IPL Extras: 'Mallya is Mr Smart of RCB'

All praise for his franchise owner, Vijay Mallya, Royal Challengers Bangalore cricketer A B de Villiers said the liquor baron is the ‘Mr Smart’ of the team.

"Think our boss - Vijay Mallya - is a complete package," he said, at an event organised by Huawei, when he was asked who is the ‘Mr Smart’ and ‘complete package’ in the squad.

However, Yuvraj Singh called de Villiers the complete package of the team.

Replying to a query, Yuvraj said he …

The Mumbai Cricket Association finds itself in a catch-22 situation as it may have to allow Kolkata Knight Riders' co-owner Shah Rukh Khan in at the Wankhede stadium if it wants to host the IPL final on June 1.

One of the conditions put forth by Indian Premier League chairman Ranjib Biswal to the MCA for hosting the final was allowing entry to all franchise owners and officials.

The Bollywood superstar was banned for five years from entering the MCA premises, including the Wankhede stadium, by the Association's managing committee, headed by the late Vilasrao Deshmukh, on May 18, 2012 after he was involved in a skirmish with security staff and officials of the cricket body after his team's victory over Mumbai Indians two nights earlier.

Biswal had replied to a protest letter it received from the MCA attaching a list of do's and dont's, which have been clearly defined in the letter.

Some of the other conditions put out by the IPL were allotting 85 per cent parking slots to the IPL, no ambush marketing in the stadium, no bursting of fire crackers post 10 pm, limited number of accreditations to MCA members.

The MCA will have a managing committee meeting to discuss these conditions.

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Wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha, who hit an unbeaten 36-ball 79 against Kings XI Punjab, albeit in a losing cause, says he is enjoying batting at No 3 for Sunrisers Hyderabad and would like to continue at the same position as it gives him an opportunity to build the innings.

"I would love to continue batting at No 3. I am enjoying that responsibility of building an innings and scoring when needed the most.

"When I play at No 5 or 6, it gets difficult to hit from ball-one, whereas I have the time to shape my innings when I bat at the top," said Ojha, after the Sunrisers lost to Kings XI Punjab by six wickets in Hyderabad on Wednesday night.

"Bowlers at the death, at times, bowl in the blockhole, which gets difficult for a batsman to hit; whereas, at the top of the innings when the field restrictions are still on, there is a scope to score more freely," he said.

Chasing a huge 206 for victory, the Punjab top-order came up with another run feast to reach the target in 18.4 overs, and Ojha said he would have been happier had the result gone Sunrisers' way.

"I enjoyed my batting a lot. I would have loved it even more if the result had gone our way, but things like these are a part and parcel of the game, and one needs to move on. We know we gave our 100 per cent on the field and we are happy with that," he said.

Ojha said his coach, Tom Moody, had asked him to play as freely as possible.

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Kolkata Knight Riders' attack helped set up the match in their team's favour by restricting the Mumbai Indians to 141, and pacer Morne Morkel, who finished with two wickets, said it is important for bowlers to have the right mindset and good body language.

"Body language is the key. Intimidating is one thing, but I think it is key to have a good body language," said Morkel, after KKR defeated Mumbai Indians by six wickets on Wednesday night.

"I think it is always going to be a competition between the bat and ball. It is important for us as bowlers to keep calm and focus on our bowling ball-by-ball," he added.

While the KKR spinners kept the Mumbai batsmen on a tight leash, Morkel gave the team an early breakthrough with just 12 runs on the board, and later picked the important wicket of Corey Anderson.

"We had a slight advantage playing and knowing the conditions here. But, still, it was equal for both the sides. And the way our spinners bowled tonight was unbelievable," Morkel told the IPL's official website.

Asked whether he focuses on taking wickets or restricting the flow of runs, Morkel replied, "I think it is a bit of both. I think it is important for me to have an aggressive mindset, and to think wickets, but not bowl for wickets. I don't really bowl for wickets, but I think wickets.

"I like to develop and be seen as a bowler who can bowl in all sorts of conditions and not only on bouncy tracks."

Morkel said he has been getting important tips from legendary Pakistani pacer Wasim Akram.