ICC ODI Rankings: Sachin, Dhoni move up

Sachin Tenndular (758 points) moved up to second spot in the latest ICC ODI Rankings and is just behind South African skipper Graeme Smith (792 points). Mahendra Singh Dhoni jumped five places to stay at fourth. He is at par with Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and his teammate Mike Hussey. Pakistan's Mohammad Yusuf is at third place.

In the bowling section, New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori is on top, while Australian Nathan Bracken and New Zealnder Shane Bond is on second the third positions respectively. Pakistan's skipper Shoaib Malik is on the top in all-rounders' category. In the team rankings, Australia still remains on top, while South Africa and New Zealand are on second and third places respectively. India is at fourth position.

Asia Cup 2008 Super League: Sangakkara hits ton, as Sri Lanka beat Pakistan

Kumar Sangakkara's century helped Sri Lanka register a comprehensive 64-run win over Pakistan in their Asia Cup Super League tie in Karachi. In a surprising decision, Pakistan won the toss and put Sri Lanka into bat. It was a complete suicide by Pakistan skipper, as the ball turned a bit in the later stage of the game. Sangakkara scored 112, as Sri Lanka piled up 302/7 in 50 overs. The other top scorers were Chamara Silva (46) and Chamara Kapugedera (43). For Pakistan, Sohail Tanvir took 5-48.

Chasing a victory target of 303, Pakistan succumbed to quality spin bowling from Mendis, as they finished at 238/9 in 50 overs. Misbah-ul Haq was the top scorer with 76. Shoaib Malik too scored 52. Younus Khan was the other batsman who contributed 47. Mendis took 4-47. Sangakkara was declared "Man of the Match".

Sourav Ganguly named Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year

Sourav Ganguly, who was dropped from the ODI squad at the behest of skipper M S Dhoni, put eggs on the faces of Indian selectors, by winning the Castrol Asian Cricketer of the Year award. The awards were given in Karachi yesterday. Ganguly also won the best overall batsman prize for his outstanding performances in 2007. He scored 1106 runs in test cricket and 1240 runs in ODIs in 2007.

Mutthiah Muralitharan was adjudged the best overall bowler and best test bowler. Kumar Sangakkara won the best Test Batsman award, while Farveez Maharoof received the best ODI bowler award. Sahin Tendulkar received the best ODI batsman award.

Gautam Gambhir bagged the best Twenty20 batsman award. Yuvraj Singh was presented a special award for his six sixes in an over in the Twenty20 World Cup. Umar Gul was the best Twenty20 bowler, while Kamran Akmal received the best fielder award. The panel that picked the winners in various categories, included Rahul Dravid, Wasim Akram and Sanath Jayasuriya.

Asia Cup Super League: India beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets

Alok Kapali's magnificent century went in vain, as India overcame the challenge from Bangladesh with a 7-wicket victory. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. Riding on Alok Kapali's 115 off 96 balls, Bangladesh scored 283.6 in 50 overs. Kapali's century was the first century against India by any Bangladeshi batsman. Opener Tamim Iqbal too played well and scored 55. Mahmudullah and Raqibul scored 26* and 25 respectively.

Pragyan Ojha made a dream debut by claiming two wickets for just 43 runs and taking three catches. Gony was a bit expensive, but took 2 wickets. Gambhir and Uthappa opened the innings for India, as Sehwag was rested. Uthappa and Rohit Sharma got out cheaply, but in-form batsmen Gambhir and Raina dashed Bangladesh's hopes with their superb batting display.

Gambhir was unlucky to be out at 90. But Raina continued his dream run in this tournament and remained unbeaten on 116. Yuvraj Singh remained not out on 36. India reached the target in just 43.2 overs. Shahadat Hossain took 2 wickets. Raina was declared "Man of the Match".

