Rajasthan Royals vs Knight Riders: Images

Indian Bollywood Actress and co-owner of the Rajasthan Royals cricket team Shilpa Shetty looks on as rain delayed the start of the IPL Twenty20 match between Kolkata Knight riders and Rajasthan Royals at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town.

Yusuf Pathan of the Rajasthan Royals plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. He scored 42 runs at a strike rate of 200.

Graeme Smith plays a shot during the IPL T20 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rajasthan Royals. He scored 15 runs.

Brendan McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders appeals as teammate Chris Gayle takes a catch off Graeme Smith.

Ajantha Mendis of Kolkata Knight Riders appeals succesfully against Graeme Smith of Rajasthan Royals during the IPL Twenty20 match at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town.

Graeme Smith of Rajasthan Royals walks back dejected after getting out during the IPL Twenty20 match.

Ishant Sharma of the Kolkata Knight Riders is congratulated by teammate Brendan McCullum after taking the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja of the Rajasthan Royals during their IPL Twenty20 match at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town

Cheerleaders light up IPL-2 Images

Cheerleaders for the Bangalore Royal Challengers cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) perform during a preview at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on April 13, 2009. The RCB cheerleaders are known as the "Mischief Girls".

Cheerleaders for the Deccan Chargers perform during the IPL Twenty20 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 19, 2009.

Kings XI Punjab's cheerleaders seen during the game between Delhi Daredevils and the Kings XI Punjab, at the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket match in Cape Town on April 19, 2009.

Cheerleaders for the Bangalore Royal Challengers perform during a game between the Bangalore Royal Challengers and Rajasthan Royals at the Indian Premier League Twenty20 cricket match in Cape Town on April 18, 2009.

A cheerleader for the Bangalore Royal Challengers cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) perform during a preview at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on April 13, 2009. The RCB cheerleaders are known as the "Mischief Girls".

Cheerleaders perform duirng the during their IPL Twenty20 league match between Mumbai Indians and Chennai Superkings at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 18, 2009.

Cheerleaders for the Kolkata Knight Riders perform during the IPL Twenty20 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Deccan Chargers at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 19, 2009.

Cheerleaders for the Deccan Chargers perform during the IPL Twenty20 match against Kolkata Knight Riders at Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 19, 2009.

Cheerleaders for Royal Challengers Bangalore perform during the IPL Twenty20 match against Chennai Super Kings at St George's Park in Port Elizabeth on April 20, 2009.

Cheerleaders for the Bangalore Royal Challengers cricket team of the Indian Premier League (IPL) perform during a preview at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on April 13, 2009. The IPL matches are scheduled to take place in South Africa from April 18 to May 24.

Cheerleaders perform during the IPL Twenty20 match between King's XI Punjab and Kolkata Knight Riders at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders won by 11 runs (D/L method).

Shah Rukh Khan and Preity Zinta in Durban

Kings XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta talks with team coach Tom Moody prior to a match during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009.

Bollywood film actor and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders Shah Rukh Khan watches his team's encounter with Kings XI Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders won by 11 runs (D/L method).

Kings XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood film actress Preity Zinta talks on her mobile phone prior to a match during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009.

Bollywood film actor and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan (C) waves during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings X1 Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.

Bollywood film actor and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders cricket team Shah Rukh Khan gestures to fans as he arrives at Durban's International Airport on April 20, 2009.

Kings XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta smiles while walking alongside Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh prior to a match against Kolkata Knight Riders of the IPL Twenty20 at the kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Yuvraj Singh is the captain of Kings XI Punjab.

Kings XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta (right) gives instructions prior to a match against Kolkata Knight Riders of the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009.

Action from RCB vs Chargers: Image gallery

Adam Gilchrist and Rohit Sharma powered Deccan Chargers to 184 for six, the highest total in the Indian Premier League's second edition so far. Adam Gilchrist of Deccan Chargers plays a shot during their IPL T20 match against Bangalore Royal Challengers at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 22, 2009.

Praveen Kumar of Bangalore Royal Challengers gestures after taking the wicket of Herschelle Gibbs of Deccan Chargers during their IPL T20 match at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town.

Kevin Pietersen gestures as teammate Jacques Kallis looks on during the IPL T20 match against Deccan Chargers at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town.

Jesse Ryder of Bangalore Royal Challengers reacts after taking the wicket of VVS Laxman of Deccan Chargers during the IPL T20 match at the Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 22, 2009.

Jesse Ryder celebrates with Kevin Pietersen after taking the wicket of VVS Laxman of Deccan Chargers during their IPL T20 match at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 22, 2009.

Rohit Sharma of Deccan Chargers avoids a bouncer during the IPL T20 match at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 22, 2009

Captain of Bangalore Royal Challengers Kevin Pietersen celebrates with teammate Virat Kohli after taking the wicket of Deccan Chargers Australian batsman Adam Gilchrist during the IPL T20 match at The Newlands Cricket Stadium in Cape Town on April 22, 2009.

Images: Kolkata Knight Riders defeat Kings XI Punjab courtesy D/L

Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and offered Yuvraj Singh and Co first strike.The Preity Zinta owned team managed 158 with Yuvraj Singh top-scoring with 38. Kolkata in response were 79/1 before rain stopped play and for the second time in a row Kings XI Punjab were beaten by the elements and M/S Duckworth and Lewis.Kolkata Knight Riders winning with a rainy smile by 11 runs.

