IPL 2: Team Preview : Mumbai Indians

it would have been music to the ears of JP Duminy when he heard that he was bought for a whooping $950,000 by the Mukesh Ambani owned Mumbai Indian side for the second season of the IPL. Other steals were Bangladesh captain Mohammed Ashraful who was bought for $75,000, Kiwi fast bowler Kyle Mills . Zaheer Khan will be a vital addition to the side given his current form with the ball. In other swaps, Mumbai sold Ashish Nehra to Delhi Daredevils and bought Shikhar Dhwan who could well compensate for Utthapa's departure to the Bangalore Royal Challengers side.




Dwayne Bravo, has been given a permanent deal having played for Mumbai Indians last year. Two other key signings also came before the auction. They are limited-over specialists from the English county circuit, all rounders Graham Napier and Ryan McLaren - a Kolpak player South Africa wanted to get back after their ODI losses in England last year.

The team has three Sri Lankans in Sanath Jayasuriya, Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando, all of whom are available for the entire tournament. Mumbai were unlucky last time to miss Sachin Tendulkar, who was injured, and Harbhajan Singh - banned for his infamous slap - for the bulk of the tournament. If they manage to get it right, they would perhaps be able to do justice to Mumbai's tag of domestic giants.


Probable XI: 1 Sanath Jayasuriya, 2 Sachin Tendulkar, 3 Shikhar Dhawan, 4 & 5 Dwayne Bravo/ Ryan McLaren/ JP Duminy/ Graham Napier, 6 Abhishek Nayar, 7 Yogesh Takawale (wk), 8 Harbhajan Singh, 9 Zaheer Khan, 10 Dhawal Kulkarni, 11 Lasith Malinga/ Dilhara Fernando/ Kyle Mills.





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Test Cricket: Wisden Test XI for 2008

If the world wasn't surprised by India making inroads into the test arena, The latest announcement of the Wisden test XI brings in more surprises. Five Indians make it to the list of 11 test cricketers in the WISDEN TEST XI FOR 2008. When i read the news story in the news papers this morning, I was happy to see the inclusion of five indians but had to raise a few eyebrows about the selection of few other players. Taking a look at the team for the second time makes me realize that the selection is based on the batting order in which they line up. Each one of them has been the best in the world throughout the year 2008 for their respective teams.. Read on as we discuss the team and the players..



THE WISDEN TEST XI OF 2008
Opening the batting for the Wisden Test XI will be the dashing Indian opener Virender Sehwag who with his batting skills overshadowed all the critics in 2008. The man has already scored two triple hundreds and 9 out of 10 test centuries over the score of 150. The aggresion that he brings into the team and the rate at which he scores his runs put team India in winning situations more often than not. No wonder he became the obvious choice for No.1 spot in the batting order.

At No. 2 is the South African captain Graeme Smith. He played some courageous knocks over the last year. Who can forget the scene of watching him walk on to the pitch on the last day of the Adelaide test bandaged all around his body. Smith walked into batting with a fractured rib and broken right hand to help his team save the last test. South Africa lost the test, but won the series 2-1. Smith won more accolades than ever for his effort with the bat thro the series. He led the South African team to the number one spot in both Test and one day rankings, therefore deserves his spot at no.2 in this team.

Most important position in any batting order is no.3. This one went to the Austrlian Captian Ricky Ponting. Not in the best of form with the bat through 2008, and with his captaincy over the year, Ricky took the suprise third spot in this team. Gautam Gambhir who scored over 1100 runs in the last year with an average of above 70 could have been an ideal choice for this spot, but like i said, the choices are depending on where these batsman and bowlers play in their respective teams.. Given that no other No.3 batsman around the world did better than Ricky Ponting in the test side, Ricky won this spot hands down.

At No.4 is the Little master, Sachin Tendulkar. He has played well through out the year and has been one of the success stories for India's run through the test arena over the last year. Known to trouble the opposition by his batting, Sachin Tendulkar spelled disaster for the kiwi side as he picked some quick wickets in the last inning of the last test match in the recently concluded test series in new Zealand which India won 1-0. The man does magic with both ball and bat, If there was a vacant spot for No.4 in this team, Sachin Tendulkar should be the obvious choice.