India avenge Tri-Series loss, beat Pakistan in Karachi

The victory target was 300 for India, but they achieved it in just 42.1 overs. Incredible, but true! India avenged their tri-series defeat to Pakistan by beating the Pak side on their own soil. Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat first. They piled up 299/4 in 50 overs. Shoaib Mailk was the top scorer with 125. He was retired hurt. Other top contributors were Salman Butt (35), Younus Khan (59), M Yousuf (30) and Misbah (31*).

India lost Gambhir early, but Sehwag and Raina continued where they left in the match against Hong Kong. Raina, who had scored his maiden ton against Hong Kong, made 84. Sehwag, who had scored 78 against Hong Kong, went on to score his 9th ODI century. He made 119 off just 95 balls. Yuvraj Singh scored 48, while Dhoni remained unbeaten on 26. India reached the target with 7.5 overs to spare. For Pakistan, Rao Iftikhar took 2 wickets. Suresh Raina was declared "Man of the Match".

Asia Cup 2008: Sri Lanka beat UAE by 142 runs

There was no surprise, as Sri Lanka registered a comprehensive victory over UAE. Sri Lanka beat UAE by 142 runs. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. They piled up 290/9 in 50 overs. Udawatte scored 67, while Jayawardene made 61. Weeraratne and Kulasekara contributed 40 and 37 runs each. For UAE, Zahid Shah took 3 wickets. Fahad Alhashmi and Mohammad Tauqir took 2 wickets each.

Chasing a victory target of 291, UAE was bundled out for 148 in 36.3 overs. Amjad Ali was the top scorer with 77. For Sri Lanka, Ajantha Mendis took 5 wickets, while Thushara took 2 wickets. Mendis was declared "Man of the Match".

England's ODI Skipper Paul Collingwood banned for 4 Matches

England's ODI skipper Paul Collingwood has been banned for four matches after his team failed to bowl their overs in the required time during yesterday's ODI against New Zealand. The ban was imposed because Wednesday's offence was England team's second within a year. Collingwood will miss the final match against New Zealand, a Twenty20 match against South Africa and first two ODIs against that team.

Asia Cup 2008: Sri Lanka humbles Bangladesh by 131 runs

Kumar Sangakkara's brilliant century helped Sri Lanka score a comprehensive victory over Bangladesh. Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to bat first. They put up 357/9 in 50 overs. Sangakkara was the top scorer with 101. Jayasuriya made 72, while Kapugedera made 74. For Bangladesh, Razzak took 3 wickets, while Mortaza and Hossain took 2 wickets each.

Chasing a victory target of 358, Bangladesh finished at 226/7 in 50 overs. For Bangladesh, Mushfiq Rahim (44), Raqibul Hasan (35), Mashrafe Mortaza (34*),Alok Kapali (30) and Abdur Razzak (22 not out) were the top contributors. Muralitharan took 2 wickets for Sri Lanka. Sangakkara was declared "Man of the Match".

Asia Cup 2008: India crush Hong Kong

When the match between India and Hong Kong started, everyone predicted an easy win for India. But nobody thought that India will massacre Hong Kong. India beat Hong Kong by a huge margin of 256 runs to begin their Asia Cup campaign in style.

India won the toss and elected to bat first. They piled up 374/4 in 50 overs. Suresh Raina scored his maiden century. He made 101. Skipper Dhoni too fired like a canon and remained unbeaten on 109. Sehwag made a quick-fire 78, while Gambhir contributed 51.

For Hong Kong, Najeeb Amar took 2 wickets. In reply, Hong Kong bowled out for 118 in just 36.5 overs. Tabarak Dar made 21. James Atkinson (23) and Irfan Ahmed (25) were other top contributors. For India, Piyush Chawla took 4 wickets, while Sehwag took 2 wickets. Raina was declared "Man of the Match".

