Atletico oust Liverpool to reach Europa final

LIVERPOOL: Diego Forlan's extra-time effort sent Atletico Madrid into the Europa League final on away goals at the expense of Liverpool after a 2-2 aggregate draw on Thursday.

Liverpool, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, drew level just before the end of the first half through Italian midfielder Alberto Aquilani's low curling shot from inside the box.

A quiet second half set up extra time and the hosts took a 2-0 lead on the night through Yossi Benayoun's angled strike only for Forlan to smash home the ball a few minutes later.

Atletico will meet Fulham in the May 12 final in Hamburg where they will bid to win their first major European trophy since the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1962.

The Spanish side, who face Sevilla in the King's Cup next month, also reached the European Cup final in 1974.

"We have done really well," Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores told reporters.

"Today we got stronger as the match went on and over the two legs I think we deserved to go through.I've not known too many better moments."

For Rafa Benitez's Liverpool, Europa League silverware represented a last chance to salvage a dismal season which featured an early Champions League exit and a failed Premier League title challenge.

Liverpool started with all the attacking intent Benitez wanted from a side including Steven Gerrard, Aquilani, Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt and they forced three corners inside the first two minutes to raise Anfield hopes.

However, the visitors have been dangerous on their travels and as Liverpool lost their passing game Raul Garcia tested goalkeeper Pepe Reina with a dipping shot that was turned around the post.

The hosts' inability to keep the ball up front frustrated the Liverpool fans but with halftime approaching Aquilani came to their rescue, stretching to meet Benayoun's cross and curl home a low shot.

Atletico enjoyed more of the possession after the break but it was Liverpool who almost doubled their lead on 80 minutes when England fullback Glen Johnson skipped past two players before seeing his 20-metre drive tipped over.

Five-times European champions and three-times UEFA Cup winners Liverpool had produced second-leg victories twice already in the competition this season following first-leg defeats and they went ahead early in extra time.

A delightfully-chipped Lucas pass was met by Benayoun who finished well from a tight angle.

Anfield went from raptures to stunned silence shortly afterwards when Jose Antonio Reyes easily beat Johnson to set up first-leg scorer Forlan, who smashed home from five metres for the decisive away goal.

Benitez said: "We were on top for a long time. We lost the game with a late goal but it was a good game.

"It was a pity the way they scored."

We cannot take Afghanistan lightly: Dhoni

ST LUCIA: Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Thursday warned his team-mates against taking unheralded Afghanistan lightly in their Twenty20 World Cup opening match on Saturday, saying any slip-up against them can put his side out of contention for super eights.

"If you ask me, I would not consider our opening match against Afghanistan as a practice game. I don't take my opponents lightly. At the end of the day you have to win whichever team you play," said Dhoni, ruling out complacency in the Indian camp.

"I don't know much about them. It is good in a way because if we know too much about a side then you are thinking too much about them. However, our preparation will remain the same as if you are playing the best opponent in world cricket," he said.

"We can't really relax against whichever team you are playing. At the end of the day you are representing India and you have to be at your best when you turn up on the field," Dhoni added.

Afghanistan have risen from the depths of the fifth division league to rub shoulders with the best in the cricket world. Their attitude, confidence and determination are aspects that India and South Africa, who have been drawn in Group C along with them, should be wary about.

On the criticism for not playing any warm-up game before the start of the tournament, Dhoni said his side does not need such matches as they have shaped up well.

"We don't actually need to play a warm-up game as the way we have shaped up after the long journey, there wouldn't have been any good coming out of it. It is good that we can rest and have a rigorous practice session tomorrow and get back into the groove and prepare for the match against them," said Dhoni.

India's most successful captain was not worried much about the injuries to some of his key players.

"It is part and parcel of cricket that people get injured. But at the end of the day we have replaced them (Sehwag) with the best possible players available.

"We are just hoping that we won't miss them on the field. We are hopeful that people who have come as replacements would step up to the occasion and perform," he said.

Delving on Yuvraj Singh's injury-riddled form, Dhoni said, "He bats at number four and the individual he is, he can easily play the big shots. There aren't enough grounds in the world that are big enough for him not to clear."

"These big hitters have a big impact on the game. Somebody like Kieron Pollard or (Andrew) Symonds are the kind of players who can take the game away from the opponents in three or four overs. It is a big stage for him (Yuvraj) and, as we have seen of him, he loves challenges.

"His utility as a bowler also comes into play. He did well against some of the best teams in the IPL. So it is good that you have more part timers in the bowling department as it gives us more options than just playing five bowlers," he added.

The flamboyant wicketkeeper-batsman said he likes to be in the present than look at the past and into the future.

"Rather than thinking too much of the past and into the future, it is very important to be in the present. We have a couple of days before we play the first game. It is important to get the most out of it. We have to adapt to the conditions here and be prepared for the matches ahead," Dhoni said.

The Indian skipper said they know the conditions here pretty well and are not bothered if wickets behave differently at the Caribbean.

"Right now we are keen to play the games here (St Lucia). We are not looking too far. It is the not first time that we are touring West Indies. So we know what the conditions would be like and are mentally prepared for it," he said.

Asked if the IPL had left his players fatigued, Dhoni said, "The last couple of hours we spent on the bus were much worse than the cricket we played in the IPL. If you look at our schedule, it is not something that has changed drastically over the last ten years.

"We have played almost the same amount of matches. Of course, with IPL being part of the schedule it gets a little tough. The players look good. They are quite fresh. Some of them sustained injuries during the IPL and have used time well. It looks good and we are hoping that we will perform to our potential," he said.

Dhoni said there was little or no room for errors in the Twenty20 format of the game.

"In this format you have to be at your best throughout. Every step you take or every six deliveries that you bowl have a great impact on the game. In the same way every run and catch that you save or miss will impact the performance. It is going to be a tough tournament. But then it is a sport, so let's go out and enjoy our cricket," he said.

I owe a lot to Yuvraj: Rohit Sharma

India's young batting star Rohit Sharma talks about learning from Yuvraj, the importance of domestic cricket and the dislike for the dilscoop. Excerpts:

Your selection came out of the blue...

Yes it was. I didn't even know that the team selection was on March 26th. I was so focused on the IPL that it just skipped my mind. Then, on that day I was in the team bus going to the ground when a reporter called and told me that I was there in the World Cup squad. I hope I can help the team repeat what we did in 2007 in South Africa .

But how can someone be so non-chalant about a team selection?

I don't think that 'I should be in this team or that team'. If I am a part of a team it's fine, if not, it's OK. Earlier, I'd worry about these things and put unnecessary pressure but now I deliberately look the other way.

How you feel when Ian Chappell says that you can replace Sachin Tendulkar at No. 4 in Tests?

I have learnt that these things are irrelevant. If you do well people will put you on a pedestal and if you don't, you are gone (laughs).

With so much talent and promise, why haven't you been able to cement your place as yet?

I think I'm not consistent enough. There have been patches where I have been good and at times I have been really bad. Having said that I'd also like to add that I was been constantly shuffled up and down the batting order. One day I was batting at 3, 4 or 5 and other days I was batting at 7 or 8 and in between also opening the innings.

What's ideal batting slot for you?

In the middle-order. That's where I have played all my cricket.

In reaching for consistency, have you stopped playing some strokes?

I stopped playing that flick and other lofted strokes on the leg-side as my feet were not moving that well. I was focusing more on the off-side.

In the T20 World Cup, your role could be of a finisher. Your Deccan Chargers' teammate Andrew Symonds and coach Darren Lehmann have excelled in that role. Did you pick anything from them?

