Indian Cricket Team Updates

They ended the Otago Volts’ unbeaten streak and continued their own perfect run at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium. Having won all their home games in 2013, the Rajasthan Royals are looking to carry the momentum into the semi-finals of the Karbonn Smart Champions League Twenty20. (Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Otago Volts, M18 - Report: CLT20-2013 ) The Royals, who have been cruising along, were given a tough fight by the Volts in their last league game. And although they faced a slight setback in the middle overs while chasing the 140-run target, they got past the finish line with five balls to spare. Earlier, their bowlers had done an excellent job to put the visitors under pressure by claiming quick wickets and restricting them to 139. Brought back into the side, Rahul Shukla claimed three in a first-over maiden wicket to tip the balance in RR’s favour. (Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Otago Volts, M18 - Stats Highlights: CLT20-2013 ) And later, as they took guar...

226.08  Brad Hodge’s strike-rate in the match. In terms of strike-rate, there have been only three better performances for Rajasthan Royals in an innings of 50 or more. ( Also Read:  Rajasthan Royals vs Otago Volts, M18 - Report: CLT20-2013 ) 200  Number of T20 matches played by Brad Hodge. He became fourth player to reach the 200-game mark, after Albie Morkel (242), David Hussey (221) and Kieron Pollard (214). (Also Read:  Ajinkya Rahane: I Wanted To Stay Till The End ) 66  Number of balls bowled by Pravin Tambe in the tournament without conceding a six. 23  Number of balls taken by Brad Hodge to race to his 50 – fastest by a Rajasthan Royals batsman in CLT20. Sanju Samson held the previous record with his 41-ball 50 against Mumbai Indians at Jaipur on Sep 21. 12  out of 12 – Rajasthan Royals’ win record at home this year. They won all 8 IPL games and all 4 CLT20 games held in Jaipur in 2013. 4  Number of wickets lost by...

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...