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It was déjà vu on Saturday for Suriname and Bermuda as the South American team repeated its 2013 upset of the island nation, beating them by seven wickets at the Indianapolis World Sports Park

Peter Della Penna in Indianapolis09-May-2015It was déjà vu on Saturday for Suriname and Bermuda as the South American team repeated its 2013 upset of the island nation, beating them by seven wickets at the Indianapolis World Sports Park.Bermuda elected to bat and after losing Dion Stovell in the second over for 2, were stabilised by David Hemp and Tre Manders, the two adding 52 runs for the second wicket. However, Bermuda’s scoring rate was slow and not a single batsman had a strike rate above 100.00, the team finally ending its innings on 99 for 7.Bermuda’s modest pace was dented by Muneshwar Patandin who had Hemp stumped for 28 by wicketkeeper Khemraj Jaikaran standing up to the stumps for the medium pacer. Two balls later, Manders was caught by Troy Dudnath for 21 off Patandin. Bermuda had trouble re-establishing momentum. The only other batsman to cross double-figures was Jacobi Robinson, who made unbeaten 14 from No. 8.Wasim Akram was the main destroyer taking 3 for 15 with his spin to peg back the middle order. Akram then came out at the start of the chase with Patandin and added 60 for the first wicket to squash any chance of a Bermuda comeback.Janeiro Tucker had a hand in all three wickets for Bermuda, getting Patandin caught for 21 in the 12th before he ran out Akram from mid-on in the 13th for 39. One over later he had Gavin Singh out bowled for a two-ball duck. Suriname were 68 for 3 but held their nerve to get across the line with an over to spare.With scores level, captain Mohindra Boodram secured Suriname win with a towering six down the ground off the last ball of the 19th. Boodram finished 26 not out and added an unbeaten 35 for the fourth wicket with Shazam Ramjohn.Both teams ended the week at 1-5 but Suriname was set to be relegated back to Americas Division Two due to a vastly inferior run rate.

Litton Das will be the likely wicketkeeping replacement for Mushfiqur Rahim for the solitary Test against India

Mohammad Isam in Fatullah07-Jun-2015Litton Das is likely to keep wickets against India in the solitary Test after Mushfiqur Rahim sprained his ring finger in his right hand during the Khulna Test against Pakistan in April. While Mushfiqur was only seen batting in the nets, Litton practiced wicketkeeping before batting on Bangladesh’s first day of training in Fatullah on Saturday.While it doesn’t confirm that Mushfiqur will only play as a batsman and captain, it is an indicator that the home team are considering Litton as their designated wicketkeeper for the Test against India beginning on June 10. He is likely to become the first person to keep wickets for Bangladesh since Mushfiqur took over in 2007.Ever since Mushfiqur hurt his finger while dropping a catch in the first Test against Pakistan, he had been struggling behind the stumps despite playing the next game as the designated wicketkeeper in Dhaka.In the time between the end of the Pakistan series and the beginning of the India series, five players were rested from at least one first-class game, including Mushfiqur who was given time to recover from his injured finger.Litton, who has been in Bangladesh’s squad since April after he was picked for the lone T20I and the two-match Test series against Pakistan, was unaware of the role he had to play in the upcoming Test against India and said he was hoping he would get a chance to play.”It is not that I am excited,” Litton said. “There is always the plan to be prepared to play in any situation. I would always be hoping to play a match. I will consider myself lucky if I do get a chance, because India is one of the top three teams in the world.”It is a big opportunity for me. There cannot be a bigger dream than performing well. I would want to give as much as the team wants, in whichever position. I am just training as I do.”Litton was picked in the Bangladesh squad against Pakistan on the back of a stellar 2014-15 first-class season where he was among three batsmen to make more than 1000 runs. He averaged 81.14 in 15 innings, including five hundreds and four fifties.He opened the batting for Rangpur and East Zone, but if he plays on Wednesday, he will have to bat down the order. He has batted at No. 5 only once in his career.”I think an opener has to face spinners if he is to play a long innings. I don’t think I will have a problem playing down the order. I have been opening for the last 2-3 years. At the start of my career I used to bat at No 6 or 7. The situation will tell me what I have to do, whether to go after the bowling or bat patiently.”

