Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has hit out at the critics for accusing his team of preparing slow wickets to suit its spinners, saying a side has to be consistent in all departments of the game to win the IPL twice in three seasons.
The immensely talented Unmukt Chand again showed his ability to rise to the occasion as his stroke-filled century guided Delhi to the final of the NKP Salve Challenger series with a thumping 112-run win over India 'Red' in the last round robin league match in Indore.
Surprised at the call up, Kolkata Knight Riders' South African recruit Johan Botha, who was brought in as replacement for injured Aussie Chris Lynn, said he's fresh after a three-week break and ready for the rigours of IPL-8.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be eager to break the sequence of reverses and get Rising Pune Supergiants' campaign back on track when they lock horns with in-form Kolkata Knight Riders.
Rajneesh Gupta presents statistical summary of Sunrisers Hyderabad and much more.
Having guided Chennai Super Kings to their second Champions League T20 triumph, Suresh Raina said he improved his batting a great deal by learning from teammates, including Virat Kohli, who has shown the way with big hundreds in One-Day Internationals.
Their place in the semifinal already assured, Kolkata Knight Riders skipper Gautam Gambhir said there was no place for complacency in their inconsequential final Group A match of the Champions League Twenty20 against Dolphins in Hyderabad.
Skipper Kane Williamson hailed the fighting spirit of Sunrisers Hyderabad while praising star Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan's all-round brilliance which earned them a 14-run victory over Kolkata Knight Riders in Qualifier 2 of the Indian Premier League and a place in Sunday's final.
Chennai Super Kings seem to hold a slight edge going into the match as they have not only got the better of their southern rivals twice in the league stages but also have the winning momentum going into the match on what promises to be a bouncy track.
IMAGES from the IPL match played between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers Hyderabad in Mumbai on Tuesday
A demoralising defeat in their own den will certainly serve as a wake-up call for the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers as they take on a menacing Royal Challengers Bangalore batting line-up in an Indian Premier League encounter, in Kolkata, on Sunday.
Buoyant Kolkata Knight Riders will look to continue their winning momentum when they face defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, in Kolkata, on Saturday.
Skipper Gautam Gambhir and Chris Lynn made short work of a challenging target as two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Gujarat Lions by 10 wickets to make a confident start to their campaign in the 10th edition of the Indian Premier league, in Rajkot on Friday.
Facing early elimination, two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders need to record a win to stay afloat when they take on table-toppers Sunrisers Hyderabad.
With 59 matches spread across 10 cities, the cash-rich league starting Saturday will unearth new domestic talents apart from giving some of the tried and tested faces a shot at redemption during the next seven weeks of what is again expected to be a perfect marriage of cricket and entertainment.
Kolkata Knight Riders will have to break the agonising sequence of debacles when they clash with defending champions Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL eliminator, in Bengaluru, on Wednesday.
Karnataka pacer Abhimanyu Mithun picked a five-wicket haul in their Group B match against UP. While Delhi's Ricky Bhui put his team in a good position against Andhra. A round-up of Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Wednesday.
Swashbuckling opener David Warner butchered the Kolkata Knight Riders bowlers with a whirlwind century to power Sunrisers Hyderabad to a convincing 48-run victory, in their Indian Premier League match, in Hyderabad, on Sunday.
Chasing a modest 161, KKR were nine for one in the second over, but Uthappa (59 from 33 balls) and Gambhir put together a 108-run partnership off just 66 balls to lay the foundation for the win at the Eden Gardens.
The Karnataka right-hander smashed an entertaining 87 off just 47 balls balls and was ably supported by skipper Gautam Gambhir, who made 62 off 46 deliveries, as two-time champions KRR thrashed Pune by seven wickets.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Tuesday
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Monday
The brothers' academy which has been named CAP (Cricket Academy of Pathans) will be launched initially in Baroda next month with around 50 more academies planned all across the country.
Pallavkumar Das (55) and Amit Verma (57) came up with twin fifties as Assam grabbed a crucial first innings lead over defending champions Karnataka after posting 194 all out on the second day of their Group A Ranji Trophy match in Guwahati.
A round-up of Ranji matches played on Monday.
After Week 4 in the IPL-11, which players offer the best value for money?
A round-up of final day of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Thursday.
Kolkata Knight Riders will aim for their third win on the trot and end the home leg on a high.
Young Punjab batsman Mandeep Singh kept his cool under pressure as his breathtaking 18-ball 45 helped Royal Challengers Bangalore pip Kolkata Knight Riders by seven wickets in a thrilling Indian Premier League match, in Bangalore, on Saturday.
Defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders will be in a tight corner without their 'mystery spinner' Sunil Narine, reported for chucking, as they gear up to face Rajasthan Royals in an Indian Premier League match at Eden Gardens. Beginning with Rajasthan, Kolkata will go on to complete all their remaining five home outings by May 9.
A resurgent Delhi Daredevils squad will look to continue with their winning momentum when they take on defending champions Kolkata Knight Riders in the team's fifth match of the Indian Premier League T20 cricket tournament at the Feroz Shah Kotla, in Delhi on Monday.
Sunil Narine smashed the joint fastest IPL fifty in his sensational knock of 54 as Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed a hapless Royal Challengers Bangalore by six wickets to seal a play-offs berth, in Bengaluru, on Sunday.
'When you saw him, you immediately knew that he was something special.'
Shreyas Iyer slammed 178, while captain Siddhesh Lad made a responsible 130, to power Mumbai to an imposing score of 439 for eight against Baroda, on Day 1 of the Ranji Trophy match.
Rishabh Pant of the Delhi Daredevils, with a most valuable player index of 897, is the most valuable player of IPL 11.
K L Rahul, the kingpin of the KXIP batting, is second (MVPI: 601), followed by Sunrisers Captain Kane Williamson (543). Jos Buttler, after his match-winning batting for Rajasthan Royals on Friday night, is just 4 'runs' behind at 539, and M S Dhoni is fifth with 538 'runs'.
Te MVP of IPL 11, after Week 4, is young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant.
Srinivas Bhogle and Purnendu Maji analyse Week 3 of IPL-11 in Rediff.com's Most Valuable Players ratings.
Manoj Tiwary led from the front with a sparkling half-century and veteran pacer Ashok Dinda claimed four wickets as East Zone outclassed West by 24 runs to win the Deodhar Trophy Zonal One-Day Tournament, in Mumbai, on Wednesday.
Defending champions West Zone rode on gritty half centuries from Suryakumar Yadav and Axar Patel to scramble past South Zone by two wickets and enter the Deodhar Trophy final, in Mumbai, on Monday. Chasing an imposing 315 for victory in the second semi-final at the Wankhede stadium, West were struggling at 174 for 6 before Yadav (80 off 56 balls, 4 sixes, 7 fours) and No. 8 batsman Patel (64 not out off 38 balls) put together a match-winning stand of 70 runs off 76 balls that saw the hosts home with 17 balls to spare.
