Indian Cricket Team Updates

In a match befitting of a tournament decider, the Mumbai Indians defeated the Rajasthan Royals in a thrilling final played at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium to be crowned champions of the Karbonn Smart CLT20 2013. After posting a daunting 202 runs on the board, MI dismissed their opponents for 169 to win by 33 runs. (Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, Final - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) The Rajasthan Royals’ run-chase was a reflection of true grit, determination and a never-say-die attitude one has come to associate with the team. Set to chase a mammoth 203, the Royals innings began on a disastrous note as opener Kushal Perera was run-out in the very first over. But that set the stage for young Sanju Samson, who was promoted to bat at No.3. The 18-year-old showed no nerves despite the huge task in front of him. He played some outrageous shots – mostly through the leg-side – en route to his fourth half-century in Twenty20 cricket, which gave his team a seriou...

The Mumbai Indians set up a date with the Rajasthan Royals in the Final of the Karbonn Smart CLT20 2013 after they defeated Trinidad & Tobago by six wickets in the second semi-final, at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. After restricting T&T to 153, MI knocked reached the target in the final over; Dinesh Karthik completed the formalities in style when he hit a six at the start of the 20th over to confirm MI’s second appearance in the CLT20 final (after 2011). (Also Read:  Mumbai Indians vs Trinidad & Tobago, SF 2 - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) Needing to score at 7.70 runs per over, MI were steady off the blocks, with Dwayne Smith setting the early pace and dominating most of the strike. Sachin Tendulkar joined his partner in the fourth over with his trademark straight drive that raced away to the boundary. Tendulkar hit two towering sixes off Yannick Ottley as the Mumbai Indians raced to 49 for no loss before the fielding restrictions were relaxed...

On a day when the Afghanistan cricket team wrote a fairytale script to clinch their berth in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, the Rajasthan Royals – underdogs in the first semi-final of the Karbonn Smart CLT20 2013 – scripted one of their own as they overcame the formidable Chennai Super Kings by 14 runs to march to the title clash on October 6. After posting a competitive 159 runs, RR restricted CSK to 145/8.(Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, SF 1 - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) The Royals needed an out-of-the-world performance from their bowlers and fielders to humble the mighty Super Kings. And that is exactly what Rahul Dravid’s men brought to the ground on the day. They were led by their 41-year-old leg-spinner Pravin Tambe, who broke the backbone of the CSK innings with sensational figures of 4-0-10-3. (Also Read:  Pravin Tambe: I Hope To Take Sachin Tendulkar's Wicket ) Royals’ bowlers and fielders ensured they made it difficult for the ...

The first semi-final of the Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20 promises to be a thrilling contest as the Rajasthan Royals take on the formidable the Chennai Super Kings at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. (Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Otago Volts, M18 - Report: CLT20-2013 ) Unbeaten on their home turf in 2013, the Royals who have developed a keen understanding of their conditions will hope to extend their winning streak and book a place in the final. Addressing the media ahead of the clash, Ashok Menaria said that they will stick to their routines and treat is as just another game. (Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Perth Scorchers, M15 - Report: CLT20-2013 ) “Every team plans. We go according to the plans set out by Paddy Upton and Rahul Bhai (Dravid). All 20 overs of our bowling are planned out and we know exactly what we have to do, which fielder will stay where and how to bowl to each batsman. This is all planned in any case at the team meeting, and we play ...

It will be a battle to watch out for as MS Dhoni’s 2010 champions take on Rahul Dravid’s men who are yet to be beaten at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in 2013, in the first semi-final of the Karbonn Smart Champions League Twnety20. (Also Read:  CSK: CLT20 2013 ) With the semi-finalists decided only on the last day of the league phase, the tournament has kept interests piqued till the very end. Toppled from their pole position by Trinidad & Tobago in Group B, the Chennai Super Kings will be pitted against Group A toppers Rajasthan Royals on Friday evening. (Also Read:  RR: CLT20 2013 ) To examine and evaluate the strengths and the weaknesses of these teams ahead of their clash we caught up with commentator and cricket expert Harsh Bhogle to give us an insight into the semi-final.  Here’s what Harsha Bhogle had to say:  The Royals – It’s a ground where they have won four games on the trot so they must me doing something right. In the IPL they made...

579 Runs scored by Suresh Raina in CLT20 – most by any batsman. He is also the leading run-scorer in IPL with 2802 runs. (Also Read:  Chennai Super Kings vs Trinidad & Tobago, M20 - Report: CLT20-2013 ) 118 Chennai Super Kings’ total – their lowest ever in CLT20. 49 Chennai Super Kings’ total after first six overs. They could manage only 69 runs in next 14 overs losing 9 wickets! 8 Wickets – margin of defeat for Chennai Super Kings – their biggest in a CLT20 match. 7 Number of times Chennai Super Kings have been dismissed in a Twenty20 match – their second time in CLT20. The only other such instance was against New South Wales at Chennai in 2011 when they were dismissed for 155. source: clt20.com

