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Antigua, <keyword id="61632" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kieron-Pollard">Kieron Pollard</keyword> smashed six sixes in an over off Sri Lanka's Akila Dananjaya, who had picked a hat-trick only in the previous over, as West Indies won the first T20I by four wickets at the Coolidge Cricket Ground on Thursday. Chasing a target of 132, Pollard's rampage in the sixth over helped the West Indies reach 134/6 in 13.1 overs. West Indies had earlier done well to restrict Sri Lanka to 131/9. However, Dananjaya's hat-trick in the fourth over made the visitors favourites to win the match despite the low total. Dananjaya is the third Sri Lankan to pick up a hat-trick after Thisara Perera and Lasith Malinga. However, Sri Lanka's joy was shortlived as West Indies captain Kieron Pollard became the second after India's Yuvraj Singh to hit six sixes in an over in T20 Internationals off the very next over that Dananjaya bowled. Pollard sent the first over long-on and the second hit the sight screen. The third was muscled over wide long-off and the fourth went sailing over deep midwicket. The fifth six was sent right over the bowler's head while the sixth went over deep midwicket yet again. West Indies needed 70 to win off 90 balls at the start of the over and the deficit was reduced to 34 runs needed off 84 balls. Pollard was dismissed in the next over for 38 off 11 balls after which <keyword id="58128" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dwayne-Bravo">Dwayne Bravo</keyword> and Jason Holder saw the West Indies over the finish line. For Sri Lanka, Pathum Nissanka was the highest scorer with 39 off 34 balls. All six of the players that bowled for West Indies took at least a wicket each with Obed McCoy taking two. The hosts now lead the three-match T20I series 1-0. Brief scores: Sri Lanka 131/9 in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 39, Niroshan Dickwella 33; Obed McCoy 2/25) lost to West Indies 134/6 in 13.1 overs (Kieron Pollard 38, Jason Holder 29; Wanindu Hasaranga 3/12) by 4 wickets with 41 balls remaining

Kieron Pollard's 6 sixes in an over takes Windies to win on Sri Lanka

Last year’s champion <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/mumbai-indians/31001/home">Mumbai Indians</a> crashed out of the Champions League T20 losing to <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/northern-knights/87001/players">Northern Knights</a> by six wickets in a one-sided game at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur. 
 
MI were outclassed in all departments by the Kiwi side that did not put a foot wrong on their way to securing a place in the main draw. The table toppers in the qualification round, Knights go into the tournament proper along with <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/teams/lahore-lions/89001/players">Lahore Lions</a>, who had earlier defeated Southern Express by 55 runs. 
 
Chasing a 133-run target, NK were off to a brilliant start with openers Anton Devcich and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/Kane-Stuart-Williamson/6001/6071">Kane Williamson</a> putting up an 83-run stand. By the time MI managed to get their first breakthrough in the tenth over, the asking rate was well under five runs per over. If anything that could have bothered <keyword id="836840" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="the-knights">the Knights</keyword> from there on was some quick wickets but that didn’t happen. MI spinners failed to get any purchase ruling out any chance of a comeback. 
 
Williamson top scored for NK with a 36-ball 53 before being snared by Jasprit Bumrah in the 13th over but it was all too late in the day as <keyword id="1731187" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Daryl-Mitchell">Daryl Mitchell</keyword> and Scott Styris completed the formalities with 16 balls to spare. 
 
Earlier, poor shot selection and another top-order crumble crippled MI's chances of making it to the main draw as NK kept the Champions League Twenty20 holders to 132/9. Had it not been some useful contributions from the likes of skipper <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/Kieron-Adrian-Pollard/10001/10060">Kieron Pollard</a> and tailenders Lasith Malinga (20 off eight balls) and Shreyas Gopal (24 off 12), MI would have struggled to get to the total they finally managed to. 
 
