Chennai Super Kings virtually take Chargers and Royal Challengers into the last 4!

Okay, one relevant league game left!! Deccan Chargers and Royal Challengers Bangalore play the final game.

If Deccan Chargers lose by not more than a margin of 130 runs, they will qualify inspite of losing the game.

If Royal Challengers Bangalore lose by not more than a margin of 64 runs, they will qualify inspite of losing the game!

IPL 2009 - Fight hotter for last two qualifiers!!

Exciting four games – or, results - now left! Wednesday’s games will only just give an indication of which teams will make it, and there would be much guessing even after the games are over.

Chennai Super Kings will finish as the 2nd top team if they defeat Kings XI Punjab. In case they lose they end up 4th in the standings.

Rajasthan Royals MUST win to remain in contention. Even a win will be meaningless if Chennai Super Kings lose to Kings XI Punjab AND Bangalore Royal Challengers defeat Deccan Chargers. They will lose out on net run rate to Chennai Super Kings.

Deccan Chargers are a little better placed if Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan lose, for they will still continue to qualify even if they lose to Bangalore Royal Challengers in the last league game!

Both Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab will qualify if they win their remaining game.

Kings XI Punjab still have an outside if they lose their game to Chennai Super Kings provided Rajasthan Royals lose, and Deccan Chargers defeat Royal Challengers. In such a scenario, the better net run rate will decide between RCB and KXIP!

Here go the present scenarios! The inconsequential match ofcourse is the Delhi Daredevils/Mumbai Indians encounter.

Scenario 1
CSK defeat KXIP
KKR defeat RR
RCB defeat DC

DD (20), CSK (17), RCB (16) and DC (14) qualify.

Scenario 2
CSK lose to KXIP
KKR lose to RR
RCB defeat DC

DD (20), RCB (16), KXIP (16) and CSK (15) qualify. RR will also be on 15 points but will lose out on NRR

Scenario 3
CSK lose to KXIP
KKR lose to RR
RCB lose to DC

DD (20), DC(16), KXIP(16) and CSK(15) qualify. RR again lose on NRR to qualify

Scenario 4
CSK defeat KXIP
KKR defeat RR
RCB lose to DC

DD (20), CSK (17), DC (16) qualify and the team with the better net run rate between RCB and KXIP will qualify.

IPL 2009 - CSK safe inspite of loss to KKR.... but other two spots??? :)

With just 5 matches to go, has it become easier to say which three teams will join Delhi Daredevils to make the last 4? Not yet, though Chennai Super Kings look safe inspite of the loss to Kolkota Knight Riders.

Chennai Super Kings, by virtue of the other results in recent days, are virtually safe and join DD as a qualifier. There is a scenario where they could be on par with RR, but their superior net run rate will see them through in such an eventuality.

A resounding NO! Not at all. It just got even closer, with the new dimension being that teams like DC, RCB, KXIP in with a chance on the net run rate EVEN if they lose their last game!! (RCB infact has two games to play).

Rajasthan Royals appears to be the only side that MUST win the last game to be in the reckoning. Interestingly, they can miss the top four EVEN if they win their last game. (See Scenario Two).

Deccan Chargers are better placed if it gets down to checking the net run rate to decide the qualification.

The DD/MI result can go any which way, the result of this game just does not matter to the teams in the fray.


More scenarios!!!

Scenario 1

CSK defeat KXIP
RCB defeat DC and DD
KKR defeat RR

Final Tally:
DD - 20
CSK - 17
RCB - 16
DC and KXIP tied on 14 each.
Rajasthan Royals will be eliminated, with probably KXIP also losing out on run-rate unless they win with a huge margin – something in the 60/70 runs range.


Scenario 2

RCB lose both games
RR defeat KKR
KXIP defeat CSK

Final Tally:
DD – 22
DC – 16
KXIP – 16
CSK or RR – 15
RCB will be eliminated. Very unlikely RR will match CSK net run rate.


