Indian Premier league 20-20

No Sri Lankan Players in IPL 2012

2012-01-11T00:18:00.000-08:00

Sri Lanka has ordered its cricketers to return home leaving IPL for Practice before next month’s tour to England. Sri Lanka wants to prioritize national games over IPL.

Sports Minister Mahinadananda Althugamage said ”In future, national cricket players can participate in foreign tournaments only in a manner that will not affect practices of the Sri Lankan national team”

11 Sri Lankan national players from IPL will have to return home despite of their commitments in the IPL 20Twenty tournament.

There is no clarity on penalty for missing practice, but it is said they may get dropped if they don’t comply with orders from ministry.

Player	IPL Team	Cost US$
Mahela Jayawardene	Kochi Tuskers (C)	1,500,000
Angelo Mathews	Pune Warriors	950,000
Kumar Sangakkara	Deccan Chargers (C)	700,000
Tillakaratne Dilshan	Royal Challengers	650,000
Lasith Malinga	Mumbai Indians	500,000
Nuwan Kulasekara	Chennai Super Kings	100,000
Suraj Randiv	Chennai Super Kings	80,000
Thisara Perera	Kochi Tuskers	80,000
Nuwan Pradeep	Royal Challengers	20,000

Kevin Pietersen moves to Delhi Daredevils for 2012 IPL

2012-01-09T09:53:00.000-08:00

Kevin Pietersen was celebrating a lucrative windfall on Sunday night when he switched teams in the Indian Premier League to join Delhi Daredevils for a reported $2million.

Pietersen, who banked $1.5million when he first signed up for the Twenty20 cashfest by joining Bangalore in 2009, saw his IPL earnings plummet last year when he joined the Deccan Chargers for $650,000.
In the event he was unable to play a game in India last year because of a double hernia operation but has now increased his workload and also his bank balance during one of England’s busiest years by joining Dehli after becoming England’s most expensive IPL player.

Pietersen would only earn all the money if he played in the full six-week competition but the closing stages clash with the start of England’s Test summer in May so he will be paid on a pro-rata basis for however long England agree to release him for.
Andy Flower, the England team director, would rather his players take advantage of any opportunity to rest from the crowded international calendar but he is also realistic about the vast sums on offer for cricketers in the IPL and will not stand in Pietersen’s way.
It remains to be seen how many other England players put their names forward for this year’s IPL auction on February 4 but Stuart Broad is already committed to honoring the second year of his contract with King’s XI Punjab. Broad was also unable to play last year in India because of injury.
Pietersen announced on Twitter: 'Breaking News: I've moved from Deccan Chargers to The Delhi Daredevils.. V happy with the transfer!! Can't wait to watch Viru (Virender Sehwag) from 22yds!!'
He added: 'We got a great chance this yr in the £IPL .. Bring it on!!!'

Kolaveri is going to IPL 2012

2012-01-07T05:26:00.000-08:00

Anirudh Ravichander the Composer of the song Kolaveri Di is planning to tour Inida. He may also perform at IPL season 5 inauguration ceremony.

Anirudh has also commited that he has been approached to do a mulitcity tour with different artists. The actor in the song Dhanush is also expected to perform.

While the question remains as to what the composer and his team of musicians can do on a live stage with such a popular song, Anirudh says that he has really not even begun thinking what to do with the concert. "We'll begin working on that as soon as everything is confirmed."