Put in to bat by Daniel Flynn, MI got off to a disappointing start losing <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/Michael-Edward-Killeen-Hussey/31001/1033">Michael Hussey</a> (7) with just 10 runs on the board. It was the pressure created by the Knights' opening bowlers, Tim Southee and <keyword id="835484" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Trent-Boult">Trent Boult</keyword>, that stifled MI's big-hitting batsmen who were forced to make mistakes. Southee and Boult maintained a nagging line to restrict MI to just 20 runs in their first four overs. The duo kept up the pressure for most of the innings, conceding just 45 runs between them in their eight overs and taking four wickets, three of which were to Southee. 
 
The flow of wickets meant that MI were always under pressure to get up their run rate. Knights were excellent in the field, adding to the chokehold that Styris applied with his canny stump-to-stump seam-up deliveries. Williamson pulled off a brilliant catch, diving in front at short cover to get rid of Jalaj Saxena in the sixth over which gave Styris his first wicket, and the veteran allrounder removed Lendl Simmons in the next over. The MI opener paid the price of forcing himself too early in the shot while trying to cut a straight delivery that crashed into the stumps. Trying to make room for a late cut, Aditya Tare nicked to wicketkeeper Bradley Watling, and Styris bowed out with superb bowling figures of 4-0-21-3, a performance which earned him the Man of the Match award. 
 <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> had lost half of their side by the 11th over with not even 50 runs on the scoreboard. Pollard managed to salvage some pride with a 24-ball 31 and Malinga and Gopal swung their bats in the last couple overs, but MI needed something exceptional to stop Knights from bolting into the main stage of the CLT20 but that did not happen. 
 With this win, the Northern Knights join <keyword id="13883" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kings-XI-Punjab">Kings XI Punjab</keyword>, Hobart Hurricanes, Cape Cobras and Barbados Tridents in Group B. Lahore Lions, who came second in the qualifiers, join <keyword id="13886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword>, <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> Knight Riders, Perth Scorchers and Dolphins in Group A. 
 
Brief Scores: Mumbai Indians 132/9 (<keyword id="61632" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Kieron-Pollard">Kieron Pollard</keyword> 31, Scott Styris 3/21) lose to Northern Knights 133/4 in 17.2 overs (Kane Williamson 53, Jasprit Bumrah 2/26) by six wickets.

T20 Cricket: Clinical Northern Knights Send Mumbai Indians Crashing Out

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

In the first week of IPL 7, Glenn Maxwell dominated the show with his big-hitting prowess. Now, in the second and final week of the UAE leg, gocricket.com takes a look at all the moments which grabbed headlines. 
 
Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals: A chequered rivalry 
 
Before the start of IPL 7, CSK and RR were in the news for events off the field relating to the IPL spot-fixing scandal. When both teams strode out to the ring of fire in Dubai, they added another chapter to the rivalry. CSK made 140 and Rajasthan fell short by seven runs. Ravindra Jadeja was the star for CSK with an unbeaten 36 and a haul of 4/33. In an eerie way, in the match between these two teams in 2013 in Jaipur which is believed to be in the centre of the scandal mentioned above, CSK had made 141 when the bet was that they would make 140. At that time, Gurunath Meiyappan was watching. Now, with Gurunath sidelined, CSK achieved this score. Odd twist of fate? 
 
<keyword id="258312" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chris-Lynn">Chris Lynn</keyword> takes the catch of the summer 
 In a cricket match, seldom has a catch been the talking point. In the match between <keyword id="6354506" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers-Bangalore">Royal Challengers Bangalore</keyword> and Kolkata Knight Riders, Chris Lynn provided the moment of the tournament which helped KKR snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. KKR managed to get to 150 and RCB needed nine runs in the last over. Vinay Kumar, who was part of several last-over finishes in the IPL, gave away just three runs in the first three balls. On the fourth ball, the match changed totally. 
 
