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[LosingNow]

http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/ipl/content/current/story/346975.html

Kolkata Knight Riders v Deccan Chargers, 4th match, IPL

Great expectations

Ashok Ganguly

April 19, 2008

   
Ricky Ponting and Andrew Symonds: On opposing sides for a change © Getty Images
 

Match facts
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Start time 16:00 local time (10:30 GMT)

The Big Picture
The match-up between two power-packed batting line-ups has the makings of a potential classic. The Kolkata Knight Riders have started off their campaign by running roughshod over the Bangalore Royal Challengers, but will now have to contend with the Deccan Chargers, a crack outfit born from clever buys in the IPL auctions. Brendon McCullum's astonishing assault in Bangalore brought team-owner Shah Rukh Khan to his feet, and may serve as a rallying call to Kolkata's passionate supporters. With 100,000 plus spectators set to be at the ground, this is the showpiece event of the first week.

Watch out for ...
... some exhilarating batting, especially from trans-Tasman foes turned team-mates. McCullum peppered the stands with 13 sixes on his way to an unbeaten 158, the highest score in domestic Twenty20s, and will be looking to repeat his heroics. If he fails, Kolkata have Ricky Ponting and David Hussey, as destructive as any on their day.

Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds, the second-most expensive player in the tournament, are set to give Hyderabad the impetus at the top order. Scott Styris, an effortless player when he gets in the groove, is a strong presence in the Hyderabad line-up, and local flavour may be provided by the talented Rohit Sharma. Hyderabad have some allround options: Symonds and Styris can slow down the run-rate and Nuwan Zoysa is capable off big strokes to go with his left-arm medium-pace.

Team news
Hyderabad will be without the services of Herschelle Gibbs (representing the Cape Cobras in the Pro20 semi-final in South Africa) and Shahid Afridi (Wow! can't wait for these 2 to join!!), who is in Pakistan's squad for the Twenty20 match against Bangladesh. Ravi Teja, the right-hand batsman who had an impressive debut in the recently concluded Ranji season, is rated by assistant coach Kanwaljeet Singh as a "brilliant prospect." He is expected to open the batting with the explosive Gilchrist, and it will be interesting to see how he fares against Ishant Sharma. Opening the bowling with RP Singh will be either Chaminda Vaas or Zoysa. Pragyan Ojha is a specialist spinning option, while the third seamers slot could be a toss-up between Sanjay Bangar and D Kalyankrishna. Bangar may get a game if Hyderabad decide to add depth to their batting order. Hyderabad will decide on the final composition of their line-up once Vaas and Chamara Silva join the squad tonight after flying in from Sri Lanka.

Hyderabad (probable) 1 Adam Gilchrist, 2 Ravi Teja, 3 VVS Laxman (capt), 4 Andrew Symonds, 5 Scott Styris, 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Venugopal Rao, 8 Nuwan Zoysa/Chaminda Vaas, 9 Sanjay Bangar/D Kalyankrishna, 10 RP Singh, 11 Pragyan Ojha.

Kolkata are likely to retain the same squad that played in Bangalore, with Chris Gayle staying back in the West Indies with a groin strain picked up during the third ODI against Sri Lanka. "He [Gayle] is out for a fortnight at least," a spokesman for the Knight Riders told the Telegraph. Also, Wriddhiman Saha showcased his capability behind the stumps, and Kolkata may want to continue to play McCullum purely as a batsman.

Kolkata (probable) 1 Sourav Ganguly (capt), 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Ricky Ponting, 4 David Hussey, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Laxmi Rattan Shukla, 7 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 8 Ajit Agarkar, 9 Ashok Dinda, 10 Murali Kartik, 11 Ishant Sharma.

Stats and trivia
# Symonds, at 187.05, has the best-ever strike-rate in domestic Twenty20s
# Rohit is the only Indian to have a domestic Twenty20 hundred under his belt
# Hussey is the fourth-highest run-getter in domestic Twenty20s, and that explains his $635,000 price tag
# To go along with his century yesterday, McCullum now holds the record for the most number of sixes in an innings
# RP Singh was the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the World Twenty20 last year

Quotes
"I have a personal rapport with all the players and keep interacting with them. It should be comparatively easier for me to handle any situation on the field."
Laxman reveals all is well within the Hyderabad camp

"Being an actor, I have always thought every thing in larger-than-life perspective. Knight Riders' matches will also be no exception"
Shah Rukh adds to the build-up

Ashok Ganguly is an editorial assistant at Cricinfo

[LosingNow]

Willow listed KKR vs DC game as the late evening one.. whereas the CI schedule lists it as the earlier one. Which is it?

KKR - DC 5 PM
MI - BRC - 8 PM or later

Thanks.. Willow has it wrong.