ESPNcricinfo previews the latest round of matches in the T20 Blast with both groups tightly packed

Will Macpherson03-Jul-2015North GroupDurham v Leicestershire, Chester-le-Street, 5.30Leicestershire head into a weekend double-header riding high after pulling off a remarkable heist – with a wicket from the final ball – to claim a tie against Yorkshire last week. They sit third in the congested North Group and have both O’Briens – Kevin and Niall – available before they join Ireland’s bid to qualify for next year’s World T20. Durham’s Scotland star Calum McLeod is also available before he heads off to the qualifiers.So crowded is the North Group that while Durham sit sixth, they are just two points behind second-placed Worcestershire and two ahead of table-proppers Derbyshire. As with the County Championship defeat to Yorkshire earlier this week, the injured Paul Coughlin is replaced in the squad by Jamie Harrison, who hopes to make his T20 bow three seasons after his maiden first-class and List A appearances for the club. Leicestershire face four Blast matches in ten days – as well as a Championship match against Kent – and have named a 15-man squad for this match, including youngsters Lewis Hill, Aadil Ali and Rob Sayer, as well as in-form former Durham man Ben Raine.Lancashire v Yorkshire, Old Trafford, 6.30The Roses clash, following one for the ages at Headingley last month which Jos Buttler’s outrageous 71 won for Lancashire, has a distinctly Australian feel, with Yorkshire’s Glenn Maxwell and Aaron Finch lining up opposite their World Cup winning team-mate James Faulkner. Lancashire have lost three of their four games since Buttler’s knock but still sit a point ahead of Yorkshire in the table – both are outside the top four – as they scramble for qualification. Finch will have fond memories of this fixture last season, when he smashed 88 in 55 balls to help Yorkshire to a five-wicket win.Aussies aplenty, but both sides are missing England stars, with Buttler unavailable for Lancashire and Adil Rashid joining Joe Root, Adam Lyth and Gary Ballance among Yorkshire’s absentees. Man of the moment Jonny Bairstow remains, but Liam Plunkett is injured, while spinners James Middlebrook and Karl Carver are called up in Rashid’s stead. Lancashire have named the eleven who lost by one run to Warwickshire last week, plus Tom Bailey and Saqib Mahmood.Nottinghamshire v Worcestershire, Trent Bridge, 6.30Seventh-placed Nottinghamshire can draw level with second-placed Worcestershire with a win but they will have to do without star men James Taylor and Luke Fletcher, who both picked up hamstring injuries in the Championship match between the two sides this week. Riki Wessels, playing his 100th T20 in England, will captain the side in Taylor’s place. Even with the group so tight, Nottinghamshire can barely afford another defeat if they are to continue their run of five consecutive home quarter-finals. Sam Wood and Will Gidman take places in the squad after missing out against Northamptonshire on Sunday. Worcestershire are hoping to win four away games on the bounce for the first time in this format.Birmingham v Derbyshire, Edgbaston, 6.30It is top plays bottom at Edgbaston as star draw Brendon McCullum makes his home debut for high-flying Birmingham Bears who have won six of their first eight matches and 12 of their last 14 in the format. They sit two points clear at the top of the North Group after their dramatic, traffic-defying, weather-beating one-run win over Lancashire last Friday. Birmingham have named an unchanged squad while Derbyshire – who are bottom of the group but just four points off second after an important victory over Nottinghamshire last week – have named a squad containing the 11 players involved in that game, as well as batsman