Delhi finish last after washout

Match abandoned Delhi Daredevils 56 for 3 v Pune Warriors

	Rain stopped the dead rubber after 10.1 overs© Associated Press

And so it's Delhi Daredevils who finish at the bottom of the pile. A heavy downpour forced the game to be abandoned after Delhi struggled to reach 56 for 3 after 10.1 overs against Pune Warriors.

Delhi just lurched along aimlessly before the rain saved them from further embarrassment. David Warner offered brief respite to the Delhi fans with a pulled six off Alfonso Thomas and a six over long-on against IPL debutant James Faulkner. That was it, and Pune controlled the rest of the game. Pune, in their first IPL season, finished ninth in the league, ahead of Delhi on net run-rate.

Faulkner had a good night bowling his left arm seamers. He delivered a lovely slower yorker - released from back of the hand - to knock out Warner and bowled a couple of jaffas that kicked up from a length at Matthew Wade. Another IPL debutant Shrikant Mundhe struck in his first over to end the misery of Naman Ojha, who had missed more than he connected. Mitchell Marsh produced a yorker to terminate Wade's limp innings. Then the clouds opened up. Game over. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Average Delhi keep Punjab's campaign alive

Kings XI Punjab 170 for 6 (Valthaty 62, Marsh 46, Irfan 3-28) beat Delhi Daredevils 141 for 8 (Chawla 3-16) by 29 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Irfan Pathan surprised everyone by rediscovering old-ball swing, but not much else changed for Delhi as they continued to flounder © Associated Press Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Kings XI Punjab v Delhi Daredevils at Dharamsala Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Delhi Daredevils | India | Kings XI Punjab

The scorecard will say Paul Valthaty hammered 62 to power Punjab to an eventually match-winning 170, but that's not even half the story. Through 50 balls of clueless flailing, Valthaty put on a display completely out of place in the beautiful setting that is Dharamsala. Delhi Daredevils matched his ordinariness with a shoddy show on the field, followed by the sort of batting display that can be expected from a one-man team, when that one man is missing. Punjab's bowlers, led by a resurgent Piyush Chawla, capitalised on Delhi's woes to run to their third win on the trot, keeping their late-blooming campaign alive.

Match Meter KXIP Delhi blunders: Yogesh Nagar messes up a run-out in the third over, and Venugopal Rao drops a chance in the fourth KXIP Valthaty plunders: Valthaty cashes in despite never looking in control, and smashes Hopes for 18 runs in the 11th over KXIP Marsh goes berserk: Marsh takes a leaf out of the Valthaty book - Sriram leaks 25 runs in the 13th over, as Delhi lose their grip on the game KXIP Warner and Ojha crawl: Praveen's maiden comes in a phase where Delhi play out 10 successive dot balls. Alarm bells. KXIP Chawla takes it home: Chawla dismantles the middle order with three wickets in three overs. Game over. Advantage Honours even

By all counts it was an average game of cricket, and the tone for the ordinariness was set right at the start. There was swing for Irfan Pathan, but not enough pace. There were swings of Adam Gilchrist's bat, but not too many connections. At the other end, Morne Morkel's other-worldly bounce systematically exposed Valthaty's limitations. The pressure was on Punjab and the chances promptly followed, but Delhi graciously fluffed them. Yogesh Nagar and Irfan combined to mess up a straightforward run-out opportunity, before Venugopal Rao dropped a chance at slip. Delhi's generosity was duly reciprocated by Punjab, as Gilchrist gifted his wicket soon after the botched run-out. It was like watching two football sides trying to outdo each other in an own-goal contest.

Shaun Marsh's advent sought to bring sanity to the proceedings - he began by charming Aavishkar Salvi over mid-on, before shredding him through point - but Valthaty's methods continued to spoil the scenery. Initially he attempted on-the-up thumps, regardless of length, and often missed by ridiculously large margins. He later tried to counter the bounce with cuts, but rarely made contact. He then resorted to the pull, and it was soon evident why he doesn't play that shot too often. On the one occasion when he managed to middle the ball, Varun Aaron at fine-leg ran in too far, and the ball sailed over the boundary.