For Information on traveling to Inida Read Kalka to Shimla

IPL cap may be raised

2008-09-17T04:02:00.000-07:00

The cap of $5 million on buying of players by each of the eight Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise teams might see an upward revision in the near future, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi said on Tuesday. The IPL Governing Council will hold a three-day meeting in Goa from October 16-18 at which the cap on the players will come up for review, he told reporters. He said on January 29, 2009 has been tentatively fixed as the date for the next auction of the players. Modi also said the IPL has already kept open a month-long period as the players' transfer window from one franchise to another. "The players' transfer window will be between December 15 (2008) and January 15 (2009)," he said. The IPL Commissioner also announced that the champions of the first edition of the multi-million dollar T20 league, Rajasthan Royals, have the right to decide on the venue for the summit clash of the 2009 edition. Likewise the runners-up of the 2008 IPL, Chennai Super Kings, can decide about the venues of the two semi finals, he said, while giving details about revenue sharing from these matches. Owners of the Mumbai franchise (Mumbai Indians) had the right to organise the semi finals and the final of the inaugural edition held between April 18 and June 1 this year and chose Mumbai as the venue for all three ties. For Information on traveling to Inida Read Kalka to Shimla

'Not out' Dravid walks out

2008-08-01T01:12:00.000-07:00

An oversight cost Rahul Dravid his wicket on the first day of the second Test against Sri Lanka on Thursday. India were in a good position when the one-down batsman walked in to join Virender Sehwag. But for the third time in a row, the former captain 'lost' his wicket to Sri Lankan spinner Ajantha Mendis. Dravid had scored just two runs. It was a googly that grazed his bat and pad and went straight to the fielder, Malinda Warnapura, at forward short-leg. An immediate appeal followed and Dravid began walking back to the pavilion, saving the umpire the trouble of taking what would have been a difficult decision. However, TV replays showed that the catch was deflected off Warnapura's hand and went on to hit his helmet which meant that the batsman was not out as per rules. But even as Warnapura was fumbling with the ball before completing the 'catch', Dravid had left the crease. As per laws, it is not a fair catch if the ball has touched a protective helmet, worn by a fielder, although the ball remains in play. When Sehwag was asked about the dismissal, he said, "I could not pick it up from the non-striker's end, but I felt it had hit the helmet. I feel if Sri Lankan fielders knew about it then appealing for the catch was against the spirit of the game."

Team India leaves for Sri Lanka tour

2008-07-19T09:34:00.000-07:00

The Anil Kumble-led Indian cricket team left on Tuesday for its three-match Test series against Sri Lanka starting July 23. The Indians will start their campaign with a three-day practice match against Sri Lanka Board XI from Friday. They play their first Test in Colombo from July 23. The Test series would be followed by a five-match ODI series. One-day and Twenty20 team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has opted out of this series, citing fatigue caused by non-stop cricket.

India bowlers shine in practice match

Test hopeful Thilina Kandamby top-scored with 84 to help the Sri Lanka Board XI make 224 against a visiting India on the opening day of their three-day tour match on FridayThe Sri Lankans were tottering at 82-4 before Kandamby and Chamara Silva rescued them with a 100-run fifth-wicket partnership. India captain Anil Kumble took 3-30 while his off-spin partner Harbhajan Singh took 2-52 to fold up the hosts' Lankan innings in 71.5 overs at the Nondescripts Cricket Club. Kandamby, who is yet to make his Test debut, hit 11 fours during his 138-ball knock while Silva made 68 after captain Jehan Mubarak won the toss and elected to bat. Kandamby's fine innings came to an end when he edged behind to wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik off paceman Munaf Patel while Silva was sent packing by Harbhajan. In reply, the Indians were four for one wicket at stumps after losing in-form opener Gautam Gambhir early in what is the only warm-up game ahead of the three-Test series beginning here on July 23. India have not won a Test series in Sri Lanka for 15 years.

Female bodyguards for Dhoni

2008-07-14T07:29:00.000-07:00

Mahendra Singh Dhoni has taken time out from cricket but he still needs protection. In fact, he is being given special protection to keep him safe from his ever growing female fans. The Jharkhand Police has arranged for female bodyguards for this much sought after cricketer.

When Dhoni reached his house in Ranchi last week the Jharkhand Police promptly deployed five female bodyguards outside Dhoni's house. These armed female guards will escort Dhoni when he moves around his hometown. Clear about their duty, one of the constable said, "Dhoni has a huge number of female fans and we have been appointed to protect him from them".