Ben Slater.South GroupSomerset v Gloucestershire, Taunton, 5.30Gloucestershire’s dramatic last-ball defeat to Surrey at Kia Oval on Wednesday leaves them a point and a position behind sixth-placed Somerset, leaving plenty riding on this game as the group stages reach the business end. Gloucestershire boast the tournament’s joint leading run-scorer – Michael Klinger with 520 – and wicket-taker – Tom Smith with 20 – but captain Klinger said after the defeat to Surrey that they now need to win all of their remaining fixtures to qualify for the knockouts.Recent history, however, is not in Gloucestershire’s favour. Somerset have won the last five fixtures between the two teams, including last month’s five-wicket win in Bristol. For Gloucestershire, Liam Norwell – is replaced in the squad by Miles Hammond, while Somerset add Craig Overton and Lewis Gregory to the XI that were pipped by Glamorgan at Taunton on Sunday.Surrey v Middlesex, Kia Oval, 6.30The first London derby of 2015 takes place after the two bottom sides in the South Group enjoyed contrasting midweek home games. Surrey will be in confident mood; Azhar Mahmood’s last-ball six against Gloucestershire gave them their second win on the spin, and they’ve won seven of their last eight against their rivals from across town. Mahmood, meanwhile has 11 more T20 wickets against Middlesex than anyone else (32) and has dismissed skipper Eoin Morgan six times in the format. Only the seven times Zaheer Khan’s has snared MS Dhoni gives a bowler more dismissals of a single batsman in T20 cricket.For Surrey, Freddie van den Bergh has been added to the 13-man squad for the win over Gloucestershire, while bottom-placed Middlesex, seeking to avoid a sixth consecutive defeat, have overhauled the squad that was thrashed by Sussex at Lord’s on Thursday. Mitchell McClenaghan is out with a badly broken and dislocated finger, while experienced men James Franklin and Nick Compton make way, with Ryan Higgins, Nick Gubbins, George Scott and Gurjit Sandhu all vying for places in the side.Hampshire v Glamorgan, Ageas Bowl, 7.00pmThese two sides are jostling for position in mid-table in the South Group. Hampshire – who have qualified for the knockout stages for the last five seasons – are battling to avoid losing three consecutive T20s for the first time since 2007 and the only change to the squad for the defeat to a Jesse Ryder-inspired Essex last Friday is the absence of allrounder Liam Dawson, who has headed to Chelmsford on loan, while Joe Gatting is expected to make his first T20 appearance of the season in place of the injured Sean Ervine.Glamorgan’s hopes of qualification for the knockout stages took a boost with their outstanding win at Taunton last Sunday but in that game they bid farewell to South African Wayne Parnell, whose stint with the county ended. Graham Wagg misses out with a lower back injury, while England U-19 star Aneurin Donald – who is available after completing his A-Levels – is in line to make his T20 debut.Sussex v Kent, Hove, 7.00pmSussex thrashed Middlesex at Lord’s on Thursday – their fourth win on the spin – to go top of the South Group but Kent, who have played a game less, can overtake them with a win in front of a sell-out crowd at Hove.Kent will be without death bowling specialist David Griffiths for the rest of the campaign after he underwent surgery on his back this week, but they welcome back Sam Billings from England duty, as well as Matt Coles and Darren Stevens, who sat out their clash with the Australians with minor injuries. Stevens needs just eight runs to become the first man to 3000 domestic runs in English cricket, while Oxford MCCU captain Sam Weller – a 20-year-old pace bowler – is also named in the squad for the first time. Sussex have named an unchanged squad.

