Gambhir draws positives from loss to Mumbai

 Kolkata Knight Riders' skipper Gautam Gambhir said they have positives to take away from their final round-robin game of the IPL that the home team lost to Mumbai Indians in an unlikely fashion at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

After setting Mumbai Indians a tall 177-run target, the Knight Riders lost the match in the last over when, needing 21 runs, Laxmipathy Balaji conceded 23 including four fours and a last ball six to end their round-robin campaign on a disappointing note.But Gambhir was in no mood to be bogged down by the defeat and said they have many positives to take away into the playoff stage of the tournament."Getting 176 itself was a big effort. It was more than a par score and we were very happy with the total. Spinners and Brett Lee bowled well. We have positives to take away from this game barring the last over. Getting the total was a fantastic effort," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference."You should see the performance of every player. I can't mention one area; we have done well in all departments. We have more positives to take than negatives," he said about the Kolkata outfit's round-robin campaign, where they finished fourth with 16 points (eight wins) from 14 matches.

Gambhir also defended under-fire Balaji, who turned out to be the villain for Kolkata towards the end."Balaji dismissed Kieron Pollard in the previous over. (The loss) does not mean he was not good. We have all the trust in him. I am sure he will comeback harder," said the KKR skipper.Finishing fourth behind Mumbai Indians, the Knight Riders will now have to face the same opponents in the elimination round to be played in Mumbai on Wednesday.Gambhir said they would have to do things the hard way from here on as even after winning the eliminator, they will have to get past the loser of the first playoff to make it to Saturday's title clash."It will be a different ball game in the playoffs. We have to do the things in the hard way now," he said.Gambhir said in Sunday's match Mumbai played fearless cricket as they had nothing to lose."They (Mumbai) had less pressure than us. They didn't have chance to get into top two. There was no pressure on them, so they played freely."Gambhir also credited James Franklin and Ambati Rayudu for pulling off the spectacular chase in the last over."They are quality players no doubt. All credit to them. It is such a format that anything can happen. It was one of those bad days for us," the left-hander said.

New Zealand all-rounder Franklin, who earned the man-of-the-match award for his match-winning unbeaten 45 that came off 23 balls, said, "We were just trying to get the ball over the rope. Fortunately, we got a couple of lucky ones. Rayudu played a hell of a shot in the last ball."Franklin also credited the Eden pitch for staying firm after Sachin Tendulkar and Harbhajan Singh had set the tempo for the run-chase with their 57-run second-wicket stand."Outfield was fast and the wicket played pretty well. Sachin (Tendulkar) and Harbhajan provided the momentum. In the last couple of overs, the asking rate got steep but overall it was quite achievable," he said."A great feeling in the camp now, especially after getting the confidence back following the hat-trick of losses," Franklin added.

Gambhir defends under-fire Balaji

 Kolkata Knight Riders' captain Gautam Gambhir defended Laxipathy Balaji, who went for 23 runs in the last over to hand Mumbai Indians the sensational five-wicket win in the IPL, saying it was just a bad day in the office for the lanky pacer.

Needing 21 runs of the last over, Balaji was hit for four consecutive boundaries by James Franklin and then Ambati Rayudu finished off the run-chase with a six off the last ball to end Mumbai's three-match losing streak.

But Gambhir expressed confidence that Balaji will make a strong comeback in their eliminator against the same opponents on Wednesday at the Wankhede Stadium.

"It happens in cricket. Bala tried his best. This is what happens in T20 cricket; it's just one of those bad days. Sometimes you have to bowl to your field, sometimes you have to bowl smartly. Bala will come back strongly," Gambhir said after the match.

Mumbai Indians' captain Sachin Tendulkar said he was happy to get back to the winning momentum ahead of the playoffs, especially after a hat-trick of defeats.

"It was a wonderful match. Our team batted well, great finish by Rayudu and Franklin. It was important to regain our momentum," he said.

"Anything is possible in this game; it's a tricky game. If the bowler doesn't get it right and the batsman is lucky, that's what can happen."

Man-of-the-match Franklin, who played a match-winning innings of 23-ball unbeaten 45, agreed with his skipper and said it was important to return to winning momentum going into the play-offs.

"We were lucky to get some edges and Rayudu finished off superbly. They gave some room in the end and it gave us an opportunity to free up. It was important for us to get some momentum," the Kiwi left-hander said.