Valthaty eventually found his match against James Hopes' trundle and ignited the innings with two violent sixes over the leg-side and an edged four through third man. Bowling listless lengths to Valthaty wasn't Hopes' biggest mistake of the innings though. He brought on S Sriram's nondescript left-arm spin in the 13th over and Marsh indulged himself to some slog-sweeping violence. The over bled 25, including three big sixes over the leg side, as Punjab galloped from 70 for 1 in ten overs to 115 for 1 in 13.

Delhi managed to contain the damage in the remaining overs, through Aaron's pace, and Irfan's surprising rediscovery of old-ball swing. Marsh and Valthaty perished to Irfan's stock indippers off successive balls in the 15th over. Delhi could have taken control in the next over, but Naman Ojha grassed a chance to let off Dinesh Karthik, allowing Punjab to motor along to 170.

Delhi's chase followed a now-familiar template: David Warner's shocking loss of form - he had cobbled up 47 runs in his last six innings before the game - and Virender Sehwag's absence meant the innings lost steam quickly. Along with Naman Ojha, Warner played out ten successive dot balls early on, in the process giving Praveen Kumar his fourth maiden of the season. Ojha eventually found release by clouting Shalabh Srivastava for two sixes and a four in the sixth over, but it proved to be a false dawn. Ojha guided Srivastava behind in the eighth over for a run-a-ball 28, before Warner miscued the same bowler for a run-a-ball 29. Run-a-balls were not going to be enough.

Chawla has endured a rough time recently: he struggled for impact in the World Cup and his place in the team became a national debate; his struggles continued in the IPL, and he's been left out for the West Indies ODIs. On Sunday, he finally came into his own with a sprightly spell, in which he refrained from his old failing of over-doing the googly. He accounted for Sriram, Rao and Hopes in successive o vers, as Delhi went down with the setting sun in Dharamsala. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Chennai closer to play-offs with comprehensive win

Chennai Super Kings 176 for 4 (Dhoni 63*, Badri 55) beat Delhi Daredevils 158 for 6 (Irfan 46*, Ashwin 2-19) by 18 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	MS Dhoni gave it a humpty towards the end © AFP Enlarge
Related Links Matches: Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils at Chennai Series/Tournaments: Indian Premier League Teams: Chennai Super Kings | Delhi Daredevils | India

Match Meter CSK Raina and Vijay get off to a flier Suresh Raina and M Vijay tuck into the medium-pacers to take Chennai to 39 after five overs. DD Wickets sandwich a squeeze Varun Aaron dismisses Raina, a quiet period follows, and then Vijay falls to make it 68 for 3 in the 11th over. CSK Dhoni, Badri punish Delhi Dhoni and Badri go on a hitting spree, scoring 108 in the rest of the innings, including 37 in the last two overs. CSKDD Ojha stings Chennai With 25 off 14 balls, Naman Ojha gets the chase off to a good start. CSK Spin suffocates, Bravo celebrates After some tight bowling from the spinners, Dwayne Bravo takes a stunner to send Colin Ingram back, and dismisses David Warner himself. At64 for 3 in the 10th over, the game is all but over. Advantage Honours even

Chennai Super Kings all but ensured qualification for the playoffs, and took an important step towards ending in the crucial top two, with a win that withstood the odd scare from Delhi Daredevils, who were formally knocked out of the tournament even though they have two games to go. Chennai, with 16 points from 12 games, were at the top of the table, but Mumbai Indians (16) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (15) have an extra game in hand.

Delhi, missing the talismanic Virender Sehwag, were spirited through Varun Aaron and briefly through Naman Ojha, but they also kept up the noble IPL 2011 tradition of offering lives to the Chennai batsmen. However, it was MS Dhoni, who didn't enjoy any of that generosity, that provided Chennai with the big finish. Dhoni scored 63 off 31 balls and helped Chennai plunder 37 in the last two overs, and 109 in last 10. S Badrinath offered stability at the other end, scoring 55 off 43, providing a gentle reminder of his bumper Ranji season on the eve of selection for the West Indies tour.