United Arab Emirates completed a stunning comeback to defend 133 against Ireland and level the two-match series 1-1, in Abu Dhabi

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Mohammad Naveed helped UAE defend 133 with figures of 4-0-16-2•ACCUnited Arab Emirates completed a stunning comeback to defend 133 against Ireland and level the two-match series 1-1, in Abu Dhabi. Chasing 134 for victory, Ireland were coasting at 91 for 1 after 12.4 overs, before losing their way.William Porterfield was run out in the penultimate over, for a 60-ball 72, with Ireland still requiring 13 off 10 but not more than a run-a-ball was conceded thereafter. Mohammad Shahzad, tasked with defending nine off the final over, gave away just three.The chase looked like a canter with openers Porterfield and Paul Stirling adding 61 off 36 balls. However, Ireland crumbled after losing wickets in clusters. Save the top three, no other batsman crossed 5. Mohammad Naveed, Ahmed Raza and Shahzad were all economical and picked up two wickets apiece.UAE posted a total of 133 for 7 on the back of Swapnil Patil’s 37-ball 31 and a host of cameos. Captain Amjed Javed provided the required impetus towards the end with a brisk 19. Boyd Rankin was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3 for 17, while Max Sorensen returned figures of 4-0-16-2.

The word most often heard leading into Australia’s World T20 campaign is “flexibility”, and Steven Smith is sticking to that sort of game plan on the eve of their first game

Melinda Farrell in Dharamsala17-Mar-20161:13

Farrell: Dharamsala buzzing for Trans-Tasman clash

Buzzwords and key phrases quickly become clichés in cricket. Execute our skills to the best of our ability, anyone? How about being confident in our skill set? Or, the particularly Australian, Aggressive Brand of Cricket?Now the word most often heard leading into Australia’s World T20 campaign is “flexibility”.In some ways, Australia have no choice but to be flexible. Their preparation for this tournament has hardly been ideal. They switched captains a month ago, they have played only seven T20 internationals in the past 12 months – none of them in the subcontinent – and, since the last World T20 in Bangladesh in 2014, Australia have used 37 players in just 11 T20 matches. A day before the match, Steven Smith admits he still doesn’t know who will open or the make up of his bowling attack.But this may not be as much of a disadvantage at it seems on the surface. India entered the tournament with the best possible preparation and the most settled side of the competition and were thwarted by Kane Williamson’s canny captaincy and flexible – there you have it – approach to selection.Smith confessed he was “a little bit surprised” by New Zealand’s decision to omit both Tim Southee and Trent Boult from the opening match but says Australia will adopt a similar approach and are prepared to take risks in selecting a team that works best in specific conditions.”I think that’s what we’re talking about,” Smith said. “Being flexible for the conditions, that we’re going to be faced with and it might be playing one side here, and in Bangalore it might be completely different conditions and we might put out a completely different side.”So I think this tournament is going to take all 15 of us if we want to get to the end and be successful. And we have to be adaptable and flexible with our plans and teams that we pick.””Nothing at all is locked in,” Smith said. “Could be two righties [opening], could be left-right, could be two lefties. I could be batting three or I could be batting six. It’s about being flexible and adapting to what we’re facing, having the guys out there that are going to do well against certain bowlers and certain positions.”While there have been questions surrounding the fitness of James Faulkner (hamstring) and Ashton Agar (stomach bug), Smith said both are fully fit and available for selection. But, in such a short tournament, he won’t shy away from the risk of selecting a player who may not be at full fitness, should circumstances call for it.”I guess it depends on their whole skill set as well,” Smith said. “If one of the spinners went down and it looked like it was a spinner’s wicket and they weren’t 100%, it might be that you have to risk them because it’s going to be the best thing for the team. But I guess it’ll depend on each individual and what’s needed for different conditions that we play in.”If the first round of matches played by the Associates in Dharamsala is anything to go by, the conditions will favour spin. But a new pitch has been prepared which ground staff have suggested won’t turn as much and will provide the best possible T20 wicket. After seeing the pitch and watching some of the earlier games, though, Smith believes it’s likely to be friendly for spinners.”I noticed that the ball did swing around for a little bit, which was nice to see,” said Smith. “And the wickets did spin and were quite slow.”I think it’s going to be about making sure in the middle overs our batters are going to have to be really smart. It might not be a case of hitting the ball out of the park, it might be about hitting the ball into the gaps and getting seven or right an over through those middle overs.””I guess that’s just about summing up the conditions, summing up how it’s all playing and being smart,” he said. “I think that’s something this group, particularly in the middle overs, has to work on. To make sure we’ve got the wickets in hand at the back end, because we’ve got some serious power in the sheds. If we do have the wickets in hand, we’re confident we can score a lot off the last five or six overs.”While Smith may not know exactly where he will bat or if he will bowl an over or two of legspin, he is clear on his role as captain; to stay ahead of the game and be prepared to be proactive rather than reactive.”I think it’s important to trust your gut, particularly in T20 games. When it’s so short it might be the case of even the last ball of an over. If someone is on strike that you want to be – you know, a left-hander, you might bring on an offspinner. Things like that. I think that’s credit to the boys. They’re pretty comfortable with all that and in 20 overs your bowlers have to be ready to bowl at any period of time because you can chop and change pretty quickly. It’s pretty good that we’re able to do that.”Australia have played a total of just five T20 internationals against New Zealand, winning four of them. And, while they haven’t met in the shortest form for six years, Smith doesn’t believe the New Zealand squad holds any surprises for Australia.”If guys aren’t prepared for what we’re going to face that’s pretty poor,” he said. “We know what’s likely to come at us in this game having seen this wicket and the way they played last game.”It’s nice to have seen them play [against India] to see what they’re likely to bring to a wicket like this. The guys, they know what to expect. It’s now about going out there and making sure we execute our skills to the best of our ability.”Executing their skills to the best of their ability, while playing an aggressive brand of cricket.But, now, with a far greater emphasis on flexibility.

