The IPL Watcher

Chennai Super Kings have built up a reputation of being difficult to beat at home. They boast a very good record at Chepauk across seasons, and in IPL 2013, though they began with two losses there, they've since won four on the trot at home. Away, this year, they've won four in four. According to coach Stephen Fleming, Super Kings have made a concerted effort to improve their away record. "We certainly have honoured ourselves when it comes to our home record. This year we have made a real effort to be good travellers and we have been doing it well," Fleming said ahead of the team's match against Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede. "Chennai and Mumbai have a little bit of history already. They have had hard fought games and Mumbai has had the better of us. So we are very determined to play well here." That many teams have been doing consistently well at home is a good sign for the tournament, he said: "I think it's great if there is home and away advantage and disadvantage. It really adds to the competition. When you go away it's a tough game with a tough crowd and if you win, the conditions make that victory much better."

Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata Knight Riders captain, has played down the exchange he was involved in on Friday night, during which he appeared to have argued with Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid. A tweet from Gambhir's Twitter handle said: "Guys, u have got it all wrong. No harsh words exchanged between me n Rahul bhai. He was n will always be a respected teammate. No fuss plz." The issue seemed to centre around Royals allrounder Shane Watson and Knight Riders batsman Manvinder Bisla. Watson, in his followthrough, allegedly threatened to throw the ball at Bisla, setting off a heated discussion. Dravid attempted to intervene, but Bisla seemed agitated and Gambhir, the non-striker, joined his partner in an exchange with Dravid. In the following over, Gambhir, on being dismissed, appeared to exchange more words with Dravid before walking off.

Dravid 'wishes' for more foreigners in the XI
Rajasthan Royals captain Rahul Dravid has said it would be beneficial for a team like his if the IPL were to relax the four-overseas-players-per-side rule. "We have a lot of very good foreign players. It is very difficult for us as we can only play four. I wish IPL would change that and allow more foreign players, but it's not possible. Someone has to miss out," Dravid said, in the lead up to his team's away game against Kolkata Knight Riders, according to agency reports. Currently the franchises are allowed 11 overseas signings in their squads, and four in the teams' XIs.

Michael Neser, the Queensland fast bowler, has replaced the injured Ryan Harris in the Kings XI Punjab squad. Harris had returned to Australia last week after being diagnosed with an Achilles tendon injury.

At the end of the 19th over, with Pune Warriors needing 28 to win, most of the crowd at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium had begun filing out. Victory for Delhi Daredevils seemed a foregone conclusion and, right then, beating the traffic to get on the highway to home was far more important.

Chris Gayle has come out in support of his Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli, who was strongly critical of the Mumbai crowd's behaviour during his team's away game at the Wankhede on Saturday. Kohli had said he did not know why there was so much "hatred" towards the opposition in Mumbai. Now Gayle, in a column in Indian newspapers, said the way the crowd treated Kohli was "totally unnecessary". "While you are always going to have to negotiate a partisan crowd when you are the away team, I have to say that the fans who booed Virat in Mumbai went too far," Gayle wrote. "He has done so much for his country and their behaviour towards him was totally unnecessary in my opinion. I totally understand getting behind your own team but it's important to support your own people too. I know this is a common occurrence in footballing culture but I'm totally against this creeping into cricket. That said, we know it's going to keep happening as we move forward and we've just got to be strong-minded about it."

Watson terms Gayle's innings as 'super human'
Shane Watson might wonder if he actually scored the first hundred of IPL 6. A day after stepping down as Australia's vice-captain, the Rajasthan Royals allrounder scored an effortless 60-ball century against Chennai Super Kings. Michael Hussey spoilt his former Australian's team-mate's party by hitting a match-winning 88. The very next day, Gayle rubbed further salt on Watson's wounds by blasting a record-breaking 30-ball century. Watson missed the Gayle blitz as he was on a flight. Calling Gayle's innings "super human", Watson said that a lot of things need to fall in place in order to score a Twenty20 century, and that is one reason why it is a rare feat only few have achieved. Asked if he could think of any contenders who could break Gayle's record, Watson had one name. "It will be extremely difficult to improve upon. It looks like one of those records that just stay on. When Brendon Mc-Cullum scored 158 for KKR in the first year, we had thought that would stay on, but then Gayle came by. It would need an extraordinary effort to improve Gayle's 175, but having said that, there are always players with potential. Virat Kohli is one person who can do that over time. There has to be some amazing talent to do that." Watson told the Times of India.

Gayle, a game-destroyer - Gilchrist
Former Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist has said Chris Gayle is more than just a game changer. Gilchrist, captain of Kings XI Punjab in the IPL, once dominated the best attacks. He now feels Gayle does the same, and more, as he did on April 23 when he trampled Pune Warriors' bowling attack on the way to a record 30-ball century.