Asia Cup 2008: Ashraful powers Bangladesh win over UAE

A magnificent century from skipper Mohammad Ashraful helped Bangladesh beat UAE by 96 runs in the Asia Cup league encounter. Ashraful scored a career-best 109 as Bangladesh put up 300/8 in 50 overs. Raqibul Hasan made 83, while Tamim Iqbal scored 40. For UAE, Zahid Shah took 3 wickets.

The target of 301 was almost impossible for UAE and they bowled out for 204 runs with 26 balls to spare. Arshad Ali scored 41, while Khurrum Khan made 78. For Bangladesh, Abdur Razzak took 3 wickets. Ashraful was declared "Man of the Match".

Asia Cup 2008: Pakistan beat Hong Kong by 155 runs

In the opening match of the Asia Cup 2008, Pakistan scored an easy win over lowly Hong Kong. Pakistan beat Hong Kong by a huge margin of 155 runs. Batting first, Pakistan struggled against a weak team like Hong Kong, as they were 155/7 at one stage. However, Sohail Tanvir and Fawad Alam added 100 runs for the eighth wicket, which helped Pakistan to score 288/9 in 50 overs.

Alam remained unbeaten on 63, while Tanvir made 59. Younis Khan was the top scorer with 67. Shoaib Malik contributed 35. For Hong Kong, Nadeem took 4 wickets. In reply, Hong Kong was bowled out for 133 in 37.2 overs. Tabarak Dar scored 24, while Zain Abbas was retired hurt for 26. For Pakistan, Rao Iftikhar, Tanvir and Afridi took 2 wickets each. Sohail Tanvir was declared "Man of the Match".

India placed at Fourth Spot in the latest ODI Rankings

Despite losing to Pakistan in the Kitply Cup final, India retained their fourth position in the latest ICC ODI Rankings released yesterday. South Africa leads the table with 127 points, while Australia too have 127 points. New Zealand are at third spot with 113 points, while India too have 113 points.

ICC ODI Ranking:

1. South Africa

2. Australia

3. New Zealand

4. India

5. Pakistan

6. England

7. Sri Lanka

8. West Indies

9. Bangladesh

10. Ireland

BCCI plans to hold T20 Champions League in September 2008

After the great success of Indian Premier League (IPL), the BCCI has not decided to hold Twenty20 Champions League in late September 2008. The Champions League will feature top two domestic sides from India, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa and England. The tournament will have a whopping prize money of 10 million dollars.

While the tournament will be a joint venture of the cricket boards of above countries, BCCI will retain a 50 percent partnership. According to IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, winner will get 5 million dollars. The first runners-up will get 2.5 million dollars and the losing semi-finalists will get 750,000 dollars each.

The top teams that will participate in the T20 Champions League include Victoria and Western Australia (Australia), Nashua Titana and Kwazulu Natal Dolphins (South Africa) and Rajasthan Royals and Chennai Super Kings (India).

Celebrating 1983 World Cup Victory: BCCI felicitates Kapil's Devils

With the 25th anniversary of India's historic win in 1983 World Cup comes nearer, the BCCI felicitated then skipper Kapil Dev and his team at a grand ceremony in New Delhi yesterday. It could be recalled India beat West Indies in a dream final on June 25, 1983 to lift the Prudential Cup at Lord's.

Kapil Dev, 13 other cricketers and then manager P R Mansing, were present at the felicitation ceremony, which was organized to mark the silver jubilee of the famous World Cup win. BCCI president Sharad Pawar welcomed the team members and congratulated them. Each member of the team was presented with 2.5 million rupees and a citation.

Kapil Dev looked emotional and attributed that memorable victory to the team efforts. Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Vengsarkar, Mohinder Amarnath, Madan Lal, Yashpal Sharma, Sandeep Patil, Balwinder Sandhu, Syed Kirmani, Kirti Azad, K Srikanth, Roger Binny, Ravi Shastri and Sunil Valson. A special dinner will be hosted for the 1983 World Cup winning team at Lord's on June 25. A diamond bat signed by all team members will be put for auction.

