IPL LIVE : RCB VS DD

New Delhi: Feroz Shah Kotla plays host to Match 26 of the IPL as home team Delhi Daredevils (DD) takes on Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB).

Both teams come into this match on the back of resounding wins. DD beat MI by 37 runs in Match 21, while RCB got their mojo back with a 9-wicket win over high-flying RR in Match 22.

Over the years, RCB has dominated this fixture with wins in all their last 7 meetings with DD. Overall, Virat Kohli's team enjoys a 8-5 advantage in the head-to-head record against JP Duminy's Daredevils.

With a scramble for third and fourth position expected as the league moves into its business end, DD and RCB will hope to consolidate their chances with a win in the match that would in turn help their respective sides to put together a string of consistent results.

Based on current form, these two teams are expected to be in the running for a play-offs place. As they get ready to battle it out at the Kotla, we select a key player from each franchise who could be the difference maker in Match 26.

Virat Kohli (RCB)

Virat Kohli seems to have hit form at the right for RCB. The skipper scored a solid unbeaten fifty as his side swatted away the Royals in their last match. Despite a slow start, Kohli has stacked up decent numbers so far in this edition of the IPL. The right-hander has scored 185 runs with 2 fifties in 5 matches at an average of 46.25 and a strike rate of 117.08. RCB rely heavily on the 26-year-old as he along with Gayle and De Villiers, forms the batting backbone of the franchise. Against DD, Kohli will be determined to put on a great show on the return to his hometown.

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IPL LIVE : KKR VS RR

Kolkata Knight Riders have played like defending champions for most part of the Indian Premier League this year. Their batting has not looked as formidable as it did in 2014, but Gautam Gambhir's consistency has covered a lot of weak areas. His opening partner Robin Uthappa has not been able to replicate his form from the last season and the lower-order, barring sparks of brilliance from Andre Russell and Yusuf Pathan has looked a little dodgy.

But KKR's biggest setback came in the form of another notice on Sunil Narine's action. The West Indian mystery spinner is eligible to play but it's unlikely the team will risk him unless his action has been cleared again. Chances are therefore that Narine won't be played against the Rajasthan Royals. Kolkata still have enough in their bowling resources: Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Johan Botha, Piyush Chawla make for a lethal bowling attack. Narine's absence may not even make much difference because he has been far from his usual.

Rajasthan Royals on the other hand, face a strange situation after starting the season with a bang. They won five matches on-the-trot but the streak came to an end against last year's runners-up Kings XI Punjab. RR were in a great position to win at Motera before a late resurgence by KXIP helped the latter clinch a Super Over win. That was followed by a shock defeat against Royal Challengers Bangalore. The Royals have now slipped to No.2 on the table and a defeat at the Eden Gardens would still keep them there; but a win would see them upstage Chennai Super Kings at the top of the pile. (Rajasthan Royals Coach Upset With Batsmen)

Overcoming KKR at the Eden Gardens is never easy but if any team has the ability to run the Knight Riders close, it is RR. They bat deep: Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Steve Smith, Karun Nair, Stuart Binny, James Faulkner and Deepak Hooda. That is a dream batting line-up in the IPL.

The Royals also have a strong bowling unit with Tim Southee, Chris Morris, Pravin Tambe and Faulkner sharing the bulk of the responsibilities. Will they click as a unit again and rock KKR in their fortress?

Sunil Narine Available for Selection, Claims Knight Riders' Captain Gambhir

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) skipper Gautam Gambhir on Saturday confirmed that West Indies spinner Sunil Narine, reported for suspected bowling action, will be up for selection against the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in an Indian Premier League (IPL) encounter here on Sunday.

Kolkata Knight Riders Players Shaken by Earthquake

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) players took to Twitter on Saturday to express how they felt just after an earthquake hit Kolkata on Saturday.

Kolkata Knight Riders Don't Lack Batting Firepower, Claims Captain Gautam Gambhir

Skipper Gautam Gambhir on Saturday said the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) do not lack batting firepower and hopes to see a turnaround of fortunes when they meet Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL) at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

