*La Coruna:* Real Madrid won its final 12 matches in the Spanish league, including a 2-0 season-ending victory on Saturday over Deportivo La Coruña at Riazor Stadium, but fell just short in its quest to catch first-place FC Barcelona.Cristiano Ronaldo opened the scoring in the seventh minute, firing into the back of the net after Karim Benzema failed to finish off a play set up by Gareth Bale.
The Portuguese super-striker also scored the second goal in the 25th minute, heading home a ball off of midfielder Pedro Mosquera and past Croatian international goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa, EFE news agency reported.
Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane, however, was following the developments at Nuevo Los Carmenes Stadium, where first-place Barcelona had grabbed a 2-0 lead at halftime on Saturday over Granada.
Well aware that the team's La Liga hopes had ended, he replaced Ronaldo with Colombia's James Rodriguez for the final 45 minutes of his squad's season.
Barça had a big lead in La Liga two months ago before losing three games (including one to arch-rival Real Madrid) and drawing one contest between March 20 and April 17.
The Catalans, however, rebounded emphatically to finish the Spanish league season with five straight victories in which they outscored their opponents 24-0, good enough to edge the Madrid club 91 points to 90.
"I'm very proud of all my players and the people involved with the team. We're all a bit disappointed, but in the end, after 38 matches, you have to recognise that Barcelona is ahead and we can't change it," Zidane said afterward.
"They deserved the Liga title and we can only say 'well done.'"
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*Tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi with his wife Lara Dutta during the wedding reception of actress Preity Zinta at Lower Parel on Friday. Pic/Satej Shinde*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/15-Michael-Kyly_s.jpg*Michael Clarke and Kyly Clarke. Pics/Getty Images*
Clarke and his wife visited the Westfield Sports High School after nearly two decades as part of The Daily Telegraph’s Go West campaign.
"Kyly was the hottest chick,” Clarke was quoted as saying by the newspaper.
Clarke, who met his future wife during his school days, regretted not completing his graduation.
Clarke left school in Class XI (1999) to completely focus on cricket.
"If I had my time again or for our daughter, I will definitely be pushing her to graduate and finish year 12,” the 35-year-old said. “There’s no better achievement or feeling than when you do start something to actually finish it. And no matter what you do in life, you do need education and I was very blind to that when I was young.
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The in-form Yusuf Pathan (37 off 18) helped KKR make short work of the Duckworth-Lewis target of 66 runs. The hosts had nine overs to get home but Pathan ensured they raced to the finishing line in just five overs.
Earlier, rain had halted play with the Supergiants struggling at 103/6 in 17.4 overs.
With the win KKR go second on the points table with 7 wins from 10 games, while Pune stay at the bottom.
For the Knights Yusuf Pathan and Manish Pandey remained unbeaten on 37 and 15 runs respectively.
The hosts had a disastrous start to their run-hunt with Gautam Gambhir (0) and Robin Uthappa(4) both falling prey to Ravichandran Ashwin in the first over with the score reading 8-2.
However, Pandey and Pathan were unfazed by the situation and started off on the highest gear. Pandey first plundered 13 runs of the second over and then Pathan followed it up with a massive 22-run over against Ravichandran.
Murugan Ashwin too faced the wrath of Pathan as he belted him for a boundary and then a huge six down the ground in the 4th over.
Pune had earlier struggled to 103 for six when rain stopped play for a little more than two hours.
The win pushed KKR to second spot in the standings with 14 points from 11 games. Pune, who are out of the competition, remained at the bottom of the table.
The start to the short chase was exciting with Pune's premier spinner Ravichandran Ashwin dismissing openers Robin Uthappa and opposition captain Gautam Gambhir in the very first over of the innings.
Uthappa was stumped on a viciously turning ball that ended up being a wide on the leg side while Gambhir was foxed by a straighter one off Ashwin.
In walked Pathan and tilted the game in his team's over by hammering Ashwin for two sixes and as many fours in his second over, also settling the nerves in the KKR dug out.
Eventually, he got the team home comfortably in the company of Manish Pandey (15 off 10).
