Brad Haddin injured , ruled out of IPL-4 , back to home.

Brad Haddin , the Australia and Kolkata Knight Riders wicketkeeper, has been ruled out of the rest of the IPL with a fractured finger. He has been replaced by South Africa wicketkeeper Mark Boucher , who was part of the IPL commentary team this season and represented Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first three editions. "Boucher can open, he can play in the middle order, and he plays spin very well," Venky Mysore, the CEO of the franchise, told TODAY-to-CRICKET. Boucher last played for South Africa in a limited- overs game in June 2010 , as AB de Villiers emerged as a preferred wicketkeeper-batsman. Haddin had picked up the injury during Australia's recent one-day series in Bangladesh, and though he played one IPL game after that tour, an MRI on Thursday revealed that his finger hadn't yet healed. Kolkata have used three different wicketkeepers in the tournament already, all of whom have opened the batting. Manvinder Bisla played five games as an opener, while Shreevats Goswami was drafted in for the game against Delhi Daredevils. Haddin came into the IPL in good form, having been Australia's highest run-getter in the World Cup.

Kolkata Knight Riders has targeted the top position in IPL-4 :

Kolkata Knight Riders are the only team of the original eight to have not made the IPL semi- finals but seem to have assembled a squad capable of making it this time. The latest evidence of that came on Thursday against Delhi Daredevils When their formidable batting stuttered, their bowlers stepped up to pull off a victory that brought their campaign back on track after two successive losses had brought back memories of dismal previous seasons. A win over Kings XI Punjab on Saturday could send them to the top of the table. Punjab's bowlers have had a week's rest since the pasting they received at Feroz Shah Kotla and now face another tough test as they come up against one of the strongest batting units in the tournament. Adam Gilchrist's side were widely reckoned to be among the weakest before the start of the tournament but they have done surprisingly well so far, partly due to Paul Valthaty's heroics. The reason Punjab aren't in the top half of the table is that they have only played five matches, while everyone else have played at least seven. " We have to deal with what we are presented with in the schedule," Gilchrist said. "We are very keen to play though it's a little odd to have a full week break and then have nine games in the next 21 days." Form guide (most recent first) Kolkata WLLWW (second in points table) Punjab LWWWL ( seventh in points table) Team talk- Kolkata are still searching for a reliable wicketkeeper-batsman to partner Jacques Kallis at the top of the order. Their pool of candidates was reduced when Brad Haddin was ruled out of the tournament with a broken finger. Shreevats Goswami made some runs against Delhi but is yet to cement his spot. Kolkata also need to decide whether to retain the misfiring Eoin Morgan. Punjab have to sort out their bowling combination. They need to decide which Indian medium-pacer to pick along with Praveen Kumar. Shalabh Srivastava didn't impress in his previous match, which could open the door for either Love Ablish or Vikramjeet Malik. In the spotlight Shaun Marsh can make a credible case for being the most consistent batsman in IPLs - he has an astonishing ten 50- plus scores in 19 innings. His 95 was the outstanding innings in the runfest against Delhi , giving them a fright even after they posted the biggest total of the season. Kolkata brought back left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla for the game against Delhi , which proved a canny decision. With eight wickets, Abdulla is their joint top wicket-taker and his three strikes were instrumental in changing the course of the Kotla match on Thursday. Prime numbers Manoj Tiwary is averaging 97 after six innings this season Paul Valthaty needs one more six to equal Yuvraj Singh for most sixes in the season The chatter "I think a lot of people get caught up in results. I don't come into this game getting petrified that Kolkata won the last game."

Rajasthan crushed Mumbai Indians - Botha became star :

