IPL 2024 Scenarios - RCB vs CSK for final playoff spot

The washout in Hyderabad means Sunrisers Hyderabad join Rajasthan Royals and Kolkata Knight Riders (confirmed first) as three of the four playoff teams. The battle now shifts to the last available playoff spot as well as the prized second position on the points table. Here are the teams in contention.

Sunrisers Hyderabad
Played: 13, points: 15, NRR: 0.406
Game left: PBKS (h)

The one point earned in the washout against Gujarat Titans takes SRH into the playoffs. However, a top-two finish is no longer in their own hands, as Rajasthan Royals can go past them to 18 points even if SRH win their final league game.

SRH can still take second position if they win their last match and RR lose theirs, or if all of the following three events occur: SRH's next match is also washed out, RR lose, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru beat Chennai Super Kings.

Rajasthan Royals
Played: 13, points: 16, NRR: 0.273
Remaining mat: KKR (h)

RR will certainly take the second place if they beat Kolkata Knight Riders on Sunday. If they lose, they can cling onto No. 2 only if SRH lose, and if CSK get no more than one point versus RCB.

However, RR could drop to fourth place if they lose to KKR, SRH in rainy Hyderabad get at least one point from their last match, and CSK beat RCB.

Royal Challengers Bengaluru
Played: 13, points: 12, NRR: 0.387
Remaining mat: CSK (h)

The task for RCB is now clear: Assuming a score of 200, they need to beat CSK by 18 runs or chase the target with about 11 balls to spare. A washout will wash away their playoff hopes, while a reduced game will also make their task tougher as they will still need to win by the same margin to go past CSK on net run rate.

Chennai Super Kings
Played: 13, points: 14, NRR: 0.528
Remaining mat: RCB (a)

CSK need one point to qualify, which means a washout will take them through. However, if they win, they have a shot at moving up to second position if RR lose, and if SRH get no more than one point from their final game.

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Mumbai Indians defeat Bangalore in Champions League final

Champions Twenty20 final, Chennai

Mumbai Indians 139 (20 ovs) beat Bangalore Royal Challengers 108 (19.2 ovs) by 31 runs

Match scorecard

Harbhajan (left) took three for 20 to spark Mumbai celebrations

Mumbai Indians won the Champions League Twenty20 title with a 31-run final victory over the Bangalore Royal Challengers in Chennai.

India Test spinner Harbhajan Singh took 3-20 for Mumbai to dismiss Bangalore for 108 in 19.2 overs, as they chased a seemingly below-par 140.

Yuzvendra Chahal took 2-9 and Lasith Malinga 2-23 in Mumbai's impressive bowling effort.

Kiwi James Franklin had top-scored for the Indians with 41 off 29 balls.

Mumbai were all out for 139 in 20 overs as Raju Bhatkal claimed three for 21 from three overs.

Sri Lankan Tillakaratne Dilshan made a quickfire 27 in response but the rest of the side struggled as the Royal Challengers fell short.

Harbhajan's efforts were timely as he was recently dropped recently dropped from India's one-day side for the forthcoming series against England.

Steven Finn hat-trick helps England beat Hyderabad XI

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Finn is looking to force his way into England's ODI side on a regular basis

Steven Finn took a hat-trick as England began their tour of India with a somewhat flattering 56-run victory over a Hyderabad Cricket Association XI.

Finn's first ball went for six but his last sealed his treble as the home side collapsed to 163 all out.

But England also struggled with the bat, recovering from 47-4 and 124-6 as Ravi Bopara's 73 helped them to a competitive total.

England face India in the first of five one-day internationals on Friday.

Before that England have one more warm-up match, against the same opposition, and they will go into it with a number of batsmen keen for time in the middle.

On a slow surface, captain Alastair Cook edged behind off Anwar Ahmed for six before Kevin Pietersen, back in the side having been rested as England beat India 3-0 in the ODI series on home soil, speared a drive straight to mid-on.

When Jonathan Trott was bowled by a Naidu delivery that kept low and Ian Bell fell to Ashish Reddy's first ball England were 47-4 in the 14th over and struggling.

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Selectors look to experience for Sri Lanka

	Umar Gul is among the experienced group set to return to the Pakistan Test team against Sri Lanka © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Players/Officials: Umar Gul | Wahab Riaz Series/Tournaments: Sri Lanka tour of United Arab Emirates Teams: Pakistan

Pakistan may shift their focus back to experience to take on Sri Lanka in the home series in the United Arab Emirates, according to chief selector Mohsin Khan. Khan hinted the bowling attack was likely to be strengthened after testing new players against Zimbabwe.