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CSK VS KXIP LIVE

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Chennai Super Kings, currently second in the Pepsi IPL 2015 standings, will look to stretch their lead from the rest of the pack, when they take on Kings XI Punjab.
CSK have won four of their five matches so far – their only defeat being against the Rajasthan Royals. The team bounced back in style after that defeat, handing the Royal Challengers Bangalore a 27-run thrashing.
Kings XI Punjab have two wins from five outings this season. In their previous outing, they came from behind to first level scores with Rajasthan Royals, and then turned on the heat in the Super Over to walk away with two points from the match. The team will be buoyed by the result in that match and will be all pumped up for battle when they take the field in this match.
The prospect of showers on match day adds an element of suspense to the contest too. There were showers on the eve of the match; while that would have certainly brought the temperatures down, it will have sent the humidity levels soaring and that presents a whole new challenge to players from both teams.
The top three batsmen in the CSK lineup are the team’s biggest match-winners. Suresh Raina has won CSK many a game single-handedly, while Brendon McCullum and Dwayne Smith have provided the team with blazing starts. Ashish Nehra has been the leader of the bowling unit so far in the competition. But on a Chepauk surface that is known to traditionally assist the spinners, the onus will be on the spin-bowling duo of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Coach Stephen Fleming said as much in his chat with the media on the eve of the match; he said, “The spinning aspect of our game hasn’t been as affective as it has in the previous years so far and it is one area where in this game we would like to get a bit more penetration.”
The CSK coach further added, “In our home games Ashwin has been our lead bowler. It is not that he is in bad form. Jadeja is someone we would like more from and we are working hard at it.”
KXIP have just as much ammunition in their ranks as CSK, especially on the batting front. But the impact players in the side are Virender Sehwag, Glenn Maxwell and David Miller. The T20 batting strike-rates of the three players – 148.45, 157.05 and 138.42 – best illustrates how dangerous they can be.
There is a bit of a history between R Ashwin and Glenn Maxwell; the Australian batsman boasts of a strike-rate of 262.97 against the CSK off-spinner, having scored 71 runs off 27 balls in the IPL. The off-spinner had his way when the two players squared-off in the semi-final of the World Cup 2015.
KXIP’s Virender Sehwag knows a thing or two about the CSK left-arm pacer Ashish Nehra; both players have grown up playing for Delhi and later played for India. The CSK quick has had a dream season and has been too hot to handle, even clinching the Purple Cap briefly. The battle between Sehwag and Nehra promises to make for a very good contest.
The Chennai Super Kings have a 8-7 win-loss record in IPL matches against Kings XI Punjab.
The two teams met on three occasions last season – twice in the league stage and later in the Playoff, and KXIP held their own in all the three matches. Glenn Maxwell’s 43-ball 95 powered KXIP in their chase of 206 in the first meeting in Abu Dhabi, before returning to torment CSK again, this time scoring 90 off 38 balls in Cuttack.
In the third meeting – in Qualifier 2 – Virender Sehwag turned on the heat, scoring 122 at the top of the innings and powering his team to 226. CSK fell 24 runs short then, despite Suresh Raina’s blitzkrieg 25-ball 87.
Chennai Super Kings have fielded the same XI in their five matches so far in Pepsi IPL 2015.
Chennai Super Kings have the best scoring rate of all teams in Pepsi IPL 2015 – 9.15.
Glenn Maxwell has scored more runs in IPL against the Chennai Super Kings than against any other opponent. In three innings against CSK, he has scored 198 runs at a strike-rate of 227.58. His scores against CSK read: 95 (43 balls), 90 (38 balls) and 13 (6 balls).
R Ashwin has figures of 0 for 51 in the four overs he has bowled in the last three matches. His overall economy rate in IPL matches against KXIP is 8.09 – his poorest economy rate against any of the IPL teams.
The average first innings total in matches between CSK and KXIP is 174. The team batting first has posted more than 180 in 9 of the 15 matches between the two teams. The first innings total in the last three matches between these two teams read: KXIP 226-6, KXIP 231-4 and CSK 205-4.

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IPL 8 : LASITH MALINGA VS DAVID WARNER FIGHT

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MUMBAI INDIANS VS DELHI DAREDEVILS LIVE

An inconsistent Delhi Daredevils will look to break the home jinx when they take on struggling Mumbai Indians in their sixth match of the IPL cricket tournament at Feroz Shah Kotla on Thursday. Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday inflicted a six-wicket loss on Delhi, handing them their ninth straight home defeat since 2013.

Earlier the Jean-Paul Duminy-led side had bounced back with two wins after two opening losses to snap their 11-match losing streak. Winning two of their four close encounters in this season, DD looked like a well-balanced side until defending champions KKR exposed their weaknesses.
With a mix of youth and experience, the batting seemed to respond well with the likes of Mayank Agarwal, Shreyas Iyer, Duminy and Yuvraj Singh coming good in the initial games. But Iyer, Yuvraj and Manoj Tiwary squandered away decent starts against a potent KKR attack. Even the bowling, which had looked impactful with Imran Tahir, Amit Mishra and Nathan Coulter-Nile picking wickets, phased out against the strong KKR line-up, led by skipper Gautam Gambhir.
Assistant coach Praveen Amre, however, remained optimistic and termed this failure as a one-odd outing. He promised the team would once again get back to winning ways against their fierce city rivals.
"We still have three games here and the two away wins were also important for us. I think the next game we play against Mumbai Indians will be very important for us," said the former India cricketer.