Asia Cup 2008: A Complete Schedule

The Asia Cup 2008 will be held in Pakistan from June 24, 2008. The tournament will last till July 06, 2008. In total, six teams India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Hong Kong and UAE are participating in this mega event. All six teams have been divided into two groups. Later, there will be a Super League stage and then the grand finale. All matches will be played under floodlights.

Group A - Bangladesh, UAE and Sri Lanka
Group B - India, Pakistan and Hong Kong

Here's the complete schedule of Asia Cup 2008:

League Matches (Group Stage)

June 24 - Bangaldesh v UAE (Lahore) - 4 PM
June 24 - Pakistan v Hong Kong (Karachi) - 4 PM
June 25 - Bangladesh v Sri Lanka (Lahore) - 3 PM
June 25 - India v Hong Kong (Karachi) - 3 PM
June 26 - Sri Lanka v UAE (Lahore) - 3 PM
June 26 - India v Pakistan (Karachi) - 3 PM

Super League Stage:

June 28 - A2 v B2 (Karachi) - 4 PM
June 29 - A1 v B1 (Karachi) - 4 PM
June 30 - A1 v A2 (Karachi) - 4 PM
July 02 - B1 v B2 (Karachi) - 4 PM
July 03 - A1 v B2 (Karachi) - 4 PM
July 04 - A2 v B1 (Karachi) - 4 PM

July 06 - FINAL (Karachi) - 4 PM

Drug Charges dropped, Asif deported to Pakistan

Breaking News! All drug charges against Pakistan's fast bowler Mohammad Asif have been dropped with immediate effect. The Dubai authorities said that Asif was guilty, but the charges seemed too "insignificant" to purse. Asif will be deported to Pakistan within the next 24 hours.

It could be recalled that Dubai police had seized 0.24mg of opium from Asif on June 01. Although the PCB made diplomatic efforts to facilitate the release of Asif, it is likely to take punitive action him as per the ICC rules.

'Hurt' Kapil Dev takes on BCCI, PCA in damage control Mode

The strained relationship between Kapil Dev and the BCCI reached a new low, after the Punjab Cricket Association removed Kapil's poster from the PCA stadium in Mohali. A visibly upset and hurt Kapil Dev lashed out at the BCCI and immediately asked the PCA to return his gifts and cricketing memorabilia that are on exhibition inside the PCA stadium, Mohali. "If they don't respect me and my memorabilia, they should return it so that I can preserve them personally", said Kapil Dev.

Under fire from the media and cricket fans across the country, the PCA immediately went in a damage control mode. They clarified that Kapil's poster was not removed, but was damaged and would be back on the PCA wall soon. The PCA Media Manager G S Walia confirmed this and urged Kapil Dev not to be upset over the poster issue. The PCA clarified that they are going to hold a grand function soon to felicitate Kapil Dev and his contribution to cricket.

Australia wins the Third Test against West Indies, wrap up Series 2-0

Australia re-established their supremacy in Test Cricket, by beating West Indies 2-0 in the three-test match series. The victory holds significance, as Australia achieved it on West Indies soil. On the final day of the third test match, West Indies needed an improbable 475 runs to win the test and level the series, but they bowled out for 387, thus losing the match by 87 runs.

At one stage, West Indies were 303/3, but Casson and Stuart Clark did the magic for Australia and stopped West Indies on the track. They took 3 wickets each. Bravo scored 69, while Chanderpaul made 50. Marshall was the top scorer with 85. Australia had won the first test by 95 runs, while the second test match ended in a draw. Simon Katich was named 'Man of the Match' for his 157 in the second innings. Chanderpaul was adjudged "Man of the Series".

Pakistan beat India by 25 runs to win the Kitply Cup

It was so near, yet so far for Team India. They handed over a 140-run humiliating defeat to Pakistan and reached the final with a no-loss record, but they faltered at the final hurdle. Salman Butt and Younis Khan's centuries took the game away from India. Pakistan won the toss and eventually the match.

