#CSK vs #MI
#Qualifier 1
#Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
19th May 2015
#MI slightly ahead of the game after the first strategic timeout in CSK innings.
A horror lbw decision against #DwayneSmith by umpire Illingworth in the first over, set them on the backfoot rightaway. The aging #MikeHussey was unable to push things through really fast and eventually was caught behind off #VinayKumar.
#FafduPlessis and #SureshRainia have stepped up the gas, especially Plessis to infuse life in this CSK innings.
But, Harbhajan's 11th over of the innings turned things on its head.
He had #SureshRaina caught and bowled off the second ball. Big wicket.
The bigger wicket awaited next delivery when he trapped #MSDhoni plumb in front. The celebrations from the MI team and crowd were amazing.
He almost had DwayneBravo on the last ball of the same over but he missed a simple caught and bowled chance. However, this over has put MI firmly ahead in this game and the IPL final beckons!
#LIVE #SCORE
MI - 187
CSK - 95 for 4 in 12 overs
Game ON>>>
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#CSK vs #MI
#Qualifier 1
#Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
19th May 2015
A stunning 17 ball 41 by #KieronPollard has helped #MI set a formidable target of 188 against #CSK. After 17 overs, CSK had pulled back the MI innings wonderfully through #Bravo and #Nehra.
But the last three overs belonged to Pollard.
He ripped into the CSK seamers - Bravo and Mohit to leapfrog their total to 188.
46 runs came off the last 3 overs.
Over 18 - 15 runs
Over 19 - 15 runs
Over 20 - 16 runs.
Massive damage done.
A couple of iffy decisions on wides cost CSK a bit, though.
MS Dhoni seemed disappointed and talked to umpire Dharmasena about it.
So, how does this pan out now?
188 in 20 overs. Can CSK pull this off? or will MI restrict them?
Game on...
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#CSK vs #MI
#Qualifier 1
#Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
19th May 2015
Looking straight down the barrel (staring at chasing 200), #CSK have clawed back brilliantly through #Bravo and #Nehra.
Overs 16 and 17 have been game changers for CSK.
Just 8 runs came off these two overs and two key wickets lost.
#RohitSharma and Hardik Pandya both fell trying to hit long shots, pegging MI back.
MI's hopes to reach 200 now rest on #Pollard and #Rayudu.
3 overs to go. Game on...
#LIVE #SCORE
MI - 156 for 4, 18 overs
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#CSK vs #MI
#Qualifier 1
#Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
19th May 2015
First #Strategic #Timeout of the game.
#MI started cautiously in the first 4 overs.
#Nehra and #Ashwin troubled them with swing and spin.
But, they've covered up brilliantly in the next 2 overs
#Simmons and #Parthiv have opened up and smashed Ashwin and Nehra for 14 runs each to even things out.
The battle looking exciting already.
Dhoni has utilized 3 overs each from his top 2 bowlers.
So, its going to be interesting how he's going to go from here?
For MI, they need to carry on the momentum..
#LIVE #SCORE
MI - 48 for 0 in 6 overs
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#CSK vs #MI
#Qualifier 1
#Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
19th May 2015
We're close to start of Qualifier 1.
Its toss time.
#MSDhoni and #RohitSharma in the centre.
Coin tossed ... and it comes a tail, correctly called by Rohit.
MI have won the toss and elected to bat first.
Massive game this and batting first would be a huge advantage with pressure all around.
Is it going to be the first opportunity or a last min dash performance that would decide the fate of this game? Amazing crowd, great atmosphere and big clash. What else can you ask for.
Let the battle explode.
The big #IPL final is calling....
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This is it .. after grueling six weeks of non stop action, drama and amazing performance .. it has come down to the top 4 teams making the playoffs at #IPL - Indian Premier League. Cant get better and bigger than this!
Qualifier 1 - #MSDhoni led table-toppers Chennai Super Kings, the indomitable force in all seasons of the IPL will take on the mercurial and in-form Mumbai Indians led by #RohitSharma at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today. Promises to be a cracker of a game. Remember, winner goes straight to the #IPL final - a massive incentive to win. The loser gets another crack by playing qualifier 2. That's a bonus too!