The Jharkhand Police have deployed these special guards in view of the hysterical reactions with which female fans have greeted Dhoni in recent months. In Kolkata one female fan broke through the security and hugged the Indian ODI captain. To avoid any more embarrassment for Dhoni these female constables will accompany Dhoni where ever he goes including his college in Ranchi.

India MenDismissed; Lanka win Asia Cup

2008-07-06T22:23:00.000-07:00

Sensational spinner Ajantha Mendis took six wickets for just 13 runs to help Sri Lanka beat India by 100 runs in the final on Sunday to successfully defend the Asia Cup title.As expected the 23-year-old spinner mesmerised the Indian batsmen with career-best figures to cause a slump which saw India lose nine wickets for 97 runs and were bowled out for 173 in 39.3 overs.Sanath Jayasuriya hit a fighting 125 to help Sri Lanka post a decent 273 in their 50 overs on a flat National Stadium pitch

Hope football can be as popular!

2008-06-13T03:41:00.000-07:00

Football may be huge globally but in India, it is still an emerging sport. Indian football thrives on club championships and unlike cricket, it seldom gets the exposure it deserves. However when football stars from top clubs like Mohan Bagan and East Bengal go to watch a cricket match in full support of their teams, even wearing cricket jerseys, it just reflects the unity of the Indian sporting community.
At the historic Eden Gardens in Kolkata, our on-field reporter spotted and caught up with East Bengal striker Alvito D'cunha who had come to watch the Bangalore-Kolkata tie of the DLF Indian Premier League (IPL) along with his teammates and opponents alike.
The East Bengal striker said that this was his first trip to the Eden Gardens to watch a cricket match and added that he enjoyed the atmosphere in the stadium. Being interviewed in the middle of the match, he said that the match was very exciting and he hoped for a good result.
West Bengal is known for its cricketing personalities, especially former India captain Sourav Ganguly who enjoys mass adoration from his home fans.
Apart from that, Bengal is also known to have a huge football following with top clubs like Mohan Bagan and East Bengal hailing from there. Alvito praised Bengal's rich history of sport and said that football and cricket rule the roost among the most popular sports in India's eastern state.
The ace forward was then asked whether he wishes football could get the attention it deserves in an otherwise cricket-crazy nation.
"So far, it's nothing of that sort but I hope very soon football also gets very popular and hope we can also do something like cricket," he said wistfully.
Asked about the IPL teams he and his friends from East Bengal and Mohan Bagan were supporting, Alvito concluded, "Right now, we are just wearing the Bangalore Royal Challengers jerseys and have come here to support them. But most of the players are from Kolkata and it doesn't matter which team wins as long as the best team wins."
In that game, Kolkata Knight Riders ended up beating Bangalore Royal Challengers by 5 runs.

IPL - Investors Picked Lottery or Loss ?

2008-06-08T06:22:00.000-07:00

Some love it and some dislike it too. But there is no denying that T20 (Twenty20), a short, colourful and entertaining form of a cricket match, is here to stay. Cashing-in on its enthusiastic & popular mass appeal (and to counter the ICL ?) BCCI rushed to launch its IPL (Indian Premier League) - an ambitious, bold and the most expensive cricket venture ever.

With $2 billion invested in IPL by various corporates, broadcasters, sponsors etc, the game is poised for a substantial shake-up in the future. Whopping $700+ million was paid to buy its eight teams and millions of moolah was 'bid' in the auctioning of top national and international players to take part in the tournament. Around $1 billion has been committed for the tv broadcasting rights over the next 10 years.

As a business, IPL has proved to be Terrific20 for cricket boards, players, stadiums, merchandising vendors and a host of business beneficiaries. But the big Q remains unclear - will it be profitable for the investors who have put staggering amounts in this new and untested cricketing model ? Some feel it makes a sound investment, while others differ and feel the extravagant sums will make it hard for investors to recoup or reap rewards soon.
In anycase, Cricket has come a long way and grown big in India. In all liklihood, India is heading towards becoming the epicentre of T20 version -- and this will be a bonanza for its fans. Isnt it ?

