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Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who was dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the Twenty20 and ODI tour of West Indies, has said that he is ready to make his comeback into the national side as a “specialist batsman”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-2011Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal, who was dropped from Pakistan’s squad for the Twenty20 and ODI tour of West Indies, has said that he is ready to make his comeback into the national side as a “specialist batsman”.”If Pakistan can find a better wicketkeeper than me,” Kamran told , “then I will try to make a comeback as a specialist batsman because batting is something I enjoy a lot and I can bat at any position.”Kamran was dropped from the Pakistan squad following a disappointing World Cup campaign, with bat and gloves – he dropped centurion Ross Taylor three times in the game against New Zealand, including twice early on, and also committed several errors in the games against Sri Lanka and the semi-final with India. Coach Waqar Younis had hinted that it was time for a new wicketkeeper to be picked.Kamran said that he was still disappointed with his performance in the New Zealand game. “And some people don`t want me to forget it. The day seemed to be cursed. People just criticise and forget my past performances. I also love my team and I`m the one who suffers the most because of the missed chances.”Kamran, who has made six hundreds in 53 Tests and five in 137 ODIs, said he was working hard on his wicketkeeping and batting as he was desperate to make a comeback to the national team. “I want to serve my country in whatever role the selectors see for me in the side.”Mohammad Salman was picked as the wicketkeeper for the one-day series in West Indies, and reports suggest that Kamran is unlikely to be called up for the two Tests that follow in the Caribbean. Kamran suggested that the focus was only on his shoddy performances, while his overall performance, both as a wicketkeeper and batsman were being ignored.”It is true I have had some bad matches in recent months but my performances should be viewed on overall basis. Overall my performance as a wicketkeeper has been fine and I`ve one of the highest dismissals among all the wicketkeepers who have played for Pakistan.”

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Um dos candidatos a revelação do Campeonato Brasileiro, o atacante Pedrinho nunca chegou a uma competição pelo Corinthians tão preparado como agora. Pedido recorrente dos torcedores que sonham em ver mais um garoto despontar pelo clube, o jogador que completou 20 anos na sexta-feira tem recebido tratamento especial do clube e reúne fatores que podem deixar a Fiel com a esperança de que “agora vai”.

O primeiro semestre de 2018 foi de alta importância para o atacante. Após sofrer com um quadro de anemia devido a problemas para se alimentar, passou até a levar comida para casa, ganhou força e teve participação importante no time. Apesar de disputar apenas 231 minutos em nove jogos, nenhum como titular, tempo ainda considerado baixo, se destacou principalmente na fase de mata-mata do Campeonato Paulista. Fez um gol importantíssimo no jogo de ida das quartas de final contra o Bragantino, derrota por 3 a 2 que permitiu a virada na volta, e entrou bem na semifinal contra o São Paulo. Além de criar jogadas no tempo normal, bateu com personalidade uma das cobranças de pênalti que garantiu o Timão na final.

Com os testes, a comissão técnica ganhou confiança para utilizar mais o atleta. O plano é observá-lo mais tempo nos primeiros jogos Campeonato Brasileiro. Não se surpreenda se ele atuar por mais tempo a partir de agora. O técnico Fábio Carille chegou a dizer que a molecada estava pedindo passagem e que, inevitavelmente, uma hora seria titular. Serviu primeiro para Mateus Vital, também de 20 anos, e contratado este ano do Vasco. Neste domingo, na estreia no Brasileiro, contra o Fluminense, Vital será titular e Pedrinho ficará no banco. Nada que desanime o atacante da base,

-Esse ano pude colaborar um pouco em até grandes jogos, ajudar de alguma forma. Fico feliz e tento em cada jogo incorporar cada vez mais, para ser importante nos títulos que conquistarmos – afirmou Pedrinho.

Uma motivação a mais veio recentemente. A família do jogador, natural de Macéio, Alagoas, está em São Paulo desde a semana passada. Passaram o aniversário juntos. Além da mãe Luciana e do pai Pedro, estavam a irmã Luana e a namorada Layla. Pedro tem ido frequentemente aos treinos no CT Joaquim Grava e divide a rotina fora do campo. Antes, o atacante morava com um amigo, companheiro de base no Corinthians e que se transferiu para o Internacional. É comida da mamãe, é resenha com papai. Pedrinho está protegido.

