IPL 2017 - Virat is Back For RCB vs MI In A Crucial Tie For The Hosts

#IPL #IPL 2017

#IndianPremierLeague

Two losses out of three matches have set the alarm bells ringing in the Royal Challengers Bangalore (#RCB) ranks, and they would be mighty pleased to see their #Captain #ViratKohli back in action after the his #Shoulder #Injury sustained during the #IndvAus #TestMatch #Series. 

A #HomeGame vs Mumbai Indians (#MI) would be an ideal platform for the captain to get a feel of things and try to get RCB back on track. #Mumbai on the other hand are upbeat after two consecutive home #Wins, including an easy one over Sunrisers Hyderabad (#SRH).

The Delhi #Superstar has been declared #FitToPlay on Thursday by the #BCCI #MedicalTeam.

#Kohli, who had dropped hints of making a return after posting a video on his #Instagram account of his gym session on April 11, did some #Fielding drills during the team's #NetSession on Wednesday.

Last year, Kohli had scored a staggering 973 runs in 16 matches with four centuries to guide #RCB to the finals against Sunrisers Hyderabad (#SRH) and he would look to improve #Bangalore's current sixth place #Standing on the points-table.

In Kohli's absence, #ABD de Villiers made his presence felt as he smashed his way to an unbeaten 89 off just 46 balls to help RCB post a respectable 148-4 on his comeback match after recovering from an injury.

The poor form of Chris #Gayle is also a concern for RCB. The West Indian power-hitter has been struggling to carve out big scores, which is reflected in his failure to score even one half century in his last 10 innings.

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Did Mitchell Starc do a Twitter goof-up by messaging the wrong Virat Kohli? - Yahoo Cricket (blog)

#IPL #IPL 2017 #IPL 10

#IndianPremierLeague

Things are definitely not going well for #Australian #Pacer #MitchellStarc. After getting sidelined from the #India-Australia #TestSeries midway due to stress #Fracture on his right knee, he has now landed in an embarrassing situation. 

#Starc, with hopes of settling down the air with India and RCB skipper #ViratKohli, sent him a personal message on #Twitter. The message was a lighthearted one with congratulatory words on the Test series win against Australia and also the emphatic home season India had against New Zealand, England and Bangladesh which helped Kohli and his men to climb the No. 1 spot in #ICC #Test #Rankings. Moreover, Starc also wished Kohli to have a #Speedy #Recovery from a shoulder #Injury which the swashbuckling batsman sustained in Bangalore Test keeping him out of the final Test of the series at Dharamsala.

There was nothing wrong with Starc's message. But the only, and perhaps the biggest, problem was that Starc sent it to a parody account of Kohli. Starc, who is dart on target when it comes to bowling absolute yorkers to batsmen on field, went haywire on Twitter by messaging the fan account @imVkohIIi rather than Kohli's official handle @imVkohli.

"Hey friend Hopefully I don't have to look for a new IPL team?? Haha media hey! Didn't get a chance to have a proper catch up mate but Congrats on the series win and on your summer personally… I hope that shoulder is on the mend and not too bad? Good luck for the IPL, here's hoping to an RCB win. Cheers mate," Starc tweeted. Now obviously, the owner of the account could not resist this glaring opportunity and swiftly shared this message to display the great blunder Starc did. Not only did he share the message but being a good bloke replied Starc with humbleness and made the speedster aware of what blunder he had committed.

The owner replied (ignore the glaring English), "Thanx for all these on Virat's behalf. Hoping your injury is well nowe & wishing good luck for all ur upcoming matches. As we all know that u & virat r good frnds on & off the field as many times virat had mention it. As i m fan of @imVkohli & hoping u both to playing together for RCB next year. Lets cheer together for RCB & hope to…"

Starc has played under Kohli's captaincy for RCB in 2014 and 2015, but opted out of IPL 2017 with intentions of being fully fit for the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2017 in June. But the India-Australia series turned bitter for Starc as he had to fly back home due to the injury.

