The IPL has proved to be a godsend for some of the Indian cricketers who can never dream of getting into national limelight and be noticed by the selectors.

India recently lost the series to Australia 0-4 following an earlier thrashing at the hands of England 0-4 and from the top spot moved to 4th in the ICC Test rankings.

Under normal circumstances the Indian fans will be hopping mad at this twin thrashing – but not in India now – as the whole nation – the cricket fans are engulfed in the Twenty20 IPL V edition.

Twenty20 is a game of glorious uncertainties. It does not take much for fortunes to change dramatically and turn a game on its head in a matter of a single over. This year's IPL was witness to many a thrilling fi nish, with quite a few matches decided in the last few overs particularly the last one – if not the last ball.

After her stunning performance during the opening ceremony of IPL 5, Bollywood babe Priyanka Chopra took to the stage again to interact with the cricketers of title holders Chennai Super Kings, who are led by India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. She pulled Dhoni's leg, and asked the boys to join her for a dance on hit Tamil song "Nakka mukka".

A Mumbai-Hyderabad match is never devoid of drama and suspense. The two sides, who have an even record against each other in the IPL, produced some exciting cricket as there was a perfect blend of huge hits, fl urry of wickets and a lot of melodrama in the middle.

Ravindra Jadeja produced an all-round performance to help defending champions Chennai Super Kings register their first win in the tournament, defeating Deccan Chargers by 74 runs in an Indian Premier League match in Vizag.

It is not easy to be called the most technical batsman in the world. It is not easy anchoring an innings with remarkable consistency over 15 years. It is not easy to be called Mr. Dependable. It is not easy to be called “The Wall” by even the most ardent critics time and again and It is not easy for being Rahul Dravid.

Australian spin legend Shane Warne pleaded for an end to the talk of Sachin Tendulkar’s retirement as he joined the international chorus of appreciation for the iconic Indian cricketer who scripted history by completing a century of international tons.

Sachin Tendulkar has said his 100th international hundred "was the toughest of them all", after achieving the milestone against Bangladesh, in Mirpur, during the Asia Cup. Tendulkar went 33 innings without a century between India's group match against South Africa in the World Cup and the game in Mirpur, and admitted it had been a "tough phase".