In complete contrast was Dwayne Bravo's blinder to remove Colin Ingram after Ojha's 25 off 14 gave the chase early promise. Even as West Indies struggled in the Test over in Guyana, Bravo turned up with the ball too, to dismiss David Warner, and at 64 for 3, effectively ending the chase.

It will just be a footnote on the evening, but the man whose state doesn't even have a Ranji team deserves a mention. Aaron, who plays for Jharkhand, filled the size 12s of Morne Morkel admirably, troubling the ominous-looking Suresh Raina and M Vijay with pace and bounce. His final figures of 1 for 20 included a dropped catch and a 12-run last over.

Aaron began with a two-run fourth over to rein in the quick start. In the sixth, he got Raina to top-edge a hook, and should have had Vijay in the same over, but Warner missed a touch chance at cover. Vijay enjoyed another life ay the same score, but couldn't make those drops count. At 67 for 3 in the 11th over, Dhoni took control of the game with a counterattack, moving to 14 off five balls with a four off Ajit Agarkar, followed by a four and a six off Andrew McDonald. Aaron pulled things back with a three-run 14th over in which he troubled Badrinath. In the next over, however, Ojha missed a stumping chance off Badrinath, who was 28 off 27 then.

Following that, Dhoni - and later Badri - tucked into the bowling. There was power, and there was also cheek when Dhoni moved across and paddled Agarkar fine of short fine leg. Real punishment was reserved for the last two overs, bowled by Agarkar and the otherwise-economical Irfan Pathan. Agarkar missed his yorkers, and Badri hit his two low full tosses for a four and a six. Dhoni was deceived by a slower ball, but still managed to send it over extra cover.

Irfan began the 20th over well, at one point he even had respectable figures of 3.4-0-28-1. Then Dhoni unfurled two flat sixes off the last two balls, both full tosses, to end the innings with an exclamation mark.

Ojha began a promising chase, but he had to take too many risks on account of the steep asking rate, and perished in the third over. Chennai's attack, much better suited to the spin-friendly conditions, put the squeeze on, and then Bravo flew at point to send Ingram back. Soon, Warner, feeling the pressure a 25-ball 21 brings, pulled the same man to deep square leg. Venugopal Rao and Irfan Pathan then only delayed the inevitable. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Sehwag to undergo shoulder surgery, out of IPL

	Delhi Daredevils will be without their captain Virender Sehwag for the remainder of the IPL © AFP

Virender Sehwag will miss the rest of the IPL after deciding to undergo surgery on his injured right shoulder. The operation is due to take place later this week and, with recovery time pegged at six to eight weeks, it should rule him out of India's upcoming tour of the West Indies, from June 4, and perhaps even the England series that begins in mid-July.

"It will be a miracle if he plays another match," PB Vanchi, director of GMR Sports, owners of Delhi Daredevils, said. Delhi - who will now be led by James Hopes - are currently seventh in the points table and, with three games left, have a slim chance of making it to the qualifiers.

Vanchi said the decision was taken after Sehwag held talks on his injury with the BCCI, who advised him to undergo surgery as soon as possible. "He has a problem, he struggled in the last match too. The BCCI is making the arrangements for the surgery," Vanchi said. "They are waiting for a date. If he needs surgery we are not going to be coming in the way."

Sehwag confirmed the development and is expected to travel to London at the earliest for the surgery. The injury is the same one that had ruled him out of the two World Twenty20s and, more recently the one-day series in South Africa in January. Sehwag was declared fit in time for the World Cup after having undergone rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore. Though he did not bowl during India's victorious campaign, Sehwag finished seventh overall in therun charts, in the tournament, including a blistering century in the opening game against Bangladesh.