Six weeks that changed cricket

2008-06-02T00:53:00.000-07:00

On April 18, as the first IPL game got underway, cricket was reborn. Corporate megabucks, Bollywood spectacle and the frequent sound of willow thumping leather, the new cocktail was revolutionizing the sport in the way it was played, viewed and managed. Here are the tournament's 10 trendsetters:Boys who came from nowhere: From Australian outback's, Punjab small-towns and Bengal backwaters, they suddenly emerged. A clutch of nerveless unknown desi and firang talents took IPL by storm. Who would have thought that among the million dollar big boys, an unauctioned Australian rookie (Shaun Marsh) would outscore everybody else in the league phase? And that a Punjab paceman whose only USP was that his surname, Gony, rhymed with Dhoni, would take more wickets than Shaun Pollock or Zaheer Khan?But for IPL, how many years would it have taken for Shikhar Dhawan, Abhishek Nayar, Amit Mishra, Ashok Dinda, Swapnil Asnodkar and Yo Mahesh to be seen, recognized and admired? His amazing level of consistency meant that Team Mohali got off to a flier more often than not.

Rajasthan Royals are IPL champions

2008-06-02T00:51:00.001-07:00

After 44 days of mind-boggling action and a no-holds-barred feud among eight fierce franchisees, Rajasthan Royals pipped Chennai Super Kings by three wickets in the thrilling grand finale to lift the inaugural Indian Premier League on Sunday. Chasing Super Kings' modest total of 163 for five, the Royals rode on a brilliant all-round display by Yusuf Pathan, who took three wickets and top-scored with a 39-ball 56 to overhaul the score off the last ball after needing eight from the last over.Sohail Tanvir (9 not out) hit the winning run, a pull off the expensive L Balaji, in the company of his inspiring captain Shane Warne, who was not out on 9 in a final score of 164 for seven.The winners received the top prize of $1.2 million and a glittering gem-laden trophy while the runners-up won $600,000.

Chennai beat Punjab, enter final

2008-06-01T05:40:00.000-07:00

Chennai Super Kings drubbed Kings XI Punjab by nine wickets in a lop-sided contest to storm into Sunday's final against table toppers Rajasthan Royals.After restricting the Punjab side to a meagre 112 for eight, the Chennai side romped home riding on a second wicket stand of 102 runs between opener Parthiv Patel (51 off 48 balls) and Suresh Raina (55 off 34 balls) at the Wankhede Stadium.The best chance for Kings XI, after putting up a pathetic batting display on winning the toss, was to strike a few early blows.They managed to dismiss opener S Vidyut cheaply for six to reduce Chennai to 14 for one, but then the left-handed combination of Patel and the more aggressive Raina took control of the proceedings.They made runs at a comfortable pace and raced past the finish line in 14.5 overs to complete a thumping victory.