Vinay bowled a shortish delivery just outside off. AB de Villiers moved to the off side and pulled it high over deep mid wicket. He had not timed it all that well but with the deep mid wicket boundary at Sharjah been short, it seemed the ball would sail over. Lynn, though, had other plans. His job was made difficult by the fact that he slipped up while lining up for the catch. However, he kept his eyes on the ball, raised his hands and arched back like a gymnast to pouch the catch. With the momentum threatening to take him over the ropes, he stuck out his right hand and ensured that he landed just inches in front of the rope. This moment gave KKR victory by two runs. One of the must watch (video link) moments that should be replayed over and over again 
 
Pollard is the best catcher in the IPL. No, he is not, say CSK 
 <keyword id="61632" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kieron-Pollard">Kieron Pollard</keyword> has built a reputation that he can pouch just about anything. Every team has felt his brilliance in the field, except CSK. In the 2013 IPL clash between CSK and Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, Pollard dropped Michael Hussey, then playing for CSK, thrice in three balls off Mitchell Johnson. He managed to pouch a good one off Suresh Raina but the three consecutive dropped catches were a sight to behold. 
 In the match against CSK in Dubai, Pollard was once again generous in the field for CSK. In the sixth over, <keyword id="55681" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Brendon-McCullum">Brendon McCullum</keyword> smashed one past mid off. Pollard leapt with one hand but he could not latch onto it. This was a difficult catch but for Pollard's standards, it could have been taken. However, in the 16th over bowled by Harbhajan Singh, Faf du Plessis slog swept the bowler to deep square leg where Pollard dropped a sitter. It seems Pollard suffers from yellow fever when it comes to catching against CSK. 
 
Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals: A tale of two ties 
 KKR and RR played out the first ever tie in the 2009 IPL in Cape Town. In that match, both teams ended on 150 and it was <keyword id="18938" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Yusuf-Pathan">Yusuf Pathan</keyword> who stole the show when he smashed three sixes of Ajantha Mendis to help RR put one over KKR. Five years later and in another neutral venue, KKR and RR played out their second tie. With the scores tied on 152, KKR batted in the one-over eliminator and scored 11. With three needed off the last ball, Steven Smith batted in a way which gave a new definition to smart play under pressure. He knew that in the event of the super over been tied, RR would go through as they had hit more boundaries. He spotted the gap at extra cover and he walked down the track to push it into that gap for a couple. It was the first time that a super over was tied in the IPL. Once again, KKR had failed to get over the line against RR. 
 
Sandeep Sharma shows his mettle 
 
In the IPL, there is a prevalent theme that bat dominates ball to such an extent that bowlers are scarred for life. However, one young gun has thwarted this notion. He was the star performer in the 2012 U-19 World Cup in Australia. With an ability to swing the ball in and away both in the air and off the seam, Sandeep Sharma is a valuable bowling asset for any team. In this edition of the IPL, Sandeep has maintained discipline and he has reaped rich rewards. His performances in the game against Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he picked up three wickets, earned him the Man of the Match award. With an economy rate of 5.63, average of just 8.85 and a strike-rate of just 9.4, Sandeep has added more potency to the already potent Kings XI Punjab.