Team #MI - will be selected from below
Rohit Sharma
Corey Anderson
AC Blizzard
Jaspreet Bumrah,
Unmukt Chand,
M de Lange,
S Gopal,
Alex Hales,
Harbhajan Singh,
Ben Hilfenhaus,
SD Lad,
Mitchell McClenaghan,
Lasith Malinga,
Abhimanyu Mithun,
C Munro,
Pragyan Ojha,
Harsh Pandya,
Parthiv Patel,
Kieron Pollard,
Navin Rana,
Ambati Rayudu
Lendl Simmons,
J Suchith,
P Suyal,
Aditya Tare,
Vinay Kumar,
AA Wakhare
Team #CSK - will be selected from below
MS Dhoni,
Kyle Abbott,
Baba Aparajith,
Ravichandran Ashwin,
Shrinivas Badree,
AK Bains,
Dwayne Bravo,
Faf du Plessis,
ER Dwivedi,
Mike Henry,
Mike Hussey,
Ravindra Jadeja,
Brendon McCullum,
Mithun Manhas,
RG More,
Pawan Negi,
Ashish Nehra,
Ishwar Pandey,
Irfan Pathan,
Pratyush Singh,
Suresh Raina,
Mohit Sharma,
R Sharma,
Dwayne Smith,
AJ Tye
Both teams look solid both with the bat and ball.
CSK looks stronger with the bat slightly whereas Mumbai look a shade better on the bowling front.
MS' boys can turn around games on their sheer relentlessness while Rohit can inspire his MI team to produce an incredible batting or bowling innings. Thats how it is pioised?
So, who will win? who will prevail? who can handle pressure better?
The clinical #CSK or the red-hot #MI? Time will tell.
May the best team win!
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The IPL Points table picture is finally clear on a #Super #Sunday.
After weeks of speculation, tricks and turns, rain god interruptions and some amazing cricket performances ... the final 4 teams have been decided.
1. Chennai Super Kings
2. Mumbai Indians
3. Royal Challengers Bangalore
4. Rajasthan Royals
The battle for these positions was so tight and complex, #MI, #RCB and #RR actually finished on 16 points each. Mumbai pipped Bangalore on higher number of wins while RCB edged RR due to better net run rate. It was that close...
Fair to say, the best four teams qualified although KKR will feel they missed out inspite of being pretty consistent and strong throughout while SRH will feel hard done by that heart-crushing loss vs RCB in the previous game.
Today's games held big significance for all teams
In the first one, RCB faced DD. A huge game for RCB to win and keep their qualifying hopes alive. Alarmingly for them, DD posted a strong 188 in 20 overs to send scare waves in that RCB #dugout. However, as with their two previous games - rain - affected this game too. And this time, it was kind to them. The game washed off. RCB taking a vital one point to ensure they end up on 16 points and secured a qualifying berth. It was kind of out-of-jail situation for them really because the target was indeed stiff.
The other game, it was a knockout between SRH and MI.
Hyderabad had the home advantage but were blown away by a terrific spell of fast bowling from Malinga and McClenaghan upfront to be bowled out for a paltry 113 in 20 overs. MI openers Simmons and Parthiv chased the target easily to hand over 2 points and most importantly second spot in that points table. How wheels of fortune turned for them .. after five straight defeats at the beginning of the season, to hit that #2 spot was nothing short of amazing. It must be said though that other teams floundering at wrong moments helped their cause big time.
So its all set for the play-offs stage at #IPL8
19th May 2015 - Qualifier 1 - CSK vs MI at Mumbai (MI will have big home advantage plus loser of this game gets another crack at the final)
20th May 2015 - Eliminator - RCB vs RR at Pune (Winner needs to play loser of Qualifier 1 to progress to final, Loser eliminated)
22nd May 2015- Qualifier 2 - Loser of Qualifier 1 vs Winner of Eliminator
24th May 2015 - Big final at Kolkata
Mouth watering prospect this!