Pakistani players, under fire from the PCB over their poor performance against India in the league match, rose to the occasion and beat India by 25 runs in the final to win the Kitply Cup 2008. The victory target of 316 was achievable on this flat batting track, but India started disastrously by losing Sehwag early and never recovered after that. Most Indian batsmen started well, but lost their wickets when they looked set. Dhoni was the top scorer with 64. He was the last batsman to go.

India bowled out for 290 in 48.2 overs. Besides Dhoni, Yuvraj too scored a fifty. He made 56. Gambhir scored 40. Irfan Pathan made 28, while Raina and Rohit Sharma scored 24 runs each. Yusuf Pathan was out for 26. For Pakistan, Umer Gul took 4 wickets. Younis Khan was declared "Man of the Match" and Salman Butt was adjudged "Man of the Series". Salman Butt won the Mahindra Logan car.

Shoaib Akhtar's ban reduced to 18 Months, fined Rs. 70 lakhs

The PCB Appeals Tribunal appointed by the Pakistan Cricket Board has reduced the five-year ban imposed on pace bowler Shoaib Akhtar to 18 months. However, Shoaib was fined Rs. 70 lakhs. The tribunal admitted that original punishment was too harsh and Shoaib deserved a leniency, as he always publicly apologized for his behaviour and past deeds.

The tribunal also recommended that Shoaib should be given proper counseling. Shoaib can appeal against the tribunal decision if he wishes.

Salman Butt, Younis score Century, Pakistan on top in Kitply Tri-Series Final

On a flat batting wicket at Mirpur, Pakistan desperately wanted to win the toss, and it happened. The coin continued to elude M S Dhoni and he lost the toss yet again. Pakistani batsmen took full advantage of the conditions and piled up a mammoth score of 315/3 in 50 overs. Salman Butt was retired hurt at 129, while Younis Khan made 108. Misbah too joined the party with a quickfire 33.

Even as the track is full of runs, a 300-plus chase won't be easy for India. They lost Virender Sehwag in the second over. India were placed at 8/1 in 2.2 overs when reports last came in. Gambhir, Yusuf Pathan and Yuvraj must rise to the occasion if India want to win this final and trophy.

Kitply Series: Gambhir scores Century, India beat Bangladesh

The final of the Kitply Tri-series will be played between India and Pakistan, as Bangladesh lost their crucial match against India. They had earlier lost to Pakistan. India cruised to the final with a all-win record in the league stage. India beat Bangladesh by 7 wickets today.

Bangladesh won the toss and elected to bat first. However, the team bowled out for 222 in 49.5 overs. Raqibul Hasan was the top scorer with 89. Mohammad Ashraful made 36, while Mahmudullah made 24. For India, RP Singh took 3 wickets, while Irfan Pathan bagged 2 wickets.

Gautam Gambhir, who is having a splendid season, did it again for India with a fine century. He scored an unbeaten 107 off 101 balls. Virender Sehwag too made good contribution with a quick-fire 59. Rohit Sharma and Yuvraj Singh scored 26 runs each. India reached the target in 35.1 overs.

Kitply Tri-Series: India beat Pakistan by 140 runs

India scored a comprehensive 140-run victory over arch-rival Pakistan in their opening match of the Kitply tri-series at Dhaka. India won the toss and elected to bat first. Sehwag and Gambhir put up 155 runs for the first wicket. Gamhir made 62, while Sehwag scored a brilliant 89 off 76 balls. Yuvraj Singh made 55. Suresh Raina (26) and Dhoni (24) helped India to get past 300-mark. India put up a mammoth total of 330/8 in 50 overs against Pakistan For Pakistan, Umar Gul took 3 wickets, while Afridi took 2 wickets.