Scenario 3

RCB defeat DD but lose to DC.
RR defeat KKR
CSK defeat KXIP

Final Tally:
DD – 20
CSK – 17
DC – 16
RR – 15.
Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore eliminated

Scenario 4

RCB defeat DD but lose to DC.
KKR defeat RR.
CSK defeat KXIP.

Final Tally
DD – 20
CSK - 17
DC – 16
RCB/KXIP – 14 each
Rajasthan Royals eliminated

Scenario 5

RCB defeat DC but lose to DD.
RR defeat KKR
CSK defeat KXIP

Final Tally:
DD – 22
CSK - 17
RR – 15
DC/RCB/KXIP – 16
Whew!! Net Run Rate - probably DC will prevail unless they lose to RCB by a massive margin – some 60 – 70 runs difference.

Scenario 6

RCB defeat DC but lose to DD.
KKR defeat RR
CSK defeat KXIP

Final Tally:
DD – 22
CSK – 17
DC/RCB/KXIP – 14
One of the three will lose out.

IPL 2009 - The Top 4 - Three spots for five teams as on 17th May 09

Want to play an expert and predict the top four in the IPL 2009 tournament? Don’t go beyond saying Delhi Daredevils will make it. Delhi Daredevils can be placed at either 1 or 2 or 4 depending on how all games pan out!!! They are the only side that can lose all remaining three games and still qualify. What a difference it would have made if Deccan Chargers had defeated them! They then would have also been running the risk of elimination before the Sunday games start!

Five teams in the fray have chances of taking the other three spots, depending on how their results go and how the other results go.

Kings XI Punjab and Royal Challengers Bangalore will necessarily have to win their remaining two games to remain in contention.

Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals will need to win atleast one game to be safe/qualify. Both run the risk of elimination either or points or net run rate with just one win. If they lose both games, depending on the other results, they can also be eliminated.

If Rajasthan Royals and Deccan Chargers win their remaining two games, it is virtually curtains for the other two contenders Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab, who have a game each against the Chargers.

Chennai Super Kings also run the risk of elimination if they lose all games and some other games go to their disadvantage! Their loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore can come back to haunt them.

Any win by Kolkota Knight Riders can impact the chances of Deccan Chargers or Rajasthan Royals in a big way, and their game against Rajasthan Royals will be a key game.

The only inconsequential game now appears to be the Mumbai Indians Vs Delhi Daredevils.

If you are supporting any team other than DD, MI or KKR, don’t clip your finger nails!!

More scenarios!!!

Scenario 1
Kings XI Punjab wins remaining games against DC and CSK
Royal Challengers Bangalore win remaining games against DC and DD
Rajasthan Royals win remaining games against DD and KKR
Chennai Super Kings win one game against KKR
Delhi Daredevils win one game against MI
Kolkota Kinght Riders lose remaining two games
Deccan Chargers lose remaining two games
Mumbai Indians lose remaining game

Final Tally:
DD - 18
CSK - 17
RR - 17
RCB and KXIP tied on 16 each.
Deccan Chargers will be eliminated</span>

Scenario 2

Deccan Chargers wins remaining two games against KXIP and RCB
Rajasthan Royals win remaining two games against DD and KKR
Chennai SuperKings win two remaining games against KKR and KXIP.
Delhi Daredevils lose remaining games to RR, RCB and MI
Kings XI Punjab lose remaining two games against CSK and DC
Mumbai Indians win final game against DD
Royal Challengers win against DD and lose to DC
Kolkota Knight Riders lose games to CSK and RR.

Final Tally:
CSK – 19
DC – 18
RR – 17
DD – 16
RCB & KXIP will be eliminated

Scenario 3

Chennai Super Kings lose remaining games to KKR and KXIP
Delhi Daredevils lose all three remaining games to RR, RCB and MI.
Rajasthan Royals lose to KKR and win against DD
Royal Challengers Bangalore win remaining two games against DC and DD.
Mumbai Indans win against DD
Deccan Chargers lose to KXIP and RCB.
Kings XI Punjab win both games against DC and CSK.
Kolkota Knight Riders beat RR and CSK.