West Indies Cricket Board president Dave Cameron has said that both the board and players need to “compromise” and have discussions to resolve the longstanding feud that has existed between the two parties ever since he got elected in March 2013

Nagraj Gollapudi05-Apr-20161:26

WICB most unprofessional board – Bravo

West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Dave Cameron has said that both the board and players need to “compromise” and have discussions to resolve the longstanding feud that has existed between the two parties ever since he got elected in March 2013. Despite the deep distrust between the two parties, Cameron said that he shared a “good” relationship with players and has “gone out of his way” on several occasions to “reach out” to them.The Indian tour boycott in October 2014, threat of pullouts over payment disputes ahead of numerous series and tournaments, differences among the board, selectors and the head coach are just some of the headlines that have persisted during Cameron’s presidency which is into its second term after he was re-elected last March.Cameron was at the Eden Gardens during the World Twenty20 final when West Indies captain Darren Sammy delivered a stirring speech after their stunning win against England on Sunday. Sammy had declared how “disappointed” he and his players were to not hear anything from the WICB till the minute they became the first team to win the World T20 crown twice. Cameron had responded by saying that he would meet the West Indies players for negotiations after the IPL.The biggest point of contention is that the players have refused to sign the new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) put together by the WICB under Cameron and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA). The players say they stand to lose a lot of money and want to revert to the previous arrangement.Recently, Sammy had said the players were unhappy with the remuneration offered by the WICB to participate in the World T20.  A sum of $27,600 for the entire tournament including the final was a “staggering reduction”, he had said. He also failed to understand why the WICB could not “figure out” how much 25% of the participation fee for playing in the ICC tournaments would amount to.Cameron said he was happy to explain to Sammy and the team how the remuneration had been worked out. “Even if I give them a million dollars they will still say it is not fair. One has to be reasonable,” Cameron told ESPNcricinfo on March 30, on the eve of West Indies’ semi, in a wide-ranging interview. “We need to compromise. We need to have a discussion. That is what I have been saying to them, ‘Let us sit down and let me explain to you where we are at.’ We have given up the two best months of our year for cricket – April and May. We are not playing any cricket because we have allowed them to come over to India and play in the IPL. Some of them are making $500,000, a million, a million and a half. Great. We have sacrificed that two months for you.”We only have 52 weeks in a year. If you want to play Big Bash, Ram Slam and all those T20 tournaments, then we also need you to bring back the information and the experience to our players back home and also our sponsors who are sponsoring our tournaments who want to have our stars back home. You can’t want to play everywhere, the WICB has to call on your services either domestic or international, but then you want the WICB to pay you a nice, big, fat retainer.”Dave Cameron: “Winning the World T20 or being here in the World T20 is because of what the WICB has done”•AFPAccording to Sammy, West Indies are the best in the T20 format, a fact underlined by their second World T20 title, and hence he failed to understand why he and others who play only T20Is now were not given a contract. Cameron disagreed.”Why would I retain you to play three-four matches a year? What are you doing for the WICB outside of playing two-three T20Is a year? We have to have some kind of consciousness about that,” Cameron said. “Unfortunately, the truth is I have reached out to the players, I have reached out to them individually. I have reached them through Jason [Holder, West Indies Test captain].”Cameron pointed out that players, especially the seniors, were not “forthcoming” whenever he tried to talk to them about finding a way out. “They haven’t been forthcoming. It is interesting that Darren Sammy has these views and rightly so since it affects him personally,” Cameron said. “But we are running the sport. We can’t focus on any one player. And that is part of the mistakes we have been making for a very, very long time.”Interestingly, Cameron was in India when West Indies reached the knockouts. He was in Nagpur when West Indies lost to Afghanistan in their final group match and he was in Mumbai when they beat India. In fact, he was staying in a hotel adjacent to the team hotel. Yet, he did not visit the players. Asked if such a move could be perceived as a sign of being closed and arrogant, Cameron disagreed. “But I am available, I have told them that,” he said. “I have told them directly. I have told them through the manager that I am available. They are next door in the Trident.”He then pointed out that he had gone out of his way on more than one occasion, including having dinner with the players on the 2014-15 South Africa tour, to reach out to the team. Incidentally, most of the senior players were not present at that dinner, a fact Cameron conceded.In Mumbai, Cameron said he had “not met all of them”, a move he called “deliberate” because he felt he would distract them. “They are staying next door. I haven’t been around them too much. And that is very, very deliberate. That’s very, very deliberate. I am staying next door, and not in the same hotel as well because sometimes players get a little nervous when the management is around them. They probably feel a little defensive. I don’t want to feel like I am spying on them. No, man, the relationship is good. It is where it needs to be, which is I’m the president of the organisation. They are the stars and they know that the WICB is supporting them in winning these tournaments.”Cameron had earlier also dismissed the perception that if West Indies were to go and win the World T20, it would be despite the WICB. “! Well, I don’t know how you get ‘despite’,” he said. “So who is the team representing here (laughs)? So it can’t be despite of. Winning the WT20 or being here in WT20 is because of what the WICB has done. The players here, where did they come from?”

