Indian Captain Vs Vice Captain - Can CSKs rock the boat once again?

Tonight is the big night for the Indian cirket fans. The stage is set and ready to start soon as the two captains clash each other. On the big occasion of their semifinal clash on Saturday evening, the two captains will play decisive roles in guiding the fortunes of their teams—Mohali and Chennai.

T20 cricket is all about pluck and luck, adventure and aggression. It’s also about making things happen rather than wait for things to happen. Which is precisely why Yuvraj Singh’s return to sublime form will give his opposite number Mahendra Singh Dhoni a few more reasons to worry about. If Yuvraj is all fire and aggression, Dhoni has a cool head and a strong mind.

Mohali surely look good to go all the way. Yet, Dhoni’s determined bunch of cricketers are more than eager to rock the boat once again. They have already defeated Mohali twice in the league phase—at home and away. So, maybe Dhoni knows just what it takes to get the better of Yuvraj’s men.

Then again, don’t be surprised if the big semifinal turns out to be a low-scoring affair given the fear of losing early wickets or the nature of the track. In any given scenario it will be a battle of guts and gumption of those being able to connect the big hits and those managing to strike the stumps down. Above all, it will be a challenge between two dashing young men of Indian cricket—one who is a proven leader and the other who is showing that he isn’t any less when it comes to getting the best out of his team.


Sparks will fly.

Royals march into Finals Majestically

Rajasthan Royals 192 for 9 (Watson 52, Yusuf 45, Maharoof 3-34) beat Delhi Daredevils 87 (Dilshan 33, Watson 3-10, Munaf 3-17) by 105 runs

Rajasthan Royals capped another emphatic performance in the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) with a convincing 105-run win over the Delhi Daredevils in the first semi-final played on Friday at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai.

This was Shane Watson's match. Imposing himself on the first semi-final, he boosted Rajasthan Royals with an electric fifty before rattling Delhi Daredevils' top order with an outstanding opening spell. Shane Warne had complained about being deprived of home advantage but his side adjusted perfectly to the conditions at the Wankhede Stadium, putting on a show that illustrated exactly why they have been the stand-out team in the competition.

Losing the odds to get into semi's - Chennai super kings kissed the dust!!

Chasing a mammoth target of 212 runs to win, Chennai kept the momentum through-out the chase but failed to register the much needed victory to secure a place in the semis. Super Kings were cruising at 157 for three at the end of 15 overs but failed to get 55 from the last five overs with seven wickets in hand to make their semi-final hopes uncertain.With 14 points from 13 matches, the MS Dhoni side will have to win their last match against Deccan Chargers on May 27 in Hyderabad to make the grade.

Chennai Super Kings captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni said hot and humid conditions at Chepauk and losing the toss were instrumental in his team's 10-run defeat at the hands of Rajasthan Royals on Saturday. Having been pushed to a do or die situation to progress to the next stage in the tournament, Dhoni said, "We need to win against the Deccan Chargers on May 27 to enter the semifinals. The Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils match will be in the back of our minds. We cannot ignore that match result."

Can Chennai Super Kings find themselves in semi's?

The equation for the Chennai Super Kings to enter the semi-finals is simple - they need to win one of their last two league matches. Winning against the top-placed Rajasthan Royals won't be an easy proposition, but Chennai can nudge into the semi-finals if they can repeat what fellow contenders Mumbai Indians and Delhi Daredevils have managed earlier in the tournament. Rajasthan have entered the final four but don't expect them to take it easy. Their intentions were made clear by captain and coach Shane Warne, who, after their latest triumph against the Kolkata Knight Riders, said he hoped the "Rajasthan Express keeps rolling."

Chennai's main area of concern going into the match will be the state of their batting. In their previous match they wasted a confident start given by Stephen Fleming and Parthiv Patel, collapsing from 60 for no loss to 112 all out to hand the Bangalore Royal Challengers a rare victory. To avoid another such mishap, they will need their captain, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, to be at his aggressive best with the bat and to display the calm he brings to the job while leading India. Their chances will also depend on the batting of S Badrinath and Suresh Raina as well as the all-round capabilities of Albie Morkel. The weather may also play a part in the contest, with the possibility of showers later in the evening.

Tournament position

Rajasthan Royals: P11, W9, L2, NRR +0.950

Chennai Super Kings: P12, W7, L5, NRR -0.209

Match facts

Saturday, May 24, 2008Start time 16.00 (local), 10.30 (GMT)

Kings XI into Semi's by beating Deccan Chargers by 6 wickets

Kings XI Punjab continued with their winning momentum and beat Deccan Chargers by six wickets at the PCA Stadium in Mohali. Kings XI Punjab have already cruised to the semi-finals with the IPL tie between DDdevils and KKRiders being washed out on Thursday.

Openers Shaun Marsh and Kumar Sangakkara laid the foundation of this win as they scored 84 runs for the first wicket. Both of them slammed half-centuries. Sangakkara smashed his second IPL half-century in 25 balls with the help of seven fours and two sixes. His first had come against Mumbai Indians.Deccan Chargers finally got the breakthrough when after shining with the bat, Rohit Sharma struck with the ball and removed Sangakkara (50). But that did not deter Marsh from playing his natural game and smashing his fifth IPL fifty in eight matches that he played. He scored 60 runs with the help of three fours and three sixes. He picked another 'Man of the Match' award.

Punjab skipper Yuvraj failed to play a big knock once again and chipped just 17 runs before RP Singh lunged on to a superb catch at the boundary off Pragyan Ojha's bowling. Ojha struck again and removed another dangerman Luke Pomersbach for 13 runs.