Mumbai, on the other hand, have had a terrible run in season eight so far with four losses and a single win in their five games.
The bottom-placed side did come good in their previous match against Royal Challengers Bangalore but were tested even after posting 209 runs on the board after batting first. The top-order though did come good against RCB with Lendl Simmons and Unmukt Chand getting fifties and skipper Rohit Sharma also hitting a valuable 15-ball 42.
Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh is also in top form after picking 8 wickets from 4 games, a rank behind top wicket-taker Tahir (10 scalps in 5 matches). Not to forget Bhajji's value with the bat after the lower-order tonker hit 24-ball 64 in a losing cause against Kings XI Punjab.
With the two sides going with a 5-all head-to-head record in the 21st match of the season, Delhi appears to be better on paper with their current record and league standing but with the two cities having a history of fierce rivalry on and off the field, the fans should await an exciting encounter.

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BANGLADESH WINS SERIES AGAINST PAKISTAN 3-0

Another comprehensive win for Bangladesh. Chasing 251, openers Soumya Sarkar and Tamim Iqbal shared an excellent 145-run stand, before the latter was dismissed. Tamim completed his 29th ODI fifty and this is the first time in the series that he has dismissed before scoring a hundred. Although Mahmudullah went soon after, Sarkar carried on and completed his maiden ODI hundred. Mushfiqur Rahim then gave Sarkar good company and the duo took Bangladesh past the line to sweep the ODI series 3-0. Although Junaid Khan picked up two wickets, he was very expensive. Umar Gul wasn't impressive in his comeback game either. Mohammad Hafeez being cleared to bowl by the ICC came as big boost for Pakistan, but he could not give them a breakthrough, despite bowling an economical spell.


It is a carnival atmosphere at the Sher-e-Bangla tonight. The crowd are going mental. The players walk off and the Pakistanis wait to shake hands with their counterparts. Mortaza is all smiles. As are all the Bangladeshis. 'It is a magical moment' says Athar Ali Khan on air and I agree. Bangladesh may have reached the World Cup quarter-final but sweeping Pakistan 3-0 is perhaps their greatest achievement in ODIs.

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CHENNAI SUPER KINGS VS BANGALORE ROYAL CHALLENGERS LIVE

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Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) will take on Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the 20th match of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2015. The two powerhouses have engaged in some thrilling matches in the past, with CSK usually coming out on top.



RCB have perhaps the most explosive batting line-up in the tournament with Chris Gayle, Virat Kohli, and AB de Villiers making up three of the top five. In Mitchell Starc, they have the leading wicket-taker of ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and also the Man of the Tournament.



On the other hand, Chennai are a champion side, and have two players in their side who captained their teams with distinction, and lost only two matches between them.



Brendon McCullum was responsible for getting New Zealand off to blazing starts, while MS Dhoni finished matches with his usual skill. Between the two of them, CSK will be sure to enjoy a period of productivity and positive leadership.

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IPL live : Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils

Indian Premier League returns to the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai after a lengthy break when home-team Chennai Super Kings take the field on April 9. While N Srinivasan's conflict of interest issue and Gurunath Meiyappan's involvement in the betting and spot-fixing controversy were the main points of focus in media recently, the two-time champions will be keen to put that on the back-seat and get their campaign off to a successful start.
Their opponents are Delhi Daredevils, who made drastic changes to their personnel after a couple of disastrous seasons which saw them finish twice at the bottom of the table. With a new skipper in JP Duminy and experienced players like Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan and Angelo Mathews, the Gary Kirsten-coached Delhi side will be eager to start afresh.
Venue: MA Chidambaram stadium, Chennai
Date: April 9, 2015
Time: 20:00 IST
Weather: Clear skies have been forecast while the temperatures will be around the 30 degree C mark with a high humidity of 79-82%
Team news
Chennai Super Kings
Under the able leadership of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Chennai Super Kings have been the most successful team of IPL, with a win percentage close to 61. They have a tried and tested line-up which has served the team well over the years. Brendon McCullum, who joined CSK last year, had a good outing in 2014 and he will be the one the team will bank on for fiery starts. While McCullum was in superb form in the recently-concluded World Cup and will be expected to extend his fine run, the same cannot be said of his opening partner Dwayne Smith, who looked out of touch in the multi-team event. Smith might have been one of the top run-getters for CSK last year, but his performance will be under scrutiny and unless he gets going in the initial few matches, the experienced Michael Hussey could get the nod over the West Indian opener.
CSK boast of a formidable middle order with the presence of Faf du Plessis, Suresh Raina and Dhoni, along with quality allrounders like Dwayne Bravo and Ravindra Jadeja. Du Plessis, Raina and Dhoni came up with solid performances in the World Cup, but Jadeja was below-par while Bravo was left out of the West Indian team for the event.
In the bowling department, Mohit Sharma, who also bowled well in the World Cup, will be Chennai's bowling spearhead while the other pace options include South African allrounder Kyle Abbott, New Zealand's Matt Henry as well as Indian bowlers like Ashish Nehra and Irfan Pathan.
Chennai also have a quality spin attack - R Ashwin will play the leader of the pack, which also has Jadeja, legspinners Samuel Badree and Rahul Sharma, and left-arm spinner Pawan Negi, who was the Man of the Match when CSK lifted the World T20 League title last year.
Probable XI: Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Smith, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, Dwayne Bravo, MS Dhoni, Mithun Manhas/Pawan Negi, Ravindra Jadeja, R Ashwin, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma
Delhi Daredevils
Ever since their table-topping performance in 2012, things have gone downhill for Delhi Daredevils. After finishing last in two successive years, an overhaul was in order as Delhi decided to release as many as 13 players, including big names such as Kevin Pietersen, Ross Taylor, Dinesh Karthik and Murali Vijay, ahead of the 2015 auction. After the bidding wars, they got hold of Yuvraj for a record sum of Rs 16 crore, and also bagged the services of experienced players like Zaheer, Mathews and Amit Mishra, along with a host of talented domestic and overseas names.
Skipper Duminy, along with Yuvraj, Mathews, Kedar Jadhav and Manoj Tiwary form the nucleus of a solid middle order. However, Mathews won't be available for the first game because of a ban on Sri Lankan players by the Tamil Nadu government. Delhi are likely to go in with Quinton de Kock as the opener, while one of Saurabh Tiwary, CM Gautam or Mayank Agarwal is likely to partner him. Shreyas Iyer, who had a terrific Ranji season and also impressed in Delhi's practice matches, is in the reckoning as well.
Daredevils' bowling department is their strong suit with the presence of Mohammed Shami and Nathan Coulter-Nile, along with experienced spinners in Mishra and Imran Tahir. Shami, though, is doubtful for the opening game as he is nursing a knee problem. Zaheer, who will also play the role of a bowling mentor, may not be drafted in straight away as he is not fully fit. With two key Indians bowlers likely to miss the opening game, Domnic Joseph or Jaydev Unadkat might get an opportunity.
Probable XI: Quinton de Kock, Saurabh Tiwary, Shreyas Iyer, Yuvraj Singh, JP Duminy, Kedar Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Amit Mishra, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Domnic Joseph, Imran Tahir
Numbers
10: The number of IPL matches CSK have won against Delhi Daredevils till date. Chennai have ended up on the losing side four times against Delhi.
325: The number of runs Suresh Raina has scored in the IPL so far. He is the only player to aggregate in excess of 3000 runs.
Quotes:
'We have a trend reviving older players. Nehra still has some life left. People focus on youth. But I like experience. Nehra and Hussey are key components in our side. The knowledge they can pass on is immense. The MS Dhoni and Raina factor will be crucial. I like their work and attitude.' - CSK coach Stephen Fleming is optimistic about his senior players.
'I am excited by the calibre of players we have season. A lot of teams are quite settled and structured. But it is exciting to think that new team can bring in new energy' - JP Duminy expects DD to be a force to reckon with.
Teams:

Delhi Daredevils (From): Quinton de Kock(w), Shreyas Iyer, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Jean-Paul Duminy(c), Angelo Mathews, Zaheer Khan, Mohammed Shami, Imran Tahir, Amit Mishra, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Agarwal, Saurabh Tiwary, Jayant Yadav, Jaydev Unadkat, Gurinder Sandhu, Chidhambaram Gautam, Travis Head, Srikar Bharat, Albie Morkel, Marcus Stoinis, Domnic Joseph, KK Jiyas
Chennai Super Kings (From): Brendon McCullum, Michael Hussey, Suresh Raina, Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni(c/w), Dwayne Bravo, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ishwar Pandey, Ashish Nehra, Mohit Sharma, Mithun Manhas, Baba Aparajith, Dwayne Smith, Matt Henry, Pawan Negi, Samuel Badree, Ronit More, Rahul Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Ankush Bains, Pratyush Singh, Eklavya Dwivedi

