Deccan Chargers are almost out of the league and are playing now for the prestige where as Mumbai Indias have a chance to make it into semifinals if they win today’s encounter.

Deccan Chargers (probables): 1 Adam Gilchrist (capt & wk), 2 Shahid Afridi, 3 Herschelle Gibbs, 4 Rohit Sharma, 5 Venugopal Rao, 6 Ravi Teja, 7 Scott Styris, 8 PM Sarvesh Kumar, 9 Pragyan Ojha, 10 RP Singh, 11 P Vijaykumar.

Mumbai Indians (probables): 1 Sachin Tendulkar (capt), 2 Sanath Jayasuriya, 3 Robin Uthappa, 4 Dominic Thornely, 5 Dwayne Bravo, 6 Shaun Pollock, 7 Abhishek Nayar, 8 Yogesh Takawale (wk), 9 Rajesh Pawar, 10 Rohan Raje, 11 Ashish Nehra.

Date – May 18, 2008 42nd Match
Venue – Hyderabad
20:00 India time.

Keep checking iplcricketlive .com for more information about the match, match videos, match score cards and an analysis of each team’s performance.

This could be the match which could decide the fate of Kolkata Knight Riders as they need to win this and secure a place in the semi finals.On the other hand Chennai Super Kings who started so well in this league are also struggling for a place in semifinals and a win here would make it a lot easier

Kolkata Knight Riders (probables): 1 Salman Butt, 2 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 3 Debabrata Das, 4 David Hussey, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 7 Laxmi Ratan Shukla, 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Shoaib Akhtar, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Ashok Dinda

Chennai Super Kings (probables): 1 S Vidyut, 2 Stephen Fleming, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt/wk), 5 S Badrinath, 6 Albie Morkel, 7 Joginder Sharma, 8 Manpreet Gony, 9 L Balaji, 10 Muttiah Muralitharan, 11 Makhaya Ntini.

Date – May 18, 2008 41st Match
Venue – Eden Garden Kolkata
16:00 India time.

Keep checking iplcricketlive .com for more information about the match, match videos, match score cards and an analysis of each team’s performance.

An influential group of former test players and umpires, including Jamaican and former West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh, wants the global calendar to change to allow all players to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The MCC world cricket committee which also includes Mike Atherton, Geoffrey Boycott, Alec Stewart and Mike Gatting, propose that cricket chiefs put aside two three-week periods a year for the IPL as they believe a well-planned fixture list would allow test, 50-over and Twenty20 cricket to co-exist.

The world cricket committee believes a properly thought-out calendar would also prevent players retiring prematurely from the international game because of the lure of higher wages in the IPL.
Source:radiojamaica.com

MUMBAI: Which is the bigger craze? Shah Rukh Khan and cricket or Shah Rukh Khan with tiny tots in a game show for adults? Though advertising rates for both are pegged at Rs 2 lakh per ten seconds, SRK’s antics on the field with cricket crazy fans overshadowed his stunts with kids and their attempt to surpass fifth graders.

According to a report by India Media Exchange (IMX), which tracks viewership across television channels, the Indian Premier League (IPL) is a clear leader in terms of television ratings (TRPs). This, despite the fact that the IPL effect on women viewers appears to be fading.

Compared with SRK’s Paanchvi Paas, IPL wins hands down, notes the IMX. The study showed that by the 13th match, female viewers had switched off IPL, after the exciting Mohali team and Delhi Daredevils match in which Yuvraj and Shewag were pitted against each other and Yuvraj’s Mohali team won.

Most female viewers moved on to other general entertainment channels, not necessarily the Saas bahu episodes. Only on the 20th match did females switch back to cricket and ratings picked up slightly. The 20th match had the exciting Chennai team and Delhi Daredevil match in which Dhoni and Shewag battled it out. IMX notes that IPL generated a tremendous response in the initial stages.
Source:timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin has dismissed suggestions Twenty20 may become a potential threat to Test cricket.

The stylish batsman from Hyderabad also hoped the instant popularity of the shortened version of the game would not lead to a situation of overkill.

The 99 Test veteran chose to differ with the view from many, including Sir Geoffrey Boycott, who have called for drastic changes to be made in rules to safeguard the oldest form of cricket.

“I don’t see why it should affect Test cricket.” Azhar told Mid-Day. “There are not too many T20 matches scheduled.”

The 45-year-old right-hander also hailed the on-going Indian Premier League for allowing new talent to develop and emerge.

“IPL is good for the game because you can see the emergence of new players who are talented,” he added. “It is entertaining for everyone. The IPL is here to stay.”

Azharuddin, along with his former Pakistan and West Indies counterparts Javed Miandad and Richie Richardson, have agreed to play a privately run Twenty20 tournament in Florida later this month.
Source:cricket365.co.za