The four-game Test series against the mighty Australia did spark a lot of controversies throughout wherein Australian media targeting Kohli topped the list. But regardless of the controversies from the series, this goof-up by Starc certainly has made things lighter.

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IPL 2017: Royal Challengers Bangalore complete squad, key players and list of matches

#IPL #IPL 10 #IPL 2017

#IndianPremierLeague

Arguably the most popular #T20 #Tournament in the world, the #IPL started in 2007 after India's unprecedented success in the 2007 T20 World Cup, when they lifted the trophy in South Africa. 

The IPL started with a bang when #BrendonMcCullum, then playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (#KKR) scored a massive 158 against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (#RCB). The #VijayMallya owned team had performed poorly in the first season and came 2nd last on the number's table. The team was criticised for a poor selection of players, which consisted of test specialists like Rahul Dravid, Wasim Jafar and Jaques Kallis. 

The team has come a long way since then and has remained a top contender for the title, despite never having won the tournament in its decade-long history. Led by Indian Captain #ViratKohli, the #RCB displays a mixture of youth and experience but remains heavily dependent on its famous #BattingLineup.

Royal Challengers Bangalore full squad for IPL 2017

Existing players: Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Yuzvendra Chahal, Harshal Patel, Mandeep Singh, Adam Milne, Sarfaraz Khan, S Aravind, Kedar Jadhav, Shane Watson, Stuart Binny, Samuel Badree, Iqbal Abdulla, Travis Head, Sachin Baby, Avesh Khan, Tabraiz Shamsi

Players Bought: 

• Pawan Negi (1 Cr), 
• Tymal Mills (12 Cr), 
• Aniket Choudhary (INR 2 Cr), 
• Praveen Dubey (10 Lakh), 
• Billy Stanlake (30 Lakh)

Key players:

Virat Kohli 

He might have hit a rough patch in the ongoing Border-Gavaskar series but T20 is a different ball game altogether and Kohli;s track record in the format speaks for itself. 

In 154 IPL matches, Kohli has played since 2008, he has amassed 4534 runs at an impressive average of 38.10 and a strike rate of 132. 07. In the last season of the IPL, Virat had hit a golden patch scoring 973 runs in 16 innings with a strike rate of 152.03 and an incredible average of 81.08.

Chris Gayle

The big #Jamaican is easily the most experienced batsman in the team and the most destructive one, on his day. #Gayle has been playing as a mercenary in #T20 tournaments all over the world and is easily a nightmare for any #Bowler at the top of the order. He has 3220 runs in the 82 matches that he has played in the #IPL, with an average of 46 and a strike rate of 156.92 and a top score of 175 against Pune. He also happens to have the fastest T20 #Century to his name.

AB de Villiers

AB de Villiers is #Superman. #ABD Villiers is at a stage of human evolution where he has left the homo sapiens way behind. De Villiers can captain, can bat anywhere, keep wickets, field anywhere, and even bowl at a decent speed. While it is to be seen, if #Kohli and management use him as a finisher or up the order, De Villiers will find ways to score on anyone, anywhere on the field.

Tymal Mills

The Englishman is the newest buy in the team and this is first IPL season. At 24 years of age, Mills has a bright future ahead of him and playing for RCB in the IPL could only propel him to new heights of stardom. Mills is the only pacer in the team who comes with some reputation. Considering the batting line-up, it is very unlikely that he would be short of runs to defend but his skills with the back of the hand slow ball mixed well with his ability to fire #Yorkers at will could be the last piece of the puzzle #RCB need to win the #IPL.