Mumbai Indians' first batting collapse of the tournament gave Rajasthan Royals a small target of 95 to chase on a dry and cracked pitch in Jaipur. Although the home team had to fight hard for their victory, it ended up being a comprehensive one. Sachin Tendulkar expected conditions to be difficult for batting but he probably didn't expect that none of his batsmen would score more than 17. Mumbai started confidently with Tendulkar driving the second ball through point and Davy Jacobs punching the ball over long-on for the first six of the innings. Jacobs went three balls after that shot when he played across the line to an Amit Singh delivery that uprooted middle stump. In the next over, Tendulkar was stumped off the bowling of Ashok Menaria to give the left- arm spinner his first wicket in Twenty20 cricket and deny the spectators the possibility of a Tendulkar versus Shane Warne special. Menaria showed confidence in flighting the ball and reading the batsmen's intentions. He was rewarded for a second time when he bowled a short delivery to Ambati Rayudu, who charged down the pitch and offered Menaria a simple return catch. Shane Warne brought himself on and had success in his second over, inviting Rohit Sharma to drive in the air to Johan Botha on the long-off rope. Kieron Pollard scored his first run of this year's IPL with a flick through square leg and together with Andrew Symonds had to set about rebuilding the innings. The pair lasted 33 balls before Johan Botha trapped Pollard lbw, as he completely missed the offbreak. Botha struck twice in his next over, bowling Symonds with a ball that kept low and enticing R Sathish to charge down the pitch and get stumped. The procession continued when Lasith Malinga was dismissed for one by Amit Singh. Mumbai avoided the ignominy of being bowled out within the 20 overs as Harbhajan Singh swatted at four deliveries in the final over before finally connecting for a six. But, they finished on their lowest total in IPL history. It was always going to be difficult to defend 95 but with an aggressive bowling attack, Mumbai may have had some hope. Lasith Malinga started in his usual toe-crushing fashion while Munaf Patel was also accurate. He got an early breakthrough with a slower ball that Rahul Dravid scooped to Tendulkar at midwicket. Ali Murtaza, who was brought in in place of Abu Nechim, was bowling a difficult line and length and with the pitch keeping low he was almost impossible to get away. Watson and Botha saw off his first two overs and although the required-rate was never going to trouble them, they picked the balls to hit well. Botha slog-swept Harbhajan for six while Watson hit Pollard for a straight six over his head. They handled Murtaza with greater ease in his second spell and the chase was turning into a stroll. Tendulkar brought Malinga back into the attack, and after three full balls, he banged one in short to Watson who was caught behind off an edge. Ross Taylor joined Johan Botha and the pair concentrated on rotating the strike, which was all they needed to do. Two fuller deliveries were punished with Taylor stroking a ball through the covers for four and Botha lofting one over midwicket. Botha took Rajasthan to the brink and was bowled with just five runs left to get for the win. Rajasthan have now won 14 out of 18 home games in IPLs, with 11 of those wins coming in Jaipur.

List of Hundreads in IPL

BB McCullum -158 * MEK Hussey -116 * A Symonds -117 * AC Gilchrist- 109 * ST Jayasuriya- 114 * SE Marsh -115 AB de Villers- 105 * MK Pandey -114 * YK Pathan -100 DA Warner- 107 * M Vijay- 127 DPMD Jayawardene-110* PC Valthaty -120 * SR Tendulkar- 100 * CH Gayle- 102 *

Ambati Rayudu is ready to take a spot in the Indian Test Team squade- Harbhajan Singh

Mumbai Indians batsman Ambati Rayudu could take a spot in India's Test middle order once the likes of Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman move on, Harbhajan Singh has said. According to him, Rayudu, who joined Mumbai in 2010 after cancelling his contract with the Indian Cricket League, was key to the side's run to the final in the previous season. "He has special talent. He got lost [in domestic cricket] in between and we didn't hear much about him, but he's been playing really well for Mumbai Indians. Last season he was one of the main players who got us into the final, and I can see him playing for India, " Harbhajan said. "He's got the capability to fill the shoes of Rahul Dravid or VVS Laxman. That's what I think, in coming years you'll see him going a long way." Harbhajan is looking forward to talking shop with Shane Warne when Mumbai play Rajasthan Royals on Friday. "It [the match] is an opportunity for youngsters like Rayudu and Rohit Sharma to face one of the world's best bowlers ever. Hopefully I'll get some time to talk to him about my bowling and about me going forward in international cricket." Mumbai's fielding, which has received a lot of praise, is what won them the match against Chennai Super Kings on April 22 , Harbhajan said. "Jonty Rhodes always pushes us to work really hard on our fielding. We all know that fielding is an area in which we can always improve. If you ask me, we won against Chennai because we fielded brilliantly and not because I took five wickets." Harbhajan also said if spinners have been faring better in this IPL, it wasn't because of the pitches. "Pitches have been always slow in India. There have been bowlers like Praveen Kumar who've been getting wickets. You have to do different things in Twenty20 , I feel you can't just bowl at 130 plus kph and get away with your four overs. You need some kind of swing or to bowl at 150 kph to survive this form. "We [Mumbai] are doing well as a bowling unit. Even someone like Kieron Pollard, who is not purely a bowler, is capable of getting us three or four wickets on a good day. On a good day, anyone can win a game for us, that is what matters." The environment in the Mumbai camp is a great one to be in, Harbhajan said. "Last season Zak [ Zaheer Khan] was around, and Sachin [ Tendulkar], Zak and I tried to makes ours a tight unit. That worked for us, and this year it is the same. "Someone like T Suman, who has just come in [ this season], we want him to feel like he's a part of the think tank. Whatever he feels, he can come and talk to us and give us his suggestions and feedback. We have a lot of confidence in each other, people talk about whatever they have on their mind, which is a great environment to be in."

