Former Indian Cricket Captain Rahul Dravid makes a return to India’s ODI team for the tri-series in Sri Lanka and for the Champions Trophy next month. Rahul Dravid replaced Rohit Sharma, who managed 15 runs in three ODI innings in the West Indies and 43 runs in three innings against major opposition in the World Twenty20.

Also the selectors did not want to take risk including Virender Sehwag, who is yet to recover fully from his shoulder injury. He was not expected to make it to the Sri Lanka tri-series and now has been left out for the Champions Trophy as well.

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid who have made a come back to the ODI squad

Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar, who opted out of the West Indies series, makes a comeback. Suresh Raina, who was out because of a hairline fracture of the thumb, also returns. Amit Mishra makes it into the ODI squad, replacing Pragyan Ojha as the back-up spinner to Harbhajan Singh. Dinesh Karthik and Abhishek Nayar have retained their places.

India’s ODI squad: Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni (capt/wk), Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, RP Singh, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, and Abhishek Nayar

Related posts

• Gambir powered India (0)
• Kings XI Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan posts record total in IPL II (0)
• Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils: Delhi won toss, opt to bowl out (0)
• Delhi Daredevils Vs Kings XI Punjab: Rain delays start, Daredevils wins toss, chose to field (0)
• Pakistan players to sue IPL (0)

IPL season II table toppers Delhi Daredevils will clash with the 3rd placed Deccan Chargers at Durban on Wednesday.

With both teams looking set for a place in the semi-finals, Deccan will be hoping to put one over a side they have never beaten in three attempts, knowing that a win will almost guarantee them that semi-final spot one wouldn’t have believed possible after their 12 loss riddled inaugural season.

The Daredevils have played the lowest number of matches in the season till date, just 9, and yet lead the points table quite comfortably with 14 points. They will however be a little concerned with fixture congestion come the fag end of the tournament, knowing that they will need to play 7 games over the next 12 days should they reach the IPL final.

They will be buoyed further with the return of skipper Virender Sehwag who missed four games due to a hand injury he sustained while dropping a hot chance the last time these two teams met. Stand-in skipper Gautam Gambhir showed that he was a more than capable replacement picking up 3 wins in those four matches.

The selection headache that Sehwag’s return presents, is whether they should stick with the existing winning combination keeping Australian youngster David Warner in the side and get him to open with Sehwag and bring Gambhir in at no. 3, or should they return to their original eleven which was giving their bowling more balance, playing Daniel Vettori as the fourth international player, and using the Indian pair at the top of the order. Bet the rest of the league is wishing they had similar problems!

Deccan will be aware that whatever the result of their game on Wednesday, they should still make the final four with their last three games against teams currently situated at 6th, 7th and 8th place in the IPL table.

With the pressure seemingly off both teams, we should see some free-flowing stroke play, and one hopes they can replicate their awesome encounter from last season where nearly 400 runs were scored. Delhi made 194 in their 20 overs, and Deccan fell just 12 runs short thanks to a five wicket haul from leg-spinner Amit Mishra who ripped through the middle order to take his side to victory.

Related posts

• Deccan Chargers Vs Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma helped Hyderabad win Mumbai (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Chennai Super Kings: Chennai Super Kings won by 92 runs (0)
• Sachin moves up the ODI Ranking (0)
• Chennai Super Kings Vs Kolkata Knight Riders: McCullum and Hodge helps Kolkata register 7 wicket win (0)
• Kings XI Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals: Weather is a concern in Cape Town (0)

Hyderabad Deccan Chargers were struggling at 55/4 in 10 overs against Delhi Daredevils in the 21st match of the second edition of the Indian Premier League at SuperSport Park in Centurion on Thursday.

Put in to bat by Virender Sehwag, Deccan Chargers got off to a poor start as they lost captain Adam Gilchrist in the first over by Dirk Nannes. Gilchrist, who hit two fours in his 8-run knock, was late in the short delivery and edged high up in the air for Dinesh Karthik to take the catch.

Nannes struck again in his next over when he had Herschelle Gibbs (0) caught at mid-off by AB de Villiers.

Rohit Sharma and Azhar Bilakhia added 33 runs for the third wicket before Rohit (17) hit a straighter delivery by Amit Mishra over the covers for Mithun Manhas to take the catch.

In the next over, Bilakhia (22) was trapped plumb in front of the wicket by a straighter delivery from Daniel Vettori.