Kallis: Cracking the T20 code

When the Twenty20 International format was born in 2007, it was greeted with apprehension. Purists snickered at a format that ostensibly took the aesthetics of cricket away, leaving room only for the effectiveness. Connoisseurs, as also the lay fan, had no doubt the 20-over affair was meant for the powerful hitters and not for the classically inclined.
IPL, too, fuelled the notion that there was only place for the big strikers in the format. In its early days, the tournament’s Top 10 run-getters’ list was occupied by naturally aggressive batsmen men like Shaun Marsh, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shane Watson, Adam Gilchrist, Yusuf Pathan, MS Dhoni and Virender Sehwag. With the exception of Gautam Gambhir, all the names were known to be brutal batsman, with little regard for classical technique.
But as the league has got older, the trends have changed. The stalwarts of Test cricket have shown there’s no substitute for class, whether the game lasts for five days or three hours. One such man is Jacques Kallis. From being the rock of his country’s Test team’s middle order to opening the batting for his IPL teams with unheard of consistency, this legend from South Africa has redefined the image of a T20 batsman.
When he entered the inaugural IPL season with close to 10,000 runs in both Tests and ODIs, Kallis, like any other old school classical batsman, found it tough to cope with the pace of scoring in T20. “I was a bit over aggressive and got out trying to play too many shots too early,” he admits. And then, like champions do, he set about the task of mastering the new format.
“I’ve worked really hard on the shortest format over the last couple of years. I worked with [former South Africa coach] Duncan Fletcher in particular on this,” he reveals with characteristic modesty. The hard work has paid off. The 361 runs at 27.76 in the 2009 season were followed by a total of 572 at 47.66 in 2010, both for Royal Challengers Bangalore. And this year, playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders, Kallis looks good to overshadow his previous performances.
For a man who spent more than a decade batting a certain way, it must have been difficult to adapt his game to suit the shortest format. Kallis reveals the tough part was to make the mental adjustment. “The mental make-up changes. You need to think fast,” he says.
The pace of a T20 and the high risks involved makes it almost impossible for someone to score on a consistent basis. However, Kallis’ IPL record belies this fact. While the likes of Sachin Tendulkar and Suresh Raina have scored more runs than he has, Kallis’ consistency can be gauged by the fact that he has crossed the 50-run mark in an innings 13 times – the most by any batsman in the league.
As is the case with most great achievements, the secret to his consistency is pretty simple. “In T20s, if you go without scoring runs in a couple of games, it gets difficult to get your form back because you don’t have the time to play yourself in. So once you get into that rhythm, make sure you keep going without throwing it away,” he says.
Along with changing his mental make-up, there were also some minor technical adjustments to be made. “In the longer formats you try and get as close to the bat as possible while here you need to give yourself more room to free your arms and play more all-round shots,” Kallis reveals.
The hallmark of all Kallis’ IPL innings has been the beauty with which they are paced. The basic rules like giving the first couple of overs to the bowler and dominating him for the rest of the innings, and blocking a good ball, hold even in this pocket-sized format. Kallis believes the role of an anchor is a vital one even in T20.
“I believe even in T20 you need to have someone who can bat through the innings. While my role changes according to the situation, most of the time I play the anchor while the guys bat around me,” he says.
After 15 years of success at the highest level, this stalwart from the Rainbow Nation is using the lessons from the new format to enhance his batting in the traditional formats.
“When you discover that you can play those aggressive shots with good effect, you take it into the other formats as well. And T20 has made me more attacking in Tests and ODIs,” he says.
“In the end, it’s all about improving every day, no matter which format you’re playing,” Kallis signs off, stressing the importance of working at one’s craft tirelessly.

IPL gets a new trophy

IPL- Where talent meets opportunity

Magnificent new trophy befits tournament that fulfills cricketers’ ambitions

The Orange Cap. The Purple Cap. The Dugout. The Fairplay Award. There are several symbols that capture the essence of the world’s biggest carnival of cricket. But there’s one image that perfectly combines the mood, spirit and significance of the tournament: the IPL trophy.

Over the past four seasons, IPL has bridged the gap between the dreams and reality of talented local cricketers. Sharing the dressing room with the game’s elite – past and present – youngsters have learnt more than just cricketing lessons during the competition. More importantly, they’ve imbibed the values and confidence without which success remains elusive. From Yusuf Pathan to Saurabh Tiwary and from Manish Pandey to R Ashwin, the national side has benefitted regularly from breakthrough IPL performances.

No wonder, then, that the sparkling new IPL trophy bears the Sanskrit words : “Yatra pratibha avsara prapnotihi” (Where talent meets opportunity). Crafted in burnished gold, reflecting the quality of the competition, the trophy looks every bit the perfect award for excellence in a gruelling test of talent, nerves and strategising. 

Ever since this edition of the tournament began on April 8, 2011, the glittering award has dominated the thoughts of all ten captains and their top-notch sides. Bearing a classic look, it evokes all the splendour and pomp associated with grand sporting achievements. The Sanskrit engraving underscores all the grandeur with a calm insight into the competition. 

On May 28, one of the ten captains will come up and receive the resplendent trophy, signifying the triumphant end of a long and arduous journey. But the cup symbolises so much more than victory for 11 players. It is, in fact, the coming together of every little victory that has taken place all along the way. No matter whose mantelpiece the trophy adorns on D-day, its brilliant glow is the result of the combined excellence of 10 remarkable teams. 

The Orange Cap. The Purple Cap. The Dugout. The Fairplay Award. There are several symbols that capture the essence of the world’s biggest carnival of cricket. But there’s one image that perfectly combines the mood, spirit and significance of the tournament: the IPL trophy. 