I have, but majority of my tricks came from Yuvraj Singh. When I was dropped, Yuvi paa cited his own example and told me that every cricketer has gone through this phase. He advised me to enjoy this period as it can be mentally draining. He is the real force behind my batting. I don't think anyone apart from Yuvi paa can help me in my batting. He told me that the most important thing as a finisher is to read the situation of the match. He said that you have to think like an opposition captain.

And what about Sachin Tendulkar? What did you pick up from him?

Whenever I have played alongside Sachin paaji he has always emphasised on the body position. He'd always stress that the head should be still. I have noticed in the IPL and even prior to that that whenever he'd hit a big shot, his body position and head would be extremely still. And if it is not then you can not middle the ball. This is what I have learnt from Sachin paaji, how to keep my head and body still.

Do you also train for big shots in the nets?

I do practise the swing of my bat. I try to keep it as straight as possible right from the back-lift to the final follow through. Also, towards the end of each practice session, I ask bowlers to bowl 25 balls and I try to hit at least 20 for a four or a six. I do not get 20 all the time, but around 17-18.

What about those cute strokes - reverse sweep, Dilscoop etc?

I don't like these strokes, I think they are far too risky for me. I concentrate on playing orthodox strokes and so far most of my runs have come through them. Also, if you look at Sachin paaji's batting in the IPL you'd realise he played hardly any of these strokes.

Was the Ranji triple ton turning point of your career?

A triple ton is a triple ton but I won't rate it that high as it came on an easier wicket (at CCI, Mumbai). I think the hundred I got against Railways in Delhi was the turning point of my career. It came on a wicket where the ball was turning from the Day 1. When I came into bat we were some 40 odd for 4 and by the end of the first innings, we took the lead in the first innings.

Ominous Nadal blasts into Rome third round

ROME: Reigning champion Rafael Nadal was at his dominant best as he thumped German Philipp Kohlshreiber 6-1, 6-3 on Wednesday to reach the third round of the ATP Rome Masters 1000.

The 23-year-old Spaniard broke his opponent four times and gave up only one break point as he easily avoided the fate that befell world number one Roger Federer when he was stunned by Ernests Gulbis on Tuesday.

The occasion on the brand new centre court in Rome seemed to get to world number 29 Kohlshreiber as he made 28 unforced errors, many wildly off the forehand side, compared to just 11 by Nadal.

The 23-year-old world number three has only ever lost here once, two years ago, and is aiming for his fifth title in six years at the Foro Italico.

Nadal cruised through the first set, breaking in the second and sixth games, but his German opponent finally started making a fist of things in the second.

He even had a chance to move a break ahead at 3-2 after a poor Nadal drive volley left him out of position and he was passed down the line to give up his only break point of the match.

But Nadal saved it and Kohlshreiber's last chance was gone.

The German was too casual on a stop volley at the net in his next service game and put it wide to give up a break point, which he lost as on another foray to the net he failed to deal with a high backhand volley from a powerful Nadal forehand.

Nadal held serve and then completed the victory when Kohlshreiber hit a woeful forehand well long of the baseline, a recurring feature in the match.

Fifth seed Robin Soderling also moved into the third round as he made short work of Italian wild card Paolo Lorenzi with a 6-1, 7-5 victory.

The Swede blasted 32 winners to just nine by his opponent as he cruised to victory in just under an hour and a quarter to equal his best ever performance here from last year.

The 25-year-old is enjoying a stand-out season having won the title in Rotterdam and reaching last week's final in Barcelona in his first clay court event of the season.

Before that he also reached back-to-back Masters semifinals in Indian Wells and Miami and is at a career high seven in the world rankings.

Soderling may have been thrashed here by Nadal last year but he then knocked the Spaniard out at Roland Garros in the fourth round before reaching his first ever Grand Slam semi-final.

Australian veteran and former Wimbledon champion Lleyton Hewitt's tournament came to an early end as he was beaten in the second round by Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-2, 6-3.

Ten-man Inter knock out holders Barcelona

BARCELONA: Inter Milan battled for more than an hour with 10 men before booking a place in next month's Champions League final at Barcelona's expense on a triumphant night for the Italian side's coach Jose Mourinho.

The Spanish holders won the semifinal second leg 1-0 but Inter went through 3-2 on aggregate on a passionate night at the Nou Camp to put the Milan side through to their first final of Europe's elite club competition since 1972.

They will play Bayern Munich in the May 22 final in Madrid.

Portuguese Mourinho, a former assistant trainer at Barca, ran on to the pitch to celebrate with his players at the final whistle and clashed with Barca goalkeeper Victor Valdes as a hail of objects rained down from the stands.

"It's an incredible joy, I've won the Champions League (with Porto in 2004) but I must say today was better than winning the Champions League," Mourinho told Rai TV.

After losing last week's semi-final first leg in Milan 3-1, Barca coach Pep Guardiola fielded an ultra-attacking formation and with the home fans roaring their support the visitors' defence came under immediate pressure.

For all their early possession Barca were struggling to create chances and a Pedro volley in the 22nd minute that flashed narrowly wide was their first real effort on goal.

Tempers boiled over five minutes later when Inter midfielder Thiago Motta flung out an arm in a challenge with Sergio Busquets which sent the Barca player tumbling to the turf.

Former Barca player Motta, who had already been booked, was sent off, sparking a melee in which he grabbed Busquets by the back of the neck before being shepherded away.

The dismissal was the cue for a magnificent rearguard action from Inter who dealt with almost everything the fearsome Barca attack could throw at them.

Barca pressed and Lionel Messi curled a shot that Julio Cesar acrobatically tipped around the post before a thunderous Zlatan Ibrahimovic flashed just wide.

As the clock ticked down, Guardiola sent centre back Gerard Pique forward to play as an extra striker and it was his superbly taken goal in the 84th minute that gave Barca hope.

With the noise levels rising ever higher, they pressed for the goal that would send them through and had a goal at the death disallowed from Bojan Krkic when Yaya Toure was adjudged to have handled the ball in the build-up.

Anand wins fourth game to go one up

SOFIA (Bulgaria): World champion Viswanathan Anand scored a rampaging victory over challenger Veselin Topalov of Bulgaria in the fourth game to grab the lead in the 12-game World Chess championship on Wednesday.

Anand, who had lost the first game unceremoniously won the second in sparkling fashion and after drawing the third and winning the fourth game comprehensively, the fans are looking up to him to do what he did to Russian Vladimir Kramnik a couple of years ago at Bonn in Germany.

The scores are now on Anand's side as he leads the 12-game match by a 2.5-1.5 margin.

It was a Queen's gambit declined once again, something that Topalov has apparently prepared for this match which is not coming good given the fact that the Bulgarian has lost his second game with black on the trot.

Interestingly enough, it was yet again a replica of 2006 match that Kramnik won against Topalov as the latter went for the same system that he chose against the Russian in the previous match.

Surprising as it may sound, Anand won the second game using the pet line of Kramnik, drew the third doing the same and won on Wednesday simply repeating the opening of the 2006 match.

And all this is possible after crushing Kramnik in 2008 clash. As it happened in the game, Topalov won a pawn in the opening, kept it close to himself for a long time and once Anand threatened to open up the king side he was left with no answers.

The Indian ace came up with a resounding sacrifice of a knight to rip apart Topalov's king side and once he decided on that there was no respite for the challenger.

Anand simply squeezed out black's resources with some high quality moves. Down a piece, the world champion created havoc in the Bulgarian's territory with some deft manoeuvres and went on to score a memorable victory.

After the rest day on Thursday, Topalov will have white in the fifth game and the Bulgarian won't leave any stones unturned for his comeback attempt.

I hope Dhoni sends me up the order: Harbhajan

NAGPUR: India's ace off-spinner Harbhajan Singh feels that the experience of playing in the Indian Premier League will hold 'Team India' in good stead on the big stage of the T20 World Cup which starts in the West Indies on Friday.