#RCB #Match #Schedule for IPL 2017

Match 1: SRH vs RCB, April 5, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 2: RCB vs Delhi Daredevils, April 8, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 3: Kings XI Punjab vs RCB, April 10, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 4: RCB vs Mumbai Indians, April 14, 2017, 16:00 IST

Match 5: RCB vs Rising Pune Supergiant, April 16, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 6: Gujarat Lions vs RCB, April 18, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 7: KKR vs RCB, April 23, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 8: RCB vs SRH, April 25, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 9: RCB vs Gujarat Lions, April 27, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 10: Rising Pune Supergiant vs RCB, April 29, 2017, 16:00 IST

Match 11: Mumbai Indians vs RCB, May 1, 2017, 16:00 IST

Match 12: RCB vs Kings XI Punjab, May 5, 2017, 20:00 IST

Match 13: RCB vs KKR, May 7, 2017, 16:00 IST

Match 14: Delhi Daredevils vs RCB, May 15, 2017, 20:00 IST

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IPL 2017 Auction: Check Out the Complete List Of Sold And Unsold Players

#IPL2017 #IPL10 #Auction was successfully held on February 20, 2017 in Bengaluru. 

The #IndianPremiereLeague is all set to start on April 5, 2017. 

Here is a list of all players #Sold and #Unsold (some real surprises here....) from the auction:

As expected, England All-rounder #BenStokes won it real big at the auction. He was owned by #RisingPuneSupergiants for a whopping INR. 14.5 crores (over USD. 2 Million)

#SunrisersHyderabad missed out a chance to have him at Rs. 13 crores. 

Lesser known #Tymal Mills, was the ultimate surprise jackpot winner though. He was sold out for Rs. 13 crores to #RoyalChallengersBangalore. 

#KagisoRabada, the young paceman from South Africa and #Kiwi superstar #TrentBoult were signed for Rs. 5 crores each. 

#MohammadNabi and #RashidKhan became the first players from #Afghanistan to bag IPL deals. Truly sensational news this for budding Afghan players and their cricket future.

#KarnSharma was the one who was sold for a handsome amount of Rs. 3.2 crores from Indian players and the next one is #TNatarajan who signed for Rs. 3 crores. 

#EoinMorgan inked in Rs. 2 crores to the #KingsXIPunjab (#KXIP). 

Delhi Daredevils: Kagiso Rabada (Rs 5 crore), Navdeep Saini (Rs 10 lakh), Pat Cummins Rs 4.5 crore), Aditya Tare (Rs 25 lakh), Angelo Mathews (Rs 2 crore), Corey Anderson (Rs 1 crore), M Ashwin (Rs 1 crore), Ankeet Bawane (Rs 10 lakh), Shashank Singh (Rs 10 lakh).

Gujarat Lions: Jason Roy (Rs 1 crore), Shubam Agrawal (Rs 10 lakh), Basil Thampy (Rs 85 lakh), Shelley Shaurya (Rs 10 lakh), Manpreet Gony (Rs 60 lakh), Nathu Singh (Rs 50 lakh), Munaf Patel (Rs 30 lakh), Tejas Singh Baroka (Rs 10 lakh), Chirag Suri (Rs 10 lakh), Pratham Singh (Rs 10 lakh), Aksh Deep Nath (Rs 10 lakh)

Kings XI Punjab: T Natarajan (Rs 3 crore), Varun Aaron (Rs 2.8 crore), Rahul Tewatia (Rs 25 lakh), Eoin Morgan (Rs 2 crore), Darren Sammy (Rs 30 lakh), Matt Henry (Rs 50 lakh), Martin Guptill (Rs 50 lakh), Rinku Singh (Rs 10 lakh).

KKR: Trent Boult (Rs 5 crore), Chris Woakes (Rs 4.2 crore), Darren Bravo (Rs 50 lakh), Nathan Coulter-Nile (Rs 3.5 crore), Rishi Dhawan (Rs 55 lakh), Sayan Ghosh (Rs 10 lakh), Rovman Powell (Rs 30 lakh), R Sanjay Yadav (Rs 10 lakh), Ishank Jaggi (Rs 10 lakh).

Mumbai Indians: Karn Sharma (Rs 3.2 crore), Asela Gunarathna (Rs 30 lakh), Nicolas Pooran (Rs 30 lakh), K Gowtham (Rs 2 crore), Mitchell Johnson (Rs 2 crore), Saurabh Tiwary (Rs 30 lakh), Kulwant Khejroliya (Rs 10 lakh).