Related posts

• Tit-Bits: Kings XI first team to hit 102 sixes in IPL (0)
• No knight Riders without Sourav: Shah Rukh (0)
• IPL Deal for Rs. 8200 Crore (0)
• India vs Sri Lanka: India take 1st place in Test cricket (0)
• ICC Annual Awards: List of Short-listed nominees (0)

A struggling Rajasthan Royals will look to save their title while a rampaging Delhi Daredevils will strive to continue their unbeaten run when the two sides lock horns in an Indian Premier League encounter on Tuesday.

The Virender Sehwag-led Delhi team is gradually emerging as one of the strongest title contenders and is comfortably second in the points tally after winning all their three matches played so far.

On the other hand, Shane Warne-led Rajasthan Royals have managed three points by virtue of the tied match against Kolkata Knight Riders which they won in the ‘Super Over’ and are languishing seventh in the table.

The Delhi Daredevils’ formidable batting line-up, which managed 189-5 – the highest score of the tournament so far – against last year’s runner-up Chennai Super Kings in their second outing, have made them a force to reckon with.

Their explosive opening pair of Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir, followed by the likes of Tillakaratne Dilshan, who scored a gutsy 67 to guide the team to a six-wicket win over Royal Challengers Bangalore on Sunday, will be a worry for Rajasthan bowlers.

In-form all-rounder AB de Villiers and Mithun Manhas have also proved themselves in trying moments and the side is seemingly poised for chasing down stiff targets.

In the bowling department, Dutch-born Australian left-arm paceman Dirk Nannes, along with India discard Ashish Nehra, is showing some ominous penetration power and getting early breakthroughs.

The new-ball pair is finding supports from the spin duo of Amit Mishra and New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori, who is drawing from his vast experience to make Delhi’s bowling formidable.

In contrast, Rajasthan have seemed like a shadow of the winning unit they were last season.

Young paceman Kamran Khan, who scalped two wickets for 15 runs for a losing cause in Sunday’s match against Kings XI Punjab, and speedster Munaf Patel are surely doing their bit but the batting has failed to back their consistent effort.

The team will be desperate for some fireworks from South Africa skipper Graeme Smith, who is yet to make any notable contribution.

The middle-order consisting Australian Rob Quiney and British Dimitri Mascarenhas will also have to strike form for the side to climb up in the points ladder.

Related posts

• DLF IPL 2 – Finals – A Journey from Bottom to Top for Deccan Chargers (0)
• Kings XI Punjab Vs Mumbai Indians: Bravo keeps Mumbai hopes alive (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Delhi Daredevils: RC will have a tough time against Delhi (0)
• Delhi Daredevils vs Rajasthan Royals (0)
• Gary Kirsten blames IPL (0)

Anil Kumble returned with his first five-wicket haul in Twenty20 cricket to bowl Bangalore Royal Challengers to victory over reigning champion Rajasthan Royals in the second match of the Indian Premier League (IPL) second edition here Saturday.

The former India captain also has the best economy rate in the IPL (1.57). Delivering a minimum of twelve balls in an innings, Kumble bettered Mohammad Hafeez’s rate of 2.00 (4-0-8-1) for Kolkata Knight Riders against Deccan Chargers at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens last year.

Other statistical highlights of the Royals-Challengers match:

Kumble (5/5 off 3.1 overs) posted the second best bowling figures in the IPL. Sohail Tanvir had 6 for 14 for Rajasthan Vs Chennai at Jaipur last year.

Kumble became the fourth bowler to capture five wickets in an innings. Sohail Tanvir, Amit Mishra and Lakshmipathy Balaji were the first three to claim five wickets in an innings.

Rahul Dravid (66) has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the first time in the IPL for producing his third fifty in the tournament — his fourth in Twenty20.

Rajasthan Royals’ 58 off 15.1 overs is the lowest total in the IPL, surpassing the 67 by Kolkata Knight Riders against Mumbai Indians in Mumbai last year. Their total is the second lowest in the history of Twenty20, next only to Titans’ 47 against Eagles at Centurion in 2004.

Bangalore Royal Challengers’ 75-run triumph is their biggest by runs margin in the IPL.

Rajasthan Royals’ defeat by 75 runs is their first in three IPL games against Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Related posts

• Delhi Daredevils Vs Rajasthan Royals: Struggling Royals take on Delhi devils (0)
• IPL Deal for Rs. 8200 Crore (0)
• Kings XI Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan Royals Lose to Punjab Kings (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan beat Deccan Chargers (0)
• TCS becomes Tech Partner for Rajasthan Royals (0)