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The eighth match of the ongoing <keyword id="6354831" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League">Indian Premier League</keyword> 2017 will see Kings XI Punjab go up against the Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 10. 
 
New Zealand's <keyword id="84737" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Martin-Guptill">Martin Guptill</keyword> is as yet recuperating from hamstring injury and is expected to join the group not before the third week of <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>. There are reports that <keyword id="134270" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="KXIP">KXIP</keyword> may consider giving their newcomer <keyword id="52739" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Eoin-Morgan">Eoin Morgan</keyword> a possibility over <keyword id="12340" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hashim-Amla">Hashim Amla</keyword>. <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> is sure to miss this game and it will take him somewhat longer before he makes a rebound from his shoulder damage. Despite the fact that <keyword id="77602" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AB-de-Villiers">AB de Villiers</keyword> has asserted that he is absolutely fit, there has been no official affirmation on whether he will play or not.

IPL 2017, KXIP vs. RCB: AB De Villiers fit to play against Punjab

A confident Kings XI Punjab (<keyword id="134270" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="KXIP">KXIP</keyword>) will aim to keep their hopes of reaching the play-offs alive when they take on bottom-placed Royal Challengers Bangalore (<keyword id="126251" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RCB">RCB</keyword>) in an <keyword id="6354831" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League">Indian Premier League</keyword> (<keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>) match here on Friday.

IPL 2017, RCB vs KXIP: Punjab face Bangalore as they play to keep their hopes for play-offs alive

Kings XI Punjab rode on a solid batting performance by Hashim Amla and skipper <keyword id="470051" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Glenn-Maxwell">Glenn Maxwell</keyword> to thrash Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by eight wickets in an Indian Premier League (<keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword>) match at the Holkar Stadium here on Monday. 
 
Chasing a 149-run target, Punjab were boosted by an unbeaten half-century by experienced opener Amla and a power-packed innings by Maxwell lower down the order and crossed the line with 33 balls to spare. 
 
Amla batted through the innings and remained unbeaten on 58 runs off 38 deliveries, hitting four boundaries and three sixes along the way. 
 
Maxwell played a typically explosive innings, smashing 43 runs off 22 balls with three boundaries and four massive hits into the stands. 
 
Tweet Alert! 
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		KXIP XI: M Vohra, H Amla, W Saha, G Maxwell, D Miller, MP Stoinis, A Patel, M Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, V Aaron, T Natarajan
	— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/851437355407986689">April 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	 RCB XI: S Watson, V Vinod, <keyword id="77602" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="AB-de-Villiers">AB de Villiers</keyword>, K Jadhav, M Singh, S Binny, P Negi, I Abdulla, T Mills, B Stanlake, Y Chahal
	— IndianPremierLeague (@IPL) <a href="https://twitter.com/IPL/status/851437553173618688">April 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		We've beaten Bangalore 10 out of the 18 times the two sides have met. What will be the result today? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi?src=hash">#LivePunjabiPlayPunjabi</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KXIPvRCB?src=hash">#KXIPvRCB</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xxz0qZN3ix">pic.twitter.com/Xxz0qZN3ix</a>
	— Kings XI Punjab (@lionsdenkxip) <a href="https://twitter.com/lionsdenkxip/status/851336450230689792">April 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
	
		All set for tonight game against Punjab <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCB?src=hash">#</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RCB?src=hash">RCB</a>❤ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash">#</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PlayBold?src=hash">PlayBold</a>💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiMataDi?src=hash">#</a><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JaiMataDi?src=hash">JaiMataDi</a>😊😊 <a href="https://t.co/wcqCnrwYZW">pic.twitter.com/wcqCnrwYZW</a>
	— yuZvendra Chahal23 (@yuzi_chahal) <a href="https://twitter.com/yuzi_chahal/status/851345965038567424">April 10, 2017</a></blockquote>
Probable XI 
 
Kings XI Punjab 
 <keyword id="52739" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Eoin-Morgan">Eoin Morgan</keyword>, Manan Vohra, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Glenn Maxwell (c), <keyword id="118827" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="David-Miller">David Miller</keyword>, Marcus Stoinis, Axar Patel, Swapnil Singh, Mohit Sharma, Sandeep Sharma, T Natarajan 
 
