Cricket Buzz

Kings XI Punjab beat Delhi DareDevils by D/L Method

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sat, 17 May 2008 17:29:00 +0000

Kings XI Punjab virtually assured themselves a berth in the semi-finals beat Delhi DareDevils by 6 runs as per the D/L method. Just one six off the last ball of the match before the rain stopped play, changed the fate of the game. Mahela Jayawardene pulled it off for Kings XI Punjab.

Batting first, Delhi DareDevils began on an explosive note. Both Gambhir and Sehwag batted superbly before Gambhir was out for 40. Delhi DareDevils were 94/1 in 8.1 overs when rain stopped play. The match was reduced to 11 overs each when the play resumed. The DareDevils lost the momentum during the break and managed to score only 118/4 in 20 overs. Sehwag remained unbeaten on 51. For Kings XI, Hopes and Powar took 2 wickets each.

Kings XI Punjab started the run chase on an aggressive note, but lost three quick wickets including that of Yuvraj who scored 23. However, Mahela Jaywardene and Pomersbach took the game away from the DareDevils. The added an unbeaten 63 runs off 23 balls. When rain stopped the play again, Kings XI were 94/3 in 8 overs. However, they were ahead of DareDevils by 6 runs as per the D/L method and won the match.Jyawardene remained unbeaten on 36, while Pomersbach was not out on 25. Jayawardene won the Man of the Match award for his match winning knock.

Rajasthan Royals beat Royal Challengers, reach Semi Finals

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sat, 17 May 2008 14:03:00 +0000

Rajasthan Royals officially became the first team in the IPL to reach the semi finals. They scored an easy 65-run win over the depleted Royal Challengers Bangalore. Batting first, Rajasthan Royals put up 197/1 in 20 overs. Graeme Smith remained unbeaten on 75, while Asnadkor made 50. Shane Watson remained unbeaten on 46.

Chasing a victory target of 198, Royal Challengers Bangalore continued their bad run in the tournament and could manage only 132/9 in 2o overs. Rahul Dravid scored a memorable innings, as he remained unbeaten on 75. He scored those runs from just 36 balls. Kallis scored 20. For Rajasthan Royals, Tanveer and Warne took 3 wickets each. Shane Warne is the leading wicket taker in the tournament with 14 wickets. Irfan Pathan, Sreesanth and Zaheer Khan have taken 13 wickets each.

BCCI donates Rs. 6 Crore ($60 million) for Jaipur Blast Victims

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sat, 17 May 2008 12:22:00 +0000

In a welcome move, the BCCI has donated Rs. 6 crore ($60 million) from its IPL money, to the Rajasthan CM's relief fund, which will be spent for the relief and rehabilitation of Jaipur blast victims. The cheque was handed over by IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi to Rajasthan CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia during the IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Jaipur turns a Fortress ahead of IPL Match

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:32:00 +0000

The recent bomb blasts have shaken the Rajasthan Players from within. Royal Challengers may take advantage of the situation, as Shane Warne and Co. do not seem in a right frame of mind to play today's match. Heavy security arrangements have been made in Jaipur ahead of today's IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore. The city has turned a fortress with security personnel guarding all major places and establishments.

Several security rings have been formed around the players. South African Shaun Dippenaar will oversee the security arrangements in and around the stadium. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi has cleared the list of people who will enter the South Block of the stadium. According to sources, there were only a few buyers for today's match and most people preferred to watch the match on TV. The IPL organizers have decided not to showcase the cheerleaders for today's match, as a mark of respect to the blast victims.

Row over Syringes found in Shoaib's Bag in Pakistan, BCCI to conduct dope test on IPL Players

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sat, 17 May 2008 08:21:00 +0000

The BCCI has woken up the reports of use of drugs by some cricket players, currently playing in the IPL. IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi announced that random dope tests will be conducted on players. The decision came in the wake reports published in Pakistani newspaper 'Nation' that Shoaib Akhtar was questioned about a dozens of empty syringes found in his baggage prior to leaving for Mumbai at the Karachi airport.

Shoaib Akhtar apparently clarified that he was a diabetic and carry the syringes to take insulin. The Pakistan Cricket Board has played down the incident and ruled out taking any action against the fast bowler. The Kolkata Kinght Riders, fumed over the reports, is considering legal action against the Pakistani Media.

