IPL should be closed: Lalu Prasad Yadav

With the Indian Premier League hit by controversies, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Friday demanded that the tournament should be closed down.

"IPL should be closed," he told reporters outside Parliament House when asked to react on the spat between Shahrukh Khan and Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) officials and other controversies surrounding the game.

On the Shahrukh Khan episode, he alleged that the policemen, who were present when the scuffle broke out between the Bollywood star and MCA officials, were working at the behest of certain political parties.

"All this was done in hatred," Yadav alleged.

The Mumbai Cricket Association banned Kolkata Knight Riders co-owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan from entering the Wankhede Stadium for five years for misbehaving with its officials and violating its rules.

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Ross getting back to form is good for us: Mahela Jayawardene

Delhi Daredevils may have suffered a drubbing at the hands of Royal Challengers Bangalore but Mahela Jayawardene felt the return to form of Ross Taylor was one of the positives that will hold the team in good stead in their upcoming IPL fixtures.

"Ross getting back to form is good for us ahead of the playoffs," Jayawardene said of the New Zealander, who struck a blazing half century at the Feroz Shah Kotla last night.

Jayawardene said the bowling options at his disposal were limited.

"It`s a small ground and our bowling options were limited. Maybe we could have executed some of our plans better," said Jayawardene, who led the side after regular skipper Virender Sehwag was indisposed.

The Sri Lankan was hopeful of getting the winning momentum back.

"We have been doing very well through the tournament and we want to continue the momentum in the coming matches."

He also had words of praise for Chris Gayle, whose unbeaten century laid the foundation for RCB`s convincing win.

"It`s a small ground and it was difficult for our bowlers but Chris attacked very well. You can`t take anything back from him," he said.

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This IPL season has been good for me: Umesh Yadav

Delhi Daredevils` pacer Umesh Yadav said this IPL edition has been a "lot better" for him than the last season after his Man-of-the-Match performance helped the hosts register a five-wicket win over Kings XI Punjab and qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament.

"I also think that this is one of my best performances this season. My last IPL wasn`t that good but this season has been a lot better. I`ll continue my progress and try to come up with even better performance," said Umesh, who took three wickets to restrict Kings XI to a modest total of 136 for 8 on Tuesday night.

Delhi managed to reach the target with an over to spare and consolidate their position at the top of the table with 20 points.

Umesh said the team will not take the coming games lightly against the Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Thursday and Kings XI on May 19 at Dharamsala.

Delhi managed to reach the target with an over to spare and consolidate their position at the top of the table with 20 points.

Umesh said the team will not take the coming games lightly against the Royal Challengers Bangalore here on Thursday and Kings XI on May 19 at Dharamsala.

"We are not going to take our coming games lightly. We are going to give our best to win the remaining matches also," he said.

Chris Gayle`s devastating form has clearly been playing on the minds of the Delhi Daredevils` players as Umesh admitted that the explosive Jamaican`s early dismissal will be key to his team`s success against the RCB at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium.

"Obviously before playing RCB, we will make our strategies and plans. We need to get him (Gayle) out early. Our plan would be to restrict their scoring and bowl them out as soon as possible," he said.

Talking about the Daredevils` present IPL season, Umesh said, "Last year due to some wrong combinations our team was not able to perform to its capability. With the addition of Mahela Jayawardene and Ross Taylor, our batting line-up looks solid. We will hope to continue to perform the same way as we are performing right now."

The Vidarbha pacer also said the pressure would be slightly less in the coming games with the team already assured of a play-off berth.

"Pressure would be slightly less but we will look for wins in remaining fixtures."

Asked about the Kotla strip, he said, "The pitch was good for both batsmen and bowlers. It wasn`t like it was helping the bowlers more. All we were thinking was to bowl in the right areas and that helped our team. Varun Aaron bowled well, overall it was a good outing for our fast bowlers."

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor`s form has been a cause of concern for Delhi Daredevils but Umesh said he would soon find his lost touch.

"It`s not necessary that if Ross is not at his best now, he would never hit his form. I feel in the coming matches he is going to come up with some crucial contribution for the team."

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Don`t question integrity of my players: David Hussey

Refusing to be drawn into the furore surrounding a TV sting operation which claims to have exposed corruption in the IPL, Kings XI Punjab skipper David Hussey said he would be "very disappointed" if the media puts a question mark on the integrity of his players.

"Everyone in my team, everyone in Kings XI Punjab as a brand plays with utmost integrity and if any print or TV media tries to write differently or say something differently about my team, then I will be very disappointed. I can`t really comment on the sting," said Hussey at the post-match press conference after his team lost to Delhi Daredevils by 5 wickets in a crucial Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday night.

Five uncapped Indian cricket players were suspended with immediate effect pending an inquiry as the BCCI cracked the whip in the wake of the TV sting operation.