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IPL 8 LIVE

For the second season running, Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians kick off the Indian T20 League. The stage for last year's encounter was Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Zayed Stadium where MI fell 41 runs short of KKR's 163 for 5. MI should be aware how important opening encounters are. Following the thrashing at the hands of KKR, they went on to lose four more matches in a row and though they came back brilliantly by winning seven of their last nine matches to make it to the play-offs, a bad start meant they were never considered a threatening opposition. KKR also had their share of ups and downs but peaked at the right time and lifted the trophy for the second time. As to the match tomorrow, MI will have to play their A game if they are to break KKR's nine-game winning streak. Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata Date: April 8, 2015 Time: 20:00 IST Weather: The weather has been forecast to be partly cloudy with the temperatures hovering between 24 and 33 degrees Celsius. Team News Kolkata Knight Riders The defending champions have no reasons to tamper with the combination that won them the final against Kings XI Punjab last year. KKR would have breathed a big sigh of relief after Sunil Narine was cleared to play the T20 League following a successful retest on his bowling action in Chennai. Gautam Gambhir is one of the few captains this season to have no selection headaches. Probable XI: 1. Robin Uthappa (wicketkeeper), 2. Gautam Gambhir (captain), 3. Manish Pandey, 4. Yusuf Pathan, 5. Shakib Al Hasan, 6. Ryan ten Doeschate, 7. Suryakumar Yadav, 8. Piyush Chawla, 9. Sunil Narine, 10. Morne Morkel, 11. Umesh Yadav Mumbai Indians Opening was a big problem for MI last year. They began with the combination of Michael Hussey and Aditya Tare and after it didn't work, Rohit Sharma joined Tare for a few games. Ben Dunk and CM Gautam were also tried but to no avail. Only towards the end, they managed to find a reliable pair in Lendl Simmons, a late replacement for allrounder Jalaj Saxena, and Hussey. However, when MI let Hussey go to Chennai Super Kings and went for Aaron Finch at the auctions earlier this year, it was clear they were trying to bring in more stability. With Finch and Simmons more or less certain to open, Mumbai will have two players to pick from the quartet of Kieron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Corey Anderson and Josh Hazlewood - all very important players. Vinay Kumar, who was part of KKR's winning team last season, should make his MI debut - besides Unmukt Chand - in light of his familiarity with the Eden pitch and an excellent domestic season where he led Karnataka to their second successive Ranji Trophy win. Probable XI: 1. Lendl Simmons, 2. Aaron Finch, 3. Unmukt Chand, 4. Rohit Sharma (captain), 5. Kieron Pollard, 6. Ambati Rayudu, 7. Aditya Tare (wicketkeeper), 8. Harbhajan Singh, 9. Lasith Malinga, 10. Vinay Kumar 11. Pragyan Ojha Quotes: That needs to be figured out. I am going to sit down and see what the best combination is. Whatever I am going to do, I am going to do in the team's interest. I am going to try and do whatever suits the team. But definitely, I have been opening for the past two years, I would like to continue. We will see. Once we go to Kolkata and see the wicket, we will decide:Rohit Sharma when asked whether he will open He's an integral part of KKR, he will always be an integral part... Even if he bowls a straight ball, he will be an asset for us and will always remain an asset. That's the confidence we have on Sunil. We never thought that we needed a back-up spinner for him.There can never be a backup for Sunil: Gautam Gambhir stressing Sunil Narine's importance Teams: Mumbai Indians (From): Aaron Finch, Aditya Tare(w), Rohit Sharma(c), Corey Anderson, Kieron Pollard, Ambati Rayudu, Shreyas Gopal, Harbhajan Singh, Vinay Kumar, Lasith Malinga, Jasprit Bumrah, Pragyan Ojha, Lendl Simmons, Unmukt Chand, Parthiv Patel, Josh Hazlewood, Marchant de Lange, Pawan Suyal, Mitchell McClenaghan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Aiden Blizzard, Akshay Wakhare, Nitish Rana, Siddhesh Lad, Hardik Pandya, Jagadeesha Suchith Kolkata Knight Riders (From): Gautam Gambhir(c), Robin Uthappa(w), Manish Pandey, Shakib Al Hasan, Yusuf Pathan, Ryan ten Doeschate, Suryakumar Yadav, Piyush Chawla, Sunil Narine, Morne Morkel, Umesh Yadav, Andre Russell, Kuldeep Yadav, Pat Cummins, Johan Botha, Azhar Mahmood, Brad Hogg, Sumit Narwal, Sheldon Jackson, Aditya Garhwal, Kishan Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Veer Pratap Singh