Knight Riders slumped to the lowest score of IPL, Mumbai Indians win in 6th Over

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Fri, 16 May 2008 15:56:00 +0000

Mumbai Indians produced a terrific all-round performance on the field to inflict a humiliating defeat on the Kolkata Knight Riders. Batting first, Kolkata Knight Riders slumped to the lowest score of the IPL, as they bundled out for 67 in 15.2 overs. Ganguly and Agarkar made 15 runs each. For Mumbai Indians, Pollock took 3 wickets, while Teja and Bravo took 2 wickets each.

The victory target looked ridiculous when a player like Jayasruiya is on top form. Jayasuriya continued from where he left against the DareDevils. He remained unbeaten on 48 off 17 balls, as Mumbai Indians reached the target in just 5.3 overs. They took only 33 balls and 40 minutes to win the match.

Sachin Tendulkar fell to Shoaib Akhtar for a duck, but Knight Riders could stop the Mumbai Indians from registering a 8-wicket victory and moving to the 4th spot in IPL points table with their 5th consecutive win. Shaun Pollock was declared "Man of the Match".

Amit Mishra takes hattrick, as Delhi DareDevils beat Deccan Chargers

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Thu, 15 May 2008 18:15:00 +0000

Delhi DareDevils took a step further towards a semi-final berth, as they scored an emphatic 12-run victory over the Deccan Chargers in a crucial IPl match. Batting first, DareDevils scored 194/4 in 20 overs. Gambhir again produced a great innings of 79, while Shikhar Dhawan remained unbeaten on 68. For Deccan Chargers, P Ojha took 2 wickets.

Chasing a victory target of 195, the Deccan Chargers started well, but lost their momentum. They finally managed to score 182/9 in overs. That was not enough and they lost the match by 12 runs. Rohit Sharma made 35, while Venugopal Rao scored 34. Afridi and Styris contributed 33 and 29 respectively. For DareDevils, Amit Mishra took 5 wickets. He took the second hattrick of the IPL by removing Teja, Ojha and RP Singh in the final over when DareDevils required 15 runs to win the match from 6 balls. Maharoof and McGrath took 2 wickets each.

Australian Players feel 'uncomfortable' after Jaipur Blast

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Thu, 15 May 2008 13:30:00 +0000

Australian players including Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne are reportedly feeling 'uncomfortable' after the recent serial blasts in Jaipur that claimed more than 60 lives. Many foreign players are worried, as they will have to play most of their remaining matches in Jaipur. However, BCCI has assured the players of adequate security.

According to IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, players have been assured and they would play in all matches without any further concern. However, Modi admitted that they looked a bit shaky after the incident. He dismissed the media reports that Shane Warne, Shane Watson and Graeme Smith have decided to pull out of the IPL. Meanwhile, Rajasthan Royals team manager Darren Berry has expressed grave concerns over the security aftermath blasts.

High security arrangements have been made for the future matches of the IPL in Jaipur. No bags, bottles and lighters will be allowed into the stadium. The spectators will be frisked at all entry and exit points of the stadium. The players will be completely cordoned off by security personnel.

Sachin back, Jayasuriya scores Century, Mumbai Indians trounce Chennai Super Kings

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Wed, 14 May 2008 16:52:00 +0000

Sanath Jayasuriya regained his magical batting skills when he got a chance to open the innings with Sachin Tendulkar for the first time in the IPL. While Sachin batted cautiously with accurate shot selections, Jayasuriya was unstoppable. He batted with fire and flame, as Mumbai Indians scored 78/0 in first six overs. Dhoni and his men had no answers for Jayasuriya. Both batsmen added 82 runs for the first wicket. Sachin could score only 12 off 16 balls.

Earlier, Mumbai Indians won the toss and elected to field first. Chennai Super Kings lost quick wickets and were 48/4 at one stage. However, Badrinath and Dhoni scored 71 runs in the last five overs to taker the score to 156/6 in 20 overs. Badrinath was the top scorer with 53. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 43. Fleming contributed 26. For Mumbai Indians, Kulkarni took 3 wickets, while Bravo picked up 2 wickets.