RPS: Ben Stokes (Rs 14.5 crore), Dan Christian (Rs 1 crore), Manoj Tiwary (Rs 50 lakh), Lockie Ferguson (Rs 50 lakh), Jaydev Unadkat (Rs 30 lakh), Rahul Chahar (Rs 10 lakh), Suarabh Kumar (Rs 10 lakh), Milind Tandon (Rs 10 lakh), Rahul Tripathi (Rs 10 lakh).

Royal Challengers Bangalore: Tymal Mills (Rs 12 crore), Aniket Choudhary Rs 2 crore), Pawan Negi (Rs 1 crore), Billy Stanlake (Rs 30 lakh), Praveen Dubey (Rs 10 lakh).

Sunrisers Hyderabad: Rashid Khan (Rs 4 crore), Mohammed Siraj (Rs 2.6 crore), Pravin Tambe (Rs 10 lakh), Eklavya Dwivedi Rs 75 lakh), Chris Jordan (Rs 50 lakh), Mohammad Nabi (Rs 30 lakh), Ben Laughlin (Rs 30 lakh), Tanmay Agarwal (Rs 10 lakh).

Unsold players (many surprises in this one marked in RED)

Ishant Sharma, Jason Holder, Brad Haddin, Nathan Lyon, Jonny Bairstow, Kyle Abbott, Marlon Samuels, Alex Hales, Andile Phehlukwayo, Nic Maddinson, Michael Klinger, Cheteshwar Pujara, Thisara Perera, Mohammad Shahzad, Kusal Janith Perera, Ross Taylor, Irfan Pathan, Colin Munro, Dinesh Chandimal, James Neesham, Wayne Parnell, Mitchell Santner, Akila Dananjaya, Colin De Grandhomme, Brad Hogg, Imran Tahir, Evin Lewis, Unmukt Chand, Abhinav Mukund, Rishi Arothe, Umang Sharma, Prithvi Shaw, Glenn Phillips.

Pankaj Singh, Joe Burns, RP Singh, Fawad Ahmed, Michael Beer, Faiz Fazal, Rahul Sharma, Sean Abbott, Mehedi Hasan, Sabbir Rahman, Dwaine Pretorius, Mahmudullah, Johnson Charles, and others....

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IPL 2017 Mitchell Starc Moves On From RCB

#IPL2017
#IPL #Season 10 #T20 #Cricket

Royal Challengers Bangalore #RCB, suffered a huge blow ahead of the 2017 Indian Premier League (#IPL) auction as Australia pacer #MitchellStarc will not be a part of this year's tournament.

A tweet from the IPL announced that Mitch and Bangalore had decided to "discontinue their association ahead of 2017 season", confirming reports in certain sections of the international media.

A statement from the Board of Control for Cricket in India explained that the player and RCB have mutually decided to discontinue their association ahead of the upcoming season of #VIVO #IPL Indian Premier League 2017 in accordance with Regulations of the IPL Player Regulations.

This will be a huge blow to the franchise and Bangalore will now go into Monday's auction with an additional purse of INR 5 crore along with an additional slot for an overseas player.

The 27-year old fast bowler, who missed the previous edition of the IPL due to injury, joined the Bangalore franchise in 2014 and has taken 34 wickets for his side till date

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RCB Annihilate Hopeless Royals - Breeze Into Qualifier 2

#RCB vs #RR
#Eliminator
#MCA Stadium, Pune
20th May 2015

A much anticipated duel between the two "Royal" teams Royal Challengers Bangalore and Rajasthan Royals ended in a damp squib at the MCA stadium in Pune.

#RCB outclassed a clueless and planless #RR team in all departments to secure a Qualifier 2 entry to meet #CSK. The winner there will compete with #MI for the #IPL crown on Sunday in Kolkata.

Today's game was rightly called the Eliminator, since losers would pack bags.
Hence it was expected both teams to compete really fiercely but only one team landed up and played this match. Royals were nowhere after first 9 overs of their bowling innings. It all went horribly wrong for them there on.