Pakistan’s new coach Mickey Arthur has said he will not compromise on discipline, fitness and fielding standards during his stint with the side

ESPNcricinfo staff10-May-20161:08

Can Arthur fix Pakistan’s problems?

Pakistan’s new coach Mickey Arthur has said he will not compromise on discipline, fitness and fielding standards during his time with the side. Arthur was appointed Pakistan’s coach last week, filling the position vacated by Waqar Younis in April.The assignment with Pakistan is Arthur’s third with an international side, after South Africa and Australia. While he had considerable success with South Africa, his tenure with Australia was marked by an uneasy relationship with players that culminated in the infamous homeworkgate episode on the tour of India in 2013, when four players were axed for ignoring team orders. Arthur, who is expected to take over by the end of the month, stressed that discipline would bring better results for Pakistan.”I will be tough on discipline and that’s the way we can get better and better results,” he said. “I want everybody to start playing for the team and I don’t want any selfish players around.”Our bowling is good, but we need to lift our batting massively. I will also be tough on fielding and fitness, and need players who can play long term, and these issues are non-negotiable. I also want players who aren’t prepared to be bullied.”Discipline and fitness have been problem areas for Pakistan, who have slipped down the ICC rankings in limited-overs cricket. Earlier this month, Ahmed Shehzad and Umar Akmal were left out of the training camp for the England tour on disciplinary grounds. Waqar’s report following Pakistan’s early exit from the World T20 had also highlighted concerns around Shehzad and Akmal’s attitudes, and the former coach had suggested the pair should be made to re-earn their place in the national squad with performances in domestic cricket.Ranked No. 9 in ODIs after the ICC’s annual update, Pakistan have won only three bilateral series in the format since December 2013, of which two were against Zimbabwe. They were quarter-finalists in the 2015 World Cup but suffered early exits in the 2016 World T20 and the Asia Cup in February this year. They are currently ranked No. 7 in T20Is.Pakistan will travel to England and Ireland in July and September, where they are scheduled to play four Tests, five ODIs and one T20I against England, and two one-day matches against Ireland. Arthur admitted the conditions would challenge the Pakistan players.”For Pakistan players, those conditions are trying, but I want the team to be up for the challenge. Without a doubt we will go to win … If the players show improvement, then I know I am doing my job.”