Over the past four seasons, IPL has bridged the gap between the dreams and reality of talented young cricketers, both local and international. Sharing the dressing room with the game’s elite – past and present – youngsters have learnt more than just cricketing lessons during the competition. More importantly, they’ve imbibed the values and confidence without which success remains elusive. From Yusuf Pathan to Saurabh Tiwary and from Manish Pandey to R Ashwin, the national side has benefitted regularly from breakthrough IPL performances. 

No wonder, then, that the sparkling new IPL trophy bears the Sanskrit words: “Yatra pratibha avsara prapnotihi” (Where talent meets opportunity). Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels, “It’s an inscription that is absolutely apt for this particular tournament. IPL affords an opportunity to lots of talented players from all over the world - I specially mean the uncapped talented players - to show their skills and come into reckoning for their national teams.” 

The burnished trophy, reflecting the quality of the competition, looks every bit the perfect award for excellence in a gruelling test of talent, nerves and strategising. 

“It is nice to see a new trophy seeing as there are two new teams; it is not going to be the same trophy the eight teams were previously playing for,” says former Zimabwean cricketer turned commentator Pumelelo Mbangwa. “IPL provides an opportunity mainly to youngsters who perhaps otherwise wouldn’t get noticed in a country as vast as India. There are some talented youngsters no doubt who have come to the fore [through the competition] and that’s the good thing about IPL.” 

Ever since this edition of the tournament began on April 8, 2011, the glittering award has dominated the thoughts of all ten captains and their top-notch sides. Bearing a classic look, it evokes all the splendour and pomp associated with grand sporting achievements. The Sanskrit engraving underscores all the grandeur with a calm insight into the competition. 

“I like that inscription - Talent meets Opportunity,” says former New Zealand cricketer turned feisty commentator Danny Morrison. “It means a lot of opportunities for young Indians and opportunity for talented international stars to show their wares. This trophy is more traditional [than the previous one].”

On May 28, one of the ten captains will come up and receive the resplendent trophy, signifying the triumphant end of a long and arduous journey. But the cup symbolises so much more than victory for 11 players. It is, in fact, the coming together of every little victory that has taken place all along the way. No matter whose mantelpiece the trophy adorns on D-day, its brilliant glow is the result of the combined excellence of 10 remarkable teams.

Injury has changed me: Lee

When Brett Lee was nursing his injured elbow at a doctor’s clinic for most of 2010, even some of the eternal optimists had given up hope of seeing the Australian fast bowler in action again. In February when he retired from Test cricket, some wondered if his ODI career was also done. But as Brett says, ‘I’ve always been a bit of a fighter and an optimist. So I wanted to fight my way back up for one final time.’ That’s exactly what he has done.
At the age of 33, which is not exactly young for a genuinely quick bowler like him, Lee fought acute pain, ageing body and doubts that surrounded him to make a grand comeback. What saw him through was his aim: to Australia in the World Cup one last time.
His determination not only ensured him a place in the team, but Lee finished the World Cup as Australia’s most successful bowler with 13 wickets from seven matches at an average of 18.07.
Now, the ever cheerful pacer is bringing smiles on the faces of Kolkata Knight Riders fans. He’s a happy man firing on all cylinders for SRK’s team. ‘My aim was to get back for the World Cup and I achieved that. Now, I’ve also got a chance to play in the IPL. It’s a wonderful tournament with wonderful people. So, it’s fantastic to be back to playing cricket.’
But as is the case with every inspiring comeback story, a lot of blood and sweat have gone in. He admits his battle was as much with his ambition as it was against the injury.
‘It was very tough. The easier option would’ve been to put my feet up. I’ve had a really good career. I never thought even in my wildest dreams that I’d end up getting 300 wickets in both Tests and ODIs. But then I told myself to have a final go.’
Lee was desperate to resurrect his international career. And desperation often leads to compromise. But not in Lee’s case. ‘I also had on my mind that if I cannot bowl at 140-145 kmph consistently, I will not play again,’ he reveals. And to keep that promise he had to work hard on his fitness. ‘When you get injured, you have to change a certain things, but I just tried to focus on my fitness. Thankfully, I got to that fitness level again.’
While the core of Lee’s bowling remains the same, he has now matured as a bowler, partly due to the injury and partly due to his age. In the World Cup, the man leading Australia’s pace attack was not the blond hurling down the leather ball, like he did in the 2000’s. Instead, here was an intelligent operator complementing his pace with cunning variations and deceiving change in pace.
And this IPL has brought him a godsend opportunity to add more to his guile, with Wasim Akram as the bowling coach. The Aussie pacer has been working closely with the legend in the KKR camp.
‘When you’re making a comeback at 34 years of age, you’ve got to reinvent yourself and Wasim has been a tremendous help in that,’ says Lee. ‘I normally swing the ball away from the right hander and I’ve always wanted to bring it back or get it to straighten. That’s something I’ve been working on with Wasim and it’s starting to come off. I’m also working really hard on the reverse swing.’
At 34, he is still enjoys every moment on the cricket field. He still has some unfinished business. While he runs the final lap, Lee wants to guide the young Australian fast bowlers along the way and do his bit in reviving his country’s flagging cricketing fortunes. ‘I want to do a lot more in the one-day format and pass on a bit to the young guys. I’m doing that here in the IPL and want to do the same with the Australian team

