The IPL Watcher
Virat Kohli batting in slow gear
Virat Kohli came into IPL 2012 in the form of his life
S Rajesh
25-Feb-2013
Virat Kohli came into IPL 2012 in the form of his life. He was the only Indian to score a Test century in the series in Australia, and in his last 21 ODI innings he averaged 73.11 at a strike rate of 95.46. Add his numbers in the last two seasons of the IPL - 864 runs in 29 innings at 37.56 and a strike rate of 128.57 - and it wasn't unrealistic to expect him to be one of the key batsmen for Royal Challengers Bangalore, along with Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers.
The Kohli who's turned up during the IPL, though, seems a pale shadow of the batsman who thrilled everyone with his stunning batting exploits over the last six months: nine innings, 186 balls faced, 192 runs scored, average of 21.33, strike rate of 103.22. He's still the third-highest run-getter for Royal Challengers, but well behind Gayle and de Villiers, who both have 40-plus averages at strike rates of more than 150.
Kohli's strike rate is the third lowest in this IPL among batsmen who have scored at least 150 runs. The only ones who have done worse than him are Jacques Kallis and Sourav Ganguly. However, both Kallis and Ganguly have been involved in more low-scoring games, in which the overall run rate of batsmen have been relatively low. Kohli, on the other hand, has played most of his matches at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the pitch usually aids quick scoring. In the nine games that he has played (excluding the washout against Chennai Super Kings), the average strike rate of all batsmen has been 132.82; the corresponding numbers for Kallis and Ganguly are 113.55 and 120.87. Thus, if the strike rates in the matches involving the batsmen are factored in, then Kohli's strike rate is effectively the lowest among batsmen with 150-plus runs in IPL 2012: he scores at less than 78% of the average strike rate in the matches that he has played in. Even though Kallis and Ganguly have lower strike rates, their percentages are more than 84.
| Batsman | Innings | Runs | Average | Strike rate | Match SR* | Percentage** |
| Jacques Kallis | 10 | 184 | 20.44 | 98.39 | 113.55 | 86.65 |
| Sourav Ganguly | 12 | 247 | 20.58 | 102.48 | 120.87 | 84.79 |
| Virat Kohli | 9 | 192 | 21.33 | 103.22 | 132.82 | 77.71 |
| James Franklin | 8 | 205 | 34.16 | 105.12 | 111.54 | 94.24 |
| Manoj Tiwary | 9 | 155 | 25.83 | 106.16 | 113.55 | 93.49 |
Newsfile: May 6
Mandeep eyes India cap : Mandeep Singh, who was India’s vice-captain during the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, has said he hopes his good showing for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL this year will win him an India cap
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
Mandeep eyes India cap: Mandeep Singh, who was India’s vice-captain during the 2010 Under-19 World Cup, has said he hopes his good showing for Kings XI Punjab in the IPL this year will win him an India cap. Mandeep, who had signed for Kolkata Knight Riders in 2010, has scored 284 runs in 11 matches this season for Kings XI. "As a cricketer everyone wants to represent the country. I have done it in the U-19 World Cup and now want to do the same for the senior team,” Mandeep said. “I am enjoying this season since I am scoring well and I want to maintain my consistency in the upcoming matches. I want to score as much as possible since performances in the IPL are noticed widely and can put me in the reckoning for the national team.”
Warriors penalised for over-rate: Pune Warriors have been fined for maintaining a slow over-rate during their seven-run defeat against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens. They were found to be one over behind at the end of Knight Riders’ innings. Since it was their second such offence this season, the Warriors captain Sourav Ganguly was fined $40,000 while his team-mates were fined $10,000 or 25% of their match fee, which ever is lesser. Another Warriors player, Steven Smith, was reprimanded by the match referee for showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. Smith was adjudged lbw to a ball that he inside edged on to his pads.
Shah Rukh praises Gambhir captaincy: Knight Riders co-owner Shah Rukh Khan has said that Gautam Gambhir, who has led Knight Riders to five wins out of six matches, is the finest captain he has ever seen. Knight Riders are currently second in the points table after Delhi Daredevils. “I have seen most of them from outside. I am a cricket follower. But leading from the front and the way he talks to the boys, I think he is the most awesome captain,” Khan said. “He is a gentleman -- a really genuine gentleman. I very seldom get impressed by leaders, but I am very impressed by Gautam Gambhir.”
