Royal Challengers Bangalore registered an excellent win by 8 wickets against Kings XI Punjab who set a target of 204. Bangalore was successful in finishing the chase with seven balls remaining.

Bopara (77) and Bisla (75) laid a good start for the Kings but Kallis (89 not out, 4*8, 6*5) and Uthappa (51, 4*4, 4*6) stole the show from the Punjab XI before the completion of 20 overs.

It was a shower of boundaries from both sides with Kings XI Punjab striking many fours and few sixes while Bangalore Royal Challengers showcased with many sixes and few fours.

Jacques Kallis was declared Man of the Match.

Tags: Bangalore Royal Challengers, Bisla, Jacques Kallis, Ravi Bopara, Robin Uthappa, Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI Punjab, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Delhi Daredevils Vs Kings XI Punjab: Rain delays start, Daredevils wins toss, chose to field (0)
• Chennai Kings Vs Punjab Kings: Dhoni upset with Chennai fielding (0)
• Match 5: South Africa Vs Scotland: SA won by 130 runs (0)
• DLF IPL II: Awards and Honours (0)
• Match 1: West Indies Vs India: India Won by 20 runs (0)

After ending their losing streak, Bangalore Royal Challengers will be looking to maintain their new-found form when they clash with an upbeat Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League (IPL) here on Friday.

Both Royal Challengers and Kings XI Punjab clinched thrilling victories in their last matches. Royal Challengers beat Knight Riders to end their four-match losing streak while Kings XI Punjab beat Mumbai Indians in a low-scoring match.

The Bangalore team captain Kevin Pietersen left for England for the series against the West Indies. Earlier Jacques Kallis was supposed to take over from Pietersen, but now it looks like Anil Kumble or Rahul Dravid might take up the job, as indicated by coach Ray Jennings.

Under Pietersen, Royal Challengers made a brilliant start with an upset win over defending champions Rajasthan Royals. But then lost way only to get back with a thrilling win over Knight Riders.

But what might have worked for Royal Challengers was the changes to their side. They replaced Jesse Ryder and Ross Taylor with youngster Shreevats Goswami and Mark Boucher. It worked for Royal Challengers as Goswami made a flamboyant 43 as an opener while the experienced Boucher saw the team through in the final stages.

In the bowling department, barring Kumble and Praveen Kumar none of the bowlers have looked impressive.

Kings XI, on the other hand, are riding high after beating Mumbai Indians for their third straight win.

Kumar Sangakkara and Ravi Bopara have played crucial knocks with good all-round performances from Irfan Pathan. Pacer Yusuf Abdulla has been impressive in the tournament and gave a match-winning performance against Mumbai Indians. Skipper Yuvraj Singh is still to come good.

Tags: Anil Kumble, Bangalore Royal Challengers, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Irfan Pathan, Jacques Kallis, Jesse Ryder, Kevin Pietersen, Kings XI Punjab, Kumar Sangakkara, Mark Boucher, Preity Zinta, Rahul Dravid, Ravi Bopara, Ross Taylor, Royal Challengers, Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI Punjab, Shreevats Goswami, Vijay Mallya, Yusuf Abdulla, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Delhi Daredevils Vs Mumbai Indians: Sehwag back in form (0)
• Kings XI Punjab hopes to recapture magic at Jaipur (0)
• Delhi Daredevils Vs Kolkata Knight Riders: Kolkata struggling for a win (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Deccan Chargers: DC won by 24 runs to Top IPL (0)
• Younis fit for India’s match (0)

A thrilling encounter is on the cards with the tactful Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals challenging win-hungry Kings XI Punjab in the Indian Premier League match on Sunday.

The Rajasthan Royals pulled off a win via ‘Super Over’ in a nerve-wrecking tie against the Kolkata Knight Riders, putting behind their two successive losses to emphasise that they are in a serious business to defend their title in the eight-team tournament.

Warne fulfilled its promise to hit back strongly after it had collapsed to the lowest IPL total of 58 runs in their opening match while their second match had been washed off by rains. The Jaipur brigade would now try their best to build on their success and improve the run rate to fire up their title defence instead of slipping below the fourth position from here on.

With all-rounder Yusuf Pathan coming of age and rookie pacer Kamran Khan living up to Warne’s expectation, Rajasthan have also showed they were not missing any previous season players.