Earlier, KKR had Pune in a real spot of bother with the visitors struggling to 103/6 in 17.4 overs when rain interrupted play at the Eden Gardens.
Legspinner Piyush Chawla claimed 2/21 with 13 dot balls while offie Sunil Narine, returning after two matches, gave away a miserly 10 runs from 3.4 overs bowling 14 dot balls to win the spin battle against MS Dhoni and Co.
With KKR spinners making full use of the conditions, the otherwise devastating Dhoni crawled to eight runs from 22 balls, as his counterpart Gautam Gambhir relished the challenge, deploying four fielders around the Indian skipper.
Pune at one stage were at 70/3 and when Dhoni walked in they were 74/4 in 10.3 overs but by the time the rain interrupted the proceedings their run-rate had slipped to less than six.
Opting to bat on a turning surface, Pune failed to get going at the top with Russell giving the first breakthrough in the third over.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/15-Sushil-Narsingh-1_s.jpg*India’s freestyle wrestler Narsingh Yadav gets involved in a game of volleyball at the Sports Authority of India ground in Kandivli on Saturday. Pic/Ajinkya Sawant*
Sushil Kumar and Narsingh were vying for a place in India’s Rio-bound wrestling squad as 74kg wrestlers, but Sushil missed the 2015 World Championships due to a shoulder injury while Narsingh won bronze to secure a place in the squad. Now, Sushil wants a trial to decide who between the two wrestlers will be at August’s Rio Olympics. “There are a lot of expectations from me and I am ready. I am confident of winning a medal,” said Narsingh, who clinched gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games apart from being a bronze medalist at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.*Sushil Kumar*
“The Olympics is a dream and I have worked really hard. To ensure I am 100 per cent ready for it, I have brought in a lot of changes to my training schedule. I keep myself occupied all the time and follow my routine. My recreational activities include playing volleyball or football. I also do sprints (100m and 400m) to keep fit,” said Narsingh, a Deputy Superintendent of the Mumbai Police.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/luis-sua-s.jpg*Barcelona’s Luis Suarez celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the La Liga match against Granada at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes in Granada on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images*Suarez tapped home Jordi Alba’s cutback in the 22nd minute to put Barca in charge and tightened their grip on the game and the title by heading home Dani Alves’ cross in the 38th, before accepting a generous gift by Neymar to complete his treble late on.
A third hat-trick in five games rounded off the Uruguayan’s most prolific season yet as he finished the season with 40 goals in 35 league games and became the first player aside from Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to land the Primera Division’s top scorer accolade since compatriot Diego Forlan in 2009.
Barca finish the season on 91 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, whose 12-game winning streak at the end of the season ultimately came too late to prevent the Catalans from retaining the title and collecting an eighth league trophy in 12 seasons.
Granada mathematically sealed survival the week before by winning 4-1 at Sevilla.
*That was close*
The first incident of note arrived in the seventh minute from a well-rehearsed corner when Ivan Rakitic chipped the ball to Javier Mascherano at the near post and he glanced it towards Gerard Pique by the penalty spot. The defender’s header was tipped away by Andres Fernandez, with Barca players wrongly claiming the ball had crossed the line.
Fernandez tipped over a stinging drive by Messi soon after and repelled another Pique header, while Neymar and Andres Iniesta both missed the target.
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Piyush Chawla claimed 2/21 and bowled 13 dot balls while Sunil Narine, who returned after two matches, gave away a miserly 10 runs from 3.4 overs as Pune Supergiants struggled to break free.*Rising Pune Supergiants captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni reacts as his teammate Irfan Pathan is run out during the match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rising Pune Supergiants at the Eden Gardens Cricket Stadium in Kolkata. Pic/AFP*
Skipper MS Dhoni was in the midst of Pune's terrible struggle as he crawled to eight runs from 22 balls. Pune were however looking good at 70/3 and when Dhoni walked in they were 74/4 in 10.3 overs but by the time the rain interrupted the proceedings their run-rate had slipped to less than six.