The costliest player os season 2 of the Indian premier League (IPL), Kevein Peitersen takes the surprise No.5 spot in the team. If i thought the team was picked based on the regular batting order, this proves me wrong. My personal choice for this spot would have been Austrlian batsman Micheal Hussey or South African new-born JP Duminy. Both these players have proved to be the success stories for their sides during the last year. Not to forget Jesse Ryder, he could have well made to this team had he played more games during the season.

Only west Indian to make it to the side this time is Shivanarain Chanderpaul at No.6. If West Indies has done well in the test series in 2008 it's because of this man and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Chanderpaul makes the cut for his witty style of batting and his ability to change gears at will.

No prizes for guessing who should be the captain of this team. Team India captain Mahinder Singh Dhoni has been named the captain of his side for his consistent performance with the bat and his ability as a captain. Ex-Cricketers from around the world are all accolades for Dhoni and his style of leading the team. If ever there was a reason for India's success in 2008, Dhoni is just one of them. Dhoni has been slated to bat at No.7 for the Wisden Test XI.


Fourth Indian on the list and at no.8 in this team is Harbhajan Singh. Having picked 16 wickets, most by a bowler in the recent test series against New Zealand Harbhajan becomes the lone spinner in this wisden XI. I can't think of any other spinner who has out done Harbhajan in the wickets department. He bats at No.8 in this side.

Mitchell Johnson leads the Australian pace bowling attack in the absence of Brett Lee. The Australian-Slinger as they call him has picked wickets consistently through 2008 and has been the only bowler to stand out with performances in the absence of the experienced bowlers. His ability with the bat puts him at No.9.

At. No.10 is the South African quickie Dale Steyn. A reason for South Africa's success in Australia. Dale Steyn picked up crucial wickets even on the flattest of batting tracks all through 2008. His recent 4 for in the second one day against Australia who were at one stage 20 for 5 finds the 10th spot in the Wisden XI.

The last spot in the team, and a well deserved one goes to Zaheer Khan of India. Zaheer has never looked back since his comeback to the team in 2006. Three years after his comeback Zaheer continues to bowl with the same pace and accuracy, only spilling more poison into every delivery. If Ishant Sharma has been a revelation for team India, Zaheer has been the man who's led him from the front. Zaheer takes the most deserving 11th spot in the team.

The 12th man was not announced, But my choice would simply have been Gautam Gambhir who has remained consistent through out the year and has continued to show his skills with both offensive and defensive style of batting.





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India in NewZealand: Dhoni Speaks : Team India celebrates the test series win

"Of course it is a bit disappointing not to win this Test," captain MS Dhoni said. India's disappointment was evident at not winning the Test, despite a charismatic spell of legspin bowling from Sachin Tendulkar, who combined really well with Harbhajan Singh. Harbhajan, with 16 wickets, ended as the highest wicket-taker in the series. The smiles on the faces of the seniors said it all, "I have come here 3 times and I'm happy we finally won" said Rahul Dravid.

The only disappointment was when the series came to an end in a rain affected match. There was no running for the stumps for souvenirs, There was No high fives and group hugs.. There was no grabbing the Indian Flag and taking the victory lap.. History only creeped in slowly.. 2-0 or 1-0 Dhoni and his men were given the task of getting back home with series win and that is what they are coming back with.


But the obvious question was whether India brought it upon themselves by declaring too late, despite having known the forecast for rain. India were 531 ahead when they started the fourth day, but batted on for half a session. India perhaps didn't want to leave anything to chance after having come so close. "You can't really bank on the weather," Dhoni said. A lot has been said about Dhoni and his delayed declaration in media, but the only answer to silence this attack is with a smile and the trophy in the hand and that is what Dhoni did as he posed for photographs after the press conference.