Mohnish Mishra (Pune Warriors), Shalabh Srivastava (Kings XI Punjab), T P Sudhindra (Deccan Chargers), Amit Yadav (Kings XI Punjab) and Abhinav Bali were suspended after a teleconference of top BCCI officials and members of the IPL Governing Council yesterday.

Two domestic first-class players, part of IPL teams, had been captured on camera agreeing to bowl no-balls and spot-fix matches. India TV`s sting operation also showed two other domestic players agreeing for a transfer to another team when offered a higher fee by the undercover reporters.

Srivastava has not played a match for Kings XI this IPL season while Mohnish played the solitary match for Warriors against Royal Challengers Bangalore this edition.

Sudhindra played three games for Chargers, conceding 136 runs and taking only one wicket, while Yadav has not got a game for Kings XI. Delhi all-rounder Bali is not part of the IPL but has played first-class cricket for Himachal Pradesh. 

Talking about the match against Daredevils, Hussey blamed the batsmen for the defeat and said a total in the region of 160 would have been par for the course at the Kotla track.

"Probably, it was a wicket for 160 runs anyway and we bowled well to defend the total. Our batting really let the bowlers down again. Full credit to our bowlers once again, who fought hard and never gave in. They stretched the game till the last over," he said.

Punjab pacer Parvinder Awana came up with an incisive fast-bowling performance to rattle the Daredevils top order with his three quick strikes, which included the prized wickets of skipper Virender Sehwag and Ross Taylor, and Hussey said that particular spell brought his team back into the game.

"The spell by Awana was world-class today. He got three batsmen out quickly which very much changed the complexion of the game. The mistake we did was not giving him the fourth over straight to get Mahela (Jayawardene) out.

"That was a mistake by me there. Awana keeps competing with the opposition. Hopefully, he has a big future not just with the Indian cricket team but also with the Kings XI Punjab as well," he said.

The Australian did not blame the hectic schedule as a reason behind the loss. Prior to this clash, Kings XI played against Deccan Chargers at Mohali on Sunday and travelled straight to Delhi for their crunch game.

"We know how important it was to win against Delhi. We played in Mohali a couple of days back and then travelled straight to Delhi. It gets tiring but this can`t be an excuse for the defeat," he said.

"The guys are really pumped up. We have two more games left and if we win those matches, we might sneak in (playoffs)," he added.

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We`ll have to stop Gayle, de Villiers from scoring: Pollock

Keeping his cards close to the chest, Mumbai Indians` coach Shaun Pollock today said his team certainly has a plan for RCB`s batting line-up but hopes Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers do not fire against them in tomorrow`s encounter. 

"We will be in trouble if we made our strategy against RCB public. Obviously, we have a strategy against RCB which we would like to keep within the four walls of the dressing room," Pollock told reporters at the pre-match press conference. 

Mumbai Indians have a plan up their sleeves against Gayle and want to see his back early in the innings, Pollock said adding, "If we get him early it will be a big blow for RCB." 

"We obviously realise he is very important player for the hosts. He has been making runs consistently. We also don`t want de Villiers to play well against us tomorrow," he said. 

Mumbai Indians` inconsistency has been a concern for the team management but Pollock said all teams have been going through such phase because of the highly-competitive nature of the IPL this season. "Lot of teams have been beating each other. We have seen last-ball finishes too. This year`s IPL has been competitive," he said.

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Ganguly was `rested` for RCB match: Nehra

Ashish Nehra on Sunday said the controversy surrounding Sourav Ganguly`s place in the Pune Warriors` team had no effect on the performance of the players and added that the skipper was "rested" in the team`s previous match against RCB. 

"As far as I know, Ganguly took rest in the team`s previous match against RCB and later I came to know that he is playing today. I don`t know much about the so called controversy," said Nehra. 

"I don`t think that this episode had any bearing on the performance of the players. We are here to perform and no matter who the captain is we try to give our 100 per cent. I have no idea about the other matters but I know that he was rested in the previous match," he added. 

Rajasthan Royals crushed Pune Warriors by 45 runs in a lop-sided Indian Premier League match here today. Nehra was the most successful bowler with figures of three for 23. 

Nehra could not explain the reasons behind Pune not being able to click as a unit in the tournament so far. 

"I don`t know about the specific reasons but there have not been even two fifties and that has always failed us in our chase whether it is 120, 140 or 170. We have not been consistent. Not only batting but the bowling also needs certain improvement. 

"We did not miss too many catches but allowed 15-20 extra runs through poor fielding. But most importantly, we have not clicked as a batting unit. We have explosive batsmen like Robin Uthappa and Ryder but it is hard to understand the reason behind eight consecutive defeats," Nehra told reporters at the post-match press conference. 

Injuries have deprived Nehra from several important tours in his career but the 33-year-old cricketer said he is fully fit and in good rhythm.