IPL Week 2 Review: Lynn Takes The Catch Of IPL

<ul><li>IPL 2019 season final is going to take place between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings tonight.</li><li>Chennal Super Kings and Mumbai India have been head to head 3 times in IPL finals before with Mumbai winning the contest twice in 2013 and 2015 while Chennai winning it in 2010.</li><li>In the last 27 matches that both teams have played against each other, Mumbai India leads the contest by 16-11.</li></ul> The final of the Indian Premiere League (IPL) season 2019 is going to take place tonight in Hyderabad between the defending champions Chennal Super Kings and Mumbai Indians. This is the fourth time that these two sides are facing each other in an IPL final with Mumbai Indians winning it twice in 2013 and 2015, while Chennai Super Kings winning it in 2010. While MS Dhoni and CSK may be confident of winning the season having gained the momentum but Mumbai seems to have a clear upper hand in the final that's going to take place tonight. Mumbai Indians has a much balanced side with Captain Rohit Sharma regaining his form in the last few matches. Bowling department has also performed well for them having restricted CSK for 131 in the first qualifier that they had played earlier this week. Rahul Chahar, Jasprit Bumrah and Mitchell Mcclenaghan provide a strong bowling base while Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Kieron Pollard constituting the batting order. Hardik Pandya coming late into the order has consistently finished matches for the team and is undoubtedly having the best time of his T20 career. Chennai Super Kings has won the IPL thrice in 2010, 2011 and 2018. CSK had defeated Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018 to clinch the title. On other two occasions, CSK had defeated Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in 2010 and 2011 respectively. Mumbai Indians has also won the title thrice in 2013, 2015 and 2017 by defeating Chennal Super Kings twice in 2013 and 2015 and Rising Pune Supergiant in 2017. Mumbai Indians has one of the finest IPL final winning percentage of 75. It has reached IPL final 4 times and has won it thrice. Interestingly, it has not lost an IPL final in the last 9 years. For CSK, this is the 8th time that they have reached the finals, the most for any team in the 12 year long history of the league. However, their win percentage is not great and hovers around 43%. For a team like CSK that has the most balanced side among all other IPL teams, this is definitely a cause of concern. MS Dhoni, the CSK captain, having amassed 414 runs already, is having one of his best IPL seasons. CSK has also won 9 out of the 14 league matches this season and finished 2nd in the points table before finally defeating Delhi Capitals in Qualifier 3 after losing out to Mumbai India in Qualifier 1. To defend the title, MS Dhoni and CSK will have to ensure that their top order handles MI's bowling line up well if they want to win this contest. If MI is able to rip through CSK top order, it is highly likely that they may lift the cup for the 4th time.

CSK vs MI IPL final 2019: MS Dhoni may be having one of his best IPL seasons but Opening slot is an issue

Four defeats in a row after the heady highs of 2013, when <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> won the rare double of the IPL and the Champions League, has put the spotlight on a fickle batting order. <keyword id="13937" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Rohit-Sharma">Rohit Sharma</keyword>, <keyword id="10149" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mike-Hussey">Mike Hussey</keyword> and Corey Anderson look every bit the quality that they're worth, but a closer look will point out that one is retired and doesn't play too much cricket, another has returned from a serious knee injury, while the third has been struggling with form for quite some time in India colours. 
 You could argue that they have been outplayed in all departments in the four games they've played, but a batting of this quality repeatedly failing has put more pressure on their bowling to either restrict oppositions, or bowl them out cheaply. There is a small matter of MI's star all-round duo of Corey Anderson and Kieron Pollard also not throwing their weight into the fixtures as yet, even though Pollard somewhat redeemed himself with a tidy innings of 33 against <keyword id="6354884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Delhi-Daredevils">Delhi Daredevils</keyword>. 
 
The opening combination was shuffled against Delhi Daredevils after Hussey's travails at the top of the order. Since retiring from international cricket, Hussey hasn't featured in many team sheets and for a batsman who relies on effortless stroke-play, timing has deserted his game, and he struggled throughout his 18-ball 10 at Sharjah even though he went in at five. 
 The Australian is of great pedigree, and has repeatedly shown his worth when he was with <keyword id="13886" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chennai-Super-Kings">Chennai Super Kings</keyword>, but for MI to persist with him may compound their problems at this stage. Ben Dunk, another Australian is warming the bench and the management may want to give the veteran the rest he needs to return to his A-game. 
 
Rohit, on the other hand, continues to baffle with his on-again-off-again form. A one-day double-hundred and several good scores have intertwined with painful ordeals at the crease, all during a period where he has enjoyed some of his best times in an India shirt, a Test century on debut included. He batted at No 4 for his franchise in the first three games, but decided to take the opening slot against DD, not that bad a decision given he opens for India in limited-overs cricket, only to run himself out to a direct hit. 
 
Anderson showed glimpses of his batting prowess after he was promoted to one-drop against Chennai Super Kings, but has struggled on the slow surfaces of UAE. Mumbai Indians have done well to promote him up the order, for making him and Pollard bat at five and six leaves them with little to make a mark with in the end. 
 