Royal Challengers Bangalore 
 Chris Gayle, <keyword id="6378477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shane-Watson">Shane Watson</keyword> (c), AB de Villiers, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Stuart Binny, Vishnu Vinod (wk), S Aravind, Iqbal Abdulla, Tymal Mills, Yuzvendra Chahal

IPL 2017, Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore: Maxwell smashes critics with an easy win

<ul><li><keyword id="10177413" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-khichdi-experiment">The Khichdi Experiment</keyword> by Ola Foods is one of the fastest growing brands.</li><li>The cloud kitchen brand has already crossed the landmark figure of 1 million+ orders.</li><li> Through KPL, Ola’s Khichdi Experiment continues to share the success story of the brand and advocates the melange of Cricket and Food strongly.</li></ul>The Khichdi Experiment by Ola Foods, the food-first company and a part of Ola – steps up the excitement of this ongoing IPL season with its signature Khichdi variants along with catchy anthems for each of the eight IPL teams under the new campaign <keyword id="10177414" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="khichdi-premiere-league">Khichdi Premiere League</keyword> 2020. The campaign aims to uphold the spirit of cricket and take the whole match-day snacking experience to a new level. With revivification in progress, in the Covid times, the Cricket world in India is enjoying the 13th season of <keyword id="1219822" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Indian-Premier-League">the Indian Premier League</keyword> that is being played away from the shores of the nation, in the UAE. While the match-watching experience has been restricted owing to the social distancing norms, the IPL fever remains the same and the fans never fail to celebrate the potpourri of Cricket and Food. Interestingly, as people have adjusted to the new way of enjoying the match from the comfort of their homes, by offering food that is wholesome, exciting and adding on to tadka of supporting the team spirit, one can take the whole IPL experience to a new level. Every khichdi is unique in its ingredients and taste, therefore embodying the regional flavours of the state that these teams represent. From RCB’s Bisi Bele Bath to KKR’s Bengali Panch Phoran Khichdi, the KPL offers an exciting array of Khichdi variants infused with the modern twist of flavours and the excitement of Cricket. Few other notable variants includes a modern fusion such as Mumbai Indian’s Pav Bhaji Khichdi, Rajasthan Royal’s Leshun Aur Hare Pyaaz Ki Khichdi, CSK’s Sambar Khichdi, Sunrisers Hyderabad’s Khatte Dal Ki Khichdi and KXIP &amp; Delhi Capital’s Langarwali and Tadkewali Khichdi respectively. As part of this campaign, Ola Foods has also customized and curated catchy anthems for the Khichdi variant of every IPL team. Tune in to the KPL anthem and indulge in a ride of flavours supporting your team on a match day with your bowl of Khichdi. Khichdi Experiment has also launched a social media campaign ‘Apna Game, Apni Khichdi’, which is currently underway and includes fun filled engagements such as a series of contests to keep the conversation brewing between Food and Cricket. Users are creating their own videos using the khichdi anthems to show support to their favourite team. Social media is abuzz with rap karaoke, dance steps and lip sync videos featuring the team’s khichdi anthems. As India watches this IPL season from the comfort of their living room, Khichdi Experiment by Ola Foods is adding to the much needed excitement with KPL. The Khichdi Experiment by Ola Foods is one of the fastest growing brands and is the category leader in the segment. The cloud kitchen brand has already crossed the landmark figure of 1 million+ orders and is consistently rated high by consumers across all food delivery platforms. Through KPL, Ola’s Khichdi Experiment continues to share the success story of the brand and advocates the melange of Cricket and Food strongly. <div type="Youtube" id="hG9TUQTzBfI" title="Khichdi Premier League | Bengaluru Anthem" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hG9TUQTzBfI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="EcoA47BSePQ" title="Khichdi Premier League | Chennai Anthem" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/EcoA47BSePQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="FFXgWGCURbQ" title="Khichdi Premier League | Punjab Anthem" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/FFXgWGCURbQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="e469cQZWQAY" title="Khichdi Premier League | Delhi Anthem" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/e469cQZWQAY/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

Ola Food launches Khichdi Premier League to bring India's love for comfort food and cricket together

The seventh edition of the Indian Premier League produced several memorable moments engineered by uncapped Indian players across the eight franchises. From game-turning to tournament-winning, gocricket.com takes a look at the uncapped players who made a telling impact from their performances during the 2014 season. 
 
