Mumbai Indians trounce Punjab to top table

Mumbai bowlers and fielders were literally running on fumes today. The home side after being outplayed in the last game by Rajasthan Royals put up a terrific all-round performance to outclass Kings XI Punjab by 23 runs in their Indian Premier League match at Wankhede stadium.

Chasing 160 runs to win, Kings XI Punjab got off to a slow start after losing skipper Adam Gilchrist (0) in the first over. However, Paul Valthaty (33) and Shaun Marsh resisted spirited Mumbai attack with 72-run stand for the second wicket.

Both Valthaty and Marsh looked visibly uncomfortable at the crease as the hosts kept bowling in right areas. Medium-pacer Andrew Symonds ended Valthaty’s struggle in the 11th over when the later tried to hoick one over long on. Kieron Pollard took a smart catch as Wankhede erupted.

Mumbai then claimed David Hussey (1) and Dinesh Karthik (1) in quick time to put pressure on Punjab’s middle-order. The home team then sweated through the remainder of the match to denounce Kings XI Punjab to their third straight defeat, despite a top score of 61 from Australian Shaun Marsh.

Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga and Munaf Patel collected two wickets apiece, as Punjab managed 136-8 in their 20 overs.

Earlier, Sachin Tendulkar (51) and Ambati Rayudu (51) shared a 95-run partnership for the second wicket after losing Davy Jacobs early to help Mumbai post a challenging 159-5 on the board. Both batted with poise against pace and spin alike and put Punjab attack to the sword with stirring strokeplay.

Aggressive Rayudu, who completed his fifty off just 35 balls with the help of eight fours and a six, was dismissed in the 15th over while attempting to go over deep mid-wicket against Piyush Chawla. Dinesh Karthik took an outstanding catch at deep tumbling down backwards within an inch of the boundary rope.



The Mumbai skipper also played attractive shots during his 45-ball knock, hitting three fours and a six. He looked well set before being caught out by Abhishek Nayar off Ryan Harris.

After getting rid of Rayudu and Sachin in quick succession, Punjab bowlers did well in the end to restrict the hosts for a par score at Wankhede. Piyush Chawla and Ryan Harris grabbed two wickets each.

Kieron Pollard (20) and Rohit Sharma (18) were other notable contributors for the home team.

Sourav Ganguly back in IPL, signs up with Pune Warriors

NEW DELHI: After going unsold in the players’ auction, former India captain Sourav Ganguly on Tuesday made a dramatic return to the Indian Premier League by signing up for struggling franchise Pune Warriors as replacement for injured pacer Ashish Nehra.

“We were waiting for Ashish Nehra’s fitness report and ultimately the report came yesterday. I was already in talks with Ganguly and we decided that the amount of experience that Sourav has in cricket will no doubt help the team. So we finalised Ganguly last night,” Pune Warriors Team Director Abhijit Sarkar said referring to the finger injury that Nehra has been nursing.

Ganguly, who played for Kolkata Knight Riders for three IPL seasons captaining them in two editions, went unsold in the January players’ auction despite a rather modest base price of USD 400,000.

The 38-year-old refused a mentor’s role with KKR after that and there had been speculation of a possible comeback through another franchise.

All seniors will be available for selection: BCCI

New Delhi, May 2 (IANS) Refuting media reports that cricketers are looking for rest after the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Indian cricket board said Monday that all senior players are available for the tour of the West Indies and England.

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief administrator Ratnakar Shetty told IANS that the board has no knowledge of players opting out of the series citing the heavy schedule.

‘I can tell you that all players, including seniors, are available for selection. We have no information of any player opting out. Everything will be clear at the selection committee meeting on May 10,’ said Shetty.

The Indian team is playing non-stop for sometime now and the IPL started April 9, only six days after the World Cup.

The Windies tour starts six days after the May 28 conclusion of the IPL. The series comprising a T20 game, three Tests and five ODIs will last 51 days.

International Cricket Council (ICC) chief executive Haroon Lorgat also emphasised the importance of sending a full-strength Indian side to the West Indies as per the commitment to the Future Tours Programme.