IPL showing pays off as Ojha, Yusuf get ODI nod

2008-05-30T19:35:00.000-07:00

The national selectors seem to have paid some heed to Delhi Daredevils skipper Virender Sehwag's observation that IPL performances should be taken into account for selection into the Indian team. Keeping the thrust on youth and the aim to build a team for the 2011 World Cup, on Friday, the five wise men decided to pick Team Jaipur all-rounder Yusuf Pathan and Team Hyderabad left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha in the 15-member ODI squad for next month's tri-series in Bangladesh and the Asia Cup in Pakistan. The 25-year-old Pathan scored 334 runs at an average of 27.83 with three fifties in the league stage of the IPL. The elder brother of Indian pace bowler Irfan Pathan, Yusuf has hit the fastest half-century of the tournament, off 21 balls against Team Hyderabad, besides smashing 17 sixes, the maximum by anybody in Team Jaipur's array of big-hitters. The Baroda youngster, who also took five wickets with his off-spin, played in the T20 final against Pakistan last September. Pathan's slot was created after Sachin Tendulkar ruled himself out of the twin tours due to a groin injury. Though Team Hyderabad performed disastrously, Ojha emerged with a decent performance. He took 11 wickets at 25.81, and his best figures were 2 for 18. The 21-year-old Ojha's passage was made easier because experienced left-arm spinner Murali Kartik made himself unavailable due to injury. Team Chennai's Suresh Raina was also rewarded for his good showing in the IPL with a berth in the squad. Raina, 21, who last played a ODI in January, 2007, edged Team Chennai teammate Subramaniam Badrinath, Delhi's Shikhar Dhawan and Hyderabad's Venugopal Rao. The question mark over the ODI careers of both former captains Dravid and Ganguly, who had earlier been dropped for the previous tri-series won by the Mahendra Singh Dhoni-led side in Australia for the first time ever, continued, as both were left out of the ODI scheme. The selectors made five changes in the team that played the tri-series in Australia in March. Along with Tendulkar, who missed two home Tests against South Africa and the first seven IPL games for Mumbai Indians, banned off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, fast bowler Munaf Patel, wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik and middle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary failed to make it. Incidentally, Harbhajan, banned by the BCCI for five ODIs for slapping Sreesanth, was left out of the Asia Cup squad though he would have served out his ban after India's first two ties in Pakistan

Royals demolish Daredevils, enter final

2008-05-30T19:33:00.000-07:00

Riding on a brilliant all-round display by Shane Watson, the ruthless Rajasthan Royals crushed Delhi Daredevils by 105 runs in a lop-sided semi-final to storm into the final of the Indian Premier League on Friday.Watson powered his way to a 29-ball 52 with three sixes and four fours in his team's challenging total of 192 for nine after league table toppers Rajasthan Royals were asked to take first strike by Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag.Later, Watson ripped out the top-order of Delhi with a triple strike to account for the top three Delhi batsmen Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir and Shikhar Dhawan cheaply to reduce them to 24 for three.Delhi never recovered from this early body blows and lost wickets at regular intervals while the asking rate kept climbing before they were shot out for a paltry 87 in 16.2 overs

IPL twice a year may trigger early retirements: Sehwag

2008-05-30T01:51:00.000-07:00

As the Indian Premier League authorities toy with the idea of hosting the cash-rich extravaganza twice a year from 2011, Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag warns it may lead to premature retirements among the top players. IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi, in a recent interview, said for the first three editions, IPL would remain an annual event but after that, he would like to see the Twenty20 league twice a year, starting in May and September. Sehwag, however, is apprehensive about the move, which he fears may not augur well for the game. "I think having it twice a year might trigger premature retirements," he told reporters on Tuesday. Sehwag believes the hype and hoopla around IPL notwithstanding, people still put international cricket ahead of the Twenty20 extravaganza and it would be difficult to squeeze in two IPL seasons in an already crammed international calendar. "I think before they think about introducing a second IPL in the same year, they would have to see the schedule. The fact remains that people at large crave more for international cricket than IPL -- be it India vs Pakistan or England vs Australia. "I guess they would have to find at least four months to accommodate two IPLs, which would not be an easy task," Sehwag explained.