Akshar Patel, <keyword id="13883" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kings-XI-Punjab">Kings XI Punjab</keyword> 
17 matches, 62 runs, highest score 42*, 17 wickets, economy 6.13, best bowling 3/24 
 
The Gujarat left-arm spinner, 20, impressed with his control and variation for KXIP right from the first game and went on to feature in all the games ahead of the much-experienced Murali Kartik, finishing with 17 wickets, one behind Sandeep Sharma and tied with Mitchell Johnson for the franchise. His economy rate of 6.13 was a tournament best among players with more than three games and even bettered that of Sunil Narine, which gave a sense of the hold he kept during the middle overs. His 42* against Delhi Daredevils took KXIP to victory in a tense chase which highlighted his all-round skills. He was later rewarded with a call-up to the national side for the ODI series in Bangladesh. 
 
Manan Vohra, Kings XI Punjab 
8 matches, 324 runs, strike rate 139.05, highest score 67 
 KXIP retained the uncapped Manan Vohra, showing faith in the Punjab batsman after he promised in his debut season in 2013. But Vohra wasn't part of the playing XI in the first half of the tournament as KXIP preferred Cheteshwar Pujara over him to partner the volatile Virender Sehwag. Pujara was replaced by Mandeep Singh, and it was only after Mandeep's failure that Vohra finally got his chance against Sunrisers Hyderabad in a game where he produced an eye-catching knock that included two sixes off Dale Steyn. He cemented his place after that and reserved his best for the last, as his 67 anchored KXIP in the <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> final. Vohra showed big-match temperament, but will have to improve on his running between wickets. 
 
Sandeep Sharma, Kings XI Punjab 
11 matches, 18 wickets, economy 8.81, best bowling 3/15 
 
KXIP emerged the biggest contributor to the 'best uncapped players' list with Sandeep Sharma becoming the third entry from the team. Sandeep was the pick of the KXIP fast bowlers with 18 wickets from 11 games and made an impact immediately after he was drafted into the team. His opening spells proved pivotal as he swung the new ball to snare early wickets, twice dismissing Chris Gayle and Virat Kohli off successive balls. He wasn't as effective when the ball didn't swing, going for plenty in the final few games indicating inexperience. Still 20, Sandeep will become a better bowler by adding an extra yard of pace and with experience. 
 
Yuzvendra Chahal, <keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore 
14 matches, 12 wickets, economy 7.01, best figures 2/17 
 
In a tournament that will be remembered for its legspinners, Yuzvendra Chahal was one of the standout exponents, proving to be the bright spot in a forgettable season for RCB. Chahal's exploits playing junior level chess for India were often spoken about, hinting at his ability as a thinking bowler. Chahal picked up 12 wickets and bowled with great accuracy, holding his own against some of the hardest hitters in the game. Karanveer Singh, the KXIP legspinner, warrants special mention as he picked up 11 wickets from just the five games he played, and even though he went for runs in the final, he ended up with four key wickets. 
 
Karun Nair, <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> 
11 matches, 330 runs, strike rate 142.24, highest score 73* 
 
Rajasthan Royals have showed the propensity to unearth promising talent in the IPL, and this season was no different as Karnataka batsman Karun Nair made handy contributions opening the innings with Ajinkya Rahane. Two of Nair's major contributions came in games where other RR batsmen were found wanting, against RCB and Mumbai Indians. Against MI in the last league game, it was on the back of Nair and Sanju Samson's crucial partnership that helped RR post a big total. 
 
