IPL POINTS TABLE

• standings
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Teams	MP	W	L	NR	T	NRR	PTS
Royal Challengers Bangalore	14	9	4	1	0	+0.326	19
Chennai Super Kings	14	9	5	0	0	+0.443	18
Mumbai Indians	14	9	5	0	0	+0.040	18
Kolkata Knight Riders	14	8	6	0	0	+0.433	16
Kings XI Punjab	14	7	7	0	0	-0.051	14
Rajasthan Royals	14	6	7	1	0	-0.619	13
Deccan Chargers	14	6	8	0	0	+0.222	12
Kochi Tuskers Kerala	14	6	8	0	0	-0.214	12
Pune Warriors India	14	4	9	1	0	-0.134	9
Delhi Daredevils	14	4	9	1	0	-0.448	9

Valthaty, Rahul are the surprise elements this time By Javagal Srinath

In less than a week from now, the play-offs of IPL IV would have got underway, with four teams still in the mix and the rest reflecting on the campaign gone by. There has been a reasonable emergence of young talent, and their progress over the next couple of years will be followed with great interest.
Taking a holistic approach, from an Indian perspective, it's good to see quite a few young men put their hand up. It's up to them now to build on their successes here, and try and take the next step forward.
Valthaty the star
Paul Valthaty has been the undisputed Indian batting star of the competition outside of those who have already played for the country. Manoj Tiwary and Ambati Rayudu, IPL regulars who have been around on the domestic circuit for a while now, have also impressed, but for me, it has been heartening to follow the success stories of Rahul Sharma and S Aravind.
Such is the nature of T20 that obviously, the batsmen will do well. What's been impressive is the way some young bowlers have made their presence felt.

Leg-spinner Rahul Sharma has emerged as a surprise element. Alongside Piyush Chawla and Amit Mishra, he has thrown his hat into the ring as well.
He has come on as a strong contender, and anyone who performs as consistently in Twenty20 as he has done can't be ignored. You need to be mentally strong as a bowler, and especially as a wrist spinner, to keep delivering match after match. Rahul has done that for the Pune Warriors.
Deceptive Aravind
The other dark horse, to me, has been Aravind. He is someone who has been instrumental in Karnataka's successes in Ranji Trophy in the last two seasons. He looks fairly innocuous, but his action is very deceptive. I am sure he will have a huge role to play, both for Karnataka in the next domestic season, and for RCB in IPL V.
While some of the unheralded bowlers have made a mark, the reputed ones haven't necessarily had the successes one would have expected of them. Dale Steyn and Brett Lee have had a couple of good spells here and there, but the consistency in Tests and one-dayers they have shown hasn't aligned itself in T20. The same applies to Shaun Tait and to an extent Zaheer, who found the going tough initially.

   amit mathur





When Virender Sehwag complained of pain after the match against the Mumbai Indians, physio Kirk Russell needed a quick look to confirm the worst fears. The shoulder required urgent medical attention, forcing Sehwag out of the IPL. In the middle of a massive slump, Sehwag's injury comes as a huge blow for the Daredevils. He is their main player, owner of the Orange Cap with a strike rate of more than 170. He gives hope to his team and, importantly, injects fear into the opposition bowlers.
But the reality is, with Sehwag's unavailability, the team has to cope with his absence and quickly find a way to move forward. Stand-in captain James Hopes is up for the challenge, he is looking to turn things around in the next three games.
The Daredevils under Hopes are playing for pride as much as points. As professional cricketers, they understand they have a job to do, and nothing stirs them more than playing for the team and protecting their reputation.
Somehow, this season, the ball has not run for the Daredevils. In the first game, Lasith Malinga yorked the team to claim five wickets, Delhi were dismissed for less than 100, and since then the misery has continued.
To make things worse, David Warner went off the boil after a decent start and though Venugopal Rao waged a brave and lonely battle in the middle order, the team failed to put sufficient runs on the board.

Against the Chennai Super Kings, the Daredevils will need more than an occasional spark of brilliance to come good. Chennai, a well-balanced unit, are formidable with quality spin and explosive batting firepower. Not to forget MS Dhoni, the captain who can do no wrong.
But the Daredevils, under Hopes, live on hope and optimism. Who had thought that the Kings XI Punjab would stun the mighty Mumbai Indians on Tuesday?

Objective attained, now on to the next task By Anil Kumbl

When IPL 4 started, the first aim of the teams was to finish among the top-four and make it to the play-offs. The thinking within the Royal Challengers' camp was no different. It's a nice feeling to be a part of the play-offs and to have realised our first goal. From here on, we are in a knockout scenario. The changed format this year means this isn't quite what the teams are used to, though I am excited about what lies ahead in the next fortnight.
Luck, a factor
When you are in the knockouts, you need a bit of luck, because it boils down to how you perform on that particular day. However, it is important that we don't get too far ahead of ourselves.
The first objective has been attained, but now it becomes crucial to finish in the top-two so that we get two cracks at a place in the final. That's why it's vital to end the league phase on a victorious note. It'll allow us to carry the momentum, and will also assure us a place at the head of the group standings.
Way forward

If we finish in the top-two and win the semis, we go through to the final, which is the ideal scenario. The two teams that finish one and two play two semis, while the teams that end up third and fourth first play what is effectively a quarterfinal, the winner then playing a semifinal.