King's XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta talks to team coach Tom Moody prior to a match during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kings XI Punjab take on Kolkata Knight Riders on the fourth day of the Indian Premier League

Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan of King's XI Punjab plays a ball for a boundary against Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 match at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.

Indian cricketer Murali Kartik of Kolkata Knight Riders takes a successful catch to dismiss Indian batsman Irfan Pathan of King's XI Punjab during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kings XI are 104 runs for the loss of three wickets in 14 overs as play continues.

Bollywood film actor and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan waves during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings X1 Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Kolkata Knight Riders won the toss and elected to field.

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh of King's XI Punjab drives the ball as New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders looks on during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. He scored 38.

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh of King's XI Punjab drives the ball as New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders looks on during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Punjab scored 158 runs for the loss of six wickets in their alotted 20 overs.

Sri Lankan cricketer Kumar Sangakkara of King's XI Punjab drives the ball as New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders looks on during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban on April 21, 2009. Punjab scored 158 runs for the loss of six wickets in their alotted 20 overs.

Royal Challengers vs Super Kings: Images

Matthew Hayden hit a blistering 65 off 35 balls to give Chennai Super Kings a flying start against Bangalore Royal Challengers.

Kevin Pietersen (L) of Bangalore Royal Challengers gestures while talking to teammate Vinay Kumar during the match against Chennai Superkings at St. George's Park.

Mathew Hayden plays a shot during the IPL Twenty20 match as Bangalore Royal Challengers as Robin Uthappa looks on.

Parthiv Patel walks back to the pavillion as Royal Challengers's captain Kevin Pietersen and team-mates celebrates the dismissal.

Robin Uthappa of Royal Challengers Bangalore looks on as Australia's Matthew Hayden falls short of a couple of yards to get out off Dravid's direct hit.

Kevin Pietersen hugs teammate Rahul Dravid as they celebrate the dismissal of Matthew Hayden during the IPL Twenty20 match at St. George's Park in Port Elizabeth.

ICL players heading to US Twenty20 event

Players from the rebel Indian Cricket League and some big names from the sport's past are to take part in an as yet unauthorised Twenty20 [Images] tournament in New York in October, the event organiser told Reuters on Thursday.
Jay Mir, president and CEO of American Sports And Entertainment Group, said the tournament, to be called the American Premier League, has signed up players from the major cricket nations with the majority coming from the ICL.
But the sport's governing body, the International Cricket Council [Images], which has not recognised the ICL, has warned its members against taking part in an event which has not, as yet, received endorsement from the USA Cricket Association.
"Most of those involved are ex-players and ICL players. Some would be affected (if the tournament was not recognised) but that is the choice of the players," Mir said.
"Sixty to seventy percent of the tournament's players are ICL players
Mir said former England [Images] spin bowler John Emburey, a coach in the ICL, had agreed to be coach of a 'Premium World' team in the competition with ex-West Indies captain Richie Richardson coaching a Caribbean XI.
The 'Premium World' team is made up of players from England, South Africa , Australia , New Zealand and Sri Lanka said Mir, who declined to name any of those contracted.
He added, however, that former New Zealand all-rounder Richard Hadlee has signed up as an 'executive board member' of the event and former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq has agreed to play.
ICC MEMO
Many countries ban ICL players from official cricket under pressure from the influential Indian board which runs the big-money Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament.
The ICC issued a memo to members last week, a copy of which has been received by Reuters, which warns against involvement in the American venture.
"Members are... precluded from releasing their players to play in this event until such time as ICC confirms that the event has been approved," read the memo.
A spokesman for the USA Cricket Association (USACA) said Mir had last contacted the body on the phone a month ago but had yet to make a formal application for authorisation.
Mir said he was confident of getting that authorisation but that the tournament, which was no longer recruiting players, would go ahead with or without the blessing of the sport's official bodies.
"APL will go down all avenues to work in conjunction with USACA, but in case that does not happen, it will not affect APL from hosting this historic event," he added
The tournament will feature six sides. Teams of Indians, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, American and West Indians, along with the World team, will play each other once with the top four going through to a knockout stage.
"I want to bring this great game of cricket to America," said Mir, "We have had a phenomenal response and what we have achieved in one month no one has achieved in 20 years.
"The business model is very unique. The name is unique and is helping the success. I believe cricket and USA are at a historic crossroad and it is the right time for this great sport to flourish in America," he said.
The tournament will be held at a baseball park on Staten Island, home to the minor league Staten Island Yankees and run from October 6-26.

Concerned India to send Narayanan, Menon to Sri Lanka

New Delhi: Amid the growing humanitarian crisis in Sri Lanka, India Thursday called for "an immediate cessation of all hostilities" in the island and announced that it will send two special emissaries to Colombo.
External affairs ministry official sources told IANS that the two Indian officials visiting the crisis-hit nation are National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon.
"We are very unhappy at the continued killings in Sri Lanka. All killings must stop. There must be an immediate cessation of all hostilities," External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a statement here.
The strongly-worded message from the Indian government came on a day the DMK-sponsored shutdown called by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi over the sufferings of the Tamil civilians in Sri Lanka crippled normal life in the state.
The exodus of Tamil civilians from the war zone has escalated into a grave humanitarian crisis even as the Sri Lankan government claimed that the Tamil Tiger rebels were about to be crushed.
Mukherjee said the "government of India has been monitoring with deep concern and anxiety the evolving situation in Sri Lanka, in particular the conditions of the Tamil civilians in the conflict zones."
"We understand that over 100,000 civilians have emerged from the no-fire zone into areas under government control in the past three days but the lives of several thousands of innocent civilians remain threatened," Mukherjee said.
"In order to convey these concerns to the government of Sri Lanka, the government of India has decided to send two special emissaries to Sri Lanka," he said.
India Wednesday sent 40,000 family packs of food, clothes and toiletries for civilians who have emerged from the war zone. The relief materials are expected to reach Sri Lanka Saturday.