The victory target 157 looked so easy that Mumbai Indians achieved it in just 13.5 overs, losing just 1 wicket. Mumbai Indians won the match by 9 wickets. With this win, they are now back in contention for a semi-final berth. For Mumbai Indians, Jayasuriya remained unbeaten on 114 off 48 balls (9 boundaries and 11 sixes). Obviously, he was declared "Man of the Match".

Breaking News! Harbhajan Singh banned for 5 ODIs

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Wed, 14 May 2008 11:43:00 +0000

Breaking News! India's problem child Harbhajan Singh has been banned for five ODIs by the disciplinary committee of the BCCI. The committee took this decision after studying the report submitted by Advocate Sudhir Nanavati. The three-member committee comprised of Sharad Pawar, Shashank Manohar and Chirayu Amin found Harbhajan guilty of Level 3.2 offence. If Harbhajan repeats the mistake in future, he will be handed over a life ban.

Harbhajan was already banned for 11 IPL matches and lost the contract money (Rs 2.70 crore). He was also fined 100% match fee for that particular match. Harbhajan will be forced to sit out of India’s tour to Bangladesh as well as two matches of the upcoming Asia Cup. Hopefully, he will come back as a gentleman.

Shoaib Akhtar sets IPL on Fire on debut, Knight Riders beat DareDevils

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Tue, 13 May 2008 16:45:00 +0000

There was a long wait for Pakistani speedster Shoaib Akhtar and he finally arrived with a bang. His debut match in the IPL turned out to be a dream match. Shoaib wrecked the strong batting line-up of Delhi DareDevils with a devastating spell. He removed Sehwag, Gambhir, De Villiers and Shikhar Dhawan within the first five overs. The DareDevils never recovered from that early shock and finally went down to Kolkata Knight Riders by 23 runs.

Earlier, Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to bat first. They put up only 133/6 in 20 overs. Salman Butt was the top scorer with 48. D Hussey scored 31. For DareDevils, Maharoof and Yo Mahesh took 2 wickets each.

After losing 5 wickets within 7 overs, the DareDevils fought hard to bounce back, but in vain. They finally bowled out for 110 in 17.5 overs. The Knight Riders won the match by 23 runs. Dilshan scored 25, while Amit Mishra made 31. For Knight Riders, Shoaib took 4 wickets, while L R Shukla took 3 wickets. Shoaib Akhtar was declared "Man of the Match".

SRK dumps 5 Players from Kolkata Knight Riders Team

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Tue, 13 May 2008 08:43:00 +0000

Now, it has become Cricket vs Corporate! After Mallya's outburst against Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Rahul Dravid, Kolkata Knight Riders franchise owner Shahrukh Khan has dumped 5 players - Ranadeb Bose, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sourasish Lahiri, Yashpal Singh and Hokkaido from the team. These five players have not yet gotten a chance to feature in the 14-member squad.

According to sources, these five players have been asked to leave the hotel where Knight Riders team was staying. The players felt betrayed and humiliated at this sudden development. It is believed that Shahrukh has taken this decision in order to cut costs after not-so-good performance of his team in the ongoing IPL.

Breaking News! Marlon Samuels banned for 2 years

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:00:00 +0000

Breaking News! West Indies cricketer Marlon Samuels has been banned for 2 years by the West Indies cricket board for allegedly providing information to a bookie in Nagpur during their last tour to India. He was found guilty on one of the two charges levelled against him.

Sources: Advocate Nanavati may let off Harbhajan

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Tue, 13 May 2008 05:31:00 +0000

BCCI-appointed commissioner Sudhir Nanavati submitted his report on Harbhajan - Sreesanth controversy to the board today. According to media reports, Nanavati let off Harbhajan without any additional punishment. He found Harbhajan guilty of level 4 offence. Nanavati also said that 11-match IPL ban was enough for Harbhajan and no additional punishment was required. However, veracity of this news is yet to be established.

The Nanavati report also dismissed the earlier suggestions that Harbhajan's attack on Sreesanth was premeditated. It also confirmed that there was no provocation from Sreesanth. Details of the reports may be made public by the BCCI soon. According to the BCCI officials, a disciplinary committee will study Nanavati's report and take a final decision as per the ICC Code of Conduct. However, the board will take cognizance of the 11-match IPL ban imposed on Harbhajan.