Wrong 'un by the BCCI By Ian Chappell

So, what level of punishment does the BCCI envision for a serious cricketing crime? For instance, what would the use of performance-enhancing drugs or physical violence on the field bring by way of punishment? A mere life imprisonment perhaps? Or, maybe, a leisurely month-long inquisition at Abu Ghraib? Or, if really drastic measures were called for, would they consider dusting off the guillotine?
A $50,000 fine for Shane Warne speaking his mind, does seem a bit on the high side.
Too hefty a fine
There's no doubt Warne can pay the fine, so the problem is not with him having to part with fifty grand; although he'd probably prefer to drop it at the nearest casino where he'd at least have a chance of a win. The dilemma for the officials will occur when a serious offence is committed in the future by a young player who is not highly paid.
Because the IPL is a lot like India itself - there are the haves and the have-nots - it's difficult to mete out even-handed fines. When player contracts vary between $2 million and 20,000 a year, it's difficult for the commissioners to treat each offence equally. I guess this is where a stiff suspension rather than a fine becomes the ally of the officials.

The only option
Sure, Warne could have kept his conversation with Mr Dixit private. That way, it should have remained a matter for the two people concerned to resolve. However, my experience tells me that in such cases, involving a high-profile player and a backroom boy, the latter likes to flex his muscles and have his 15 minutes of fame.



Officials vs players
Sporting officials have this distinct distaste for personal criticism from players, never mind a public haranguing. The problem the BCCI has created is one of precedence. The next time a serious offence is committed, it's Warne's fine on which the punishment will be judged. A devil's advocate might say Warne's fine, being so steep, will deter potential future offenders. That's not the way it works.
If the death penalty doesn't deter potential murderers, I don't think a steep fine will make a highly competitive cricketer think twice before he speaks or acts.
Take Gautam Gambhir for example. He's shown himself to be vulnerable to the odd bout of anger but as the highest paid player in this year's IPL, he'll be able to afford a steep fine if he transgresses.

Smart cricket will set a team & captain apart

              by aakash chopra




With the IPL entering the penultimate stage, the fight for the title also seems to be getting fierce. While for MS Dhoni, an IPL win would serve as the cherry on the coveted World Cup cake, Knight Riders' skipper Gautam Gambhir would be hoping to turn his team's fortunes around and consolidate his claims for captaincy.

Who will have the last laugh, is difficult to say, but what is clear is that a victory will bring to the fore a superior side and a captain, who is a cut above the rest.
What is it that will set a captain and his team apart? Certainly, good cricket, but more importantly, smart cricket.
Bowling changes
Since every over is five per cent of the innings, a skipper must tread cautiously before throwing the ball to a bowler because, he might just be throwing away the game too. T20 is about momentum and one over can lead to destruction. But since a bowler can bowl only four overs, bowling changes are a must.

If bowlers are radically different, it's wise to play a few balls quietly before launching an attack.
That's where regular changes keep the batsman guessing. It doesn't allow the bowler to settle in too, but that's where a smart captain chips in.
MS Dhoni plotted Kumar Sangakarra's dismissal with some astute field changes. When Sanga was comfortable hitting down the ground, he brought the fine-leg inside the circle and induced a false shot.
Using fielders at deep mid-wicket and square-leg inside the circle is another smart attacking option.
Most batsmen have learnt the art of clearing the front-leg to hit it over the short mid-wicket, which used to be a vacant area earlier.
But now with a man on the fence and square-leg inside the ring, batsmen are forced to hit it squarer.
Get the order sorted
With losses hurting a lot more and victory tasting that much sweeter in the play-offs, it's imperative for the teams to get their batting order sorted.
Dhoni may have sent Albie Morkel and Wriddhiman Saha ahead of him at times, but it is time to catch the bull by its horns.

Tackling injury issues not new thing: Srikkanth

Chennai: BCCI's selection committee chief Krishnamachari Srikkanth said that despite battling injury issues for the past one and a half years, they have been able to find replacements who have done well to ensure India's dominance in world cricket.

Sachin Tendulkar had requested to allow him to skip the full tour to spend time with his family and Srikkanth defended the champions' batsman on his decision. © AFP

"Injury issues have been there for the last one and half years but don't forget we have been able to find good replacements (for those injured) and India have been doing very well," Srikkanth told reporters after the selection committee meeting to pick the Test squad for the West Indies tour next month.
Sachin Tendulkar had requested to allow him to skip the full tour to spend time with his family and Srikkanth defended the champions' batsman on his decision.
"Tendulkar deserved to take rest and then Yuvraj Singh was not well with some illness, so we have picked the best available squad. We have analysed every problem, the injuries to the players and took a decision and that is why the meeting took very long," said the former Test opener.
"We got very good input from the coach ( Duncan Fletcher) and captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni was also present. So I am really happy to have picked the squad. I think we will do well in the ODI and Test series," he said.

The selection panel on Friday named a depleted squad for next month's Test series after an injured Gautam Gambhir and an ill Yuvraj Singh were left out of the 16-member squad, which has Abhinav Mukund as the lone new face.
Tendulkar, who was not part of the ODI team, has opted out of the Test series as well, leaving India without the services of as many as five top players.
Opener Virender Sehwag and pacer Ashish Nehra are already out injured. Suresh Raina was named captain of the ODI team in the absence of Gambhir, who aggravated a shoulder injury while playing in the IPL.
The Test team will be captained by Mahendra Singh Dhoni who had earlier opted out of the ODI series.