The Indian recruits, some of whom played an integral part in their title run a year ago, have come undone with the likes of Aditya Tare and Ambati Rayudu not converting their starts into substantial scores. They form a key part of the MI batting line-up, and even though CM Gautam gave the team solidity against DD, foreign signings living up neither to their name nor their game is alarming. 
 
"Our batting needs to improve. We have tried things like changing the batting order," Rohit said after the loss to DD. "It's not working out at all. Our batters need to step up. Hopefully, we would win a few matches when we go back to Mumbai." 
 A change in location with the tournament shifting back to India next week may give the franchise the boost they need on home turf. The IPL is a long tournament, but often teams have failed to arrest a slide as poor as four consecutive defeats. Teams often rely on their overseas signings to lift their performances and <keyword id="13883" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kings-XI-Punjab">Kings XI Punjab</keyword> and Chennai Super Kings have benefited from the forms of some of their star signings. Two of them are Glenn Maxwell and Dwayne Smith. How Mumbai Indians would be ruing having let them go to two teams that are leading the points table is anybody's guess.

IPL: Foreign Flops Hurting
Mumbai Indians

Almost all the captains in the seventh edition of the Indian Premier League have had some moments of joy, but one <keyword id="16561" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="skipper">skipper</keyword> who has seldom been found without any jest is Mumbai Indians' Rohit Sharma. Not many expected MI to be one of the first teams to be written off after such a successful campaign last season, when they clinched their maiden title as well as the Champions League T20. More than Rohit's smile gone missing, the look on his face is more gloomy than reassuring, more burdensome than inspirational. After all, he had to bear the burden of MI being defending champions despite the fact that their icon player <keyword id="6354267" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Sachin-Tendulkar">Sachin Tendulkar</keyword> was gone and a couple key components not around. After seven losses in ten games, Mumbai's chances of making the play-offs are next to impossible barring some earth-shattering mathematical calculations. The manner in which they were found wanting in a six-wicket loss to <keyword id="6354467" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Kolkata-Knight-Riders">Kolkata Knight Riders</keyword> on Wednesday night just went on to show that their near-perfect win over Sunrisers Hyderabad was just one hit game amid many listless performances. 

	There are many factors that did not work for MI during a so far painful campaign for them. Here we pinpoint the major ones.
 

	It all started at the auction table
 One of the biggest setbacks for the defending champions was to see the players they let go off from their 2013 squad do exceedingly well this year for other franchises. The biggest examples being Dwayne Smith, <keyword id="470051" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Glenn-Maxwell">Glenn Maxwell</keyword> and Mitchell Johnson, who contributed strongly whenever being called upon to do so last year. Especially Smith, who had made it a habit of forging solid opening stands with Tendulkar, invariably creating momentum for strokeplayers like Rohit, Dinesh Karthik and Kieron Pollard to tee off at any given point of time. That opening slot turned out to be a massive weak link for the team this year as new recruit and veteran <keyword id="6377175" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Michael-Hussey">Michael Hussey</keyword> (30 runs from four games) and Ben Dunk (40 runs from three games) failed miserably with the bat. They alternated the one opening slot with Aditya Tare (106 runs from 10 games) and CM Gautam (121 runs from nine games) but neither could live up to the billing. Plus, playing at least three uncapped Indian players in all matches turned out be a big problem for MI as the options did not enthuse confidence. The reason being the retention of five players for the 2014 auction and the heavy spending on Hussey, Corey Anderson left MI with less purse to buy quality domestic players. 

	Non-performing overseas players
 After being touted as the next big thing in world cricket, fastest ODI centurion Anderson was the cynosure of all eyes when <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> 7 began. However, 150 runs and four wickets in 10 isn't what you'd want to get from a player who was paid Rs 4.5 crore. Perhaps the big occasion, near alien conditions and huge crowds overawed Anderson but what about Hussey? The former Chennai Super Kings veteran was a real force in the two-time champion side and was expected to do much the same for his new franchise, but his poor returns put MI under tremendous pressure and invariably exposed the frailties of a susceptible middle order. 