Dravid's Test Squad lose again, Kings XI beat Royal Challengers by 9 wickets

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Mon, 12 May 2008 17:33:00 +0000

The body language of Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Rahul Dravid and his players revealed it all. They yet again played like a test team and went down to Kings XI Punjab without a fight. Royal Challengers Bangalore won the toss, elected to bat first and managed to score only 143/8 in 20 overs. Boucher was the top scorer with 39. Dravid made 29. Misbah and Virat Kohli scored 21 each. For Kings XI, Sreesanth took 3 wickets, while Chawla took 2 wickets.

It was an easy target for Kings XI Punjab. The latest sensation Shaun Marsh, son of former Australian great Jeff Marsh, again batted superbly and remained unbeaten on 74. They reached the target in just 15.4 overs, losing just one wicket. Hopes scored 27, while Pomersbach remained not out on 34.

Sachin Tendulkar declared fit to play against Super Kings

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Mon, 12 May 2008 16:13:00 +0000

Great news for the cricket lovers! After missing out 7 IPL matches because of a groin injury, master blaster Sachin Tendulkar is all set to make his IPL debut against Dhoni's Chennai Super Kings. Sachin was declared fit just an hour ago. Sachin's presence will boost the morale of Mumbai Indians that seem to found the winning touch, winning three out of their seven encounters.

Blame Game begins within Royal Challengers, Mallya takes on Dravid

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:11:00 +0000

The Royal Challengers Bangalore owner Vijay Mallya has taken on skipper Rahul Dravid and sacked CEO Charu Sharma over the team's poor performance in the ongoing IPL. Mallya went to the extent of blaming Dravid for the poor composition of the team, which has no Twenty20 specialists. Instead, it turned out to be test squad. Mallya regretted for being absent during the selection process. He also said that trusting Charu and Dravid on the team selection was the biggest mistake.

Mallya said that he had a seprate list of players, but Dravid and Charu Sharma prevailed on him to get their own set of players. Mallya also took the credit for bringing in Misbah-ul Haq despite objections from Dravid and Charu Sharma. Meanwhile, sacked CEO Charu Sharma backed Rahul Dravid, saying he had enormous experience in playing cricket. He also denied any role in the selection of the team and said he just backed his captain, coach and senior players.

Women's Asia Cup: Fourth Successive Title for India

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Mon, 12 May 2008 13:18:00 +0000

The Indian Women's cricket team won their 4th successive Asia Cup crown, by beating Sri Lanka by 177 runs in the final in Kurunega, Sri Lanka. Batting first, India piled up 260/7 in 50 overs. Asha Rawat scored 97, while skipper Mithali Raj made 66. Rumeli Dhar too contributed 50. For Sri Lanka, skipper Siriwardene took 4 wickets.

In reply, Sri Lanka batted very poorly and bundled out for 83 in 35.2 overs. Only Siriwardene and Chamari reached double figure. Chamari was the top scorer with 23. For India, Neetu David and Seema took 3 wickets each. Rumeli Dhar was named the woman of the tournament. It could be recalled that Jhulan Goswami became the 4th Indian bowler to complete 100 ODI wickets in Women's cricket earlier in the tournament.

BCCI President Sharad Pawar congratulated the team and announced a cash prize of Rs 5 lakh (US$12,000) each for the victorious players.

Shane Watson powered Rajasthan Royals win over Delhi DareDevils

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 18:01:00 +0000

A powerful all-round performance by Shane Watson helped Rajasthan Royals beat Delhi DareDevils by 3 wickets. Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first. Delhi DareDevils managed to put up only 156/7 in 20 overs, thanks to a disciplined bowling by Royals. They could reach 150, only because of 27 runs conceded by Shane Warne in the penultimate over. Gambhir made 31, while Villiers contributed 20. Maharoof scored a quick-fire 39*. Shane Watson, Trivedi and Mascarenhas took 2 wickets each.