"What we wanted to do in the second innings was to attack, attack and attack so that even if one ball goes in the air, you want a fielder to catch it. That's only possible when you have the extra 70-80 runs. You don't want to change your plan, whatever position you are in. With two days of play, we knew it may rain, but at that point of time, it was not certain. With the amount of wind that goes around, there was a very good chance that the clouds would have been blown away also." He added. The safety-first approach highlighted India's lack of success overseas. The value of this win was immense and its enormity is beginning to be understood. "It's a fantastic atmosphere [in the dressing room], can't get better," Dhoni said.

"We have set the benchmark," Dhoni said. "Next time when we come to New Zealand, people expect you to win. You have achieved something that's big, but the tough part is to maintain it, to sustain it. It never gets easy for a cricketer. If you have not achieved something, there's pressure on you to achieve it. Once you have achieved it, there is pressure to sustain it. Nothing comes easy, it will be tougher for the guys who come on the next tour."

Criticism: This is the worst NZ side of the past, the wickets were flat and suited the Indians. The absence of Shane Bod and other experienced players has affected the way the Kiwis perform. That probably signifies the reason for Kiwi's at no.8 in the test rankings. India on the other hand had every single person in the team in supreme form which was not when the team toured in the past. In the past the wickets were lively and Indians found it tough to stay on the wicket. It would have been bad for Indian cricket if they had not won on this easy paced tracks.


"Contributions came when they were needed," he said. "Wickets were on the flatter side, there wasn't much in it for the bowlers, so they have to keep on changing their plans and improvising at times. The same applied with the batsmen as well. Overall, the effort by the bowlers was really great, and the lower-order contribution is very important because that really takes the morale of the team up. Whenever it was really needed from them, the lower-order contributed.

"We didn't rely on one specific individual, everybody contributed. Each and every batsman scored at some point in the series and the same applies to the bowlers also. At times, there was one end, which was not favoring the seamers, maybe because of the wind or not much help from the wicket. Still, bowling your heart out from that end, you really need quite a determined body and mind to do that. Quite happy with the performance overall."

No matter what team India has achieved in terms of performance and criticism, They come back with a series win, and a tough 41 year record off their backs. This is not the first time this team has had records off their backs, here are some list of the 'First's' that India achieved in the last months (If i can recall)

1st ever CB Series win in Austrlia
1st Series win in South Africa
1st Clean sweep of 5-0 against England
Highest margin of victory of 300 + runs over Australia
Highest run chase of 342 runs in the last innings to win a test match
1st one day series win in NewZealnd soil
1st test series win in NZ after 41 years
1st one day series win in west Indies
And many other such records.

Talking about records, Rahul Dravid now holds the record of highest number of catches taken by any cricketer around the world. Every run that Sachin Tendulkar scores is a record in itself. He scored some fantastic fifties and hundreds throughout the tour. Sehwag showed his form with the bat in the one day series, Gambhir did it during the tests. Dhoni and Laxman contributed with the bat. Harbhajan took 16 wickets, highest in the series and scored a match winning 60 in the last test. Zaheer chippe in with the bat and the ball. Only disappointments for India would have been the form of Ishant Sharma and Yuvraj Singh. Third Seamer Munaf patel did well but needed t step up his game to help India dominate the matches.

with almost no test cricket for India until December 09 in Bangladesh, Team India will be hoping to find some fresh talent and more importantly a bowling all rounder to complete the test side. The players are now headed home, and after spending sometime with their families they will be off to South Africa for IPL followed by their visit to England for the world Twenty20.

All player Statements courtesy CricInfo






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India in NewZealand: 3rd Test : Review

41 years after a Indian side won a test series in New Zealand, Dhoni and his men have succesfully put records on their back and have rewritten history by winning the current series against New Zealand 1-0. It could easily have been 2-0 if the last session wouldn't have been washed out by rain. No more a few drops of rain, it's certainly become a drizzle. The umpires signalled the groundsmen to get into their job and the players start walking off. Vettori walked off the field with a sigh of relief on his face as the Indian players looked reluctantly at the sky.