	Big runs go missing
 

	After the loss to KKR, Rohit said: "We need to keep scoring 170-plus if we need to win consistently, we aren't doing that." His reasoning is valid. MI have crossed 170 twice so far and ended up winning those games. Their highest run-getter in the tournament, Ambati Rayudu (310 runs in 10 games) is languishing at ninth in the top run-getters. Rohit, Pollard, Rayudu and Lendl Simmons (a late recruit) have combined for seven fifties that includes one score above 70 and two over 60.
 

	After Malinga, who?
 

	The champion bowler that he is in this format, Malinga didn't disappoint with 16 wickets in 10 games. However, he lacked support from the other end. The only instance in the tournament so far when a MI bowler took three or more wickets is Malinga's 4/23 in the season opener. Harbhajan Singh's drought of wickets has not helped apply pressure in the middle overs. In comparison to 24 wickets last season, Harbhajan's eight this year leaves a big vacuum.
 Harbhajan, Johnson, Malinga and Pragyan Ojha took 84 wickets last season. In 2014, injury to <keyword id="12644" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Zaheer-Khan">Zaheer Khan</keyword> has forced MI to try Jasprit Bumrah (two wickets), <keyword id="6366707" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Praveen-Kumar">Praveen Kumar</keyword> (two wickets) and Pawan Suyal (one wicket) as his replacement. Ojha (economy 8.29) and Pollard (10.73) have been the biggest disappointments with one wicket apiece. 

	A combination of the above factors has left Rohit with more than just a creased forehead. Last year, the responsibility brought the best out of him but now the burden of leading an under-performing group is looking too heavy a yoke to bear.

IPL: Numbers Spoiled MI's Title Defense

<keyword id="12643" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Royal-Challengers">Royal Challengers</keyword> Bangalore are known for their all-powerful batting line-up. They boast of some of the biggest hitters of the cricket ball in the world today. It is their bowling that has more often than not let them down. As the IPL 7 began, breaking the norm, RCB bowlers stepped up and performed admirably contributing to their good start. However, against <keyword id="13880" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mumbai-Indians">Mumbai Indians</keyword> at Wankhede on Tuesday, they were wayward conceding 25 extras which in the end proved to be the difference between the sides. 
 <keyword id="346085" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="RCB-coach">RCB coach</keyword> <keyword id="13837" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Daniel-Vettori">Daniel Vettori</keyword> refused to pinpoint the reason(s) behind the team's fourth defeat in seven games but did acknowledge that the bowling let them down against MI. 
 
"Bowling let us down a little bit. My main issue is mainly around the extras. I think the extras contributed a lot to that. 25 extras is far too many and that was almost the difference between the two teams," Vettori said during a post-match press conference on Monday. 
 Chasing 188 is by no means an easy task but with the likes of Chris Gayle, <keyword id="6354486" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Virat-Kohli">Virat Kohli</keyword> and <keyword id="77602" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="AB-de-Villiers">AB de Villiers</keyword> in their ranks, RCB must have backed themselves to get over the line. They were in good shape even after losing both their openers, sitting pretty on 94/2 with Kohli and De Villiers in the middle. However, they lost both the batsmen within the space of six deliveries making life difficult for the upcoming batsmen. 
 
"It was a tough total to chase. 190 in any T20 game is hard and the start that we got was fantastic. Chris and Parthiv set the tone and Virat picked it up as well. We lost some crucial wickets and when you do that you put up pressure on guys coming in. It's the guys that are set who need to kick on. Unfortunately it didn't happen today," Vettori observed. 
 The match was also marred by controversy with some ugly scenes being played out in the middle involving RCB paceman <keyword id="427499" type="PERSON" weightage="40" keywordseo="Mitchell-Starc">Mitchell Starc</keyword> and MI allrounder Kieron Pollard. Vettori said it was something that nobody wants to see on a cricket field but refused to speculate anything 
 
"It's obviously an incident you never want to see on a cricket field." 
 
"I haven't had the chance to talk to Mitchell or anyone else involved. But I am sure that the match referee will be involved. We will wait and see what it is before we speculate on anything," he said.