He also believes that since the conditions in the Caribbean Islands will be more or less similar to India, the Men in Blue ought to have an obvious advantage heading into the tournament.

"Most Indian players have been playing in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and that experience will come in handy. Some top players like Suresh Raina, M Vijay, MS Dhoni, Zaheer and myself have even played the final. Then there are others like Yusuf Pathan, Rohit Sharma, Dinesh Karthik, Piyush Chawla, Ashish Nehra, all of whom have done well for their respective teams. So the confidence is there. We just need to carry the momentum into the World Cup," Harbhajan Singh told TOI in an exclusive interview.

"The conditions in the West Indies would be more or less similar to what it is in India. The wickets will be on the slower side. We have a great team and if we play well, we can win the World Cup," he added.

On a more personal note, Bhajji said he was happy with his form although losing the IPL final to Chennai Super Kings was painful. "Chennai played well under pressure and they deserved to win. Period. I am happy to have done well for my side. I had a good IPL where I finished as the second highest wicket-taker (17) behind Pragyan Ohja (21). Now, I am looking forward to the challenge in the T20 World Cup," he said and added that he's no rabbit with the bat.

"I'm also fancying my chances as a batsman. In the last couple of years, I have played a few crucial innings for India in Tests. Now I take my batting seriously and work hard in the 'nets'. I just hope they give me a chance and send me up the order (laughs)."

That call will have to be taken by his captain MS Dhoni -- Bhajji not only rates him highly but also shares a good rapport with him off-the-field. "Dhoni is an ice cool person. He never shows his emotions on the ground, never gets upset with the players. To me, he is the best captain in the world. He is a fine mix of brain and brawn and he always backs his instincts. He is a great guy to have as captain. Indian cricket is safe and healthy under his leadership."

The 29-year old Harbhajan also sounded optimistic of his Punjab colleague Yuvraj Singh regaining his best form during the World Cup. "Yuvi is a dangerous player, probably one of the best in T20 cricket. He is a sure match-winner. It is just that he came back from an injury during the IPL where he performed indifferently. But he is one guy who loves a challenge and I think a good innings from him is just around the corner. In fact, I feel he is just one over away from his best. Once he finds his touch and starts playing the big shots, he is very difficult to stop. He is too good a player to keep failing."

Olic triple sees Bayern into Champions League final

LYON: Ivica Olic netted a hat-trick as Bayern Munich defeated Lyon 3-0 on Tuesday to qualify for the Champions League final for the first time since they last won the competition in 2001.

The Croatia striker extended Bayern's 1-0 lead from last week's semi-final first leg in Munich in the first half and put the tie beyond Lyon's reach with a pair of strikes in the second period.

A jubilant Olic said: "It's incredible to win by this scoreline and to have scored three goals. This is perhaps the best match of my life, but above all it's a great overall performance by the team.

"We have to repeat this now in the final itself."

Lyon were bidding to reach their first ever European final but saw Michel Bastos and Bafetimbi Gomis spurn the best chances that came their way.

The hosts had captain Cris sent off midway through the second half after being shown two yellow cards in quick succession.

Bayern were missing France winger Franck Ribery after his dismissal in the first leg but they were barely troubled by a Lyon team that once again failed to muster a sustained attacking threat.

The German side, four-time champions, will meet the winners of Wednesday's other semi-final between Barcelona and Inter Milan in the final in Madrid on May 22.

Coach Louis van Gaal will be aiming to become just the third man to guide two different teams to Europe's top club honour, having tasted Champions League glory with Ajax in 1995.

After seeing his side outplayed in Munich, Lyon coach Claude Puel made his attacking intentions clear by naming wingers Bastos, Sidney Govou and Cesar Delgado in his line-up in support of Lisandro Lopez.

Bayern's injury problems meant Holger Badstuber had to move into the centre of defence, with 19-year-old Diego Contento taking his place at left-back, but it was the home defence that found itself under pressure first.

With barely two minutes on the clock, Olic robbed Cris wide on the right and centred for Thomas Mueller, but with only Hugo Lloris to beat he clipped his first-time shot narrowly wide from 10 yards.

Mueller then flashed a cross across goal before Bayern scored the night's first psychological blow when Mark van Bommel drew a foul from Maxime Gonalons that earned the youngster a booking and a suspension for the final.

The goal the Lyon fans dreaded arrived in the 26th minute when Robben's pass down the inside-left channel found Mueller, who teed up Olic to spin away from his marker and score.

The noise of the Bayern fans' drums replaced the roar of the home support and they grew even louder when Bastos spurned a superb chance for an equaliser by volleying wide from six yards.

Puel introduced Gomis at half-time and the former Saint Etienne striker sent a thumping volley high over the Bayern crossbar when a left-wing cross fell to him at the back post shortly after his introduction.

Bastian Schweinsteiger flashed an eye-catching half-volley narrowly over as Bayern looked to kill the game off, before Lloris produced a fine save to push away Robben's low curling effort.

Lyon's evening went from bad to worse shortly before the hour when Cris received his marching orders, picking up two yellow cards in the space of a minute for fouling Olic and then sarcastically applauding the referee's decision to book him.

The hosts responded with a stinging shot from Govou that Hans-Joerg Butt palmed away before Olic killed off any lingering hopes of a comeback by scampering onto Hamit Altintop's pass and beating Lloris with a crisp finish.

Olic secured possession of the matchball in the 77th minute when he nodded home Philipp Lahm's cross from the right.

Bookies didn't take bets on Chennai win

MUMBAI: Is it yet another match-fixing allegation or is there really more to it than meets the eye? If punters are to be believed, bookies were aware of the outcome of the final match of the IPL between the much-fancied Mumbai Indians and former finalists Chennai Super Kings.

That's why, they claim, the bookies stopped accepting bets on a CSK win even when Dhoni's boys were seemingly on the mat at the end of the twelfth over while batting first.

The entire tournament, comprising 60 matches, witnessed a mind-numbing turnover of US $11 billion, sources in the Indian security establishment said. On an average, Rs 850 crore was bet on each match.

Betting syndicates and their sponsors in the underworld raked in thousands of crores, especially in the final. A top punter said: "Several thousand crores were bet on a victory by Mumbai Indians with the odds heavily favouring a win by the local team at the start of the game. Everybody took it for granted that Mumbai would win. But when the Chennai team started making a bold comeback, the bookies were ordered by their bosses to stop accepting bets favouring a Chennai win. Since the bookies have solid support from the underworld, nobody dared protest against their unprofessional conduct. This enabled the bookies to make a huge killing."

The Pakistan-based Dawood Ibrahim gang gained the most. A big-time Pakistani bookie, known simply as Numan Miya, masterminded the operation for D Company from Karachi. Sources in the police said that "betting took place on each of the 60 matches and almost on a ball-to-ball basis".

It is learnt that on the Indian side, Rajesh Jaipur, a big-time bookie based in Jaipur and known for his close proximity to a highly-controversial figure in Indian cricket circles, led the Indian betting operations this time around. "If Rajesh Jaipur and his brother Rakesh are made to undergo the narco test, then a huge betting racket in IPL matches and the role of the bigwigs will be exposed," a police source added.

Dhoni confident as India embark for World T20

MUMBAI: Indian captain MS Dhoni's diplomatic skills were on display as he addressed the media prior to the team's departure to the West Indies for the ICC World T20, starting on April 30. After a hectic and draining IPL 3, both Dhoni and coach Gary Kirsten preferred put the fatigue factor on the backburner.