Opting to bat on a turning surface, Pune failed to get going at the top with Russell giving the first breakthrough in the third over. Trying to hit across the line, Rahane (two) played on a wide delivery as Russell gave KKR a perfect start bowling in tandem with More Morkel for four overs.
Aussie duo of Usman Khawaja and George Bailey perished to spinners after Gambhir introduced Shakib in the fifth over. Khawaja (21 from 17 balls; 3x4) was playing freely but the Bangladeshi leftarm spinner dismissed the Aussie in his first over when the lefthander smacked straight to Suryakumar Yadav at square-leg.
The pitch started turning and there was all-spin attack from both ends with Chawla introduced in the 11th over. The legspinner brilliantly stumped Bailey (33 from 27 balls; 3x4, 1x6).
In between rookie medium pacer Ankit Rajpoot, playing his first match this season, removed Saurabh Tiwary as Dhoni promoted Irfan Pathan at No 5 to step up their run-rate. But the Knights spin trio revelled in the conditions.
An interesting Gambhir versus Dhoni battle came to fore when the KKR skipper brought on two slips, a short leg and silly point against the Indian captain and added a fifth fielder at short cover with Chawla bowling a tidy spell.
With Dhoni taking a cautious route, Gambhir was quick to introduce Narine in the next over and the Trinidadian was tidy, giving away just four runs. Dhoni struggled to keep the flow and to add to his misery his batting partner Irfan was no match to his running.
As it turned out, Pathan became the victim of a runout when he sacrificed his wicket for Dhoni with utter confusion taking place between the two. Earlier both teams made two changes with Dhoni giving Irfan his second match of the season while a fit-again Murugan Ashwin also returned after two matches, replacing Rajat Bhatia and RP Singh.
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*Tatenda Taibu - 20 years, 358 days
*
Team - Zimbabwe. Played - 10. Won - 0. Lost - 9. Draw - 1. First Test - 6 May 2004.
*Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi - 21 years, 77 days*
Team - India. Played - 40. Won- 9. Lost - 19. Draw - 12. First Test - 23 March 1962.
*Waqar Younis - 22 years, 15 days
*
Team - Pakistan. Played - 17. Won - 10. Lost 7. Draw - 0. First Test - 1 December 1993.
*Graeme Smith - 22 years, 82 days
*
Team - South Africa. Played - 108. Won - 53. Lost - 28. Draw - 27. First Test - 24 April 2003.
*Shakib Al Hasan - 22 years, 115 days
*
Team - Bangladesh. Played - 9. Won - 1. Lost - 8. Draw - 0. First Test - 17 July 2009.
*Ian Craig - 22 years 194 days*
Team - Australia. Played - 5. Won - 3. Lost - 0. Draw - 2. First Test - 23 December 1957.
*Javed Miandad - 22 years, 260 days
*
Team - Pakistan. Played - 35. Won - 16. Lost - 5. Draw - 14. First Test - 27 February 1980.
*Murray Bisset - 22 years, 306 days*
Team - South Africa. Played - 2. Won - 0. Lost - 2. Draw - 0. First Test - 14 February 1899.
*Mohammad Ashraful - 22 years, 353 days*Team - Bangladesh. Played - 10. Won - 0. Lost - 9. Draw - 1. Match date - 25 June 2007.
*Monty Bowden - 23 years, 144 days*
Team - England. Played 1. Won - 1. Lost - 0. Draw - 0. Test - 25 March 1889.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/may/14Hiken-Shah-s.jpg*Hiken Shah*
Shah’s match fees were withheld after the BCCI’s Disciplinary Committee banned the batsman for five years for an alleged corrupt approach to one of his Ranji teammates.
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The three looked like kings of yore in their resplendent attire.
Here are the three Musketeers of RCB.
*Shane Watson and Chris Gayle. Pic/PTI**The Three Musketeers of RCB do a jig on the stage. Pic/PTI*
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Batting first, RCB plundered a massive 248 for 3 courtesy De Villiers's 129 not out and an equally attractive 108 by Kohli with records falling like ninepins at the Chinnaswamy Stadium during the afternoon session.*Virat Kohli and AB de Villiers. Pic/PTI*
Having been deflated in the first session itself, Gujarat Lions capitulated to a meagre 104 all out in 18.4 overs with Chris Jordan picking up 4/11 in 3 overs and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal getting 3/19 in 4 overs.
