept the Caribbean team in the hunt with his 66-ball blitz.

Brathwaite finished on 34 not out off just 10 balls as the 2012 champions completed a hat-trick of titles after the women's clinched their maiden trophy earlier on Sunday.

The Under-19 team had already lifted the youth World Cup in February.

The Windies also became the first team to lift the World T20 twice.

England's batting hero Joe Root had hit Windies hard with a double strike when he shared the new ball with David Willey to get the West Indies' openers trudging back to the dug out.

Root struck on his first ball as Johnson Charles skied a catch to mid-wicket but the really big wicket came on the third delivery when Chris Gayle departed.

Gayle tried an ambitious slog after hitting a first-ball boundary but could only find the fielder at long-on to trigger wild celebrations in the English camp.

Willey then got semi-final star Lendl Simmons out leg before wicket for nought to leave the Windies tottering at 11 for three.

Read More

Simmons rides his luck to carry West Indies into WT20 final

Late replacement Lendl Simmons led a charmed life to blast 82 not out and carry West Indies to a nail-biting seven-wicket win in the last over against India in the second semi-final of the World Twenty20 on Thursday.

Simmons was caught three times at the Wankhede Stadium but made the most of his fortunate reprieves to help West Indies set up a final against England on Sunday.

On 18 and 50 he escaped after the bowlers had overstepped for no-balls.

The 31-year-old also had luck on his side on 68 when Ravindra Jadeja snapped him up on the boundary but stepped on the rope as he lobbed the ball to Virat Kohli, turning a possible dismissal into a six.

Earlier, Kohli continued his rich vein of form by smashing an undefeated 89 to guide India to 192 for two after they were put in to bat.

West Indies lost the dangerous Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels early in their reply but opener Johnson Charles kept them in the hunt with a 36-ball 52 and a third-wicket stand of 97 with Simmons.

The right-handed Simmons plays for Mumbai in the Indian Premier League and was only called into the squad two days ago as a replacement for the injured Andre Fletcher.

He cracked seven fours and five sixes in 51 balls and added an unbeaten 80 with Andre Russell for the fourth wicket to take West Indies home with two balls to spare.

Russell, known for his powerful hitting, contributed 43 off 20 deliveries.

"We knew it was a 200 wicket and halfway in the dressing room I kept telling the boys that India are 10 runs short," said West Indies skipper Darren Sammy, delighted after his team proved they can win without Gayle firing on all cylinders.

"We said this before the tournament that Chris is under pressure, he is our best Twenty20 player but we have 15 match-winners in this side."

Read More

England vs New Zealand - ICC World Twenty20 semi-final: England reach final thanks to Jason Roy

If there is one thing Twenty20 cricket has taught batsmen around the world it is that no target is beyond reach. At the ICC World Twenty20 2016, New Zealand has taught the cricket world a different kind of lesson, that any score is defendable. But, a rampaging England team would not let the small matter of 154 runs stand between it and a spot in the final, and lost only three wickets in booking its flight to Kolkata and a date with the Eden Gardens.


When Eoin Morgan won the toss and put New Zealand in on Wednesday (March 30) at the Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi, he quickly discovered that this pitch was the best batting surface this ground had served up.

Martin Guptill began with a bang, sending the first ball to the fence, and more than once he received deliveries in his hitting arc, either short and wide or full and straight. But David Willey, who has made a habit of picking up early wickets, got one to hold the angle and Guptill, committed to the stroke, nicked off

New Zealand gave Colin Munro license to thrill and he played a shot to almost anything sent his way. It wasn’t pretty, several balls squirting off the edge, others going anywhere but their intended destination, but the runs came thick and fast, allowing Kane Williamson to attempt to construct an innings and set the tone.

As always, Williamson’s strokes were cloaked in gorgeousness, but this thing of beauty was not a joy forever. While Munro hacked away and thrived, Williamson pursued excellence and failed. Trying to force Moeen Ali, Williamson (32) skied the ball and the bowler contained his excitement long enough to run as far as mid-off to settle under the return catch.

New Zealand, who had laid a rock solid foundation of 89 for 1 from 10 overs, found that Williamson’s wicket changed everything.

England’s bowlers were right on the money, mixing up yorkers with tidy lines and lengths, and the wickets came with an air of inevitability. Munro (46) hacked one high and wide to the fielder at third man, while Ross Taylor was well caught by Morgan as he tried to clear the infield.

