MI beats RCB .... Court allows May 1 match at Pune

Some media  is trying to write-down IPL 2016 as boring ~ it is not… without Harsha Bhogle, too, it is very interesting…. Way back in 1976 when Clive Lloyd toured England -  Vanburn Holder's line and length were impeccable. Other bowlers got wickets because of him. People looked at the pace of Andy and Michael, but the other bowlers played their part very well and David Steele once wrote - "With those long run-ups, if there were a couple of no-balls, an over could last 12 minutes" .. can’t imagine any such thing happening in IPL where an innings of 20 overs with all its strategic breaks, lasts around 1 hour 30 minutes

You cannot imagine more intimidating line-up : Virat Kohli, Chris Gayle, AB de Villiers, Shane Watson, Travis Head, Sarfraz Khan, …. Yesterday Chris was on paternity leave – in walked new stylish looking KL Rahul, who has already made a mark in Tests….  After a bright start they were held to 170 was due to Krunal Pandya's twin strikes to get rid of Kohli and de Villiers in the space of five deliveries.  Shane Watson fell not long after, but Travis Head, on IPL debut, and Sarfaraz Khan lifted Royal Challengers from 99 for 4 to 170 for 7.

Rohit Sharma was at his imperious best, keeping the hopes alive – eventually winning the man of the match too… after 15 overs MI were 128/3 – 43 required off 30 and that could be a decisive over.  Iqbal Abdullah the bowler – 1^st to Jos Butler was dot; 2^nd was hit over long on for 6; 3^rd  sailed higher for another 6; 4^th Butler was caught at short third man.   So at over 17, MI required 28 off 24 balls.  It was Richardson the bowler – just 1 came off the first 3;  4^th flat batted by Pollard for a 6; 5^th sent over square leg for another 6; 17.2 another 6 off Watson by Pollard – and there was need to bowl the 19^th over.  MI had won.

Now away from the playing turf, on to the Court, the  IPL 2016 match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians will be held as scheduled on May 1 in Pune, the Bombay High Court ruled on Wednesday.  Only last  week, the court had ruled that all matches after April 30 should be moved out of Maharashtra due to a severe state-wide drought, but it has permitted the match on May 1 to go ahead after an application from the BCCI. The board had sought permission from the court citing logistical difficulties due to a short turnaround time from the match between Supergiants and Gujarat Lions on April 29. In the application, the BCCI said it was "practically impossible" for the board and Supergiants to shift the match to an another venue outside Maharashtra and "make all arrangements for the same in just a single day". The application also stated stated that the request to permit the match was "bonafide and is being made in the interest of justice" and, if refused, could cause severe prejudice, grave hardship and irreparable damage and injury to the BCCI and Supergiants…. –and the Court agreed.

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

21^st Apr 2016.