15 minutes later the umpires walked on to the field, when players should not have left the field one would imagine. It was misty and overcast at that moment but it didn't rain. The umpires waited for the weather to clear, but much to the local team's happiness the rain became heavier and the umpires were forced to walk off the field again. There was a strong wind blowing across the ground, India's only hope one would say. It got heavier and heavier and the umpires were forced to call off the play. The match ended as a No result for the teams, but Indian players celebrated the 1-0 win.



New Zealand were 281 for 8 when rain stopped play. India's chances of winning the series 2-0 looked slim as James Franklin and Ross Taylor played the first session of the final day with ease. Pace bowlers Zaheer Khan and Ishant sharma bowled their heart's out, but there was no swing. Harbhajan Singh brought the first break through of the day picking Ross Taylor for 105 out bowled. It was bowled from around the wicket, Ross taylor was defeated by the drift on the full length ball which hit the middle stump to take his wicket. McCullum and Franklin continued defending the Indian bowlers as the NZ hopes of playing put til the rain intervention rised. The rain was quite evident and was forcasted for much earlier in the day.

It took 76 overs for captain MS Dhoni to hand the ball to Sachin Tendulkar who picked surprise 2 wickets just before lunch on the final day . He picked McCullum to a classical Leg spinner delivery, forcing the batsman into the bludgeoned drive which took the outside edge of the bat offering easy catch for Rahul Dravid at slip. Franklin was out LBW to a full straight delivery from Sachin. NZ left the field with 250 + for 7 at lunch. It was a 45 minuted break and the Indian players prayed and hoped the rain stayed away for that time. The rain clouds were thick and heavy as the play resumed after lunch. Harbhajan picked up Tim southee almost immediately after lunch caught behind to MS Dhoni. Daniel vettori at the other end hoping for rain and interventions. NZ batted out 5 more overs before the rain gods finally answered the NZ players wish for the rain.

Earlier in the match NZ won the toss and put India into bat on what looked like a hard and good pitch to bat on. Captain MS Dhoni joined the team after recovering from a back spasm replacing his counter part Dinesh Karthick. NZ brought back Tim Southee after his consistent performances in the domestic tournaments. Much to everyones surprise Sehwag played some defensive shots in what looked like a sensible knock from him and Gambhir. The duo put on 73 for the first wicket before Sehwag edged a good length delivery to McIntosh waiting at first slip off the bowling of Obrein. Gambhir followed soon out LBW to franklin as India were left tottering at 75 for 2. Sachin and Dravid put a good partnership, before Sachin was out caught by McCullum off the bowling of Martin.



Laxman lost his wicket playing a useless shot handing a simple catch to McIntosh at slips while Yuvraj singh continued his poor form as he lost his wicket for a score off 9 out lbw to Jesse Ryder. A lot was said and spoken about the decision and the way the umpire reacted, but neverthless replays confirmed that Yuvraj was given out lbw which was considered a valid decision. 20 runs later it was Rahul Dravid leaving India at 204/6 with NZ into the tail. Harbhajan Singh a good innings of 60 in partnership with Dhoni(52) to take India past the 275 mark. Contributions from Zaheer (33), Ishant(18), Munaf(15) took India to a respectable and match winnig total of 379.

It was early in the morning as the NZ openers walked into the middle with Zaheer with the ball in the hand and swing very much there. The Indian Pacer Zaheer Khan got his carrer's 6th five-for as the Indian seamers broke into the NZ batting dismissing the team all out for 197. Harbhajan chipped in with three wickets, but the man of the moment was Zaheer Khan. NZ avoided the follow on and India were forced to come out to bat with a lead of 182 on board and three days left to play.