Rajasthan Royals won the toss,elected to bowl first and restricted Mumbai Indians to 94

Rajasthan Royals' captain Shane Warne won the toss and chose to bowl against Mumbai Indians on a warm day in Jaipur. The pitch appeared dry, with plenty of cracks and Sachin Tendulkar was happy to bat, saying that run-scoring could prove tough as the game wore on. Mumbai are on top of the table, having lost just one of their six matches and will look to extend their lead. They made one change to the starting XI, with spinner Ali Murtaza replacing medium-pacer Abu Nechim. Rajasthan, who can break into the top four with a win, went in with the same side that beat the Kochi Tuskers. Rajasthan: 1 Shane Watson, 2 Ashok Menaria, 3 Rahul Dravid, 4 Ajinkya Rahane, 5 Amit Singh, 6 Ross Taylor, 7 Dishant Yagnik (wk), 8 Shane Warne (capt), 9 Johan Botha, 10 Stuart Binny, 11 Siddharth Trivedi Mumbai: 1 Sachin Tendulkar (capt), 2 Davy Jacobs (wk), 3 Ambati Rayudu, 4 Kieron Pollard, 5 Rohit Sharma, 6 Andrew Symonds, 7 R Sathish, 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Munaf Patel, 10 Lasith Malinga, 11 Ali Murtaza

Pune Warriors needed improved batting for turnarround

Time is running out for Pune Warriors. With four losses out of six matches, they have severe catching-up to do in their remaining eight games. And it all has to start with snapping a four-match losing streak they have accumulated. In their last three matches they have been 17 for 4 , 40 for 4 and 41 for 4. The batting order is surely not ideal: Yuvraj Singh at No. 5 always runs the risk of being wasted, Mithun Manhas and Mohnish Mishra in the top four make it one non-international batsman too many, and Callum Ferguson definitely should not be on the bench considering their batting failures. Royal Challengers Bangalore, on the other hand, have started a turnaround of sorts with Chris Gayle's arrival. They have seven points after seven matches; 14 after 14 can get them through to the qualifiers. However, they will want more than that, and will be aiming at four wins at least in the remaining games. Form guide (most recent first) Bangalore WWNLL (fourth in points table) Pune LLLLW (ninth in points table) Team talk Pune will need to find a way to get Ferguson in. Given that they have five specialist bowlers doing a good job for them, they can easily bring him in ahead of Mitchell Marsh, who replaced Nathan McCullum for Pune's last game. Bangalore will want to persist with their winning combination. Predict the playing XIs for this match. Play ESPNcricinfo Team selector . In the spotlight Jesse Ryder has got off to good starts, but has also fallen to the short ball on more than one occasion. Expect more of that from Zaheer Khan & Co. Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a golden duck in the previous game, and will look to pull his weight in what is, on paper, one of the most destructive opening combinations in the IPL. Prime numbers Virat Kohli, with 227 runs to his name, is 43 short of claiming the orange cap Rahul Sharma's 6.04 an over is the fourth-best economy-rate among bowlers who have bowled a minimum of 10 overs. Daniel Vettori, Yusuf Pathan and Doug Bollinger are ahead of him The chatter "We didn't apply our brains while batting. We kept on making the same mistakes again

Pataudi moves court against BCCI

Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi , the former India captain, has moved the Bombay High Court, seeking the appointment of an arbitrator in relation to what he claimed was the BCCI's failure to abide by its contract with him while he was a consultant with the board as well as a member of the IPL governing council. He has also claimed an amount of Rs.1.16 crore as fees for services rendered. According to the application filed by Pataudi in the High Court, his agreement with the BCCI came into effect in October 2007 and was to last for a period of five years, where he would be paid Rs 1 crore annually. In the event that one of the parties chose to terminate the contract, as stated in Pataudi's application, they would have to invoke the agreement's arbitration clause. In October last year, the BCCI made wholesale changes to the IPL governing council, slashing its membership term from five years to one year and taking a decision that no payment will be made to any member of the original council. These new terms were unacceptable to Pataudi, as well as Sunil Gavaskar, and both turned down posts in the new governing council. In January this year, Pataudi wrote to the BCCI seeking the appointment of an arbitrator since his ties with the governing council had ended. When there was no reply from the Indian board, Pataudi took the matter to court. The case will be heart next week. Pataudi was critical of the BCCI following his withdrawal, saying the board was in a "mess" over the controversies that plagued the IPL, it no longer enjoyed the goodwill it once did in the global cricket community and that the time had come for it to back its financial clout with moral leadership.

Shivnarain Chanderpaul questioned helaire comments.

