Laxmi shocks Rajasthan out of IPL

A gritty knock by Laxmi Ratan Shukla of Kolkata shocked defending champions Rajasthan out of this year’s IPL, in a low scoring thrilling match.

Keen to salvage some pride, Kolkata KnightRiders (KKR) put up a high class performance with their fielders backing up their bowlers. If Charles Langeveldt was KKR’s hero in bowling, it was their fielding that outsmarted the Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) batsmen, effecting 3 runouts today. Langeveldt, playing his first match of the tournament, ran through the top order of RR picking up 3 crucial wickets for 15 runs earning him a Bowling Efficiency of 160. RR couldn’t recover from the early setbacks and could finally score a paltry 101, with only 4 of their batsmen reaching double figures.

Read full story at http://www.castrolcricket.com/matchreview

It is now or never for Rajastan in IPL 2009

With the race to semi-finals getting extremely tight, nothing less than a victory will help Rajasthan in their quest for a semi-final spot when they face a resurgent Kolkata today.

But will it be a cake-walk for Rajasthan Royals (RR)? According to Castrol Index, RR shouldn’t be worried with their overall bowling performances, but their batting leaves much to be desired. In bowling also, RR bowlers tend to lose their way in the last five overs, allowing the opponent to pile up some extra runs. The Extreme Performance Bowling of 3 looks abysmally low compared to what Kolkata KnightRiders performs with the bat during the same period (Extreme Performance Batting of 79). Can Shane Warne fix this hole in his bowling department?