Bookies bet on Jaipur and Mohali final

2008-05-30T01:50:00.000-07:00

here might be a break in the action on the field with the IPL semi-finalists decided, but off the field, the betting game is only getting hotter. British bookies are backing Team Mohali to lift the Trophy, while for Indian punters it's a toss up between those two teams. Neither lot sees either Chennai's or Delhi's chances of reaching the final as bright. Those who place bets with Indian bookies, though that's illegal, are being offered winnings of Rs 2.25 for every rupee bet on either Jaipur or Mohali. According to their rate cards, Chennai and Delhi are the also-rans of the knock-out stage. That's reflected in their offering, Rs 3.40 on Chennai and Rs 3.80 on Delhi for every rupee you bet. British bookies Ladbrokes and William Hill seem to agree that Mohali and Jaipur are most likely to play the final, but do not otherwise see eye to eye with the Indian bookies. Both see Delhi as more likely to win the IPL than Chennai, for instance. Ladbrokes is offering 7/4 on Mohali (Rs 1.75), 9/4 on Jaipur (Rs 2.25), 3/1 on Delhi (Rs 3.33) and 4/1 on Chennai (Rs 4.00) winning the inaugural IPL. William Hill sees the chances of the four as relatively more even with odds of 2/1 on Mohali (Rs 2.00), 9/4 on Jaipur (Rs 2.25), 11/4 on Delhi (Rs 2.75) and 10/3 on Chennai (Rs 3.33). Interestingly, despite rating the Delhi team as least likely to win the event, Indian bookies give it more of a chance against Jaipur in the first semi-final of the IPL on Friday than they are willing to give to Chennai against Mohali on Saturday. In the first semis, for every Indian rupee spent on Team Jaipur, you can win 90 paise while betting on Delhi can win you just a little more than a rupee. On the other hand, in the second semis, while you can win Rs 1.50 for every rupee you bet on Chennai, if the team wins, you can at best win 60 paise for the rupee on Mohali. Ladbrokes is offering 8/11 (Rs 0.73) on Jaipur for the first semis and a rupee for every rupee you bet on Delhi. For the second semis, they are offering 11/8 on Chennai (Rs 1.37) and 8/15 on Jaipur (Rs 0.53).

IPL doubles BCCI profit

2008-05-30T01:47:00.001-07:00

Many eyebrows were raised and heads shaken when it first emerged how much the Indian Premier League franchisees were shelling out. Would they be able to recover their huge investments, asked skeptics. Well, it looks like the franchisees will be having the last laugh - all the way to the bank. The whopping success of IPL has not only ensured that teams like Jaipur, Kolkata and Mohali are likely to break even in the first year itself, but also transformed the fortunes of its telecaster Sony Set Max, says a report prepared by the equity research division of Alchemy Shares and Stock Brokers. The biggest gainer, though, is arguably BCCI - which is projected to rake in a profit of Rs 350 crore from IPL in the first year itself. This would be more than BCCI's profit of Rs 235 crore for all of 2007. In all, IPL will bring revenue of Rs 1,200 crore a year into cricket, more than double the government's entire sports budget of Rs 490 crore. Set Max, too, seems to have a winner on its hands. The channel's revenue marketshare has risen from a pre-IPL level of 5.7% to 28.8%, says the report. Its share of prime time has gone up to 29%, higher than the cumulative marketshare of the top nine Hindi general entertainment channels. From next year, Sony is projected to gross about Rs 650 crore in advertising revenue for about 45 days of IPL, which would be 7% of the entire estimated TV ad revenue of around Rs 9,000 crore for the whole year. Ad rates for 10-second spots, which were at Rs 2 lakh per 10 seconds at the start of the tournament, have climbed rapidly to Rs 5 lakh and look set to rise further to Rs 10 lakh for the final, says the report. This would be even more than the Rs 8 lakh per 10 second rate for the nailbiting T20 World Cup final between India and Pakistan last year. Interestingly, the TRP viewership rating of the World Cup final was 9.21. Arnab Mitra, who prepared the Alchemy report, says the TRP rating of the first few IPL matches was around 8.2, which later fell but remained over 5 - higher than any other program running on TV. IPL's success has also rubbed off on the franchisees. According to the report, teams like Jaipur, Kolkata and Mohali, which have not spent much on franchisee fees, are likely to break even in the first year itself. Kolkata Knight Riders is projected to make an operating profit of Rs 15 crore due to its huge earnings from local sponsorship, amounting to Rs 32 crore, and gate ticket sales of Rs 20 crore. Similarly, Team Jaipur will also be making a profit of Rs 10 crore. This is mainly because it bid a mere Rs 27 crore as the annual franchisee fee, almost half the sums bid by the UB group for Bangalore and by Reliance for Mumbai. However, even the loss-making teams are expected to earn revenue ranging from Rs 48 crore-76 crore. With cash inflows into cricket getting ever bigger in India, expect this figure to rise further. Valuations will rise correspondingly. In the international sports market, a team is normally valued at three to four times of its revenue. As growth prospects in India are much brighter, an IPL team could get even higher multiples.