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MUMBAI INDIANS VS KOLKATA KNIGHT RIDERS LIVE

Big PictureBig Picture
Defending champions v former champions makes for good billing. Being the season opener entices its share of audience. A dash of chequered recent history and both Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians have points to prove.
A 14-match winning streak for Gautam Gambhir's men screeched to a halt in the Champions League T20 final. Sunil Narine's absence - he was suspended for an illegal action - coloured an eight-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings. There had been doubts over his participation as late as last Sunday, but the BCCI sub-committee for suspect actions is satisfied with the changes. "It has never been our strategy to have a back-up for Sunil, because there can't be a back-up for him," Gambhir said.
Now though they don't have to worry about plan B. They have most of their A-team to call on, barring the injuries to James Neesham and Chris Lynn. Robin Uthappa was the top-scorer in the Ranji season. Morne Morkel was one of the bowlers of the tournament at the World Cup. Ryan ten Doeschate and Andre Russell have excellent pedigree as T20 finishers. They retain Shakib Al Hasan's services for the first couple of matches. Options aplenty.
Options that should worry Mumbai. Last we saw them, they became the first IPL team to fail the qualifying round into the Champions League T20. But there were extenuating circumstances: Rohit Sharma, their captain, was injured and left their team combination a mess. His presence at the helm, along with Ricky Ponting as coach, and the Lasith Malinga-led bowling raises expectation. Kieron Pollard will have his own spotlight, as well. Since his time away from the West Indies team, he's written two columns for Al Jazeera and played only twice as many games of competitive cricket. Not the best ratio for an active cricketer. So the biggest question Mumbai will face is if the various cogs fit together smoothly.
Form guide
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians LWLLW
Watch out for…
Since the acquisition of Sunil Narine, the Knight Riders' spinners boast the best average (20.86), economy rate (6.5) and strike-rate (19.2) in the IPL. A T20 captain's dream, they rip through the overs, leaving batsmen in a daze and the scoreboard stagnant. A "fresh pitch," according to Gambhir and evening rains in the lead-up to the opening match can limit the amount of purchase available.
So how can Mumbai combat the spin strangle? That vast thinktank would look to Rohit Sharma to provide an answer. He is arguably their most versatile player and his ability to soak pressure and beat it was on show when he struck a century against Bangladesh in the World Cup quarter-final. He does it with greater frequency in IPL as he showed in the 2013 season when he took over captaincy and won Mumbai their only IPL title.
Stats and trivia
Mumbai have won 10 out of 14 matches between the two sides so far. Although Knight Riders have come out top in their last two encounters.
Knight Riders have never held the purple cap, although they do have a player in the squad who had won it for a different team - Morne Morkel for Delhi Daredevils in 2012 Quotes
"I have always maintained that even if he [Sunil Narine] bowls a straight ball, it is always going to be an advantage - that's the kind of aura and that's the kind of threat he has had on the opposition throughout the last three years"
Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir on his primary match-winner
"We have had very good memories of Kolkata. We won the championship there. We understand the conditions there very well. Am sure the guys can exploit the conditions well." Captain Rohit Sharma on Mumbai Indians starting their campaign in Kolkata Defending champions v former champions makes for good billing. Being the season opener entices its share of audience. A dash of chequered recent history and both Kolkata Knight Riders and Mumbai Indians have points to prove.
A 14-match winning streak for Gautam Gambhir's men screeched to a halt in the Champions League T20 final. Sunil Narine's absence - he was suspended for an illegal action - coloured an eight-wicket defeat to Chennai Super Kings. There had been doubts over his participation as late as last Sunday, but the BCCI sub-committee for suspect actions is satisfied with the changes. "It has never been our strategy to have a back-up for Sunil, because there can't be a back-up for him," Gambhir said.
Now though they don't have to worry about plan B. They have most of their A-team to call on, barring the injuries to James Neesham and Chris Lynn. Robin Uthappa was the top-scorer in the Ranji season. Morne Morkel was one of the bowlers of the tournament at the World Cup. Ryan ten Doeschate and Andre Russell have excellent pedigree as T20 finishers. They retain Shakib Al Hasan's services for the first couple of matches. Options aplenty.
Options that should worry Mumbai. Last we saw them, they became the first IPL team to fail the qualifying round into the Champions League T20. But there were extenuating circumstances: Rohit Sharma, their captain, was injured and left their team combination a mess. His presence at the helm, along with Ricky Ponting as coach, and the Lasith Malinga-led bowling raises expectation. Kieron Pollard will have his own spotlight, as well. Since his time away from the West Indies team, he's written two columns for Al Jazeera and played only twice as many games of competitive cricket. Not the best ratio for an active cricketer. So the biggest question Mumbai will face is if the various cogs fit together smoothly.
Form guide
Kolkata Knight Riders
Mumbai Indians

Watch out for… Since the acquisition of Sunil Narine, the Knight Riders' spinners boast the best average (20.86), economy rate (6.5) and strike-rate (19.2) in the IPL. A T20 captain's dream, they rip through the overs, leaving batsmen in a daze and the scoreboard stagnant. A "fresh pitch," according to Gambhir and evening rains in the lead-up to the opening match can limit the amount of purchase available.
So how can Mumbai combat the spin strangle? That vast thinktank would look to Rohit Sharma to provide an answer. He is arguably their most versatile player and his ability to soak pressure and beat it was on show when he struck a century against Bangladesh in the World Cup quarter-final. He does it with greater frequency in IPL as he showed in the 2013 season when he took over captaincy and won Mumbai their only IPL title.
Stats and trivia
Mumbai have won 10 out of 14 matches between the two sides so far. Although Knight Riders have come out top in their last two encounters. Knight Riders have never held the purple cap, although they do have a player in the squad who had won it for a different team - Morne Morkel for Delhi Daredevils in 2012 Quotes
"I have always maintained that even if he [Sunil Narine] bowls a straight ball, it is always going to be an advantage - that's the kind of aura and that's the kind of threat he has had on the opposition throughout the last three years" Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir on his primary match-winner
"We have had very good memories of Kolkata. We won the championship there. We understand the conditions there very well. Am sure the guys can exploit the conditions well." Captain Rohit Sharma on Mumbai Indians starting their campaign in Kolkata live links:link 1 link 2

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MS DHONI : I play for the enjoyment of the game

I play for the enjoyment of the game - Dhoni MS Dhoni has not ruled out playing another World Cup for India. Speaking at the post-match press conference after India's defeat to Australia in their semi-final at the SCG, Dhoni said he would probably think about his long-term future after next year's World T20.