Use best bowlers up front: Vettori

Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Daniel Vettori expressed happiness over his team’s eight-wicket victory over Chennai Super Kings on Sunday night. RCB are on the top of the table thanks to a great team performance. Vettori addressed the post-match press conference.
Excerpts:
On the break benefitting him and Zaheer Khan
The break helped us as we came in a bit fresher. Our experience and skill have been an asset to the team and we both bowled well [tonight]. That was an important contribution to the win.
How did he prepare for the game against CSK?
Chennai is an impressive side. They have played well for quite a long time in this competition. We were soundly beaten by them when we played in Chennai. This is an important win because it ensured a top finish and makes things easy for us in the Playoffs. We are not just happy that we are placed at the top of the table but also with the way we played today.
On having only four specialist bowlers
That is the risk we take. Chris [Gayle] has been pretty good with the ball and we have Virat [Kohli] up our sleeve as well. We have still got Syed Mohammad on the sidelines. We have to look at the track in Mumbai in the last few games and decide whether to go with that extra bowler or an extra batter. Today we went with an extra batsman and it worked. It may not be the right combination for the next game.
On using inexperienced bowlers at the death
I support the theory that we can use our best bowlers as soon as we can so that we can change the game. Anyone can go for runs at the end. Zaheer [Khan] and myself can take wickets early on, that is going to assist the younger players at the death. That is what we have been trying to do. [MS] Dhoni played well but they still made only 128 [runs].
On Zaheer Khan being the bowling spearhead
He doesn’t have an official role. I like Zak talking to the bowlers particularly because all of them respect him. They probably understand him better than me. Particularly in the death overs, I like Zaheer talking to them. I trust him.
On trying four opening pairs in four matches
We are searching for that right combination since [Tillakaratne] Dilshan left. Today we wanted to give AB [de Villiers] a bat because Chris and Virat have batted so well. It didn’t work today but I know how good a player AB is. So he could be an option in the next game as well. [Luke] Pomersbach is another option and we have couple of others up our sleeve. So we will see how the wicket is and who we play.
On Chris Gayle’s phenomenal run
I have never seen him play this well. It has been amazing the way he played since he turned up for us. It is not slogging. He’s hitting good cricket shots and using his strengths.
On Gayle playing R Ashwin cautiously
He was determined to get back the Orange Cap today. He knew how many runs we needed and he really wanted to do that. Ashwin has been their outstanding bowler in the campaign and Chris acknowledges that. If we were chasing 180/190 [ runs], we would see a different method.

BHAJJI GAMBLE AND A FRANKLIN SPECIAL

Poor running and a defiant Kallis: Kolkata needed a win over Mumbai to finish off as the number 2 ranked team on the points table. But when they were asked to bat first, the Knight Riders lost early wickets and it appeared doubtful that they would end up with a good total. Shreevats Gosami forgot to do the basics right which resulted in his run-out on 1. Instead of responding to his partner's call, Gosami was just ball-watching and Kallis had gone past him at the non-strikers end when Rayudu collected a throw from Suman to remove the bails. Gautam Gambhir, who was the next man in, hit Abu Nechim for a six off the first ball of the 4th over the but missed the very next delivery to be out bowled for 8. Manoj Tiwary's aggressive approach helped Kolkata progress forward but he too fell to a lazy piece of running to depart on 35 off 22 balls. Jacques Kallis, who was there from the start, looked like he had taken the responsibility of playing till the end while Yusuf Pathan was his usual self, belting boundaries at a regular rate. While Pathan fell after an aggressive 36, Kallis scored a gritty half-century before getting out towards the end. Thanks to his well-composed 59, Kolkata managed to finish with 175/7.

Bhajji gamble, Bhatia triple and a Franklin special: Chasing a daunting target, Mumbai sent in Harbhajan Singh at number three after the early dismissal of Suman. The gamble initially seemed to work well as the off-spinner dealt in boundaries at a regular rate to keep the scorecard moving forward while Sachin Tendulkar was happy getting the singles and twos with occasion shots to the ropes. Harbhajan tried to make the most of it and his unorthodox style with the bat never allowed the Kolkata bowlers to settle into a rhythm. However, boundaries started drying up for Harbhajan after the power-play. He was struggling to time the ball well and eventually departed on 30 off 29 balls, holing out to Tiwary off Rajat Bhatia. Rohit Sharma, who was the next man in, did not stay for long as he nicked a Bhatia delivery to the keeper to head back on 10. Bhatia was not finished yet as he picked up the all-important wicket of Tendulkar (39 off 27) to dent Mumbai's chances. Then came James Franklin who tried to make a game of it and brought it down to 21 off the final over. He hit 4 fours off Balaji and took a single while Ambati Rayudu who came down the order, hit a full-toss off the last ball for a mighty 6 to help Mumbai to a thrilling win.