More

The Belief Was Always There: Inzamam

Afghanistan have consistently been impressive on the world stage ever since they came through in a fairytale journey from Division 5 to near the top echelons.

On Sunday (March 27) at the VCA Stadium in Nagpur, they took their most significant step yet, beating powerhouses West Indies by six runs. They had beaten Bangladesh in a One-Day International during the 2014 Asia Cup, and in their first appearance in a World Cup, registered a thrilling one-wicket win over Scotland. However, this was the first time they had beaten a top team – one of the tournament favourites – at a world event.

Inzamam on cricket, peace and character in Afghanistan: In the last two-three years there has been a lot of activity – not just cricket, but football and other sports too – which is very healthy, for any country. If there is peace and there are facilities, sport will flourish better. We couldn’t play as well as we wanted to, we are not in the semifinals, but we didn’t play like absolute newcomers.

Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pakistan skipper who was appointed the team’s coach in November 2015, was understandably beaming after the match, and said that with more opportunities, his wards would do even better.

Read More

Manish Pandey on standby post Yuvraj Singh’s Injury ahead of semi-final

Ahead of India’s World T20 semi-final against West Indies in Mumbai on Thursday, Manish Pandey has been put on standby for Yuvraj Singh, who injured his ankle during the team’s crunch World T20 encounter against Australia in Mohali on Sunday.

Yuvraj hasn't had the greatest of times in the World T20, scoring 63 runs in 4 matches with a highest score of 24 that came aginst Pakistan. He got to bowl in just one match, where he recorded figures of 1 for 19 in 3 overs against Australia.

It must be noted that Yuvraj Singh is not yet our of T20 WC. He is still part of the team and Pandey will replace him only if the former fails to recover from his injury.

Pandey has a decent Indian Premier League (IPL) record, having played 77 matches and scored 1571 runs at a strike-rate of 116.11. In the 2009 edition of the league, he became the first Indian batsman to score a hundred in the history of the competition, when he made an unbeaten 114 against the now-defunct Deccan Chargers in Centurion, while playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Many felt that Pandey was unlucky to miss out on a spot when the initial 15 for the competition was announced.The 26-year-old impressed one-and-all when he made his maiden ODI hundred against Australia in Sydney in January and featured in the squad that took on Sri Lanka in February.

In recent times, Pandey has formed a key component in the batting line-up of the Kolkata Knight Riders and scored a match-winning 94 in the final of the 2014 edition against the Kings XI Punjab, which helped them chase down 200 runs and lift the title for a second time in three years.

Kohli masterclass prompts Tendulkar comparisons

 Indian great Sachin Tendulkar remains the gold standard of batting in the post-Bradman era but Virat Kohli's latest masterclass in Sunday's World Twenty20 shootout against Australia has prompted comparisons with his famous compatriot.

Not for the first time in the tournament, it took Kohli's masterly knock to get India across the line in a virtual quarter-final against the reigning 50-overs world champions.

Kohli remained unbeaten after a sublime 82, burnishing his reputation as arguably the best chaser in limited-overs cricket with a knock that reminded many of Tendulkar's 143 against Australia in a 1998 one-dayer at Sharjah dubbed "desert storm".

Shane Warne was at the receiving end of Tendulkar's wrath in that match and 18 years since the contest, the Australian spin great saw Tendulkar's shadow in Kohli's latest knock.

"Great knock by @imVkohli Reminded me of one of your many special innings buddy," Warne tweeted to his great rival Tendulkar after Kohli secured India a place in the semi-finals on Sunday.
Kohli bejewelled his knock with two sixes and nine boundaries and sprinted tirelessly between wickets in a flawless display of limited overs batting under tremendous pressure.

He middled every ball, timed his shots with surgical precision and found gaps with eerie regularity to stamp his class.

"Of the modern players, I've always thought that Brian Lara was the best placer of the ball," former Australia captain Ian Chappell told www.espncricinfo.com. "I think I have got Brian in second spot now."

LARA'S PRAISE

The West Indian batting great was also bowled over by what he saw and requested videos of Kohli's early days, hailing the Indian as the "best timer of a cricket ball" that he has seen.

At 27, Kohli stands on the brink of batting greatness with 36 international centuries against his name and averages of 44 in tests, 51 in one-dayers and 55 in Twenty20 matches.

Read More