"I'm not sure about it," Dhoni said, when asked if he would play another World Cup. "I'm 33, I'm still running, I'm still fit, but I'll have a year's time, maybe close to next year, during the T20 World Cup will be the time I would like to decide whether I'll continue till the 2019 World Cup or not."

Dhoni retired from Test cricket in late December, handing over the captaincy of the Test team to Virat Kohli. He remains India's captain in the shorter formats.

When it was his turn to take the mike, Michael Clarke, the Australia captain, said he was sure Dhoni would continue to play on for a while yet.

"I heard you ask if it is going to be his last World Cup," Clarke said. "I'm pretty sure it's not going to be, there's a lot of cricket left in his body yet."

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AUSTRALIA VS NEWZEALAND CRICKET WORLD CUP 2015 FINAL LIVE

Sydney: Skipper Michael Clarke says Australia's experience playing at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will be a major factor in Sunday's World Cup final against New Zealand. (Match Report)

Australia put themselves in line for a fifth World Cup title with an emphatic 95-run semi-final victory over defending champions India in Sydney on Thursday.

The Black Caps won a nerve-tingling semi-final against South Africa in Auckland on Tuesday with a six off the penultimate ball to book their first World Cup final appearance after losing all six of their previous semi-finals.

New Zealand downed Australia by one wicket in a sensational finish to their low-scoring pool game in Auckland earlier in the tournament, but Clarke believes it will be different in Sunday's final. (Dhawan Joins India Legends)

The Black Caps last played Australia in an ODI at the MCG six years ago and overall have won just four of their 19 ODIs against the Aussies at the ground. (Anushka Should Not be Blamed for Kohli's Poor Form: Ganguly)

"I think the fact that the conditions will be different will certainly help us and we've played a fair bit of cricket throughout the summer at the MCG as well," Clarke told reporters after Thursday's victory.

"Conditions are a lot different to what New Zealand have been playing in New Zealand, but in saying that we will have to play our best cricket to win.

"New Zealand have been the form team of the competition and they certainly deserve to be in the final. "There is always that great rivalry between Australia and New Zealand and the fact that the two hosting nations are in the final is extremely special."

Defeated India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni said New Zealand's biggest obstacle will be dealing with the size of the vast MCG arena after playing all their pool matches on smaller New Zealand grounds.

"The one biggest thing that the New Zealand team will have to deal with is the size of the field," Dhoni said.

"In New Zealand you can get away with quite a few mis-timed shots. Generally, in New Zealand you get good wickets but when you come to Australia you get a bit of reverse swing and the same time you might get wickets that are slightly two-paced.

"How New Zealand take risks will be something that is very crucial and Australia have that advantage of knowing the wickets well and having three left-arm fast bowlers in their armoury."

Clarke said mentally the Australians were ready to play in Sunday's tournament decider.

"Obviously, we haven't got much time and recovery will be our goal and focus over the next two days," he said.

"I think physical recovery is the most important thing for us right now. Mentally, the team is ready for this final. "We have been building up throughout this tournament to get this opportunity to play in a World Cup final."

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World Cup 2015: Australia vs India match facts

SYDNEY: Ten match facts for Thursday's World Cup semi-final between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

1. This is the first World Cup semi-final between these teams. Previous World Cup knockout stage matches have produced one win apiece (Australia won the 2003 final, India a quarter-final in 2011).

2. Australia have won their last 12 completed one-day Internationals on home soil.

3. Aaron Finch has been the subject of six lbw appeals in the tournament, ..

4. Shane Watson is one of two players to score at least 500 World Cup runs at an average of at least 50 and a strike rate of 100+ (AB de Villiers is the other).

5. Glenn Maxwell has scored 77 runs from the 54 balls Ravichandran Ashwin has bowled to him in ODIs, hitting four fours and seven sixes. He has been dismissed once.

6. Maxwell (30.5%) has the lowest dot ball percentage in the tournament, minimum 50 balls faced -- he has hit 301 runs from 164 balls.

7. Rohit Sharma has hit 124 runs from the 108 balls James Faulkner has bowled to him in ODIs, without being dismissed.

8. Mohammed Shami (69%) and Mitchell Starc (68%) have the two highest dot ball percentages in the tournament, minimum 50 balls bowled.

9. Mitchell Starc has the lowest ODI bowling average (17.4) and strike rate (22.5) in Australia, minimum 50 wickets taken.

10. Shane Watson has reached 50 in three of his last four, and four of his last six, ODI INNINGS at Sydney.

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INDIA VS AUSTRALIA WORLD CUP SEMIFINAL LIVE

There are two reasons why Australia do not start overwhelming favourites in the WC semifinal against India on Thursday the weary, end-of-the-season, fairly grassless pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground as well as India's competitive instinct, fuelled by hunger and intensity, lending a greater sense of balance to the high-voltage clash.