Tickets for IPL semis exorbitantly priced

2008-05-30T01:46:00.001-07:00

The tickets for the Indian Premier League semi-final matches, to be held at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on May 30 and 31, are going to cost the cricket fans dear with the rates fixed between Rs 1000 and Rs 12000 for most stands barring the popular East Lower.
The costliest ticket for the matches is the one which gains the fan entry into the Garware club house, the upper tier to the left of the players' dressing rooms, and is priced at a whopping Rs 12,000, according to Mumbai Cricket Association sources.
This is double the amount the fans paid for the matches during the league stages.
Similarly the cost of the MCA Guest Stand ticket has also been doubled to Rs 6,000 while the fans occupying the Sachin Tendulkar stand on the northwestern part of the stadium would have to cough up Rs 2000, four times what they had paid for the earlier ties held at this venue, while the North central stand ticket has been priced at Rs 4000.
The Sunil Gavaskar stand tickets, the upper tier of the East Stand with corporate boxes, would cost Rs 5000 each while tickets for the Vijay Merchant Stand (upper and lower) have been priced at Rs 10000 and Rs 1000 respectively, the sources said.
"We have maintained the price for the East lower stand at Rs 250 and they have all been sold out," the sources said, a surprise considering the fact that the host team - Mumbai Indians have not yet qualified for the knock-out stage of the Twenty20 League.

IPL winner's trophy unveiled

2008-05-30T01:43:00.000-07:00

The diamond-studded Indian Premier League winner's trophy, encrusted with rubies and yellow and blue sapphires, was unveiled in Mumbai on Monday by IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi.
"It's a handcrafted and very expensive rotating trophy, the value of which I will not reveal. It has been crafted by Orra's design team," said Modi.
The Antwerp-based RosyBlue Group, owners of the Orra diamond brand, which set up a new diamond production facility in Mumbai last year with an investment of Rs 35 crore, also designed the trophy the BCCI presented Anil Kumble on his feat of 600 Test wickets.
"The winning team will get a replica of this trophy," he clarified.
The trophy, which has a player in gold leafing holding a bat adjacent to a map of the country with the names of the teams engraved on it and symbolised by eight rubies, was crafted by 14 artisans, said chief designer Mona Mehta

Pawar dismisses possibility of two IPLs a year

2008-05-30T01:41:00.000-07:00

BCCI President Sharad Pawar shot down Lalit Modi's grand plans to have the Indian Premier League (IPL) twice a year and said the crammed International Cricket Council (ICC) calendar leaves no such scope. Days after Modi, the IPL Chairman and Commissioner, said that from 2011 onwards, he would like to see the IPL twice a year -- one starting in May and the other in September. Pawar categorically dismissed such a possibility. "We have just got one window from the ICC per year. The calendar is ready for next seven years, so there is no scope," Pawar said in a television programme. Earlier, in a television interview, Modi had spelled out his future plans for the Twenty20 extravaganza and said, "I think the IPL, we will like to keep it as two seasons. A single season for the first three years, we would like to move it to two seasons and we have another season in September." Incidentally, star batsman and Delhi Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag too is against having two IPLs a year, for, he thinks, it may lead to premature retirements among top players. "I think having it twice a year might trigger premature retirements," Sehwag recently said. The Delhi opener too pointed out to the international calendar and said it would be difficult to squeeze in two IPL seasons in the schedule. "I think before they think about introducing a second IPL in the same year, they would have to see the schedule. The fact remains that people at large crave more for international cricket than IPL -- be it India vs Pakistan or England vs Australia", he said.