At 47 for 2 in 9 overs, RCB were under serious pressure and looked out of sorts. That's when #ABDevilliers and #MandeepSingh got together and delivered a stunning 113 run partnership off just 70 balls to set tone for a massive first innings total of 180 for 4.

The wicket wasn't easy to bat on, hence it was important to score decent and put the bowlers in action. Not only did RCB score brilliantly but when they came out to bowl, they delivered a perfectly clinical bowling performance too.

None of the RR batsman got going or carried on after a start.
Rahane top score with 42 but never got going.

Watson was out in the 2nd over followed closely by Samson and Smith (a hugely disappointing IPL for him after the glory of CWC15). Every batsman came in, tried to hang in and then got out. Karun Nair, Deepak Hooda, James Faulkner, Stuart Binny completed a procession of wickets to complete a royal misery.

What was surprising that head coach Rahul Dravid didn't plan this well at all? This was abject, not poor. Not that RCB didn't do very well but the manner in which RR cracked indicated poor intensity, application and skill.

RCB are not complaining. They are flying to Ranchi to take on CSK, a bogey team for them.
They need to much better in all departments to beat that MS Dhoni led super side.

#LIVE #SCORE
RCB - 180 for 4, 20 overs
RR - 109 all out, 19 overs

Man of the Match: A B Devilliers

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Devilliers Stunner Mandeep Special Sets Up RCB Innings Vs RR

#RCB vs #RR
#Eliminator
#MCA Stadium, Pune
20th May 2015

Explosive innings by both #ABDevilliers and #MandeepSingh have ensured RCB score 180 for 4 in their stipulated 20 overs.

Struggling at 47 for 2 in 9 overs, these two got together and transcended the game to a completely new level. Mandeep Singh started the charge with some bold shots to infuse life in this RCB struggle. Even AB was struggling to score quickly then.

Once he got in, AB got into his groove and smashed the Royals' bowlers all over the park in his inimitable style. Mandeep joined the party with his style of hitting to smash runs at will. The Royals didn't know what hit them really. All bowlers went for many including Chris Morris, their best bowler.

Now its over to the Royals' batsmen to chase 181 to win this game against Starc and company. Wow... we have great game on here! 

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Mandeep and DeVilliers On The Charge

#RCB vs #RR
#Eliminator
#MCA Stadium, Pune
20th May 2015

After struggling for the first 9 overs, RCB are on the charge...
#Mandeep Singh has decided to take charge ahead of the top three who have struggled to time the ball. Gayle and Kohli were claimed by Kulkarni early to leave RCB in trouble but Mandeep and Devilliers are opening up to provide much needed impetus.

Royals have bowled well and to a plan.
Their bowlers have put the bowl outside the off stump to prevent RCB batsmen from playing freely.

RCB innings poised for an interesting finish, since this pitch seems a bit difficult to bat on. Game ON...

#LIVE #SCORE
RCB -  113 for 2, 15 overs.

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Royals Get Rid Of Gayle At Stroke Of First Timeout

#RCB vs #RR
#Eliminator
#MCA Stadium, Pune
20th May 2015

#RCB have won the toss and elected to bat first in this #Eliminator contest vs #Royals. Smasher #Gayle and Basher #Kohli starting their innings.

Its a cautious start for them and that would hearten the Royals.
Gayle trying punch the ball at every opportunity, Kohli playing second fiddle.
RR have shuffled around with their bowling to keep them guessing.

Both teams feeling each other and at the stroke of #timeout, #DhawalKulkarni has clean bowled the dangerous #Gayle for 27. Huge blow. Royals will feel relieved after that missed run out earlier. 

Game ON as AB Devilliers will walk in to join Virat.

#LIVE #SCORE
RCB: 41 For 1, 6 Overs

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Eliminator Battle Royale - RCB vs RR

#RCB vs #RR
#Eliminator 
#MCA Stadium, Pune
20th May 2015

After a stunning performance by #MI yesterday to beat #CSK and qualify for the IPL final on Sunday, the attention now moves to #Eliminator where two "Royal" teams face each other to move ahead in the competition. Winners of this contest will meet #CSK in Qualifier 2 at Ranchi on 22nd May 2015.

