Newsfile: May 17

Middle order not a concern – Jayawardene: Delhi Daredevils batsman Mahela Jayawardene has dismissed concerns over the team’s vulnerable middle order. Daredevils' batting has been top-heavy this season with the bulk of runs being scored by captain Virender Sehwag (484). However, Jayawardene, who made an unbeaten 56 in the win over Kings XI Punjab, said it was “good” that the top order was scoring runs. “Sixty-seventy per cent of Twenty20 games are won based on top-order players scoring runs. After that, it is just how you handle the other situations,” Jayawardene said on Wednesday, on the eve of the clash with Royal Challengers Bangalore in Delhi. “If you see the top 10 batsmen in the IPL, all are openers or No. 3 batsmen. It is only when the top order hasn't done well, the responsibility falls on the middle order. On Tuesday [against Kings XI] we handled the situation pretty well [Daredevils were reduced to 37 for 4 chasing 137]. If we can continue to improve upon that, I think that will be an added advantage for us. We have two explosive openers and they can pretty much win a game for us. Going forward, we just need to keep improving, the middle order is not a concern but it is about us handling those situations in a better way,” he said.

Need to sort our technique – Harbhajan: Mumbai Indians captain Harbhajan Singh has said that poor batting from his team in the initial overs played a big part in their 32-run loss to Kolkata Knight Riders in Mumbai on Wednesday. Chasing a modest 141, openers Herschelle Gibbs and Sachin Tendulkar managed just 26 runs in the first six overs, before Gibbs was dismissed. “I think we need to sort out our technique. We need to bat well in the first six overs,” Harbhajan said. “We played bad cricket today. The first six overs decided our fate. We haven't been playing good cricket, we have done well only in patches. We need to pick up our game, me as well. First we need to qualify for the playoff stage and then from there we will think of moving ahead.”

Malinga six for my girlfriend – Tiwary: Kolkata Knight Riders’ batsman Manoj Tiwary hit Mumbai Indians fast bowler Lasith Malinga for a straight six in the 13th over in Mumbai on Wednesday. That six, for which Tiwary moved outside leg stump to make room and got under the length ball, was for his girlfriend. “My girlfriend had once told me that I can never hit Malinga for a six,” Tiwary told iplt20.com. “I accepted the challenge and it was playing at the back of my mind for a long time. I am feeling very good about it and I am going to call her and tell her that I can hit sixes off Malinga.”