Lanka govt 'more at fault' than LTTE: Chidambaram

Sivaganga: Union home minister P Chidambaram on Thursday said both LTTE and Sri Lanka were not paying heed to India's request to end hostilities but felt Colombo was "more at fault" as it thought military solution could end the strife.
Stating that the Sri Lankan Tamils issue was a humanitarian one and there was need to protect the lives of the people, he said India had asked the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE to stop the hostilities.
"We have been making the demand continuously for many days. But both the LTTE and the Sri Lankan government are not paying heed to our request," he said.
However, Sri Lankan government was more at fault regarding the ongoing battle because they were thinking that military solution could end the strife, he told reporters after filing his nomination papers from Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency.
"The issue cannot be resolved by the army. It has to be resolved through negotiations. The Tamils should be given equal respect, status and right. Tamil dominated one or two provinces should be made states with equal rights within the Sri Lankan federal set up," he said.
Asked about Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK President M Karunanidhi's demand for snapping diplomatic ties with the Lankan government if it did not stop the war, he said "it is a serious issue and it cannot be discussed in a press meet."
Queried if LTTE chief Prabhakaran would be given asylum, he said "I can't comment. It is a legal issue." Chidambaram described today's general strike on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue called by DMK, an ally of Congress, as an expression of "anguish" against killing of Tamils in the island nation. "It is not against the Union government or Congress.
It is for stopping the hostilities there in that country." He said it was wrong to say that the Union Government did not take any steps to stop the hostilities in the island. Right from 1983 successive central governments had been following the same policy vis-a-vis the Sri Lankan strife.
All parties including PMK, AIADMK, MDMK, had been allies in those Governments, he said. "Now some political parties are trying to mislead the people and are claiming it is a poll plank," he said, apparently taking a dig at AIADMK and its allies who have refused to take part in the strike with Jayalalithaa dismissing it as 'farce and a drama.' Asked about Jayalalithaa describing as a drama sending of telegrams and letters to Prime Minister by Karunanidhi on Lankan Tamils issue, he retorted: "I am not in the film industry. I do not know whether it is a drama or farce."

Pakistan moves troops as Taliban invade another district

Islamabad: Taliban militants clashed with Pakistani security forces ON Thursday as they moved into the northwestern district of Buner, said an official, as Western leaders worried over the mounting threat to the Pakistani government.
The movement of eight platoons of Frontier Constabulary seems to have failed in blocking the Taliban who reportedly have invaded another neighbouring district of Shangla.
The insurgents fired at the two platoons of paramilitary troops from their positions in the mountains in the Chinglai area of Buner district as they headed to guard the government buildings in the area.
"One policeman in a police squad escorting the paramilitary troops died and another was injured," said local police official Rasool Khan.
"The troops retreated following the attack while the insurgents are still holding their positions on the hilltops." Hundreds of Taliban infiltrated Buner district from the militancy-plagued Swat valley days after President Asif Ali Zardari signed a peace deal with the Taliban to end a 16-month long conflict in the Swat valley.
As the clashes were taking place in Buner, more than 30 Taliban fighters entered another district of Shangla, that borders both Swat and Buner, Geo television reported citing eye-witnesses. However, the local officials in Shangla denied the report.
The Taliban expansion is perceived as a direct threat to Islamabad, located only 100 km southwest of Buner. "I think that the Pakistani government is basically abdicating to the Taliban and to the extremists," US Foreign Secretary Hillary Clinton told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Wednesday.
"We cannot underscore the seriousness of the existential threat posed to the state of Pakistan by the continuing advances, now within hours, of Islamabad," she said. According to her, the militants were "seeking the overthrow of the Pakistani state."

Freida Pinto tenth, Cheryl Cole tops World's Sexiest Woman poll

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has landed the tenth position in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women Of 2009 list.

Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto has landed the tenth position in FHM's 100 Sexiest Women Of 2009 list.
The crown for the sexiest woman in the world went to Cheryl Cole.
According to FHM, nearly ten million voters across the globe chose the Girls Aloud singer, who became the first Brit to bag the title in three years.
The 25-year-old overtook last year's titleholder actress Megan Fox, who was now placed at the second position, reports the Sun.
Jessica Alba grabbed the third spot followed by pop princess Britney Spears.
Rounding up the top five was an English Page 3 Girl and glamour model Keeley Hazell.
Pinto appeared in the chart for the first time, debuting in at 10th position.
Meanwhile, other celebrities who landed a spot in the prestigious list were - French president Nicolas Sarkozy's wife Carla Bruni, who was voted 40th sexiest woman in the world.
The singer-former model was voted sexier than both Eva Longoria (41st) and Pussycat Dolls singer Nicole Scherzinger (60th).
Top Ten Sexiest Women in the World are:
1) Cheryl Cole
2) Megan Fox
3) Jessica Alba
4) Britney Spears
5) Keeley Hazell
6) Adriana Lima
7) Elisha Cuthbert
8) Kristin Kreuk
9) Anna Friel
10) Freida Pinto.