Sehwag's decision to play the IPL was always going to be potentially risky, especially in light of the heavy workload during the World Cup. But he had the dual responsibility of leading Delhi as well as being their best batsman. Sehwag is currently the top scorer in the IPL with 424 runs and his loss is likely to further hamper Delhi's chances, who have managed just four wins out of their 11 games played so far. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Rayudu, bowlers lead Mumbai to dominant win

Mumbai Indians 178 for 4 (Rayudu 59, Rohit 49, Blizzard 37) beat Delhi Daredevils 146 (Hopes 55, Rao 37, Malinga 2-18, Harbhajan 2-24, Munaf 2-29) by 32 runs

	Ambati Rayudu made sure Mumbai's star bowlers got enough to defend © AFP

Match Meter MIDD Blizzard cuts Morkel to pieces Aiden Blizzard takes seven boundaries off Morne Morkel's first two overs, and takes Mumbai to50 in five overs. MIDD Left-armers bring Delhi back Irfan Pathan and Shahbaz Nadeem remove the openers, and only 17 come in the next four overs. MI Rayudu and Rohit run away with the game Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma add87 for the third wicket to thwart Delhi's comeback. MI Mumbai's big three strike Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga and Munaf Patel reduce Delhi to 7 for 4 in three overs. Advantage Honours even

Mumbai Indians played like the dominant side they have been this IPL, and Delhi Daredevils like the middling one they have been. Consequently Mumbai took another step towards qualification for the next round, Delhi towards elimination.

Except for a period of four overs where Mumbai lost two wickets for 17 runs, they bossed the whole game. Aiden Blizzard teased headline writers with seven boundaries off Morne Morkel's first two overs, and then Ambati Rayudu and Rohit Sharma absorbed the shock of two quick wickets to follow it up with an assault that got Mumbai 67 off the last six overs.

On a flat and quick pitch, with short boundaries, 178 was still not beyond Virender Sehwag and David Warner. Not against Mumbai, though, whose big three with the ball - Lasith Malinga, Harbhajan Singh and Munaf Patel - killed the game in three overs. Harbhajan got Warner with a straighter one, Colin Ingram had no clue about a Malinga yorker, and Munaf got a top edge from Sehwag first ball. It left Delhi too steep a climb, although an 87-run stand between half-centurion James Hopes and Venugopal Rao meant sure all time-outs were utilised.

The first innings had got off to a similarly emphatic start for Mumbai. Blizzard took to the pace and the regulation length from Morkel, who has troubled a few Indian batsmen with pace and bounce. To Blizzard, though the faster they came, the faster they went. One of the seven boundaries was a cut from in front of leg stump. A defeated Morkel found time for a bemused smile even as the total reached 50 in five overs.

Irfan Pathan, though, found swing, and with a wicket-maiden brought Delhi back. Shahbaz Nadeem added to Sachin Tendulkar's wicket when he removed Blizzard with one that skidded on. This was a time when things could have easily gone wrong for Mumbai, but Rayudu and Rohit batted sensibly. It was Rayudu who took lead in both rebuilding and in attacking once he was in.

Rayudu began pushing Delhi out of the contest in the 10th over when he targeted James Hopes. He moved across the stumps, and waited with a high back lift. He got a length ball from Hopes, and pulled it over short fine leg. It didn't make for pleasant viewing, but Rayudu immediately balanced it aesthetically with a proper drive through extra cover next over. Two overs later, Ajit Agarkar served him a leg-stump half-volley, which Rayudu flicked out of Agarkar's home ground.

Rayudu's hitting rubbed onto Rohit, who lofted Morkel and Hopes for lovely straight sixes. Morkel found a semblance of redemption with Rohit's wicket in the 17th over, Agarkar with a last over to Kieron Pollard and Andrew Symonds that went for just five. In between, though, Rayudu punished Delhi some more. He didn't go hell for leather, instead he placed his shots well and hit Nadeem and Hopes for a six and three fours. From 30 off 26 he had gone to 59 off 39. Malinga, Harbhajan and Munaf soon told him he had done enough. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.