[sudzz]

saale shah ruk ki kismat hai!!!

Gets the biggest stadium of them all. And the craziest supporters of them all (thats a good thing before Kolkattans start firing at me)

Bechari Preity pit gayi. Mohali has seen so much cricket with ICL (all their games have been there) that people there are maxed out on cricket!

Craziest (or should I say most passionate) fans used to be the soccer fans of Kolkata  in the 70's.  Cricket fans have been relatively less crazy as it is considered gentlemen's game after all.

Yes and they forgot their gentlemanliness only when the decided to burn up the stadium and uproot seats during a worldcup match....

[Blwe_torch]

btw i LOVE the gold armor for the KKR...cmon that rocks.
the bats should be gold too. and SRK should paint his players' faces gold as well

I thought the KKR presented almost a surreal look...when they came in to bat...............just in keeping with the theme of celebration and entertainment of IPL.
No .....painting their faces gold is not a good idea seriously..............u are dealing with players not clowns.

btw....the start time for the Kolkata match happens to be 4 pm IST.

[dhruvdeepak]

btw i LOVE the gold armor for the KKR...cmon that rocks.
the bats should be gold too. and SRK should paint his players' faces gold as well

I thought the KKR presented almost a surreal look...when they came in to bat...............just in keeping with the theme of celebration and entertainment of IPL.
No .....painting their faces gold is not a good idea seriously..............u are dealing with players not clowns.

btw....the start time for the Kolkata match happens to be 4 pm IST.

why? WARPAINT. a stripe across the face, in gold. will REALLY differentiate from the rest of the pack. plus the spectators will 100% join in

i think it is 5pm IST. wont be able to watch much of it....damn

anyway imo KKR's uniform+golden armor is the best.
i think DC's will look good too

[Blwe_torch]

We’ve plans in store for McCullum: Laxman
A STAFF REPORTER
 
 
Calcutta: V.V.S. Laxman, captain of the Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad), is cautiously optimistic ahead of their opener against Kolkata Knight Riders. Despite their formidable line-up, the Team India middle-order batsman, in a news conference on Saturday, said no side could be termed as the favourites.

The following are excerpts


On Brendon McCullum’s innings

This is an exciting tournament and a great opportunity for all of us. McCullum’s innings is one of the best I’ve seen. He single-handedly took the match away from Royal Challengers.

Plans to restrict McCullum

We’ve got a plan but things don’t always work your way in Twenty20 cricket. You may have a Plan I or a Plan II… But you have to keep judging by the situation.

Working with Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds and if the events Down Under have had any impact

It’s been an amazing experience. We’ve had an excellent four-five days. They’ve been interacting very well and making an extra effort to mingle with the boys. Everything about the events in Australia is now a thing of the past.

Playing at the Eden

Eden has always been special… Not just because I got 281 here but also because it is one of the best grounds in the world.

How he is looking forward to the tournament

It’s a challenge for me. It’s about maintaining a healthy strike rate. I will adjust my game accordingly. I am a natural strokeplayer and have always concentrated on maintaining a good strike rate.

On leading Symonds and if he will have any problems with the crowd

Symonds is a known matchwinner. I’m sure the crowd will love watching him. Hope he has no problems…

If the bowling is thin on experience

Don’t think so… Though RP Singh didn’t have a good Test series in Chennai and Ahmedabad, we should remember that the wickets were flat. It should also be kept in mind that the pacer was returning from an injury. He’s been bowling a lot at nets and also in practice matches. We’ve a good balance of youth and experience. There’s Scott Styris and Sanjay Bangar who are good, experienced allrounders.

If he thinks Deccan Chargers are strong title contenders

All teams are strong enough…

Leading the side

It’s a great opportunity to lead some of the greatest matchwinners… I am looking forward to the experience.

If the Australians have revealed the strategy of playing against Ricky Ponting and David Hussey

That is bound to happen… They are part of the Deccan Chargers. We will exchange views on opposition players… They too will share their views about their Australian colleagues.

If a one-sided contest is good for this form of the game

Yesterday the wicket was not ideal for strokeplayers. That makes McCullum’s contribution more special. Every game is different. There will be more contribution from other players… It was because of McCullum’s brilliance that the game became one sided. Sometimes such things happen, in any format of the game — be it Tests, ODIs or Twenty20 — due to a particular player’s brilliance.

On leading against Sourav Ganguly

Sourav is a great batsman and one of the outstanding captains. We have led against each other… It’s like a South Zone versus East Zone kind of a match…
 
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080420/jsp/sports/story_9161741.jsp

[LosingNow]

It is 4PM IST..