India batted out the third day completely dominating the NZ bowlers who without swing looked like school boys bowling practice balls to the Indian batsman. Gambhir(167) got his second hundred of the series only this time it came at a strike rate of 65 as against 32 in his previous hundred during the second test match at napier. Rahul Dravid, laxman and Dhoni chipped in with fifties to their names as India declared the innings at 434 for 7 early in the fourth day with an overall lead of 616. A late decision as one may call it, but with two days left and the track still looking good for batting India didn't want to take chances and made sure they batted NZ completely out of the game.

A target of 617 looked a tall order for the NZ batsman and all they could do is to play out 6 sessions, just like India played out the second test match. They needed a gambhir style innings from one of their top order batsman. NZ Started off cautiously and played cautiously thro the rest of the day. NZ ended the day at 160 for 4 with a day remaining and positive chances of rain. NZ were surprisingly welcomed by bright sunshine but the chances of rain during the afternoon were quite high and so it happened. The rest is history.






India managed to put another history behind them as Dhoni and his men lifted the trophy. Dhoni has proved to be the best captain after having won both the One day and the Test series in NZ, but if you could call this luck or just plain captaincy, the Indians were treated to home like conditions on most of the pitches they played on. Dead batting tracks, with a batting order that India carries and new young bowlers on the NZ side a win was always on the cards. It was not anywhere close to what India faced 8 years back when on the same ground India lost a test match to NZ in less than 2 days when fast bowler Shane bond rattled the Indians with good swing bowling. If not for the form of Zaheer and Ishant, Indians could have received the same treatment from NZ, by giving good batting tracks NZ played the series into NZ hand's.

India will now be seen defending their world T20 title at the world championships in England starting June 5 2009. The players however will be hoping to practice hard playing the season 2 of the IPL staring April 18th in South Africa.

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PS: I personally apologize to people who have been on this blog looking for reviews on the current WI-Eng encounter and the Aus-SA encounters. I have been just too busy to post anything, or even watch the match.
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India in NewZealand: 2nd Test Review : Gambhir, Laxman score tons as India bat out a draw

30 March 2009: India maintain the lead of 1-0 in the three match test series against New Zealand after they drew the second test match at Napier today. Gautam Gambhir played a match saving inning of137 off 436 balls after a dismall batting performance by the Indian batsman in their first innigs. Daniel vettori would be proud of his men for taking the match so far, at one point looking favourites to win the match.



Gambhir along with Dravid batted out almost 4 sessions in their effort to save the napier test, which the home team looked favourites after the score of 619/9 dec courtesy a double ton from the man in form, Jesse Ryder. New Zealand won the toss and immediately elected to bat. Standing Captain Virender Sehwag replaced the injured Mahinder Singh Dhoni for this test would have been a happy man as the Indian bowlers picked 3 early wickets dismissing Guptill, McIntosh and Jamie How. Yuvraj Singh's curse with luck started when he dropped Ross Taylor at third slip when he was on 8, who went on to make 151 off 204 balls in partnership with Jesse Ryder who took the match away from India.

Jesse Ryder hardly broke any sweat as he continued on his way to his maiden 200 run score contributing majorly in two big partnerships with Taylor and Franklin to traumatize the Indian Bowling attack. . Some easy takers. Indian bowlers bowled their heart out and would have been frustrated to see so many deliveries take the edge off the bat and fly past the slips to boundaries towards third man. India never looked in any sort of form in the field as a number of catches went down begging, Yuvraj dropping 3 in the match.

Bendon McCullum celebrated his maiden test hundred with tears in his eyes as he in partnership with captain Dan Vettori who scored another 50 took New zealand past the elusive 600 mark. Indian Spinners struggled to build pressure as New zealand declared the innings for a monstrous 619 for 9, leaving India with a session and 3 days to bat themselves out off the hole they had dug into.

ScoreCard Courtesy: Sify Sports

India started off in blistering fashing as Virender Sehwag scored a majority of his runs in boundaries before he lost his wicket caught behind by McCullum trying to squirt a outside off ball for six. He had smacked the earlier ball for a six. Gambhir also lost his wicket playing a needless shot with the day drawng towards an end. ishant walked in as a night watchman and only survived as many as 13 balls in company of Rahul Dravid out lbw to Dan vettori. Sachin faced the Reminder of the balls to end Day 2.