With 10 points from 11 games and a positive net run-rate of +0.627, RCB will fancy their chances of sneaking in as the third or fourth team into the play-offs by winning all their remaining three games.
While this is the second highest team score in the history of IPL behind RCB's 263 for five against Pune Warriors, the Kohli-De Villiers combine eclipsed its own partnership record by pummeling the Lions to add a staggering 229 runs in just 16 overs.
The previous best was 215 against Mumbai Indians during the last edition. Kohli also became the first player in the history of IPL to score two centuries against the same opponents in one edition of the league.
De Villiers smashed a scintillating unbeaten 129 off 52 balls with 10 fours and 12 maximums while Kohli, en route his third hundred in a single edition of IPL, hit a brilliant 109 off 55 balls with the help of five fours and eight sixes.
De Villiers, whose 43-ball century was the fifth fastest in IPL, teed off to get the maximum number of sixes in an innings by any individual batsman. In all, the duo hit an astounding 20 sixes compared to 15 fours as the square boundary of the Chinnaswamy turf looked too small at times.
The start was not that great for RCB as an out-of-touch Chris Gayle (6) played on to a Dhawal Kulkarni delivery. The RCB captain was cautious to begin with and it was De Villiers who was first to get off the blocks with a flurry of sixes. The first was a cover driven six off chinaman bowler Shivil Kaushik (3/50 in 3 overs), who imitates Paul Adams' action.
In the next over, he slogged Pravin Tambe behind square for another huge blow. Kulkarni's friendly medium pace was imperiously pulled for a six. When de Villiers completed his hundred, Kohli was still in his 50s, but he increased the pace at the rear end of the innings.
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Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina! A hearty congratulations to #SureshRaina and his wife Priyanka.https://t.co/kFhtd0FcRz
— Being Indian (@Beingind) May 14, 2016
Can't wait to see her picsðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂð¼
Welcome baby shreyanshi raina
— Raina for lyfâ¤â¤ (@SanJanaAgr3) May 14, 2016
Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina @ImRaina pic.twitter.com/INyY5NCvk3
— Raina-priyanka (@kanish_rana) May 14, 2016
Apr 3 -Wedding Day
May 13-babygrlBday
Jun 18-PriyankaBday
Nov 27-RainaBday
Days we won't forget #RainaFamily
Welcome Baby Shreyanshi RainaðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
— Sorry Raina (@kathikathija) May 14, 2016
Suresh Raina Going To Miss #IPL Match For The 1st Time Since Its Inception In 2008. And That Is To Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina.#RCBvGL
— Sir Ravindra Jadeja (@SirJadeja) May 14, 2016
Chinna Thala #Raina is blessed with a girl baby #Shreyanshi
Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina ð pic.twitter.com/tPYQU2mD7U
— Troll Kollywood ;-) (@TKollywood) May 14, 2016
What about this type of PIC? ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ
Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina @ImRaina pic.twitter.com/lG5YwyzJ70
— Karan Patel (@ImKaranKP7) May 14, 2016
Ziva is so happy ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ.
Want to see Ziva-Shreyanshi in one pic
Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina pic.twitter.com/UccqsatBbC
— Karan Patel (@ImKaranKP7) May 14, 2016
Ziva:- Yay I got my new friend Shreyanshi ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ. I'm waiting for you ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂ.
Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina pic.twitter.com/0sbByjtPhW
— Karan Patel (@ImKaranKP7) May 14, 2016
#SureshRaina is now a proud father! Let's welcome baby Shreyanshi Raina. pic.twitter.com/JAuJnSTsgo
— Buzzing Tracks (@BuzzingTracks) May 14, 2016
Shreyanshi SH and RE from SURESH amd Yan from PRIYANKA ....... Superb blend of both of ur names .... Love it...Welcome Baby Shreyanshi Raina
— Cum soon baby raina (@meenaksibala) May 14, 2016
The cricketer himself took to Twitter to clear the air
Still waiting... ðÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂÂð¾ð¾ð¼ #BabyOnTheWay #HardToWait pic.twitter.com/3tSV8MuMY8
— Suresh Raina (@ImRaina) May 14, 2016
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KKR had slipped after coming within sniffing distance of the knockout stage last season. Going into the high-stakes game, KKR will have to quickly drown doubts in the deep desire to win, for they face men who have nothing to lose and yet carry the capability to hurt.*Kolkata Knight Riders’ Yusuf Pathan (right) with his younger brother and Rising Pune Supergiants all-rounder Irfan during a practice session at Eden Gardens in Kolkata yesterday. Pic/PTI*
The Supergiants are arguably the biggest underachievers of IPL-9; MS Dhoni and his men will want to make a point or two in their remaining three matches.
*RPS can pose a threat*
While the spin trio of Ravichandran Ashwin, Murugan Ashwin and six-wicket-leggie; Adam Zampa presents a clear and present danger on a track that looks dry and is shorn of grass, in Dhoni, Thisara Perera, Ajinkya Rahane, Usman Khawaja and Saurabh Tiwary, RPS have the batsmen for the blitz.
The match may have been rendered inconsequential to Pune’s prospects but Gautam Gambhir pointed to pride to brush away suggestions that the visitors will be free of pressure. “When you turn out as a professional cricketer you don’t think that you have nothing to lose. The biggest thing you can lose is pride. They also have a lot to play for, a lot to lose,” the KKR skipper reminded.
KKR are well equipped with bowlers who can exploit what looks a slow and low wicket, but the focus may well be on Sunil Narine. The match-winning ‘mystery’ in his bowling has all but disappeared and the West Indian has struggled to make an impression with his remodelled action. An injury to a bowling finger had him miss a couple of matches, and he needs a comeback of calibre to convince the KKR management that he can be counted on as the tournament enters its business end.
Aussie tearaway Shaun Tait, inducted into the squad as replacement for injured John Hastings, is unlikely to get a role given the nature of the wicket and Andre Russell, with his clever mix, will remain the mainstay of the seam-up attack. KKR will again be hoping for the platform that openers Gambhir and Robin Uthappa had been providing before the failure of the last couple of matches.*Captains’ wishlist*
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*Also read: 'Azhar' - Movie Review**Mohammed Azharuddin*
The disclaimer at the start of the film that says it is not a biopic on the cricketer is too prominent to miss. Did Azharuddin fix matches? It’s a big question that will make cricket fans watch this movie which was released yesterday. Unfortunately, it does not leave you with a convincing answer. The three ODIs that were allegedly fixed by Azharuddin were — the South Africa vs India game at Rajkot in 1996, a match in Sri Lanka in 1997 and one in India in 1999.
Just before the intermission, Azharuddin is shown accepting money from a bookie called MK Sharma for an India vs Sri Lanka final in London in 1996. Fans would find this strange because India didn’t play the islanders in England during that season.
However, instead of under-performing, he plays a captain’s innings to help the team win the final. This is tactfully weaved when the judgment is delivered in a court that sets Azharuddin free from the life ban imposed by the Indian cricket board due to ‘unsustainable’ evidence.
*Wrong timing*
As per the movie, that court order came after eight years since the 2000 match fixing scandal broke. In reality, the order was announced in 2012. Azharuddin then explains that he accepted money from the bookie because he did not want another player from his team being approached to under-perform. After the match, Azharuddin returns the money. In a game against Pakistan, Azharuddin is shown as a victim of bad umpiring after being adjudged leg before wicket despite an inside edge.
The fictional ring of the movie also comes to the fore when Azharuddin arrives in Mumbai to play a South Zone vs West Zone match, a selection match for the 1984-85 India vs England Test series in which Azharuddin makes his debut. The news of his beloved grandfather’s death is broken to him by Ravi Shastri, who gives Azharuddin the option of leaving for home. But, Azharuddin plays the match. However, in real life, it was a tour game against England and it was Shastri, who got Azharuddin to stay on and play the match.