Toss next

[Blwe_torch]

Gilchrist ready to sledge Ponting
A STAFF REPORTER

Calcutta: The Indian Premier League has seen long time friends and teammates turn foes. Sunday will see Australians Ricky Ponting and David Hussey pitted against Adam Gilchrist and Andrew Symonds.

Deccan Chargers’ Gilchrist said he is ready to sledge Ponting and Hussey during the tie against Kolkata Knight Riders at Eden Gardens on Sunday.

“Whether I sledge Ponting or not depends on the runs he scores... But I can’t say I won’t sledge,” Gilchrist said.

“But they are also my Australian teammates... So, the exchange of words will be in a funny way and the spirit of cricket will not be compromised with,” Gilchrist added.

The retired wicket-keeper batsman also said he had sent a text message to Brendon McCullum after the New Zealander’s unbeaten 158 off 73 balls at the Chinnaswamy in Bangalore on Friday.

“I sent him a text message immediately after the match. ‘Terrific knock, but please don’t play such an innings against us’ I wrote,” Gilchrist said.

Was he planning to play such a cracker of an innings on Sunday? “You can’t plan such knocks. In Twenty20, time is short. So there is not much time to plan for such an assault. Whatever happens, happens on the field.”

Gilchrist said he was happy with the reception in India after the acrimonious tour Down Under. “When we reached Hyderabad, the reception was warm,” he said.

However, he wasn’t sure how Eden Gardens would welcome Symonds.

“I can’t say about that till he sets foot here. The Eden crowd is known for its sporting spirit,” he said.

On Sourav Ganguly-led Kolkata Knight Riders, he said: “They are a good opposition. I’m looking forward to playing a good and exciting match.”
 
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1080420/jsp/sports/story_9161865.jsp

[Blwe_torch]

btw i LOVE the gold armor for the KKR...cmon that rocks.
the bats should be gold too. and SRK should paint his players' faces gold as well

I thought the KKR presented almost a surreal look...when they came in to bat...............just in keeping with the theme of celebration and entertainment of IPL.
No .....painting their faces gold is not a good idea seriously..............u are dealing with players not clowns.

btw....the start time for the Kolkata match happens to be 4 pm IST.

why? WARPAINT. a stripe across the face, in gold. will REALLY differentiate from the rest of the pack. plus the spectators will 100% join in

i think it is 5pm IST. wont be able to watch much of it....damn

anyway imo KKR's uniform+golden armor is the best.
i think DC's will look good too

Black stripes on the face will be better......will go along with the dress too............what say?

[LosingNow]

DC win toss.. they are batting!!!!

[LosingNow]

Shastri shouting like he is announcing a boxing match...

Sourav would have batted too.

[LosingNow]

No change in team for KKR..

[LosingNow]

Venu opening with Gilly.. VVS #3

[Blwe_torch]

Eden Gardens waits for pyrotechnics
INDRANIL MAJUMDAR

Calcutta: Friday has long passed and the elation surrounding Brendon McCullum’s innings and Kolkata Knight Riders’ victory has abated. Yet there is excitement over the city’s first rendezvous with Twenty20 cricket with an international flavour.

No doubt Eden Gardens would be packed to capacity to welcome their new adopted Black Cap hero who set the crowd roaring with his pyrotechnics in Bangalore. No harakiri, all proper strokes from the books that saw McCullum blaze away.

By early evening on Saturday, the music was blaring at the amphitheatre and everything looked in place for the party to begin. “It looks more like a rock concert… I’ve played quite a few times here but this experience is totally different. Eden is looking colourful,” Adam Gilchrist summed it up well after practice on Saturday.

Owner Shah Rukh Khan had spelt out his principle in sport during the Kolkata Knight Riders’ launch a month back — “You don’t win silver, you lose gold,” he said.

Sourav Ganguly’s men lived up to the hype and expectations in the opener but in Deccan Chargers (Hyderabad) on Sunday they face a sterner test. It’s not the mere presence of the explosive Adam Gilchrist or the second-most expensive player Andrew Symonds that makes them formidable.

The availability of Scott Styris, Rohit Sharma and Chamara Silva along with Rudra Pratap Singh, Nuwan Zoysa and Chaminda Vaas give them a competitive edge. Don’t forget RP was the joint second-highest wickettaker in ICC World Twenty20 last year.

This would be Symonds’s maiden appearance on Indian soil since the acrimonious tour Down Under. He was at ease during practice on match-eve and would only be too eager to prove himself in front of a sporting crowd. “Symonds is a known matchwinner. I’m sure the crowd will love him. Hope he has no problems,” captain Laxman sounded cautious at the news conference.

The environment is sure to enthuse the players. Don’t be surprised if a Gilchrist or a Symonds gets going early on. We’ve already witnessed a McCullum blitz that sent shock waves through the ranks of Bangalore Royal Challengers. Ricky Ponting, too, cannot be underestimated.