LTTE chief ‘Puli’ Prabhakaran: Yet to be sighted?

The news emanating from war zone in Sri Lanka is hazy.And the rumour mills are working over time over the fate of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) chief Vellupillai 'Puli' Prabhakaran.

The speculation is so rife that some international observers say the embattled Puli might have escaped along with the tens of thousands of civilians living in the war zone which is situated in dense forest area.Lankan troops have trashed reports which claimed about Prabhakaran’s escape.

Another one doing round is that Prabhakaran is yet to be sighted either by the troopers or by the escaping civilians in Puthukudiyirippu, Puthumathalan areas of Mullaitivu district.

Sri Lankan government has banned the entry of both international and local media and the world is forced to rely solely on Sri Lankan state media.

Tamils across the world are closely watching the developments in Lanka with renewed interest and held huge protest rallies in London, Paris, New York, Chennai and several other European cities.

Prabhakaran’s fate was almost sealed or so it seemed, after Sri Lankan government revealed on Wednesday that two top LTTE leaders - Velayutham Dayanithi, whose nom de guerre is Daya Master, and an interpreter known only as George, surrendered.

Daya Master is LTTE spokesman and is the most senior LTTE official to be nabbed, so far.The question foremost in the minds of those following the developments in Sri Lanka are has Prabhakaran escaped or are the Tigers fighting with back to the wall.

LTTE watchers say in all probability Prabhakaran might have left the battle field.Since the deadline given to the LTTE rebels to surrender ended on Monday, civilians have been asked to leave so that Lankan army could go for a final assault.

As expected LTTE ignored the ultimatum and at least 100,000 civilians have left the area fearing for life and property.But many would like to feel that Prabhakarn might have escaped.

LTTE watchers say civilians would not have been allowed to escape if Prabhakaran was still in the area.

Top Sri Lankan officials have emphatically said that it is near to impossible for Prabhakaran to escape the Lankan Army which has surrounded the area for several weeks now.

In any case, Lankan army officials themselves admit that Prabhakaran would kill himself rather than surrender or let himself caught like former Iraq president Saddam Hussein.

Remember, Prabhakaran himself has ordered each LTTE fighter to bite a cyanide capsule rather than be taken prisoner.Colombo is rushing President Mahinda Rajapashe's brother, Basil Rajapaksa, as a special envoy to New Delhi to brief Indian leaders.

President Rajapakse is in a rush to hold the election in the LTTE held area as early as possible and bring normalcy.Rajapaksa also ruled out a pardon for Prabhakaran if captured alive.

In a non-biding statement that demanded an end to the rebels' use of civilians as human shields, the United Nations Security Council late Wednesday also urged the rebels to lay down their arms, renounce terrorism and join political talks to end the war.

Meanwhile, Lankan army's crackdown on LTTE and the problems faced by Tamil civilians has become a hot topic in Tamil Nadu and has provided ammunition for the political parties to question each other's credentials and concern in fighting for the Tamils' cause.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi even urged Delhi to snap all diplomatic ties with Lanka. He stunned the nation by declaring that Prabhakaran, declared as absconder for his involvement in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, as a "good friend".

Like all rebel leaders Prabhakaran’s private life is not well-known.He is married with three kids and one son Anthony is said to be heading LTTE air force wing.

The whereabouts of his wife Mathivathani Erambu whom he married in 1984 in Madras and one daughter and another son are not known too.It has been reported that Prabhakaran is also suffering from high Blood Pressure, diabetes among other health issues.

It should also be recollected here that the LTTE has been fighting for a separate state exclusively for Tamils for the past 25 years.Initially, Prabhakaran claims to have undertaken armed struggle after peaceful ways to find a respectful identity for the ethnic Tamils minority who were treated as second class citizens met with opposition from successive Sri Lankan governments and majority Sinhalese.

AB de Villiers scores first century of IPL 2009

South African batsman AB de Villiers, who is playing for Delhi Daredevils in the Indian Premier League, became the first batsman to score a century in the second edition of the tournament in Durban on Thursday. He is also the seventh batsman in the history of IPL to score a century in the Twenty20 tournament.

De Villiers remained unbeaten on 105 off 54 balls in his team's total of 189 for 5 against Chennai Super Kings. He hit five boundaries and six sixes, and shared two crucial partnerships with Tillakaratne Dilshan (50) for the third wicket and Manoj Tiwary (9) for the fifth wicket after the Daredevils were reduced to 8 for 2 after two overs.

While De Villiers and Dilshan added 68 runs in just over seven overs for the third wicket, the South African put on 74 runs in 35 balls for the sixth wicket with Tiwary.

De Villiers, in fact should thank his South African team-mate Albie Morkel, for dropping him when he was on 50 in the 16th over of the innings bowled by Manpreet Gony. In fact, De Villiers' innings was the perfect example of pacing an innings in Twenty20 cricket, as he initially took his time to play himself in and let Dilshan do the bulk of the scoring, and started hitting the big shots in the latter part of his innings. He scored his first 50 runs in 35 balls, but his last 55 runs came off only 19 balls!