Trinidad & Tobago caused a huge upset when they defeated the Chennai Super Kings by eight wickets in the final Group match of the Karbonn Smart CLT20 2013. The win for T&T shut the door on the Titans, who would have otherwise progressed to the semi-finals along with CSK. (Also Read:  Chennai Super Kings vs Trinidad & Tobago, M20 - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) Needing to chase down a modest 119, the team from the Caribbean were given a solid platform by their openers and cruised past the finish line in 15.1 overs. T&T got off to a streaky start. Lendl Simmons picked up a boundary between the wicketkeeper and slip to get the run-chase off the blocks, while Evin Lewis’ square-cut had just enough height to elude the point fielder. Both openers settled down after that and ensured the scoreboard kept ticking. Lewis was the more enterprising of the two T&T openers; he picked up three boundaries off Albie Morkel’s second over and picked up two more b...

The Mumbai Indians faced a stiff equation to displace the Otago Volts from second place in Group A and progress into the semi-finals. They needed a special performance from one of their players, and that match-winning knock came from skipper Rohit Sharma. Needing to score 150 in 14.2 overs to join the Rajasthan Royals in the semi-finals, the Mumbai Indians – powered by Sharma’s 51 – sailed past the finish line in 13.2 overs to register an emphatic six-wicket victory. (Also Read:  Perth Scorchers vs Mumbai Indians, M19 - Report: CLT20-2013 ) Though the Mumbai Indians lost Sachin Tendulkar and Glenn Maxwell cheaply, Dwayne Smith ensured his team had the momentum in the run-chase; he smashed five boundaries and three sixes before a spectacular catch by Jason Behrendorff cut short his innings at 48. Sharma, who walked out at 34/2, was a picture of intent from the word go; he hit his second and third deliveries for a six and a four respectively. Despite losing the company ...

The Rajasthan Royals proved just why the Sawai Mansingh Stadium is considered their fortress. Despite being rocked in the middle of what should have been a regulation run-chase, the Royals, riding on the back of contrasting half-centuries from Ajinkya Rahane and Brad Hodge, defeated the Otago Volts by four wickets. The result means the Royals are through to the semi-finals, while the Volts will have to await the result of the Mumbai Indians’ match against Perth Scorchers to learn their fate. (Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Otago Volts, M18 - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) After holding the visitors down to a modest 139, the Royals were off to a brisk start with Rahane and Rahul Dravid adding 49 runs in 6.3 overs. The partnership was broken when Dravid attempted to square-cut the left-arm spinner Nick Beard, but was brilliantly caught by Nathan McCullum at point. (Also Read:  Ajinkya Rahane: I Wanted To Stay Till The End ) The Volts bowlers continued to make inro...

All-round abilities are always a plus in the world of cricket. And while playing in the shorter formats of the game, these skills become premium commodities because of the varied options they provide a team. The Rajasthan Royals, who are yet unbeaten at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in 2013, have a few such players who can float in the line-up and even provide crucial breakthroughs – apart from being excellent in the field.  One such player is Stuart Binny. The RR all-rounder has helped his team pull off victories from improbable situations, especially during IPL 2013. As the Royals get set for their final Group encounter, against the Otago Volts, before they move on to the CLT20 2013 semi-finals, clt20.com spoke to Binny about his role in the RR set-up and their aggressive approach against their opponents. Excerpts from his interview: Tell us about RR’s strategy of using six to seven bowlers in a game to not letting opposition batsmen settle down As a batsman my...

Match 17 of the Karbonn Smart CLT20 2013 between Brisbane Heat and Sunrisers Hyderabad, scheduled to be played at the Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad, had to be abandoned without a ball being bowled. The thunderstorm, which set in during the earlier match between the Titans and Trinidad & Tobago rendered the playing area unusable, eventually forcing the match officials to call off the game. What started off as a steady drizzle in the evening, turned into a thunderstorm in a matter of minutes, catching the ground staff off guard. With the rains not relenting and with puddles being formed in various parts of the ground, there was no option but to call off the match. The result means Brisbane Heat complete their CLT20 2013 campaign with just two points on the board, having lost three of their four matches. Sunrisers Hyderabad, who qualified for the main draw of the tournament by finishing among the top two teams in the Qualifiers, are out of contention from progres...

In a match that swayed many a times, Trinidad & Tobago defeated the Titans by six runs – courtesy of the Duckworth-Lewis method. After being put in to bat, the boys from the Caribbean shrugged off a slow start to post a mammoth 188 runs. Just as the match was heading towards a thrilling finale, with the Titans needing to score 36 from the final three overs, it started pouring heavily, forcing the game to be abandoned. Sadly for the team from the Rainbow Nation, its score – 153/6 – was six runs short of the par score. This result means there is still no clarity as to which team from Group B – other than the Chennai Super Kings – will progress to the semi-finals.(Also Read:  Titans vs Trinidad & Tobago, M16 - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) The Titans had got off to a rollicking start after Jacques Rudolph picked Samuel Badree for boundaries in the second over of the innings. Skipper Henry Davids deposited Ravi Rampaul onto the roof and then picked up two more bounda...