Final Tally:
DD – 16
RCB – 16
KXIP – 16
CSK and RR tied on 15 each.
Deccan Chargers eliminated

Scenario 4

Kings XI Punjab win remaining games against DC and CSK
Royal Challengers Bangalore win remaining games against DC and DD
Rajasthan Royals win remaining games against KR and DD
Delhi Daredevils lose all remaining games –RR, RCB and MI.
Chennai Super Kings lose all remaining games – KKR, KXIP.
Kolkota Kinght Riders lose to RR and defeat CSK.
Deccan Chargers lose remaining games against KXIP and RCB
Mumbai Indians defeat DD.

Final Tally
RR – 17
DD – 16
KXIP – 16
RCB – 16
CSK and DC eliminated

Scenario 5

Kings XI Punjab win remaining games against DC and CSK
Royal Challengers Bangalore win remaining games against DC and DD
Rajasthan Royals lose remaining games against KR and DD
Delhi Daredevils lose to RCB and MI, win against RR
Chennai Super Kings lose to KXIP and KKR
Kolkota Knight Riders win against CSK and RR
Mumbai Indians win against DD.
Deccan Chargers lose to KXIP and RCB

Final Tally:
DD – 18
RCB – 16
KXIP – 16
CSK – 15
Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals eliminated.

Scenario 6
Deccan Chargers win against KXIP and lose against RCB
Kings XI Punjab win against CSK and lose against DC.
Royal Challengers Bangalore win against DC and lose to DD.
Rajasthan Royals win against KKR and lose to DD
Delhi Daredevils win against RR, RCB and lose to MI
Mumbai Indians win against DD
Chennai Super Kings lose to KXIP and KKR.
KKR win against CSK and lose to RR

Final Tally:
DD – 20
DC – 16
CSK – 15
RR – 15
RCB and KXIP will be eliminated

Scenario 7
Deccan Chargers win against RCB and lose against KXIP
Kings XI Punjab win against DC and lose against CSK
Royal Challengers Bangalore win against DD and lose to DC.
Rajasthan Royals win against DD and lose to KKR
Delhi Daredevils lose against RR, RCB and win against MI
Mumbai Indians lose against DD
Chennai Super Kings defeat KXIP and lose KKR.
KKR win against CSK and RR

Final Tally:
DD – 18
CSK – 17
DC – 16
RR – 15
RCB and KXIP will be eliminated

IPL 2009 - The Top 4 - Who?????

How wide open is the IPL 2009? Totally, with all teams other than Kolkota Kinght Riders in the fray. Depending on how the remaining games go, even the leaders Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils can miss out the last four!! Royal Challengers and Kings XI Punjab could go as high as the 2nd and 3rd team!

Here are some scenarios. Pick your choice!! :-)

E&OE!!!!! :=) just in case some error has crept in, though this had been compiled diligently!!


Scenario 1

1. Mumbai Indians win all remaining games against DD, CSK and RR.
2. Rajasthan Royals lose to MI and win two games against DD and KKR.
3. Kings XI Punjab win three defeating CSK, DD and DC.
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore win three defeating CSK, DD and DC.
5. Kolkota Knight Riders win against CSK and DC and lose to RR.
6. Delhi Daredevils lose games to RR, RCB, KXIP, MI and defeat DC..
7. Chennai Super Kings lose all four remaining games to RCB, KXP, MI and KKR.
8. Deccan Chargers lose to KKR, KXIP, DC and RCB

Final four will be:

Mumbai Indians – 17 points
Royal Challengers Bangalore – 16 points
Kings XI Punjab – 16 points
Delhi Daredevils – 16 points

Chennai Super Kings, Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals eliminated.

Scenario – 2

1. Delhi Daredevils win all remaining games, defeating DC, RR, RCB, KXIP, and MI.
2. Chennai Super Kings win all remaining games, defeating RCB, KXIP, MI, KKR.
3. Deccan Charges win three games against RCB, KXIP, KKR and lose one to DD.
4. Mumbai Indians win against RR and lose to DD and CSK.
5. Rajasthan Royals win against KKR and lose to DD and MI.
6. Royal Challengers Bangalore lose three games to DD, CSK and DC.
7. Kings XI Punjab lose three games to DD, CSK and DC.
8. Kolkota Knight Riders lose three games to CSK, RR and DC.