De Villiers is on record as saying that he wants to be the best batsman in the world, and based on the form he has shown over the last 18 months as well as his splendid unbeaten century against Chennai Super Kings, he certainly appears to be on the right track to achieve his goal in the near future.

The list of hundreds scored in the IPL so far is as under:
Brendon McCullum (Kolkata Knight Riders) -- 158* (73 balls) vs Royal Challengers Bangalore in Bangalore on April 18, 2008.
Michael Hussey (Chennai Super Kings) -- 116* (54 balls) vs Kings XI Punjab in Mohali on April 19, 2008.
Andrew Symonds (Deccan Chargers) -- 117* (53 balls) vs Rajasthan Royals in Hyderabad on April 24, 2008.
Adam Gilchrist (Deccan Chargers) -- 109* (47 balls) vs Mumbai Indians in Mumbai on April 27, 2008.
Sanath Jayasuriya (Mumbai Indians) -- 114* (48 balls) vs Chennai Super Kings in Mumbai on May 14, 2008.
Shaun Marsh (Kings XI Punjab) -- 115 (69 balls) vs Rajasthan Royals in Mohali on May 28, 2008.
AB de Villiers (Delhi Daredeveils) -- 105* (54 balls) vs Chennai Super Kings in Durban on April 23, 2009.

Daredevils beat Chennai Super Kings by 9 runs

Durban: Delhi Daredevils defeated Chennai Super Kings by nine runs in their Indian Premier
League Twenty20 cricket match here today.
Chennai began their chase well with Matthew Hayden (57) and Parthiv Patel (16) taking them to a brisk start.Suresh Raina who came after the dismissal of the Gujarat keeper-batsman chipped in with a quickfire 41. Chennai were 90/2 in 7.5 overs.The stage was set for the Chennai team to take the fight back to the Daredevils.Unfortunately for them Matthew Hayden fell in the very next ball. Chennai lost track soon as none of the major batsmen stayed till the end.The pressure resulted in some half-hearted attempts at clearing the boundary which proved to be their undoing.Chennai falling short by 9 runs to give the Daredevils two points.

Earlier South African AB De Villiers (105) hammered a unbeaten century to propel Delhi Daredevils to a commanding total of 189 for five -- highest total of the tournament so far -- against Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League match here today.Tillakaratna Dilshan scored a 24-ball 50 to set the tone, while De Villiers hit a 54-ball century to propel Delhi after they were pushed to the backfoot by Chennai, removing the explosive openers Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir within two overs.

De Villiers' innings was bejewelled with six massive sixes and five hits to the fence.

Electing to bat first, Delhi Daredevils were left tottering at 8 for two with Gambhir losing his wicket in the very first ball of the innings.

Gambhir (0) paid the price for being overconfident as he danced down the pitch in the very first delivery off Laxmipathy Balaji only to be caught behind by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Sehwag (6) soon joined him in the hut after he tried to pull a rising delivery of Manpreet Gony in the next over only to be caught by Albie Morkel at mid on.

Rajasthan Royals pip Knight Riders via 'Super Over' drama

Newlands Stadium witnessed intense drama as Rajasthan Royals pipped Kolkata Knight Riders via 'Super Over' in an edge-of-the-seat thriller in the Indian Premier League here on Thursday.
Put into bat, Rajasthan Royals had earlier managed 150 for six, a total they owed largely to Yusuf Pathan (42) even though it was Abhishek Raut (21 not out) who provided the late charge for them.
Chasing a victory target of 151, Chris Gayle (41) sizzled at the top while Sourav Ganguly (46) too shone as the Knight Riders managed exactly 150 for eight in their allotted 20 overs.
In the 'Super Over', Knight Riders managed 15 runs off Kamran Khan's over with Chris Gayle scoring 13 off it before being dismissed in the final ball.
In reply, Rajasthan Royals scored 18 off Ajantha Mendis' first four balls with Yusuf Pathan hitting 6,2,6 and 4 to seal the win.
Earlier defending the modest total, Royals captain Shane Warne sprung a surprise by opening the attack with Yusuf Pathan but it was his former Hampshire mate Dimitry Mascarenhas who drew first blood by removing a struggling Brendon McCullum (3).
At the other end, Gayle had warmed up by hitting Mascarenhas for back-to-back sixes and was not content yet. In his next over, Mascarenhas was hit for another six, preceded by a four, as Gayle looked in murderous mood. Stepping in to stop the run flow, Warne too copped one but the wily Aussie eventually had the last laugh in his duel with Gayle as he lured the West Indian to go after him and Ravindra Jadeja took a well judged catch in the deep.
Warne's then came up with two masterstrokes that pegged back the Kolkata outfit. Kamran Khan removed Laxmi Ratan Shukla (13), who lived dangerously all along, in his first over while Munaf got rid of Brad Hodge (5) with his fifth delivery.
His team in dire straits, Ganguly tip-toed his way before back-to-back sixes off Munaf, the second from a free-hit, eased the pressure on him.
Yashpal Singh (20) gave him good company before departing in the penultiamate over and Ganguly too fell in the final over.
Needing two off the last ball, Ishant Sharma managed to complete the first run before running himself out, leading to the stalemate.
Earlier, Yousuf Pathan's 21-ball 42 and Abhishek Raut's unbeaten 13-ball cameo of 21 helped the Royals reach the 150-mark.
Put into bat after a rain-delayed start, the Rajasthan outfit ran into rough weather, losing opener Paul Valthaty (5) and Rob Quiney (6) inside 14 balls. Pathan, however, looked his nonchalant self, hitting Ishant for a six and following it with a boundary before sending Anureet Singh out of the park.
In contrast, Ajantha Mendis, having made his much-awaited IPL II debut, needed just seven balls to taste success, getting rid of a subdued Graeme Smith (15).
The Sri Lankan mystery spinner then dealt a body blow in his next over when the rampaging Pathan miscued a skier that had Yashpal Singh under it.
With Ganguly and Gayle also maintaining a stifling line and length, the Royals went through eight long overs without hitting a six or four as the run rate nosedived.
Ravindra Jadeja (22) perished trying to step up as did Dimitry Mascarenhas (27) before Raut came to their rescue.