So, how does it look for both teams?

#RajasthanRoyals
Their road to the finals have been like the "hare" who rushed ahead in the race only to stumble, crawl and just make it over the line at the last minute. After a glorious start to their campaign this year (5 straight wins), they ran into KXIP and a super over (in a game they should have won easily in regulation time). The Super over lottery was won by KXIP and it marked a remarkable turn of fortunes for RR where they started looking scrappy, scratchy and disjoint that point onwards. Perhaps that loss took a lot of their momentum and motivation out. A couple of washed out games made it difficult for them to gain full points in some games but in the end, it must be said, their opening dash helped them cross the line to qualify from 4th place in the points table.

A batting heavy side - Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Sanju Samson, Deepak Hooda have scored well throughout and will challenge the RCB bowling lineup. Bowling seems to be their weakest link and that will be thoroughly tested by Gayle, Virat, Devilliers and Co. Chris Morris has been their best bowler but James Faulkner, Watson, spinners haven't been able to really tie opposition teams down or get wickets regularly. This will remain their biggest concern and Rahul Dravid (chief coach) will have to plan their strategy accordingly.

#RoyalChallengersBangalore
They have been up and down too. Not known to be good starters, this season hasnt been different either. But, they have bounced back very well in spite of bad weather causing their last three games to be curtailed or abandoned. They have just done enough to scrape through to third position in the points table. The top three's indifferent form earlier in the league made it difficult to set or chase targets but that seems to be sorted out now and that's what makes them deadly dangerous.

Bowling is brilliantly led by Mitchell Starc but he needs good support from Arvind, Chahal, Patel and others to stop the RR top order from running away with a big total. Batting will rely heavily on the top three - Gayle-Virat-ABD but others need to step up to plate and score well if any of these three were to fail. 

Interestingly, both sides are languishing at the bottom (#6 RCB and #7 RR) of the fairplay award table. This indicates both sides are volatile and a moment away from behavioral madness. Watson can get under anyone's skin with his Aussie sledging while Virat ka gussa is well documented all over!

All in all, looks like a spicy contest on our hands.
Remember loser of this game packs its bags. No second chances. Its all to play for.

Who will win?
Time will tell.
All the best to both teams.

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What Can MI, RCB and RR Learn From CSK About Fair Play?

As the top two teams at #IPL8 face each other in Qualifier 1 match today, there is an interesting statistic that needs a look in.

On the #Fair #Play Points table, #CSK are as usual on the top (its pretty remarkable, how they do well on both the tables - points and fair play - season after season) and #MI? .. you guessed it right ... at the bottom (this is big pain point in their inconsistent performances over the years).

Is the Fair Play points table is a good indicator of team's consistency, form and winability?
Its an interesting question to answer.

Teams that generally stay on top of this fair play table, either do very well or do very poorly. 

The 2015 Fair Play table looks like this
1. CSK
2. KKR
3. KXIP
4. DD
5. SRH
6. RR
7. RCB
8. MI

Barring CSK that is on top, teams from positions 2 to 5 have been knocked out while teams 6,7 and 8 have qualified for the playoffs. This is an amazing stat. 

Does playing fair mean compromising on winning? or should teams shouldn't care about fair play and focus only on the points table?

This is why CSK is the best team in IPL ever.
And they have been consistent on both tables year after year.

Just goes to show how #MSDhoni has built this team to play fair and yet keep winning. Win at all cost ... may not work all the time .

RR, RCB and MI can really learn from the CSK about this fair play habit!
No doubt they have some outstanding performers and entertainers, but champs with humility are always looked up to by the public!

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Picture is Clear - CSK v MI and RCB vs RR In The Playoffs

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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Three Results - Million Possibilities Open Up For Top 4

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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Latest Results Turn Points Table Topsy Turvy

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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RR Slipping, RCB, KKR, MI, SRH On The Charge In IPL8 Points Table

#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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