Pravin Tambe, Rajasthan Royals 
13 matches, 15 wickets, economy 7.26, best figures 4/20 
 After impressing in the 2013 Champions League, 42-year-old Tambe earned a first-class debut for Mumbai last season, before ending the season with an impressive IPL 7. The legspinner was difficult to put away as he finished the tournament with 15 wickets and took the first hat-trick of the season in a match-winning effort against <keyword id="6354467" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kolkata-Knight-Riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</keyword>. He made the list just ahead of fellow legspinner Karn Sharma, who had an equally impressive season for Sunrisers Hyderabad, but played one game more for his 15 wickets. 
 
Jasprit Bumrah, Mumbai Indians 
11 matches, 5 wickets, economy 7.58, best figures 2/22 
 Mumbai Indians direly missed the services of Lasith Malinga after he left to join Sri Lanka for the tour of England, but Gujarat pacer Jasprit Bumrah filled in admirably for his more illustrious teammate. Bumrah finished with just five wickets from 11 games, but he bowled plenty of overs in the Powerplay as well as in the death, and led the line in the absence of the injured <keyword id="12644" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Zaheer-Khan">Zaheer Khan</keyword> first and Malinga later. His ability to fire in yorkers consistently with an unorthodox action meant he kept things quiet with a tournament economy of 7.58. 
 
Manish Pandey, Kolkata Knight Riders 
16 matches, 401 runs, strike rate 117.94, highest score 94 
 
After arriving in the IPL with a century five years ago, Manish Pandey's contributions largely went unnoticed in between. This season, however, Pandey benefited from being a consistent member of the side and the clarity of being KKR's No 3 batsman. He made handy contributions throughout the tournament but brought out his best in the final. His game-changing 94 in a chase of 200 took KKR to their second IPL title and earned him a Man-of-the-Match award. 
 
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The Best Uncapped Players Of IPL 7

New Delhi: While all the early spotlight of Kings XI Punjab's success story in <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> 7 was hogged duly by the batsmen, Glenn Maxwell in particular, the bowlers too have come to the party for the Mohali-based franchise. KXIP heads home after an eventful UAE leg during which they were unbeaten, winning all five matches, and it is not just because of the big-hitting Maxwell, but a major contribution to the streak has been provided by the 20-year-old medium pacer Sandeep Sharma. 
 
With two back-to-back Man-of-the-Match awards, the Punjab pacer is very quickly becoming one of the vital cogs of this KXIP team, and this after not being picked for the first two games. Delhi medium-pacer Parvinder Awana was the original choice, but after he leaked75 runs in seven overs from the first two games, Sandeep got his chance and he seized the opportunity with both hands. 
 
He followed up his match winning 4-1-21-3 against Kolkata Knight Riders two nights ago with an even better figures of 3-1-15-3 against Royal Challengers Bangalore at Dubai on Monday. A swing bowler by trade, Sandeep is not the typical tall and strapping fast bowler one would associate with Punjab, but the hunger for doing well and the confidence is exudes is definitely very Punjabi. 
 
Against KKR, Sandeep got the better of a struggling Gautam Gambhir and an in-form Manish Pandey with his swing. While Pandey got a sharp indipper off a good length area, Gambhir could not cover for the away swing hitting the length ball straight to mid-off. On Monday too, against the marauding Chris Gayle, the 20-year-old did not shy away from bowling the ball up and he reaped the rewards when the ball swung away from the bat of the big West Indian and crashed on to the stumps. 
 
Kohli too was undone in a similar fashion to Pandey with the RCB skipper not able to connect to a sharp inswinger. Sandeep knows his strengths and to get his captain's full support has been the secret of Sandeep's success. "I can swing the ball very well. I know that and Bailey [George] is showing full faith in me," Sandeep had said after the KKR match and during the post-match presentation after RCB game too, Sandeep has nothing new to say only adding that he can swing the ball both ways. 
 
A mid 130-135 kmph bowler, Sandeep is not express pace and he has always stressed on the fact that he will not comprise on his swing in order to up his pace. He said this after the India Under-23 team lifted the Asia Cup in 2013. Sandeep was part of the India squad taking seven wickets from four matches. 
 