And don’t rule out Sourav Ganguly! The occasion always brings the best out of him and leading in his home turf could send his adrenaline rushing. As Laxman said, plans often go awry in a Twenty20 encounter.

The Knight Riders are likely to retain the same XI that took the field in Bangalore.

The stars may hog the limelight but the locals will surely play their part. Ashok Dinda has proved that he is not there to fill the numbers . Who knows, it could be a Laxmi Ratan Shukla or a Y. Venugopal Rao’s turn to show their prowess here.

So if your planning an evening out on Sunday be there at the Eden for a three-hour entertainment. Fasten your seat belts and get ready for the action. Nothing can match this!

TEAMS
Kolkata Knight Riders (likely): Sourav Ganguly, Brendon McCullum, Ricky Ponting, David Hussey, Mohammed Hafeez, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Wriddhiman Saha, Ajit Agarkar, Ashok Dinda, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma.

Deccan Chargers (from): Adam Gilchrist, V.V.S. Laxman, Andrew Symonds, Scott Styris, Rohit Sharma, Venugopal Rao, Nuwan Zoysa, Chamara Silva, Sanjay Bangar, D. Kalyankrishna, R.P. Singh, Chaminda Vaas, Pragyan Ojha, Haladhar Das, P. Vijay Kumar, Sarvesh Kumar.

Umpires: Asad Rauf and Billy Bowden.

Match Referee: Farokh Engineer.

Match starts: 4pm
 

[LosingNow]

SRK will be making a dramatic entry.. stands are full

[Blwe_torch]

This Mbangwa...is cool in the commentary box!

[Blwe_torch]

The VIPs are reeling in the heat it seems..........poor guys...they have opted for the open stands..

[LosingNow]

he he.. so what will SRK do .. will he outdo Akshay's stunt.. oh the suspense is killing me

[Libran]

believe it is sweltering heat in Kolkata... Good decision to bat first

Waiting for a cracker of a match ... the countdown begins..... mouthwatering prospects...

[Blwe_torch]

Wow...a good collection of VIPs...Priyanka *hi there too...

[LosingNow]

Game starting .. what happened to SRK's entry.. I woke up my wife for that!!

[LosingNow]

Dhinda to bowl to AG!!

[LosingNow]

Venu .. strange choice for opener.. let's see

[LosingNow]

no ball.. free hit

[Blwe_torch]

Game starting .. what happened to SRK's entry.. I woke up my wife for that!!

I think he has already made the entry....well that wasn't supposed to be very dramatic was it?....Not like the Akshaye Kr entry.

[LosingNow]

Venu playing like RD? come on .. go for shots

[LosingNow]

Game starting .. what happened to SRK's entry.. I woke up my wife for that!!

I think he has already made the entry....well that wasn't supposed to be very dramatic was it?....Not like the Akshaye Kr entry.

He did? Damn.. missed it

[Blwe_torch]

no ball.. free hit

free hit...............and free out too.............only in this case, it is not out!

[LosingNow]

Venu ball watching.. over throws for 4

[LosingNow]

no ball.. free hit

free hit...............and free out too.............only in this case, it is not out!

..and they ran 2!!

[Blwe_torch]

Game starting .. what happened to SRK's entry.. I woke up my wife for that!!

I think he has already made the entry....well that wasn't supposed to be very dramatic was it?....Not like the Akshaye Kr entry.

He did? Damn.. missed it

I could see his entourage...so I guess, he has already settled down.
This Eden humming is the greatest...in the world!

[LosingNow]

nice keeping by Saha

[Blwe_torch]

Wriddhimaan Prashanta Saha shows a great attempt..........believes he has taken a legitimate catch..................this guy reminds me of the acrobatic Windies keeper....what was his name?

[LosingNow]

Shastri calling this a 160 pitch

[Blwe_torch]

Shastri calling this a 160 pitch

Hmm......bad news for guys batting second..........

[LosingNow]

Wriddhimaan Prashanta Saha shows a great attempt..........believes he has taken a legitimate catch..................this guy reminds me of the acrobatic Windies keeper....what was his name?

I am disappointed at the TV coverage.. poor replays

[LosingNow]

RS says ball is stopping.. puff of dust when the ball is pitching

[Blwe_torch]

Wriddhimaan Prashanta Saha shows a great attempt..........believes he has taken a legitimate catch..................this guy reminds me of the acrobatic Windies keeper....what was his name?

I am disappointed at the TV coverage.. poor replays

they didn't even show the replay of the over-throw boundary!

[LosingNow]

Kartik may get a few overs soon

[Blwe_torch]

RS says ball is stopping.. puff of dust when the ball is pitching

actually that dust may be chalk powder...i feel