Final four will be:

Delhi Daredevils - 24 points
Chennai Super Kings - 21 points
Deccan Chargers - 18 points
Mumbai Indians - 13 points with a better net run rate against Rajasthan Royals also with 13 points.

On current form, this could be the more probable scenario.

Scenario – 3

1. Royal Challengers Bangalore win remaining three games against DD, CSK and DC.
2. Kings XI Punjab win three remaining games against DD, CSK and DC.
3. Rajasthan Royals win three remaining games against DD, MI and KKR
4. Deccan Charges win two games against DD and KKR and lose to RCB and KXIP.
5. Delhi Daredevils lose four games against RR, DC, RCB and KXIP and win against MI and KKR.
6. Kolkota Knight Riders lose all three remaining games against CSK, RR and DC.
7. Chennai Super Kings lose two games to RCB and KXIP and win against MI and KKR.
8. Mumbai Indians lose all three games to DD, CSK, RR.

Final four will be:

Chennai Super Kings 17 points
Rajasthan Royals 17 points
Net Run Rate deciding between Delhi Daredevils, Deccan Chargers, Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kings XI Punjab – all with 16 each!

Mumbai Indians eliminated.

Scenario – 4

1. Mumbai Indians win all remaining games against DD, CSK and RR.
2. Rajasthan Royals lose to MI and win two games against DD and KKR.
3. Kings XI Punjab win three defeating CSK, DD and DC.
4. Royal Challengers Bangalore win three defeating CSK, DD and DC.
5. Kolkota Knight Riders win against CSK and DC and lose to RR.
6. Delhi Daredevils lose games to RR, RCB, KXIP, MI and DC.
7. Chennai Super Kings lose all four remaining games to RCB, KXP, MI and KKR.
8. Deccan Chargers lose to KKR, KXIP and RCB, and win against DD.

Final four will be:

Mumbai Indians – 17 points
Royal Challengers Bangalore – 16 points
Kings XI Punjab – 16 points
Deccan Chargers – 15 points

On current form the least probable scenario, as Chennai Super Kings and Delhi Daredevils miss out!

But it is cricket and there are mega money Corporates involved. Who knows how the results will pan out!!!

Raja's Gems - Deccan Chargers Vs Rajasthan Royals at Kimberly (11th May 2009)

“Paper se kya hota hai? Kuch nahi hota hai!!” That was the first gem Ramiz Raja threw up, insinuating the Deccan Chargers to be a bunch of paper tigers, as he announced he was also a BBBBBIIIIIIIIIIGGGGGGGGGGGG fan of Shane Warne. He wasn’t quite done as he went on to slam the Deccan Chargers batsmen bang in the face, in hindi – something to the effect of, “They don’t play with their head” Chang looked on highly impressed, as his hair dresser was seriously looking at alternate job options, losing out in the bargain, potential high profile clients like Ramiz, who must have saved a few thousands by growing his hair and head.

Chargers’s start was messed up by New Zealander Baxter, Gilly declared out lbw to a Pathan delivery pitched outside the leg side. “What a master stroke, Yusuf gets Gilchrist with a great delivery” gushed Ramiz. The TV replays confirmed that the ball had pitched outside the leg stump when Gilchrist attempted the sweep. Ramiz rebuilt the damage with, “it was just a little outside”, which sounded more like a girl proclaiming that she was only a little pregnant!

Someone seriously needs to have a talk with both Baxter and Asnani from India and tell them that if a ball pitches outside the leg stump, a batsman CANNOT BE GIVEN OUT!! Asnani also needs to be told that when a bat hits the ball before it hits the pad, again, it CANNOT BE GIVEN OUT LBW!! Thankfully Asnani was not accompanying Baxter for this game, but one shudders to think of the day these two come together!