A large section of SCG is expected to back Mahendra Singh Dhoni's team but the Indian captain will be well aware that his team and he will have to dig deep in their reserves to be able to stop Australia from setting up Sunday's title clash with their trans-Tasman rivals, New Zealand. If the teams turn up at the park with their A games, fans could get a game to cherish.

India have had a fine run in the World Cup, winning all seven starts, but they will have to be well on top of their A game to be able to beat the strong and determined home side and get to within one match of having the chance to defending the crown, a feat achieved only by the great sides of the West Indies and Australia.

To be sure, it is not beyond Dhoni and his men. The top three batsmen, Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli all relish the challenge of squaring up against the best bowling line-up. If they can extend that to Thursday's massive showdown, India can keep their tryst with the grand final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday.

India's bowlers have caught the eye by lifting their game and executing the plans admirably. Mohit Sharma's back-of-the-hand slower delivery could be one the handiest weapons on the SCG track that is not expected to be aid bowlers overtly. The slowness of the pitch could make off-spinner R Ashwin's variations of pace and Ravindra Jadeja's accuracy key, too.

After spending an evening, sweating under covers as it rained over Sydney, the pitch was back under the charge of its caretakers, curator Tom Parker and his colleagues. Between sessions of rolling spread over the day, the pitch had a number of curious visitors, including Australia coach Darren Lehmenn, Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh and his colleague Mark Waugh.

Clearly, the curator's attempt has been to ensure that the pitch would be even-paced unlike in the quarterfinal where it started off being dual-paced and challenged the Sri Lanka batsmen. It would be important for the team batting first to ensure that not too many wickets are lost in the mandatory powerplay.

Shane Watson's show of character must count as a positive spin-off of Australia's engaging quarterfinal skirmish with Pakistan or a fired-up left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz, to be more specific. His presence in the middle-order does lend experienced muscle to go with the youthful exuberance of Glenn Maxwell.

New Zealand's entry into the title round more so as squad that has won all its eight matches in the World Cup can work as an extra spark for Australia, known to have a long history of intense antipodean rivalry. But as Australian captain Michael Clarke pointed out repeatedly, his team did not need such external factors to find the drive to win the game.

Of course, Australia have not lost an ODI in Sydney in the last three years but that must be tempered by the knowledge that only one of those games the recent victory over Sri Lanka has been played in the month of March. And it is of some significance that India beat Australia in March 2008, with Rohit Sharma sharing a century stand with Sachin Tendulkar.

The South Africans felt the crowd pressure a couple of times in the tournament, notably against India in Melbourne on February 22 and New Zealand in Auckland on Tuesday. Will it be the Australians' turn to be playing an 'away' game at home, given the hordes of Indian supporters who will turn up at the SCG on Thursday?

For this one time, we can believe the truism that is often spouted in limited-over cricket. For once, let us accept that the team that keeps its nerves in check and expresses itself under pressure on Thursday would earn the right to take that flight to Melbourne for the WC final against New Zealand. Teams:

India (From): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(c/w), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Mohit Sharma, Axar Patel, Stuart Binny, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Ambati Rayudu

Australia (From): Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke(c), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin(w), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Marsh, Xavier Doherty, George Bailey, Pat Cummins

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Cricket: New Zealand v South Africa match facts

Ten match facts for Tuesday's World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and South Africa at Eden Park, Auckland (14:00 local/01:00GMT):


- South Africa have won one and lost seven of the nine semi-finals they have played in all one-day international tournaments. The other was a tie, against Australia at the 1999 World Cup -- a result that saw them eliminated on lower Super Six table placing.


- This will be the seventh World Cup meeting between these sides with the Black Caps having won four of the previous six encounters. The only one of these that was a knockout match however was New Zealand's win at the quarter-final stage at Dhaka in 2011.


- Daniel Vettori needs one more wicket to become New Zealand's leading wicket taker in World Cup history; he is currently tied with Jacob Oram on 36.


- South Africa have won three of their last four completed ODIs against New Zealand at Eden Park.


- The Black Caps have lost the toss in the last 12 ODIs they have played at Eden Park and have been put into bat on nine of these occasions, winning just one of these nine (L5, T1, 2x N/R).


- Seven players have hit three consecutive ODI centuries before, if Martin Guptill hits a ton in this match he will be the third Black Caps player to do so.


- Two more runs will see Guptill become the first Kiwi to score 500+ runs in a single World Cup, Scott Styris hit 499 in 2007. He would become the eighth player from any nation to achieve the feat.


- Brendon McCullum has the highest boundaries per ball faced rate (34%) at this tournament.


- Imran Tahir has bowled more balls (404) than any other player at this tournament; he and Vettori are the joint top wicket taking spinners (both 15).


- Farhaan Behardien has scored 74 runs off the 36 balls he has faced in the tournament; he has the lowest dot ball percentage of any player (11.1%).


- Kane Williamson has scored 53 runs from 51 balls bowled by Morne Morkel in ODIs, never having been dismissed by the South African seamer.

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