Kings XI Punjab, with just a single win in their pocket, requires to be extra cautious as they face Rajasthan Royals, who would be again waiting to surprise their opposition by flinging yet another surprise after baffling Kolkata Knight Riders in their previous match.

Punjab skipper Yuvraj Singh, on his part, would rely on another stint of apt execution of plan, especially by his bowlers to tame the Rajasthan Royals by causing their yet another batting fiasco.

Riding on the heroics of their new revelations young England batsman Ravi Bopara, who hammered a match winning knock of 85 runs, and bowler Yusuf Abdullah, the Preity Zinta-owned team would hope to climb the rungs on team standing table, where they are languishing at lowly sixth among eight contenders.

Besides, Yuvraj Singh and Co would also be praying that rain may not play a spoilsport as they bid to continue with their winning ways.

Tags: bollywood, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL 2009 News, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Kings XI Punjab, Kings XI Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals, Preity Zinta, Raj Kundra, Rajasthan Royals, Ravi Bopara, Shane Warne, Shilpa Shetty, Super Over, Yusuf Abdulla, Yusuf Pathan, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Delhi Daredevils Vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan won by 5 wickets (0)
• Mumbai Indians Vs Rajasthan Royals: A battle between Sachin and Warne (0)
• Kolkata Knight Riders Vs Rajasthan Royals: Rajasthan fails to defend their Title (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Mumbai Indians: Deccan Chargers Top IPL II with win over Mumbai (0)
• Kings XI Punjab Vs Rajasthan Royals: Clash between Pathans (1)

Ravi Bopara blasted his way to a half century to help the Kings XI Punjab beat the Bangalore Royal Challengers by seven wickets at Kingsmead on Friday for their first victory in this year’s Indian Premier League (IPL).

Bopara carved his way to 84 off 59 balls with four fours and five sixes as Punjab, chasing Bangalore’s total of 168 for nine, scored 173 for three to win the match with six balls remaining.

Opening batsman Bopara initially played a vigilant innings as he used up 46 balls to reach fifty but the right-hander then cut loose, adding 32 runs to his score, off 13 balls.

He was caught at midwicket by New Zealand’s Jesse Ryder off the bowling of seamer Jacques Kallis with Punjab needing 11 runs from 11 balls to win.

Bopara had shared in a third-wicket stand of 66 off 34 balls with skipper Yuvraj Singh and it was Punjab’s captain who finished the match in some style by belting a Kallis delivery over long-off for six to end the innings not out on 30.

Punjab’s innings appeared to have stalled due to an economical performance from leg spinner Anil Kumble, who served up a four-over spell that captured a wicket and cost 19 runs, but then Bopara and Yuvraj took control of the match.

Bangalore’s total was built on 62 off 46 balls from South African Kallis after opener Ryder had got the innings off to a fast start thanks to his 32 from 21 balls.

Left-arm swing bowler Yusuf Abdulla accounted for both men before adding the wickets of England’s Kevin Pietersen (0) and Kiwi Ross Taylor (35) as he finished with career best Twenty20 figures of four for 31 off four overs.

Abdulla received admirable support from fellow left-arm swing bowler Irfan Pathan who snared three for 35 off four overs including two wickets in the last over of Bangalore’s innings.

Tags: Anil Kumble, Bangalore Royal Challengers, bollywood, IPL 2, IPL 2009, IPL Scores, IPL South Africa, IPL Updates, Jacques Kallis, Jesse Ryder, Kevin Pietersen, Kings XI Punjab, Preity Zinta, Ravi Bopara, Ross Taylor, Royal Challengers Vs Kings XI Punjab, Yusuf Abdulla, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Bruised Bangalore takes on Kolkata as Chennai Superkings faces Deccan Chargers (0)
• Mumbai look to grab semis first spot (0)
• McGrath hopes for IPL 2 (0)
• Dhoni Vs Sachin in IPL 2, match 1 (0)
• Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers: Another chance for Chennai to prove (0)

Delhi Daredevils with their victory over Kings XI Punjab became the second team in the Indian Premier League (IPL) to register a 10-wicket win.

Daredevils on Sunday also became the first team to post a 10-wicket win in the second edition of the IPL.