Day 3 brought more drama as the Indians constantly lost their wickets in an effort to score runs. The wall, Dravid scored 83 and he in partnership with Sachin(49) and Laxman(76) restored some respectability in the inning. India lost their way after the dismissal of Dravid out caught by McCullum trying to sqauare drive a wide delivery from Jesse Ryder. They were bundled out for 305, 314 runs behind, India was asked to follow-on.

Sehwag and Gambhir played cautiously, but as soon as Jeetan patel was introduced into the attack Sehwag lost his mind. He edged his first ball to the fine leg boundary and was out lbw, plumb in front trying to smack the second ball over the Mid-wicket boundary. "DUMB" as the commentators called the shot, It's just how Sehwag plays. Dravid and Gambhir steadied the ship and saw India past day 3. Day 4 belonged to India and Gautam Gambhir as he brought on his 100. He played some good aggressive shots in his inning of 137. Dravid helped himself to another test 50 before he was out for 62. Sachin also scored another 50 to help India regain control as the match moved into Day 5. In an Inning that was dominated more by the bat than the ball, VVS Laxman brought about his hundred in partnership with Yuvraj Singh who raced his way to a 50.





India batted superbly in the second inning as both catains shaked their hand to confirm the match drawn. Jesse Ryder was given the Man Of the Match for his double ton with the bat and few wickets with the ball. Special efforts from Rahul Dravid and Gambhir. Dravid has silenced all his critics by springing back to form and hasn't he celebrated it well so far. Both his innings in this Test match have looked very convincing and authoritative. Gambhir especially looked total opposite to what he did in the first innings. Who would have imagined that he would play such a matured knock after having thrown his wicket away in the first innings. He curbed down his natural instincts and batted out of his skin to rescue his side. Laxman was truly special as well for his magnificent ton.

This is a moral victory for the Indians, defeat loomed large over them after they were bundled out cheaply in the first innings. But then the batting stalwarts got into the act and put up a show for which they're known for across the globe. Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar and Laxman, all put their heads down and batted for time unknown to seal a draw for their side. This is indeed no less than a win for the visitors. India still lead the series 1-0.

And Now we move to wellington April 3rd, can the NewZealand team pull a series draw? Join me for more action and updates, till then it's a good bye from me.

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India in NewZealand: 2nd Test Preview

India lead the three match Test Series 1-0, and would be looking to seal-the-deal in the second test match to help give the big stars some rest and give chances to players like Rohit Sharma and Praveen Kumar. India should retain the same winning combination while Newzealand will have to make some changes to their squad to give India a fight.Injured players Daniel Flynn and Iain O'Brien have been retained in the New Zealand squad for the second Test against India starting on March 26 in Napier.


However Jamie How has been called up as cover for Flynn who bruised his hand in the first Test. There was no fracture, but the hand was swollen, affecting Flynn's ability to bat.

Off spinner Jeetan Patel returned to the squad after being released to play for Wellington in the State Championship match against Otago where he took 6 for 137. Coach Andy Moles had indicated on Sunday that Patel would play in Napier. Double spin attack should make some difference as Indian batsman in the recent past have gone after slow off spinners and lost wickets. Newzealand will be hoping that this change pays off as the chances of a win look very slim.

Glenn Turner, the head of the selection panel, said Oram was excluded because he was yet to regain full match fitness. "He's only had a couple of days in the domestic competition, and after talking with him we agree he'd benefit from more game time to get up to the fitness level needed for the Test side," Turner said. The only omission from the first Test squad is uncapped bowler Brent Arnel, who was not considered after picking up a side strain during a State Championship match. O'Brien also suffered a side strain during the Test but was hopeful of recovering in the next couple of days.

A lot will depend on the shoulder of Jesse Ryder and Daniel Vettori who scored centuries in the first inning to bail their team out of 60 for 6 to finish at 279 all out. If other batsman play cautiously and around tehm a score of 350-400 can be scored which is defendable and good enough to win a match.

