Royal Challengers Bangalore got back to winning ways after they squeezed past Delhi Daredevils by 15 runs on a batsman-friendly wicket in their Indian Premier League match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru on Saturday.
Rajasthan and Bangalore are locked 7-7 on the head-to-head count, but Wednesday's IPL Eliminator in Pune battle carries the weight of a title dream for both sides.
Young batsman Krunal Pandya produced a blinder of an innings scoring 86 runs off only 37 balls as Mumbai Indians defended their massive 206-4 against Delhi Daredevils to record a convincing 80-run victory at Visakhapatnam on Sunday. This win by a huge margin has also boosted the net run-rate of Mumbai at a crucial time as they move above Gujarat Lions to third place in the points table. Pandya's knock was laced with half a dozen towering sixes and seven boundaries as he shared a 98-run fiery stand with opener Martin Guptill to power Mumbai to a commanding 206 for four.
South Africa will be hoping to ease new coach Ottis Gibson into his job in a two-Test series against Bangladesh where the home side defend a one-sided record against their opponents but are light on fast bowlers and still tinkering with their top order.
Images from Wednesday's Indian Premier League match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Mumbai Indians, in Abu Dhabi.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list IPL 2021's 50 Most Valuable Players up to Game 39.
Buoyed by their thrilling last-ball win against Delhi Daredevils, a confident Rajasthan Royals will take on a beleaguered Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League cricket encounter in Ahmedabad on Tuesday.
Rajasthan Royals would be keen to adapt quickly to their new 'home ground' when they lock horns with last season's runner-up Kings XI Punjab in their campaign opener in the Indian Premier League in Pune.
Perennial under-achievers Delhi Daredevils and Kings XI Punjab will look to recover from opening losses and put their campaign back on track.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli says with the South African batsman around the opposition knows they have a slim chance, 'and there's a good reason for that'.
Royal Challengers Bangalore skipper Virat Kohli says the team has to take responsibility for the defeat to Kings XI Punjab in the IPL match in Sharjah on Thursday.
CSK suffered their fifth loss in seven matches, going down by 37 runs to Royal Challengers Bangalore, in Dubai, on Saturday.
India displace SA off perch to become No 1 team in ODIs
Vernon Philander is becoming the 'new Jacques Kallis', said South Africa skipper Faf du Plessis.
South Africa will hope the new year brings about a change in luck as they seek to put behind them a disappointing 2015 and get back to winning ways against England in the second Test at Newlands starting on Saturday.
Most of these incredible performances came against one team -- the Gujarat Lions.
Delhi Daredevils all-rounder Chris Morris has 12 wickets, at a better-than-par economy rate of 6.6 (the par economy rate is 8 runs conceded per over), and scored 74 runs at a staggering strike rate of almost 240 (the par strike rate is 133 runs in 100 balls).
The Pretoria wicket is likely to be similar, with perhaps not the same sideways movement of Newlands, and will provide another test of the Indian batsmen's bravery against a seam bowling barrage.
De Grandhomme fell before the end but Williamson reached his century with a six in the final over and guided New Zealand to their fourth win of the tournament with three balls to spare.
Delhi Daredevils snapped their five-match losing streak with a comfortable six-wicket win over Sunrisers Hyderabad to keep their hopes alive of making it to the play-offs, in the Indian Premier League, at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi, on Tuesday.
Mumbai get the money-spinning tournament rolling in Chennai on Friday, just four months after claiming their second successive title, with a match against Royal Challengers Bangalore, led by India captain Virat Kohli.
Purnendu Maji and Srinivas Bhogle list IPL 2021's 50 Most Valuable Players.
Images from Saturday's IPL match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and SunRisers Hyderabad, in Sharjah.
A big win on Saturday will not only will boost Delhi's morale after the 80-run hammering at the hands of CSK but it could also propel the side to the second position in the eight-team standings.
Martin Guptill underlined his importance to the New Zealand one-day side with a blistering match-winning century as he guided his side to a seven-wicket victory over South Africa in their fourth one-day international in Hamilton on Wednesday.
A win for either side will help it consolidate its position at the top and also seal a spot in Qualifier 1.
Du Plessis revealed on Wednesday that all-rounder Chris Morris and seamer Duanne Olivier had been released from the expanded 17-man squad, but that the home side were still mulling over two positions.
In charge of a house in complete disorder, Virat Kohli will hope that Royal Challengers Bangalore play in the manner that defines his cricket when they meet Delhi Capitals in the IPL match in Bengaluru on Sunday.
Chennai Super Kings skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni defended his decision of not using Ravichandran Ashwin.
Be it India's Shiv Kapur or South African Brandon Stone, the golfers are keeping a close eye on the ongoing tournament.
Aruneel Sadadekar/Rediff.com lists seven memorable moments from the week gone by in IPL 9.
Delhi Daredevils CEO Hemant Dua feels that Carlos Brathwaite's magnificent match-winning effort in ICC World T20 final will bolster the confidence of the beleaguered franchise as the dashing right-hander has the ability to bring the fans back to the stadium.
After edging out Rajasthan Royals in a nail-biting IPL game, Kings XI Punjab captain Virender Sehwag said his side won't rely on luck the next time.
On a roll after a poor start, Delhi Daredevils will look to complete a hat-trick of victories on home turf when they take on defending champions Mumbai Indians in an Indian Premier League encounter, in New Delhi on Saturday.
Rajasthan Royals defeated Delhi Daredevils by three wickets.
South Africa's batsmen were strangled by India's wrist spinners, slumping to 134-5 with Kuldeep Yadav the pick of the bunch.
Earlier, South Africa England swung the bat to declare on 313-8 at tea on the fourth day, a taking huge lead of 491 runs.
Brendon McCullum struck a quickfire fifty before Ravindra Jadeja produced a brilliant spell of 4-11 as Chennai Super avenged its defeat over Rajasthan Royals with a 12-run win to virtually secure its place in the play-offs of the Indian Premier League in Chennai on Sunday.
South Africa have named fast bowler Dale Steyn in their 15-man squad for the World Twenty20 in India next month, but will ask him to prove his fitness following a debilitating shoulder injury.
Andile Phehlukwayo delivered a superb final over as South Africa beat England by three runs in a thrilling Twenty20 international at Taunton on Friday.