"Regrouping is no worry. Sometimes, we just have to respect the schedule and play with what is available. There is no point complaining. The IPL finished on the 25th and we have assembled a day later. We literally have one whole day of flying time with several connecting flights. Then we go there and have two or three days to practice. I think that's more than enough. We play together for almost 250 or 300 days in a year. Regrouping is not a concern," said Dhoni.

He must have chosen to embark upon the World T20 campaign scandal free. Interestingly, both the captain and coach's explosive "team was tired and didn't get time to regroup" comments, post the team's nightmarish campaign in last year's World T20 in England, hadn't pleased the BCCI.

In 2010, the Indian skipper has no such concerns. Even the lack of form of his biggest match-winner, Yuvraj Singh, isn't a problem for him.

"Yuvraj is a great player and is one of the biggest hitters in T20. He can also contribute with the ball. He has not scored too many runs in the IPL, but it's nothing to worry about because in T20, you are just five or 10 balls away from getting back into form."

The 28-year-old flashed his disarming smile. Was he thanking his lucky stars that everyone in his team is fit and there could be no repeat of the Sehwag and Zaheer episode in England? "As of now, we haven't received any medical report which says that any player is injured. I'm glad that nobody is injured," he said.

The IPL-winning captain is hoping that the winning touch stays with him till May 16. But for that, he will need some luck with the kind of wickets that are dished out. India will be hoping that the pitches afford turn so that Dhoni can employ the tactic of opening with spin, something that he did consistently and successfully in the IPL. Would he do the same in West Indies?

"It's definitely an option. We have a couple of players in Harbhajan Singh and Yusuf Pathan who have consistently bowled in the first six overs in the IPL. We also have very good part-timers in the team. Yusuf and Jadeja can be called specialist spinners. Hopefully, as the tournament progresses, the wickets will get slower," he stated.

IPL will get bigger without Lalit Modi: Shetty

NEW DELHI: The success of the IPL was not because of Lalit Modi alone, according to a top BCCI official, who reckons the Twenty20 league will continue to flourish without the suspended commissioner as cricket sells itself in India.

The BCCI's chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty said that the Board has enough competent people to take the event forward.

"The IPL will continue to flourish. The success is not only because of Modi. BCCI will put up a good team to make IPL even more successful," Shetty said.

The high-flying Modi was suspended as the chairman and commissioner of the league after the final on Sunday because of alleged financial irregularities and rigging of bids.

Modi was charged on five counts, including irregularities in the bids of Rajasthan Royals and Kings XI Punjab and in the broadcast and internet deals.

Modi's removal has raised apprehensions among the franchises many of whom openly backed the embattled former commissioner during the raging controversy.

"There is no need for the franchisees to be apprehensive. BCCI will ensure that IPL will be managed professionally. The BCCI president Shashank Manohar and interim chairman Chirayu Amin have already made it clear in this regard," Shetty said.

The scandal has tarnished the image of the BCCI to a great extent but Shetty said steps would be taken to protect the game and the Board's reputation.

"BCCI will take all steps required to protect the game and its own reputation. All these developments gave a bad name to the organisation but we will take all corrective steps," the chief administrative officer said.

Shetty, who has been given the responsibility of investigating all the missing documents related to bids and other IPL deals, said he would write to Modi to hand over all the original documents which are with him.

"We will officially write to Modi to hand over all the original documents held by him as they are the property of BCCI," he said.

Asked whether he felt the market value of IPL would go down due to the entire controversy and Modi's removal, he said, "IPL is a brand of its own and it is built around the game of cricket. It will grow further."

Shetty also vehemently denied that there was political pressure on the BCCI to take stern action against Modi after minister of state for external affairs Shashi Tharoor's resignation.

"I can tell you that there was no political pressure on the BCCI. Not at all," he asserted.

He also came to the defense of IPL Governing Council which failed to keep a tab on Modi's alleged wrong-doings.

Asked how much blame the Governing Council should take for the entire fiasco, he said, "To be fair to the Governing Council, in most cases the papers came for ratification and Rajiv Shukla had written about this to Shashank Manohar."

On what prompted the council to appoint Chirayu Amin as the interim chairman of the league, the CAO said, "Chirayu Amin is an experienced cricket administrator, maintains a low profile and can handle the issues in IPL."

Shetty said that Modi's response to the show-cause notice would be placed in front of the disciplinary committee.

"The reply to show cause notice will be placed before the three-member disciplinary committee of BCCI," he said.

The Disciplinary Committee comprises of president Manohar and two vice-presidents -- Amin and Arun Jaitley. The disciplinary committee will then submit its report in the General Body Meeting.

On Modi's threat to expose some of the BCCI officials in the wake of the IPL furore, Shetty shot back, "He is free to do that."

On whether he considers IPL scandal the biggest crisis in Indian cricket, he said, "It's certainly not bigger than the match-fixing scandal."

Vishy has shown how tough he really is

CHENNAI: One-all. A punch and a counter-punch. The Viswanathan Anand vs Veselin Topalov world chess championship match in Sofia has lived up to its billing so far. If Anand lost the first game in the most unusual way in less than two hours, Topalov got squeezed in a positional masterpiece in the second game.

Before the third game on Tuesday, the question that will do the rounds in chess circles will surely be about Anand's defence with black. Will he dare Topalov with Grunfeld again? Will he shelve it for the rest of the match?

If English IM Malcolm Pein's observation about Anand's selection of opening in Game 2 is to be believed, the world champion will throw the Grunfeld again at Topalov, unless, of course, he has found chinks in it, which is quite unlikely. "As the Catalan is a Grunfeld Defence in reverse with an extra move, he (Anand) has effectively played two Gruenfeld setups in two games," noted Pein in his comments.

This could be a pointer to where the Anand openings are disposed. It is quite possible that the world champion and his team has invested a lot of time working on this opening.

The most striking aspect of Anand's recovery is that he has put to rest the general criticism that he has always buckled down under pressure. During the Kramnik match, he was asked what was the most disturbing aspect of his opponent (in general), and the world champion replied: "When my opponent turns the game around. Sometimes it is almost liberating when you finally lose. I think to myself, okay, the point is gone, tomorrow you are going to play better. You have to be careful not to panic."

He did not face such a situation in that match against Kramnik as he was always in the lead, but against Topalov, in just two games he showed that his nerves are made of steel. It is a long match, with 10 more games to go. Anand could possibly wait for a while before pressing hard and in that case he would employ the safe Queens Indian Defence or the Slav before further trying his home preparation.

IOC may ban India: IOA official

BANGALORE: Even as top IOA officials expressed apprehension on Monday that attempts by the Union sports ministry to "control" sports bodies will see India being banned by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), ministry officials said the government will fully respect the Olympic charter.

"There are increased attempts from the sports ministry to control the sports bodies and these are against the Olympic charter. I'm afraid that we may go the Kuwait way and if that happens even the Commonwealth Games will be in trouble," a top IOA official told TOI.

Meanwhile, sports ministry officials were quick to allay the apprehensions and clarified that the ministry fully respects the Olympic charter. "We are absolutely sure that we won't go the Kuwait way as we are only promoting the application of the charter," a key ministry official said.

"We are not saying that all the federations are rogue. There are a number of federations that are doing a good job. Otherwise how will we continue to support them? The problem is only with those federations which are being run in an ad-hoc way," he said.

The heightened activity in the IOA circles arises from a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed in the Delhi High Court by advocate Rahul Mehra, set to come up for hearing on Wednesday, which demands strict implementation on the tenure of the office bearers of the sports bodies.

"The IOC charter clearly says that the maximum tenure of the IOC president is 12 years, including one term of eight years and one final extension of four years. For the members it is a maximum of two terms. Besides, there is a retirement age of 70," the ministry official said making it clear that the sports federations have to be accountable.

