DLF Indian Premier League 2009 - Season 2

How can Mumbai win against Delhi?

2009-05-08T05:54:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Indians have been having a torrid time in the tournament so far. They have lost 4 games out of 8, and need to win 5 out of the next 6 games in order to book a semi-final berth.

The bowling department in the team looks good, even with Zaheer not being available. The problematic area for the team lies in the batting department.

The main issue with Mumbai Indians (and to some extent Kolkata Knight Riders too) has been that they have put all their eggs in the basket too soon. They start with Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya, two of their best batsmen and the most destructive too, and bring in JP Duminy and Dwayne Bravo soon after. Once these batsmen are back in the pavilion, it is left to inexperienced individuals to take care of the last few overs and score massive runs in them.

The team which should be playing in the rest of the matches, not counting Zaheer Khan, should be:

Mumbai Indians Team: Sanath Jayasuriya, Sachin Tendulkar, JP Duminy, Dwayne Bravo, Ajinkya Rahane, Abhishek Nayar, Pinal Shah, Rohan Raje, Harbhajan Singh, Dhawal Kulkarni, Lasitha Malinga

As per my opinion, Sachin needs to drop himself a little lower, if they want to win the next few games. The batting order and advice for them should be as per the following:

1. Sanath Jayasuriya - Sanath is explosive at the top. His experience as well as aggression would serve well in the first six overs of fielding restrictions.

2. Ajinkya Rahane - One of the juniors needs to step up and occupy the crease in the initial few overs. Spend as much time as possible on the crease, not worry about hitting fours and sixes but be content with taking singles and giving strike to the senior players.

3. JP Duminy - He is a grafter and would do well to keep his wicket intact as well as score at a brisk rate.

4. Sachin Tendulkar - He should come lower down the order as this would add stability to the middle order and he can hit or stay as the situation demands.

5. Pinal Shah / Abhishek Nayar - If there are more than 7 overs left, Pinal Shah needs to come in and try to give strike to the seniors. If not, then Abhishek Nayar can come and hit a few balls out of the park.

6. Dwayne Bravo - Keep the prowess of Bravo for the final flourish. He can hit massively, and this lends depth to the batting.

7. Harbhajan Singh - He should look at balls before hitting them beyond the boundary, or at least try to.

8. Abhishek Nayar / Pinal Shah - Their sole job should be to pick the balls and put them out of the boundary.

9 /10 /11 - Rohan Raje / Dhawal Kulkarni / Lasitha Malinga - Pick up singles and keep wicket intact.

The changes suggested add more depth to the batting order. Their strategy should be to build an innings in the first half, save wickets and manage 60-70 runs in the first 10 overs with at least 8-9 wickets in hand. Once that is done, the experienced hands lower down the order can help accelerate the innings.

Will Mumbai Indians reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?

2009-05-06T04:05:00.000-07:00

Mumbai Indians have been blowing hot and cold in the tournament so far. They won the first few games but have not maintained any consistency in winning. The team is relying too heavily on the duo of Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya. The latter has not been performing well, except for the match against Royal Challengers, while Sachin has done well. But the matches he has not been able to perform, the team has struggled to win.

The current position of Mumbai Indians in the points table is 7th. Refer to the DLF IPL 2009 Points Table.

Past Results for the Mumbai Indians were:
1. Vs Chennai Super Kings - won by 19 runs
2. Vs Rajasthan Royals - Match washed away
3. Vs Deccan Chargers - lost by 12 runs
4. Vs Knight Riders - won by 92 runs
5. Vs Kings XI Punjab - lost by 3 runs
6. Vs Knight Riders - won by 9 runs
7. Vs Royal Challengers Bangalore - lost by 9 wickets

2 of their 3 victories have come against the punching-bag of the tournament, Knight Riders, and the team has not looked at performing well. The batting, apart from Sachin and JP Duminy, has failed and the bowling also looked ordinary in the last match. With Zaheer Khan out of the next few matches, the situation looks very bleak for the team indeed.

Can Mumbai reach the Semi Finals?
To reach the semi-finals, they need to win at least 5 of the next 7 games. This would be tough given the fact that they are up against the better sides in the tournament now.
The upcoming matches of Mumbai Indians are:
1 Match against Deccan Chargers - 6th May
2 Matches against Delhi Daredevils - 8th May and 21st May
1 Match against Bangalore Royal Challengers - 10th May
1 Match against Kings XI Punjab - 12th May
1 Match against Rajasthan Royals - 14th May
1 Match against Chennai Superkings - 16th May

Apart from Chennai Super Kings, they have not defeated any side in this tournament. So the task looks very uphill. Harbhajan Singh's performance has been way below par. With 3 wickets in 6 matches played, he does not seem effective in a tournament dominated by spinners. In the batting department, players like Abhishek Nayar, Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane have to show more application and support the seniors in a much better way.

Chances: Look to be very slim now, given the loss in momentum and Zaheer's injury.

Which Team would reach Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?

2009-05-06T03:56:00.000-07:00

The DLF IPL 2009 tournament is nearly half-way through and all the teams, apart from Kolkata Knight Riders, are pitted in a fierce battle. Just 3 points separate the top team and the 7th placed team, and each game's result can have a massive impact on the points table. No one is willing to bet on any team reaching the semis, but I am analyzing the prospects of all teams, except Knight Riders (who are already out of the race), of reaching the Semi Finals.

Will Delhi Daredevils reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?
Will Chennai Superkings reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?
Will Deccan Chargers reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?
Will Bangalore Royal Challengers reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?
Will Rajasthan Royals reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?
Will Kings XI Punjab reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?
Will Mumbai Indians reach the Semi Finals of DLF IPL 2009?

Feel free to send me your opinions on the above.

Ideal T20 Team for DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-30T02:08:00.000-07:00

Given the current form of the players in the DLF IPL 2009 tournament being held in South Africa, I have formed an ideal team for the T20 matches, a team which any franchisee would dream of.

The members of the Ideal T20 Team for the DLF IPL 2009 (in batting order) is:

Matthew Hayden - foreign player
-- Hayden has looked murderous in the tournament. Even after retirement, his fitness levels are like never before, and his powerful hitting in the initial overs can demolish any attack.

Adam Gilchrist (wk/capt) - foreign player
-- Hayden's co-conspirator in the rise of Australia in ODIs, Gilchrist is a blaster in the true sense. His energy in the field and behind the stumps, his marshaling of his team-mates, field placements, bowling changes, all have been spot on, and thus he gets the crown of the Captain of the team.

Sachin Tendulkar
-- Sachin is the stabilizing factor in the team. He can be murderous if he is free from all tensions, can be frugal with his wicket if required, and he always keeps the scoreboard ticking. Very essential for his energy and experience.

AB De Villiers - foreign player
-- Came to the tournament, boldly proclaiming to reach the best batsman position, and is cruising towards the spot. He scores fast and guards his wicket with his life.

Rohit Sharma
-- Can hit out of the park anytime and against any opposition. Is a valuable middle-order player. Also can act as a part time bowler.

Rahul Dravid
-- Rahul Dravid has scored consistently in this IPL and that too at a relatively fast pace. No one, after his stint in the IPL, can claim that he is a Test Player only.

Yusuf Pathan
-- Yusuf's explosive batting and handy bowling is very valuable to any team. And in his day, Yusuf can destroy any bowling lineup. He has been the main driving force for the resurgence of Rajasthan Royals in the tournament.

Irfan Pathan
-- Irfan's swing bowling is ideal for the South African pitches, and he is a handy bat too.

Pragyan Ojha
-- One of the best spinners of the tournament, Ojha is wily and is not afraid to experiment and toss the ball. This makes him a very dangerous bowler, as is evident from his achievements so far in the tournament.

RP Singh
-- One of the surprises of the tournament, RP Singh has come back into limelight, with a brilliant bowling display in almost all matches. The highest wicket-taker till now, he is ready to set the tarmac on fire.

Lasitha Malinga - foreign player
-- By far, the best bowler in the tournament. His unorthodox style of bowling makes him a difficult bowler to hit out. And he is a specialist on wicket-to-wicket bowling (out of the 11 wickets in the tournament so far, 7 have been bowled). Also has the best economy rate of the tournament.

Suresh Raina - 12th Man
-- His big hitting and handy fielding makes him an obvious choice for the 12th spot of the team.

There were other choices too which I have not considered, but all of them were foreign players. And given the restriction of 4 foreign players in a team, I had to choose the above.
The other choices were:
Shane Warne
-- His skill in bowling, handy batting and superior captaincy makes him the first choice in any team. But couldn't make the cut this time.
Herchelle Gibbs
-- He is fine form and playing in his home territory, has got a distinct advantage.
Daniel Vettori
-- One of the best spinners in the tournament and easily the toughest to hit out, Daniel is also in good batting form this year.
Chris Gayle
-- Explosive batsman, handy spin bowler and an obvious entertainer.
T Dilshan
-- He has been the back-bone of Delhi's batting, and is the best fielder in the tournament.
Sanath Jayasuriya
-- Is out of form right now, but if he plays like against Kolkata, the day is his. A very good spin bowler too.

Delhi vs Deccan - DLF IPL Match Review

2009-04-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

The two top teams of the DLF IPL 2009 points table, Delhi Daredevils and Deccan Chargers, clash today for a fight for supremacy. Both teams have performed well in the tournament and this would really be a match to watch.

Deccan Chargers are a resurgent group from last year's debacle and have hardly put a foot wrong in either bowling or batting.

Delhi Daredevils lost the last game against the might of Yusuf Pathan and the guile of Graeme Smith. They would want to make amends this time round, and get to the top of the table. Their opening batting is a big worry for the team, with Sehwag and Gambhir failing totally. Also, the bowling looks a little weak as compared to the Deccan Chargers.

Delhi Daredevils Team:
Though they lost the last match, they would not look at changing the team composition.

