Johan Botha pleased with his new role as an all-rounder for the Rajasthan Royals

Johan Botha is pleased to perform his role as an all-rounder for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.
He was initially signed up as a bowler but was offered to bat at No.3 by his skipper, Shane Warne and Coach Jeremy Snape.
“They both approached me at the same time and we had a general chat and they said 'are you keen to do it?’” revealed Botha.
Taking it as a challenge, Botha expressed his pleasure at the opportunity. He added that the T20 game has a lot of glamour in it but one has to adapt to the game, keeping in mind the limited time and the need for quick runs.
"You have a few balls to have a look, the field is up at the start too, so you can get off to a bit of a flier and have 10, 15, or 20 runs before the field is spread out, so that makes quite a difference. Normally, when you come in at the end, it is a few balls to go and one or two of the best bowlers on again, so that is not easy,” he explained.
 Rajasthan Royals appeared in their first match of this season against the Deccan Chargers on April 9, 2011. The Chargers scored 137 runs in the allotted overs.
Rajasthan Royals had lost their first wicket at 31 runs when Botha stepped up to his new role. He thrashed an unbeaten 67 off 47 balls aided with one six and eight fours, leading his side to victory by eight wickets.
Botha repeated the feat against Delhi Daredevils on April 12, 2011 by punching an unbeaten 39 off 32 with two fours. Rajasthan ended up winning the match by six wickets.
He has played six matches in this edition of the IPL and has secured a batting spot in his team by scoring 189 runs at an excellent average of 94.50.
Botha has not allowed his bowling to suffer either. He opened the bowling attack for his team with positive results. His bowling has been praised by his national side as well, he is capable of bringing the run-rate down while picking up some crucial wickets.
He has taken five wickets in this IPL season at an average of 25.60 runs per wicket with best figures of 3 for 6.
Botha was brought down by a finger injury which kept him out of a few games and his side lost a couple of those. He came back to the field as soon as he recovered and Rajasthan Royals have won three back to back games since then.

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Hurley’s love leads Warne’s side to win

Girl friend of the cricket legend, Shane Warne, and a renowned English model, Elizabeth Hurley, demonstrated heartfelt support for Rajasthan Royals during their game at Jaipur on 1 May, 2011.
The Warne-led side has stunned the world by winning all three games at Jaipur, cementing their place in the tournament and taking their winning streak to 15 wins out of 19 matches at home.
Weekend's game between Rajasthan Royals and Pune Warriors was a thrilling competition. It was evident through Hurley’s gestures and expressions that she was involved and stressed, wanting her boyfriend to triumph.
Hurley was shouting and raising slogans on every ball and every hit. She was a resplendent showpiece for the spectators and for the media cameras.
The game over with Royals standing as winners, Hurley revealed that she had not imagined that the game would be so stressful.
It was the most emotionally-charged game for Warne who was fighting for the top slot. Hurley was also present at the stadium during Rajasthan’s clash with Mumbai Indians on Friday.
After an easy and convincing victory, Warne exchanged a lovely kiss with Hurley, setting their fans to clap and smile.
After losing a couple of their games, Warne was confident of a startling comeback when the Royals returned to their home ground for three games. Under Warne’s meticulous leadership, they won all three games in Jaipur.
In yesterday’s game, Pune Warriors scored 143 after losing 7 wickets in the first innings. Rajasthan Royals had a dismal start but Ross Taylor’s unbeaten 47 steered them to the 11^th hour victory.
The Rajasthan Royals now hold the top slot in the ongoing tournament. The side claimed the IPL title in 2008.
After the game, Warne tweeted Hurley and thanked her for the support. Warne wrote, “you and D’s flag waving was superb today-all the boys appreciate your support very much.” In reply, Hurley added three kisses and exclaimed, “Yes! Love cricket now.”
The 45-year old Hurley and 41-year old Warne have been friends since last July. Both are divorced and their friendship is quite strong. Hurley tries to ensure her presence on every big occasion related to Warne.
A successful former Kangaroo skipper, Warne has been leading Rajasthan Royals since the very first edition of the IPL.

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SWOLLEN LEFT KNEE LEAVES SHANE WARNE DOUBTFUL FOR MATCH AGAINST PUNE WARRIORS

The Rajasthan Royals skipper, Shane Warne is a doubtful starter for his team’s crucial Indian Premier League game against Sahara Pune Warriors India, at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur on Sunday, as the legendary Australian spinner is struggling with a swollen knee.