"The NSFs are discharging a public duty and hence should be accountable. If they are saying that as per their constitutions the office bearers can continue for any number of years in office, then the ministry cannot accept that," he said.

"We will recognise only those federations which are run in the proper way. There should be proper elections through secret ballot and the entire process should be monitored by an independent observer," the official said.

"We want our federations to follow the best international practices and the Olympic charter, the mother document for all sporting bodies, is clear on the elections and tenure of office bearers," he said.

Recently, the IOA had informed the sports ministry that the autonomy of the IOA is supreme and would like to desist from receiving any further financial support from the government.

Meanwhile, the IOC informed TOI that the IOC has not been approached on this matter. "This is an issue between the Indian government and the IOA."

Batting key to India's fortunes at T20 World Cup

NEW DELHI: India go into the World Twenty20 determined to avoid a second big failure in three years in the Caribbean with a solid all-round performance.

India, who suffered a humiliating first-round exit in the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies in 2007, need to show their depth in batting, especially after losing hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag to a shoulder injury.

With record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar not part of the T20 side since 2007, the onus will be on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh to put up a formidable batting show.

India were in a similar situation ahead of the last year's tournament in England, but the result was a big disappointment for their fans as they failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

They travelled to England just a few days after the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, with coach Gary Kirsten citing "fatigue" as one of the reasons for the team's failure.

The limbs will be tired this time also as Indians played virtually non-stop cricket for more than a month in the recent IPL which ended five days before the Cup, but Dhoni downplayed the fatigue factor.

"We will be going into the Twenty20 fully prepared, though we will have very little time to refresh ourselves," said Dhoni.

"As professionals, we are always committed to giving our best. There can be no excuse for failure."

Former champions India are expected to clear the first hurdle having been drawn in the same group as first-timers Afghanistan and South Africa, with the top two advancing to the Super Eights.

Batting will be India's main strength, with Dhoni, Raina, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan all capable of dominating any attack with their exciting stroke-play.

The conditions in the Caribbean are likely to favour India more than those in England where their batsman often struggled, especially against short-pitched bowling, on seaming tracks.

India have named two newcomers, batsman Murali Vijay as Sehwag's replacement and paceman Vinay Kumar, after the players' impressive performances in the IPL.

The growing success of the IPL may suggest that India are keen only on the slam-bang version, but Dhoni's men have played just two T20 internationals since the World meet in June last year.

They lost the first match against World Twenty20 runners-up Sri Lanka by 29 runs before beating the same rivals by six wickets in the second match in December.

Twenty20 cricket may be all about batsmen trying to belt the ball out of the park, but there is still a room for quality bowlers to achieve success as was shown in the recent IPL.

India have effective seamers in Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra, who are capable of testing batsmen with variations. Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja also can curb stroke-makers with a tidy line and length.

Bid was transparent and in compliance with BCCI norms: Rajasthan Royals

NEW DELHI: Stung by allegations of irregularities in their initial bid, Rajasthan Royals on Tuesday insisted that the consortium neither flouted any norms nor hid any information from the BCCI about its shareholding pattern.

Claiming that their bid was in complete compliance with the BCCI and IPL guidelines, Rajasthan revealed their shareholding in which a majority stake of 44.2 per cent is held by Suresh Chellaram, the brother-in-law of suspended IPL chief Lalit Modi.

The team stated that their bid consortium was led by the UK-based Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd. and denied BCCI chief Shashank Manohar's allegation that the bidders' identity was not known.

"The other entities in the consortium were disclosed in the bid submission documents," the statement read.

"The current shareholders of EM Sporting Holdings Limited, who all have multiple business interests and independent means, are as follows: Emerging Media (IPL) Ltd (Manoj Badale - 32.4per cent), Tresco International Ltd (Suresh Chellaram Family - 44.2 per cent), Blue Water Estate Ltd (Lachlan Murdoch - 11.7 per cent) and Kuki Investments Ltd (Raj Kundra & Family - 11.7 per cent). There are no other shareholders," it added.

Rajasthan team owners said the revelation of the shareholding pattern is meant to clarify "certain misconceptions about the franchise, which have been raised through the media."

The team rejected suggestions that the Rajasthan bid flouted norms.

"The Rajasthan Royals franchise bid was successful, with full compliance of BCCI guidelines, in a process conducted with the committee members of BCCI in January 2008. Full details of the consortium bid structure and the way the company would be set up were contained in the original submission to the BCCI in January 2008," the team said.

"The structure has been completely transparent and in accordance with regulatory guidelines ever since. The corporate structure was established in accordance with the details provided in the bid submission shortly after the bid. It was not established prior to the bid, as we obviously did not know if the bid would be successful," it added.

The team said that Indian company Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd. was incorporated only in 2008 but the BCCI was kept abreast about all the developments.

"On March 8, 2008, an Indian company Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd was incorporated, as detailed in the bid submission. We then executed the franchise agreement on 14 April 2008.

"The ownership of the consortium did not change between the award of the bid on 23 January 2008 and the signing of the franchise agreement on 14 April 2008," the team asserted.

Rajasthan said some stake was sold to Kundra to diversify the ownership base.

"As part of our strategy to broaden our shareholder base, in February 2009 Kuki Investments Ltd (Raj Kundra and Family) acquired an 11.7% stake in EM Sporting Holdings Limited, the parent company of Jaipur IPL Cricket Pvt Ltd, which was fully disclosed to the BCCI/IPL," the team stated.

As for the five per cent transaction fee that was to be given to the BCCI for the transfer of the shares, Rajasthan said it had asked the board about the amount but has not got any response yet.

"According to the BCCI/IPL rules, the IPL was entitled to 5% of the increase in the pro-rata value of the franchise. In February 2009 the Rajasthan Royals contacted the BCCI to agree the precise definition, to agree the amount that needed to be paid, and we are still awaiting a response," it said.

The team also denied allegations of violating Foreign Exchange related laws.

"In accordance with regulatory filings, we subsequently volunteered to make a full disclosure application (in July 2009) through the Government's FIPB (Foreign Investment Promotion Board) process.

"The relevant information submitted in that application, including details of the structure, now appears to be publicly available. Our application was not initially accepted due to a miscommunication of submission timings. Our subsequent application in January 2010 has not been rejected," it stated.

"We are well advanced towards fulfilling the procedural steps and additional information requests necessary to satisfy the FIPB," it added.

Let ICC supervise IPL from now on: Miandad

KARACHI: Former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad is not surprised by the mess the IPL finds itself in and wants the International Cricket Council to 'supervise' its organisation in future.

Miandad said keeping in mind the huge stakes involved in the so called domestic event of the BCCI, the world governing body of the game must intervene.

"Just to say the IPL is a domestic event does not work. IPL has too much foreign participation and interest at stake. ICC must supervise its organization from now on," he said.

Miandad, who is Director-General of Cricket in the PCB, said that he was not surprised at the turn of events in the IPL or the suspension of its commissioner Lalit Modi.

"It is not surprising because when you allow a private enterprise to deal directly with players bypassing the boards there is always bound to be trouble.

"I have been saying from day one that the ICC can't allow any Board to operate such private enterprises without a proper system of check and balance," Miandad said.

He contended that by allowing the IPL to deal directly with players, a wrong trend was set.

"Who is there to stop Modi from telling a player, 'Your country pays you so much I will pay you thrice as much' and this leads to conflict of interest for the players."

The former Pakistan captain and coach said lot of hype was created around the IPL for a purpose but realistically it did nothing for the betterment of cricket.

"Already there is so much T20 international cricket being played these days. Why should we have the IPL and one week later the World Cup. What is more important," he said.

No Pakistani player participated in the just concluded IPL 3 as no franchise bid for them at the auction. As many as 11 players, including Pakistan's T20 captain Shahid Afridi, were part of the auction but went unsold.