Full postSteven Smith's terrific save
This IPL has had some shockers in the field but, on the other end of the spectrum, are stupendous saves on the boundary, like Steven Smith’s against Kolkata Knight Riders
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
This IPL has had some shockers in the field but, on the other end of the spectrum, are stupendous saves on the boundary, like Steven Smith’s against Kolkata Knight Riders. When Yusuf Pathan launched Murali Kartik down to wide long-on, Smith ran to his right, running perilously close to the boundary’s edge. The ball looked like it would clear the rope, but Smith leapt and caught it in mid air. On realising his momentum was taking him over the boundary, Smith had the presence of mind to fling the ball back to the field of play while still in mid air. He saved four runs (the batsmen ran two). For a composite shot of Smith's save, click here.
Full postNewsfile: May 5
’Our fielding cost us 30 runs’ – Lehmann: Deccan Chargers slipped to a 10-run loss against Chennai Super Kings on Friday, and Darren Lehmann said, once again, it was their fielding that let them down
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
’Our fielding cost us 30 runs’ – Lehmann: Deccan Chargers slipped to a 10-run loss against Chennai Super Kings on Friday, and Darren Lehmann said, once again, it was their fielding that let them down. “We’re just not very good in the field at the moment. Our fielding cost us 30-40 runs, we should have been chasing 130,” Lehmann said. “We’ve probably cost ourselves three games in the field, so we’ve just got to get better. If we’re not, we’ll pick blokes who can field.” Chargers’ most conspicuous bloopers were a dropped catch off Faf du Plessis on 10 (he went on to score 42) and another off Dwayne* Bravo in the final over – he smacked the next ball for six, ensuring Super Kings got to 160.
Duminy’s finger not healed yet: JP Duminy had to sit out this match as a result of dislocating his finger on Tuesday, during the Pune Warriors game. Lehmann said he wasn’t sure how soon he would be fit again. “JP’s dislocated his finger, I don’t know if he’ll play the next game, it’s only been a couple of days. We’ll have to wait and see how he goes.”
Four foreigners rule suits CSK – Raina: Should the IPL allow teams to field five overseas players? That question fuels a common debate among fans and observers of the league, but Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Raina said it was not something his side sought. “If you ask me, we have a lot of Indian players sitting on the bench, who are better than some foreigners,” Raina said. “But when it comes to the IPL rules, you have to give four foreigners a chance [actually, you don’t – the rules only stipulate the maximum number of foreigners in the side, not a minimum]. We have Vijay, he played really well today. We have players like Yo Mahesh and Sudeep Tyagi. I would think four foreigners is enough for the team.”
Azhar Mahmood hopes cricket eases Indo-Pak tensions: Bilateral cricket ties between India and Pakistan have stalled since the terrorist attacks in Mumbai in November 2008, and the IPL has been without the Pakistan players since. However, Kings XI Punjab’s Azhar Mahmood, who is the only player to have represented Pakistan in this edition of the league, has said he hopes the game helps heal the rift between the neighbours. “The game of cricket has no boundary. In the past, it has been cricket which has brought the two nations together and in future too I hope the sport will play the same role," Mahmood told PTI. "I hope the tensions between the two countries ease and like two good neighbours we live together and move forward. We all want peace."
Full postNewsfile: May 4
Sangakkara asks overseas players to step up: As Deccan Chargers make a bid to close the gap between them and the other teams on the points table, captain Kumar Sangakkara has said the foreign signings in the team have to help ease the burden on the
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Sangakkara asks overseas players to step up: As Deccan Chargers make a bid to close the gap between them and the other teams on the points table, captain Kumar Sangakkara has said the foreign signings in the team have to help ease the burden on the local players. "Overseas players need to understand their responsibilities and absorb the majority of the pressure,” he said on the eve of Chargers game against Chennai Super Kings. “Overseas players have to share the responsibilities, and the younger Indian players should be allowed to play freely, enjoy their game, find their places in the side and get that self-belief."