The Rajasthan skipper was seen testing the fitness of his knees during a practice session on the eve of the match. When asked about the strength of his knees, the spin prodigy conceded that his left knee was inflamed and he would take the final decision in this regard on Sunday morning.

“Yes it is still swollen. Cartilage of my left knee is inflamed. There is swelling and I will have another look at it in the morning,” Warne told the reporters at the pre-match media conference.

Giving the details of his swollen knee, the 41-year-old Victoria bowler said that he had picked up the injury while fielding in their convincing seven-wicket win over table toppers, Mumbai Indians, on Friday. He however, was hopeful that he would be fit to play against Pune tomorrow.

“My knee got stuck when I dived for the ball while fielding yesterday,” said Warne. “I have had three operations on that knee. I have been icing it and I will use more ice packs. Hope I can be fit for the match against Pune.” 

Ashok Menaria, the Rajasthan Royals all-rounder, however, dismissed any fears about Warne's availability for Sunday's match.

“There is nothing wrong with Shane and he is out for the practice,”  said the 20-year-old left arm spinner when asked about the condition of his captain’s injured knee.

Sources inside the Rajasthan team have also claimed that even a less than hundred percent fit Shane Warne would be part of the playing eleven against Sahara Pune Warriors tomorrow.

With nine points from 8 games, the Rajasthan based franchise currently stands at number three. A victory against Pune would take them to the top of the table with 11 points, just ahead of current table toppers, Mumbai Indians, who have 10 points from seven games.

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BCCI refuses to allow Indians to play in the Australian Big Bash

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has disappointed Cricket Australia (CA), by not allowing their players to participate in the Big Bash.
Now, Australian cricket will have to rely on the services of the West Indian cricketers for the T20 based tournament.
CA did not ask for the Indian World Cup winning players but they were willing to hire some limited-over specialists for the Big Bash, scheduled to be played from mid December to the end of January.
The chief administrating officer of the Indian Board, Ratnakar Shetty said that the board will continue with its policy of not allowing domestic players to go since the Indian season will be played between October and March.

"In fact last year some teams wanted Indian players and they were not available because of [the] domestic tournament," said Shetty.
The chief also added that the new Indian coach has nothing to do with the policy decision of the board because players can’t be allowed to play overseas when the domestic tournament is on.
Shetty said that Sri Lanka will have their league matches in July, which does not clash with their domestic tournament so the players willing to play can participate with prior permission.
Overall schedule of the teams revealed that England players can participate in the first half of the Big Bash; while Bangladesh, New Zealand and Pakistan would enter the tournament in second half.
At the moment 35 Australian players, including the legendry Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist, are playing in the Indian Premier League’s fourth edition.
Warne is playing a dual role for the Rajasthan Royals, serving them as captain and coach. He has been successful in both the roles to a considerable extent as his team is currently third on the table.
Gilchrist on the other hand, is leading the Kings XI Punjab, who are languishing at the 7^th place.
IPL has been gaining popularity globally and it’s fourth edition is currently going on.

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Mumbai v Rajasthan - Mumbai Indians collapse at 94, Rajasthan Royals in command

The Mumbai Indians barely managed to score 94 runs against the Rajasthan Royals in the 34^th match of the Indian Premier League being played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur on 29 April, 2011.
Shane warne won the toss and invited Mumbai to bat first. The Mumbai Indians opened with their usual pair, Sachin Tendulkar and Davy Jacobs.
 Ashok Menaria and the seamer Amit Singh took charge of the Rajasthani bowling attack.
Mumbai’s opening pair only managed 11 runs in the first two overs. Jacobs was the first to go, bowled by Amit on the first ball of the fourth over with the Mumbai total at 22 runs.
Tendulkar was the next one to leave, adding only six runs to the total. Dishant Yagnik stumped Sachin out off the bowling of Ashok.
Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma were to lead Mumbai next, the duo could only manage to add 18 runs in the total before Rayudu was caught and bowled by Menaria. The third wicket fell at the total of 46 runs in 8.4 overs and Andrew Symonds was next on the crease.
Sharma tried to accelerate the innings but was caught at long off by Johan Botha on the last ball of the 10^th over. Mumbai Indians lost their fourth wicket when their score reached the 50-run milestone.
Pollard was the next man in but he was dismissed early as well, contributing just 18 runs for the fifth wicket. The Rajasthan bowlers were pressing down hard on the struggling Mumbai batsmen.
Symonds was the sixth batsman to return to the pavilion after accumulating 17 runs off 26 balls.
Mumbai Indians could manage only 94 runs in the allocated 20 overs, losing eight wickets in the process.
Botha was the highest wicket taker for Rajasthan Royals with three wickets, Menaria and Amit took two wickets each while Warne scalped one.
Mumbai’s performance was dismal and unexpected, however, fortunately for Rajasthan, this may just be their day.