IPL: We Conceded Far Too Many
Extras: Vettori

In terms of ambition, the Champions League T20 was to be the perfect tool to showcase, and popularise, franchise cricket. It was modelled on the UEFA Champions League, with clubs from cricketing nations teaming up for a short T20 event. But into its sixth edition, it hasn't delivered on the promise front. The <keyword id="6354312" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="IPL">IPL</keyword> in India is still the benchmark, and the involvement of international teams somehow fails to pique interest among fans who get behind their local franchises (a reason to include a fourth Indian team). From September 13, however, up until October 4, the disappointments of the England tour will be forgotten, and cricket's shortest format will once again drum up the entertainment before the home season in India gets under way. 
 
In many ways, the timeframe set apart for the Champions League is about perfect for a T20 competition. The IPL lasts two months; back-to-back games in the middle of the Indian summer making it an annual TV soap opera. The expectancy of home advantage is less; teams from South Africa, Australia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and New Zealand make it a more global event, and the chance to see several international players, who could soon be seen being snapped up by several franchises in next year's IPL. The Champions League then is the IPL's poorer cousin, but the unpredictable nature of the competition could make it for interesting viewing. 
 
Chhattisgarh's Raipur International Cricket Stadium will host the six qualifiers featuring Lahore Lions (Pakistan), Mumbai Indians (India), Northern Knights (New Zealand) and Southern Express (Sri Lanka), before the main league kicks off with games scheduled in Hyderabad, Mohali and Bangalore. Gocricket.com takes a look at the teams making up the competition: 
 
Kolkata Knight Riders: The IPL champions gained direct entry into the league stages by virtue of their title triumph a few months ago, but have been hampered by injuries to Morne Morkel and <keyword id="258312" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Chris-Lynn">Chris Lynn</keyword>, who have been ruled out of the tournament, as was Shakib Al Hasan, serving a disciplinary sanction by the Bangladesh Cricket Board. The Indian domestic season was over before the IPL meaning several Indian players will be without practice, a situation that forced <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/yusuf-pathan/30001/4096">Yusuf Pathan</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/piyush-chawla/30001/4089">Piyush Chawla</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/manvinder-bisla/30001/27013">Manvinder Bisla</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kuldeep-yadav/30001/4133">Kuldeep Yadav</a> to undergo a boot camp in South Africa. <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/gautam-gambhir/30001/4043">Gautam Gambhir</a>, the inspirational two-time IPL-winning captain, however, is back playing franchise cricket after a nightmarish return to the Indian team on the England tour. Gambhir would have to brush aside that traumatic experience to lead his troops. 
 
Perth Scorchers: Like KKR, Perth Scorchers triumphed at the Big Bash League, but like the Indian franchise, they too come into the tournament with a depleted squad. Simon Katich was their leading run-getter but is not available, nor is Shaun Marsh, who was injured. The franchise will rely heavily on <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/mitchell-marsh/1001/27022">Mitchell Marsh</a>, who is coming off a successful trip with the Australian team in Zimbabwe. 
 
Dolphins: Winners of South Africa's domestic T20 competition, Dolphins make their Champions League bow under former South Africa wicketkeeper-batsman Morne van Wyk, who has previously turned out for KKR. With <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/david-miller/8001/8076">David Miller</a> opting to play for Kings XI Punjab, the Dolphins squad will miss the services of their explosive batsman, but <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kyle-abbott/8001/29036">Kyle Abbott</a>'s presence in the bowling line-up gives them some international quality. 
 
Barbados Tridents: The 2014 Caribbean Premier League champions will be without <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/dwayne-smith/26001/10043">Dwayne Smith</a>, Shoaib Malik and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kieron-pollard/31001/10060">Kieron Pollard</a> but still have enough quality to surprise bigger teams. Zimbabwe's hard-hitting ODI captain <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/elton-chigumbura/11001/11033">Elton Chigumbura</a>, James Franklin and <keyword id="1319274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Dilshan-Munaweera">Dilshan Munaweera</keyword> will bolster the batting, while Ravi Rampaul will lead the bowling attack. 
 