Michael Hussey picks Dravid as favourite: Chennai Super Kings batsman Michael Hussey has said he admires Rahul Dravid the most among the India players. “[Sachin] Tendulkar, too, is a great player but I like Dravid the most for the way he approaches the game,” he said. “It’s his guts, determination and never-say-die attitude that make him stand out. He had done it for years, scored runs everywhere he played ... And he is such a humble human being.”
No big profits for Royals – owner: Raj Kundra, Rajasthan Royals’ co-owner, has said his franchise is interested in promoting Indian talent, rather than just raking in the profits. "We are not making much of the profits but we are certainly not making any losses as well,” he was reported as saying by PTI. “We are not only concerned about making profits but we are committed to promote the Indian talent. It was Yusuf Pathan in the first edition, then it was Ravindra Jadeja and now it is Ajinkya Rahane.”
Full postNewsfile: May 3
Pollard faces another week on sidelines: Mumbai Indians’ allrounder Robin Peterson has said his team-mate Kieron Pollard is likely to be out of action for another week at least, because of his injured shoulder
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Pollard faces another week on sidelines: Mumbai Indians’ allrounder Robin Peterson has said his team-mate Kieron Pollard is likely to be out of action for another week at least, because of his injured shoulder. Pollard, who has scored 64 runs and taken 11 wickets in eight games, had picked up the injury in last Friday’s game against Delhi Daredevils, while attempting to take a catch. "According to the medical reports and scans done, Pollard will be out for at least another week," Peterson said. “It’s a big loss for us. He is a quality player.”
Big screens across Kolkata for Pune tie: Kolkata Knight Riders match Pune Warriors, scheduled for Saturday, has been sold out for a while. No surprises there, as the match marks the homecoming of Sourav Ganguly, albeit as an ‘opposition’ player. To cater to the masses who have not secured tickets, the Cricket Association of Bengal plans to set up 12 giant screens across the city, which will display the action, live, from Eden Gardens. "At home you have your television. But what about those who will be out on the roads for various reasons? As the local cricketing body we want them to savour the flavour of the match while on the move," CAB joint secretary Biswarup Dey told IANS. "We have already discussed the matter verbally with the police. We will now send them a formal letter for permission.” If the plan comes to fruition, it will be a first for the IPL, but then, as Dey said, “No other game in the tournament's history has aroused such raw passion."
Watson scalp pleases Negi: Delhi Daredevils' Pawan Negi, with his figures of 4 for 18 against Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday, is the latest uncapped Indian player to come to the fore. His haul included the wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Shane Watson, Brad Hodge and Ashok Menaria, and he said he valued Watson’s wicket most of all. “I was just trying to stop the flow of runs. It was a good wicket and they [the batsmen] played a few bad shots too. The wicket of Watson was the prized one, because he is such a good player," Negi told PTI. "He [captain Virender Sehwag] told me that Rajasthan batsmen play a lot of inside out shots over extra cover. So he asked me to keep balls a bit short so as to not allow them to go for such shots. This worked to perfection."
Full postChennai's batting woes
IPL 2012 so far has thrown up quite a few surprises. Although Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were among the top run-getters in the league prior to the start of this season, their remarkably consistent run has been a revelation
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
By Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
IPL 2012 so far has thrown up quite a few surprises. Although Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir were among the top run-getters in the league prior to the start of this season, their remarkably consistent run has been a revelation. Sehwag, in particular, is in the midst of an extraordinary run that has seen him become the first player to score five consecutive half-centuries in Twenty20 matches. On the other hand, the younger Indian batsmen such as Suresh Raina and M Vijay, who were expected to dominate the scoring, have been well below par. Chennai Super Kings, in particular, have been badly affected by the poor form of their batsmen in this tournament and the return of Michael Hussey will be a huge boost to their flagging fortunes.