Gujarat Lions captain Suresh Raina is in the Netherlands, awaiting the birth of his first child, and is unlikely to take part in the game against Royal Challengers Bangalore on Saturday

The Preview by Alagappan Muthu13-May-2016Match factsSaturday, May 14, 2016
Start time 1600 local (1030 GMT)4:28

O’Brien: RCB should pick Richardson or Head over Gayle

Big pictureWhere is Suresh Raina? And what do Royal Challengers Bangalore have to do to make the playoffs? As far as burning questions go, those two must be causing wildfires. The Gujarat Lions captain had left for the Netherlands last week for the birth of his first child and has not returned to India yet. A five-day gap between matches had given Raina hope that he would be back in time, but it hasn’t worked out that way, and he is set to miss his first IPL fixture in nine years.Meanwhile, Virat Kohli boomed that he “loved” the situation Royal Challengers were in, having to win each of their four remaining matches to progress past the league stage. Technically, it appears Royal Challengers can weather one more defeat. Unfortunately, their dance card includes three title contenders – Lions, Kolkata Knight Riders and Delhi Daredevils – all of whom had thumped them earlier this season. So a bloody-minded, do-or-die approach is probably the best way forward.Plus they have a score to settle. On April 24, Lions had chased a target of 181 with ease and one of the protagonists, Dwayne Smith, had said the Royal Challengers attack was “not that strong”. Things like that tend to rile up an opposition, especially one fighting for survival.Lions have a compelling reason to win in Bangalore as well, for if they do, they will go top of the table and that might just be the kind of present the team would want to give their captain Raina when he joins them in Kanpur for their match against Knight Riders on May 19.Form guideRoyal Challengers Bangalore LWWLL (Last five matches, most recent first)Gujarat Lions WLLLWWatch out forIt’s been an up-and-down season for Yuzvendra Chahal. A wristspinner relies on putting as may revs on the ball as he can to defeat the batsman in flight, but perhaps large bats and small outfields – daily life at the M Chinnaswamy stadium – have thrown him off track. He took 1 for 16 in four overs to fan hopes of Royal Challengers defending 151 a couple of days ago, and his team will want to give him a lot more runs on the board next time.It is said that Ravindra Jadeja is a bowler first, fielder next and a batsman if needed. And he may certainly be needed if Lions make the knockouts and run into top-order trouble. It would be prudent to give him a little more time in the middle now, especially at a batting-friendly venue like Bangalore.Team newsAfter figures of 1 for 43, 0 for 52 and 0 for 37, there is a strong case for Royal Challengers to replace Chris Jordan with the left-arm wristspinner Tabraiz Shamsi. Chris Gayle may also be under pressure considering he is yet to make a double-digit score this season.Royal Challengers Bangalore (probable): 1 Virat Kohli (capt) 2 Chris Gayle, 3 KL Rahul (wk), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 Shane Watson, 6 Sachin Baby, 7 Stuart Binny, 8 Chris Jordan, 9 S Aravind, 10 Varun Aaron, 11 Yuzvendra Chahal.Besides the culmination of Raina’s 143-match streak, Lions have to think about who to replace him with. There are enough options to take on the captaincy, with coach Brad Hodge indicating Brendon McCullum is likely to do so. Back-up batsmen Akshdeep Nath or Ishan Kishan may slot back in the XI.Gujarat Lions (probable): 1 Brendon McCullum (capt), 2 Dwayne Smith, 3 Akshdeep Nath/ Ishan Kishan, 4 Dinesh Karthik (wk), 5 Aaron Finch, 6 Dwayne Bravo, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Dhawal Kulkarni, 10 Shivil Kaushik, 11 Pravin Tambe.Pitch and conditionsA strangely slow pitch had featured in the last game in Bangalore and both seamers and spinners found grip. Perhaps it was simply the natural wear and tear that is expected late in the season. More worryingly, the forecast is for light to heavy showers through the afternoon and evening.Stats and trivia McCullum, Smith, Finch and Karthik make up four of the Lions top five and they have maintained strike rates above 130 this season. Their finishers Bravo and Jadeja, however, are striking at just over a run a ball Gayle has hit only one six from four matches. Kohli and AB de Villiers have 17 each, and KL Rahul has 15. Quotes”It’s a huge loss. Anyone that’s scored close to 4000 runs in this tournament is a loss to our line-up. Having said that though, we’ve got some players who can step into his role. We’ve got a lot of experience in Smith, McCullum, Finch, Dinesh Karthik, Jaddu, Bravo, all match-winners who can step up and win us a game.”