Former West Indies captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul has demanded an explanation from WICB chief Ernest Hilaire regarding the comments he made regarding the lack of discipline and application in the team, leading up to its massive post World Cup overhaul. In a strongly-worded letter addressed to Hilaire,, Chanderpaul questioned whether the comments were directed at him. Chanderpaul, along with senior players Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan were axed from the side for the ongoing series against Pakistan. Hilaire's interview with Line and Length network, a copy of which was later released by the WICB, touched upon a number of the problems ailing West Indies cricket over the past 15 years. Chanderpaul's concerns were over the following excerpt from the interview: "If you look at West Indies cricket since the mid-90 s, a lot of the systems we had in place broke down. There's no discipline, there's no application. We've been doing that for 15 years and we've been losing. We need to put a new system in place. No one man is bigger than the team, no one man is such a superstar he can decide if he is training today, if he's going to have treatment tomorrow, if he's going to attend a team meeting. It cannot work that way." In response, Chanderpaul wrote: "I am particularly concerned about the following statements: 1. There's no discipline, there's no application. 2. No one man is bigger than the team, no one man is such a superstar he can decide if he is training today, if he's going to have treatment tomorrow, if he's going to attend a team meeting. "I am of the opinion that anyone reading these comments in the specific context will conclude that: "1. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, am an indisciplined individual and during my tenure as a West Indies player over the past fifteen years have lacked discipline and contributed to the West Indies team losing. "2. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul have not applied myself or demonstrated any real application to my role as a member of the West Indies team over the past 15 years and by so doing have contributed to the West Indies team losing. "3. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, consider myself to be bigger than the team. "4. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while a member of the West Indies team during the past fifteen years, have decided when I was training or not training. "5. I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while a member of the West Indies team during the past fifteen years, have decided when I was going to attend or not attend team meetings. "6. ( Based on the accusations above) I, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, while a member of the West Indies team during the past fifteen years, have disregarded the coaches and managerial staff or undermined team discipline by my actions and attitude." Chanderpaul also questioned whether the statements were reflective of Hilaire's personal opinion, or were made in his capacity as WICB chief. "If they were made by you, I note that you constantly use the word 'we' in the excerpt above," Chanderpaul wrote. "I would like to know if this is a 'royal we' or, in other words, are you speaking for yourself, albeit as CEO of the West Indies Cricket Board or are you speaking for and on behalf of the West Indies Cricket Board itself? This is important to me since I believe I have served the WICB and West Indies Cricket faithfully and well during my career and it would be difficult for me to accept that the members of the board of directors of West Indies cricket have sanctioned those remarks. On what basis have you made those statements and with what purpose?" Asking Hilaire to reply urgently, Chanderpaul said he was worried the comments would damage his reputation. "I am convinced that those persons who do not know the sacrifices I have made on behalf of West Indies Cricket and my dedication to the cause of West Indies Cricket would believe, based on what you have said in your interview, that I lack discipline and application and have not demonstrated the sense of responsibility which I know that I have shown throughout my career. While I would refer you to my unblemished reputation for professionalism and to all the other CEOs, coaches and managers with whom I have worked, I believe that you have crossed the line by making these public accusations that, while they may include others, are also directed at me and if unchallenged and corrected may destroy my career." Chanderpaul told Hilaire in his letter that if he did not receive an adequate explanation he would take whatever action necessary to clear his name. " While it would help if the WICB as an organisation repudiates your comments in this regards, it would still not be sufficient to erase the tremendous damage already done. I await your urgent response and reserve all of my rights in this matter."

Misbah stays calm to secure series victory against West Indies.