India's downfall could come if they lose some early wickets. The Indian team makes huge scores only when the openers give a good start, Sehwag will be expected to play a fast but long inning. With Sehwag present no score is impossible and given a good batting track, Sehwag will not miss out. Gambhir needs to find some form before the IPL begins on April 18th 2009. Dravid looks to back in his own class specially after he played some of his signature shots including the back foot swipe towards square leg on a full length delivery. Sachin is at the peak of his form and will capitalize on every single opportunity thrown his way. The plight of the NZ bowlers is quite evident when Zaheer Khan brought up his 50 in the first test match.

It looks like a one sided affair unless the NewZealand picks up their game and tries matching up to the quality of Cricket Indians are showcasing. India on the other hands need to stick their feet on the ground and not get carried away like the South African who went on to lose the home series against Australia after beating the world champions on home soil. Match starts 3AM IST tomorrow.

More News updates, Previews and reviews follow. Keep visiting the Blog for more.

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IPL2: Player Reactions - IPL2 Moves to South Africa

Ex captain of South Africa, Shaun Pollock is a very happy man after hearing the news about SA being confirmed as the host for the second edition of the IPL. Shaun Pollock plays for Mumbai Indians team and most of his team members are already preparing for the tournament in South Africa.

Sachin Tendulkar, captain of the Mumbai Indian team feels that the it will not be the same as playing in India. "It is disappointing that the IPL has been moved out of India," he said. "We will certainly miss playing in front of our supporters. It won't be the same. It was a good concept to play home and away matches. This is something that the teams will miss this time around. Wherever we play, we hope to have the same fervour that we had had last season." said Sachin.

Steyn and Smith of South Africa who are currently busy playing host to the South Africans are happy to learn that the IPL governing body decided to hand them an opportunity. They promised good cricket and a bigger support from the crowds. More player reactions inside..


Yuvraj Singh, the Kings XI Punjab captain, also said that this season was going to be different from last year. He also hoped that the Indian players would be allowed to take their families to the IPL because they would have just returned from a long tour of New Zealand. "It is sad that the IPL won't be held in India. But we have to go ahead with it as it is the decision of the board," Yuvraj said. "As we would be returning home from New Zealand after a long tour, we hope we are allowed to take our families along.



Mutaih Muralitharan is happy that the matches are still on as he recovers from the attack on the team bus during their tour to Pakistan. The SriLankan players are int he recharge mode as they prepare getting back to the nets as they get ready to participate in the IPL. "I'm glad that the matches are still being played even when there were number of problems in front of the IPL working committee", Cricket had taken a back seat after the terrorist attacks on the SriLankan player in Pakistan. " We have to move on and Cricket should never stop" added Murali.

Jayawardene and Sangakaara along with other Srilankan players have confirmed their availability. Amongst other News, Lalit Modi confirmed that the Pakistani players will not be participating in the tournament following their board's disapproval of the IPL. Players who played in the ICl, a rebel league to the IPL have also been taken back into the national side and have been named in the squad for a one-day seris against Australia in Abudhabi this year.

The Indian Players should be happy with the announcement of delay in the start which allows them to have a breather in already busy schedule ahead of them. Many other young cricketers who will be a part of the IPL will use this as a opportunity to play and perform in a foreign country, A chance that they would have only gotten playing for the National side. The shifting of venue to outside of India could prove as a blessing in disguise for most of these youngsters and the BCCI as this gives them opportunity to enhance their local talent.

So hows does a fan base build when city based teams from India play in South Africa? The only hope for BCCI and the IPL will be that South African Spectators turn up to see a Greame Smith play for the the Rajasthan Royals and Shaun Pollock celebrate a wicket with Sachin Tendulkar for Mumbai Indians. It will be a dilemma for most of these spectators too, hopes BCCI. Everybody loves cricket, be it in India or South Africa, Cricket emerges winner.