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Gautam Gambhir expects Yusuf Pathan to shine against Rajasthan

Kolkata Knight Riders captain Gautam Gambhir has said that he expects hard-hitting batsman Yusuf Pathan to shine against Rajasthan Royals in their third Indian Premier League fixture on Friday.
Pathan, the former Rajasthan Royals player, was part of India’s ICC World Cup 2011 winning squad. Kolkata Knight Riders signed the swashbuckling player for $2.1 million for the 2011 season of IPL.
“We would be benefited as Yusuf Pathan has played few matches and also against the Rajasthan Royals team earlier. Our team would be benefited if Yusuf plays well tomorrow,” said Gambhir.
In the opening season of IPL in 2008, Pathan came into the limelight when he scored 435 runs including 4 fifties and had an unbelievable strike rate of 179. In addition, he took 8 wickets with his off spinners. In the 2010 season of IPL, Pathan hit a 37-ball century against Mumbai Indians that included 8 sixes and 9 fours.
Pathan has played 43 IPL matches so far, scoring 1,011 runs at an average of 26.61 including 6 fifties and 1 century. While bowling, he has taken 20 wickets with best bowling figures of 3/22. He made his Twenty20 international debut against Pakistan in the final of the 2007 ICC Twenty20 World Cup.
In the ongoing season of the IPL, KKR lost their first match to the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings, while they beat Deccan Chargers in their second match.
Besides Pathan, KKR also have many other useful players in their team including Jacques Kallis, Eoin Morgan and Ryan Ten Doeschate.
On the other hand, Rajasthan Royals are led by former Australian spinner Shane Warne. Under his captaincy, the team has won both of its first two matches against Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils. The team has also drafted useful players from all over the world including Ross Taylor, Shaun Tait, Rahul Dravid and Johan Botha.
Let’s see whether Yusuf Pathan lives up to his captain’s expectations in their clash against the Royals or not.

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DELHI DAREDEVILS SKIPPER SEHWAG CONCERNED ABOUT BATTING

Delhi Daredevils’ skipper Virender Sehwag is extremely disappointed by the performance of his batsmen in their second Indian Premier League (IPL) match against Rajasthan Royals.

The aggressive Indian opening batsman has voiced severe concerns over his team’s batting, which eventually resulted in Delhi’s second consecutive defeat in the competition.

Delhi’s team was thrashed by Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals, and the Daredevils could only produce a couple of individual batting performances.

David Warner scored a fine half-century at the top-order, and Venugopal Rao chipped in with an excellent 60 runs.

However, none of the other batsmen could show their magic in the game. The captain, who claimed to keep a lot of experience of facing international bowlers, also lost his wicket to Australian pacer Shaun Tait after adding just four runs in the total.

With only three batsmen crossing double figures, the whole team managed to pile up a total of 151, which eventually proved to be a small score on a pure batting track and the Rajasthani batsmen overwhelmed the target with 9 balls remaining.

It must be noted that Delhi’s side got all out on a total of 95 in their previous game against Mumbai Indians. The stunning Sri Lankan pacer, Lasith Malinga, picked up five wickets and eight Delhi batsmen failed to reach double figures.

Two consecutive batting collapses have troubled Sehwag a great deal, and the skipper could not hide his disappointment.

"To win matches, we need to bat well and put up a challenging score. I am really concerned about our team`s batting. Although Venugopal Rao and David Warner played well and Irfan hit a couple of boundaries in the end, we should have scored around 165-170 in order to win the match", Sehwag said.

With an inexperienced batting line-up, Sehwag knows that his own form is crucial for Delhi Daredevils if the team is to have any chance of stepping up in the league rankings.

"I have to score runs in the coming games. May be, if I start scoring runs, we can reach 160-170 consistently", the Nawab of Najafgarh added.

Meanwhile, the captain praised South African seamer, Morne Morkel, who returned with outstanding figures, conceding only 11 runs in his four overs.

The Delhi side is scheduled to face Yuvraj’s Pune Warriors in their next IPL 4 game at Patil Sports Academy ground, Mumbai.

The two successive defeats has put Delhi’s outfit into a ‘do or die’ situation, as they have to win their upcoming game, otherwise their chances in the Twenty20 league will begin to fade.

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