Prez lands in Spain; terror, trade on agenda

President Pratibha Devisingh Patil, who is on a two-nation tour, landed in Spain on Monday evening. Over the next few days, India and Spain will discuss ways to strengthen cooperation to fight terrorism, but money matters - business and economy - will dominate the agenda.
The President, who will spend four days in Madrid and then go to Poland, said: "We will begin a new phase in strengthening our partnership with these two important European countries along with whom we face common challenges and the common determination to strengthen the forces of peace, security and development". Talking about commerce, Patil told reporters that there were "concrete opportunities" for much more trade and investment.
"I see considerable potential in our working together with Spain in areas such as agriculture, renewable energy, tourism, automobiles, IT, infrastructure and science and technology," she said. The presidential delegation includes business leaders and representatives of industrial forums, senior officials at the foreign ministry and Rashtrapati Bhavan and three MPs.

Advani can't take decisions on his own: Sonia Gandhi

Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Thursday took a dig at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Lal Krishna Advani, saying he depends on a particular organisation to take decisions.
"The top most office bearers in BJP cannot take even a small decision on their own and need permission from an organisation to chalk out the course of action," Sonia Gandhi said at an election rally here.
Gandhi further said that Congress runs on its wishes and does not seek permission from any organisation.
The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson said that Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had staked his government for the Nuclear deal with USA at a crucial time.
"The BJP had opposed the nuclear deal and not allowed Parliament to function, but now it was supporting it," she added

Reliance Q4 net down, but better than forecast

India's biggest energy group, Reliance Industries Ltd, reported quarterly net profit fell 1 percent as global economic crisis hurt demand, but still fared better than market expectations.
Reliance, valued at $54 billion, should show significant growth in coming quarters from sales of gas it started pumping this month from its deep-sea field off India's east coast.
"This was a transformational year for Reliance," Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said in a statement on Thursday, pointing to the commissioning of the Reliance Petroleum refinery and the completion of gas development projects.
The company said oil production from KG-D6 block was expected to resume in the last week of April. The production was shut down for repairs from December.
Reliance posted a net profit excluding exceptional items of 38.74 billion rupees ($773 million) for its fiscal fourth quarter ended March, compared with 39.12 billion a year ago.
It said it has provided 3.7 billion rupees as provision towards estimated claims from subsidiaries.
A Reuters poll had forecast a net profit of 36.1 billion rupees.
Reliance's most-watched refining margins fell to $9.9 per barrel in the quarter from $15.5 a year earlier.
Analysts expected Reliance's refining margins to fall to $8-$12 a barrel in the March quarter, tracking the decline in Asian benchmark Dubai crack margin .
The Asian benchmark Dubai crack margin averaged $5.6 per barrel in the quarter from $7 a year ago, data from Thomson Reuters showed.
"Better-than-expected petchem margin and other income has helped Reliance's numbers," Prayesh Jain, a research analyst with India Infoline said.
The company said its petrochemicals EBIT margin for the quarter rose to 17.7 percent from 10.4 percent a year before.
Other income rose to 9.93 billion rupees from 2.89 billion a year ago.
"In 2009/10, we estimate 126 rupees of consolidated EPS (earnings per share) for the company, mainly driven by KG-D6 gas production, and marginally gaining from RIL-RPL (Reliance Industries-Reliance Petroleum) merger," Jain added.
Turnover fell to 290.73 billion rupees from 386.97 billion a year ago.
State-owned rival Oil & Natural Gas Corp is expected to report net profit rose by almost one-third in the same quarter as lower crude prices meant it did not have to share the subsidy burden of state-run oil marketing companies, analysts said.
Ahead of the results, shares in Reliance, closed up 2.7 percent at 1,762.35 rupees in a Mumbai market that rose 2.9 percent.
The stock jumped 24 percent in the March quarter, outperforming a flat benchmark index and the energy sector's 16.6 percent rise.