M Vijay, who was one of Super Kings' most valuable batsmen in the previous two editions, has been woefully out of form scoring just 31 runs in 48 balls (strike-rate 64.58) while being dismissed five times. In contrast, he made over 400 runs in the 2010 and 2011 tournaments at an excellent scoring-rate. Suresh Raina and S Badrinath have struggled too, with averages below 25. While Badrinath's average is better than his worst return in a year (19.66 in 2009), his scoring-rate of 6.30 is the lowest among all seasons. Raina, on the other hand, has managed to score at a decent clip but his average of 21.88 is well below his lowest average in the previous four seasons (31.00 in 2009). Super Kings' captain MS Dhoni too has had his issues with batting and has failed to register a single fifty-plus score so far. His average (27.66) and strike-rate (116.08) are also much lower than his corresponding numbers in the previous seasons.
| Batsman | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| M Vijay | - | 60/15.00, 5.37/0 | 458/38.16, 9.41/2 | 434/27.12, 7.68/3 | 31/7.75, 3.87/0 |
| S Badrinath | 192/32.00, 8.86/2 | 177/19.66, 6.47/1 | 356/32.36, 7.06/2 | 396/66.00, 7.59/5 | 147/24.50, 6.30/1 |
| Suresh Raina | 421/46.77, 8.23/3 | 434/31.00, 8.45/2 | 520/52.00, 8.57/4 | 438/31.28, 8.08/4 | 197/21.88, 8.20/0 |
| MS Dhoni | 414/41.40, 8.01/2 | 332/41.50, 7.63/2 | 287/31.88, 8.20/2 | 392/43.55, 9.52/2 | 166/27.66, 7.00/0 |
| Virat Kohli | 165/15.00, 6.30/0 | 246/22.36, 6.73/1 | 307/27.90, 8.68/1 | 557/46.41, 7.26/4 | 192/21.33, 6.19/1 |
| Yusuf Pathan | 435/36.25, 10.74/4 | 243/20.25, 7.96/1 | 333/33.30, 9.94/1 | 283/31.44, 8.44/0 | 48/6.85, 5.76/0 |
Newsfile: May 2
Ganguly fined: Pune Warriors captain Sourav Ganguly has been fined for his team’s slow over-rate in their match against Deccan Chargers on Tuesday
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Ganguly fined: Pune Warriors captain Sourav Ganguly has been fined for his team’s slow over-rate in their match against Deccan Chargers on Tuesday. According to an IPL media release, Warriors were nine balls behind the required rate after taking into consideration various interruptions and allowances. Since it was Ganguly’s first such offence, as per the IPL’s code of conduct stipulations, he was fined $20,000.
Sehwag first to five consecutive fifties: Virender Sehwag’s 73 off 38 balls to help Delhi Daredevils beat Rajasthan Royals in Jaipur on Tuesday was his fifth consecutive half-century in the tournament. And that’s a record – no other batsman has ever scored five fifties in a row in all Twenty20 cricket. While the compliments poured in from most quarters, the most insightful came from Kolkata Knight Riders’ spinner, Sunil Narine. In an interview with IPLT20.com, he said it was Sehwag who picked his variations, including his ‘mystery’ delivery, the knuckle ball, best of all.
David Hussey looking to ‘nullify’ RCB batting: Kings XI Punjab take on Royal Challengers Bangalore tonight, and a win here for either side will put them into the top four. Kings XI are coming off an away victory over Chennai Super Kings and in their bid to repeat that performance in Bangalore, stand-in captain David Hussey said they’ll be wary of the hosts’ batsmen. “We have got our eyes on a couple of players. Chris Gayle obviously. Virat Kohli is probably the best Indian batsman at the moment. Then, AB de Villiers too,” Hussey told Deccan Herald. “These are three big wickets, and if all our training comes good, we can probably nullify their impact on the game.”
Gambhir not concerned by Yusuf’s poor show: Yusuf Pathan’s lack of impact for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL 2012 has been a topic for much debate. He has play nine of the team’s ten games, averaging 6.85 with the bat and 116 with the ball. But his captain, Gautam Gambhir, has said he is not worried by this. “We're not thinking about his [Yusuf’s] form. He's a big-match player, and hopefully, he can turn it around. It's only a matter of time before he starts hitting the ball well,” Gambhir was quoted as saying by PTI. “[For now], if we're winning [even] without him contributing much, it's a good sign for the team.