Pakistan overcame a blistering spell from Ravi Rampaul and some late panic against the impressive Devendra Bishoo to secure the series against West Indies with a three-wicket victory in Barbados. The hosts had collapsed feebly once again, but Pakistan were jolted by Rampaul's four strikes and needed the calm head of Misbah-ul-Haq , who remained cool as Bishoo threatened to turn the game again. It became a more compelling contest than looked likely during another insipid batting display from West Indies. Then Pakistan again appeared to be cruising at 127 for 4 after a composed stand between Misbah and Hammad Azam. However, Bishoo benefited from some poor umpiring and hot-headed strokes to leave them needing 24 when Wahab Riaz joined Misbah, but there were eventually 29 balls to spare as Wahab launched two sixes in four deliveries to hurry a conclusion. Misbah was roundly criticised for Pakistan's World Cup semi-final exit against India when his poorly-paced innings proved costly, but in this series he has provided vital ballast in an inexperienced order. Without him here, Pakistan would have lost. This was his third unbeaten score to secure a run chase - although he could have been stumped on 20 if part-time keeper Lendl Simmons had gloved the ball - and showed a technique, and composure, that was lacking among some of his team-mates. Despite the early clatter of wickets the required rate was never an issue for Pakistan, which allowed Misbah to bed in and weather the tough passages while Rampaul was in action. This tour started on the slow, low pitch in St Lucia, where the ball barely got above knee height, but this Kensington Oval surface had far more pace and carry for the quick bowlers who were willing to bend their backs. Ahmed Shehzad, fresh from his hundred three days ago, tried to pull Rampaul's first delivery and top-edged to a back-tracking Simmons and next delivery Asad Shafiq edged to second slip; suddenly the West Indian fans started to find their voice. Mohammad Hafeez was the next to fall to another top-edged pull, which was well taken by Bishoo, running towards deep square- leg, to leave the visitors 12 for 3. Misbah's natural game is always to cut out risk and bat time; for Umar Akmal it is the opposite and he took the aggressive route. He struck five boundaries in a 27- ball stay before being undone by a wonderful delivery that bounced and shaved the glove as he tried to sway out of the line. However, from there West Indies couldn't force another breakthrough as Misbah continued to be a steadying presence. Azam, in his first ODI innings, showed composure and pulled a free hit from Andre Russell for six. He also did well to leave the crease so swiftly after Asoka de Silva failed to spot a huge inside edge when he gave an lbw decision in Bishoo's favour - there is no DRS in this series. Shahid Afridi's batting has disintegrated and, after two boundaries, it was predictable when he attempted a slog over midwicket. Mohammad Salman then showed his inexperience by not running hard when he thought the ball would reach the boundary and was bowled by a flipper that he shouldn't have been facing. Fortunately for Salman it didn't cost the match. But while West Indies showed spirit in the field their innings followed a depressingly familiar pattern as they lost 8 for 53 after Simmons and Darren Bravo had formed a solid platform with an 86- run stand. Once they were separated, the innings almost came to a stand-still and soon fell in a heap amid a mixture of prods, pokes and hopeless slogs. Marlon Samuels, who is struggling to adjust back to international cricket, was again culpable in the loss of momentum as he took 35 balls over his 18 , while Kirk Edwards laboured until being run out by a direct hit from backward point. Aside from Simmons, and to a lesser extent Darren Bravo, there is precious little confidence in West Indies' line up and it showed as the innings faded away with Wahab taking two in three balls. Devon Smith's horror trot against Hafeez's offspin had continued when he was trapped lbw first ball, the third time in a row he had fallen in such fashion. After reaching fifty from 61 balls Simmons had time to double his score, but drove a fraction too early and offered a low chance to Saeed Ajmal who took it well in his follow through. The onus was on Darren Bravo not to follow a similar path of giving away a useful innings, however, having struggled to increase the tempo, he then played across a full ball from Hafeez as the stall kicked in. Any hopes of pushing past 200 vanished in the space of three balls from Wahab as he had both Darren Sammy and Dwayne Bravo caught at long on. A little bit of sensible batting and this could have been West Indies' match.

Dilshan could leave IPL early.

Confusion reigns over Tillakaratne Dilshan 's return from the IPL to join the Sri Lanka squad for the tour of England with the first warm-up match starting on May 14 , a three-day fixture against Middlesex. Dilshan, who was appointed Sri Lanka captain in all three formats once Kumar Sangakkara stepped down after the World Cup, wanted to join the rest of the squad in advance, even as early as "May 10 " , but it is understood that the decision is not solely his own. Incidentally, the BCCI and Sri Lanka Cricket board are in talks about Dilshan's release date and a decision is expected in the next few days. Dilshan himself told ESPNcricinfo, "I am not aware (of the exact date) . Both boards are still talking." He was speaking hours before his team, the Royal Challengers Bangalore's clash against Delhi Daredevils. Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Nishanta Ranatunga also confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that Dilshan's departure was still uncertain. "We are not yet clear and are in talks with the BCCI and should expect a date in a day possibly," he said. Dilshan is keen to depart for England at the earliest because this will be his first big assignment as Test captain and he wanted to get a chance to mix with the rest of his players, a majority of whom are inexperienced. Also with Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene only joining the squad in time for Sri Lanka's second practice match against the England Lions on May 19 , Dilshan felt his early presence was necessary. "Dilshan had expressed the desire to travel with the nation team on May 10 considering some of the senior players are getting a bit late and this squad is a new squad and inexperienced. So he felt it was good to go with the team. But that is only possible if Sri Lanka Cricket is able to obtain a release from the BCCI," Roshan Abeyasinghe, Dilshan's manager informed ESPNcricinfo. Ranatunga added that all seven Sri Lankan players who were participating in the IPL would stick to the deadline of May 19 recently agreed on between the SLC and the BCCI. Even Dilshan's franchise is unaware about the Lankan's exit from the IPL. "You will have to contact the Sri Lankan Cricket board," Siddhartha Mallya, Bangalore's owner said. Dilshan, who was bought at the auction for $650 , 000 , has been a subdued presence with just one half-century in five matches. Meanwhile it is understood that both Sangakkara and Jayawardene have found support from their respective franchises on their decision to leave for the England tour mid- May. Jayawardene, captain at Kochi Tuskers, would fly immediately after the match against Rajasthan Royals on May 15. Sangakkara, who is in charge of Deccan Chargers, would leave a day later, after the game against Pune Warriors.

Match Summary - Delhi Daredevils Vs. Kolkata Knight Riders

Kolkata Knight Riders innings Powerplay 1 : Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 42 runs, 1 wicket) Kolkata Knight Riders: 50 runs in 6.6 overs (42 balls), Extras 2 Kolkata Knight Riders: 100 runs in 14.2 overs (86 balls) , Extras 5 MK Tiwary: 50 off 37 balls ( 2 x 4 , 3 x 6) Innings Break: Kolkata Knight Riders - 148 /7 in 20. 0 overs (MK Tiwary 61 , L Balaji 3) Delhi Daredevils innings Powerplay 1 : Overs 0.1 - 6.0 (Mandatory - 41 runs, 1 wicket) Delhi Daredevils: 50 runs in 8.2 overs (50 balls), Extras 2 Delhi Daredevils: 100 runs in 16.1 overs (97 balls), Extras 6 Match details. Toss- Delhi Daredevils, who chose to field. Points Kolkata Knight Riders 2, Delhi Daredevils 0 Player of the match MK Tiwary (Kolkata Knight Riders) Umpires- PR Reiffel (Australia) and RJ Tucker (Australia) TV umpire- S Asnani Match referee- J Srinath Reserve umpire- A Chaudhary.

Kolkata fight back to keep Delhi bottom

Delhi Daredevils' all-pace attack seemed to have done enough at the halfway stage to get their team a much-required win but Kolkata Knight Riders showed their mettle to scrap their way to an 18- run victory on a two-paced Feroz Shah Kotla track. Both teams seemed to have misread the pitch, packing their sides with quicks. It was left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla though who was the most influential of the bowlers, spinning his first ball "like Warne to Gatting" according to Brett Lee, as he nipped out three wickets in a stifling spell. After Delhi chose to bowl, Irfan Pathan found that elusive and coveted inducker to shackle Kolkata at the start, Umesh Yadav bowled it fast and at the batsman's chest to snuff out two key batsmen in the middle overs, and even the much-ridiculed Ajit Agarkar kept it tight in the final over. If the usually incisive and economical Morne Morkel was Delhi's most expensive bowler, Kolkata's best batsman was not one of their big- money imports, but their local boy, Manoj Tiwary, who made a combative half-century to stabilise the innings. Still, Delhi had a seemingly below-par target to chase, and that was looking even smaller when Virender Sehwag was crashing boundaries at will through the off side. A murderous blast over cover followed by a piledriver past backward point from Sehwag in the fourth over took Delhi to 28 for 1. Everything changed in the next two overs. Abdulla, the first spinner to bowl in the match, ripped the ball a long way in the fifth over, making the ball stop and nearly had James Hopes giving a return catch. Then, Jaidev Unadkat, who was getting the ball to jag around, fired in two bouncers at Sehwag, the second of which was top-edged to fine leg. That massive wicket and the big turn combined to squeeze the runs, and only 21 came off the next five overs before Abdulla had Irfan swiping to Ryan ten Doeschate at midwicket. With Delhi's experiment with Tasmanian batsman Travis Birt failing, much depended on Hopes, who also perished to Abdulla; ending a patient innings with a punch to cover in the 15 th over. Three balls later, Abdulla had his third with Naman Ojha mowing to the deep, and at 86 for 6 Delhi were out of it. Shah Rukh Khan and the rest in the Kolkata camp were briefly worried when Delhi blasted 14 off the 18 th over, though they were smiling again as Brett Lee killed off the game with a perfect penultimate over which had two runs and two run-outs. That silenced the Kotla crowd, which had plenty to cheer early on as their fast bowlers tied down Kolkata's heavyweight batting. Jacques Kallis was swallowed up in the fifth over by the exaggerated inswing Irfan was extracting and Gautam Gambhir holed out against Hopes' no- frills bowling for 18. Tiwary was not at his most fluent, though he muscled the odd boundary to drive Kolkata ahead. The men Kolkata expected the big hits from - Yusuf Pathan and Eoin Morgan - perished off successive deliveries from Umesh to leave the side at 105 for 5 in 15 overs. Though only three boundaries came off the final five overs, the total ultimately proved sufficient. With the win Kolkata became the fourth team to occupy second spot in five days. While there has been plenty of churn in the middle of the table, there's been no change at the top and bottom for several rounds, with Delhi remaining stuck at the wrong end.

Delhi Dare Devils make another attempt to leave the bottom line.