Sandeep was also part of two India under-19 World Cup squads - 2010 and victorious 2012. While in 2010, the very young 16-year-old Sandeep failed to make an impression, in 2012, under the leadership of Unmukt Chand, he charted a path of his own taking 4 for 54 in the final against Australia and ended the tournament with 12 scalps. 
 
Punjab Ranji call-up beckoned and amongst the established names like Siddharth Kaul and Manpreet Gony the talented Sharma was at his best. With 39 and 41 wickets respectively in the previous two Ranji seasons there is not doubt in the 20-year-old calibre and now with stellar performances against the world's best in the grand IPL stage, the medium-pacer has surely caught everyone's eyes. 
 
During his debut IPL season in 2013 with KXIP, Sandeep played just four games and returned with eights wickets including the likes of Kieron Pollard, Mahela Jayawardene, David Warner and Cameron White. This year, he has done even better and has helped his team win matches. While the credit for the first three victories of KXIP goes to the big-hitting Maxwell, Sharma has stepped up to the plate when the batting failed and with the IPL 7 returning to familiar territories, Sandeep will be all set and raring to show what he is made of at home.

IPL: Sandeep Sharma On The
Fast Lane To Recognition

With IPL 7 moving into the business end, the big-ticket players are taking centerstage but there are some uncapped Indian players who have matched the international star cast in their performances so far. Here, gocricket.com takes a look at the top five uncapped players who have surprised everyone in IPL 7. 
 
Yuzvendra Chahal - seven innings, eight wickets, economy 5.96 
 Picked up for Rs 10 lakh, the legspinner has not only justified his place in the star-studded playing XI of <keyword id="6354506" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword>, but has done remarkably well for the franchise. Chahal has been preferred ahead Muttiah Muralitharan and has reaffirmed RCB's faith by claiming seven wickets from seven matches, most importantly at a miserly economy of 5.26 runs per over. The 23-year-old's guile has left many big players in a tizzy and he has so far reaped the rewards flighting the ball up to the batsmen. His bowling against <keyword id="6354884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Delhi-Daredevils">Delhi Daredevils</keyword> and <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> in the UAE were exemplary performances, for which Chahal won one Man-of-the-Match prize and deserved a second. 
 
Suryakumar Yadav - eight innings, 127 runs, average 42.33 
 Suryakumar Yadav played just one game in the IPL for Mumbai Indians last year and scored a duck, but glimpses of his a hard-hitting pedigree were on view at the <keyword id="6360761" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Champions-League">Champions League</keyword> Twenty20 later in the year, and <keyword id="6354467" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kolkata-Knight-Riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</keyword> roped him in for 70 lakh and slotted him as a finisher in their XI. Despite KKR's poor run of form, Yadav has managed to string together decent scores - 24*, 34, 31 against RCB, KXIP, RR - coming in during the slog overs. His enterprising brand of strokeplay has lifted the team as well. His 31 off 19 balls helped spark life into the KKR chase in the Super Over match versus <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> and even in the field he has been a live-wire - a total value for money for KKR. 
 
Karun Nair - five innings, 138 runs, average 34.50 
 
Coming into IPL 7 on the back of a stupendous 2013-14 first-class season in which he hit centuries in three successive Ranji Trophy matches for Karnataka, RR decided to be give the 22-year-old a chance in the fourth game after Abhiskek Nayar's continuous failure as an opener. Nair did not start off well scoring 8 and 1, but RR persisted with him and he hit 73 off 50 balls leading his team to a win against Daredevils. In the next game, he contributed a brisk 44 against KKR. Picked up for Rs 75 lakh, Karun has so far proved to be a good gamble for RR and in all probability will continue to open. 
 
Pravin Tambe - eight games, 13 wickets, economy 6.21 
 
IPL's very own Cindarella story. The 42-year-old legspinner has been a revelation in IPL 7 with 13 wickets in eight games, briefly holding the Purple Cap for most wickets. Again part of the RR setup, who have the knack of getting the maximum out of their budget players, Tambe has proved to be the most vital cog in the bowling attack. In IPL 6 Tambe played three matches taking two wickets but it was in the Champions League that he made headlines by picking up 12 wickets in five matches. Getting the services of the Mumbai legspinner by using their right-to-match card at the IPL auctions, RR got it right - and Tambe has proved an excellent purchase for just 10 lakhs. 
 