-Trabalho para eles ficarem aqui. Meu amigo que morava comigo da base saiu, hoje já penso em deixar minha mãe aqui, meu pai, mas ele está trabalhando lá. Mas ele quer vir, porque me sinto bem melhor – contou Pedrinho.

Outra proteção vem do próprio grupo. É Emerson Sheik. O experiente atacante de 39 anos serve como guia para os mais jovens e tem dado conselhos a Pedrinho e Cia.

-O Sheik, todo mundo sabe o jogador que ele é, mas o que mais impressionou foi a humildade dele dentro de campo, o tratamento, parece que a gente conhece ele há cinco anos. Ele é muito importante para o futebol, e isso agrega muito para quem está começando agora – definiu.

Pedrinho está mais forte e com fome de bola. A Fiel espera que o Brasileiro seja o de afirmação para o atacante.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansRenê Júnior torce por chegada de amigo Roger ao CorinthiansCorinthians13/04/2018CorinthiansSem Fagner, Corinthians tem treino para defesa e rachão antes de estreiaCorinthians13/04/2018CorinthiansSheik acerta renovação de contrato com o Corinthians até dezembroCorinthians13/04/2018

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CorinthiansPedrinho

Chris Woakes, the Warwickshire allrounder, has been given a chance to press for a World Cup place, after being named as the only uncapped player in England’s 17-man squad for next month’s one-day and Twenty20 matches against Australia. Chris Tremlett also returns into the limited-overs set-up for the first time in two years, but there’s no place for Ravi Bopara, who has been dropped from the squad that played against Pakistan in September, in favour of Ian Bell.Geoff Miller, the national selector, announced the squad during the tea interval of England’s three-day warm-up fixture against Victoria, and admitted that, while the team’s current focus remains solely on retaining the Ashes, the proximity of the World Cup – which gets underway on February 19 – has forced them to name their strongest possible line-up, with the only first-choice omission being the injured Stuart Broad, who is expected to have recovered from a torn stomach muscle in time for the business end of the tournament.”With Broad ruled out of the series we’ve needed to bolster our pace bowling stocks and Chris Woakes comes into the squad after knocking on the door for some time,” said Miller. “Chris will be hungry for his international debut and vying for a place with a number of other quality pace bowlers. He’s put in some good performances for Warwickshire, he’s gone through the channels of the Lions and the Performance Programme, and has performed well this winter. He merits his selection, and the options are there to go in whichever direction we want to go.”When asked if there had been any temptation to rest key personnel ahead of the World Cup, Miller admitted that it was not an option, given that England have now won five consecutive series since the tour of South Africa last winter, and will want to go to the subcontinent in February with that winning streak extended. “You couldn’t do that,” he said. “You’ve still got to keep the momentum, the lads playing together and finding out their roles within the side.”It’s really difficult when you’ve got series after series, following each other so quickly,” he added. “But that’s always been the case, and it will maybe continue to be so. There are one or two players in the squad who are not involved in the Ashes, so they can actually focus on the World Cup now, but those who are involved here and then have to adapt later, it’s really tough. That’s been taken into consideration by the management, but at the moment, the priority is the Test series, then we’ll move on to the one-dayers.”In keeping with the recent precedent, Andrew Strauss has been named as captain of the 50-overs squad, but will hand over the Twenty20 reins to Paul Collingwood, England’s victorious captain at the World Twenty20 in May this year. Craig Kieswetter, who was England’s Man of the Match in the final against Australia, has been retained for that format alone, with Steve Davies once again named ahead of the Test specialist Matt Prior as England’s only wicketkeeper for the ODI series.”Matt is not being overlooked,” said Miller. “He’s made it clear he still wants to play one-day cricket, and we will continue to monitor him, but he has been given the opportunity before, both up the order and in the middle order. He was left out and we brought someone else in, and we will continue in that vein of consistency. We’ll find out how these two go over a period of time.”Bopara is also running out of chances to force his way into the World Cup reckoning, having made a favourable impression during an otherwise disastrous England campaign in the 2007 tournament. But with Kevin Pietersen back in form after being dropped from the Pakistan series, and Ian Bell fully recovered after the foot injury that interrupted his home summer, there was no room for him on this occasion, despite his undoubted potential as a match-winner.”We had a long discussion about Ravi,” said Miller. “He’s still very much in our thoughts and we know what he’s capable of doing, but at this moment in time he’s out playing in South Africa and will continue to do that. We’re quite confident that this squad can do a job for us here, and it may be able to do it in the World Cup as well, but it doesn’t close the door to anyone else.”England ODI and T20 squads Andrew Strauss* (ODI capt), Paul Collingwood (T20 capt), James Anderson, Ian Bell, Tim Bresnan, Steve Davies (wk), Eoin Morgan, Craig Kieswetter** (wk), Kevin Pietersen, Ajmal Shahzad, Graeme Swann, James Tredwell, Chris Tremlett, Jonathan Trott, Chris Woakes, Luke Wright, Michael Yardy* ODIs only, ** Twenty20s only

Ross Taylor has denied that his side were complacent in the final game of the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan in which the hosts were routed by 103 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff31-Dec-2010

Ross Taylor, the stand-in New Zealand captain, has denied that his side were complacent in the final game of the three-match Twenty20 series against Pakistan in which they were routed by 103 runs, the largest winning margin in contests between Test nations. New Zealand had already sealed the series after winning the first two games comfortably.”We wanted to win the series 3-0 after what’s happened over the last few months,” Taylor said, “and it’s disappointing to put out a performance like that in front of a pretty good crowd.”Chasing 184, New Zealand were bowled out for 80 in 15.5 overs, and at one stage were 3 for 4 with their top four batsmen – Jesse Ryder, Martin Guptill, Dean Brownlie and Taylor – all dismissed for ducks. “It’s a very disappointing way to end the series … when your four top batsmen get out for nothing it’s pretty tough chasing a total.”Taylor credited Pakistan’s bowlers for defending a target that he was confident his team would have been able to chase down. “The pitch changed a little bit but the way Abdul Razzaq and [Shahid] Afridi bowled was just outstanding,” he said. Afridi, the Pakistan captain, had career-best figures of 4 for 14 in 2.5 overs, and became the first player to reach the milestone of 50 Twenty20 wickets. He extended the New Zealand slide that began when Razzaq picked up three wickets with the new ball, while conceding just 13 runs in his four overs.Afridi said the win would come as boost to the Pakistan team that has struggled for consistency in recent times amid the spot-fixing allegations that have rocked the team. “This is the talent of Pakistan but we should be consistent,” Afridi said. “We’re trying to make a team combination before the World Cup (in February). I know we lost the series but this was a big win for us to keep our morale high.”The teams next play two Tests, the first of which begins on January 7. Taylor was hopeful that his team would be able to bounce back from what was a disappointing end to the Twenty20 series, after the initial optimism following John Wright’s appointment as national coach and their victory in the first two games.”The Test’s not far away, and it’s a bit disappointing to lose the momentum we had,” he said. “But the Test series is something where we did quite well in India, and hopefully we can improve on that back here in New Zealand.”

A big update has emerged regarding Newcastle United and their interest in Nottingham Forest winger Brennan Johnson.

What’s the talk?

According to The Independent, the Magpies are scheduled to hold talks with the player’s representatives ahead of the summer, along with Leicester and Villarreal.

Brentford and Everton are also interested in the gem and are hoping to snap him up for a fee in the region of £20m-£25m. He has one year left on his contract with the Championship club and his agency – including his father – wants him to make the step up to the Premier League next season.

Johnson can get St James’ Park rocking

PIF can get St James’ Park rocking with a deal for Johnson, as he would be an exciting addition to the Newcastle squad in the short- and long-term.

He has been in phenomenal form for Forest in the Championship this season and has shown that he has the potential to make the step up to the Premier League next term.

Ex-Forest striker Glenn Murray showered the youngster with praise earlier this season, saying: “For me, Brennan, he just looks special. He just looks a cut above and he’s destined for the top.

“Yes, he’s not getting everything right at the moment but he looks at the top-level easily. I expect a really big future from him.”

In the current Championship campaign, Johnson has produced 15 goals and 10 assists for Steve Cooper’s team. This shows that he has been able to make a big impact in the final third as he has consistently delivered with the ball at his feet, scoring and setting up goals on a regular basis.

At the age of 20, he is still in the infancy of his professional career. He is just getting started and should have plenty of scope left to grow and develop as a player. This means that he would be a sublime long-term signing for the Magpies, as they would be able to watch his improvement over time and benefit from it on the pitch as he hones his skills.

Newcastle fans will surely be buzzing with the club’s efforts to bring such a talented and promising young player to the club. St James’ Park would be rocking with excitement if PIF can get a deal over the line for the 20-year-old, and that is why the Magpies hierarchy must work hard to snap him up in the coming months.

AND in other news, Imagine him & Bruno: PIF must finally launch NUFC move for “outrageous” £50m dynamo…

As shared by the Hammers’ official website, Lyon have been dealt a blow for their clash with West Ham United as both sides gear up for a crunch evening in Europe.

The Lowdown: Big night ahead…

After sensationally knocking out La Liga giants Sevilla, who are also the Europa League’s most successful ever side, some West Ham supporters could be forgiven for dreaming of illustrious silverware or, at the very least, a notable run to the final four.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/west-ham-newest-updates/” title=”West Ham newest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

David Moyes’ men battled to a memorable victory at the London Stadium against their Round of 16 competitors last time out with, perhaps most fittingly, Ukrainian Andriy Yarmolenko scoring the winner in added time.

West Ham’s 2-1 win on aggregate could be the start of a fairy-tale run with tonight’s clash in east London pivotal.

The Latest: Lyon without key star Caqueret…

Sharing some team news, West Ham relay their competitors will be without a key man in midfielder Caqueret after picking up a knee injury in training last week.

Although, despite early fears of Karl Toko-Ekambi joining Caqueret on the sidelines, their manager Petr Bosz has since confirmed that the former will be available.

The Verdict: Blow for Lyon…

Caqueret has been a real mainstay for the Ligue 1 giants this season with his absence coming as a real blow.

Described as ‘incredible’ by his manager Bosz and ‘crucial’ to Lyon by French media, WhoScored detail that only goalkeeper Anthony Lopes has played more top flight minutes for them than the 22-year-old this season.

In that time, the robust midfield gem has averaged an impressive 1.4 interceptions per 90, the third-most of any Lyon star, whilst also completing the fourth-highest amount of challenges (WhoScored).

Taking this into account, it’s safe to say Bosz may well miss his presence in midfield tonight, where Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek will surely be licking their lips at the weakend Lyon unit.

In other news: West Ham agreement to sign ‘sensational’ player now possible as price drops by nearly £25m! Find out more here.

ScorecardStephen Peters and Alex Wakely scored a century apiece as they shared a third-wicket partnership of 182 to take Northamptonshire to 280 for 4 in reply to Middlesex’s 347 all out in their County Championship Division Two clash at Lord’s. Peters, who scored a career-best 183 not out in leading Northamptonshire to a six-wicket victory over Middlesex at Wantage Road in April, simply carried on where he left off to make an unbeaten 115 off 231 balls with 13 fours.Wakely was more enterprising on the way to only his second hundred in 26 first-class matches, hitting 15 fours in his 108 off 193 balls. They were together for 54 overs and Middlesex captain Shaun Udal, who had just been off the field for repairs to his left hand after stopping a fierce drive, was wondering where their next wicket was coming from when Wakely chipped him to mid-on to offer Gareth Berg a simple catch.Six overs later, Rob White gave Udal a second wicket when he lofted him to Danny Evans at mid-off but it had been a dispiriting afternoon for Middlesex after they had made a promising start with the ball. Pedro Collins, the former West Indies left-armer, was rewarded for a demanding opening spell when he had Ben Howgego leg-before and Berg, the South Africa-born allrounder who was presented with his county cap at teatime, put Mal Loye out of his misery by having him caught at second slip for a 22-ball duck.Middlesex then ran into an immovable object in Peters, who had scored only 65 runs in his previous seven innings at Lord’s at an average of 9.28 and was obviously determined to put the record straight.Now 31, he has never quite fulfilled the potential he showed when he scored a century on his first-class debut for Essex at 17 and won the Man-of-the-Match award with a hundred in the Under-19 World Cup final in South Africa, but he has become one of the most consistent opening batsmen in the championship with three centuries and three fifties this season.Wakely, 21, has found runs harder to come by since making his maiden hundred against Glamorgan at Cardiff last summer but there were signs of real promise in some of his strokeplay.Earlier, Middlesex added six to their overnight 341 for 9 before Chaminda Vaas, the Sri Lanka left-arm seamer, had Collins caught behind to finish with the excellent figures of 4 for 49 in 21.2 overs against one of his former counties.

An update has emerged on Newcastle United’s attempts to add further signings to their ranks in January…

What’s the talk?

Daily Mail journalist Craig Hope has revealed that the Magpies are unlikely to sign Divock Origi or Dominic Solanke this month as they go in search of a striker to bolster their squad.

He tweeted: “Understand Newcastle haven’t gone in for Burnley’s Chris Wood, as it stands, but he has been put to them (same agents as Trippier). One of several striking options being considered. Azmoun of Zenit among them but Origi/Solanke unlikely, I’m told. Either way, NUFC need to act fast.”

Howe will be gutted

This update will surely leave Newcastle manager Eddie Howe feeling gutted, as both Origi and Solanke are strikers who could come in and make an impact at St James’ Park in the second half of the campaign.

The Belgian is a proven Premier League performer and the Englishman is a player who the 44-year-old knows well from his time at Bournemouth in the top flight.

Upon signing him for the Cherries in 2019, Howe said this about the ex-Liverpool man: “Dominic is technically gifted, very athletic and has the physical profile that will give us something different in our front line.

“He has done very well for England at various age groups, has a huge amount of potential and I’m really excited about working with him.”

This shows that he rates Solanke highly, which is why he will be gutted a deal now appears to be off the cards this month, especially given the striker’s form this season. The 24-year-old has scored 18 goals in 25 Championship matches for Bournemouth, after managing 15 last term, and this suggests that he could be ready for another shot at the top flight.

Meanwhile, Origi has won the Premier League and Champions League for Liverpool, scoring in the final of the latter. He has found the back of the net 40 times in 167 matches for the Merseyside club, showing that he knows how to score at the very top level.

This is another reason why Howe will be gutted with this update from Hope, as the Belgian could have come in and scored vital goals for Newcastle. The ex-Bournemouth boss will now be hoping that quality alternatives are identified and brought in as quickly as possible to bolster his attacking options, especially with injured top scorer Callum Wilson facing several weeks on the sidelines.

AND in other news, “We understand”: Keith Downie drops big NUFC transfer claim which will leave fans gutted…

أبدى مهاجم الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، كريم بنزيما، سعادته الشديدة بعد الفوز بجائزة الكرة الذهبية لعام 2022 خلال حوار أجراه مع مجلة “فرانس فوتبول” الفرنسية.

ونجح بنزيما في تقديم موسم رائع مع ريال مدريد وساهم في حصد الفريق الإسباني 4 بطولات وهي الدوري الإسباني، دوري أبطال أوروبا، السوبر الإسباني والسوبر الأوروبي.

اقرأ أيضًا | محمد صلاح: الزمالك يستحق عقد رعاية أكبر من الأهلي.. وأتمنى الدفع بالصفقة الجديدة أمام سيراميكا كليوباترا

وتحدث بنزيما عن مشاعره بعد الفوز بالكرة الذهبية خلال الحوار، وقال: “أشعر بالفرح والفخر، لدي ذكريات كثيرة، لا توجد جائزة فردية أفضل من الكرة الذهبية، لا يمكن شراؤها، هذه المرة أصبحت ملكي، كان شعور بالجنون لأنني ذهبت وحصلت عليها بنفسي”.

وأضاف: “لم أتخيل نفسي معتزلًا بدون الكرة الذهبية، لقد بذلت قصارى جهدي، كان يجب أن اقترب والتقطها بنفسي، طالما حصلت عليها، فأنت كتبت التاريخ في كرة القدم، لقد كان حلم أمي الدائم، كانت تخبرني بأنني الأفضل وسأفوز بها، لذلك سأنام وهي بين أحضاني لأتذكر أحلامي مثل فتى صغير، لقد كبر الفتى مع كرة جلدية صغيرة لتصبح كرة ذهبية، شيء ساحر جدًا”.

وتابع: “الحصول على الكرة الذهبية لا يضاهيه أي شعور آخر، لقب فردي لكنه بصبغة جماعية بفضل زملائي وجماهير ريال مدريد التي تدعمني، الفوز بالبالون دور بعد زين الدين زيدان أمر خاص ومميز ومذهل، لطالما اعتبره أخي ومثلي الأعلى مع رونالدو (الظاهرة) لذلك أحاول أن أفعل كل شيء بشكل صحيح كما كان كريستيانو رونالدو وليونيل ميسي”.

وبسؤاله “هل فوزك بالكرة الذهبية يعد انتقامًا بعد كل تلك السنوات الماضية؟”، أجاب: “لا ليس كذلك، لقد كنت مرشحًا منذ عام 2008، لكن في النهاية، كنت بعيدًا جدًا كما كان في العام الماضي، لقد كنت في المركز الرابع، لذلك تدربت أكثر لكن لا اعتبره انتقامًا كل ذلك جاء بالعمل الجاد، لأنك إذا خسرت فهذا لأنك لم تبلي بلاءً حسنًا، فأنت لا تحترم ناديك، يجب أن تعترف بالهزيمة لأنك تعرف السبب على الأقل”.

وواصل تصريحاته: “أرادوا أن يحبطوني ويدمروني قبل 5 سنوات لو تتذكر (قضية فالبوينا)، لكنني كنت أحتاج إلى الوقت، لقد عدت من جديد وحصلت على الكرة الذهبية الخاصة بي، لقد كان مشوارًا طويلًا، قبل 5 سنوات، لم يتوقع أحدًا ذلك”.

Cricinfo previews the 15th match of the IPL between Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils in Cuttack

The Preview by Kanishkaa Balachandran20-Mar-2010Match factsMarch 21, 2010
Start time 1600 (1030 GMT)AB de Villiers’ place could be up for grabs if he fails again•Associated Press

Big pictureThings aren’t so rosy for the Delhi Daredevils, who’ve slipped from top of the table after two games to No.6. Gautam Gambhir’s absence has had a bigger impact than they could have imagined, and a date hasn’t yet been set for his return. Their biggest worry, though, is their bowling, which has failed to defend totals of 218 and 185. And even those high scores belie a shaky batting line-up, with AB de Villiers out of form and Tillakaratne Dilshan yet to play a special innings. A strong middle-order performance will play a big part in getting Delhi back on track. Their seamers, especially Dirk Nannes, can be very potent on pitches that offer seam movement and pace. In Ashish Nehra’s absence, the responsibility on Nannes has only increased. After two forgettable showings at home, they’ll hope for better luck at a new venue.Deccan have rebounded well after losing their opening game, recording back-to-back wins against Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. Adam Gilchrist retained the winning line-up against Punjab and the team looked in control of the game for most of the game. Their overseas players, including Andrew Symonds and Chaminda Vaas, have performed consistently and they are one of the form teams in this tournament. If Deccan win, it will be their first against Delhi in the league stages of the IPL.Team talkGambhir’s return is still uncertain and assistant coach Eric Simons hinted that he could miss the next couple of games. Dinesh Karthik will continue to lead the team in his place. Wayne Parnell hasn’t got a game, neither has Moises Henriques, though it won’t be a bad idea to bring in the allrounder Henriques in place of the under-pressure de Villiers. Sarabjit Ladda has been expensive, so they can consider replacing him with Sarandeep Singh.Deccan’s VVS Laxman suffered an unfortunate injury to the arm while batting against Punjab. The fact that he retired hurt suggested that the injury could be serious. His absence could give Venugopal Rao an opportunity.Previously…Delhi 4 Deccan 1
Delhi won both their matches against Deccan 2008. They won their home game by 12 runs and the away game by a nine-wicket margin.Delhi won the first match against Deccan in 2009 by six wickets, thanks to Nannes’ opening spell. Deccan ought to have won the return match, needing 25 in three overs, with six wickets in hand but choked, losing by 12 runs. Rajat Bhatia was the hero on that occasion. But Deccan had their revenge in the more important clash – the semi-final. In the spotlightAB de Villiers: Thirty-five runs in four games at 8.75. Not numbers you will associate with the South African batsman, but a big score is due. Fortunately, his poor batting form hasn’t rubbed off on his fielding, which is as sharp as ever. But you have to admit that he’s one failure away from being dropped.
RP Singh: The left-armer has struggled in Indian conditions and he’s yet to recreate his form from last year, where the swing and seam in South Africa made him feel at home. Three wickets at 36 and an expensive economy rate of 9.81 aren’t figures you’d expect from the team’s strike bowler.Chaminda Vaas v Delhi top-order: He did it to Kolkata, Chennai and Punjab. A fascinating duel with Sehwag beckons.Prime numbers Chaminda Vaas remains the Purple Cap holder with seven wickets, followed closely by hat-trick man Praveen Kumar at six.Virender Sehwag’s strike-rate of 194.68 is the highest for any batsman who has played four matches. Gilchrist’s slightly ahead at 195.31 but he’s played one game less.Chatter”We know what Gilchrist did to us in the semifinal last year. We know what kind of a player he is and what is the kind of player Gibbs is.”

“We can’t take anyone lightly and Delhi are a quality side, they showed it in IPL 2. But, we must do our things well and not worry too much about the opposition.”