Newspaper round-up - April 14

“The Rajasthan Royals were stopped by the genius of Tendulkar and for once Shane Warne got it wrong by holding back Yusuf Pathan. He may have done so because he wanted Pathan to take on Harbhajan, but with half the batting side back in the pavilion it was asking too much of Pathan to win them the game when the asking rate was over 11 runs an over. It is far tougher to play a cavalier innings when the asking rate climbs up than when batting first. It is now a must win game for both teams but the way the Kings XI are sneaking up, there is now no such thing as a comfort zone for teams,” Sunil Gavaskar in the Hindustan Times.

“The prospect of playing a semi-final in our own stadium in a huge motivation. The Bangalore public have been extraordinary with their support and that only added to the disappointment of Monday’s defeat. There is more than enough personal pride at stake but if we needed any further reason to make sure we win the next two games then the people of Bangalore have already provided it. … All I know for sure is that everything we have achieved as individuals in the IPL so far counts for nothing - and I mean nothing - unless we win the next two games and reach the semis,” Jacques Kallis wrote in The Times of India.

“My batting hasn’t changed much. I’m playing my natural game… It’s a different format and am batting according to the team’s requirements,” Murali Vijay told The Telegraph. “I’m trying to keep it simple… It’s all about confidence and I’m trying to go out there and enjoy. I give it my best shot, and if it’s your day, you have a great time,” he added

“The loss against Kings XI Punjab obviously hurt, but it was obvious that we could have batted a lot better. The start was good, and Gautam seemed to have found his bearing on that wicket, when the two successive run outs changed the complexion of the game. I thought that a total of 130-140 would have made it a trifle more interesting,” Tillekaratne Dilshan wrote in The Times of India

“Look we may not have as many stars as RCB but then we play as a team. It can't get bigger than this. … There are six teams trying to get into the semifinals and the team which loses tomorrow goes out. It is a crucial match for both the teams. … We have been learning from every match. It is great to have some youngsters who understand their roles and give their best. We have enjoyed playing here because of the support from the audience,” Rajasthan Royals Skipper, Shane Warne was quoted as saying by The Hindu.