Gayle in trouble after argument with media

Star batsman Chris Gayle courted controversy on Thursday when he allegedly pushed a reporter of a regional TV channel when the latter tried to film the cricketer while he was shopping. 

The former West Indies captain also tried to snatch the camera and the microphone from the channel crew. 
The big bodied Jamaican who is playing for the Royal Challengers Bangalore was livid when he found out that the members of a particular local channel followed him as he entered one of the shops at the Brigade Road here. 
Taking it as an intrusion in his privacy, Gayle abused the channel crew and tried to rough them up. 

If that wasn't enough, Gayle's bodyguards also allegedly attempted to assault the journalists. As things threatened to turn ugly, a number of onlookers came to the rescue of the media team and there was a heated argument with the cricketer.Sensing danger, Gayle along with his guards fled from the spot without offering any apology. 

The journalists then approached City Police Commissioner Jyothiprakash Mirji with an intention to file a complaint against Gayle. The CP then directed the team to DC (Central Division) G Ramesh and instructed them to give it in writing. "Action will be initiated on whatever the crew gives in writing," Mirji said. 

Ambati Rayudu - the New Hero

Ambati Rayudu's last-ball six gave Mumbai Indians a five wicket victory over the Kolkata Knight Riders in a tense finish at the Eden Gardens on Sunday.

Earlier, Jacques Kallis stood tall with a brilliant half-century as KKR overcame early hiccups to post a challenging 175 runs for seven wickets.

"I was hitting the ball quite well. I am very thankful to all the support staff and all the senior players in the side for guiding me along," Tiwary said when asked about his good batting form.

Tiwary, with 355 runs, is so far the second highest scorer for the Kolkata Knight Riders after Kallis (417) in the ongoing tournament.

Asked about his run out, he said: "It was my mistake, I couldn't make it to the crease on time and Bhajji really did well. It was all my fault."

Tiwary got out when he set out for a non-existent run after playing Kieron pollard to short third man and was short of returning to his crease when Harbhajan Singh's throw his the stumps.

Mumbai pull off amazing heist !!

Kolkata Knight Riders had their Champions League debut all but booked when they began the last over with 21 to defend. Three edged boundaries off L Balaji and two missed yorkers later, James Franklin and Ambati Rayudu had seen Mumbai Indians to a highly unlikely win, breaking their three-match losing streak. The win set up a repeat clash between the two teams in the eliminator, an equivalent of a quarter-final.

In all the chaos of the last over, which stunned the full house at Eden Gardens, Chennai Super Kings emerged the biggest gainers. Had Kolkata won the game, which they should have despite all those edges, Chennai would have finished third, and would have had to win two games in order to make the final. Now they need win only one of the two.

Mumbai gained too: they needed to finish the chase off in 5.1 overs to make it to the top two, but by beating Kolkata they could have ensured a psychological advantage in their eliminator. For the best part of their 19 overs of batting, Mumbai scarcely looked like a team that could do so. Iqbal Abdulla removed T Suman in the second over, the pinch-hitter Harbhajan Singh managed 30 off 29, and Rajat Bhatia's leg-rollers broke the batting order's back with thee wickets in three overs.

At 96 for 4 in the 13th over, it seemed too much was left for Kieron Pollard and Franklin. Pollard lived up to that expectation, but Franklin kept the fight up mostly with well-placed couples. A six and a four in between meant Mumbai were not completely out of it even when Balaji ripped Pollard's leg stump out with 40 required off 15.

If this was robbery in broad floodlights, Kolkata weren't the most vigilant victims either. As much as the edged boundaries in the last over, Kolkata will also look back at little moments towards the end that proved to be decisive. Balaji bowled a wide with one ball left in the 18th over, and Ambati Rayudu lofted the compensation delivery over extra cover for a six. It wouldn't be Rayudu's last six of the night.

The last ball of the 19th over hit Rayudu in the pad and rolled towards the keeper. The batsmen had all but stolen a leg-bye when wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami went for a direct hit, and conceded an overthrow. That kept Franklin - 28 off 18 now - on strike for the last over. L Balaji went for a wide yorker first ball, and a thick edge off the low full toss went between the keeper and the short third man. A slower bouncer followed, and the tope edge cleared the keeper again. Thirteen off four now looked so much more gettable.

Balaji went back to the wide-yorker plan, and Franklin smacked the next low full toss past extra cover for four. Under pressure and in the face of some ill luck, Balaji was just not landing them right. The next ball was a low, wide full toss again, and another thick edge beat third man to make it five of two. The next low full toss found extra cover, and brought Kolkata some relief. However, just then Balaji chose to bowl the worst delivery of the over - a high full toss on the pads - and Rayudu helped himself to his second, and decisive, six.

The stunned Eden gardens crowd could scarcely believe what they were seeing after they had cheered their team all night to what looked like a comfortable win. Most of it was thanks to Jacques Kallis who batted solidly at first and rapaciously towards the end. Along the way he was helped by breezy 30s from Manoj Tiwary and Yusuf Pathan, but it was Kallis who provided the innings the final impetus with 19 off the last five balls he faced. It was fitting then that the man who minimised the damage with the wickets of Kallis and Yusuf was none other than Franklin.