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Who will make it to the top 4 at this year's IPL?
With just a game or two remaining for most teams, the picture is very unclear! The last three results have made it even more interesting and puzzling!
As if last week's action wasn't intriguing enough, this week is proving to provide greater suspense and drama than a Sherlock Holmes' mystery.
Take a look
- 6 teams out of 8 have a chance to qualify for the knockout stages of this tournament.
- Positions 1 to 4 are completely hazy and no one can pin-point their standing with just a game or two remaining per team
- The two ousted teams #DD and #KXIP won their latest games throwing the field wide open yet again
#DD steamrolls #CSK
With CSK really looking to close out its pole position in the points table, facing DD was their easiest game. This considering DD have been hot-cold all the way through and their inconsistency in batting has let them down badly. CSK, although not red hot, were expected to breeze through this one. What happened was nothing short of amazing.
First CSK was shot out for 120 on a pretty good wicket owing to some solid bowling and fielding from DD. Then their batsman took center-stage (Yuvraj and Nayyar) and annihilated a rusty CSK bowling attack and easily chased the set target, It was as if DD had nothing to loose and played with gay abandon. Result a thumping win for DD, a big dent for CSK on two counts. No points and their #NRR took a solid beating (which seems to be extremely critical for position qualification considering state of the points table)
#KXIP hurts #RCB badly
The other ousted team, KXIP had nothing to lose either.
What made matters worse for #RCB was #rain curtailed the game to 10 over a side. A clear lottery. In such cases the minnows clearly have an edge because the pressure to win solely lies with the stronger team! And it turned out exactly that way.
Edgy RCB bowlers leaked out too many runs upfront. Saha smashing Starc, Aravind to take away the initiative. Some poor batting at the end meant they scored 112 in 10 overs. OK but not a great total to challenge Gayle, Kohli and Devilliers? Well, as it panned out, KXIP broke through the batting order with good bowling and fielding getting the Big 3 out cheaply and then choking the innings wonderfully by 20 runs! Big margin. No points to RCB and dent in their #NRR just like CSK.
#MI surprise #KKR
Needing to win badly, MI went out with purpose while KKR needing one win to assure a top two positioning on the points table went cautiously. Result? even after a poor start and early wickets, MI's Pandya and Pollard managed to pile on 171 in 20 overs. Pandya was brilliant while Pollard, for a change, played second fiddle but ensured he stayed there to avoid any further damage.
KKR never looked ready for that run chase and ran out of steam. Yusuf Pathan did try to pull a rabbit out of the hat but a brilliant final over by Pollard ensured MI defended and won by 5 runs (12 runs were needed for last over with Pathan at the crease)
So, where is all this heading?
Looks like the last game will decide the top 4.
And boy will that not be interesting? and DD/KXIP playing spoilsport means its anyone's guess to choose a winner....
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What an extra ordinary last week at #IPL8!!
From a 4 four war battle for 2 spots, its come down to 5 way battle for 3 spots and everything is so uncertain!
#RRs under big threat of not qualifying in top 4
From a seemingly safe Top-2 spot a week ago, RR have slid considerably and look on the brink of finishing outside the top 4. Thats an amazing turnaround of fortunes for this team that looked absolutely dominant at the beginning of the tournament. Just goes to show its about momentum. The day they lost that super over to KXIP, their fortunes and momentum have turned for worse! They're losing game after game and stand on verge of elimination from the #playoffs. With just one game to go, a victory doesnt guarantee them that spot unless one the lower teams flounders badly. Watson as captain or Steve Smith, is not making any difference to their performance at the moment.
#CSK just about holding onto its lead
An off color CSK has just about managed to win sufficient games to stay top of the points table. This is courtesy #MSDhoni captaincy and overall balance of their team. Their home record in enviable and that has helped them too. The playoffs however are outside #Chennai and that will worry them no ends. They need to pull up their socks to maintain their reputation as the best side in the IPL over the years. Reversal to Mumbai at Chidambaram Stadium due to miscalculated gamble by Dhoni had gotten them into a tight spot, but a typical hard fought victory against RR ensured they stay top. With two games to go, they seem all set to play in the #knockouts.
