Date – 20 April 2009

Sizzling performance from Matthew Hayden and Muttiah Muralitharan help Chennai to open a victory account in IPL-2 season. Chennai won the toss and elected to bat first. Opening batsman Parthiv Patel and Matthew Hayden do not allow the Royal Challengers bowlers to settle down. Mathew Hayden played his natural attacking game as he scored 65 run from 39 balls before he was run out by Rahul Dravid. But the first breakthrough was provided by captain Kevin Pietersen as he bowled out Parthiv Patel in his first over. After that Raina and Flintoff give some massive blow to opposition and put a total of 179/5 in 20 overs. In reply to this competitive total, Royal Challengers had not a good start as opener Praveen Kumar was bowled out by pacer Gony. Legend spinner Muttiah Muralitharan plays a vital role in victory of his team as he took 3 wickets by giving only 11 runs in 4 overs. From Royal Challengers, Kallis was top scorer as he hit 24 from 19 balls. Royal Challengers were all out for just 87 runs in 15.2 overs.

Man Of The Match – Muttiah Muralitharan

Playing XI –

RCB – Jacques Kallis, Robin Uthappa (W), Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen (C), Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Rajesh Bishnoi, Praveen Kumar, Vinay Kumar, Dale Steyn, Anil Kumble

CSK – Parthiv Patel, Matthew Hayden, Suresh Raina, Andrew Flintoff, MS Dhoni (C) (W), Lakshmipathy Balaji, Subramaniam Badrinath, Joginder Sharma, Albie Morkel, Manpreet Gony, Muttiah Muralidaran

Date – 18 April 2009

It was a perfect start for Royal Challengers Banglore at Newlands, Cape Town where they beat last time IPL Champions Rajasthan Royals by 75 runs. New captain of Royal Challengers, Kevin Pietersen won the toss and elected to bat first. It was not the good start for Royal Challengers as Rajasthan all-rounder Dimitri Mascarenhas give early double blow to them by sending Jesse Ryder and Kiwi Ross Taylor back to pavilion. After that Robin Uthappa too joined company of Taylor and Ryder by scoring just 3 runs. But it was Pietersen and Dravid who started a fightback. Pieterson made 32 runs but the ‘Wall’ Dravid scored 66 runs from just 48 balls with eight fours and a six and put a total of 133 for 8 in 20 overs. In reply to this Rajasthan Royals opening batsman Asnodkar and Smith were bowled out by Praveen Kumar in first his two overs. Veteran leg spinner legend Anil Kumble helped Royal Challengers to win the match as he took 5 wickets in his 3.1 over by giving just 5 runs. No batsman of Rajasthan Royals scored more than 11 runs and whole time was bowled out for just 58 runs

Man Of The Match – Rahul Dravid

Playing XI –

Bangalore Royal Challengers would bank on their switch-hitting star Kevin Pietersen to switch the fortunes of the team in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they line up against Rajasthan Royals here on Saturday.

Royal Challengers finished seventh, one above the bottom-placed Deccan Chargers, among eight teams in the inaugural edition. With some of the accomplished Test cricketers –Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Wasim Jaffer — in their ranks, Royal Challengers got the tag T20s Test side.

The poor finish saw Royal Challengers CEO Charu Sharma getting the marching orders even as doubts were raised over Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in the shortest format.
Source – cricketnext.in.com

England star Kevin Pietersen will have a bunch of “naughty’ and “hottie” cheerleaders rooting from the sidelines when he makes his Indian Premier League debut on Saturday.

Pietersen, bought by the Bangalore Royal Challengers for a record 1.55 million dollars, will clash with good friend Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals on the opening night in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Royal Challengers, owned by flamboyant liquor and airline tycoon Vijay Mallya, had hired the Washington Redskins cheerleaders for the inaugural IPL season last year in India.

The scantily-clad girls obviously failed to inspire as the Royal Challengers finished seventh out of eight teams in the glitzy Twenty20 tournament.

So Mallya dropped the Redskins and hired 24 members of the US-based Varsity cheerleader group for the second season, renaming them the “White Mischief Gals”.

“A little bit naughty, a little more hottie and a lot more mischievous,” a Mallya company release said of the group, named after his ‘White Mischief’ brand of vodka.

“Necklines plunging, hemlines rising, they are all set to let the mercury soar, higher than any of the sixes that come from the blades of Kevin Pietersen.”

The cheerleaders, the release added, have been “specially trained in flirty acrobatic skills for a scintillating on-field performance.”

The use of cheerleading squads last year provoked complaints from some conservative quarters in India.

The Mumbai Indians forced their cheerleaders to don pants instead of skirts after protests from political parties.

The White Mischief Gals will travel across South Africa for all Royal Challenger matches during the five-week tournament, offering fans “flirtatious messages and tips,” the statement said.

Pietersen will only enjoy their support for the first two weeks, as he is due to return to England in early May to prepare for the Test series against the West Indies.
Source – google.com

South Africa-born Pietersen clashed with then England coach Peter Moores that eventually cost both of them their jobs. But former South Africa coach Jennings insisted that would not cast shadow on his relation with Pietersen.

“I don’t care a damn what happened with the England job,” said Jennings.

“Kevin and I are on the same wavelength that’s all that matters and I just don’t believe he will behave like people believe he can behave. The important thing is Kev’s the type who likes to prove people wrong.

“He’s like me he likes to push fingers up people’s noses. I understand the guy and where he’s coming from. Whatever his so-called personality weaknesses are, I back him 100 per cent,” he was quoted as saying in the ‘Guardian’.

Jennings said leading England and captaining the Royal Challengers were a different ball game altogether and he respects Pietersen’s intensity.

“People have to understand that there are a different set of permutations out here from what happened with England. I’ve clashed with some of my cricketers before, too, but that’s my style. It doesn’t concern me who he’s clashed with,” Pietersen said. “I believe there absolutely has to be tension within any relationship. If there’s no tension, there’s a lack of respect. I respect Kevin and he respects me. It will be a whole new relationship.” The 54-year-old Jennings said Pietersen has requested for a net session when he touches base in Johannesburg today and has also asked the coach to send him photos of his teammates to cement names and faces ahead of his two-week stint as captain.

“Small things like that convince me he’s going to do well.

“He’s a top professional who plays to win. I like that kind of guy. He also understands South African conditions. It will be tough in that environment but he’s a fighter. He’s got a personality that’s got him to where he is now and he’s not going to change it.”
Source – espnstar.com