INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE - ROYAL CHALLENGERS SHOCKED

INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 7- Rajasthan Royals thrashed Royal Chanllengers Bangalore by 5 wickets

A stunning assault from James Faulkner and Steven Smith at Chinnaswamy Staudium had sealed an improbable win on Royal Challengers Bangalore was highlight in this IPL season. Royal Challengers Bangalore given a hard target to Rajasthan Royals giving 191 runs to chase with a splendid batting performance from Yuvraj Singh with ball and bat. His blasts seven fours and seven sixers in his 83 runs came in 38 balls and also captured four wickets in his spell but his efforts was in vain for Royal Challengers Bangalore to win the match. Both Australian allrounder turned the match with a stunning batting assault the pair looted 85 runs in just 5 overs to leave the home side bemused completing a successful chase. James Faulkner and Smith unbeaten 41 and 48 respectably. In the other match Punjab faced a memorable defeat on Kolkata by 9 wickets and Gautham Gambhir played a captain knock to lead his team to a comfortable victory. Once again Sehwag after a long time showed his class hitting 72 runs in 50 balls with help of 11 fours.

SCORECARD

Rajasthan Royals 191 for 5 ( Nair 56. Smith 48*, Faulkner 41*, Yuvraj 4-35) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore 190 for 5 ( Yuvraj 83,de Villiers 58) by 5 wickets Kolkata Knight Riders 150 for 1 ( Gambhir 63*,Uthappa 46) beat Kings XI Punjab 149 for 8 ( Sehwag 72,Chawla 3-19) by 9 wickets

SEHWAG STILL TO REMEMBER

While Glenn Maxwell and David Miller have been instrumental in Kings XI Punjab's unprecedented dominance this IPL, there is one man in the team whose small contributions at the top of the order have been very much like a guiding light. Virender Sehwag, the past master, is still effective and he has been the one laying the foundations for the Maxwell-Miller show, more often than not. Sehwag has scored 30 or more five times this season and while it is important to notice that he has not gone beyond 37, it is also true that he hasn't been any baggage to the team. He still possesses some of his predatory skills that not so long ago had put world class bowlers in perpetual fear of him. There is no denying that Sehwag has changed. He is bespectacled now; looks sluggish on the field. In his case, it's not running between the wickets anymore, it's lumbering between the wickets. But that bat he holds is still capable of destroying any bowling attack in the star-studded T20 league. He may not be the tempest he used to be in his hey day but he is still a cloudburst. One remarkable thing about Sehwag is that he hasn't changed his style. Even the great Sachin Tendulkar made changes to his technique when he hit a dry spell. The Nawab of Najafgarh is not one for changes. He believes his attitude and technique that has brought him 38 international tons will always stand him in good stead. That may not be the right thing but one has to give credit to the guy for his unshakable faith in his own belief. It might be romanticism but it's difficult to forget his contribution to Indian and international cricket at large. Go speak to any bowler who has bowled to Sehwag in his prime and he will tell you what a threatening proposition he was; what an exceptional entertainer he was. In the previous decade, Sehwag was the man who set the tone for most India wins, home or abroad. That's no little compliment considering the side also had players like Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, VVS Laxman, Anil Kumble and Sourav Ganguly. So let it be romanticism. His past is full of glory and an uncertain present and future must not undermine what he has done in years gone by. Now the big question is can Sehwag, at the age of 35, relive his past one more time at the international level, can he make a comeback to the Indian team or will we only see him in the IPL, that too not for long? Probably, the answer is no; that he is not international quality anymore. Scoring 30s is not good enough to catch the national selectors' eye. Sehwag may not play for India again but it's also true that there is not a single Indian cricket fan who doesn't want Sehwag back to the international arena where he once played like a king and that's his real achievement, that people still love him and wish him well. Nothing beats getting liked, loved and admired by people.
Prateek Srivastava