Probable Team:
Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Mithun Manhas, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Dirk Nannes, Pradeep Sangwan, Amit Mishra, Ashish Nehra

Watch out for: Virender Sehwag - He is in good touch but hasn't fired in the last few matches. He needs to play a longer innings to stamp his authority on the game.

Deccan Chargers Team:
The team combination has been working wonderfully, and they would not like to make any changes lest they lose their momentum. Though they could just as well remove VVS Laxman and give Ravi Teja a chance.

Probable Team:
Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Dwayne Smith, Rohit Sharma, VVS Laxman / Ravi Teja, Venugopal Rao, Azharuddin Bilakhia, Pragyan Ojha, Shoaib Ahmed, RP Singh, Fidel Edwards.

Watch out for: Rohit Sharma - Watch out for his powerful hitting. He is sure to catch up with Adam soon.

Result: Even contest. Delhi is the only team based on current form to stop Deccan. But money still goes on Deccan.

Best Batsman -Most Runs- in DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-28T03:31:00.000-07:00

The first 10 days of the DLF IPL 2009 tournament is over and it is now clear that the bat is not dominating the bowl as much as in DLF IPL 2008. Scores are less than 200, only one century has been hit till now, test playing players are performing better than T20 "specialists", and the top 5 run-scorers contain 4 players who have retired from international cricket or are not part of their country T20 teams.

The current standings in terms of run-scorers in the DLF IPL 2009 (at least 50 runs) are:

Why is SRK tagging such a large team along?

2009-04-28T01:40:00.000-07:00

This IPL has been one of the worst possible, in terms of media-bytes and maybe the on-field performance as well, for the Knight Riders team. Even the change of name from Kolkata Knight Riders to Knight Riders hasn't worked for them. But there are some teething issues with the team and a lot of questions that are intriguing common folks like me. One of the questions playing around in my mind is:

Why is Shah Rukh Khan taking such a large team along in South Africa?

And not just the team, but the supporting staff tagging along is huge. The playing team consists of 10 foreign players and 41 Indian players. This is nearly double of the team Mumbai Indians or Kings XI Punjab have touring with them. The idea behind this could be that the large list of players would allow a large pool of talent to be picked up from. But the obvious question is that despite the poor show the KR are putting up in the DLF IPL 2009, this "pool of talent" is not being tapped into. KR have a total of 51 players, out of which in 26 players have not been touched till now. These include:
Mohammad Sanuth
Natraj Behera
Murtuza Hussain
Abhisek Banerjee
Ameya Shrikhande
Rohan Banerjee
Gaurav Chabra
Ishwar Choudhary
Avik Chowdhury
Aditya Dole
Shatrunjay Gaekwad
Gnaneswara Rao
VA Indulkar
Iqbal Abdulla
Sheldon Jackson
Saurasish Lahiri
Anustup Majumdar
Mohnish Parmar
Sachin Rana
Dhiran Salvi
Sanjib Sanyal
Sourav Sarkar
Sunny Singh
Chetan Suryavanshi
Bhavik Thaker
Rajesh Verma
Kshemal Waingankar

And given the fact that these players are still there, players like Sanjay Bangar and Aakash Chopra have been sent back due to strange reasons (not fitting in the team plan ???). Just these 2 don't fit in, and the rest of the 26 not-used players are part of some future strategy?

The supporting staff of the team is equally bulky, with as much as 5 members roaming around with no obvious roles. The support staff consists of:
John Buchanan, director — cricket operations
Mathew Mott - Chief coach
Brad Murphy - Assistant coach
Wade Seccombe - Wicket-keeping coach
Andy Bichel - Bowling coach
Michael Buchanan (John's son) - Assistant coach for strength training
Joydeep Mukherjee - Team director
Adrian Le Roux - Trainer
Andrew Leipus - Physiotherapist
Jon Deeble - Fielding coach
Given the situation the team is in, almost all of them don't seem to be worth their salt.

This bizarre situation has only one explanation: SRK and his partners don't know how to handle this business. They have tried to rely on John Buchanan to deliver the goods, and John is lynching them off with his own personal agenda.

(A friend of mine also suggested that KR have actually taken money from the extra players, so that they get to travel and show their presence in KR in their CV. Could be possible, though I would refrain from backing it.)

Whatever the reason may be, the fans of KR have been cheated due to the poor fight being put up by the team.

Delhi vs Rajasthan IPL 2009 Match Preview

2009-04-28T00:20:00.000-07:00

The team placed 2nd from the top of the table meets the team placed second from the bottom of the points table. And the outcome would most likely cement the respective places for the teams.

Delhi Daredevils have done little wrong this season. Their top order is firing well in each match, with Sehwag, De Villiers and Dilshan coming good in each of the 3 matches played by them. The main worry is that the opening batting of Sehwag and Gambhir not clicking as a pair. Gambhir has not been able to score much, and has got out of poor shots. The bowling is good, with Dirk Nannes providing a good line and length in the initial overs, and Daniel Vettori & Amit Mishra choking the opposition run-flow in the middle overs. Ashish Nehra is performing below par and needs to get his game moving. The rest of the bowlers look ordinary and could be a problem for the team.

Last year's Champions Rajasthan Royals have been very lack-luster this season. They have not looked anyway close to winning a game, and the only win they managed was the narrowest possible against a down-and-almost-out Knight Riders. Their bowling, apart from Shane Warne and Kamran Khan, is average, with some support from the other bowlers. All-rounders like Dimitri Mascarenhas and Tyron Henderson have not shone in any match to make any impact. The batting is the worst side of the team, with no one apart from Yusuf Pathan working in any game. Ravindra Jadeja is at best a support bat, and cannot be relied on to take the team total to high levels.

Delhi Daredevils Team:
Manoj Tiwary is out due to injury and Mithun Minhas, his replacement, did well in the last match. Amit Mishra's good show in the last match should cement his place in the side.

Probable Team:
Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag, Tillakaratne Dilshan, AB de Villiers, Mithun Manhas, Dinesh Karthik, Daniel Vettori, Dirk Nannes, Pradeep Sangwan, Amit Mishra, Ashish Nehra

Watch out for: Virender Sehwag - He is in good touch but hasn't fired in the last 2 matches. He needs to play a longer innings to stamp his authority on the game.

Rajasthan Royals Team:
Shane Warne has suggested that there would be major changes in the top order, something which hasn't worked for the team. He would like to bring in Lee Carseldine in place of Rob Quiney but some specialist batsman like Justin Langer would be good. He has too many jack-of-all-trade players, and the tournament has proven that specialists have worked more than do-alls. Also, given the thrashing Munaf Patel got in the last match, Shane Warne should bring in Amit Singh, the bowler who did well in the practice match against Cape Cobras.

Probable Team:
Graeme Smith, Swapnil Asnodkar, Rob Quiney/Tyron Henderson/Lee Carseldine,Justin Langer, Yusuf Pathan, Dimitri Mascarenhas, Ravindra Jedeja, Shane Warne, Mahesh Rawat, Abhishek Raut, Kamran Khan, Amit Singh

Watch out for: Graeme Smith - He is a class act and it is high time he comes good.

Result: Betting is heavily on Delhi's side, so I would place my money on them too.

Punjab vs Kolkata - IPL Match Preview

2009-04-21T00:08:00.000-07:00

Sunday's losing teams, Kings XI Punjab and Knight Riders are meeting each other for a step towards redemption after a disastrous start. The ground is Durban, the pitch looks good but the weather forecast is bleak.

Kings XI Punjab would consider themselves unlucky in the Sunday's defeat. Though they didnt do anything wrong, they were stumped by rain-interruptions, curtailed targets, the ever-menacing Ducksworth-Lewis rules and a brief blitz from Sehwag. Their bowlers had little chance to loosen their muscles, though the opening pair of Karan Goel and Ravi Bopara showed a lot of spark and came good at a brisk pace.

On the other hand, Kolkata had a torrid time on the field. The multiple-captain controversey seems to weigh heavily on them, and the players seem disinterested in giving any shot at a victory. 3 of the 4 supposed (and actual captains) departed before making much impact on the scoreboard, and the team never recovered. The bowling was also listless, with Ashok Dinda picking up the lone wicket. I guess, once John Buchanan had said that the responsibility of the team's performance rests on him, no one feels the need to perform. And the huge army of local players that Knight Riders are carrying around (46 in all) seems pale with not more than 3-4 players capable of performing at the big stage.

Kings XI Punjab Team:
There seems to be no need to change the lineup, as they were hardly given enough to play.

Probable Team:
Karan Goel, Ravi Bopara, Kumar Sangakkara, Yuvraj Singh, Mahela Jayawardene, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Taruwar Kohli, VRV Singh, Vikramjeet Malik, Yusuf Abdullah

Watch out for: Karan Goel - Karan had been highly underrated in this blog itself, but has come out good. Expect him to perform this time round too.

Knight Riders Team:
Despite the inclusion of a lot of heavy-weights, they have failed to perform and seem incapable to perform too. With underperformers like Aakash Chopra, Ajit Agarkar and Murali Kartik, the onus of performance rests solely on 4-5 players. If Ishant fails and the top 4 dont pile in runs, expect them to give a no-show this time round too. They also might play Ajantha Mendis, given the role of spinners till now in the tournament.

Probable Team:
Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Sourav Ganguly, Brad Hodge, Aakash Chopra, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Ajit Agarkar, Murali Kartik, Ishant Sharma, Ajantha Mendis, Ashok Dinda

Watch out for: Brendon McCullum - The additional responsibility of captainship will weigh on his mind but he can explode anytime

Result: Should be a one-sided match in favor of Kings XI Punjab, except if McCullum decides otherwise.

Bangalore VS Chennai - IPL Match Preview

2009-04-19T23:39:00.000-07:00

The encounter between Bangalore Royal Challengers and Chennai Super Kings would be an interesting one, defining the positions and form of the teams after the first round of matches. The match is being played in Port Elizabeth, and since it is the first match on the venue, both teams would have to access the situation afresh and plan accordingly.