Although Rajsthan Royals lost a few wickets in the beginning and then at a later stage, Shane Watson scored 74. Smith too contributed 24. Rajasthan Royals made 159/7 in 19.1 overs. For DareDevils, Amit Mishra took 2 wickets. Shane Watson was declared "Man of the Match". Rajasthan Royals became the first team to enter the semi-finals of the ongoing IPL.

There was a controversy over Shane Watson's run-out decision. TV replays showed that Shane Watson was out, but umpire Steve Davis refused to refer it to the third umpire. Delhi DareDevils skipper Virender Sehwag argued with umpires Rudy Kortzen and Steve Davis for a few minutes and finally it was referred to the third umpire, who ruled Watson out. Sehwag could be in trouble for arguing with the umpires although he was fully justified in his argument.

Ganguly shines, Knight Riders beat Deccan Chargers

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 13:55:00 +0000

Sourav Ganguly took the game away from the Deccan Chargers with his blazing knock of 91 and superb bowling performance. Batting first, the Kolkata Knight Riders put up 204/4 in 20 overs. Sourav Ganguly scored a brilliant 91, while D Hussey remained unbeaten on 57. Chopra scored 24. It rained boundaries and sixes when Ganguly and Hussey were batting.

Chasing a victory target of 205, Deccan Chargers found it too hot to handle. Only Venugopal Rao showed resistance and fought till the end. The Deccan Chargers managed to score 181/7 in 20 overs, thus losing by 23 runs. Venugopal Rao remained unbeaten on 71. Rohit Sharma scored 33. Gilchrist contributed 24. For Knight Riders, Dinda took 3 wickets, while Ganguly took 2 wickets. Ganguly was declared 'Man of the Match' for his all-round performance.

Top 50+ Cricket Blogs on the Web

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:22:00 +0000

Greetings! We have come up with the 500th post on Cricket Buzz today. The journey has not been so long, but Cricket Buzz has witnessed significant growth over the past few months. Some of our articles such as "Ten Most "Hilarious" Sledging incidents in World Cricket" and "Harbhajan slaps Sreesanth, apologises" have been widely read by thousands of people across the globe.

Interestingly, Cricket Buzz was the first to break the "slapgate" story on the web. It was not a single instance and we have been consistently doing this. We thank our readers for being with us through thick and thin.

To mark this occasion, we have come up with a list of 50+ top cricket blogs on web, in order to help our readers to find a better place to read. Earlier, we had listed 51 cricket blogs. But later our readers pointed us towards some important blogs we missed. The list goes on.. Although there are around 100 cricket blogs on the web, we have selected the top ones based on their Google PR, popularity and quality. The listing is not based on their individual ranks, as they are randomly selected. Here you go:

1. The Corridor

2. The Googly

3. Lantern Books

4. Cricket Blog

5. Fox Sports Cricket Blog

6. Miss Field's Cricket Blog

7. The West Indies Cricket Blog

8. Six & Out

9. i3j3Cricket

10. Line and Length

11. A Cricketing View

12. Converseon Affiliates

13. normblog

14. Grandstand: cricket

15. Stick Cricket

16. 99.94

17. Justine Larbalestier

18. Cricket 24x7 - All the cricket

19. Rain, No play

20. Kenya Cricket

21. Nasir M. Khan's Cricket Blog

22. Z-score’s Cricket Stats Blog

23. The Cricket Watcher's Journal

24. Cricket News

25. Cricket Now!

26. King Cricket

27. Spun Out

28. South African Cricket

29. The Scribbler

30. Are you a left-arm Chinaman?

31. Cricket Fever - It’s All About Live Cricket

32. Well Pitched

33. Different Shades of Green

34. Eye on Cricket

35. John Cheeran

36. Making Sense of Cricket

37. Just another Silly Point

38. Line & Length

39. The Cricket Log

40. Cricket With Balls

41. Not Just Cricket

42. Harrowdrive.com

43. Prepaid Reviews

44. STUmpcam

45. TheTwenty20 Cricket Blog

46. Sharing some Simple but Straight Points

47. Cricket = Action = Art

48. Cricket and All That

49. Cricket Etcetera

50. Cricket's Outside Edge - A World Cricket Blog

51. Island Express

52. Cricket Haven

53. Pappus' plane - Cricket Stats

54. Sportolysis

55. Outside The Line

56. Cricket Blog

57. Doosra

58. Naked Cricket

59. Cow Corner

Ponting takes on Harbhajan, says he has been unmasked

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sun, 11 May 2008 08:11:00 +0000

Even as former Australian cricketer and Rajasthan Royals skipper Shane Warne appealed to forgive Harbhajan Singh, as he has already pleaded guilty, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting took a dig at the spinner, saying he has been 'unmasked' after the attack on his own teammate S Sreesanth.