I felt disconnected with IPL: Oram

 Back from the IPL after playing just two matches, New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram says he felt disconnected with the event as the "after-match parties, Bollywood stars and fashion parades" seemed far removed from reality.

"Being here for six weeks, not playing much, training hard but not actually getting on the field has been kind of weird. In a way I feel like I haven't really got involved in the tournament," Oram, who played for Rajasthan Royals as an injury replacement for Paul Collingwood, told the Dominion Post.

"I haven't watched it on TV and I couldn't tell you the standings, partly because I know our side's out of it. I feel a bit disconnected from the tournament," he added.

Speaking about his experience in the league, the imposing 32-year-old said it was surreal at times.

"After nearly every game there's an after-party, there's Bollywood stars there and fashion parades; the drinks are free and the cheerleaders are around. It's a different world.

"Sometimes you wonder if you're here for cricket or not. Ultimately you are. It is good fun, but at the same time I don't think it's reality," Oram said.

Oram also recalled his interactions with Rajasthan captain Shane Warne's actress girlfriend Elizabeth Hurley.

"She (Hurley) was here for a week, halfway through the tournament. She's a very nice lady and has an organic farm herself, so with my wife's family being organic farmers there was a conversation starter there.

"She brought her kids across and Shane had his three kids there, and nannies and a bit of security so there was a massive entourage for a while," Oram said.

One of the pleasent experience of the IPL, according to Oram, was sharing the dressing room with Warne and veteran Indian batsman Rahul Dravid.

"He (Warne) is a nice guy, really easy to talk to. He's about to retire and that experience will last forever. I'm glad I had that opportunity. I played alongside Rahul Dravid; there's some pretty cool things I've experienced," he said.

Harbhajan plays a cameo in Mumbai chase

Jacques Kallis stood tall with a brilliant half-century as Kolkata Knight Riders overcame early hiccups to post a challenging 175 runs for seven wickets against the Mumbai Indians in the final round-robin match of the IPL here on Sunday.Put into bat, the Knight Riders had a cautious losing two wickets early with the scoreboard reading 22 but Kallis displayed a cool head and guided the home team innings with a a 42-ball 59.Together with Manoj Tiwary (35 off 22) and Yusuf Pathan, Kallis shared 47 and 57 runs for the third and fourth wickets respectively to set the platform for the big score.The burly South African entertained a sell-out Eden crowd with four boundaries and three sixes.Towards the end, Ryab ten Doeschate (18 off 12) and Rajat Bhatia (11 not out off 6) played good hands to take Knight Riders past the 170-run mark.

For Mumbai Indians, young right-arm pacer Abu Nechim Ahmed and Kiwi James Franklin took two wickets each, giving away 32 and 35 runs respectively.The Knight Riders also lost three of their batsmen (Shreevats Goswami, Tiwary and Rajat Bhatia) to run outs.Lasith Malinga returned wicketless but the Sri Lankan pacer was impressive, conceding just 23 from his quota of four overs.But Mumbai's back up bowlers, Keiron Pollard and debutant Ray Price were expensive as they gave away more than 11 runs an over to help the Knight Riders cause.Facing Malinga for the first time ever, Goswami had some anxious moments as the Knight Riders made a cautious approach to their innings.

After surviving a couple of fiery deliveries from Malinga, Goswami (1 off 3 balls) ran himself out following a mix up with Kallis.At the other end, Kallis looked unruffled as he attacked Malinga in the same over, picking up the ball over extra cover for a boundary in the last ball.Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir quickly got himself in the groove with a six of Abu Nechim.But Gambhir (8) perished in the very next ball when he missed Abu Nechim's line completely to see his off-stump shattered as the Knight Riders looked in some trouble, losing two wickets inside the first four overs.The Knight Riders, however, maintained a healthy run-rate and Kallis stood tall to take their cause forward as they scored 46 runs for the loss of two wickets at the end of the powerplay.

In-form Tiwary played another fluent innings as the stylish Bengal skipper stitched a crucial third wicket partnership with the experienced South African.The duo added 45 runs from 33 balls before Tiwary got himself out with another suicidial run-out. He hit five boundaries and one six during his stay.After the fall of Tiwary, Kallis got fine support from big-hitting Pathan, who looked at his belligerent best taking the attack on Mumbai Indians camp.In the very third ball he faced, Pathan smote left-arm spinner Price for a six over square leg and Kallis followed with a boundary as the veteran Zimbabwean conceded 13 runs of his first over.Continuing with his blitzkrieg, Pathan dispatched Pollard for two back-to-back boundaries, while Kallis added another as the West Indian conceded 15 runs to put the Knight Riders on course for a challenging total.Pathan and Kallis took the Knight Riders to 124 in the 16th over before the former got out after a quickfire innings.Kallis soon exploded with three sixes, two of them in succession, as he completed his half-century in style.The jam-packed Eden crowd numbering more than 65000 got their full worth of money with all the Knight Riders batsmen coming good

Kallis takes Kolkata closer to top-two finish

Jacques Kallis was solid in the first 16 overs, and rapacious in the next two. Yusuf Pathan and Manoj Tiwary played aggressive knocks around the solid version of Kallis to take Kolkata Knight Riders to an imposing total, one that could ensure them a place in the top two, and with that two shots at qualifying for the final and an assured place in the Champions League T20. Yusuf and Tiwary were breezy in scoring their respective 30s, and Kallis did the dual job of not hogging the strike and also providing the final kick.