High security for Rahul's election rallies in Bengal

Amidst high security, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will be on a whirlwind tour to the Maoist belt and northern part of West Bengal Friday to canvass support for party candidates in the Lok Sabha polls.
Gandhi will arrive in the city Friday morning and immediately set out for Purulia to hold his first meeting. His next stop-over will be Bankura, from where state Congress executive president Subrata Mukherjee is in fray.
Gandhi will then hop over in a chopper to Malda South and Jalpaiguri in north Bengal, before returning to Kolkata the same day.
The two western districts of Bankura and Purulia are considered hotbeds of Maoist activities in the state, prompting the police to throw an enhanced security cover for the young leader.
With the Maoists intensifying their attacks in various states ahead of and during the poll process, the police are not willing to take any chances.
'We have taken all measures to grant him full security. The steps will be as per the threat perception to Gandhi,' state Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told IANS here.
Bankura superintendent of police Vishal Garg said: 'We are fully prepared to prevent any breach of peace. Adequate number of policemen have been deployed for the meeting.'
Purulia police superintendent Rajesh Yadav said apart from the presence of the Sepcial Protection Group, which provides security to him round the year, there will be a large force of state police personnel at the venue and along Gandhi's route from the helipad to the nearby venue.
Gandhi's visit has generated great enthusiasm among his party workers.
'We will welcome him with tribal dances and tribal music in Bankura,' Subrata Mukherjee told IANS.
Asked how such VIP meetings help in elections, Mukherjee said: 'Basically it acts as a tonic for the workers and boost their confidence levels.'
On Saturday, the state will play host to three election meetings of Rahul's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
She is slated to begin with a joint rally alongside alliance partner Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee at Murshidabad district's Jangipur, from where External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee is in the race.
Her other two rallies are at Siliguri and Malda North in North Bengal the same day.

India demands Sri Lanka end war on Tamil Tigers

India asked Sri Lanka on Thursday to stop its military campaign against the Tamil Tigers, while the issue forced a regional party to shut down a key electoral swing state in the middle of India's election.
India said it would send two special emissaries to Sri Lanka, to convey the government's concern about more trapped civilians in the war zone and demand an end to the war.
"We are very unhappy at the continued killing in Sri Lanka. All killing must stop. There must be an immediate cessation of all hostilities," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
Indian politicians face pressure to protect Sri Lankan Tamils, who are closely linked to about 60 million Tamils in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu across a narrow strait from Sri Lanka.
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK), which rules Tamil Nadu state and is an ally of India's ruling coalition, called a 12-hour strike in the state, but experts said it was an attempt to garner votes with a show of sympathy for Sri Lankan Tamils.
DMK has upped the rhetoric against the Sri Lankan military ahead of voting in Tamil Nadu next month. India is now voting to form a government in a staggered month-long general election.
On Thursday, shops and business remained closed in Tamil Nadu and traffic stayed off the road, a shutdown experts said had more to do with the polls than concern for Tamil refugees.
"The strike call is a feeble attempt by (DMK chief) Karunanidhi to show the people that he is concerned about the happenings in Sri Lanka," Cho S. Ramaswamy, a political commentator, said in Chennai.
The Sri Lankan war has caught India's ruling Congress party in a bind. It needs to please ally DMK and win voters, without being seen as going soft on the Tamil Tigers who are blamed for the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
With 39 parliamentary seats, Tamil Nadu is a big prize in the general election, and the DMK swept the state in 2004, a performance the Congress hopes Karunanidhi's party will repeat.
Sri Lanka's military said troops now control all but 13 sq km of the island, where the LTTE and founder-leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran are fighting a last stand in their war to create a separate state for the Tamil minority.
More than 100,000 refugees have emerged from the war zone this week, overloading the relief efforts.

Navin Chawla takes over as CEC

Navin Chawla on Tuesday took over as the new Chief Election Commissioner succeeding N Gopalaswami, who not long ago had recommended his removal from Nirvachan Sadan sparking a huge political controversy.
Power Secretary V S Sampath also took over as the third Election Commissioner following the elevation of Chawla.
64-year-old Chawla, who was the senior-most Election Commissioner after Gopalaswami in the three-member panel, will remain in office till June 29 next year when he turns 65.
The Chief Election Commissioner, a Constitutional post, enjoys a term of six years or till the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier.
He is the first CEC, who took over in the midst of a five-phased Lok Sabha elections and will oversee four phases of the polls.
The elevation of Chawla, who was appointed as Election Commissioner on May 13, 2005, comes after a controversy triggered by Gopalaswami's recommendation to the President for his removal from office for alleged partisan functioning.
The government had not only turned down Gopalswami's recommendation but had even announced on March four that Chawla would succeed him as CEC.
While demitting office yesterday after an eventful stint, Goplaswami wished Chawla "a very bright tenure".
Chawla had earlier served in various capacities in the government during his chequered career, the last being Secretary in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
He has also served as Secretary to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Chawla was secretary to the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi at the time of Emergency.
He has authored a number of books, including an authorised biography of Mother Teresa which became popular internationally.
Chawla is also a recipient of the Italian government's Mazzini Award, instituted in honour of writer Giuseppe Mazzini, for his contribution to promoting ties between India and Italy.

Karuna writes to PM, Sonia as civilians exodus continues

Chennai/Colombo: As the Sri Lankan government's 24-hour deadline to LTTE chief Prabhakaran to surrender comes to an end on Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi asked the Centre to issue an ultimatum to Colombo to declare an "immediate and permanent ceasefire."
In telegrams sent to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, he said the "war situation in Sri Lanka is alarming and the predicament of the Tamils very critical."
"All nations including the UN pressurises the Sri Lankan government to announce ceasefire immediately. I insist the Prime Minister, UPA Chairperson and External Affairs Minister give an ultimatum to the Sri Lankan government for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Sri Lanka and save lakhs of Tamils in Sri Lanka," he said in the telegram.
Karunanidhi's strong statement came as the Lankan government deadline for Prabhakaran and LTTE militants holed up in a small stretch of territory in the island's north is scheduled to end on Tuesday after which the island's army was expected to launch a final assault.
Meanwhile, Thousands of trapped Tamil civilians continue to flee Sri Lanka's war zone as the deadline for LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran and remnants of his group came close to running out.
Almost 40,000 civilians had come over to government controlled areas till late Monday, a Defence Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.
The Sri Lankan authorities are reading in the mass exodus signs that Tigers may be on the verge of total collapse after waging a rebellion for 25 years.