The Belgian turned in another fine display for Manchester City, while the ex-Arsenal attacker scored a couple for Everton against Leicester

Getty ImagesAsmir BegovicThe Bournemouth goalkeeper kept a cleansheet as his side recorded a shock 3-0 victory over Chelsea, made all the sweeter for the fact that the Blues are his former team.AdvertisementGettyKyle NaughtonThe full-back turned in a solid display as Swansea stunned Arsenal 3-1 at the Liberty Stadium, despite having only 26 per cent possession.GettyJack StephensThe centre-back was on target for Southampton as they came from behind to secure a 1-1 home draw with Brighton.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesAlfie MawsonJust a minute after Swansea fell 1-0 down against Arsenal, the defender set up an equaliser for Sam Clucas that triggered an astonishing 3-1 home win.

Major League Soccer's longest winning streak and losing streak were both snapped in Week 12, with Atlanta United's momentum halted and the Colorado Rapids finally escaping the ranks of the winless.

The reigning champions saw their steady climb up Goal's MLS Power Rankings halted by the New York Red Bulls, who are suddenly on the move up after posting their second consecutive win without stars Bradley Wright-Phillips and Aaron Long. The Red Bulls have won four of five matches without Wright-Phillips in the lineup, and appear to have recovered from an early season slump.

The Rapids tasted victory for the first time in 2019 and it came courtesy of an LA Galaxy side in full free-fall mode. The Galaxy suffered their fourth straight loss, and were definitely missing suspended star Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Sunday.

The Houston Dynamo made a strong statement in Week 12, earning four points from two matches, including an impressive win against D.C. United that came despite Alberth Elis' early exit from the match.

Here are Goal's MLS Power Rankings after week 12 action:

1Colorado Rapids (1-9-2)Tim Howard has had some rough outings in what is his last season before retirement, but his showing in Colorado's win against the LA Galaxy was vintage Howard. There's no denying the Rapids are playing better under interim coach Conor Casey, but the real rebuilding process in Colorado won't begin until the full-time head coach is hired.Advertisement2FC Cincinnati (3-8-2)So much for the coaching-change bounce. FC Cincinnati looked atrocious in suffering a 5-1 loss to Orlando City, and all the possession and attractive play we saw a week earlier vanished in the Florida sun. We're still waiting for Cincinnati to name a new full-time coach, but it's clear the real change will come this summer, when the front office makes some much-needed changes to the FCC roster.3New England Revolution (3-8-3)A team that was bleeding goals just two weeks ago has suddenly allowed just one goal in two matches, the biggest change we have seen in the wake of Brad Friedel's firing as Revs coach. The announcement of Bruce Arena's hiring as head coach and sporting director is something that won't truly be felt until he formally begins in June, but it's clear Revs players know they're playing for their jobs now. Up next is a home date against a struggling but dangerous D.C. United side.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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4Sporting Kansas City (2-4-5)Winless in seven straight, Sporting KC can find some consolation from its draw against Vancouver because Matt Besler returned from injury. He should help SKC's defense regain some of its stability, while the attack continues to struggle without so many missing pieces. Some tough tests are up next on the schedule, starting with a visit from Seattle on Sunday.