The IPL-6 grand finale is here but minus some of the usual fanfare associated with it due to extraneous reasons linked to the spot-fixing and betting saga.

A late blast from Dishant Yagnik (31 not out) and Brad Hodge (19 not out) helped the Rajasthan Royals set a tough chase for the Mumbai Indians in Qualifier 2 of the IPL-6 at a largely unoccupied Eden Gardens here on Friday.

With new developments emerging daily from the murky spot-fixing scandal, the IPL-6 season, which has reached its final leg here in Kolkata, is under a cloud.

It’s a familiar predicament for the Mumbai Indians following their big loss to former champions Chennai Super Kings in Qualifier 1 of the IPL-6 at the Kotla here on Tuesday.

A dominant Chennai Super Kings booked their berth in an IPL final for the fifth time, overpowering the Mumbai Indians by 48 runs in the first qualifier at the Kotla here on Tuesday.

After 72 matches and close to 50 days of non-stop action, the league stage of the nine-team IPL-6 slugfest has thrown up four contenders for the title, two of whom, Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have tasted triumphs earlier.

India’s cricketers are a hit with corporates who are keen to associate with them even at local events and tournaments. However, the benefits of the sponsorship monies do not always bring cheer to aspiring cricketers at the ground level.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore rode on a brilliantly crafted knock by skipper Virat Kohli to sneak past a spirited Delhi Daredevils by four runs in an IPL-6 match at the Kotla here on Friday.

The Royal Challengers Bangalore, strong contenders for the play-offs after successfully maintaining their place in the top four position in the points table thus far in IPL-6, face a possible banana s

Shikhar Dhawan’s long impending Test debut may have seen many seasons go by, but the grand style with which he announced his arrival — scoring the fastest-ever debut ton, 187 off 174 balls against Australia in Mohali this March — not many would have complained to be in his place.