Having put Kolkata in to attempt a big enough win that could get them into the top two - for that plan to come off, they'll have to chase down this target in 5.1 overs - Mumbai Indians got off to a decent start with the early wickets of Shreevats Goswami and Gautam Gambhir. At 22 for 2 in the fourth over, though, Tiwary didn't waste time rebuilding. Instead he shuffled across to the first ball he faced, and flicked Abu Nechim through midwicket for four. The confidence of Tiwary was obvious as he targeted the IPL debutant Ray Price in the next over, a man the international batsmen reserve utmost respect for. Soon Tiwary was 20 off 8, and Kolkata's innings had taken off.

Just as he settled in for a long one, Tiwary was found short of the crease by Harbhajan Singh from short third man. Like Tiwary, Yusuf went after Price too, slog-sweeping him for a six. Kieron Pollard went for back-to-back boundaries - one a fierce cut, the other a delicate one. By the time Franklin frustrated him and had him hole out to a slower delivery, Yusuf had taken Kolkata to 124 for 4 in 16 overs. Kallis had faced only 37 deliveries until then for his 40.

Unobtrusive until then, Kallis 2.0 made the capacity Eden Gardens crowd take notice. First he slog-swept Harbhajan over midwicket. And in the next over, lofted Franklin into the same zone. The next ball went flying over extra cover. Kallis had scored 19 off the last five deliveries. Franklin got his own back by getting Kallis next ball, but Ryan ten Doeschate and Rajat Bhatia managed 26 off the last 15 balls to give their side a good chance of making it to the top two.

Playing at the Eden is special: Tendulkar

It will be the first time batting legend Sachin Tendulkar sets foot on the historic Eden Gardens in an Indian Premier League (IPL) match on Sunday when his Mumbai Indians take on Kolkata Knight Riders. Kolkata has never witnessed the batting maestro in the IPL as he missed fixtures in the first and last season due to injury.

"Kolkata is always a special place for me. Playing at the Eden Gardens is always very special. Yes, I have not played an IPL game here. I am looking forward to it," Tendulkar told Sunday Mid Day from his hotel room.

"I can imagine the atmosphere at Eden tomorrow. It has always been superb," added the Mumbai Indians' skipper.Tendulkar was happy after MI qualified for the play-offs.

"Yeah, we are through," said Tendulkar, who watched the Deccan vs Punjab match on television after torrential rains washed out their practice session.Hundreds of fans waited outside the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose airport here to catch a glimpse of Tendulkar, who arrived in the city for the first time after India won the World Cup on April 2.

"People of Kolkata understand the game very well and admire cricketers. It is a nice feeling for me (to play at Eden)," he signed off.

Gayle did the turnaround for us: Vettori

They have secured the top spot in the points table after being placed at the bottom at one stage and the man who turned things around for the team is the in-form Chris Gayle, said Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Daniel Vettori.

Bangalore thrashed defending champions Chennai Super Kings to take the top position with 19 points in the Indian Premier League.

Gayle smashed an unbeaten 70 to pave the way for his side's easy win and also claimed the Orange Cap with a tally of 511 runs from nine games.

"Gayle has been responsible for the turnaround, he has been outstanding. Our fielding and bowling has been good as well, especially Zaheer today. With Dilshan leaving we had to try out a few things. All the departments are doing well, and even Aravind and Mithun did well today," Vettori said.

The West Indies batsman said he is enjoying the scorching form in this season of the IPL.

"This has been one of the longest runs I have ever had, in terms of consistency. The team has been tremendous, the fans as well. All the support has been great. You need to have the courage to go out there to get the job done, it is God's gift so I am thankful. Teams are going to come with new plans at us. We were chasing a low total, one of us had to be there till the end," Gayle said.

Chennai skipper MS Dhoni blamed top-order failure for the defeat.

"If you are 4-5 down in the start, it is always difficult to catch up in this format. We tried to get a decent total on the board in the end," he said.

Dhoni was not happy with the strategy of the top-order batsmen, who went after the bowlers without reading the pitch properly.

"It was doing a bit in the first few overs, we should have delayed the attack. At the end, it started to get better. You have to make sure that you get some runs at least towards the end," Dhoni said.

RCB thrash Chennai to take top spot

 Chris Gayle's blazing form in the Indian Premier League continued as he butchered the Chennai Super Kings bowlers to score an unbeaten 75 off 50 balls to guide Royal Challengers Bangalore to a comprehensive eight-wicket win here on Sunday.

The win put RCB on top of the table with 19 points and more importantly gives them a match more to reach the final in case they lose the first play-offs.