Team Bangalore would look at continuing with the momentum of the last win over Rajasthan Royals, while team Chennai would be looking at playing catch-up for their campaign this season. The batting, apart from Hayden and Dravid, was pretty ordinary in both teams and the trick would be to see a realistic target from the onset, keep wickets in hand and launch an onslaught in the latter overs of the game. Also, both teams need to bear in mind that the last few matches have shown a very important role for the spinners and they need to include a quality slow-bowler in their lineup in order to be effective.

Chennai has a disadvantage in its bowling department, as they have not been able to run through the opposition despite some big names in their team. A win would push them further down the table, from which it would be tough to come out.

Bangalore Royal Challengers Team:
The batting needs to click and players like Ryder, Taylor and Utthapa need to step up. This apart, there seems to be no need to change a winning lineup.

Probable Team:
Jesse Ryder, Robin Uthappa, Ross Taylor, Kevin Pietersen, Rahul Dravid, Virat Kohli, Balachandra Akhil, Praveen Kumar, R Vinay Kumar, Anil Kumble, Dale Steyn

Watch out for: Jesse Ryder - Ryder is in terrific form both with the bat and bowl. He didn't get going in the last match, so expect some good runs under his belt this time.

Chennai Super Kings Team:
Chennai needs to make a few changes to their side. R Ashwin was not used in the previous game, and he needs to be replaced by L Balaji. Though Thushara bowled well, it would make more sense to add some variety to the attack and introduce the world's best bowler Muralidharan into the attack. Also, Albie Morkel would be a much more effective waepon than Jacob Oram. S Vidyut has been sent back to India and he would be replaced by Joginder Sharma.

Probable Team:
Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina, Andrew Flintoff, MS Dhoni, Subramaniam Badrinath, Albie Morkel, Joginder Sharma, Muttiah Muralitharan, Lakshmipathy Balaji, Manpreet Gony

Watch out for: Albie Morkel - He sat out the previous game but his usefulness with the bat and bowl make him a very valuable and destructive player.

Result: Should be a good match, but given the arsenal, I would still go for Chennai Super Kings.

Chennai Super Kings VS Mumbai Indians - Match preview

2009-04-17T00:17:00.001-07:00

The IPL finally starts! After months of speculations, lobbying and juggling, blaming spoil-sports (terrorists and politicians alike - pun intended), scheduling and re-scheduling and re-re-scheduling - well, you get the idea -, the tournament finally is set to go off - again an intended pun - in South Africa. And the first match of DLF IPL 2009 promises to be a perfect start for the mega-event.

Last year's finalists Chennai Super Kings take on Mumbai Indians, a team which showed lots of promises last year but started too slow to move into the semi-finals. Both teams are well equipped with huge cannons and mega arsenals for this epic battle. And by the looks of it, both sides are evenly matched.

To start with, it is a clash between two mutual admirers. Sachin (captain of Mumbai Indians) has expressed his admiration for Dhoni's leadership while Dhoni has always considered Sachin to be a permanent member and the backbone to his side. Let us see how the master-strategist faces off against the master-blaster.

Both teams have an evenly balanced lineup, with counterparts in all departments ready to face off. For a Matthew Hayden, there is a Sanath Jayasuriya; for an Andrew Flintoff, there is a JP Duminy; for a Muttiah Muralidharan, there is a Harbhajan Singh.

Chennai Super Kings:
The team would rely heavily on Matthew Hayden and Parthiv Patel to provide them an ideal start, and with Suresh Raina, Albie Morkel, Andrew Flintoff, MS Dhoni, S Vidyut and S Badrinath to follow, the batting lineup looks pretty solid. The bowling department would be headed by Muttiah Muralitharan alongwith Manpreet Gony and L Balaji.

Probable Team: Matthew Hayden, Parthiv Patel (wk), Suresh Raina, S Badrinath, MS Dhoni, Andrew Flintoff, Albie Morkel, Vidyut S, Manpreet Gony, Muttiah Muralitharan, L Balaji

Watch out for: Albie Morkel - the explosive all-rounder did wonders in IPL 2008, he is sure to fire in his own backyard. He could be the X Factor of the game.

Mumbai Indians:
A dream opening combination, Sachin and Jayasuriya, is well backed up by Shikhar Dhawan, JP Duminy and Ryan McLaren in the middle order. Their strength lies in their bowling led by Zaheer and Harbhajan.

Probable Team: Sachin Tendulkar, Sanath Jayasuriya, Shikhar Dhawan, Jean-Paul Duminy, Abhishek Nayar, Ryan McLaren, Yogesh Takawale (wk), Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dilhara Fernando

Watch out for: JP Duminy - Heavily priced, one is waiting to see his impact on the tournament.

Result: Anyone's Game. If I had to bet my life on it, Chennai Super Kings have an upper edge.

In all, it is a clash of two giant teams and promises to be as exciting as ... well, you get the idea again.

What Ganguly would wish for this Nobo Borsho

2009-04-15T21:57:00.000-07:00

The past year has been very eventful for Sourav. His retirement, lot of flak coming in related to his fitness, the controversey of Knight Riders' captaincy, etc etc.
So this Nobo Borsho, Sourav Ganguly, the captain(??) of Knight Riders, would have these 11 wishes in his mind:

1. May I remain the captain of Knight Riders this IPL, even if it is in quarters.

2. May all Australian cricket coaches be banned from moving out of Australia, speaking to any one, even breathing.

3. May I lose 1 Kg and it appears as 10 kgs to people.

4. May I collect lots of Man-of-the-Match awards this IPL. SRK is giving out golden helmets for each MoM. Let me collect some more for my future years, who knows "Agla IPL Mere Liye Ho Naa Ho".

5. The fate of KKR be damned, let me score more runs than anyone in the team. After all, no one expects me to perform in front of Gayle and McCullum.

6. Next year, if I am thrown out of KKR, let me join Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni is a nice boy, he will allow me to become the captain for a few matches there.

7. May SRK hold more Cheerleading contests and make me the judge of the same. After all, I am now the most experienced player in the Indian team when it comes to evaluating Cheerleaders.

8. May I launch the new "Kolkata School of Controversies On-and-Off the Field" this year. The School would offer Master Degrees in FWC (Fighting with Coaches), CBS (Come Back Strategies) and CJM (Cheerleader Judgement and Management).

9. May Farah Khan allow me an item song in her next movie, shoot a Holi song in England and make me dance bare-chested to "Run Barse".

10. May Madhur Bhandarkar launch a new movie called "Cricket" and base it on my life (with me as the Hero, obviously).

11. Last wish - May Bangladesh launch the BPL so that I can join them as a Foreign Player in the years to come.

Disclaimer: Everything in this blogspot post is meant to be satirical. So don’t send me hate mail. I respect Ganguly. I love IPL. Also Test cricket. Also Cheerleaders.

Matches to be longer due to Ad Breaks

2009-04-15T21:36:00.000-07:00

The IPL matches being played in South Africa would be lasting longer than the customary three hours. A decision has been taken to introduce two seven-and-a-half minute breaks in the middle of each innings to allow for more ad-time.

The ad-break does not serve any purpose apart from generating additional revenue from the sale of ad-time during these breaks. It disrupts the momentum of the game, both on the field as well as for the TV viewer.

The seven-and-a-half minute break would be used as drinks and "strategy" time by the on-field players. The stadium audience would be entertained by live bands while television audiences will watch three, separate two-and-a-half minute segments, two of which would be sold commercially. The third would show the teams taking drinks and discussing "strategy" during the time. One of the commercially sold segments would be dedicated to compulsory, mainstream advertising, the other one has been set aside for "special projects" like humanitarian films and films on social causes.

The entire argument of this allowing teams to strategize in the middle of the innings, as well as allow exposure to social causes seems to be a thin veil dropped on a very commercially driven decision. The ad-breaks would only spoil the momentum of the players on-field, as well as disturb the fun of the television and stadium audiences. A better option would have been to add 5 minutes to the break between innings, so that commercial obligations to the broadcasters (Sony / WSG) can be fulfilled.

Mohd Kaif sent back to India

2009-04-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

Mohd Kaif has been removed from the current team of Rajasthan Royals to be playing in DLF IPL 2009 and sent back to India. Kaif, alongwith six other players, are not in the final squad of the Rajasthan Royals, and would be included back this season only if there are some injuries to the existing members of the squad.

The other six players who are returning to India are Dinesh Salunke, Paras Dogra, Anup Revankar, Srideep Mangela, Ashraf Makda and Azhar Malik.

Kaif was the the most expensive buy for Rajasthan Royals during the first auction, picked up at $675,000. This was more than what captain Shane Warne for bid for. The main reason for him being axed is his poor form, both in the last IPL where he played all 16 matches but scored just 176 runs at an average of 16, and in the runup for the current tournament. Note that I had predicted the replacement of Mohd Kaif with another player in my earlier probable Team for Rajasthan Royals prediction.

Another high profile player let off is Dinesh Salunke, a legspinner who was drafted into the team after a TV Talent-hunt show.

Chennai Super Kings VS Nashua Dolphins - Match Review

2009-04-15T03:32:00.000-07:00

Parthiv Patel and Suresh Raina struck attractive fifties as Chennai Super Kings defeated South African Twenty20 side Nashua Dolphins by 41 runs in a warm up match before the start of the DLF IPL 2009.

CSK opener Parthiv Patel (51 off 36) and Suresh Raina (70 off 41) took the team to a challenging 180 for seven before spinners Muttiah Muralithran (3-32) and R. Ashwin (2-26) packed off Nashua Dolpihns for 139 with three balls to spare at Kingsmead stadium Tuesday.