BCCI names Chirayu Amin interim IPL commissioner

BCCI president Shashank Manohar on Monday said Chirayu Amin would be made interim chairman of the IPL Governing Council and commissioner of the IPL. Amin is head of the Baroda Cricket Association.

Addressing mediapersons during a press conference, Manohar said he was not happy with Lalit Modi’s explanation on the entire IPL controversy.

Lalit Modi was early on Monday suspended as the IPL commissioner and issued a show-cause notice capping two weeks of raging controversy over financial wrong-doings in the hugely popular cricket tournament.

The action by BCCI was taken minutes after the awards ceremony at the conclusion of the third edition of the tournament past midnight on a day of dramatic developments when decided to attend and chair the IPL Governing Council meeting on Monday morning.

Rooney wins PFA player of the year award

LONDON: Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney won the Professional Footballers' Association player of the year award at a ceremony on Sunday and then declared his readiness for the World Cup.

Rooney, currently out of action with a groin injury, is widely regarded as being central to England's chances of winning the World Cup in South Africa later this year.

"I'm good," the 24-year-old Rooney told guests at the PFA dinner, in association with Barclays Bank, at the Grosvenor House Hotel in central London.

"I'm disappointed to miss a couple of games. Hopefully I will play before the season finishes."

Asked if he'd be fit in time for South Africa, Rooney replied: "No problems for the World Cup."

Rooney dismissed suggestions England could not win the World Cup, which starts in June, without him: "We've got a lot of great players. If I get injured, so be it."

He added: "Watching games is very frustrating."

Rooney, asked what would constitute a successful World Cup for England, said: "Success would be to win the trophy. We prepared well and hopefully we can bring the trophy back home."

England have won the World Cup just once, in 1966 when they triumphed on home soil.

Reigning champions United trail Chelsea by one point in the English Premier League title race with two games remaining and may need a favour from arch rivals Liverpool if they are to overtake the London club.

"I'm sure Liverpool will want to beat Chelsea," Rooney said.

"They are a proud club and they are still aiming to qualify for Europe."

Asked what had made the difference to a season where he has already scored 34 goals, Rooney replied: "The manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) is playing me in a more central position up front which I've been asking him to do for a few years now and the service has got better.

"It's a great feeling to win the player of the year award because it's voted for by the players," said Rooney. "It's something I'm really proud of and it's a great honour.

"I remember coming here in 2005 and 2006 to win the young player of the year. I saw the players winning the main one and it's something I've aimed for since."

Rooney, the first Englishman to win the award since Steven Gerrard in 2006, paid tribute to the influence Ferguson has had on his career.

"Sir Alex is a great manager who has really brought me on as a player since I joined United," he said.

Rooney topped a poll of his fellow professionals in England to ensure the senior award stayed at Old Trafford after Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo's double in 2007 and 2008 was followed by United and Wales star Ryan Giggs's success last year.

Cesc Fabregas, the Arsenal and Spain midfielder, was third with Chelsea striker Didier Drogda the runner-up.

Aston Villa and England midfielder James Milner won the young player of the year award.

"I've been moved into the middle and that suits me as it helps me influence the game a bit more," said Milner, hoping to secure a place in England manager Fabio Capello's World Cup squad.

Former South Africa international Lucas Radebe, who played in England's Leeds United, won the PFA special merit award for his community work in both countries.

"I'm very proud to get such a great award. Sport can change the world - football has played such a big part in lifting my community," said Radebe.

The PFA's Premier League team of the year contains four United players with Arsenal (Fabregas and Thomas Vermaelen), Chelsea (Drogba and Branislav Ivanovic) and Aston Villa (Milner and Richard Dunne) supplying two each.

PFA Premier League team of the year:

Joe Hart (Man City/Birmingham); Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea), Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal), Richard Dunne (Aston Villa), Patrice Evra (Man Utd); Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal), James Milner (Aston Villa), Darren Fletcher (Man Utd), Antonio Valencia (Man Utd); Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Didier Drogba (Chelsea).

Foolish to write off Rafa, says Federer

ROME: Roger Federer admitted on Sunday he was shocked his old rival and four-time French Open champion Rafael Nadal had been written off as a spent force.

World number one Federer, who will renew his rivalry with the Spaniard at the Rome Masters this week, likened the criticism aimed at Nadal to the experience he went through a year ago.

Back then, many people were claiming that Federer was past his best as he had not yet won a tournament that season and had dropped to number two in the world rankings.

And yet he finished the year as world number one once again, having won two more majors and having completed a career Grand Slam.

Until a week ago, when he claimed a sixth straight Monte Carlo Masters crown, Nadal had not won a tournament since Rome last year, an 11-month drought.

"I was surprised to hear that everyone thought that Rafa was not playing so well," said Federer.

"He surely should have won Qatar in January because he was playing so well over there and for those who saw the match against (Nikolay) Davydenko (in the final) he was clearly the guy but Davydenko got lucky, saved match point and played incredibly in the third set," said the Swiss.

"Things would have been very different going into the Australian Open but then he pulled out injured (in the quarters) and so everybody gets negative.

"So even if he wins everything after that then people are not going to be happy because the focus is on the Australian Open.

"So I think that there was a little too much negativity around Rafa and I went through the same thing (last year).

"It's true, 11 months for a player like him is a long time without winning a title but you'll have to assume that once the French Open was on and the clay season on, then he would be back on again."

Chennai Super Kings beat Mumbai Indians to win IPL 3

MUMBAI: Chennai Super Kings were crowned Indian Premier League 3 champions after thumping Mumbai Indians by 22 runs in a thrilling summit clash on Sunday night.

Scorecard

Electing to bat, Chennai posted 168 for five, thanks to Suresh Raina's unbeaten 57 and then restricted Mumbai to 146 for nine to win their maiden IPL title in the grand finale at the packed DY Patil Stadium.

Chennai though had to spend some anxious moments towards the close of Mumbai run-chase with big-hitting Kieron Pollard threatening to almost singlehandedly win the match before he was out in the penultimate over for a 10-ball 27 which was studded with three fours and two sixes.

For Chennai, who have been playing in their second final after finishing runners-up to Rajasthan Royals in 2008, it has been a roller coaster ride having made it to the semifinal in their last league match.

Mumbai, who were playing in an IPL final for the first time, were the most consistent side in the tournament having won 10 of their 14 league matches, but they faltered at the final hurdle.

For Mumbai, captain Sachin Tendulkar, who declared himself fit for the grand finale after sustaining a right hand webbing split in first semifinal, top-scored with a 45-ball 48 which was studded with seven fours but he did not get enough support from his batting colleagues.

Tendulkar's 66-run stand from 58 balls for the second wicket with Abhishek Nayar was the only substantial partnership for Mumbai.

Left-arm spinner Shadab Jakati emerged the most successful Chennai bowler with two for 26 while Doug Bollinger, Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan and Suresh Raina took a wicket apiece.

Mumbai began their run-chase of 169 on a shaky note with opener Shikhar Dhawan failing to score the opening over from Ravichandran Ashwin and was out in the second over bowled by Bollinger for an eight-ball duck.

Mumbai struggled for runs before Tendulkar and Nayar took 10 runs from the fifth over by hitting a four each off Ashwin.

Tendulkar, who celebrated his 37th birthday on Saturday, then smote Albie Morkel for two fours to take Mumbai to 33 for one after the first power-play.

With off-spinner Muralitharan introduced in the seventh over, runs came in trickles and he was unlucky not to have got Nayar with Matthew Hayden dropping the batsman when on eight.

Nayar struck two sixes in as many balls off Jakati in the 10th over to take Mumbai score to 58 for one at the halfway mark.