#KKR marching on their overall ability and attitude to win
Led wonderfully by Gautam Gambhir, the defending champions rose to the top for a short while. However, its their overall ability both with bat but more so with the bowl thats helping them stay in hunt for Qualifier 1 (a game where loser gets another crack to make it to the final). Andre Russell has been a revelation for them while Yusuf and the spin trio of Piyush, Hogg and Narine have pushed KKR along wonderfully well.
#RCB on the charge after #ABdevillers, #Gayle and #ViratKohli strike rich form
The batting, that seemed to be their bane in the first half of the tournament has started clicking and how? First it was the Killer "Gayle" show with a stunning 117 vs KXIP. This was followed by an even more entertaining 133* by AB deVilliers and solid 82* by Virat Kohli to demolish MI. Mitchell Starc and Co are bowling oppositions out consistently to ensure they get much need wins to get into the knockouts.
#SRH could be the dark horse
While the top teams have been hogging all limelight, SRH has quietly sneaked into 3rd place after their win against KXIP. avid Warner, Shikhar Dhawan, Moses Henriques are winning games with the bat and surprisingly their bowling lineup is bowling other teams inspite of resting both their bigwigs - Steyn and Boult. Watch for this team, if they reach playoffs.
#MI, once again from behind...
first 5 games lost, then 5 games won. This is how it has been for MI this season. Backs to wall on one day and outright dominant the other. Inconsistency has been their biggest threat and worry all through. Bowlers need to pull up their socks. Batsmen seem to coming into their own but a collective effort will be critical to put them into the playoffs
#DD and #KXIP - Could they play spoilsport for the top 6?
DD and KXIP are out of the reckoning but can they beat one the top 6 and upset all equations. Dont count that out and thats what the excitement of IPL is all about!!
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#IPL - Points Table Standings
The end race has begun...
As all 8 teams play out their last few games in the league stage of this tournament, its one hell of a battle to grab the top four positions in the points table at #IPL8.
Just a few games ago, CSK and RR seemed to have consolidated those top 2 positions in the table. It has changed a bit and more drama seems to be in store.
RR slipping big time!
That #superover defeat to KXIP turned it around for worse for this team.
Since that game, they have never looked an invincible side as they did in the first five unbeaten games to soar to the top. After that, they have shared points twice (and should be thankful), won one game and lost three more! Things are going wrong for Watson's men at the wrong time. They need to be at their best at this business end of the IPL and they are slipping.
12 games 14 points. 2 more games to go. Perhaps a win will ensure a top 4 berth for them but unless they win both their next games, they cannot guarantee a top 2 finish (and ensure entry into Qualifier 1 - a game that provides opportunity to the loser to play another game - Qualifier 2 against winner of the Eliminator game (played between 3rd and 4th placed teams))
KKR looking solid
The spinners have turned things around for this team, especially in the home games at #EdenGardens, a traditional spin powerhouse. Brad Hogg has been a revelation at 44 years of age! His bowling has left opponent teams in tatters and they dont seem to have answers to his #chinamen and legbreaks!
He is wonderfully supported by Piyush Chawla and Sunil Narine's entry into the fray lately has boosted KKR no ends. They seem to defend low totals easily. Their batting remains steady but chasing totals will be their biggest test as the tournament goes on,
11 games, 13 points
MI, RCB SRH on the charge
Three teams are making a charge for the fourth position in points table. And each team seems to be on the mission. MI, after the most dismal start to this IPL, has bounced back tremendously and hit peak form at the right time. RCB is making a big charge too with their batsmen flourishing while SRH is slowly sneaking up too. They could be the dark horse moving forward.
RCB: 10 games, 11 points
SRH: 10 games, 10 points
MI: 10 games, 10 points
CSK - undisputed leaders of the pack yet again!
Without a doubt they are the team to beat at this and every IPL season.