CSK captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat. They lost Australian Matthew Hayden early with 10 runs on the board before Patel and Raina stood strong for a 120 run partnership. Patel hit four fours while Raina’s quickfire knock included eight fours and two sixes.

After Patel went down to Arun Karthik, a ‘loaned’ bowler from CSK to the Dolphins, the rest of the lot struggled against the spinners and the slowness of the surface. It took some lusty blows from George Bailey (19) to drag the team to 180.

The Nashua Dolphins lost wickets at regular interval and were never in the hunt. The top half caved in without puting any fight and Dolphins were left reeling at 61 for five.

CSK bowlers had an easy day with Sudeep Tyagi and Manpreet Goni impressing with the pace and lift off the deck. Joginder Sharma looked the best with the difficult length and the late movement. The spin duo of Muralitharan and Ashwin got maximum purchase from the wicket.

It was CSK’s Karthik (30 off 26) who showed some resistance along with D. Miller (16 off 13 balls).

Last years IPL runners up CSK will take on Mumbai Indians in their first match April 18.

Source: IANS

DLF IPL 2009 Tournament Points Table

2009-04-14T23:34:00.000-07:00

I would be maintaining and updating the tournament Points Table in the DLF IPL 2009 on a regular basis. So keep coming back (better still, bookmark this page).

Some important links:
Match Schedule of DLF IPL 2009
Prediction on final Results of DLF IPL 2009.

DLF IPL 2009 Team Table

2009-04-13T04:20:00.000-07:00

Click link for the latest DLF IPL 2009 Points Table.

The most important thing during the IPL 2009 season would be the team's tally table. Where your favorite team is place with respect to the other teams is something which is constantly worrying a fan.

A prediction on the final team tally of the DLF IPL 2009 is:
1st Position - Mumbai Indians
2nd Position - Chennai Super Kings
3rd Position - Rajasthan Royals
4th Position - Delhi Daredevils
5th Position - Kings XI Punjab
6th Position - Bangalore Royal Challengers
7th Position - Kolkata Knight Riders
8th Position - Deccan Chargers

A bold move to put Mumbai Indians on top but I am sure the magic of Sachin would work this time.

Rajasthan Royals team in DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

Last but definitely not the least, it is the time to review the Rajasthan Royals, Champions of DLF IPL 2008. The team which was tipped to be the worst, with almost no great names apart from the captain Shane Warne and South African Graeme Smith. The team which almost no one expected to win, but almost all became a fan of by the end of the tournament. Riding of the shoulder of their cricketing giant captain, Shane Warne, they trumped all teams and bookies to emerge victorious.

This year, the opposition teams would be prepared with their own arsenal and the knowledge that the foes are not to be underestimated. Let us see what magic Shane Warne is able to whip out from his spinning finger, apart from his monstrous leg-breaks.

The team still consists of a good number of unknowns and wannabes. But each person seems fit into a specific role and what is required of them.

The foreign players in the team are:
Dimitri Mascarenhas
Shane Warne
Graeme Smith
Tyron Henderson
Lee Carseldine
Shane Watson
Rob Quiney
Morne Morkel
Justin Langer
Shane Harwood
Shaun Tait

Shane Watson would be absent in this edition of the IPL, and so would Sohail Tanvir. Shane Warne has come to record saying that they would be sorely missed, and their slots would be tough to fill.

The probable team for Rajasthan Royals in DLF IPL 2009 is:
Morne Morkel - foreign player
Shane Warne - foreign player
Graeme Smith - foreign player
Tyron Henderson - foreign player
Yusuf Pathan
Munaf Patel
Ravindra Jadeja
Niraj Patel
Swapnil Asnodkar
Mohammad Kaif
Mahesh Rawat
Siddharth Trivedi

However, there is no predicting what lies up Shane Warne's sleeve and the foloowing payers would also figure in some match or the other:
Lee Carseldine - foreign player
Rob Quiney - foreign player
Dimitri Mascarenhas - foreign player
Kamran Khan
Amit Singh
Naman Ojha
Dinesh Salunkhe
Siddharth Chitnis
Parag More
Shane Harwood - foreign player
Shaun Tait - foreign player

The opening pair of the tiny Swapnil Asnodkar and the tall Graeme Smith are different as chalk and cheese, but both are capable of giving a flying start to the team. They would be supported by Ravindra Jadeja, Niraj Patel and Mohammad Kaif (I feel that Kaif has extended his usefulness in the side and should be replaced by someone more capable).

The bowling would be taken care of by Munaf Patel and Morne Morkel, with Siddartha Trivedi and Shane Warne handling the other overs.

The main strength of the team would be the 2 all-rounders, Yusuf Pathan and Tyron Henderson. Both have proved in their respective countries that they can massacre the opposition with both bat and bowl.

All these predictions could go for a toss, as one never knows what is up Shane Warne's sleeve. But one thing is sure, the team would make up for a very good entertainment whenever they play.

Strengths: A complete lineup, explosive batting, some hidden talents.
Weaknesses: Can they repeat the magic again?
Contenders for the title: Great Chance
Probable Position: Top 4

Mumbai Indians Team for DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-10T00:29:00.000-07:00

A team which underperformed drastically in the initial parts of DLF IPL 2008, Mumbai Indians showed a lot of spark during the latter half of the tournament and provided some great entertainment. Though they could not wualify for the semi-finals last time, this year round they have excellent chances of doing so, and even going on to win the tournament.

The foreign players in the team are:
Jean-Paul Duminy
Sanath Jayasuriya
Dilhara Fernando
Ryan McLaren
Mohammad Ashraful
Dwayne Bravo
Lasith Malinga
Kyle Mills
Luke Ronchi

The list is marked by the absence of Shaun Pollock, captain of the Mumbai Indians in some matches in the IPL 2008 and an excellent all-rounder. He has taken the role of a coach and mentor in this year's IPL, and Mumbai Indians would benefit a lot from his inside knowledge of the pitches and conditions of South Africa.

The probable team for the Mumbai Indians for DLF IPL 2009 is:
Sachin Tendulkar
Jean-Paul Duminy - foreign player
Sanath Jayasuriya - foreign player
Zaheer Khan
Harbhajan Singh
Yogesh Takawale
Abhishek Nayar
Dhawal Kulkarni
Shikhar Dhawan
Dilhara Fernando - foreign player
Ryan McLaren / Dwayne Bravo - foreign player

The batting looks good with Sachin Tendulkar and Sanath Jayasuriya leading the way. JP Duminy is in fantastic form and can add the magical touch to the team. They are supported by Delhi import Shikhar Dhawan (who played well in the last IPL), Abhishek Nayar and young wicket-keeper Yogesh Takawale.

The bowling department has another duo leading the way, Bangalore import Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh. Both of them are fresh from super performances in New Zealand, and are very useful T20 bowlers. They would be supported by Dilhara Fernando and Dhawal Kulkarni.

The eleventh man would most probably be Ryan McLaren, who due to his all-rounder skills should be preferred over Dwayne Bravo or Mohammad Ashraful. But both Bravo and Ashraful are explosive players, and it would be a tough choice for Sachin to select any one.

The team has a good balance and explosive players in both the batting and bowling departments. All they need now is the temperament to win in tight situations, something they fell short of in the last edition. Remember the narrow losses to Kings XI Punjab and Rajasthan Royals?

Strengths: A good and complete lineup, Sachin and Sanath are a delight to watch any day.
Weaknesses: Chokers(???)
Contenders for the title: Great Chance
Probable Position: Top 4

Kolkata Knight Riders team in DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-09T23:51:00.000-07:00

One of the weakest teams in the DLF IPL 2009, Kolkata Knight Riders or just Knight Riders as it has been renamed as, have been in the news for all reasons except the good ones. So much has happened off the field, if the team performs even half as well on the field as it courts controversies off the field, it would be a force to reckon with. However, this is not expected from the side where there are more rifts than players.

Last year, they did well as long as Brendon McCullum was present in the team. The moment he left, the team fell apart with the problem of too many mediocre performers coming out in the open. They really gave a run for their money to Bangalore Royal Challengers and Deccan Chargers for the last spot of the table, and this year is expected to be no different.

The team has contracted 51 players this season, almost double of what some other teams have. But the administrators have not realized that they cannot field more than 11 players in the match. Maybe the policy is to have four captains, and rotate all other players, so as to allow good preparation for DLF IPL 2012. And strangely, no film star features in this 51 player squad :-)

The foreign players in this massive squad are:
Chris Gayle
Brendon McCullum
Moises Henriques
Charl Langeveldt
Brad Hodge
Angelo Mathews
David Hussey
Mark Cameron
Mashrafe Mortaza
Ajantha Mendis

Out of these, Chris Gayle will function as a batting captain for the short while he is in the tournament, Mashrafe Mortaza might not feature as his USP of being a Bangladeshi player won't being too much moolah in South Africa, David Hussey will be away for national duty for a major part of the tournament, and Ajantha Mendis is loosing his niche-carrom ball advantage. Some of the players expected to perform are Brendon McCullum, Moises Henriques, Charl Langeveldt and Brad Hodge.

Anyways, no getting too critical about it, the probable team for the Kolkata(?) Knight Riders team for DLF IPL 2009 is:
Chris Gayle - foreign player
Laxmi Shukla
Sourav Ganguly
Cheteshwar Pujara
Ajit Agarkar
Ashok Dinda
Murali Kartik
Ishant Sharma
Brendon McCullum - foreign player
Moises Henriques - foreign player
Charl Langeveldt - foreign player

On paper, the team looks well balanced with the batting department patrolled by Chris Gayle, Laxmi Shukla, Sourav Ganguly, Cheteshwar Pujara (who has scored tons of runs in Indian domestic cricket), Brad Hodge and Brendon McCullum. The bowling department also looks good with Ishant Sharma, Ashok Dinda, Ajit Agarkar, Charl Langeveldt and Murali Kartik in the ranks.