With the asking rate over 11 by the 10th over, Mumbai looked like pressing the accelerator but they lost two wickets in the 12th over with Nayar and Harbhajan Singh returning to the hut in the space of five balls.

Nayar was run out for a 26-ball 27 after being sent back by Tendulkar and Harbhajan, who was surprisingly sent up the order, was LBW to Raina for just one.

Mumbai's hopes almost ended with the departure of Tendulkar in the 15th over and the veteran batsman, who wore the orange cap for being the tournament top scorer, was out while trying to pushed the run rate, holing out to Murali Vijay off Jakati.

Saurabh Tiwary, who have been in fine form in the tournament, followed Tendulkar three balls later as he holed out to Raina off Jakati for a duck.

Mumbai needed 68 from the last five overs and JP Duminy's (6) departure in the 17th over did not help the Mumbai cause.

But big-hitting Kieron Pollard, who was surprisingly sent in number eight, raised hopes of a stunning victory for Mumbai by singlehandedly taking 22 runs from the 18th over bowled by Bollinger.

Mumbai needed 33 runs from the last two overs but a mix up led to Ambati Rayudu's run out in the fifth ball of the penultimate over and next ball Pollard was out to end Mumbai's dreams of winning the title.

Earlier, Raina took advantage of some sloppy catching by Mumbai Indians as he struck an unbeaten 57 to pilot Chennai Super Kings to 168 for five in the summit clash which was preceded by a 40-minute closing ceremony.

The left-handed Raina, who came one down on team score of 44, was dropped twice -- on 14 and 28 -- before making a crucial 57 not out in 35 balls embellished with three sixes and as many fours.

But for Raina's knock and his 72-run partnership with his captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (22 in 15 balls) for the fourth wicket, Chennai would have ended with a much lesser score.

Electing to bat, Chennai made a decent start with openers Matthew Hayden (17) and Murali Vijay (26) putting on 44 runs.

The Mumbai Indians bowling attack then put an effective shackle on the batsmen on a wicket that offered good bounce but on which the ball stopped a bit on the batsmen.

For Mumbai, tall Sri Lanka pace bowler Dilhara Fernando emerged the most successful with 2 for 23 while Zaheer Khan and Kieron Pollard picked one wicket apiece.

Openers Hayden and Vijay started cautiously and saw off one over each from Harbhajan Singh and Lasith Malinga before stepping on the accelerator.

It was the left-handed Hayden, who has been struggling in the tournament, who started the attack by hoisting Harbhajan over long on for the first six of the match in the third over.

Vijay then pulled Zaheer Khan into the stands beyond the mid-wicket area and then punched Malinga exquisitely to the extra cover fence for a four.

Malinga was then square cut by Hayden and the duo looked all-set for a big stand.

But Vijay fell caught just inside the boundary line off a skier by Saurabh Tiwary off Fernando. His 26 came off 19 balls and included two sixes and a four.

From 44 for one, it became 47 for two when Hayden, who survived a close leg before wicket appeal off Zaheer earlier, tried to charge out to Kieron Pollard and mistimed a pull to be caught behind by wicketkeeper Ambati Rayudu.

Chennai progressed to 58 for two after 10 overs, sign that Mumbai have bounced back into the game.

Raina and S Badrinath (14) got together briefly before the latter got out, caught at fine leg for 14 off Fernando.

Then came the most fruitful stand of the innings between Raina and Dhoni. They put on 72 runs in 35 balls.

But after Dhoni fell in the 18th over, it was Raina -- who struck Pollard for two sixes in the 16th over in which the bowler conceded 29 runs -- who made sure that his team ended with a decent total.

Batting key to India's fortunes at T20 World Cup

NEW DELHI: India go into the World Twenty20 determined to avoid a second big failure in three years in the Caribbean with a solid all-round performance.

India, who suffered a humiliating first-round exit in the 50-over World Cup in the West Indies in 2007, need to show their depth in batting, especially after losing hard-hitting opener Virender Sehwag to a shoulder injury.

With record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar not part of the T20 side since 2007, the onus will be on skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singh to put up a formidable batting show.

India were in a similar situation ahead of the last year's tournament in England, but the result was a big disappointment for their fans as they failed to qualify for the semi-finals.

They travelled to England just a few days after the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) in South Africa, with coach Gary Kirsten citing "fatigue" as one of the reasons for the team's failure.

The limbs will be tired this time also as Indians played virtually non-stop cricket for more than a month in the recent IPL which ended five days before the Cup, but Dhoni downplayed the fatigue factor.

"We will be going into the Twenty20 fully prepared, though we will have very little time to refresh ourselves," said Dhoni.

"As professionals, we are always committed to giving our best. There can be no excuse for failure."

Former champions India are expected to clear the first hurdle having been drawn in the same group as first-timers Afghanistan and South Africa, with the top two advancing to the Super Eights.

Batting will be India's main strength, with Dhoni, Raina, Gambhir, Yuvraj and Yusuf Pathan all capable of dominating any attack with their exciting stroke-play.

The conditions in the Caribbean are likely to favour India more than those in England where their batsman often struggled, especially against short-pitched bowling, on seaming tracks.

India have named two newcomers, batsman Murali Vijay as Sehwag's replacement and paceman Vinay Kumar, after the players' impressive performances in the IPL.

The growing success of the IPL may suggest that India are keen only on the slam-bang version, but Dhoni's men have played just two T20 internationals since the World meet in June last year.

They lost the first match against World Twenty20 runners-up Sri Lanka by 29 runs before beating the same rivals by six wickets in the second match in December.

Twenty20 cricket may be all about batsmen trying to belt the ball out of the park, but there is still a room for quality bowlers to achieve success as was shown in the recent IPL.

India have effective seamers in Zaheer Khan, Praveen Kumar and Ashish Nehra, who are capable of testing batsmen with variations. Spinners Harbhajan Singh and Ravindra Jadeja also can curb stroke-makers with a tidy line and length.

India have so far won 10 of their 20 Twenty20 Internationals.

I will continue playing in IPL: Tendulkar

MUMBAI: Sachin Tendulkar may have voluntarily decided not to play Twenty20 internationals but the senior batsman assured that he will continue playing in the Indian Premier League.

"It has been a very special tournament for us, barring today. Most likely I will be playing next year as well. It has been fun playing in the IPL. I have enjoyed a lot. I have always enjoyed playing cricket," Tendulkar said after his side lost by 22 runs to Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 3 summit clash.

Tendulkar said poor fielding has cost his side dear in the grand finale at the DY Patil Stadium, although their slow beginning in the run-chase was also to be blamed.

"A couple of important catches cost us. There is a saying that catches win matches. The start in the run-chase also was not up to the mark. We could have accelerated a little bit more," he said.

"Towards the end, Kieron Pollard came in with a fine effort but it was a bit late. We tried hard to accelerate the run-rate but it was one of those days when things did not click," he added.

Tendulkar also thanked the franchise owner, support staff, his teammates and the crowd for their support.

"I want to thank all the Mumbai Indians supporters. It's been a terrific journey. It's been an honour to be part of Mumbai Indians team. The support from team owners and staff have been tremendous," said Tendulkar who was honoured with the orange cap for ending the tournament as the most run getter.

He also congratulated Chennai Super Kings on winning their maiden title.

"Congratulations to Chennai for winning the tournament. They played better than us today," said the veteran batsman who turned 37 on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Chennai captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni credited the team for playing as a unit and winning the title.

"Credit goes to the team, we were under pressure in the middle of the tournament, excited to lift the trophy today," Dhoni said.

"We were happy with the total, the Mumbai wicket supports the seamers and (Doug) Bollinger did well early, (R) Ashwin has been doing a superb job with new ball. We were able to create the kind of pressure to get wickets," he added.