Akshar Patel - seven innings, six wickets, economy 6.50 
 
While all the talk around KXPI has centred on their explosive batting and foreign imports, the impact of allrounder Akshar Patel has gone by under the radar. Used more as a bowler than a batsman, the left-arm orthodox spinner has been able to provide vital breakthroughs. Patel, 20, features very high among those who have sent down the most dot balls in IPL 7 and has taken six wickets at an economy of 6.50 runs per over. The BCCI Young Player of the Year Award for his stirring performances in Under-19 tournaments in 2012-13, purchased by KXIP for 75 lakhs, is clearing finding his footing among the big boys and should be a regular in the coming matches.

IPL: Five Cut-Price Indians Who've Outshone Pricey Stars

The third week of IPL 7 in India was probably more exciting than the previous two weeks in the UAE thanks to some great individual performances and a big run-in between <keyword id="61632" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kieron-Pollard">Kieron Pollard</keyword> and Mitchell Starc. Here, gocricket.com chronicles the eye-catching events that unfolded over the course of last week. 
 
Tambe spins magic with first hat-trick this season 
 At the age of 42, <keyword id="13802" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rajasthan-Royals">Rajasthan Royals</keyword> legspinner Tambe is having the time of his life. Look at his performances in the tournament from day one, he has been nothing short of brilliant. However, this week Tambe took his game to another level and helped RR register a win from an unlikely position against Kolkata Knight Riders in Ahmedabad on May 5. Chasing 171 to win, the Gautam Gambhir-led KKR were cruising at one time at 121 for 0 in 14 overs before RR captain <keyword id="6378477" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shane-Watson">Shane Watson</keyword> took three wickets in an over to provide a big opening for his team. However, it was Tambe's hat-trick in the next over that actually put the nail in KKR's coffin. The wickets of Manish Pandey, <keyword id="18938" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Yusuf-Pathan">Yusuf Pathan</keyword> and Ryan ten Doeschate broke KKR's back badly and they ended up losing the match by 10 runs. Tambe's performance this season has proved that age has little significance nowadays in cricket and that it's fitness and willingness to do well that shapes a player's career. 
 
de Villiers breaks run-drought in style 
 It was long coming. AB de Villiers had an ordinary season prior to <keyword id="6354506" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword>'s game against <keyword id="1494441" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sunrisers-Hyderabad">Sunrisers Hyderabad</keyword> on May 4 and when Virat Kohli's men were reduced to 59 for 4 in 10.1 overs chasing 159 to win, it appeared the match was as good as gone for RCB. Against all odds, de Villiers launched a rearguard action and smashed 89* off 41 balls with the help of six fours and eight sixes to see his side home in the last over. While de Villiers punished all SRH bowlers, his face-off with fellow South African and arguably the greatest bowler in the world at present, <keyword id="12829" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Dale-Steyn">Dale Steyn</keyword>, will be remembered for many years to come. In the penultimate over of the innings, de Viliers took 24 runs off Steyn, hitting three sixes and a four to turn the match on its head. 
 
Pollard-Starc altercation 
 The game between <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> and <keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore on May 6 will long be remembered for an ugly altercation between Kieron Pollard and Mitchell Starc. The run-in - towards the end of MI's innings - that saw the West Indian and the Australian almost come to blows, influenced the outcome of the match a great deal as MI took 54 runs off last 20 balls, thanks largely to captain <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword>'s 59 off 35 balls, to post a mammoth 187 for 5. 
 
The drama began in the 17th over when Starc used some pretty choice language against Pollard after beating him with a bouncer. The West Indian disdainfully signed to Starc to go away, and off the next ball backed away from the crease at the last minute. Starc, instead of stopping himself, followed the West Indian on the legside and almost hit him, leaving a seething Pollard to throw his bat towards the bowler in a menacing way. 
 
However, the West Indian had the last laugh when he took a simple catch at extra cover to send Starc (5) back to the pavilion off the bowling of Lasith Malinga. Not just that, earlier in the match he had also accounted for the dangerous Yuvraj Singh's run out (6) using his footballing skills to great effect. 
 