"I feel I am in good rhythm for quite some time. I do my job and rest depends upon selectors. I have been consistently bowling well these days."

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Narendra Hirwani`s tips helped me: Chandila

Rajasthan Royals` Ajit Chandila, who rose to prominence after securing the first hat-trick of the Indian Premier League season-5, on Sunday attributed his success to former India spinner Narendra Hirwani for his encouraging words.

Playing only his second game of the tournament, the unheralded off-spinner Chandila accounted for four wickets in his team`s 45-run win over Pune Warriors at Sawai Man Singh Stadium. The Haryana spinner got to know about his selection in the playing eleven just before the start of the match.

"It was skipper Rahul Dravid who gave me the confidence and informed me that I was playing the match. I talked to Narendra Hirwani sir and asked for his advice saying it was an important match," said Chandila at the post-match press conference. 

"Hirwani sir suggested me to stick to the basics and try and bowl in right areas and not to allow batsmen to get to the pitch of the ball. He also added that don`t take any pressure. His words gave me a lot of confidence. The support of Rahul bhai has also been great. 

"I had been watching the likes of Sourav Ganguly and have also seen Robin Uthappa bat, so I knew where to bowl. I just tried to bowl in those areas and got the dividends," said Chandila, who has played two first-class matches and 13 T20s for Haryana. 

The young offie dismissed Jesse Ryder, skipper Ganguly, Uthappa and Anustup Majumdar. Chandila said that wicketkeeper Shreevats Goswami did a great job behind the stumps. 

"The credit should also be given to Goswami who was brilliant behind the stumps. It`s a team game and you need the help of your teammates," he said. 

Chandila joked that mysterious off-spinner, West Indies Sunil Narine has copied his bowling style. 

"I have not copied Sunil but I think he has copied my style," he replied laughingly. 

On a serious note, he said, "I am pleased with my performance. I am who I am." 

Asked whether today`s performance will help him in his career, the 28-year-old said, "It is only the beginning and there is a long way to go."

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Ronaldo kisses girlfriend at tennis match

Cristiano Ronaldo and his model girlfriend Irina Shayk only had eyes for each other as they watched a tennis game in Madrid, Spain. The two were spending some rare time together at the ATP Men’s Madrid Open Tennis Tournament, and couldn’t keep their hands off each other. The couple arrived to watch Roger Federer beat Janko Tipsarevic 6-2 6-3 in the semi-final match, and were in good spirits, the Daily Mail reported.

The Real Madrid star didn’t wait long to show Irina how much he liked her as he tenderly cleared something off her face.

Despite the impressive display of tennis on the court, the Portuguese footie star only had eyes for his 26-year-old girlfriend.

As the match went on, Shayk snuggled up close to Ronaldo, 27, and rested her head on his toned shoulders before gently stroking his cheek.

The cute couple then slipped on their sunglasses to complete their look before continuing to stare longingly at each other.

The footballer then leaned in for a kiss and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue cover girl was happy to oblige.

As they made their way to their VIP seats, Ronaldo was seen patting a young boy on the head as he walked past him.

Ronaldo looked laid back in a tight fit brown jumper, which showed off his athletic physique, and jeans which he kept up with a Gucci belt.

Shayk was also dressed down in a pair of white trousers and a sleeveless red blouse.

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Rohit ahead of Virat in terms of talent and technique: Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs on Saturday rated Rohit Sharma ahead of his India teammate Virat Kohli and said the duo could be real matchwinners for the country in the days to come. 

Sharma scored a blistering 109 not out and shared an undefeated 167-run stand (from 106 balls) with Gibbs (66 not out) to guide Mumbai Indians to a comfortable 27-run win over Kolkata Knight Riders in an IPL match here, which ended the home team`s six-match winning run. 

Having seen Sharma from close quarters in their past association with Deccan Chargers, Gibbs said Sharma was technically more sound. 

Describing himself as a "fan" of Sharma, the veteran South African said: "I have seen him grow over the years. It`s been five years. His cricket has definitely gone forward. Nobody questions his talent. 

"Virat Kohli is another one. Definitely they have taken the cricket to another level. But as far as talent and technique is concerned, I think Rohit is a little bit better than Virat." 

"The more Rohit plays these sort of innings, his temperament would get better. His self-belief would also increase. It`s good for India that Rohit Sharma performs. 

"If he performs consistently along with Kohli then the two of them can be matchwinners for India both in Tests and ODIs and in Twenty20s. It`s good to see him play these sort of innings." 

"I and Rohit had a good understanding, been with him a couple of years with Deccan so we got a good momentum upfront." 