If the team plays as a cohesive unit, there are almost no weaknesses in the team. However, there is high probability of new strategies backfiring, player-player clashes and player-coach clashes which can take away much from the team's performance.

Though I am not rating the team highly, I would love to eat my words, as it would be a pleasure to watch if any of their players are in song on any given day.

Strengths: A good and complete lineup, Name Change (?).
Weaknesses: Non-cohesive group, experimental strategies.
Contenders for the title: Very Slim Chance
Probable Position: 6th or below

Latest Kings XI Punjab Team in DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

I had listed out my probable Kings XI Punjab Team for the DLF IPL 2009 in my previous post. However, since then, the Australian team for the tour against Pakistan has been announced and the biggest losers stand to be the Kings XI Punjab team.

The players contracted by Kings XI Punjab who have been selected in the Australian national team are Shaun Marsh, James Hopes and Brett Lee. Shaun Marsh and Brett Lee were down with injury and are expected to be fit by the time the tour starts. James Hopes is currently touring SA and is in fine form.

Given the exclusion of these players as well as fitness issues with S Sreesanth, the Kings XI Punjab team looks very vulnerable as compared to the other teams. The probable playing eleven for the Kings XI Punjab team are now:
Yuvraj Singh
Ravi Bopara / Mahela Jayawardene - foreign player
Piyush Chawla
Luke Pomersbach - foreign player
Vikram Singh
Karan Goel
Jerome Taylor / Burt Cockley - foreign player
Kumar Sangakkara - foreign player
Irfan Pathan
Tanmay Srivastava
Ajitesh Argal

The batting is centred around Yuvraj Singh, with players like Ravi Bopara, Luke Pomersbach, Mahela Jayawardane and Kumar Sangakkara supporting him.
The main problem for them lies in the bowling department (with the exit of James Hopes and Brett Lee) as well as the rest of the Indian local players.
The main bowlers in the team are Irfan Pathan, VRV Singh, Jerome Taylor or Burt Cockley, and Piyush Chawla. Apart from this, the team consists of under-performers like Ajitesh Argal, Karan Goel, Uday Kaul, Sahil Kukreja, Wilkin Mota, Sunny Sohal etc. And nothing much can be expected from them.

Strengths: Explosive Batting, Good Fielding.
Weaknesses: Poor Indian bench strength, Issues in the bowling department, lack of good injury replacements as of now.
Contenders for the title: Less than Fair Chance.
Probable Position: 4-6th position.

Preview of Rajasthan Royals vs Cape Cobras Match

2009-04-08T22:45:00.000-07:00

The IPL is due to begin in a few days but the excitement has already started, thanks to Rajasthan Royals. The first Rajasthan Royals vs Cape Cobras T20 Match is scheduled to take place on Sat, 11th April 2009.

Both teams have been champions in their respective country's T20 tournaments. Nashua Cape Cobras were champions of Standard Bank Pro20 Series, 2008/09, held in South Africa while Rajasthan Royals were champions of the DLF IPL 2008 T20 tournament 2008, held in India.

The biggest irony of the match is that the captain of Nashua Cape Cobras is Graeme Smith, who is also a part of the Rajasthan Royals lineup. It would be interesting who Smith decides to play for, though in all probability, it would be for the Rajasthan Royals. Some of the other Cape Cobras players who are part of the DLF IPL 2009 are JP Duminy( who is with Mumbai Indians) and Herschelle Gibbs( who is with Deccan Chargers). As they would be attending their franchisee camps, they too are not expected to play in this match.

Probable Team of Nashua Cape Cobras for the match is:
Justin Ontong - Captain
RK Klienveldt
VD Philander
AG Puttick
H Davids
R Telemachus
CW Henderson
CK Langeveldt
RE Levi
D Brand
S Van Kyl

Although they would be without the service of their 3 most illustrious players, the side is well balanced with a lot of batting and bowling options.
The duo of CW Henderson and CK Langeveldt were in the top 3 wicket takers of the Pro 20 series 2008/09 with a total of 30 wickets between them. Alongwith RK Klienveldt, they form a formidable attack and are a unit to be wary of.
The batting of Cape Cobras revolves around J Ontong - he hit the maximum sixes in the Pro20 Series -, who is well supported by players like H Davids - a massive hitter with a strike rate of 160+ -, RE Levi and D Brand. Vernon Philander too is capable of smacking the ball out the ground at a healthy rate.

Probable Team of Rajasthan Royals for the match is:
Dimitri Mascarenhas / Lee Carseldine
Shane Warne - captain
Graeme Smith
Tyron Henderson / Morne Morkel
Yusuf Pathan
Munaf Patel
Ravindra Jadeja
Niraj Patel
Swapnil Asnodkar
Mohammad Kaif
Mahesh Rawat
Siddharth Trivedi

More Australians drop out of IPL 2009

2009-04-07T21:59:00.000-07:00

The Australian team for the tour against Pakistan in United Arab Emirates was announced yesterday and, despite the suggestion of Jason Gillespie to send a second-string team in order to rest the key players for the Ashes and T20 World Cup, it has been decided to feature a full-strength team in the series. This means that there are key people featuring in the IPL who have been listed in the tour against Pakistan and would opt for national duty rather than the IPL. The major players rested for the tournament are Ricky Ponting, Micheal Hussey and Mitchell Johnson, all of whom were not a part of IPL 2009.

Brett Lee has been recalled into the Australian side after a long time. He had been sidelined due to poor form and injury, and he is keen to prove his fitness as well as worthiness. His initial plans were to use the IPL to announce his return, but has managed to convince the selectors to include him in the touring team. This is a dampener for the Kings XI Punjab team, as he was one of their best bowlers and though I have not listed him in my choice of team (Kings XI Punjab team for IPL 2009), he was a great backup in case one of the Indian bowlers failed. But the biggest blow to the Kings XI Punjab team comes in the face of Shaun Marsh's inclusion into the national side. He was the highest run-getter in the tournament in last year's edition, and his slot would not be easy to fill. James Hopes too has been named for the tour and would be missing in IPL action, further compounding problems for Yuvraj Singh. Look out for some changes in my team prediction for Kings XI Punjab.

Andrew Symonds has also been selected for the Pak series. This is a major blow for the Deccan Chargers team for the IPL 2009 as he was an important block in their campaign for redemption. Andrew Symonds has been recently cleared from a list of off-field issues and is raring to perform back in the national side.

Last year's Most Valuable Player, Shane Watson, who was recovering from a stress fracture has also been named in the side. This is indeed a big blow for Rajasthan Royals, but Shane Warne has a host of players like Tyron Henderson to take up the slot.

I will be posting an update on the team probables, given the Aussie dropouts list. Keep checking back for more and more updates.

Kings XI Punjab Team in DLF IPL 2009

2009-04-07T03:47:00.000-07:00

Kings XI Punjab is another team which showed a lot of promise in the last season of the IPL. They reached the Semi-Finals of the DLF IPL 2008, only to lose to Chennai Super Kings. The team still holds a lot of promise and has the potential to reach the semi-finals again this year.

Last year, there were a few revelations in the Kings XI Punjab team. Shaun Marsh joined the Kings Punjab team after 5 games and changed the complexion of the tournament with his hard-hitting and huge scores. He went on to become the highest run-getter in the tournament. Another major factor in the success of the team was the bowling duo of VRV Singh and Piyush Chawla. Both of them proved to be major wicket-takers of the tournament and were able to provide valuable break-throughs to their team whenever the captain wanted.

This year, there are some additions to the team in the face of Ravi Bopara and Jerome Taylor. Both are young players with a lot of fire in them, and can prove to be major players in the success of the team.

The foreign players in the Kings XI Punjab team for the DLF IPL 2009 are:
Kumar Sangakkara
Burt Cockley
Brett Lee
Jerome Taylor
Ravi Bopara
Shaun Marsh
Luke Pomersbach
Mahela Jayawardene
Simon Katich
James Hopes

It is a good mix of batting strength and bowling firepower, but most of them would be used sparingly.

The probable team for the Kings XI Punjab in the DLF IPL 2009 tournament is:
Yuvraj Singh
Ravi Bopara - foreign player
Piyush Chawla
S Sreesanth
Vikram Singh
Karan Goel
James Hopes - foreign player
Shaun Marsh - foreign player
Kumar Sangakkara - foreign player
Irfan Pathan
Tanmay Srivastava

The sure-shot players from the Indian side are Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan. Both of them offer good all-round options, as both of them are good hitters and can bowl well too.

The bowling attack is spearheaded by S Sreesanth, VRV Singh and Piyush Chawla. Romesh Powar would have to wait in the sidelines as there is no need for two spinners in the SA tracks. Brett Lee would also sit outside as the foreign player slots would be filled up with batting heroes.

The major problem comes to the team in terms of selection of foreign players. Shaun Marsh comes first to the mind, so his place as the opening bat is set. Kumar Sangakkara can function in a dual role as an opener and wicket-keeper. Ravi Bopara would lend a solid support in the middle order alongwith James Hopes. However, players like Luke Pomersbach and Mahela Jayawardene would be continuously pushing on the sidelines.

A big problem with the team is the strength of their second level players. Players like Tanmay Srivastava and Karan Goel are likely to be selected, though they did not create any waves in the last tournament. Other bench-strength includes Uday Kaul, Sahil Kukreja, Sunny Sohal and Wilkin Mota, all of whom are mediocre in performance.

Strengths: Explosive Batting, Good Fielding, Good Bowling, Good replacements for Foreign players.
Weaknesses: Poor Indian bench strength.
Contenders for the title: Fair Chance
Probable Position: Top 5

Rajasthan Royals VS Nashua Cape Cobras in South Africa

2009-04-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

Despite the many changes in all the teams, changes in clothing and even changes in playing venues, one thing remains constant in IPL. And that is the knack of Rajasthan Royals to keep doing things differently.