The IPL Governing Council later on Wednesday fined both Pollard and Starc for breaching its code of conduct. 
 
Maxwell at it once again 
 Orange Cap holder Glenn Maxwell (435 runs in seven matches) fuelled his legend further smashing 90 off 38 balls in Kings XI Punjab's 44-run win over <keyword id="13886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword> on May 7. The Australian put on view the switch-hit several times hitting eight sixes and six fours and it surely was his innings that made the difference. His approach against R Ashwin was particularly impressive. The India offspinner is normally very effective bowling around the wicket, but not against Maxwell on Wednesday evening. The Big Show smashed back-to-back sixes in the 11th over against the India offspinner who looked befuddled not knowing where he should land the ball, bowling two wides to boot. Things changed drastically after Ashwin's over, with KXIP scoring 162 in the last 10 overs to finish on 231 for 4. With the win against MS Dhoni's men, KXIP made it back to the top of the table with six wins in seven matches, while CSK go down to second after their second defeat in eight matches. 
 
Delhi Daredevils' sorry state 
 Delhi Daredevils took the wooden spoon last season and looking at their performance so far it seems another is on their way. The team under Kevin Pietersen looks absolutely spineless, especially in the bowling department. DD's defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders on May 7 was their sixth in eight matches and the way Pietersen ran himself out tells a great deal about his current state of mind. The former England batsman tapped a Shakib-al-Hasan delivery to offside and ran away for a single straight away, head down and without looking at non-striker batsman <keyword id="57265" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Murali-Vijay">Murali Vijay</keyword>. Wicketkeeper <keyword id="2231057" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Robin-Uthapa">Robin Uthapa</keyword> charged towards the ball, picked it up and ran Pietersen out in a flash with Vijay shaking his head in disbelief at the other end. 
 Pietersen's captaincy is also under the scanner for repeatedly not bringing the in-form duo of <keyword id="69475" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="JP-Duminy">JP Duminy</keyword> and Kedar Jadhav up the batting order. Fast bowler Mohammad Shami is another big concern for DD. He is one of the promising bowlers in the country but his performance so far in the tournament is worrying. Four wickets in eight matches at an economy rate of 8.34 don't justify his talent. At present, it's hard to imagine how DD are going to turn their fortunes around.

IPL Week 3 Review: Tambe, De Villiers, Maxwell Steal The Show

It has been widely said that having the best batsman or the best bowler in the side isn't alone going to help a team win tournaments and no one exemplifies this theory more than Sunrisers Hyderbad. Boasting one of the stronger sides on paper, they had the firepower required to go all the way but were incapable of repeating last year's success and crashed out in the league phase of <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> 7. Their campaign was marred by a few bizarre decisions taken by the team management, which eventually led to their demise. They swapped <keyword id="17805" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Shikhar-Dhawan">Shikhar Dhawan</keyword> with Darren Sammy as the captain at the fag end of the tournament, sent <keyword id="60604" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="David-Warner">David Warner</keyword> - one of the most destructive openers of the current era - down the order for most of the season and experimented with the batting order repeatedly. All these factors combined with over-dependence on reputed names did them in. 

	Provided they had delivered the goods, SRH could have finished a lot better than what they did - sixth in the points table - if not lift the trophy.
 

	IPL 7 record: Played 14, Won 6, Lost 8, Points 12
 Sunrisers didn't quite start their IPL 7 crusade in a manner they would have liked. A lukewarm start in the UAE, where they lost three of their first five matches, denied them the early momentum they would have hoped for. The wins came against a muddled <keyword id="6354884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Delhi-Daredevils">Delhi Daredevils</keyword> and a then-woeful Mumbai Indians. The India leg too didn't witness much of a difference and they could manage only four wins out of nine. However, a late surge saw them beat <keyword id="6354506" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword> and Chennai Super Kings in back-to-back games but it came a little too late as the equation got stiffer. In their last league match, they need to beat Kolkata Knight Riders by a massive margin, which in the end proved too much. 