Tight semi-final contest on cards

2008-05-30T01:39:00.000-07:00

The first semi-final of the Indian Premier League will see an interesting clash between table-toppers Rajasthan Royals and Delhi Daredevils, which qualified by default, at the Wankhede Stadium here on Friday.Rajasthan Royals would be looking to continue their dream sequence of wins, while Delhi Daredevils, which managed to grab the last spot in the knock-out stage, will be hoping to finally live up to their potential on the big stage.The competition has built up nicely to the last four stage and a capacity crowd is expected to witness this slam bang action between the two teams that possess enough firepower to outperform each other.

When Pathan met Pathan

2008-05-29T02:40:00.000-07:00

King's XI Punjab bowler Irfan Pathan greets elder brother and Rajasthan Royals' all-rounder Yusuf at the end of their Indian Premier League match at PCA stadium in Mohali on Wednesday.

The Punjab team beat Rajasthan by 41 runs in the last league match. Royals topped the IPL points table with with 22 points from 14 matches while Punjab finished second with 20 from as many matches.
The Pathan brothers have been a huge hit in the League.
Yusuf Pathan was instrumental in giving Rajastahn some breezy starts as he scored 334 runs with a strike rate of 182.5. He also claimed five wickets at an average for 41.6 from 14 matches.
Meanwhile, Irfan has 128 runs at the strike rate of 123 and 14 wickets at an average of 23.28 from 13 matches.

He's like a lion'

2008-05-29T02:38:00.000-07:00

The Indian ODI and T20 captain, the Chennai skipper and the player who earned the highest bid during the IPL auction - it is MSD who gets the ladies' votes too! Actress Sophie Choudry calls him a "lion on field and I looove it! He has a fantastic and positive attitude. To be honest, IPL or no IPL, it is Dhoni for me."These superlatives later, singer Anushka Manchanda chips in, "He takes care of his looks and leads his team well… excellent combination." His game is what makes him so hot for the women. "Success suits him. His sexiness lies in the way he leads his team," she adds. Grooming pro Meyhar Bhasin sums it up, "Dhoni is a statement in himself. He has class, panache and attitude. His game is like no one else's."

IPL is here to stay, says Dravid

2008-05-29T02:36:00.000-07:00

The Bangalore Royal Challengers may have cut a sorry figure in the inaugural Indian Premier League but captain Rahul Dravid has no doubt that the Twenty20 extravaganza is here to stay. After the side completed their campaign with yet another defeat, Dravid looked back at the tournament and said though organisers put up the show in a hurry, the event looked good enough to last. "Definitely this IPL tournament is here to stay. It was designed in such a short span of time and hopefully it will come with better colours next year," said Dravid. When asked about his team's performance, Dravid said, "It has given all of us lot of learning. We require some special skills to play in Twenty20 games and it's for the youngsters to know how important it's to hone these skills when they are back in this format next year." He felt crowds have been fantastic in this tournament. "Though unfortunately we could not play well here the crowds have been fantastic in these matches," said Dravid. In their last league assignment, Dravid's team went down to Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai Indians by nine wickets. In the rain-truncated tie, the Mumbai side restricted the hosts to 122 for nine in 18 overs before they went on to overwhelm the target with two overs to spare. Dilhara Fernando wrecked the top order with a four-wicket haul which also earned him the Man of the Match award. The strapping pacer later said varying the pace did the trick for him. "Change of pace is very important in Twenty20 matches," said Fernando, who grabbed 4 for 18 in his four overs. "It's important to vary pace in this format of the game as it helps to break the rhythm of the batsmen," said the curly-haired Sri Lankan. "I have learnt a lot from bowling in these matches and sharing the dressing room with the likes of Sachin (Tendulkar) Sanath (Jayasuriya) and (Shaun) Pollock have been very fruitful," he said. Coach Lalchand Rajput, who accompanied Fernando, was of the view that IPL had provided a fine platform for the youngsters to showcase their talent. "The youngsters I feel have been benefited a lot from this tournament sharing dressing rooms with senior cricketers and international players. The wealth of knowledge that has been shared in the dressing room is tremendous and in the years to come they will turn out to be better cricketers," said Rajput.