"My job was to support him and ensure that he does not give his wicket away. He is good enough to get 100s," Gibbs said. Putting Sharma in the league of Gayle and Warner, he added: "Chris Gayle is showing the way as well as David Warner. But Rohit Sharma is as good as them. He is more technically sound. I am glad that he is getting runs. It was clean hitting and not slogging. I was happy to be at the other end."

Gibbs, who recovered from an injury to play his first match for the Mumbai Indians, said it was nice to start with some runs under belt. 

"It`s been a long time obviously. I hadn`t been into too much cricket. Only the last couple days knocked a few balls. It`s a nice way to start today. We lost Sachin (Tendulkar) early on but we needed a good start and Rohit and I decided to do that today." 

He further said it was a good toss to win by Harbhajan Singh. 

"It`s good that we won the toss. It doesn`t get any easier. I think we allowed our bowlers to settle down with the line and length." 

With Delhi and Kolkata almost assured of playoffs berths, it would be a race for the remainder two spots, Gibbs said. 

"We have to push quite hard in the next three games. It`s very much like a horse race and anything can happen." 

Asked about Tendulkar`s stumping, he said: "I was surprised. I thought Sachin would get the benefit of the doubt. May be another day he would have been given not out." 

On mystery bowler Sunil Narine he said: "I faced him only a couple of balls. You got to watch him quite closely like Murali (Muttiah Muralitharan). 

"In T20, it`s a fearless approach irrespective of who is bowling. You just need to go out there and pull the trigger. We did well today. We will again face him next week. We will see how it goes."

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People would stop asking me about the wicket: Gautam Gambhir

Outplayed by Rohit Sharma`s unbeaten century, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir today hoped that people would stop criticising the wicket at Eden Gardens as Mumbai Indians` batsman dominated with ease that laid the platform for their 27-run win in the IPL.

"Getting a hundred on this wicket is very special. I am sure people would stop asking me about the wicket. The way he batted was tremendous. All credit goes him to him," Gambhir said about Sharma`s 60-ball 109 not out. "It would be an understatement to term it an excellent innings. It was far better than what I can express. A lot of credit goes to Rohit. (Along with Herschelle Gibbs) he built their partnership and took the game away from us."

Gambhir said the task became difficult once the Mumbai Indians crossed the 160-mark. 

"We always felt it was a good wicket. But 180 was a very good total. We were thinking of restricting them to 150-160." 

Mumbai Indians notched up an imposing 182 for one in the stipulated 20 overs to hand Kolkata Knight Riders a thrashing that ended the home team`s six-match winning streak. 

"I`ve always said most of the teams are equally balanced. It answers a lot of questions as well. You cannot take any team lightly. Any individual can take the game way. You have to be always on your toes." 

KKR`s wrecker-in-chief Sunil Narine returned wicketless for 28 runs in his four overs but Gambhir was not worried. 

Asked whether his bowling mystery is solved finally, Gambhir said: "Do you think one game makes mystery solved. One game does not make any difference. Who said he was a mystery bowler? We need to look the overall picture." 

Stressing on the positives, Gambhir hoped to return to winning ways with three matches remaining in the league phase. 

"We still can take lot of positives with three more games remaining.. It was important for (Yusuf) Pathan to get some runs under his belt. Someone needs to play as a finisher and he has been doing this job for us," Gambhir said. Gambhir said they were not thinking too much ahead and their focus is on the next game against Chennai Super Kings here on Monday.

"I don`t look too much forward. At this point, we are thinking about the Chennai game. Hopefully we can do well which we have been doing." 

Gambhir said there was no major worry about Brendon McCullum who had to sit out today because of a finger injury. 

"We never wanted to risk him. He should be ready for the next game." 

About Sachin Tendulkar`s felicitation, Gambhir said: "He deserves every bit of it for what Sachin has done for India. CAB has done a fantasitc job (in felicitating him).

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No discussion on IPL final being shifted from Chennai: BCCI

Putting to rest speculation about a move to shift the IPL eliminator and the final from Chennai to an alternate venue to ensure a full house, BCCI President N Srinivasan on Saturday said there has been no discussion on the matter.

"I`m hearing it for the first time from you (the reporters). There is no such discussion," said N Srinivasan.

While most of the other venues have attracted capacity crowd, Chennai has been an aberration with as many as 12,000 seats going empty because clearance from the city planning department, for want of building approval, is still awaited.

But Srinivasan said that the loss arising from those three stands is not a matter of concern.

"See, the whole season is almost over. And I don`t think that is an issue. The loss arising from it is not an issue, because as far as Chennai is concerned, today is the last (league) match," said Srinivasan.

Meanwhile, when asked if the BCCI would allow its players to participate in the Sri Lanka Premier League, Srinivasan clarified that if the Islanders make a proposal, the Indian board would examine it.

"Last time around there were specific reasons why the BCCI could not support the tournament. And we informed the Sri Lankan Board in that time.