Kings XI Punjab: KXIP turned out to be the surprise package of the IPL and despite falling short of a maiden title, turned heads with their all-round performances. Despite an injury to Sandeep Sharma, who was a revelation with the new ball, the KXIP line-up screams quality under the astute leadership of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/george-bailey/29001/26015">George Bailey</a>. Add to that the explosive batting order comprising <keyword id="7567" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Virender-Sehwag">Virender Sehwag</keyword>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/glenn-maxwell/29001/36006">Glenn Maxwell</a>, David Miller and Thisara Perera. 
 
Hobart Hurricanes: Bailey's absence from the Hurricanes has given discarded Australian wicketkeeper-batsman <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/tim-paine/1001/1088">Tim Paine</a> a chance to step up. Former Pakistan captain <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/shoaib-malik/7001/7011">Shoaib Malik</a> will give the side important advice about playing on subcontinent surfaces, while Chennai Super Kings' pace bowling duo – Doug Bollinger and Ben Hilfenhaus – would know a thing or two about their former team. Aiden Blizzard and Ben Dunk add muscle to their batting order. 
 
Cape Cobras: After falling two runs short of the Ram Slam T20 title, Cape Cobras will be out to go one better at the Champions League with a team full of South Africa's top players. Justin Ontong has at his service the class of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/hashim-amla/8001/8034">Hashim Amla</a>, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/jp-duminy/8001/8053">JP Duminy</a> and Vernon Philander, and their most successful domestic spinner, Dane Piedt. Veterans Justin Kemp and Robin Peterson are sure to lift the team with their all-round skills. 
 
Chennai Super Kings: CSK are out to emulate Mumbai Indians by attempting a second title. Free from international duty, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ms-dhoni/26001/4057">MS Dhoni</a> will look to his franchise to give his much-criticised captaincy a boost. Their all-round T20 skill under the Indian captain makes them one of the most feared sides in the competition. 
 
Besides the sure-shot contenders, four teams will contest the qualifying stages with two of them set to go through: 
 
Mumbai Indians: The defending CLT20 champions had to endure a difficult IPL but emerged late to snatch fourth place to earn a shot at a title defence. For majority of the competition, MI suffered by failing to field the right combinations and captain Rohit Sharma's absence means fellow seniors like Kieron Pollard, <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/harbhajan-singh/31001/4008">Harbhajan Singh</a> and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/lasith-malinga/31001/9036">Lasith Malinga</a> will have to step up. Star signing Corey Anderson's lack of form was a subject of great debate during the competition, but his game-changing 94 against Rajasthan Royals proved how dangerous the side could be with the big players firing. 
 
Lahore Lions: Pakistan's T20 champions had to endure a difficult passage into India with a visa delay, but on match day, their quality is set to leave an impact on the competition. The absence of Pakistani players from the IPL means the Lions will lend additional charm to the event, and the team is full of quality with six Pakistan internationals – <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/ahmed-shehzad/7001/7070">Ahmed Shehzad</a>, Umar Akmal, Nasir Jamshed, Aizaz Cheema, Wahab Riaz and captain Mohammad Hafeez. 
 
Nothern Knights: <keyword id="13837" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Daniel-Vettori">Daniel Vettori</keyword>'s withdrawal from the competition wouldn't affect the side that already boasts of <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/kane-williamson/6001/6071">Kane Williamson</a>, Trent Boult, Tim Southee, BJ Watling and Ish Sodhi, the fulcrum of the revival in New Zealand cricket. Scott Styris brings in years of experience, most importantly of having played in India on several occasions. 
 
Southern Express: Without Lasith Malinga and <a href="http://www.gocricket.com/player/tillakaratne-dilshan/9001/9034">Tillakaratne Dilshan</a>, the Sri Lankan side does look weak but expect them to fight tooth and nail. The familiarity with conditions in the subcontinent will make them a force to reckon with.

CLT20: Another Shot At Winning Over The IPL Faithful

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.

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