Even before the other teams arrive in South Africa, Rajasthan Royals had started their camp in the country. And in order to get valuable match practice before the IPL 2009 tournament starts, they have announced a strategic alliance with Nashua Cape Cobras, the South African Standard Bank Pro 20 Champions, calling it the inaugural "Clash of the Champions".

Since the announcement of the Indian Premier League being shifted to South Africa, the current champions Rajasthan Royals got into a strategic alliance with the Nashua Cape Cobras and Western Province Cricket Association, owners of Sahara Park Newlands. Their alliance aims at the training of new players, player exchanges, best practice sharing, future joint cricket and sponsorship opportunities and also furthering of cricketing ties between India and South Africa.

The teams are also participating in an exciting two-match 20-20 "Clash of the Champions" tournament on Saturday 11th April and Sunday 12th April. Be sure to watch the matches on Set Max at 7:45 PM IST on Saturday and Sunday.

Deccan Chargers team in IPL 2009

2009-04-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

Last year, Deccan Chargers started the tournament with a much hyped lineup, with big players like Adam Gilchrist, VVS Laxman, Shahid Afridi, Scott Styris, Herschelle Gibbs, Andrew Symonds, Rohit Sharma, Chaminda Vaas and many more. But somewhere behind the huge names, the cricket got lost somewhere. No one knew what went wrong but none of them could work together to provide any amount of success to the team. In fact, Deccan Chargers were the exact opposite of Rajasthan Royals. Deccan Chargers could not gel together even on the exit of VVS Laxman, and landed on the bottom of the table.

This year, there are a few changes in the team, with Shahid Afridi's exit the most prominent one. He did not perform well in the last edition and I would say his exit has allowed the team to experiment with some better players. They have changed their captain to Adam Gilchrist from VVS Laxman, whose main responsibility would be to assimilate this talented bunch of performers into a successful unit on the field.

The foreign players in the Deccan Chargers team are:
Scott Styris
Andrew Symonds
Herschelle Gibbs
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Fidel Edwards
Ryan Harris
Chamara Silva
Dwayne Smith
Chaminda Vaas
Nuwan Zoysa

Most of these players were there in the last season too, so it remains to eb seen how they would perform in IPL 2009.

The probable team for the Deccan Chargers in IPL 2009 would be:
Adam Gilchrist (wk) - foreign player
Pragyan Ojha
RP Singh
Paidikalva Vijaykumar
Herschelle Gibbs - foreign player
VVS Laxman
Dwaraka Ravi Teja
Rohit Sharma
Venugopal Rao
Scott Styris / Chaminda Vaas - foreign player
Andrew Symonds - foreign player

The captain Adam Gilchrist and vice-captain Rohit Sharma have permanent seats in the team. However, the captain Gilchrist has been out of International cricket for some time now. And Rohit Sharma has also not been in the prime of his form. So much depends on how these two perform on the field.

Andrew Symonds has put in his case for selection into the series against Pakistan, but his chances for going to the UAE is slim. IF he is not selected, he should be available during the entire season of the IPL 2009, and would be a valuable resource in his team (though I would not recommend giving him the last over :-)).

Herschelle Gibbs would be given a chance ahead of the other team members as this is his local turf, and he is still capable of destroying any opposition on his day.

The batting is further bolstered by the presence of VVS Laxman, Venugopal Rao and Ravi Teja.

Scott Styris could not perform well last year, but still would be given a chance to prove himself. However, given the already strong batting line-up, the team management could go in for a stronger bowling attack and call in Chaminda Vaas as his replacement. The bowling duties would be performed by R P Singh, P Vijaykumar and Pragyan Ojha.

On paper, the side looks complete and solid. But one just hopes that they don't fall apart like a pack-of-cards when it comes to the crunch time.

Strengths: Explosive Batting.
Weaknesses: Form of the batsmen, weak bowling attack, non-cohesive group.
Contenders for the title: Very Slim Chance
Probable Position: 6th or below

Chennai Super Kings Team in IPL 2009 - an update

2009-04-05T21:21:00.001-07:00

I had given my review of the probable team composition of Chennai Super Kings in the IPL 2009. However, since then, there have been a few changes.

Micheal Hussey is the latest Australian to drop out of the IPL Bandwagon. He has cited tiredness and preparation for the upcoming Ashes series as a reason for skipping this year's IPL. He has had a lean patch over the past few months (only one 50 in 6 Tests against South Africa) and wants to use this time off to rejuvenate both mind and body. He has also withdrawn from the Series against Pakistan to be played in UAE.

Jacob Oram is yet to prove his fitness and has targeted the final match of the New Zealand domestic season, played between Central Districts and Auckland, to prove his fitness. He has stated that he would pull out of IPL if he is not able to get through the finals.

The absence of Micheal Hussey would most likely change the composition of the team. I had earlier predicted that the team would comprise of 2 foreign batsmen and 2 all-rounders. However, the Chennai Super Kings would use this opportunity to bring in Muttiah Muralidharan in place of Joginder Sharma, and replace Micheal Hussey with Parthiv Patel.

The lineup of Chennai Super Kings lacked a quality spinner and Muralidharan would fill that gap. His exploits with the bat are also famous, and he is capable of hitting 4s and 6s with ease and comic relief. Parthiv Patel had done a decent job in the previous version of the IPL, scoring the 3rd highest runs for CSK at a good strike-rate of 101, and has also performed well in the Indian Domestic Season. He is also a left-hander, which functions well with the replacement of the left-handed Hussey.

The final playing 11, after this jugglery are:

MS Dhoni
Lakshmipathy Balaji
Manpreet Gony
Muttiah Muralitharan - Foreign Player
Subramaniam Badrinath
Matthew Hayden - Foreign Player
Parthiv Patel (wk)
Suresh Raina
Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan
Andrew Flintoff - Foreign Player
Albie Morkel - Foreign Player

Delhi Daredevils Team in IPL 2009

2009-04-01T03:09:00.000-07:00

Delhi Daredevils is another team which has a good potential of winning the IPL 2009 tournament. Semi-finalists in the tournament last year, they have made major changes in their side, some forced and some voluntary.

The Delhi Daredevils were a big hit in the last season of IPL. They had scored steadily and quickly, and their opening pair of Virendra Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had lit the tournament alive with a fantastic display of batting. Their current form is fantastic, so expect these 2 to really go all-guns-blazing at the opposition.

The team has seen some changes since the last IPL tournament in 2008. Mohd Asif, their spearhead in bowling, was engulfed in a doping scandal and has been dropped from the squad. Shoaib Malik, the Pakistani captain, is also missing due to the restriction of Pakistani players playing in the tournament. Glenn McGrath has expressed his willingness to play and is listed in the current squad. However, he had retired a year back, and has not been playing competitive cricket for quite some time. This puts a doubt on his form and capability to deliver, though his class cannot be questioned. The team faces change also due to the exchange of players with Mumbai Indians. Ashish Nehra has been added to the team while Shikhar Dhawan has been transferred to Mumbai Indians. Shikhar Dhawan was the 3rd highest scorer for Delhi Daredevils in IPL 2008, and formed a major part of the batting strength of the Delhi Daredevils. Ashish Nehra, though a local lad for DD, has hardly performed well in the domestic tournaments. Still, he might be a good exchange as the exit of Mohd Asif had brought a void in the bowling lineup. Shikhar's absence would be taken care of by foreign players, especially T20 specialists like David Warner, Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah.

The foreign players in the Delhi Daredevils team are:
Paul Collingwood
David Warner
Owais Shah
Daniel Vettori
Farveez Maharoof
Tillakaratne Dilshan
Glenn McGrath
AB de Villiers
Andrew McDonald
Dirk Nannes

The Playing 11 for the Delhi Daredevils team in IPL 2009 are most likely to be:
Paul Collingwood - Foreign Player
Virender Sehwag
David Warner - Foreign Player
Gautam Gambhir
Owais Shah - Foreign Player
Yo Mahesh
Amit Mishra
Farveez Maharoof - Foreign Player
Ashish Nehra
Dinesh Karthik (wk)
Rajat Bhatia

The team has a good balance of batting, fast bowling and one spinner.

The main attraction of the side would be their batting strength. With T20 specialists like Virender Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, David Warner, Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood, they can be expected to create new records on the field. Farveez Maharoof was a big asset to the team in the last edition and had contributed with both bat and ball. He is definitely expected to join the squad this year. Even Dinesh Karthik has scored loads of runs in the domestic season, though he could not deliver in the current New Zealand tour. Rajat Bhatia is a good all-round option for the team.

The bowling is the weak link in the team. Spearheaded by Yo Mahesh and Ashish Nehra, and the highly successful Amit Mishra (who took 11 wickets in 6 matches in the last edition), the bowling attack would depend on the part-time bowling of Maharoof, Bhatia, Collingwood and Sehwag.

Once Paul Collingwood and Owais Shah move out for their country duty, they would most likely be replaced by Glenn McGrath and A B DeVilliers.

Strengths: 3 things: Batting, Batting and Batting, Amit Mishra's spin.
Weaknesses: McGrath's form, weak bowling attack.
Contenders for the title: Fair Chance
Probable Position: Top 5

Review of Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009

2009-04-01T02:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I reviewed the chances and probable team composition of the Bangalore Royal Challengers in IPL 2009. Today, I am reviewing the chances and probable team composition of Chennai Super Kings in IPL 2009 to be held in South Africa, which players should be included in the Playing 11 Team for the team, what probability does the team have in winning this edition of the IPL etc.

The Chennai Super Kings, runner-up in IPL 2008, are in fine position to give a run for their money to any and every team in the current IPL 2009. The addition of Andrew Flintoff has added a new dimension to the already solid lineup of Chennai Super Kings. Though he is available for a short time only, he is sure to add a much needed boost to the search for a second all-rounder in the team.