The following are the others stats of the match between Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab:

• Vettori (3-15) recorded his best bowling figures in the IPL, surpassing the 1/19 against Bangalore on April 30, 2008.
• Vettori has been adjudged the Man of the Match for the first time in the IPL.
• Delhi Daredevils’ victory on Sunday is their first in three IPL games against Kings XI Punjab.
• With their ten-wicket victory, Delhi Daredevils have won eight out of 15 IPL matches contested.
• Gambhir’s aggregate of 549 runs in the IPL is exceeded only by Shaun Marsh (616).
• Karan Goel (38 off 21 balls) posted his highest innings in the IPL, surpassing the 26 off 21 balls against Rajasthan at Jaipur on April 21, 2008.
• Ravi Bopara and Karan Goel were associated in a 67-run stand for the first wicket – Kings XI’s best for the first wicket against Delhi. The stand is the best for Kings XI for any wicket against Delhi.
• Kings XI (102 sixes) became the first team to register 100 sixes in the IPL.

Tags: Daniel Vettori, Delhi Daredevils, Gambir, Gautam Gambir, IPL 2, IPL 2009 News, IPL South Africa, Karan Goel, Kings XI Punjab, Man Of the Match, Rajasthan Royals, Ravi Bopara, Sehwag, Shaun Marsh, sixes

Related posts

• IPL Season 2 Timetable (0)
• Who will be Kolkata Knight Riders Coach – Akram, Amre or Wright? (0)
• Strategy breaks to be reduced? (0)
• India Vs New Zealand: Stats (0)
• Royal Challengers Vs Chennai Super Kings: Chennai Super Kings won by 92 runs (0)

Virender Sehwag blasted 38 from just 16 deliveries to help the Delhi Daredevils ease to a 10 wicket Duckworth-Lewis victory over the Kings XI Punjab in a rain-affected Indian Premier League clash in Cape Town.

Daniel Vettori (3/15) sent down a miserly spell of bowling earlier to help reduce Punjab to 104 for seven – with Karan Goel (38) and Ravi Bopara (22) the main contributors – in their innings, which was initially reduced to 12 overs.

In response, Gautam Gambhir and Sehwag made a flying start reaching 24 in just 1.5 overs, before the game was reduced even further with a total of 54 needed from six overs.

And needing 30 from 25 balls after the resumption, the pair showed no mercy and helped their side overhaul Punjab’s revised total with more than an over to spare, Sehwag the destroyer with his innings including three sixes and four fours.

Earlier, the game was reduced to just 12 overs aside on account of the sporadic drizzle around Newlands and after winning the toss, Sehwag asked the opposition to bat first and the innings was that of two tales.

First, Goel and Bopara helped their side to a racing start in which they put on 67 in just six overs before the former was out, caught by Vettori at mid-off – Yo Mahesh the bowler.

Bopara went first ball after the break when he was trapped leg before wicket by Vettori’s first delivery, followed by the wicket of Kumar Sangakkara (eight) when he top-edged the same bowler to Dirk Nannes running back from short fine-leg.

Yuvraj Singh (16), Piyush Chawla – both run-out – and Mahela Jayawardene (6) all went in the final over from the New Zealand captain, in which the 100 also finally came up.

Aavishkar Salvi then bowled a miserly final over conceding just six runs at the cost of the wicket of Irfan Pathan (6) as Punjab set their opponents 105.

Tags: Aavishkar Salvi, Cape Town, Daniel Vettori, Delhi Daredevils, Delhi daredevils Vs Kings XI Punjab, Gambir, Gautam Gambir, IPL 2, IPL 2009 News, IPL South Africa, Ipl T20, Kings XI Punjab, Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, New Zealand, Piyush Chawla, Ravi Bopara, Sehwag, Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj, Yuvraj Singh

Related posts

• Royal Challengers Vs Deccan Chargers: Manish Pandey’s century helps Bangalore win (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Kings XI Punjab: Kings won by 3 wickets (0)
• Indian Cricket History Rewritten by Our Men In Blue (0)
• India Vs Australia: India hit by injuries (0)
• Deccan Chargers Vs Kings XI Punjab: Yuvraj’s second hat-trick helps Punjab win by 1 run (0)