"This time if there are any proposals made, we will examine it. And we have to be satisfied that doubts and problems we have last time will not continue," explained the BCCI president.

Elaborating on the problems that arose last time, Srinivasan said: "Primarily, the contract had generally been given. I don`t want to go into the details. But, obviously, we have to examine whether the situation continues."

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We can`t take CSK lightly: Eric Simons

Delhi Daredevils might have virtually qualified for the play-offs but head coach Eric Simons today warned his players not to take their feet off the pedal when they take on defending champions Chennai Super Kings in a crucial IPL match on Saturday.

Addressing the media on the eve of the match, Simons said that the CSK were a good side and they would come hard against Daredevils.

"In all games, we try and understand the mindset of the opponents we are playing against. One thing surprising in the IPL is that the higher you are on the table, the more freedom the opposition takes against you. They will take more chances," Simons said.

"Not just in that perspective but CSK is a very good side. They are full of quality and will take a lot of chances. So they will be particularly dangerous in the game tomorrow," he added.

On the solid performances of Kevin Pietersen and David Warner, Simons said, "I think understanding the personality of cricketers is crucial when you put in together a team. Based on that, one has to work a strategy and make a plan. Both batsmen like to hit the ball out of the ground regularly. But it is different the way they hit and the areas they score those runs.

"The way Warner got those runs particularly against Deccan Chargers I think he has blended in well and early. Hopefully, he keeps going like this in the tournament," said the South African.

Asked about Daredevils` plans to contain CSK`s Albie Morkel, Simons said, "We got to seek answers from his brother Morne. But that`s one of the great things about IPL when international teammates playing against each other and in this case international brother`s playing against each other. I think it`s very important to take your chances. You got to plan and execute those strategies.

"If the batsmen still scores runs against you, there is nothing much you can do about it. Not just Albie, but Super Kings have a good potential in their batting line-up. So we will have to come up with strategies and try to execute them. We have our work out."

On sending Naman Ojha up the order of batting, he said, "That is part of balancing. With Kevin not with us and Ross Taylor not being in the bed for a couple of days, we decided to change the balance of the team to make sure we had a solid middle order.

"When it comes to T20 cricket, it`s not about positions, but the number of overs you bat. So if you are batting at number three and your openers have batted till the 18th over, it`s better to have somebody who can hit sixes straightaway" said the former Indian team bowling coach.

On medium pacer Varun Aaron coming good, Simons said that he was pleased in the manner in which the youngster has shaped up.

"I`m pleased with the way he has shaped up. It`s not easy to come back and bowl as good as one can. In the first two games, he bowled well but he will only get better. He bowled with pace and control. You just can`t have pace but you need control as well. He is an intelligent cricketer and understands the game."

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Our consistency is better than last two seasons: Dahiya

For a team that was mired in controversies in the first three seasons, Kolkata Knight Riders have emerged as one of the favourites in the ongoing IPL and assistant coach Vijay Dahiya on Friday attributed the team`s success to the newly found unity among the players.

On a six-match winning streak, KKR has virtually assured itself a place in the play-offs, comfortably placed at second position behind leaders Delhi Daredevils with 17 points. 

KKR`s domination can be gauged from the fact that they have lost only once in their last 10 appearances, and Dahiya said the Shah Rukh Khan-owned team has played consistent cricket this season. 

"Our consistency is better than last two seasons," he said during the pre-match press conference here. "Our team is like one big family. Everybody has respect for each other. The important thing is that all the players are enjoying each other`s success," Dahiya said. 

"If you look at our game there have been parnterships be it in batting or bowling. Our fielding standard also has been great, we are probably one of the best fielding sides in the competition. We are playing smart cricket at the crucial time," he added. 

Asked whether they have any specific plan up their sleeves for Sachin Tendulkar, Dahiya said, "You always make plans for a particular player, it`s not Sachin alone. 

"There are other players in the team like (Kieron) Pollard, (Dinesh) Karthik and (Ambati) Rayudu."

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Playing with Tendulkar has benifited me: Rohit Sharma

Rohit Sharma said that playing with Sachin Tendulkar in the Indian Premier League has benefited him a lot and he was looking forward to win the IPL title for Mumbai Indians.

"Whenever I batted with him, he came up to me and always said what I needed to do. It`s a good helping hand from him. I`ve really benefited a lot. I`ve to do well whatever games left and will try to win the Cup for Mumbai Indians," Rohit said ahead of MI`s match against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday.

Asked if he was eyeing a berth in the Indian team for Twenty20 World Cup to be held in September in Sri Lanka, he said, "If I do well things other things will fall in place. It`s still a long way to go. I`m not thinking about it at the moment."

The right-hander conceded that batting has been the reason behind MI`s inconsistent performance this season but his side were focusing on doing well in the remaining four league matches.