They just seem to make it to the top 2 positions in the table at will. Their balance, quality and captaincy abilities make them the perfect IPL team.
10 games, 14 points
DD and KXIP - Could they play party-crashers for other teams?
With both teams virtually out of running for knockout stages in this tournament, the best they can now do is disturb the table standing above them by surprising some of the other top teams and upsetting their equations.
All in all, things heating up at the business end of the #IPL8.
Lets hope the best 4 teams make it to the knockouts!
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The "Fair Play Award" is a wonderful concept brought in by #IPL.
The system ranks teams based on spirit of game demonstrated by teams, no or less verbal aggression, considerations on injuries of opponent teams, good over rates to finish innings, well mannered behavior on-off the field and respect earned from umpires, opposing teams and crowd. The team that scores most on this system wins the fair play award.
Over the last 7 seasons, it has been observed that one team has consistently performed magnificently on this system. Yes, that team is Chennai Super Kings or #CSK and a lot of its credit must go the "cult figure" #MSDhoni. The question is why?
For starters, MSD leading this team just gives it stability. His ability to pick the right players. nurture them into match winners and lead by example are top most qualities that make teams champions both in terms of wins on the field and off it.
He commands respect and can order his troops to behave if he senses problems. He gets them to focus on performance with bat-bowl rather than out-n-out gamesmanship. As a result, not only do they play fair but their record in the match points table is outstanding too. Twice winners, twice runners up and multiple time semi finalists. This team has got its priorities right. They go out to win games on their cricket skills not anything else. Hence they don't need to supplement their performance by antics and gimmicks that bring umpire wrath and negative points on the fair play system.
Another important aspect could be - MS being India captain - teams from other players automatically tone down themselves against CSK? (you don't want to peeve off the Indian captain if you are looking to play for India?)
Guess, the success mantra for CSK is "lets play cricket ...." and that leads them to do well on the ground and off it. Well done CSK! Other teams please take a cue!
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The first weekend double header seems to be intriguing and exciting both.
Both games pit superstars from the same country teams against each other which makes it a really mouthwatering proposition.
#CSK vs #Sunrisers
Trent Boult will be in action against his NZ captain Brendon McCullum in this one.
Shikhar Dhawan will face off with Ravi Ashwin and Mohit Sharma while Bhuvaneshwar Kumar and Ishant Sharma would try to trouble MS Dhoni and Suresh Raina..
All in all a fascinating duel between team mates!
CSK definitely looking the stronger side
Who will come out on top
McCullum/Dwayne Smith or Dhawan/Warner
Boult/Sharma or Mohit/Ashwin
Or will it be the fielders that decide the game?
CSK have a plethora of athletes - Raina, Faf, McCullum, Jadeja could turn the match on their fielding prowess alone!
The second game of the day is interesting too
#KKR vs #RCB
All eyes, no doubt, will be on #ViratKohli especially after his outburst against media and everyone who condemned #AnushkaSharma for his poor form and exit from the #CWC15. The aggressively expressive cricketer will be out there to prove a point. Will Anushka be there too? Remains to be seen...
Both captains are over the top players, losing their cool at the drop of a hat and thats where other senior players and umpires need to keep watch and control over proceedings in this game. Remember their famous on field spat a couple of seasons ago? Hope it doesn't repeat here
RCB are batting heavy with Virat-ABD-Gayle trio. They can decimate any attack on their day single handedly. Bowling seems to be their biggest concerns especially with not a lot of superstar power in those ranks except the exceptional Mtichell Starc and lively Adam Milne.
KKR seem more balanced on the bowling side with good combination of speed, swing and spin.
Morne Morkel and Umesh Yadav will lead the speed guns while Sunil Narine, Shakib Al Hasan and KC Cariappa (suprise pick for 2.4 crores!) will handle the spin dept. Batting is steady but not destructive - Gambhir will look to control innings at the top while Utthappa, Surya Yadav and Yusuf Pathan will tee off as needed.
All in all, very intriguing and exciting games these....
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