The foreign players in the team are:
Andrew Flintoff
Albie Morkel
Matthew Hayden
Michael Hussey
Stephen Fleming
George Bailey
Muttiah Muralitharan
Makhaya Ntini
Jacob Oram
Thilan Thushara

It is a good mix of all-rounders (Flintoff, Morkel), ball-smashers (Hayden, Hussey, Bailey, Fleming) and wicket-breakers (Murali, Ntini). All of them have an inherent usefulness and their own specified roles in the team.

With the support of Indian players like Dhoni, Raina, Balaji, Gony etc., the Chennai Super Kings are indeed a formidable camp on the field.

My Chennai Super Kings playing 11 team consists of (based on current and previous performances):
MS Dhoni
Lakshmipathy Balaji
Manpreet Gony
Joginder Sharma
Subramaniam Badrinath
Matthew Hayden - Foreign Player
Michael Hussey - Foreign Player
Suresh Raina
Vidyut Sivaramakrishnan
Andrew Flintoff - Foreign Player
Albie Morkel - Foreign Player

Albie Morkel is one player who would definitely be a part of the team. His useful bowling and heavy hitting is indeed a big asset to the team. Another all-rounder who would be used in the initial phases of the tournament would be Andrew Flintoff, a man of many talents and who on his day, can terrorize the opposition with his fiery balling and mighty hitting.

Matthew Hayden has expressed his availability during the entire tournament, which would be fantastic news for the team. His exploits alongwith Micheal Hussey last year made the team unstoppable in the initial phases of IPL 2008. If he is able to pull off the same batting style and form, Chennai Super Kings would be an unstoppable force in the tournament.

Captain MS Dhoni has been a revelation as a captain, his innovative captaincy second only to Shane Warne. The wicketkeeper-batsman was a strong force around which the team jelled as a unit and excelled in all departments.

Suresh Raina was one of the most successful batsman of the 2008 version, and is expected to continue his recent good form in the tournament.

Badrinath and Vidyut S. are useful team members who are able support-players to the main stalwarts. The bowling is spearheaded by Manpreet Gony and L. Balaji. Gony was the surprise package in last year's tournament and is the future of Indian cricket. If he gets the same assistance from the speedy SA tracks, he would be a gem to watch.

The only weakness and doubtful person in the team is Joginder Sharma, someone who hasn't been seen since the last IPL. Not sure whether he would be selected, but has a knack of springing surprises under pressure.

Fleming, Murali and Ntini are left out of the squad due to the restriction of 4 foreign players only. Once Flintoff and Hussey go away for National Duty, they would come into play. Or Dhoni could take a chance and leave out Hussey, bring in an Indian batsman like Abhinav Mukund, and then include Murali / Ntini in the lineup.

The current team has a very good chance of making it to the finals again, and with a good foreign as well as Indian bench-strength, they have covered almost all the bases.

Strengths: Dhoni's captaincy; some big hitters in Raina, Hayden, Hussey; all-rounder strength of Morkel and Flintoff; bowling champs like Murali, Ntini and Gony.
Weaknesses: Flintoff's short stay; uncertainty of Joginder Sharma.
Contenders for the title: Very Strong
Probable Position: Top 3

Review of Bangalore Royal Challengers in IPL 2009

2009-03-31T03:48:00.000-07:00

All of us are curious as to which team would perform how in the DLF IPL 2009 to be held in South Africa. Just 19 days are left for the tournament to start and I felt this is a good time to access the strengths / weaknesses of each team, which are the top 11 players that the team should put forward, how is the team expected to perform and so on.

The current face of Bangalore Royal Challengers in the DLF IPL 2009 is very different from the last tournament held in 2008. The 2008 team was branded as a Test team, with very few people capable of performing in the pressures of T20 cricket. Vijay Mallya, the owner of the franchisee, has since made a lot of changes in the team, and the current team definitely looks better than the old one. However, before we can brand this team as the next winners of DLF IPL 2009, let us access the team and the players.

The current team is a good mix of foreign and Indian players. Some of the prominent foreign players in the Bangalore Royal Challengers are:

Jacques Kallis
Jesse Ryder
Kevin Pietersen
Ross Taylor
Roelof van der Merwe
Cameron WhiteDale Steyn
Nathan Bracken
Mark Boucher (wk)

However, the restriction of using 4 foreign players in a team would result in some heavyweights having to wait for some time before they get their chance.

My Bangalore Royal Challengers Playing 11 team is (based on my own assessment and other factors):
Jacques Kallis / Ross Taylor - Foreign player
Kevin Pietersen - Foreign player
Rahul Dravid
Virat Kohli
Robin Uthappa
Praveen Kumar
Balachandra Akhil
Vinay Kumar
Shreevats Goswami
Dale Steyn - Foreign player
Jesse Ryder - Foreign player

The team is a heady mix of young and old players (something they will have to carry as they have so many of them). In all probability, Jacques Kallis would play as he is tipped as the captain once Kevin Peitersen goes for national duty. However, they could field Ross Taylor, and call in Kallis to replace Peitersen when he leaves.Dale Steyn is also a natural choice as this is his backyard and he is fiery at all levels of the game.Jesse Ryder is in fantastic form with the bat and chip in some good swing bowling overs in the middle, and is also a good choice.

As for the Indians, one person sure to play is Robin Utthapa (he was bought for this purpose only).
Rahul Dravid was the highest run getter for the BRC team in IPL 2008, and I felt he played well. He should be used as he is a good run-getter and can move up and down the batting order. Though he has lost the captaincy, he still deserves a batting position.
Virat Kohli seemed rusty in the last IPL but still played decently.
Shreevats Goswami impressed in the few games he played in IPL and should edge out Mark Boucher behind the stumps.
The Indian bowling attack would be spear-headed by Praveen Kumar, aided by B Akhil and Vinay Kumar.

On paper, the team looks good enough for any opposition. However, the other teams have also bolstered their attack and seem to be in a much better position. Peitersen is a hell-of-a-good batsman but a bad motivator and leader. He has major ego issues (an example is the recent WI controversey when he wanted to return in the middle of the tour) and is thus unreliable. Also, the Indian bench strength is not too good, with Anil Kumble probably not being used at all, and others like Sunil Joshi and Wasim Jaffer not upto the mark.

A lot will ride on the shoulders of the New Zealand and South African players, and if they have their day, they can win a match or two.

Strengths: Some big hitters in Peitersen, Ryder, Taylor, Utthapa.
Weaknesses: Utthapa's form, Peitersen's short stay, lack of options in Indian players, lack of cameraderie in the team.
Contenders for the title: Slim Chance
Probable Position: 5th or 6th.

Availability of Players in DLF IPL 2009

2009-03-30T02:33:00.000-07:00

A frequent question which runs through every IPL enthusiast's mind is - Will my favorite international player be playing in this tournament and for how long?

A good way to decipher this to have a snapshot of the international tournaments taking place during the IPL run. Some of the international series on during the IPL are:

1. South Africa VS Australia, 5th ODI on Apr 17 at Johannesburg: This might lead to the South Africans and Australians not playing in the first match of their teams on Apr 18 and 19.

2. Australia VS Pakistan, 6 ODI Series from 22nd Apr to 7th May in the UAE: Again, the Aussies and Pakistani players would not be available during this period.

3. England VS West Indies, 2 Tests and 3 ODIs from 6th May to 26th May: The West Indians and the English players would be unavailable during this time.

What does this mean for the franchisees:
1. Bangalore Royal Challengers: The captain of the team, Kevin Peitersen would be unavailable from May onwards, and gets to play only 6 out of 14 matches.

2. Chennai Super Kings: Another English player, Andrew Flintoff, would not be available more matches in May. Micheal Hussey would not be available till the first week of May, and in all probability would join in only during the latter half of the tournament.

3. Deccan Chargers: The West Indian pacer Fidel Edwards would be busy in England during the 2nd half of the tournament. Dwayne Smith, if selected, would also be unavailable. Also doubtful are the 3 Sri Lankan players (Chamara Silva, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa) in the team, though this might not be the case.

4. Delhi Daredevils: Glenn McGrath has already pulled out of the tournament. David Warner is another Australian busy on country duty till the latter half of the tournament. The English heavyweights, Owais Shah and Paul Collingwood, are also busy during the latter half of the tournament.

5. Kings XI Punjab: The team seems to be the most hit in terms of players coming in and going out. Ravi Bopara (England - May), James Hopes and Shaun Marsh (Australia - May), Jerome Taylor (West Indies - May) are some players doing a see-disappear during the tournament.

6. Kolkata Knight Riders: A team with enough problems already :-). Chris Gayle would be absent for the latter half of the tournament and David Hussey would also be busy for national duty till May. Shoaib Akhtar is already out of the team, Ganguly is lost, Ponting has pulled out, god knows how much weight McCullum can pull on his powerful shoulders.

7. Mumbai Indians: A team with almost no absentees. Dwayne Bravo's team WI is playing but he would not be selected for national duty.

8. Rajasthan Royals: Shane Watson remains the one guy they might miss, though with Shane Warne at the helm, we might not miss anyone :-)

Given the above data, Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians are the only teams with the least disruption in their teams, barring any sudden selections or injuries.