"Obviously, we did not play good as a team. We didn`t adapt to the conditions. Wicket was sticky and damp. But being a professional, you have to perform in any given condition. Our batting had failed simply. Our bowlers have been doing tremendous job. It`s just that we did not do well as a batting unit.”

"At the moment we are happy the way we are. We could have done much better as we lost a few close games. At the same time we won a few close ones. It`s part and parcel of game. We still have four more quite crucial games to decide where we end up in the tournament," he said.

Rohit said his side were not looking at the points table but focusing on winning the remaining matches.

"It`s very important to win every game. We know where we stand. It`s important to go there and perform rather than thinking about the table," he said. 

"If we play good cricket we will finish up. The focus is to play some good cricket. It`s not going to be easy here... We know what kind of wicket we get here so we have to get our acts together," said Rohit.

Asked about the game against KKR tomorrow, Rohit said, "They have been playing some good cricket especially very good at home. No doubt. We have to be at our best to beat. We are confident we have guys who can turn around the match. We are not thinking what they are doing."

On KKR`s mystery spinner Sunil Narine, he said, "I have played a couple of times when the Windies were here. We have got a couple of West Indians in our team. With their help and guidance, we hope we can tackle him."

Terming Harbhajan Singh an aggressive skipper compared to Sachin Tendulkar`s calm approach, Rohit said the ace off-spinner was doing a fine job for MI so far.

"Sachin was very cool and calm we have learnt a lot under him. Bhajji is very aggressive. Everyone in the team is supporting him. We are always there to help him. He has kept the atmosphere of the dressing room very cool and calm. We just want to support him," said Rohit.

Powerful hitting may have been the key element to excel in the Twenty20 scheme of things but Rohit said batsmen like Ajinkya Rahane, Gautam Gambhir and Mahela Jawardene were doing a fine job for their respective teams playing orthodox cricket.

"If you have cricketing shots, you just need to back yourselves. If you back your ability you can do well. There is no doubt about it. There is no need of huge power. You can get runs if you time the ball well."

Pace spearhead Lasith Malinga was conspicuous by his absence at the nets today but Rohit cleared the air, saying the Lankan was given rest.

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Ganguly`s video goes viral on YouTube

A short video featuring former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly`s life, full of controversies and glorious achievements, in a typical Bollywood potboiler style has become a rage on the Internet.

Within four days of the video going viral, the three-minute trailer of `Sourav Ganguly - The Movie` has had more than 250,000 hits on YouTube so far.

The video, which highlights Ganguly`s leadership, man management and crisis management skills, has been uploaded by a private health insurance company that wants to develop elements of this movie later on in the form of short videos for the cyberworld.

"We intend to share these films with the public at large, so that Ganguly`s fans may also enjoy them. We are very excited about creating these `webisodes` over a period of time," said Apollo Munich Health Insurance`s CEO Antony Jacob.

Interestingly, the film will also be used for internal training and motivation purposes by the company, which had recently signed Ganguly as their brand ambassador for three years.

Drawing a parallel with the dropping of Ganguly, often referred to as the `Royal Bengal Tiger`, after a fallout with coach Greg Chappel with the killing of tigers in the country, the film salutes the never-say-die attitude of the cricketer by presenting him as a superstar.

Regarded as one of the most successful captain in the annals of the Indian cricket, Ganguly`s career has been full of ups and downs. He was dropped from the team amidst controversial circumstances and then made a glorious comeback.

Touching upon the controversies, the video has him mouthing dialogues like, "Iss liye log mujhe baap nahin dada bolte hain".

Stating that the life of `Dada` has been no different from that of a Bollywood potboiler, the company official said the trailer befits a tribute to his career.

"He is a leader in his field, has displayed courage even during trying times, is a great motivator of people, is constantly improving and reinventing himself, and is known for clarity and transparency in everything he says and does," Jacob said.

The company is also sponsoring a documentary on Ganguly titled "The Warrior Prince", which will be released widely, including on the big screen.

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I am living a dream: Ajinkya Rahane

Ajinkya Rahane has managed to surprise even himself with his smashing form in the IPL so far and the young Rajasthan Royals batsman says the entire experience has been like living a dream.

The smashing right-hander has tapered off in the last three games with scores of 17, 0 and 5 but he remains second only to Chris Gayle among the batting heavyweights with 480 runs at 43.63 in the competition.

Nobody has hit more fours (63) than him and only two others, besides him, have hit centuries.

In an interview with PTI, the 24-year-old Mumbaikar weighed his recent success and the reasons behind it, as well as the opportunities which would follow in its wake.

"Well, it has come as a surprise. I have only done my part and the rest has been destiny. To top the charts in a competition like IPL is really a proud achievement for me. But I would have really loved to see my team to be in a better position than it is," he said.