	High point
 By the time it arrived, matters were already out of hand. After an average UAE leg, the last few matches in India saw Sunrisers live up to their batting-heavy reputation. Prior to their second match against <keyword id="13883" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kings-XI-Punjab">Kings XI Punjab</keyword> in Hyderabad, SRH's previous best was 184/1 against DD - one of the weaker sides in the tournament. But against KXIP they notched up 205/5 - their highest total in the IPL - but unfortunately ended up second-best. With their backs to the wall, SRH pulled off back-to-back wins against RCB and CSK to give themselves a chance for a play-off spot, be it a slight one. 

	Low point
 

	When they were bundled out for their lowest total this season - 121 against KXIP. Chasing 194 was always going to be a tough ask but no one expected their batting to do this badly. Only Lokesh Rahul spent time at the crease and top-scored with 27. As many as five batsman fell between 10-20. L Balaji took 4/13 and got the all-important wickets of Aaron Finch (19), Warner (8) and Sammy (15).
 

	Captaincy verdict
 

	The appointment of Dhawan as captain was perhaps not a wise decision considering the kind of form he was in prior to the tournament. His initial few scores were 38, 1, 33, 7 and 6 for an average of 17. It took Dhawan 12 innings to register his first half-century of the season and it came when Sammy was given charge of the team. Dhawan ended IPL 7 with 377 runs in 14 matches at an average of 29. His form was a major setback and it reflected in his captaincy as well. When Glenn Maxwell and David Miller went hammer and tongs, Dhawan looked listless as a leader and his shoulders dropped. The body language didn't indicate the best of signs either. Perhaps Sammy should have been the first choice for the post considering his experience leading West Indies.
 

	Most valuable player
 

	Not too many might have expected Bhuvneshwar Kumar to put up a show like he did: 20 wickets from 14 games at an economy of 6.65. His bowling had rhythm and he got the ball to swing both ways. He stood out in the Powerplays - his dot balls accounting to almost 60 percent - and was exceptional in the death overs.
 

	Also, not many SRH batsmen delivered but the David Warner batted, he clearly seemed to be in the wrong team at the wrong time. Despite being shuffled in the line-up, the Australian opener managed to hit a purple patch with 528 runs from 14 matches at an average of 48. He scored six half-centuries, the most by any batsman this season and his 90 against CSK was a pioneer innings.
 

	Major disappointment
 Not one but two. While IPL's second-highest wicket-taker <keyword id="74737" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Amit-Mishra">Amit Mishra</keyword> was far from his best, Dale Steyn leaked runs frequently. SRH played Mishra in 10 games, in which he scalped seven wickets at an average of 48.57. He went wicketless in four consecutive games and his economy-rate has been 9.06 - an alarming stat considering Mishra has never gone above 8.02 in the last six editions. On the other hand, with 11 wickets from 14 games, Steyn has gone at an economy of 7.69. Thrice was he taken for above 20 runs in an over - 24 by <keyword id="77602" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="AB-de-Villiers">AB de Villiers</keyword>, 23 by MS Dhoni and 26 by Yusuf Pathan, all of which Sunrisers lost. Another telling stat being he has conceded 46 boundaries this season - the most by any bowler. Clearly, not something people want to associate with the world's No. 1 ranked bowler. 

	Verdict
 

	An overall disappointment. SRH were expected to pose some real threat to their oppositions in the beginning of the tournament but instead fell flat in their approach. The big guns failed to step up to the occasion as no one except Warner has performed consistently. The No. 1 ranked Twenty20 batsman, Finch, managed only 309 runs from 13 innings with two half-centuries. Also, the inability to strike a correct team composition in the initial stages was a big letdown and that is what stopped them from setting the right tone.
 

	Must do for 2015
 

	First and foremost, the skipper needs to lead from the front and make sure his side sticks to the basics. Then, make sure his best batsmen open the innings and face the maximum number of balls. Third, persist with the opening pair of Warner and Finch with Dhawan at No.3 and not tinker with it. SRH would also expect more of the domestic crop to leave an impact and not rely too much on reputed foreign names. This might sound easier than done but once executed, they might do what their successors Deccan Chargers did in 2009.

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