Monday, May 26, 2008

Delhi Go Through To IPL Semifinals

Mumbai might have to miss the party in their own home when IPL finals are played in Mumbai. Mumbai lost to Jaipur on Monday and might have made their entry into IPL Semifinals a remote possibility.

Jaipur cut down Mumbai on Monday and confirmed that Delhi, on 15 points, entered the IPL semifinals.

Mumbai's fortunes have been swinging with Sachin Tendulkar’s forced absence, and were further compounded Harbhajan Singh’s ouster after ‘Slapgate’. The return of the Little Master raised hopes of a final-four showing. And in the end, an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand between Ravinder Jadeja and Niraj Patel took Jaipur to a last-ball win.

Mumbai now have to win their final IPL match (on Wednesday) and hope that, in the interim, Chennai lose their last game against Hyderabad on Tuesday — and badly — so that net-run rate carries them through. If Chennai beat Hyderabad, they’re through as the third placed team on 16 points irrespective of what Mumbai do in their final game.

Jaipur chose to bowl first and they stuck to their guns, with Sohail Tanvir cutting through Mumbai, taking 4 for 14. On a pitch that was not the best to bat on, with the ball not coming onto the bat, only Sanath Jayasuriya and Sachin Tendulkar got past 30, with the rest falling away. In a crunch game, this was never likely to be enough.

Virender Sehwag and his merry men will celebrate as they go through to the IPL semifinals, but not for long, for they know the team that helped them into the semis is the one most likely to stop them in their tracks.

The opening combination of Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya was the one to watch out for even before the Indian Premier League (IPL) commenced. And the duo --- despite making the crowds wait for half the tournament before eventually walking out to open the Mumbai innings together --- has lived up to its reputation.

Mumbai are hosting the final of the inaugural IPL tournament but they’ve been shut out of their own party.


Latest Points of IPL T20


Team

Matches

Won

Lost

Points

IPL JAIPUR

13

11

2

22

IPL MOHALI

12

9

3

18

IPL DELHI

14

7

6

15

IPL CHENNAI

13

7

6

14

IPL MUMBAI

13

6

7

12

IPL KOLKATA

13

5

7

11

IPL BANGLORE

13

4

9

8

IPL HYDRABAD

13

2

11

4


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