Rahane played for Mumbai Indians as well which at the time was a team full of stars -? Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga -- before moving to Rajasthan Royals, a team not with many big names.

"Actually I was learning a lot in Mumbai Indians with my idol Sachin Paaji around but then wasn`t getting many chances. Here in RR things were different, I had a role to play, there were expectations off me. And also I was happy to be around my other idol, Rahul Dravid. It`s a pleasure talking cricket to Rahul bhai," he explained. 

Talking about Dravid, how did it feel making his Twenty20 debut in the same game as Dravid against England? "You know it is funny that once there was a game in Mumbai when India were playing a Test match," Rahane said.

"I was glad to be a ball boy in that game to catch a glimpse of my heroes Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid. I did see them closely but if I had a mobile phone in those times I would have clicked some pictures as well. In fact I was too shy to speak to them at all. And here I was making my T20 debut with Rahul Dravid.

"It is difficult to describe. I remember MS Dhoni, Sachin paaji and Rahul bhai talking to me before the game and telling me that I am playing for India because I deserve to. It was a matter of giving confidence and they did just that," he added.

Asked how his life changed since that day, Rahane said he remains the person and values the money that he earns now.

"Well, my approach to life hasn`t changed at all. I am the same Ajinkya for everyone around me. But coming from a lower-middle class family I did understand the value of money. I remember my parents had sacrificed so much so that I could continue my cricket.

"I remember I use to travel for two and a half hours one side to train at an academy. So 4 to 5 hours were gone in travelling by train. So we all have worked hard for my career and I am glad that it worked," he said.

On how it feel to see his hoardings around Jaipur, Rahane said, "Well it does feel nice. I use to see hoardings of other cricketers and use to wonder if there would be a day when I`d have one too. And now there are. Sometimes I feel as if I am dreaming."

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We want to finish in the top place: David Warner

Expressing happiness over winning their IPL match against Deccan Chargers here to reclaim the top position, Delhi Daredevils batsman David Warner said the team has to keep its good show going to do well in tournament ahead.

Warner (109 not out off 54 balls) along with Naman Ojha (64 not out) shared a massive century stand to lead Delhi to a nine-wicket win over the Chargers. 

Describing Ojha as a fantastic player, who played an excellent hand to script Delhi`s victory, Warner said the young Indian player can bat anywhere in the order. 

Asked about the road ahead for Delhi, he said: "We are in good space at the moment. We messed up a little bit in the last game. We must stay at the top and we want to finish in the top place. We have to keep playing well, make sure that you are at top and keep working hard." 

And about the time when Virender Sehwag exited early, he said: "Sehwag is a great player. If he goes or does not go, we have to keep playing well. What I did, I should be doing that exactly." 

Referring to the 126-run partnership by Deccan`s Shikhar Dhawan and Cameron White, Warner told reporters that his team could have bowled a "little bit" better, but expressed satisfaction over the way the batting turned out. 

Meanwhile, Chargers Captain Kumar Sangakkara regretted that the team lost despite a great performance by Dhawan, who slammed a 49-ball 84, and Cameron White who struck a fifty.

Asked how difficult it was to keep the players motivated, Sangakkara said: "I keep saying that we are all professionals. We have to enjoy playing and try to give off your best. The players are not down and out. None has given up."

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Sourav will be the mentor next season: Subrata Roy

Sourav Ganguly will no longer be the captain of Pune Warriors in Indian Premier League and will serve only as the team`s mentor, putting an end to intense speculation over the struggling batsman`s fate following a string of poor results. 

Ganguly`s future role in the team was spelt out by franchise owner Subrata Roy who said that the veteran batsman wants to remain in the team as mentor only. 

"Sourav will be the mentor next season. We rather pushed him to play in IPL 5 as he is such a fantastic captain," Roy said. The Warriors are already out of the race for the play-offs berth and Roy said Ganguly would like to sit out the team`s last three matches for the youngsters` sake. 

"Sourav wants to give youngsters a chance in the last games," Roy said. 

Ganguly has been under the scanner for his failure as a batsman in the current edition of IPL while the team`s below-par show has also put a question mark on his waning leadership skills. Pune have lost nine of their 13 matches in the league so far. 

"I did not want to be the captain but was asked to do so. Now I want to give chance to youngsters," Ganguly said. 

Ganguly was appointed skipper after Yuvraj Singh, currently recuperating from a rare germ cell cancer, was ruled out due to health issues. 

After a decent start, Ganguly has gone through a lean patch both as a batsman and skipper and his captaincy of late has been a subject of speculation.

Roy, however, came to the left-hander`s defence. "Ganguly is a fine captain, our team lacked good Indian talent," the owner said. 

Team sources had earlier told PTI that the management wants the former India captain to take a call on his future in the remaining three matches.