Dhoni also feels that inclusion of two more sides in the tournament will only make the competition tougher.

"The IPL gets better and better, the benchmark keeps rising each year. The players will sweat more because of extra teams next year, the pressure will be on the office-bearers to make it further big," he said.

Man of the match Suresh Raina, who made a breezy 35-ball 57 in the final, said: "Our staff have put in lot of hard work. I'm really happy for the team. It's been a great year for us."

Is the BCCI chief afraid of truth, asks Lalit Modi

NEW DELHI: Indian Premier League commissioner and chairman Lalit Modi, who has been suspended by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), said in the wee hours on Monday that he could not fathom why he was being kept out of the Governing Council (GC) meeting of the Indian Premier League scheduled a few hours later.

"Are they scared of truth?" asked Modi on the board president's move to bar him from attending the meeting.

Modi, who referred to the off-field happenings of the last few days at the IPL closing ceremony, sounded bitter and at the same time, combative when he said every decision of his was approved in the GC as well as by the board and accepted the responsibility for any error of judgment in discharging his duties as IPL chairman and commissioner.

Asked if he would still try to attend the meeting, Modi said that how could he do so when he has been suspended, adding that he would wait for his turn.

The outgoing chairman, however, said "no comment" when asked whether he would challenge the decision in the courts.

In his speech at the prize distribution, Modi received huge applause when he thanked the people of the country for making the IPL a great sporting event.

An emotional Modi added that the IPL is "clean and transparent".

Modi said that all decisions in the IPL in the first two editions of the tournament were jointly taken by the Governing Council.

"The recent happenings are only based on innuendoes, half truths and motivated leaks from all sides. I assure you all decisions are jointly taken by the GC and were approved by the general body in the first and the second year of IPL," said Modi from the presentation ceremony dais after the IPL final.

"I reassure you that if there is any flouting of rules and any irregularities, I take on the full responsibility," he added.

He asserted that he was "speaking as the IPL captain".

"I would like to assure you fans across the globe that the IPL is clean and transparent and I thank millions of fans for making it one of the best sporting leagues ever."

"We should not allow this brand to be diluted and with the support of the millions and millions of viewers across the globe. We have seen some talents emerging and should not allow its image to be diminished."

"IPL has faced many challenges this year, but we have faced these challenges head on."

Live updates: Steyn on a roll, Deccan lose three quick wickets

NEW DELHI: Deccan Chargers lost T Suman (0) and skipper Adam Gilchrist (0) in consecutive balls of the first over against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL encounter at VCA Stadium in Jamtha, Nagpur on Monday.

Scorecard

Earlier, Bangalore skipper Anil Kumble won the toss and decided to field against Deccan in Nagpur.

The Chargers are second from bottom, owing to a poor net run rate despite being tied on points with Chennai Super Kings and Kolkata Knight Riders.

Bangalore, on the other hand, sit behind table-toppers Mumbai Indians. They are tied on points with Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals but a better net run rate puts them above the two teams.

After suffering five back-to-back defeats, Deccan have fought back to stay in the hunt with wins over Bangalore and Chennai and they hope to maintain the trend.

Bangalore also suffered two consecutive defeats before putting it across Kolkata Knight Riders last night.

Bangalore and Deccan had clashed only a couple of days ago and Gilchrist's men had come out trumps despite chasing a competitive 184.

Teams

Deccan Chargers: AC Gilchrist (c/w), HH Gibbs, MD Mishra, TL Suman, A Symonds, RG Sharma, B Sumanth, RP Singh, PP Ojha, RJ Harris, Harmeet Singh

Royal Challengers Bangalore: JH Kallis, MK Pandey, CL White, RV Uthappa (w), LRPL Taylor, V Kohli, R Dravid, R Vinay Kumar, A Kumble (c), KP Appanna, DW Steyn.

Not far from being the World No.1: Saina Nehwal

NEW DELHI: India's badminton star Saina Nehwal said her decision to play in select international tournaments has worked wonders for her and the day is not far when she will be the World number one.

Saina, currently ranked sixth, said she was now participating in limited tournaments and is more focussed on winning titles.

The 20-year-old is the top seed in Badminton Asia Championships beginning here Monday and is supremely confident.

"I am playing in selected tournaments now and it has worked well for me. It is giving me adequate time to train and also spend quality time with my family. So when I go back to courts, I am fresh, focussed and well prepared to face the top players and the aim is to win every tournament," Saina told reporters on Saturday.

"This year the focus is to do well in the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games. If I continue like this, I can be soon be the number one, hopefully."

Saina, who will play Thailand's Porntip Buranaprasertsuk in the opening round, said playing at home will be an advantage. But there will also be pressure on her to live upto the expectations.

"Even the world's top player is under pressure to win every match. I think pressure will always be there when you are a top seed. The draw is tough. As of now, I am focussing only on the first match. I have trained really hard and I am quite confident of performing well.

"I am in good shape, probably the best in my career so far. The last four-five months have been good for me. I reached the semi-finals of All England Championship. My game has also improved a lot.

"It will be a tough competition. Players like Zhou Mi and Pui Yin Yip from Hong Kong will be strong contenders."

Saina also said that the Indian team was high on confidence ahead of the tournament.

"The Indian players have had some good results recently and they will hopefully do well here. Jwala Gutta and V. Diju have got the top billing in mixed doubles and they have a relatively easier draw, so I think they have a good chance of going up in the tournament."

Saina, however, said the media should give more coverage to badminton.

"We are doing so well as a team and this is the right time for the sport to get attention and grow in the country. If the young players do not get sponsorship now, it will be difficult for them to go to the next level."

RCB take on rejuvenated Kolkata

BANGALORE: Four defeats in five matches have hit Royal Challengers Bangalore's semifinal hopes and they would be desperate to bring their campaign back on track when they take on Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League match on Saturday.

Sitting pretty at one stage with four wins and eight points in five matches, RCB now have 10 points from as many games, showcasing how the team's fortunes took a turn.

They would have to win at least three matches to ensure that they are in the reckoning for the title, which eluded them in South Africa last season.

An invigorated Kolkata, with or without Sourav Ganguly, will not be an easy opponent to conquer in Saturday's contest at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.

The former India captain had injured his right ankle during Wednesday's win over Delhi at the Eden Gardens. Though he has had an MRI done, the results are awaited.

Kolkata have gathered confidence from their win against the formidable Delhi Daredevils.

If the visitors from the East produce as powerful a sucker punch as Deccan Chargers delivered on Thursday night, the doors could possibly be shut on RCB's challenge in the third edition of the cash-awash league.

Though their batsmen failed to generate runs in the first half of the innings against Deccan, Anil Kumble is not much hassled about RCB's batting. It is the insipid performance of the bowlers that worries Kumble.

If Praveen Kumar and Dale Steyn were expected to find inroads into the rival batting, they have failed to deliver.

Worse, they have conceded far too many runs in crucial situations, either bowling far too up or giving width for stroke play.

RCB could possibly bring in Abhimanyu Mithun for Steyn and play an extra batsman in Kevin Pietersen, who was rested in the last game.

Kolkata, who have garnered 10 points from 10 games, have been empowered by Brendon McCullum's return. The Kiwi, on his day, could be as destructive as Chris Gayle, Andrew Symonds, David Warner and Cameron White.

That he produced IPL's highest score (154) at this venue two seasons ago, should have the adrenalin flowing in McCullum's veins. The likes of Ashok Dinda and Manoj Tiwary have held Kolkata in good stead, chipping in with wickets and runs when it has mattered most.

With Kolkata string form in the past few matches, it will be interesting to see how RCB fare in their 11th contest this season.