Rohit Sharma is confident about MI doing well in the remaining matches of the IPL 8. (Source: PTI)

Mumbai Indians had a break of five days after their 20-run victory over Sunrisers Hyderabad in a low-scoring Indian Premier League cricket game and captain Rohit Sharma said that the short respite was very helpful in recharging their batteries. (Full Coverage| Fixtures|Points Table)

“The break was important as we had been on the road for a while and some of us had played cricket for one and a half to two months. We were off cricket for two days and started training on Wednesday. We hope to recapture the winning momentum,” said Sharma ahead of their key match against Rajasthan Royals at the Wankhede Stadium.

MI have won only two of their seven games so far but the India batsman was confident that they have a good chance to make the play-offs from this difficult situation.

“I don’t see any reason why we cannot turn it around. We have notched up the highest score in this IPL season and the other day we defended 157. We need to focus on performing every time. We need to concentrate on performing as a unit,” said Sharma.

He was referring to the score of 209 for 7 put up by MI against Royal Challengers Bangalore on April 19 in an away game and their victory over Sunrisers in the previous game when they scored 157 for 8 and won the match by stopping their rivals at 137 for 8.

Sharma did not agree that MI’s opening combinations, after he had moved down to number four, have not been up to the mark.

“We are satisfied with Parthiv Patel and Lendl Simmons, who has already scored two half centuries. It all depends on what kind of start is given in the first six overs.

“They have given a decent start, especially in the last two games. Parthiv may not have gone on to a bigger score after getting a start but he is batting well and he knows it (not converting the starts into big scores),” Sharma said.

Sharma also stated that the team had very little reason to change its winning eleven, to indicate that new recruits Ben Hilfenhaus of Australia and Colin Munro of New Zealand will have to wait for their turn.

“Hilfenhaus has played in IPL in the past (for Chennai Super Kings) while Munro has a big reputation in T20 cricket. But I don’t see any need to change the outfit,” said Sharma.

Hilfenhaus and Munro have replaced injured original recruits Aaron Finch of Australia and Corey Anderson of New Zealand who could not take any further part in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Wankhede Stadium pitch curator Sudhir Naik said that MI’s chief coach Ricky Ponting had expressed his happiness at the type of track the team’s first home game was played on against Kings XI Punjab on April 12 and wants the same type of track to be prepared for all their home games.

“He said it was a very good T20 wicket and that he wants the same type of track to be prepared for all the games here,” said Naik.

MI lost to KXIP by 18 runs and by six wickets against Chennai Super Kings on April 17 before stopping the losing streak at home against Sunrisers.

IPL live score, CSK vs KKR: KKR take on CSK at the Eden Gardens on Thursday. Catch all the action live. (Source: IPL/BCCI)

KKR win toss, elect to field first in the IPL 8 contest against CSK in Kolkata on Thursday. Catch the live scores and updates from the match here.

IPL Live Scorecard: CSK vs KKR

Catch the social buzz and stay connected: #CSKvKKR

The Build up

CSK look to go one up, KKR hope to make home advantage count

IPL live score, KKR v CSK: R Ashwin played an important role as CSK restricted KKR. (Source: BCCI/IPL)

KKR take on CSK in the return leg at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. KKR haven’t played at their home for some time now and would look to avenge the loss they were handed at Chepauk.

Sunil Narine barred from bowling off-breaks in IPL

IPL live score, CSK v KKR: Sunil Narine will no longer be able to bowl the off spin at the IPL. (Source: IPL/BCCI)

Kolkata Knight Riders off-spinner Sunil Narine has been barred by the BCCI from bowling his off-breaks. Though, he can bowl his other variations – the ‘knuckle ball’ and the ‘quicker straight ball’.

CAPE TOWN, April 30 (Reuters) - Dav Whatmore has signed a four-year contract to coach Zimbabwe, the country's cricket board said on Thursday.

The Sri Lankan cricket team was attacked as they toured Pakistan in March 2009. Since then no teat, has toured the country. (Source: Reuters)

Zimbabwe will become the first full ICC member nation to tour Pakistan in six years when it plays two Twenty20 internationals and three ODIs in Lahore from May 19-June 1.

“This would be an auspicious moment for Pakistan cricket and I am positive that it would open doors of international cricket in Pakistan,” Pakistan Cricket Board chairman Shaharyar Khan said in a statement on Thursday.

“I am grateful to my counterpart in Cricket Zimbabwe, Wilson Manase, for acceding to our request of sending a full side on a tour to Pakistan.”

The first Twenty20 international will be the opening match on May 22.

The PCB has hosted Kenya and Afghanistan over the last couple of years, but no Test playing country has toured Pakistan because of security concerns since gunmen attacked the Sri Lanka cricket team’s bus in Lahore in 2009. Six police officials and a van driver were killed during the attack while some Sri Lankan players were also injured.

“I am indeed confident that Zimbabwe’s incident-free tour shall be the harbinger of more and more associate and full member nations visiting us in the months and years to come,” Khan said.

Cricket’s governing body, the ICC, has been informed of the tour but is yet to confirm whether it will send officials for the five international matches at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Zimbabwe will send a team on Monday to review security arrangements before its national team arrives in Lahore on May 19.

Initially Pakistan had planned a couple of matches in Karachi but the PCB said Zimbabwe players expressed concerns over extensive travelling and the series will now only be played in Lahore.

Resuming on his overnight score of 137, Hafeez continued punishing the Bangladesh bowlers and he slowed down only after reaching 190. (Source: Reuters)

Mohammad Hafeez struck his maiden Test double hundred as Pakistan feasted on Bangladesh’s limited bowling resources to post a commanding 537 for five wickets on day three and take charge of the opening Test at Khulna on Thursday.

Hafeez struck 224 off 332 balls as Pakistan, resuming on 227-1 in reply to Bangladesh’s first innings total of 332, wiped out the deficit by lunch before stretching lead with five of their top seven batsmen crossing the 50-mark.

Asad Shafiq and Sarfraz Ahmed were unbeaten on 51 each at stumps with the visitors 205 runs ahead and looking in full control with five wickets in hand at the Sheikh Abu Naser Stadium.

Resuming on his overnight score of 137, Hafeez continued punishing the Bangladesh bowlers and he slowed down only after reaching 190.

He drove Mohammad Shahid for a boundary to reach 198 but could not score off the next 11 balls. He reached the mark against Taijul Islam, scampering for two before taking off his helmet and kissing the turf in a restrained celebration.

Hafeez, who fell three runs short of the 200-mark against New Zealand at Sharjah in November, added 227 runs for the second wicket with Azhar Ali (83) who was bowled by off-spinner Shuvagata Hom.

Next man in Younus Khan (33) was also looking good but was beaten by a Taijul delivery which spun past his bat and hit the top of his off-stump.

Hafeez fell to a soft dismissal after hitting 23 boundaries and three sixes, fluffing his sweep shot and gloving a poor down-the-leg delivery from Shuvagata to the leg-slip fielder.

Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq (59) opened his account hitting Taijul for a six and went on to bring up his 27th Test fifty before becoming the left-arm spinner’s third victim in the match.

April 30 (Reuters) - Mohammad Hafeez struck his maiden test double hundred as Pakistan feasted on Bangladesh's limited bowling resources to post a commanding 537 for five wickets on day three and take charge of the opening test at Khulna on Thursday.

April 30 (Reuters) - International cricket will return to Pakistan next month with a short, limited-overs series against Zimbabwe, ending the Asian nation's agonising six-year wait to host a test team.