"If Ganguly himself offers to step down from captaincy and decides to sit out for the remaining three games, the owners will certainly be only too happy to accomodate. The general feeling is that, they have lost with Ganguly at helm and with new players, it can`t get worse," a senior IPL official in the know of things said. 

With Ganguly out of the reckoning, there is a possibility that either Aussie Michael Clarke or find-of-the-season Steve Smith would lead the side. 

With 261 runs from 13 games at a strike-rate of shade over 100 and fielding which is at least a few notches below the standard set in a competition like IPL, the soon-to-be 40 Ganguly has struggled to fit himself to the demands of the shortest version. "The Warriors management may be resorting to a "wait and watch" policy as their officials are finding it difficult to go up and confront Ganguly over his team selections," the official added.

Some of the decisions made by Ganguly that have come under scanner include Bangladeshi opener Tamim Iqbal not getting a single game despite being the top-scorer in Asia Cup. Also, T20 specialist Alphonso Thomas being repeatedly ignored in favour of West Indian Marlon Samuels who did precious little with the bat or ball. 

India international Rahul Sharma got dumped after being clobbered for five consecutive sixes but the feeling among the doemstic players is how and why the likes of Rahul and Manish Pandey are getting repeatedly ignored in favour of someone like Mithun Manhas who is not known to finish off games.

Last but not the least is Ganguly`s own form. Whether at the top or in the middle-order, he looked totally out of sorts.

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Nature of T20 is the game can be won or lost by an individual: Stephen Fleming

Chennai Super Kings coach Stephen Fleming today said the way Dwayne Smith won today`s match for Mumbai Indians, it shows the unpredictability of the Twenty20 format, in which one individual could change the result of a match with his performance. 

Smith, playing his first game after being flown in as a late replacement for the injured Australian Mitchell Johnson, piloted MI to a two-wicket win with a fine unbeaten knock of 24 off just nine balls, including a six and two fours in the last three balls. 

"Take your hats off to (Dwayne) Smith, it was an amazing innings. We lost by a small margin. It was a real roller-coaster, wasn`t it? That`s the beauty of IPL. The nature of T20 is the game can be won or lost by an individual. We saw that today," said the former New Zealand skipper after his team lost the match in the last ball. 

Chasing 174 for victory, MI were cruising well at 144 for one with Sachin Tendulkar (74 off 44 balls) and Rohit Sharma (60 off 46 balls) going great guns with a splendid century partnership before the hosts lost wickets in a heap. 

"It was a great game, phenomenal see-sawing throughout the game. We looked down and out but were back with great fielding," said Fleming, referring to the acrobatic catch taken by Faf du Plessis at short extra cover to send back Tendulkar that triggered a collapse which saw MI lose seven wickets for 15 runs. 

Fleming said Tendulkar, who missed a few games due to injury played a dynamic knock today.

"Won`t say he has been struggling, but had not (been) the dynamic player before tonight. The partnership he had with Rohit was wonderful. What should have been a match-winning partnership was turned around with some splendid fielding. It was an outstanding and clever partnership," he said.

Fleming said they are aware that to make the play-offs they now have to win three out of their last four games. 

"Yes, we are aware. We have to win three out of the next four games. We have to lift ourselves. We created the opportunities to win tonight," he said.

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Narine is going through a honeymoon period: Mahela Jayawardene

Sri Lankan captain Mahela Jayawardene termed mystery spinner Sunil Narine as an "exciting prospect who is going through a honeymoon period." 

Jayawardene, who has seen the emergence of Ajantha Mendis as a "mystery spinner" and then turning out to be a cannon fodder for international batsman feels that with passage of time, his bowling would be analysed more and more. 

"The contest with Narine will be exciting tomorrow. He is going through a honeymoon period. But more and more he plays, batsmen will start analysing him and then it will be his real test. The key will be whether he is improving as a bowler from what he is right now," Jayawardene said on the eve of Delhi Daredevils` match against Kolkata Knight Riders. 

Jayawardene has got only one half-century till now but he didn`t seem perturbed with his form. "I have been hitting the ball very well. It`s been a bit of an up and down for me but I know it would get sorted out once I spend more time in the middle." 

Although David Warner is all set to open with Virender Sehwag but Jayawardene tried to keep the cards close to his chest. 

"I would like you guys to keep guessing till tomorrow." 

When asked whether Warner would find it difficult to replicate Kevin Pietersen`s blazing form, the Daredevils vice-captain replied that each players has their own skill-sets and no one can be a direct replacement of any other player. 

"If Viru gets injured, then can someone replacing him be called an ideal replacement? The answer is `No`. Similarly Kevin had different strengths to what Warner has. The idea is to be flexible and change the way we play to suit the combination." 

The stylish batsman called KKR "an all-round side."

"Gauti (Gambhir) has led from the front. But again their top-order has scored a lot. It will be an exciting contest."

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