Full postNewsfile: May 1
Raina first to 2000: Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Raina was the first batsman to reach an aggregate of 2000 runs in the IPL
Nikita Bastian
25-Feb-2013
Raina first to 2000: Chennai Super Kings’ Suresh Raina was the first batsman to reach an aggregate of 2000 runs in the IPL. Raina got past the milestone during his innings of 44 in his side’s loss to Kolkata Knight Riders on Monday. He finished the game on 2010 runs, 170 ahead of the next on the list, Gautam Gambhir. Raina has not missed a single game for his team, playing 72 matches over five seasons.
Pollard's shoulder injured: If you were wondering why Kieron Pollard missed Mumbai Indians' last match against Deccan Chargers on Sunday, it was because he had injured his shoulder in their previous game against Delhi Daredevils while attempting to take a catch. Bowling coach Shaun Pollock tweeted the news on Tuesday morning. The seriousness of the injury or how long it might keep Pollard out is as yet unclear.
To answer the many questions:Pollard has an injured shoulder, Gibbs finger chipped so not available,Johnson not coming for the IPL this year
— Shaun Pollock (@7polly7) May 1, 2012
Chargers not ‘pushover team’ – Steyn: Deccan Chargers might be languishing at the bottom of an otherwise tight IPL points table, but fast bowler Dale Steyn has said the team is more than capable of beating any other IPL side. Steyn said their season’s record was down to ‘unluckiness’. “I don’t think we are a pushover team. I think we are a fantastic team,” he told IPLT20.com. “We have lost a couple of games, but it’s not like we are losing by 10 wickets or getting thumped by 70 or 80 runs. We can beat any team on any night. Unfortunately, this season we have been on the other side because of some unluckiness. We just have to be 10% better at everything, that includes our batting, bowling and fielding. Otherwise, I think we are playing unbelievably well. The results might not say that, but we have just not been lucky enough every time we have lost.”
Full postSehwag lives up to his word
After Delhi Daredevils' 20-run defeat to Pune Warriors, Virender Sehwag hinted that he wanted to bat at least till the 15th over in the upcoming games
Cricinfo
25-Feb-2013
By Madhusudhan Ramakrishnan
After Delhi Daredevils' 20-run defeat against Pune Warriors, Virender Sehwag hinted that he wanted to bat at least till the 15th over in the upcoming games. Sehwag had scored 57 in the loss but in the three subsequent matches, he demonstrated rare consistency to score half-centuries in each of the games. In the return game against Warriors, Sehwag batted through till the 16th over scoring an unbeaten 87 and led Daredevils to a comfortable win. In the next game against Mumbai Indians, which Daredevils won by 37 runs, Sehwag scored 73 and put on 135 for the opening wicket with Mahela Jayawardene. On this occasion as well, Sehwag was dismissed after batting till the 15th over. Against Royals, when Daredevils won by one run, he scored another half-century (63) and in the process, became only the fourth player to score four consecutive half-centuries in Twenty20 matches (domestic Twenty20 games). Brendon McCullum remains the only batsman to achieve the feat in international Twenty20 matches.
| Season | Matches | Runs | Average | SR | 100/50 |
| 2011 | 11 | 424 | 38.54 | 176.66 | 1/2 |
| 2008 | 14 | 406 | 33.83 | 184.54 | 0/3 |
| 2012 | 9 | 372 | 46.50 | 158.97 | 0/4 |
| 2010 | 14 | 356 | 25.42 | 163.30 | 0/3 |
| 2009 | 11 | 198 | 19.80 | 143.47 | 0/1 |
In IPL 2012 Sehwag has scored more half-centuries than in any of the previous IPL seasons. He is now level with Shaun Marsh and Jacques Kallis on the list of batsmen with the most fifty-plus scores in the IPL. His run aggregate in this season (372) is only behind his corresponding numbers in 2008 and 2011. However, he has the highest average (46.50) in 2012. Sehwag has scored the most runs (313) against Chargers and Mumbai Indians (280). His scoring rate is highest against Kings XI (12.73) and Chargers (11.30). In the previous season, Sehwag rarely had much support from the rest of the batsmen but in this season, with Kevin Pietersen and Jayawardene contributing regularly, Daredevils have been the most consistent side in the first half of the tournament.
Full post