Now, slipper chucked at Bollywood actor Jeetendra

Mumbai: The footwear-chucking infection seems to be spreading. Bollywood actor Jeetendra was the latest target of a slipper thrown at him during a Congress party road show in a Maharashtra town Tuesday.
Jeetendra was addressing a road show organised by the Congress candidate Manikrao Gavit in the town of Nandurbar, around 375 km from here, when someone from the crowd chucked a slipper at him.
"There were over 3,000 people in the road show at Jalata Bazaar. Somebody from the crowd threw a slipper in the actor's direction," said police Inspector B.M. Pawar, adding that the incident took place at 1.45 in the afternoon.
Party activists immediately pounced on the offender - identified as Dilip Ingle - and took him away. The motive behind his slipper chucking was not clear.
An official from Nandurbar police station said no complaint has been registered with them. Police said they have deployed adequate security in the area, which goes to the polls Thursday. The road show passed off peacefully, Pawar said.
Jeetendra, the father of television czarina Ekta Kapoor and actor Tusshar Kapoor, is the latest of Bollywood stars entering the election campaign trail in the state.
The Maharashtra campaign scene has been considerably glamourised by the presence of Salman Khan, Urmila Matondkar, Ayesha Takia, Raveena Tandon and others from the Marathi film industry.
On April 16, a wooden 'khadaun' or toe-knob sandal was flung at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) senior leader L.K. Advani during a rally in Madhya Pradesh's Katni district. Earlier this month, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Congress MP Naveen Jindal were targeted by people who expressed their anger by throwing footwear at them.

Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 11 runs

Durban: Kolkata Knight Riders beat Kings XI Punjab by 11 runs via -Duckworth-Lewis method in
an Indian Premier League match here today. Kings XI Punjab have now lost their second match n a row with rain playing spoilsport.
Kolkata were 79/1 off 9.2 overs when rain brought the covers on the pitch.Chris Gayle had plundered 44 runs off 26 balls which won him the Man-of-the-Match award.This is their first victory of the tournament.

Put into bat, the Mohali team got off to a sluggish start before Irfan Pathan (32 off 17 balls) came up with a brisk knock to revive the run rate.

Subsequently, captain Yuvraj Singh's breezy 38 and Mahela Jayawardene's (31) unbeaten 19-ball cameo helped Kings XI cross the 150-mark.

Asked to take first strike on the pitch, Kings XI Punjab initially found the going tough as Ishant Sharma conceded just one run in his first over and drew first blood in his second when Chris Gayle rose to pouch Karan Goel's (0) slash in the slips.

Promoted to number three, Irfan did justice to the pinch-hitter's role and runs soon started pouring in.

The first ball he faced scorched the point region grass before crossing the rope and Ishant copped more punishment in his next over when Pathan heaved him over deep midwicket for a six and, two balls later, pulled another past midwicket for a four.

Moises Henriques was also greeted with two fours in his first over before Ganguly intervened. Stripped off KKR captaincy, Ganguly was in the thick of action with his military medium pace as he removed Pathan and Ravi Bopara (15) in a space of three balls.

Murali Kartik caught Pathan inches from the rope while Bopara nicked one behind.

Things could have been worse for the Mohali side which almost lost their captain to a spectacular catch in the deep before replays revealed a diving Yashpal Singh had actually grounded it.

Yuvraj went on to add 58 runs with Kumar Sangakkara (26) but just before Yashpal caught a skier off Henriques to remove the Kings XI captain.

Brief Scores:Kings XI Punjab 158/6 ( Yuvraj Singh-38, Irfan Pathan-32, S Ganguly 2/24) lost to Kolkata Knight Riders 79/1 ( Chris Gayle 44* VS Malik 1-23).

IPL season 2: KKR vs KXI Images

Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan of King's XI Punjab plays a ball for a boundary against Kolkata Knight Riders during the IPL Twenty20 match at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Indian cricketer Murali Kartik of Kolkata Knight Riders takes a successful catch to dismiss Indian batsman Irfan Pathan of King's XI Punjab during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh of King's XI Punjab drives the ball as New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders looks on during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh (L) of King's XI Punjab drives the ball as New Zealand wicketkeeper Brendon McCullum of the Kolkata Knight Riders looks on during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Indian cricketer Yashpal Singh of The Kolkata Knight Riders dives in an unsuccessful attempt to catch Indian batsman Yuvraj Singh of King's XI Punjab during their IPL Twenty20 match at The Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Bollywood film actor and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan waves during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings X1 Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium.

King's XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood actress Preity Zinta talks with team coach Tom Moody prior to a match during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Bollywood film actor and owner of Kolkata Knight Riders, Shah Rukh Khan waves during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Kings X1 Punjab during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.

Kings XI Punjab co-owner and Bollywood film actress Preity Zinta talks on her mobile phone during the IPL Twenty20 at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban.