Sri Lanka will be looking for the elusive test match and series win when they tour India for a Three Test, five ODI and Two T20 match series from November to December 2009. The team arrive in India on November 8th for the 55-day tour.
Indian Premier League - IPL
Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings IPL Final at Mumbai
RR v CSK, IPL Final, Mumbai: Rajasthan win inaugural IPL
June 01, 2008
Yusuf Pathan inspired Rajasthan Royals to a three-wicket defeat of Chennai Super Kings in a thrilling Indian Premier League final on Sunday.
He took three wickets to reduce Chennai, who lost the toss and were put into bat, to 163 for five, and then smashed 56 - including four sixes and three fours - in a 39-ball innings.
Needing eight runs off the final over, Shane Warne (nine not out) and Sohail Tanvir (nine no) kept their cool to reach the target, with the latter grabbing the one run needed for victory off the final ball of the match.
The Royals suffered a double blow as in the same over Kamran Akmal (six) went for a suicidal single after nudging to mid-on and was run out by Makhaya Ntini's direct hit.
Pathan proved he was just as capable with the bat as with the ball, although he was lucky to be dropped by Raina in the 11th over on 13. Raina's error proved costly as Pathan went on to smash Muttiah Muralitharan for back-to-back sixes.
Shane Watson chipped in with a quickfire 28 off 19 balls but succumbed when he came down the track to Muralitharan but missed and was bowled.
Needing 52 off the last five overs, Pathan launched Lakshmipathy Balaji for 12 off one over and then dished out the same treatment to Muralitharan, hoisting the spinner over midwicket to bring up his half century. But Mohammad Kaif then lobbed Muralitharan to Mahendra Singh Dhoni at cover and Ravindra Jadeja followed next ball when he pulled Morkel straight to Kapugedera at mid-on.
Rajasthan's hopes were knocked when Pathan was run out by Raina's superb direct hit but Warne and Tanvir steered the Royals to victory.
Earlier, Chennai openers Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan and Parthiv Patel put on 39 before the former was dismissed in the sixth over. He tried to pull Pathan over deep midwicket but mistimed it and was caught by Jadeja sprinting in from the boundary.
Aiming for a flurry of runs in the final few overs, Raina tried one shot too many and was caught on the long-off boundary by Jadeja off the bowling of Watson, and Chamara Kapugedera did not last long, adding just eight runs before lofting to Asnodkar at long on off Tanvir.
RR v CSK, IPL Final, Mumbai: Rajasthan Royals 164 for 7 in 20.0 ovs beat Chennai Super Kings 163 for 5 in 20.0 ovs by 3 wickets
Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings IPL Final at Mumbai
Scores
IPL Final: Rajasthan Royals v Chennai Super Kings Final at Mumbai Rajasthan Royals beat Chennai Super Kings by 3 wickets
Chennai Super Kings : 163 for 5 in 20.0 overs
Rajasthan Royals : 164 for 7 in 20.0 overs
The 2009 ICC World Twenty20 is a Twenty20 cricket tournament scheduled to take place in England in June of 2009. It will be the second World Twenty20 and will consist of 12 teams, contested by all Test-playing nations plus qualifiers (Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland)
The Champions Twenty20 League, formed with the official sanction of ICC will kick off in October 2008. Eight domestic teams from four nations will participate. Cricket Australia will partner the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and Cricket South Africa (CSA). The champion team in the Champions Twenty20 league will get US $5 million, which is the highest ever prize money for a cricket event.