The exuberant “President, Rohit Sharma & Shane Warne Fan Club” was gushing again as Yusuf Pathan was taken off after one over, and Trivedi was brought into the attack when Rohit Sharma came in at number three. ”He is such a fine player of spin bowling! Warne has read the opposition really well”. A few overs later Rohit Sharma, looking more like Munaf Patel with the bat these days, went cluelessly down the wicket to spinner Jadeja and ‘keeper Ojha had enough time to stump him after the ball popped out of his hand.

And yes, when Trivedi was brought on after Munaf Patel and Yusuf Pathan had bowled one over each, came another Ramiz special. “Warne is seriously rotating the bowling order!” Some order, indeed! The disappointment ofcourse was that he didn’t go on to say something like, “Warnie is so great, not just the batting order he can also rotate the bowling order like he spins the ball!”.

The next man to get Ramiz’s attention was Dwayne Smith, probably in Ramiz’s book a key player in the ‘does not play with the head’ group. “He is not good against spinners though he can whack the medium pacers real hard” was the judgement. In the final analysis, Smith got 37 of his 47 runs from 27 deliveries from the spinners, hitting a six each off Jadeja, Warne and Yusuf for a six each.

One expected great stuff when finally Ranjit joined Ramiz during the Royals innings, but unfortunately nothing much came out. Ramiz seemed to have lost his form and all he could muster was “there is a lot of action in this over, sponsored by our sponsors………….”.

Ranjit did make an attempt to leap ahead of Ramiz when Ravindra Jadeja was batting, ‘one of the talented youngsters threatening to showcase his talent……………..”. Ramiz however is moving fast ahead of Ranjit to claim the Yellow cRap Commentator position with his pearls.

On to more mundane things about the game.

Luckily for the Deccan Chargers they noticed they had someone called Chaminda Vaas in their squad and replaced him with Ryan “Who” Harris. The bowling line-up with Vass, RP Singh and Ojha looked far better.

With Symonds coming in and firing away, and Dwayne Smith playing with a calmingly murderous approach, Chargers look like a side that can match and compete well with any side. The disappointments would be Gilchrist himself, who has not been the Gilchrist one expected and the pedestrian Rohit Sharma who again looked clueless with the bat. But then, as Gilchrist pointed out, he seems to be in the race for the purple cap instead of the orange cap!!

Royals look regal when things work for them, and like rubble when things don't! Yusuf Pathan may have to be given the opening slot and the entire 20 overs at his disposal perhaps.

The Genius Of Raja!! Ramiz Raja!!!

The world is a tad bit worried about the swine flu, and anyone suspected of it is being quarantined. Under these circumstances, wonder of wonder, why of all the people Ramiz Raja was let loose upon unsuspecting Set Max TV viewers suddenly!!

The first Paki flavour to the IPL, with Ramiz at the mike must have worried Ranjit Fernando, the Yellow CrAP Commentator of this IPL tournament. True to expectations, Ramiz mouthed away all the mistakes the Mumbai Indians committed and explained in clear details how they could have won the game. Someone must hire him as their CEO or coach, and spare the viewers.

But Ramiz, the Rohit Sharma Fan Club President, who had earlier gone to town with a massive outburst against the ‘non-finisher’ Duminy, was not done. The rains came down when he was with Mandira Bedi. An umbrella propped up, as Ramiz broke into a song with the heavily tanned Ms Bedi!!!! Any Bollywood producer watching? We wish someone did, hopefully the Ramsay brothers, and they sign him off from the mike with an acting assignment for the lead role in the next horror venture.

And yes, there were pearls of wisdom in the KKR/Delhi Daredevils game from Ramiz. KKR lost three wickets in no time, and Ramiz was excited!! “KKR are in danger of losing the game in the first innings!!!” he screamed. And then went on to make Ganguly the captain of KKR, “It is good to see him promote himself up the order to open” and the best (till now) came when he made the “City of Joy” Kolkotta a “town”!! “The town of Kolkotta will be happy to see Ganguly.........he is a dada there! In fact all over India!!!”

Missing Ramiz Raja as he goes off the microphone after seven overs!  Enter now, Ravi Shastri screaming, “That is two wickets in the first over for Amit Mishra, and it doesn’t get any better than this!!” Duhhhh!!! Not even 3 wickets or more?