"We can't just go out [to play Sri Lanka] with the similar combination as it [ the Zimbabwe tour] was just a test for our back-up lot for future prospects," Khan, told ESPNcricinfo. "Indeed it was a successful experimentation but at the same time we are wary of the opposition as Sri Lanka are a tough side to play.

"[Finding talent] is an ongoing process and the emphasis is currently on finding players with good fielding ability."

The Pakistan squad for the recent series against Zimbabwe was an experimental one, with the bowling attack in particular featuring several new names and missing some senior players.

Seasoned fast-bowlers Umar Gul, Tanvir Ahmed and Wahab Riaz, who have been Pakistan's three premier bowlers in recent times, were rested, with Sohail Khan, Sohail Tanvir, Aizaz Cheema and Junaid Khan making up the pace attack.

There were changes in the spin department as well: left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman was rested while legspinner Yasir Shah was called up.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan also said the bowling combination needed some changes before the series.

"Senior players have their own importance and we have to go with the [them] when playing Sri Lanka," Misbah told reporters on the sidelines of ongoing Twenty20 Championship in Karachi. "The major goal was to induct youngsters in the side [for the Zimbabwe series] to have a tested lot in the back-up, since we are in the transition process.

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England denied Rose Bowl win by Sri Lanka's Kumar Sangakkara

Third Test, The Rose Bowl (day five):

England 377-8 dec drew with Sri Lanka 184 & 334-5

Match scorecard

Sangakkara's 25th Test century was his first in England

Kumar Sangakkara's maiden Test century in England denied Andrew Strauss's side victory on the final day of the third Test at the Rose Bowl.

After Sri Lanka had resumed on 112-3, 81 behind, Sangakkara (119) shared 65 with nightwatchman Rangana Herath (35).

Herath eventually fell lbw to Graeme Swann before Thilan Samaraweera (87 no) added 141 more with his captain.

Sri Lanka were 334-5, 141 ahead, when rain arrived at tea, leaving England to settle for a draw and a 1-0 series win.

England will rue the early chances they missed to dismiss Herath, with Strauss dropping a chance at slip off James Anderson and the Lancashire paceman missing with a shy at the stumps when the batsman was well short of his ground.

At the other end, Sangakkara took advantage of some below-par England seam bowling by punctuating some careful leaves with elegant drives through the covers and down the ground.

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Nadal's grip on title and Federer tightens

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Rafael Nadal of Spain bites the trophy as he poses during a ceremony after defeating Roger Federer of Switzerland during their men's final at the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris June 5, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Vincent Kessler

By Mark Meadows

PARIS | Mon Jun 6, 2011 2:25am EDT

(Reuters) - Rafa Nadal had doubted he could seal a sixth French Open title having started in shaky form and with rivals looking imperious, but the Spaniard need not have worried after triumphing with another claycourt masterclass.

His 7-5 7-6 5-7 6-1 victory over his great rival, the in-form Roger Federer, in Sunday's final was a microcosm of the Spaniard's tournament as he equalled Bjorn Borg's record for Roland Garros men's singles crowns.

Ice cool Swede Borg won his six titles in eight years while Nadal has reached that mark in seven and his delight was clear as he sank to his knees on the court that since debuting in 2005 has become a private stage for his audacious skills.

This year had not all been plain sailing though.

The top seed, who has clung on to the world number one spot under pressure from Novak Djokovic, slumped 5-2 down in the first set just as he was two sets to one down in the first round against John Isner in his first five-set match at Roland Garros.

Both times Nadal refused to budge and roared back despite the majority of the crowd supporting the underdog.

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Dilshan sets record before weather halts Sri Lanka

Second Test, Lord's (day three):

Sri Lanka 372-3 v England 486 all out

Match scorecard

Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan tormented England's bowlers throughout his innings

Tillakaratne Dilshan scored a record-breaking 193 as Sri Lanka closed in on England's first innings total of 486 on a weather-affected third day of the second Test.

The captain made the highest score by a Sri Lankan at Lord's and helped the touring side reach 372-3 before rain and bad light brought a premature end to play.

In truth, Dilshan's task was made easy by some wayward bowling from England's seamers, who fired an alarming number of deliveries down the leg side and never really built enough pressure to unsettle their opponents despite plenty of evidence that the ball was swinging under heavy cloud cover

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