Schedule for DLF IPL 2009 - Season 2

2009-03-30T00:24:00.000-07:00

Schedule for the Indian Premier League Season 2 - 2009 to be played in South Africa is as given below:


Date	Time (IST)	Teams Playing	Venue
Sat 18 Apr	4:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings VS Mumbai Indians	Newlands, Cape Town
Sat 18 Apr	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals	Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 19 Apr	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab	Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 19 Apr	8:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders	Newlands, Cape Town
Mon 20 Apr	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Tue 21 Apr	4:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders	Kingsmead, Durban
Tue 21 Apr	8:00 PM	Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians	Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 22 Apr	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers	Newlands, Cape Town
Thu 23 Apr	4:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils	Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 23 Apr	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals	Newlands, Cape Town
Fri 24 Apr	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab	Kingsmead, Durban
Sat 25 Apr	4:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians	Kingsmead, Durban
Sat 25 Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders	Newlands, Cape Town
Sun 26 Apr	4:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Delhi Daredevils	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sun 26 Apr	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals	Newlands, Cape Town
Mon 27 Apr	4:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Chennai Super Kings	Kingsmead, Durban
Mon 27 Apr	8:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Tue 28 Apr	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Wed 29 Apr	4:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Riders	Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 29 Apr	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians	Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 30 Apr	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Deccan Chargers	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 30 Apr	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 1 May	4:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders v Mumbai Indians	Buffalo Park, East London
Fri 1 May	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kings XI Punjab	Kingsmead, Durban
Sat 2 May	4:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sat 2 May	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Delhi Daredevils	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 3 May	4:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab v Kolkata Knight Riders	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sun 3 May	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Mon 4 May	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Deccan Chargers	Buffalo Park, East London
Tue 5 May	4:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab v Rajasthan Royals	Kingsmead, Durban
Tue 5 May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders	Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 6 May	8:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Mumbai Indians	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 7 May	4:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Rajasthan Royals	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 7 May	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 8 May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians	Buffalo Park, East London
Sat 9 May	4:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab	De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sat 9 May	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Rajasthan Royals	De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Sun 10 May	4:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Mumbai Indians	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sun 10 May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Kolkata Knight Riders	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Mon 11 May	8:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Rajasthan Royals	De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley
Tue 12 May	4:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Kolkata Knight Riders	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tue 12 May	8:00 PM	Kings XI Punjab v Mumbai Indians	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Wed 13 May	8:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Delhi Daredevils	Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 14 May	4:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Chennai Super Kings	Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 14 May	8:00 PM	Mumbai Indians v Rajasthan Royals	Kingsmead, Durban
Fri 15 May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Kings XI Punjab	OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein
Sat 16 May	4:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Mumbai Indians	St George's Park, Port Elizabeth
Sat 16 May	8:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Kolkata Knight Riders	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 17 May	4:00 PM	Deccan Chargers v Kings XI Punjab	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 17 May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Rajasthan Royals	OUTsurance Oval, Bloemfontein
Mon 18 May	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Kolkata Knight Riders	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Tue 19 May	8:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Bangalore Royal Challengers	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Wed 20 May	4:00 PM	Kolkata Knight Riders v Rajasthan Royals	Kingsmead, Durban
Wed 20 May	8:00 PM	Chennai Super Kings v Kings XI Punjab	Kingsmead, Durban
Thu 21 May	4:00 PM	Delhi Daredevils v Mumbai Indians	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Thu 21 May	8:00 PM	Bangalore Royal Challengers v Deccan Chargers	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Fri 22 May	8:00 PM	1st Semi-Final - TBC v TBC	SuperSport Park, Centurion
Sat 23 May	8:00 PM	2nd Semi-Final - TBC v TBC	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg
Sun 24 May	8:00 PM	Final - TBC v TBC	New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg

Sony and WSG bag IPL broadcast rights

2009-03-26T02:06:00.000-07:00

Multi Screen Media and World Sport Group have signed on as the official broadcast partners for the IPL. The nine-year deal, signed on March 25th and that runs through till 2017, is worth Rs 8,200 crore (or approx $ 1650 Million). The new agreement, which is more than double the earlier deal signed last year for 10 years with the same two parties, gives Multi Screen Media the exclusive audio visual rights (in India) to all the 59 matches of the second edition of the IPL.

The development comes after the Bombay High Court had cleared the way for the BCCI to seek a new broadcast deal by rejecting a plea from Sony TV. Sony, in it's appeal, had challenged the Indian cricket board's decision to terminate its five-year deal to televise the IPL. Talks had failed because MSM, which holds the IPL contract under the Sony umbrella, wanted a non-terminable contract, which the BCCI/IPL refused to provide.

The IPL's relationship with Sony had turned rocky last month after the IPL lost out on a US$31.16 million deal because of a dispute between Sony and Big TV, a direct-to-home provider. Ties between the two dipped further after the subsequent resignation of Kunal Dasgupta, the then Sony CEO, who was known to be close to Modi. Sony is also understood to have been keen on re-negotiating the financial terms of its contract with the IPL and had concerns about the tournament's revised dates and some of the venues that were being considered.

With the tournament moving away from India, there is likely to be a significant international audience now. All matches will be telecast at 4 pm IST and at 8 pm IST in the evening to coincide with prime time for television audiences in India.

Source: Cricinfo.com

10 Reasons why South Africa won the race from England

2009-03-26T00:32:00.000-07:00

As soon as Lalit Modi switched his plans to travel from London to Johannesburg, it was clear where the next version of Indian Premier League was going to be played. Modi had dropped hints in his late-night interviews with TV channels that South Africa was his choice for the possible venue for IPL 2009.

Some of the reasons why South Africa scored over England are:

1. The English Weather: There are more dark clouds than bright sunshine in England during April. The possibility of matches being washed out would have weighed heavily on the organizers' minds. South Africa is comparatively better with temperatures hovering in mid 20-30 degrees C range, ideal for a good game of cricket.

2. No Domestic Matches in South Africa: The English County season is under way and would be going on during the days of the IPL. This would make date availability for matches a complex juggling exercise. Also, the Test and ODI series of England VS West Indies is there during the time too. Too many matches, the same number of people, too much headaches in scheduling. In contrast, the SA Domestic Cricket Season would be over by the time IPL starts. So no scheduling issues for the organizers.

3. Availability of Rooms: The London Marathon on April 26th is a major crowd-puller from all corners of the globe. Thus the availability of rooms around that time is highly improbable.

4. Cheaper and Faster: South Africa has offered to cut down hotel rates, speed up visa processes, reduce travel costs etc. This makes SA a much more lucrative place to reduce the overall expenses, which are as it is going to shoot due to the venue shifting out of India.

5. ICC Concern: The ICC was concerned that the IPL would steal a lot of thunder from the T20 World Cup to be held in June 2009. Too much of T20 matches might lead to audience fatigue in England.

6. No Lack of Infrastructure: South Africa has already hosted the inaugural ICC T20 World Cup in 2007. So no issues of lack in infrastructure.

7. TV Rights Issue: South Africa also presents the less complex option for TV Rights. In South Africa, Supersport has the rights to the IPL as well as all international cricket played in the country whereas in England Setanta holds the IPL rights and Sky Sports the international rights. Sky would have had to telecast the England-West Indies series when the IPL would be on. This could have created problems with sponsorships.

8. Indian Diaspora: The Indian Diaspora in South Africa is no less than in England. And they are sure to reach the stadiums to cheer local Indian boys.

9. Time Advantage: South Africa is 3.5 hours behind India while England is 5.5 hours. So in order for matches to begin at 4 PM IST, the matches would need to start at 10:30 am, not a good time for T20 crowds. 12:30 PM seems to be a better option in that sense.

10. Local Players: The South African players were part of the IPL 2008 for a major part of the tournament. This allowed them to build bonds and friendships in their teams. These now-local lads would definitely add to the performance of the teams. English players are coming to the IPL bandwagon for the 1st time. So no bonds could have translated to colder contributions.

Any more that I have missed, please send in your comments with the same.

Ponting fears for the future of Test Cricket

2009-03-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Ricky Ponting recently warned of a "really dangerous future for Test Cricket". He fears that the next generation of Australian players would switch focus from Test Cricket to the more lucrative and glamorous world of T20 cricket as well as the attached money.

As might be recalled, Ponting has decided to skip the IPL this year (he is part of the Kolkata Knight Riders team) due to commitments for the national team. But there are a number of Australian players who have consented to play in the IPL despite the security concerns and dodgy schedule.

Ponting also expressed dismay at the lack of realization amongst the administrators for the hectic schedule of the matches, and hinted at burn-out also being a reason for him dropping out.

My View:
I am not sure what prompted Ponting's concern but I believe all 3 formats of cricket - Test, ODI, T20 - are here to stay. A similar concern was launched when ODIs became frequent, but the last few years have seen some memorable test series, sometimes even better than the ODI series.

T20 has given 2 very important things to the game of cricket - enhanced skillsets, and a much wider audience.

Tests as well as ODIs are now played at a much faster rate, with 400 runs in a test day no longer Australia's domain. And scores of 300+ are no longer considered safe targets in ODIs. Who would not love to see a double century being scored in an ODI or a 400+ individual score in tests? This is now possible, thanks to the multiple skills picked up in T20 matches. A look at the recent tests would show a much larger percentages of results coming out of matches, which is a very positive sign for the game. Viewers / spectators are not put off by long games, they are put off by long games which have no sight of a result. An exciting 5 day game is any day worth it's money. And the requirement of hitting at a run-a-ball in T20 translates to faster innings in a Test Match, and more probability of a result. Besides, for the puritan, there is nothing like the battle between the bat and the ball in a Test Match. I feel the T20 matches are actually benefiting the game of cricket in this sense.
Another fact is that the shortest version of the fame has allow a much larger audience to get hooked to the game of cricket, something which can only benefit the overall game of cricket.

*Image Courtesy - wikipedia.org

Indian Premier League - Season 2

2009-03-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

I am a big fan of Cricket and especially the IPL. And I cant wait for the IPL Season 2 to get started.

I know there are security concerns for the players, given the terrorist threats and Indian Elections. But the spectacle and scale of the DLF IPL is too large to ignore or wash away. And I totally support the continuity of the IPL. I say, why not shift the elections so that the IPL can be accomodated?

Well, back to this blog. It is my intention to cover each and every detail about the DLF IPL 2009 in this blog, from security concerns to fitness concerns, from prematch reprots to post-match reviews, from predictions to I-told-you-so. So sit back, bookmark this blog and get all your news, reviews and sometimes your daily dose of cheerleaders too.