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With their flowing locks and beard, both Royal Challengers Bangalore opener Rahul and Rising Pune Supergiants pacer Ishant bear a strong resemblance to the hulking warrior from the popular TV show, played by Jason Momoa.
This thing cracked me up . Funniest part of my day today ð #gameofthrones @nammakarnatakamemes great work .Enjoy your page âÂÂÂÂÂÂ
A photo posted by rahulkl (@rahulkl) onMay 12, 2016 at 11:39am PDT
When did Ishant Sharma turn into Khal Drogo? #RPSvRCB
— Anuradha (@anuradha_kush) April 22, 2016
Ishant Sharma is looking like Gareebo ka Khal Drogo. #IPL2016
— Gabbbar (@GabbbarSingh) April 9, 2016
*Ishant Sharma does his best Khal Drogo impression*
What do you think? Who do you think resembles Drogo better?
*WHO IS KHAL DROGO*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/apr/dhoni23apr-s.jpg*MS Dhoni with coach Stephen Fleming*
Dhoni has been the centre of all the criticism and drew a lot of flak for not promoting himself up the batting and also underutilising his one-time trusted off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.
"It's true. But public take a lot of interest in fortunes of the teams so they can over analyse team's performances, individual contribution. But it was a big challenge to bring another group together. You have to get to know people very quickly and not only that you have to get your combination right. How players perform," Fleming said on the eve of their match against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Asked about the debate surrounding Ashwin who has not able to bowl his full quota of four overs quota in 10 of his last T20s, including five matches for Pune, Fleming said it was something to do with the conditions.
"If you take wickets at the top it allows our spinners to get into the game. We have not done that on some of the tracks. MS has been little reticent bringing the spinners in knowing the history against some of the players -- Kohli is probably one who plays Ashwin very well," he said about Ashwin who was introduced in the 17th over in their seven-wicket loss to Royal Challengers Bangalore.
"He's made some onfield calls about going to other areas of our attack. I know it causes much speculation. But believe me he is still highly valued in our side. He bowled beautifully in the last game when the conditions were right and he got 1/16. We know his talents, but conditions have often dictated. It certainly nothing more than that."
He said leading India and Chennai Super Kings was a different story as he had a settled unit under his disposal. "Having them worked together in a team is a much different dynamic. It's been challenging. Probably the batting has been passable but we struggled a bit in bowling under different conditions. We had to work hard. When you're captain looking to get everything out of your team, you push very hard. This is been a good challenge."
One of the two debutant teams this season, the Supergiants have lost four of their star international players -- Australian duo of Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh, South African Faf du Plessis and Englishman Kevin Pietersen -- due to injury, while their home matches later were shifted to Visakhapatnam with water crisis in Maharashtra.
Terming it unusual, he said: "You need to know we lost four of our first choice overseas players... So it's five from our first choice team. That's unusual. I've never seen that happened before. It meant a little bit more uncertainty. We had five last over finishes and we converted three of those.
If we converted all of them we were sitting on 10 points and right in the mix.
"What it suggests that we just need to get better. One of the challenges of a new team is it just takes a bit of time to have a settled look. We missed having a home ground, that's another comfort so we had to travel a lot more. And we just could not quite get across the line..."
The other debutants Gujarat Lions however are in the mix of things and are well placed to clinch a playoff berth but Fleming said it's unfair to compare as they did not have any injury issues.
"We probably are over analysing. Gujarat have done really well. The opening batters in particular have set up games. I will go back to saying if you take four international players out of Gujarat -- Smith, McCullum, Bravo and Faulkner -- then you got some challenges. Anytime you take top four overseas players, you will have some holes."
"I'm happy with the core group of players. These are some of India's best players. The test is whether they keep reinventing themselves. Fitness becomes important and also the desire to get better. I think there will be a general willingness to improve."
Praising their bench strength, he said, "That's a positive. We are looking to take forward to next year. Maybe we are a team which would be at the top of the table not bottom." Reported by Mid-Day 16 hours ago.