Restricting CSK to a modest 128 for eight, RCB, who finished their league engagements with nine wins and a draw (no result), sauntered home with 12-balls to spare.

Gayle was in imperious form again. But unlike in the earlier matches when he swung his bat at everything that was flung at him, the towering Jamaican was watchful, smashing the ball only when the bowlers begged to be punished. He picked Dougie Bollinger and Suresh Raina for punishment, smashing them for effortless sixes at the start of the innings.The lanky Jamaican struck six sixes and four fours during his 50-ball mayhem, taking his aggregate to 511 runs in only nine innings. He is now the proud owner of the Orange Cap surpassing Shaun Marsh who had aggregated 504 runs.

It wasn't just Gayle all the way. Virat Kohli batted with maturity, defending when the bowlers demanded him to use soft hands, hitting out when they either over-pitched or bowled short.If RCB had lost AB de Villiers to the third ball of their innings, Kohli ensured that his side was firmly in the saddle, playing the supporting role to Gayle to a nicety.Kohli made 31 before clipping Albie Morkel into the hands of Ravichandran Ashwin. With barely 48 needed in 60 balls with nine wickets in hand, RCB made the remainder of the target without much fuss. Saurabh Tiwary remained unbeaten with 13 while posting 49-runs for the unbroken third wicket.

Earlier, put in to bat by Daniel Vettori, CSK lost wickets at regular intervals throughout their innings, and reached 128 for eight in their 20 overs thanks entirely to MS Dhoni, who smashed three fours and six towering sixes in his unbeaten 40-ball knock of 70.Dhoni was particularly severe on young paceman Abhimanyu Mithun, who conceded 17 runs in the final over of the innings and was clobbered for 35 runs in his four overs even as the rest of the RCB attack was discipline personified.

Zaheer Khan, back in the side like Vettori, finished with excellent figures of two for 19, Vettori himself took two for 14 and impressive left-arm medium-pacer Sreenath Arvind returned with two for 20 to ensure that the defending champions did not get away to a massive score.Zaheer began the slide in the third over, inducing a loose drive from Mike Hussey on to his stumps. It triggered a dramatic rot as the Super Kings subsided to 23 for four at the end of the Powerplay, their top-order blown away through a combination of disciplined bowling and poor shot-selection.The first pocket of resistance was provided by Wriddhiman Saha (22, 30 balls, 1x4, 1x6) and Dhoni, who added 42 for the fifth wicket in 47 deliveries, but with Dwayne Bravo and Albie Morkel failing to contribute significantly lower down, it was entirely up to Dhoni to do the scoring.

The Indian captain began cautiously, but once he got his eye in, he treated a packed gathering to a feast of strokeplay. He first picked off Chris Gayle for two sixes, but saved his best for Mithun to give his bowlers something of a target to defend in the battle for the top slot.

Bangalore finish on top of table

Chris Gayle indulged himself after his bowlers restricted Chennai Super Kings to a below-par 128 to ensure Royal Challengers Bangalore will finish top of the points table. The result also secured their berth in this year's Champions League.

Chennai were always facing inevitable defeat once their top order crumbled six overs into the game. Tottering at 22 for 4, MS Dhoni consolidated initially before looting quick runs in the end, but 128 wasn't going to test Bangalore at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Especially with Gayle unleashing hell.

Gayle left his mark on the chase and it was violent. A six flew over third man, another disappeared over cow corner, a third, off Suresh Raina, landed in the upper tier of the long-on stands and a fierce straight drive rammed into Albie Morkel's shin. A limping Morkel continued bowling after receiving some treatment but Gayle promptly dispatched a short delivery over the deep midwicket boundary. But while Gayle thrilled the home crowd, it was the bowlers who won the game for Bangalore.

The first couple of overs set the tone: Zaheer Khan nearly yorked M Vijay and beat Michael Hussey with couple of outswingers, and S Aravind hit a nagging line and length to handcuff Chennai. The breakthrough came in the third over when Hussey dragged an away-going delivery on to his stumps. It was a sign of things to come. Vijay hung his bat out against Aravind, Suresh Raina top edged a pull off Zaheer and when S Badrinath lifted Daniel Vettori to long-off Chennai were wobbling at 22 for 4 from 5.4 overs.

It was left to Dhoni to play the lone ranger but every time he tried to switch to attacking mode, a wicket fell, forcing him to revert to caution. He added 26 runs with Wriddhiman Saha from 6.4 overs and Chennai reached 60 for 4 in 12 overs. Saha swung Gayle for a six over midwicket in the next over to suggest a possible change in the mindset but he fell, trying to repeat the shot off Virat Kohli in the 14th over.

Dhoni was on a run-a-ball 19 at that stage and soon swung Gayle for his second six to hint at a revival, but Dwayne Bravo was trapped by an arm-ball from Vettori, forcing Dhoni to slow down again. He went quiet for a couple of overs and it was only in the final over, bowled by Abhimanyu Mithun, that Dhoni really displayed his brand of violence. He pulled a six and a four before he smote one over the midwicket boundary to finish off in style. It was far from enough though.