"The (slapping) incident was him dealing with a guy that he has probably played 20 Tests with," Ponting was quoted as saying in The Herald Sun. "After this latest issue in India, I think people should be making their own judgments about Harbhajan. He has again done something wrong", said Ponting.

It could be recalled that after allegedly making a racial slur against Andrew Symonds, Harbhajan Singh was earlier banned for three tests. However, later he was cleared of the racism charges and was fined a mere 50 percent match fee. It was then alleged that BCCI and Cricket Australia brokered a deal to ensure a lesser punishment for Harbhajan Singh.

Balaji takes first IPL Hattrick, Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Sat, 10 May 2008 18:01:00 +0000

Laxmipati Balaji took the first hattrick of the IPL, as Chennai Super Kings beat Kings XI Punjab by 18 runs. Kings XI won the match and elected to field first. Chennai Super Kings batted brilliantly and put up 181/4 in 20 overs. Badrinath scored 64, while Dhoni remained unbeaten on 60. Raina contributed 26. For Kings XI, Sreesanth took 2 wickets.

Chasing a victory target of 182, Kings XI lost crucial wickets in the beginning and then in the middle. Shaun Marsh yet again batted superbly and scored 58. Sarwan contributed 20. When the stakes were down, Irfan Pathan and P Chawla tried their best to reach the target. But Laxmipati Balaji again did the trick and stopped them in the way.

Balaji took a hattrick in the final over, removing Pathan, Chawla and VRV Singh. Kings XI Punjab managed to score 163/9 in 20 overs, thus losing the match by 18 runs. Pathan scored 40. Balaji, who took 5/24 in 4 overs, was declared "Man of the Match".

Rajasthan Royals demolish Deccan Chargers by 8 wickets

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Fri, 09 May 2008 17:42:00 +0000

After losing to Mumbai Indians a few days back, Shane Warne's Rajasthan Royals bounced back in style with a comprehensive 8-wicket victory over depleted Deccan Chargers. Rajasthan Royals won the toss and elected to field first. Deccan Chargers managed to score only 140/8 in 20 overs. Gilchrist was the top scorer with 61. Venugopal Rao remained unbeaten on 23. For Rajasthan Royals, Shane Warne took 2 wickets.

The victory target did not even bother the Rajasthan Royals for a while and they achieved the target in just 16 overs, losing only 2 wickets in the process. Yusuf Pathan scored his third half century in the IPL. He scored 68. Graeme Smith too scored 40. With this easy victory, Rajasthan Royals again moved to the top of IPL table.

Harbhajan, Sreesanth appreared before Nanavati, Ban on Harbhajan likely

noreply@blogger.com (Sagar Satapathy) — Fri, 09 May 2008 13:34:00 +0000

Advocate Sudhir Nanavati has completed the hearing into Harbhajan - Sreesanth slapgate issue. Both Harbhajan and Sreesanth appeared before Mr. Nanavati in Ahmedabad today. He also met umpire Ameesh Saheba, match referee Farokh Engineer, Mumbai Indians coach Lalchand Rajput and others. Advocate Nanavati will submit his report to BCCI on May 12, 2008.

Today, Nanavati held a meeting with Harbhajan for around 90 minutes. The entire proceeding was video-recorded. Harbhajan tried his best to convince Mr. Nanavati on his stand. Mr. Nanavati also held a separate meeting with S Sreesanth for 30 minutes. If the indications are true, Harbhajan is likely to get further punishment from the BCCI. A 10-match ban for International matches and 15 - 20% fine on his annual contract cannot be ruled out.

Harbhajan Singh not only was banned for 11 IPL matches, but also lost around Rs. 3 crore of his IPL contract money. It is very unlikely that any IPL team will prefer to choose him in the next season, as nobody wants to invite controversy and conflict.