The victory target was too huge for Pakistan and they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. The entire team was bowled out for 190 in 35.4 overs. Praveen Kumar rattled the Pakistani top order with his 4-wicket haul. Piyush Chawla too took 4 wickets. For Pakistan, Shoaib Malik was the top scorer with 53. Kamran Akmal made 38. Misbah and Afridi scored 24 and 23 respectively. Sehwag was declared "Man of the Match".

Pakistan beat Bangladesh in Tri-Series Opener

Pakistan beat Bangaldesh by 70 runs in a rain-interrupted tri-series match at Mirpur. Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first. The match was curtailed to 40 overs because of heavy rain. Pakistan bowled out for 233 in 39.3 overs. Salman Butt was the top scorer with 70. Mohammad Yousuf scored 59, while Misbah made 39. For Bangladesh, Abdur Razzak took 3 wickets.

The target turned out to be huge for Bangladesh, as they could manage only 163/8 in 40 overs. Ashraful was the top scorer, as he remained unbeaten on 56. Tamim Iqbal scored 29. For Pakistan, Wahab Riaz and Shahid Afridi took 3 wickets each. Salman Butt was declared "Man of the Match".

Sreesanth injured, Gony selected for Tri-Series in Bangladesh

S Sreesanth's injury came as a blessing in disguise for IPL sensation Manpreet Gony, as he got the selectors' nod for the upcoming tri-series in Bangladesh. Gony played under M S Dhoni's captaincy for Chennai Super Kings and took 17 wickets from 16 matches.

The selectors had the option of choosing Munaf Patel, Joginder Sharma and Ashok Dinda. However, they went ahead with Gony, as he was skipper Dhoni's first choice. Hopefully, Gony turns out to be India's trump card in the tri-series in Bangladesh.

Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad retained by the Selectors

Even as Gary Kirsten took over as the coach of the Indian cricket team, the Indian selectors have decided to retain Robin Singh and Venkatesh Prasad for the forthcoming tri-series in Bangladesh. Robin Singh will remain the fielding coach of the team, while Venkatesh Prasad will continue as the bowling coach.

Md. Asif dropped from Pakistan Team for Tri-Series in Bangladesh

Even though the drugs charges against Pakistani speedster Mohammad Asif, were dropped by the Dubai police, the PCB has sent a strong signal by dropping the pace bowler from the 16-member squad that will take part in the tri-series in Bangladesh. Asif was replaced by Sohail Khan.

The PCB has secured the release of Asif through diplomatic efforts and also got a clean chit for him. But it became clear there is a lot than what we see. If Asif was not guilty, then why did the PCB drop him from the team instead of lending support to him???

Pakistani Bowler Mohd. Asif arrested in Dubai for 'possessing' drugs

Pakistani speedster Mohammad Asif has been arrested by the Dubai Police at the Dubai International Airport for allegedly carrying contraband drugs. Unconfirmed reports say that Asif was held with 1 gm of Opium. Asif was arrested on Sunday night and he has been in custody for two days. Asif will be produced in a Dubai Court today. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) will be holding a press conference at 12 PM.

Asif was returning to Pakistan from Mumbai via Dubai after playing in the IPL. He played for the Delhi DareDevils. Asif was already involved in a dope scandal and faced a ban last year.

The Great IPL Extravaganza: Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings to win the Trophy

The great IPL Extravaganza finally came to an end with the Rajasthan Royals lifting the inaugural IPL trophy at the D Y Patil stadium in Navi Mumbai. Rajasthan Royals led by Shane Warne beat M S Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets in an exciting final to win the coveted trophy. It was Yusuf Pathan's all-round performance that won the match and trophy for the Royals.

The 45-day long much-hyped Indian Premier League (IPL) featured 57 foreign cricketers and 60-odd Indian cricketers who played for eight different teams. While everyone expected Rajasthan Royals to reach the grand finale, as they topped the point table, Chennai Super Kings caused a major upset in the semi-final against strong contender Kings XI Punjab. However, in the final, Rajasthan Royals reigned supreme.

Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first. The Chennai Super Kings began their innings on a positive note with an opening stand of 39. They continued to build their innings, thanks to Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina and Dhoni. Parthiv Patel scored 38, while Raina scored 43. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 29, as Chennai Super Kings posted a competitive total of 163/5 in 20 overs. For Royals, Yusuf Pathan took 3 wickets.

The victory target was not easy on this slow and new wicket, but Rajasthan Royals began their run chase on a disastrous note. They were contained by Ntini and Gony. The ball was not coming to the bat easily and batsmen looked frustrated.But Asnodkar batted well, but fell at 28. At one stage, Royals were 45/3. However, Yusuf Pathan and Shane Watson steadied the innings. Watson was out for 28.

Pathan, dropped twice at 13 and 33, went on to score his 4th IPL fifty and was out for 56. The target looked tough when Pathan departed. But Shane Warne and Sohail Tanvir held their nerves and saw the team through. The Rajasthan Royals reached the target on the last ball of the match. For Super Kings, Morkel and Muralitharan took 2 wickets each. The winning team received a cheque worth Rs. 4.8 crore, while the losing team received a cheque worth Rs. 2.4 crore.

Here's the list of Awards:

Winner - Rajasthan Royals

Runners Up - Chennai Super Kings
Man of the Match - Yusuf Pathan

Man of the Series - Shane Watson (472 runs and 17 wickets)

Orange Cap Award - Shaun Marsh (616 runs)

Purple Cap Award - Sohail Tanvir (22 wickets)

CITI U-19 Success of the IPL - S Goswami
FLY Kingfisher Fair Play Trophy - Chennai Super Kings

A Colourful start to the IPL Grand Finale [PICTURES]

The organizers did a great job by holding the final day ceremony of the great IPL with much grandeur. There were celebrations all around the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai. While the Mumbai crowd gathered to cheer both finalists, millions of cricket fans across the globe have glued their TV sets to catch the great moments of the biggest cricket extravaganza.

Bollywood babes, foreign gymnasts, stars like Salman Khan produced scintillating performance to mark the beginning of the closing ceremony of the grand IPL. Music, Dance, Circus, Laser Show, Cheerleaders, air shows everything was there. Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to bowl first. We have captured the pictures (from SET Max TV Channel) of those celebrations. Here you go:

The Great IPL Grand Finale - Who will lift the Trophy?

--By Sagar Satapathy, Editor-in-Chief

The countdown begins for an epic final that pits Dhoni's Super Kings against Shane Warne's formidable Rajasthan Royals. The Royals looked unstoppable until they lost the way in the last league match against the Kings XI Punjab. Although Dhoni was not in superb form, his team rose to the occasion and crush the Kings XI Punjab in the semi-final.

Remember, Dhoni led the Indian team that won the inaugural T20 World Cup. Dhoni, along with Raina, Parthiv Patel, Badrinath, Gony, Ntini and Muralitharan has the ability to change the course of a game against any opponent. On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals look solid under the captaincy of veteran Shane Warne. Shane Watson and Yusuf Pathan are in superb form and Royals bowlers and fielders have done a commendable job so far in the tournament. Rajasthan Royals received a jolt ahead of the final, as in-form batsman Graeme Smith was ruled out of the final because of injury.

While young Dhoni looked exhausted as a captain in this IPL, Shane Warne proved his worth by transforming an ordinary looking team into power builders. Rajasthan Royals will be looking forward to end their dream IPL campaign with a win in the final. But they have to clear the last hurdle against Dhoni's Super Kings.

After two one-sided semi-finals, people expect to watch a exciting final, which will mark the end of a dream tournament that took the cricket world by storm. Will this happen? Will Rajasthan Royals win the crown? Can Dhoni's men stop the Royals? Warne or Dhoni? Who will lift the IPL T20 Cup? The cricket world waits with batted breath.