Delhi Daredevils need some inspiration to lift themselves from the bottom of the table. They've even changed the nature of the insipid Feroz Shah Kotla pitch, transforming it from a low-and- slow surface to one with lots of live grass. The move brought them what could have been a morale- boosting win over Kings XI Punjab. The grass was, however, surprisingly trimmed for their next match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, a move that did not impress Virender Sehwag. The Delhi top order did not enjoy the surface, Bangalore's did, and the visitors managed to scrape through in a tight chase. Delhi play three more games at the Kotla this season, and might as well make the most of home advantage by giving their captain the kind of wicket that he wants. After a five-day break, Kolkata Knight Riders return to the hit- and-travel IPL action for the first of five games in ten days. They couldn't chase a modest total and couldn't defend a substantial score in their previous two matches at home. In their defence, they ran in to Chris Gayle and had nowhere to hide. A game against struggling Delhi could not have come at a better time. Kolkata's powerful batting line-up should enjoy the bouncier Kotla track much more than the one at Eden Gardens. Delhi have the better pace attack though, and Kolkata would be wary after what Ishant Sharma did to Kochi Tuskers Kerala on another helpful surface in Kochi. Form guide (most recent first) Delhi : LWLWL (last in points table) Kolkata : LLWWW (fifth in points table) Team talk Kolkata could make some changes given the pacy nature of the Delhi track. Brett Lee should walk in after being left out in place of Brad Haddin against Bangalore. Whether Kolkata go in with two left-arm spinners, Shakib Al Hasan and Iqbal Abdulla, would be interesting to see. They also have overseas options in Ryan ten Doeschate and Australian fast bowler James Pattinson. Delhi rotated their fast bowlers in the previous two games on the revitalised Kotla track. Ajit Agarkar and Varun Aaron made way for Umesh Yadav and Ashok Dinda against Bangalore. What combination will they play tomorrow?

Sahid Afridi is unhappy with ICC One-day Ranking System

Karachi: Pakistan's limited overs captain Shahid Afridi on Thursday said that he is not satisfied with the One-day rankings system, presently applied by the ICC. Afridi’s unhappiness comes from the recent announcement by the ICC that even if Pakistan, which lead the five-match ODI series 2-0 against the West Indies, manages to whitewash the series, it will not earn them a single rating point and they will still be placed at its current ranked sixth position. "I can't understand this system. There should be some advantage for the visiting sides as winning a series is never easy for them no matter who they're playing against," Afridi said. Afridi questioned the system that offers little reward against lower-ranked opponents.  

Former Indian Cricketer is arrested in human trafficking case

New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer Jacob Martin was arrested by the Delhi Police on Wednesday from Babarpur area of East Delhi in connection with a human trafficking case. Martin, who has represented India in ten ODIs, was wanted in a 2004 case in which he was accused of sending a person named Nimesh Kumar abroad on a fake passport, Delhi Police Deputy Commissioner RA Sanjeev said. Nimesh was arrested in his bid to travel abroad and spilled the beans during interrogation. Police has been on Martin’s trail ever since.Police have taken Martin on eight-day remand for further interrogation. Sanjeev informed that Martin was working along with his agents Rajendra Bhai Patel and Janak Lal Bhogi Raj Pancholi.

Ishant Sharma's excellent bowling against Kochi Tuskors.

If you needed a punctuation mark to describe this game, you'd choose a big, bold exclamation mark and colour it a deep crimson red. Kochi Tuskers Kerala's scorecard was stunningly woeful at the end of four sensational overs: 0 , 4 , 0 , 0 , 0 , 0 were the scores of the batsmen sucker- punched by Ishant Sharma, who harassed them with seam and bounce. And Kochi never recovered from that soul-crushing spell. His hair bobbed up and down in characteristic fashion as Ishant ran in, fingers behind the seam and wrists snapping at the release, and the length was nearly always full. The first has been an ever- present theme with him in good and bad times, the second image hasn't always been consistently repeated, and the third was a pleasant surprise. Ishant entered the scene after Dale Steyn took out Brendon McCullum in the first over with a delivery that jagged away to take the outside edge. It was the beginning of Kochi's nightmare as Ishant stunned them with a triple strike. Parthiv Patel stabbed at a delivery that bounced and seamed away from him to the keeper, Raiphi Gomez (what was he doing at No. 4 ?) was taken out for a first-ball duck by a sharp incutter, and Brad Hodge combusted off the fifth delivery. He played a loose and ambitious off drive, wafting outside the line of the full delivery that cut in to rearrange the furniture. Kochi were 2 for 4 then and all their hopes rested on their opener and captain Mahela Jayawardene, who was a forlorn figure in the middle, watching the destruction unfold in front of him. Ishant wasn't done yet; he reserved his best for Jayawardene. After trapping Kedar Jadhav in front with a sharp incutter in the fourth over, he produced a brute of a delivery to knock out Jayawardene, and Kochi, in the same over. It screamed up from back of a good length, held its line and kissed the edge of the defensive prod en route to the delighted Kumar Sangakkara. Jayawardene gave an inquisitive, and accusing, look at the pitch before he turned and departed the crime scene. Ishant's figures read an incredible 5 for 6 and Kochi were 11 for 6 from four overs, and though there were a couple of face-saving contributions from Ravindra Jadeja and Thisara Perera, they were rapidly heading along a cul-de-sac. In retrospect, the middle-over massacre led by Sangakkara - Deccan recovered from the depths of 37 for 3 after 10 overs to reach 105 for 3 in 16 - lulled one into a false perception about the nature of the track. In hindsight, Kochi will be ruing a no-ball from Sreesanth that allowed Sangakkara to break free. Sangakkara was on 5 when Sreesanth produced a jaffa - it bent back in from the off stump line to knock out the middle stump - but the third umpire confirmed the on-field umpire's suspicion that it was a no-ball. It was the 11 th over, bowled by Perera, that changed the landscape. Both Sangakkara and Cameron White, who was on 6 from 17 balls, pulled two short deliveries to the boundary to take 11 runs in that over. It wasn't your massive "big over" that the IPL throws up on a daily basis but it was the spark that ignited Deccan, and Sangakkara in particular. In the 12 th over, he dragged Vinay Kumar for two leg- side boundaries and threw in the conventional and the upper cut to collect two more fours in the 14 th over, off Perera. He continued to slash and heave and even unfurled a paddle-swept boundary off Sreesanth but the next over over from Vinay brought Kochi back. Vinay had White holing out to deep midwicket off the fifth delivery and induced Sangakkara to edge a slower one off the next. The lower order couldn't produce anything substantial and the question lingered at the end of their innings: Was 129 going to be enough? Ishant answered it in some style.