The players will be missing out on the local support, but were also excited about the fact of feeling different on a different soil playing amongst a neutral crowd. The organisers of the IPL were forced to shift the tournament out of India after the government said it could not guarantee adequate security for the matches because the tournament would clash with general elections in the country in April-May. The decision to shift was taken after the IPL schedule was reworked several times and finally it was confirmed to be hosted in Sauth Africa a week later starting April 18th as against what was decided as April 10th.


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IPL 2: Coming Soon?

With the continuing ‘Yes’ ‘No’ politics from the government, a deadlock still lies over whether the most awaited Cricket tournament of the year would even begin? Lalit Modi, Commissioner IPL, is still confident that the revision of dates will be accepted by all concerned parties and that the tournament will begin on the decided dates. The Tournament still hangs in balance of the coming Lok Sabha elections in India with concerns over security, Home minister, Mr. P Chitambaram has already suggested moving the IPL to later dates in the year.

The anger of the government has increased after it learnt that none of the states were even notified or consulted before the revised dates were submitted. TamilNadu does not want any matches to be hosted, Bangalore wants matches only after May 14th, Ahmedabad, nagpur, Jaipur and Chandigarh have requested black out days, Delhi and Mumbai have asked for additional para military forces. With the busy schedule of all international teams, the doubt about whether the second season of the IPL would ever take place this year still hangs in balance. Lalit Modi on the other hand remains optimistic on this front and hopefully he’s proven right.

Another rejection of the schedule by the government is almost certain to lead to the tournament’s cancellation this year, since there is no other window for the six week event in an overcrowded international cricket calendar. Postponing the tournament from its original April 10 to May 24 window has already been rejected by IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, with the eight franchisees having already gone ahead with their merchandising and ad campaigns.The tournament also cannot go beyond the scheduled date of May 24 because players need sufficient time to prepare for the forthcoming World Twenty20 Championships which commences in Great Britain on June 5. A way out is to drastically shorten the event by holding as many as three matches in a day and move some of the matches to smaller venues so that there is a relatively less dependence on the security forces.

IPL has suddenly turned into the Indian ‘ Problem’ League, with more problems coming IPL’s way, Sony Entertain-ment Television has dragged the Indian Premier League to the Bombay high court over the termination of its contract to broadcast the 2009 edition. Even I’m not sure about what the actual dispute is, It’s something to do with the production rights, see News for more.

What happens if the tournament stands ‘Cancelled’?
Sony loses about Rs. 250 Crores as it has already stated production, and marketing for the tournament. Ad bookings for the slots during the matches have also been booked. In case the tournament is called off, Sony will have to return the sponsor’s money and stands for a big loss. The franchisees lose well over their worth for the team, IPL governing body loses a few hundred crores for not hosting the tournament, more so the reputation of the board. A net loss of what is expected to be over Rs. 800 Crores.

They are all going to be out of Jobs

In Other News: South Africa welcomed the decision of the ICC to move this year’s Champions Trophy to SA. The ICC board approved the recommendation of its Chief Executives’ Committee to shift the event from Sri Lanka, which had been selected the host after strife-torn Pakistan was stripped of the rights, due to security concerns. This decision came after ICC learnt that there were problems relating to the weather in SriLanka during the time Champions Trophy will be played. Wanderers in Johannesburg and Centurion have been identified as the preferred venues for the event, scheduled from September 24 to October 5.

World twenty20 Championship begins on June 6th 2009 in england which will be soon followed by chmpions trophy 2009 in September. Expect More entertainement if the IPL starts as per schedule. It’s going to be a season full of entertaining world cricket. Enjoy and keep coming back for more.

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Kunal

PS: This is posted on my personal blog earlier. IPL 2: Coming Soon?

I'm making a switch to Blogger for all my sports blogs which i will update regularly. wef April 1 09, All sports posts be exclusive to this blog alone.

PS: Don’t forget this man.. He’s has only one source of Income.. IPL.. S Sreesanth.. Sobbing Sreesanth ( :’(

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