Today's Upcoming Matches

International:
     West Indies v Pakistan (09 :30 local | 13 :30 GMT | 19 :00 IST)

Indian Premier League:-      Delhi v Kolkata (20 :00 local | 14 :30 GMT)

DUNCAN FLETCHER NAMED INDIAN CRICKET TEAM COACH

Duncan Fletcher , the former England coach and Zimbabwe captain, has been appointed India' s coach, ending weeks of speculation over who would succeed Gary Kirsten. The BCCI announced the decision to give Fletcher a two-year contract after a Working Committee meeting in Mumbai on Wednesday. Eric Simons' tenure as the team's bowling coach was also extended. Fletcher, though, is unlikely to join India for the tour of the West Indies in June. "The contract with Fletcher is for two years," N Srinivasan, the BCCI secretary, said. "He may not join the team in the West Indies as he has some prior commitments. "After a lot of thought and consultation, the BCCI president and BCCI secretary placed Fletcher's name before the Working Committee, which the Committee ratified," Rajiv Shukla, the BCCI vice-president, said, adding that the terms and conditions of Fletcher's appointment would be the same as that of Kirsten's. It has been reliably learnt that Kirsten played an important hand in recommending Fletcher for the job. Also the board consulted some of the senior India players, including captain MS Dhoni, before finalising Fletcher's appointment. Fletcher, 62 , was in charge of England when they beat Australia in 2005 to regain the Ashes for the first time since 1986-87 , and was credited with turning around England's fortunes in Tests during his eight-year stint, first with Nasser Hussain and then with Michael Vaughan. He was England's first foreign coach and took over in 1999. He oversaw Test series wins in Sri Lanka and Pakistan , though Australia thrashed England 4-1 in the Ashes in 2001. Later, with Vaughan, he helped England win their first Test series in South Africa post apartheid and the pair played a critical role in moulding a team that was to win the Ashes in 2005. England won 42 and lost 30 Tests with Fletcher in charge but their ODI form wasn't as good - winning 75 and losing 82. His tenure reached its lowest ebb during a 0- 5 Ashes drubbing in Australia in 2006-07 and a disappointing World Cup campaign, after which he stepped down. One of Fletcher's problems during his England reign was a tetchy relationship with the media, something which Vaughan felt could be a hindrance in his India job as well. "Duncan will work well with all the talent," Vaughan said on Twitter. "His biggest challenge will come from the media ... he has never really understood how it works." After giving up the England job, Fletcher took up several short- term international assignments. He joined South Africa as a batting consultant in 2008 , a role he returned to for the 2011 World Cup, and was in a similar position with New Zealand on their tour of India last year. England were officially ranked the worst Test team when he took over as their coach, and he will now take charge of a team that won the World Cup earlier this month and is currently top of the Test rankings. One of the first coaching jobs Fletcher took up was at the University of Cape Town, where Kirsten was part of the team. The pair once again were together at Western Province. In 1994 , Fletcher applied for his first high-profile job - the head coach of South Africa. He was one of the three candidates interviewed. His competitors were Eddie Barlow and Bob Woolmer. Eventually the three-man panel comprising Peter Pollock, Raymond White and Ali Bacher agreed on Woolmer, who stayed in the job till 1999. Fletcher, meanwhile, operated as South Africa A coach for a while before taking up the England assignment. According to Bacher, Fletcher's style of coaching draws a lot from his playing days."Hardworking, disciplined, very professionally driven and played to his utmost potential even if he was not blessed with extraordinary talent, " Bacher said. "He brings the same characteristics to his coaching." Fletcher has also been known to work on an individual basis with Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis.