MUMBAI: The Indian Premier League organisers have shifted the June 1 final from the originally scheduled Wankhede Stadium in South Mumbai to the D Y Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai for a variety of reasons, Cricket Board sources said today.
"The final has been shifted and will now be held at D Y Patil Stadium. One of the main reasons is that the TV production crew is not happy with the makeshift arrangements at the Wankhede Stadium which has already been taken up for renovation and there is space constraint for keeping their equipment," the sources said.
The arrangements for the TV production crew includes temporary location of their vast paraphernalia adjacent to the makeshift restaurant located just behind the Garware Stadium stands, the sources added.
Another reason is that the D Y Patil Stadium can hold 55,000 spectators as compared to 40,000 by Wankhede, which increases the revenue of the home team owners - Reliance Industries. But the decision has not yet been communicated to the franchise owners of Mumbai Indians, the home team, by the IPL authorities who make the final call though the team owners have a say on the matter, said a spokesperson of the franchisee.
"There have been talks about one of the semifinals or the final being shifted to D Y Patil, but we have not heard anything officially on the matter," he said.
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Controversies in IPL succeed in gaining momentum to game
Some pin the behaviour in the Harbhajan-Sreesanth Slapgate to big bucks, which turned young men arrogant and irresponsible. Nevertheless, the antics of IPL cricket players have helped to add more appeal to the games.
IT IS probably the costliest slap in the history of Indian cricket. Never before had Indian cricketers raked in so much moolah that a lone player could be made to forgo nearly 30 million rupees (RM2.3mil) in penalty and match fees for venting his angry spleen against a fellow cricketer.
Cricket, after all, is a goldmine for players. Neither the slapper nor the slapped would like to harp on that ugly incident any longer. As for the bosses of Indian cricket, well, after apportioning blame and penalising the errant player, they have proceeded ahead with the on-going Indian Premier League (IPL) in the belief that the promised dose of daily entertainment under no circumstances should be denied to a billion-plus fans.
It is business as usual for the biggest show in town, and there is no denying its super-duper success. The on- and off-field antics of players abusing and slapping one another on television have only helped to add further to the appeal of the IPL games. For the media, the Harbhajan-Sreesanth Slapgate generated bold headlines. Television viewership for IPL matches immediately after Slapgate registered a sharp spike.
The tell-tale photo of the Kerala quickie 25-year-old Shanthakumaran Sreesanth crying like a child after Punjab off-spinner 27-year-old Harbhajan Singh Puri gave him one hard one across his right cheek was on page one of every small and big paper the next morning.
And every television channel beamed that picture ad nauseam to millions of homes to keep the most ugly incident yet in Indian cricket alive. But the IPL organisers were anxious to dispose of the violent business involving two of Indian cricket’s top players in a great hurry in order to get on with their planned schedule. A hurriedly-constituted inquiry committee found the off-spinner, captaining the Mumbai Indians in the absence of ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar, guilty and ordered his suspension for 11 IPL matches.
Besides, it forfeited Harbhajan Singh’s fees for the Mohali match during which he slapped the Kings Eleven Punjab’s pacer. The recipient of Harbhajan Singh’s sharp blow did not escape unscathed either. He was warned and put on notice by the IPL inquiry committee.
What led to the violent outburst is still shrouded in mystery. The IPL refused to shed light on the issue.
But, gleaning through various reports, it is clear that Sreesanth had needled the Mumbai Indians captain all through the match, which his team Kings Eleven Punjab eventually went on to win by a convincing 66-run margin.
This was the third loss in a row for Mumbai Indians under Harbhajan Singh.
At the customary handshake with one another at the end of each match, Sreesanth riled the Mumbai Indians stand-in captain yet again, saying “tough luck, better luck next time”. This was the trigger that caused the angry Sikh to blow his fuse. Even though the inquiry committee banned Harbhajan Singh, he was not entirely to blame.
One of the two field umpires who had officiated that fateful match in Mohali in Punjab disclosed that he and his colleague had repeatedly warned Sreesanth against his verbal assaults on players of the opposite team, Harbhajan Singh being among his victims.
Incidentally, the umpire was banned for two matches for speaking to the media instead of complaining about Sreesanth in his report to the match committee. Given Harbhajan Singh’s run-ins with other players and the authorities in the past, there is no denying that he has an attitude problem. Some ascribed such bad behaviour to big bucks, which turned young men hardly out of their teens arrogant and irresponsible for their actions.
Generally coming from poor and low-income groups, these talented young cricketers find it hard to cope with their mega success overnight, reasoned a prominent psychoanalyst.
The absence of proper guidance by senior players was another reason. More than one former captain argued that Harbhajan Singh became what he was because his first couple of captains in the mid-90s had failed to instil in him the need for mental discipline and gentlemanly conduct on and off field. Indeed, he got away virtually scot-free after his alleged racist remark against Andrew Symonds earlier this year in the Sydney Test due to the active support of the Board of Control for Cricket in India which, given its huge financial clout, has begun to call the shots in the affairs of the International Cricket Council, the world governing body of the game.
His offensive antics directed at the host team after the Indians had squared the three-Test series, too, left a bad taste in the mouth of everyone who wistfully pined for yesteryears, when cricket was a gentleman’s game played by men in white over a course of five leisurely days in three daily sessions each.
Now, it is a slap-bang Twenty:20 gladiatorial confrontation, with tonnes of telecast rights and sponsors’ money at stake. It is notable that the winner of the IPL championship will be richer by nearly 50 million rupees (RM3.9mil) while the runner-up will get half that amount.
The purse in the eight-team IPL depends on the standing of each team in the tournament. But so rich is Indian cricket that even the team that ends up at the bottom of the league will walk away with a cheque for four million rupees (RM308,000).
No wonder they treat the game of cricket as a matter of life and death.
IT IS probably the costliest slap in the history of Indian cricket. Never before had Indian cricketers raked in so much moolah that a lone player could be made to forgo nearly 30 million rupees (RM2.3mil) in penalty and match fees for venting his angry spleen against a fellow cricketer.
Cricket, after all, is a goldmine for players. Neither the slapper nor the slapped would like to harp on that ugly incident any longer. As for the bosses of Indian cricket, well, after apportioning blame and penalising the errant player, they have proceeded ahead with the on-going Indian Premier League (IPL) in the belief that the promised dose of daily entertainment under no circumstances should be denied to a billion-plus fans.
It is business as usual for the biggest show in town, and there is no denying its super-duper success. The on- and off-field antics of players abusing and slapping one another on television have only helped to add further to the appeal of the IPL games. For the media, the Harbhajan-Sreesanth Slapgate generated bold headlines. Television viewership for IPL matches immediately after Slapgate registered a sharp spike.
The tell-tale photo of the Kerala quickie 25-year-old Shanthakumaran Sreesanth crying like a child after Punjab off-spinner 27-year-old Harbhajan Singh Puri gave him one hard one across his right cheek was on page one of every small and big paper the next morning.
And every television channel beamed that picture ad nauseam to millions of homes to keep the most ugly incident yet in Indian cricket alive. But the IPL organisers were anxious to dispose of the violent business involving two of Indian cricket’s top players in a great hurry in order to get on with their planned schedule. A hurriedly-constituted inquiry committee found the off-spinner, captaining the Mumbai Indians in the absence of ace batsman Sachin Tendulkar, guilty and ordered his suspension for 11 IPL matches.
Besides, it forfeited Harbhajan Singh’s fees for the Mohali match during which he slapped the Kings Eleven Punjab’s pacer. The recipient of Harbhajan Singh’s sharp blow did not escape unscathed either. He was warned and put on notice by the IPL inquiry committee.
What led to the violent outburst is still shrouded in mystery. The IPL refused to shed light on the issue.
But, gleaning through various reports, it is clear that Sreesanth had needled the Mumbai Indians captain all through the match, which his team Kings Eleven Punjab eventually went on to win by a convincing 66-run margin.
This was the third loss in a row for Mumbai Indians under Harbhajan Singh.
At the customary handshake with one another at the end of each match, Sreesanth riled the Mumbai Indians stand-in captain yet again, saying “tough luck, better luck next time”. This was the trigger that caused the angry Sikh to blow his fuse. Even though the inquiry committee banned Harbhajan Singh, he was not entirely to blame.
One of the two field umpires who had officiated that fateful match in Mohali in Punjab disclosed that he and his colleague had repeatedly warned Sreesanth against his verbal assaults on players of the opposite team, Harbhajan Singh being among his victims.
Incidentally, the umpire was banned for two matches for speaking to the media instead of complaining about Sreesanth in his report to the match committee. Given Harbhajan Singh’s run-ins with other players and the authorities in the past, there is no denying that he has an attitude problem. Some ascribed such bad behaviour to big bucks, which turned young men hardly out of their teens arrogant and irresponsible for their actions.
Generally coming from poor and low-income groups, these talented young cricketers find it hard to cope with their mega success overnight, reasoned a prominent psychoanalyst.
The absence of proper guidance by senior players was another reason. More than one former captain argued that Harbhajan Singh became what he was because his first couple of captains in the mid-90s had failed to instil in him the need for mental discipline and gentlemanly conduct on and off field. Indeed, he got away virtually scot-free after his alleged racist remark against Andrew Symonds earlier this year in the Sydney Test due to the active support of the Board of Control for Cricket in India which, given its huge financial clout, has begun to call the shots in the affairs of the International Cricket Council, the world governing body of the game.
His offensive antics directed at the host team after the Indians had squared the three-Test series, too, left a bad taste in the mouth of everyone who wistfully pined for yesteryears, when cricket was a gentleman’s game played by men in white over a course of five leisurely days in three daily sessions each.
Now, it is a slap-bang Twenty:20 gladiatorial confrontation, with tonnes of telecast rights and sponsors’ money at stake. It is notable that the winner of the IPL championship will be richer by nearly 50 million rupees (RM3.9mil) while the runner-up will get half that amount.
The purse in the eight-team IPL depends on the standing of each team in the tournament. But so rich is Indian cricket that even the team that ends up at the bottom of the league will walk away with a cheque for four million rupees (RM308,000).
No wonder they treat the game of cricket as a matter of life and death.
Rajasthan Royals trashes Delhi Devils
Shane Watson starred with bat and ball to carry the Rajasthan Royals to a three-wicket win over Delhi Devils in the Indian Premier League tonight.
Watson took 2-21 from his four overs as Delhi made 7-156.
He then struck 74 runs off 40 balls as the Shane Warne-led Royals reached the target with five balls to spare. Glenn McGrath was very economical bowling for Delhi, conceding just 12 runs from his four overs. Warne was pleased with his side's seventh win from nine matches, enough to qualify for the semi-finals.
"We bowled 19 pretty good overs but my over was a shocker," said Warne who was belted for a total of 47 runs for no wicket. "Watson's played one of the best innings of the IPL, coming out the way he did. Proud of the way the guys fought. We've got four days in Goa, we'll sit on the beach, play some tennis." Watson was the easy choice for Man of the Match.
"We were behind the 8 ball when I walked in," he said "I couldn't stick around for too long getting my eye in. It's kind to hear when people call you the best player in terms of value for money. It's a nice feeling for me, coming back after my injuries."
Watson took 2-21 from his four overs as Delhi made 7-156.
He then struck 74 runs off 40 balls as the Shane Warne-led Royals reached the target with five balls to spare. Glenn McGrath was very economical bowling for Delhi, conceding just 12 runs from his four overs. Warne was pleased with his side's seventh win from nine matches, enough to qualify for the semi-finals.
"We bowled 19 pretty good overs but my over was a shocker," said Warne who was belted for a total of 47 runs for no wicket. "Watson's played one of the best innings of the IPL, coming out the way he did. Proud of the way the guys fought. We've got four days in Goa, we'll sit on the beach, play some tennis." Watson was the easy choice for Man of the Match.
"We were behind the 8 ball when I walked in," he said "I couldn't stick around for too long getting my eye in. It's kind to hear when people call you the best player in terms of value for money. It's a nice feeling for me, coming back after my injuries."
IPL sets to end on sunday
TEHRAN -- Tehran’s popular football club Persepolis bagged only one point from must-win home game against Bargh of Shiraz in the 32nd week of Iran’s Professional League(IPL) here on Sunday.
The reds were held to a 1-1 draw before a crowd of 70,000 fans at the Azadi Stadium. Alireza Nikbakht Vahedi failed to score in the 27th minute when he controlled a cross into Bargh’s box and calmly put it in keeper Martin Raul’s hands.
Two minutes remaining before the break, Mohsen Khalili gave Persepolis a lead. He found a loose ball in the guest’s penalty box and stuffed a shot past Raul.
Farid Abedi poured cold water on Persepolis’ hopes in the 58th minute when his header slid passed the goal line, despite captain Karim Bagheri’s attempt to rebuff it.
Persepolis took more control afterward and created some opportunities but its players could not open Bargh’s goal once again.
Guests’ Mehdi Karimian was on the verge on scoring in the 68th minute when Mehdi Vae’zi punched a long ball out of Persepolis’ box; however, Bargh’s footballer incredibly passed the ball to the keeper. Khalili could double the score in the 75th minute but his shot went over the bar.
Persepolis' Masoud Zar’ei also lost a good chance in injury time. He sent the ball out whereas Raul had left his place.
Sepahan of Isfahan and Saba Battery drew 2-2 in Isfahan. Sepahan could boost title hopes if the team defeated Saba but failed to snatch three vital points. Thus, the title race will go to the final days. The IPL’s table stays without any change. Sepahan still tops with 55 points, followed by Persepolis with 53 points and Saba Battery with 52 points.
The reds were held to a 1-1 draw before a crowd of 70,000 fans at the Azadi Stadium. Alireza Nikbakht Vahedi failed to score in the 27th minute when he controlled a cross into Bargh’s box and calmly put it in keeper Martin Raul’s hands.
Two minutes remaining before the break, Mohsen Khalili gave Persepolis a lead. He found a loose ball in the guest’s penalty box and stuffed a shot past Raul.
Farid Abedi poured cold water on Persepolis’ hopes in the 58th minute when his header slid passed the goal line, despite captain Karim Bagheri’s attempt to rebuff it.
Persepolis took more control afterward and created some opportunities but its players could not open Bargh’s goal once again.
Guests’ Mehdi Karimian was on the verge on scoring in the 68th minute when Mehdi Vae’zi punched a long ball out of Persepolis’ box; however, Bargh’s footballer incredibly passed the ball to the keeper. Khalili could double the score in the 75th minute but his shot went over the bar.
Persepolis' Masoud Zar’ei also lost a good chance in injury time. He sent the ball out whereas Raul had left his place.
Sepahan of Isfahan and Saba Battery drew 2-2 in Isfahan. Sepahan could boost title hopes if the team defeated Saba but failed to snatch three vital points. Thus, the title race will go to the final days. The IPL’s table stays without any change. Sepahan still tops with 55 points, followed by Persepolis with 53 points and Saba Battery with 52 points.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Film industry to follow IPL way
Harman Baweja-Amrita Rao starrer Victory will show three IPL (Indian Premier League) matches. Ad film maker-turned-director Ajit Pal will shoot the matches within a few days.
Talking about why he needs the clippings of some of the IPL matches, he says, "I need to show the crowd and the entire action at the field and what better than IPL for that?"
Since Pal needs the crowd to be at its loudest best, he wants to shoot the final which will be played on June 1 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He is all geared up with his camera and says, "It won't be difficult to do the shoot. Yes, I know the mood of the crowd at the IPL matches will be crazy, but that's exactly what I am looking for. We have done the ground work and I am ready to shoot."
But, why did Pal choose to make a film on cricket?
He says, "I am a cricket buff and five years back, I had written a script on cricket. But, I never thought of making a film on it, till I met Manmohan Shetty who loved the script and decided to produce it for me."
Victory is the story of a small-town cricketer's journey from Jaislamer who makes it big in the international cricket scene. Incidentally, this happens to be Shetty's first production with daughter Pooja Shetty. Shetty hasn't coined a name for his production house yet.
Pal adds, "We should be getting the consent of the IPL officials any moment now."
Cricketers including Simon Jones, Dimitri Mascarenhas (England), Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Bradd Hogg, Stuart Clark, Simon Katich, Brad Hogg (Australia), Shohaib Malik, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal (Pakistan), Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) will all be seen in Victory.
Talking about why he needs the clippings of some of the IPL matches, he says, "I need to show the crowd and the entire action at the field and what better than IPL for that?"
Since Pal needs the crowd to be at its loudest best, he wants to shoot the final which will be played on June 1 at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai. He is all geared up with his camera and says, "It won't be difficult to do the shoot. Yes, I know the mood of the crowd at the IPL matches will be crazy, but that's exactly what I am looking for. We have done the ground work and I am ready to shoot."
But, why did Pal choose to make a film on cricket?
He says, "I am a cricket buff and five years back, I had written a script on cricket. But, I never thought of making a film on it, till I met Manmohan Shetty who loved the script and decided to produce it for me."
Victory is the story of a small-town cricketer's journey from Jaislamer who makes it big in the international cricket scene. Incidentally, this happens to be Shetty's first production with daughter Pooja Shetty. Shetty hasn't coined a name for his production house yet.
Pal adds, "We should be getting the consent of the IPL officials any moment now."
Cricketers including Simon Jones, Dimitri Mascarenhas (England), Brett Lee, Mike Hussey, Bradd Hogg, Stuart Clark, Simon Katich, Brad Hogg (Australia), Shohaib Malik, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Kamran Akmal (Pakistan), Chaminda Vaas, Lasith Malinga (Sri Lanka) will all be seen in Victory.
IPL to teach other league a lesson
Unlike English football's top flight, the Indian Premier League really does offer a level playing field
The purist may get little pleasure from crude hoicks across the line that sail over boundaries that are shorter than the cheerleaders' mini-skirts, but a fortnight in, there's no denying that the Indian Premier League has thrown up a sports-entertainment cocktail that's threatening to become as popular as the mojito. Much of the pre-tournament talk centred around how it would be cricket's answer to the English Premier League, but with nearly half the season gone, it's easy to spot one big difference.
Unlike the Premier League, which ceased to be a true competition years ago, the IPL really does offer a level playing field. There's no gang of four - two, in reality, since Liverpool and Arsenal aren't currently rich enough to be more than a nuisance - guaranteed all the big trophies, nor are there the sort of mismatches that make you wonder what Derby County are even doing on the same pitch as the top sides.
The lasers, narcissistic celebrities and the dancing girls may have piqued the odd viewer initially but the IPL is now building up a loyal constituency thanks to what happens out in the middle. Apart from Glenn McGrath's immaculate medium-pace for the Delhi Daredevils, the league has been as unpredictable as Rafael BenÃtez's starting line-ups. Sunday's games were a case in point.
Delhi, one of the favourites to go all the way, journeyed to Mumbai to take on an Indians team that had lost four of five. The Mumbai franchise were still without Sachin Tendulkar, while the disgraced Harbhajan Singh had been removed even from the publicity hoardings promoting the team. And although McGrath was still in Scrooge mood, they battled their way to a score of 162, taking 46 from four Mohammad Asif overs along the way.
Shaun Pollock, who had starred with the bat, then struck with the ball as Delhi were embarrassed and well-beaten. Dhawal Kulkarni, fast-tracked from Mumbai's Under-19s, and Ashish Nehra, a Delhi boy, finished things off as the Indians moved off the bottom to sixth in the table. The cellar space is now occupied by the Deccan Chargers, whose galaxy of big hitters have failed to summon up any sort of consistency. Deccan, the pre-tournament favourites, have one win from five.
The other match was even more intriguing. Chennai's Super Kings had started with four wins from four before a shock-and-awe job from Delhi's Virender Sehwag destroyed them in Chennai. Their opponents on Sunday, the Rajasthan Royals, were the competition's surprise package. The franchise had cost $44m less than the Mumbai one, but with Shane Warne intent on showing why he's the best captain that Australia never had (11 ODIs don't really count, do they?) they had reeled off four in a row after losing their opener to Delhi.
Contrary to the old cliché, Chennai knew exactly what hit them. Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir, who troubled India's batsmen late last year, appears to bowl off the wrong foot like Mike Proctor and Max Walker, and his skiddy pace brooked no answers on a helpful pitch. A line-up missing Hayden and Hussey (recalled for national duty) didn't even last 20 overs, and the Jaipur-based Royals knocked off the 109 required to cruise to the top of the table. Should they stay there, it might make for the greatest sports story since Jack Walker's millions and Kenny Dalglish's nous provided a prologue to the Premier League becoming the plaything of two or three clubs.
If you want reasons why the IPL has been so competitive, they're not hard to find. The salary cap, $5m a season, prevents teams stockpiling talent in the manner of Milan in the 1990s and Chelsea today. The more big names you invest in, the more you compromise with the rest of your combination. Jaipur's success had been based around two big names, Warne and Graeme Smith, those with potential desperate to prove themselves, Shane Watson and Tanvir, and young Indians who are living a dream merely by playing at this level, Siddharth Trivedi, Swapnil Asnodkar, Ravindra Jadeja.
The salary cap goes hand-in-hand with the restrictions on foreign players. All eight teams have between seven and nine in their squad, but only four can play in any given game. Sure, the quality may be enhanced with more big names, but you certainly wouldn't get capacity crowds for every game in Jaipur if Warne was leading a motley crew from Yorkshire, Victoria and Western Province. As Sanjay Manjrekar, a solid presence from the days before cricket became the new cinema, is fond of saying: "It's a big myth that Indians love cricket. They love Indian cricket, and cricketers."
The Indian stars, whether that be Dhoni in Chennai, Sourav Ganguly in Kolkata or the absent Tendulkar in Mumbai, have been central to the publicity machine. The foreign contingent, save for Warne whose aura appears to transcend national boundaries, are seen merely as the chocolate topping. Divorced from the local element, the concept wouldn't work. You certainly wouldn't get full crowds as Arsenal do at the Emirates, with not an Englishman in sight.
The faces of the fans are also changing. On a flight last week, a petite investment banker spoke to me earnestly about how Chennai would cope with the loss of Hussey, Hayden and Jacob Oram (badly). And soon after, my mum called from a train station for a score update. The old-timers may scoff at this new samosa brigade (the Indian equivalent of the Roy Keane jibe) but they certainly make for a welcome change from the idiots that spew vile abuse from the stands. And for that, and a league where everyone appears capable of beating everyone else, we should be grateful.
The purist may get little pleasure from crude hoicks across the line that sail over boundaries that are shorter than the cheerleaders' mini-skirts, but a fortnight in, there's no denying that the Indian Premier League has thrown up a sports-entertainment cocktail that's threatening to become as popular as the mojito. Much of the pre-tournament talk centred around how it would be cricket's answer to the English Premier League, but with nearly half the season gone, it's easy to spot one big difference.
Unlike the Premier League, which ceased to be a true competition years ago, the IPL really does offer a level playing field. There's no gang of four - two, in reality, since Liverpool and Arsenal aren't currently rich enough to be more than a nuisance - guaranteed all the big trophies, nor are there the sort of mismatches that make you wonder what Derby County are even doing on the same pitch as the top sides.
The lasers, narcissistic celebrities and the dancing girls may have piqued the odd viewer initially but the IPL is now building up a loyal constituency thanks to what happens out in the middle. Apart from Glenn McGrath's immaculate medium-pace for the Delhi Daredevils, the league has been as unpredictable as Rafael BenÃtez's starting line-ups. Sunday's games were a case in point.
Delhi, one of the favourites to go all the way, journeyed to Mumbai to take on an Indians team that had lost four of five. The Mumbai franchise were still without Sachin Tendulkar, while the disgraced Harbhajan Singh had been removed even from the publicity hoardings promoting the team. And although McGrath was still in Scrooge mood, they battled their way to a score of 162, taking 46 from four Mohammad Asif overs along the way.
Shaun Pollock, who had starred with the bat, then struck with the ball as Delhi were embarrassed and well-beaten. Dhawal Kulkarni, fast-tracked from Mumbai's Under-19s, and Ashish Nehra, a Delhi boy, finished things off as the Indians moved off the bottom to sixth in the table. The cellar space is now occupied by the Deccan Chargers, whose galaxy of big hitters have failed to summon up any sort of consistency. Deccan, the pre-tournament favourites, have one win from five.
The other match was even more intriguing. Chennai's Super Kings had started with four wins from four before a shock-and-awe job from Delhi's Virender Sehwag destroyed them in Chennai. Their opponents on Sunday, the Rajasthan Royals, were the competition's surprise package. The franchise had cost $44m less than the Mumbai one, but with Shane Warne intent on showing why he's the best captain that Australia never had (11 ODIs don't really count, do they?) they had reeled off four in a row after losing their opener to Delhi.
Contrary to the old cliché, Chennai knew exactly what hit them. Pakistan's Sohail Tanvir, who troubled India's batsmen late last year, appears to bowl off the wrong foot like Mike Proctor and Max Walker, and his skiddy pace brooked no answers on a helpful pitch. A line-up missing Hayden and Hussey (recalled for national duty) didn't even last 20 overs, and the Jaipur-based Royals knocked off the 109 required to cruise to the top of the table. Should they stay there, it might make for the greatest sports story since Jack Walker's millions and Kenny Dalglish's nous provided a prologue to the Premier League becoming the plaything of two or three clubs.
If you want reasons why the IPL has been so competitive, they're not hard to find. The salary cap, $5m a season, prevents teams stockpiling talent in the manner of Milan in the 1990s and Chelsea today. The more big names you invest in, the more you compromise with the rest of your combination. Jaipur's success had been based around two big names, Warne and Graeme Smith, those with potential desperate to prove themselves, Shane Watson and Tanvir, and young Indians who are living a dream merely by playing at this level, Siddharth Trivedi, Swapnil Asnodkar, Ravindra Jadeja.
The salary cap goes hand-in-hand with the restrictions on foreign players. All eight teams have between seven and nine in their squad, but only four can play in any given game. Sure, the quality may be enhanced with more big names, but you certainly wouldn't get capacity crowds for every game in Jaipur if Warne was leading a motley crew from Yorkshire, Victoria and Western Province. As Sanjay Manjrekar, a solid presence from the days before cricket became the new cinema, is fond of saying: "It's a big myth that Indians love cricket. They love Indian cricket, and cricketers."
The Indian stars, whether that be Dhoni in Chennai, Sourav Ganguly in Kolkata or the absent Tendulkar in Mumbai, have been central to the publicity machine. The foreign contingent, save for Warne whose aura appears to transcend national boundaries, are seen merely as the chocolate topping. Divorced from the local element, the concept wouldn't work. You certainly wouldn't get full crowds as Arsenal do at the Emirates, with not an Englishman in sight.
The faces of the fans are also changing. On a flight last week, a petite investment banker spoke to me earnestly about how Chennai would cope with the loss of Hussey, Hayden and Jacob Oram (badly). And soon after, my mum called from a train station for a score update. The old-timers may scoff at this new samosa brigade (the Indian equivalent of the Roy Keane jibe) but they certainly make for a welcome change from the idiots that spew vile abuse from the stands. And for that, and a league where everyone appears capable of beating everyone else, we should be grateful.
Vodafone to connect IPL players
MUMBAI: The master-mind of the Indian Premier League (IPL) has managed it again. Halfway through the season, IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi has roped in Vodafone Essar as the official telecom partner and the official ground sponsor for five years.
The deal is estimated to be valued at nearly $25 million.
“Vodafone has a long standing association with sports globally, ranging from Formula 1 with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to the UEFA Champions League. I am certain the company’s association with the DLF Indian Premier League as its official partner will prove to be mutually beneficial. This association with Vodafone bears testimony to the success of the DLF Indian Premier League as has been witnessed in the last fortnight of fantastic cricket and further reiterates the fact the league is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricketing calendar,” said Mr Modi.
With this, tickets for the DLF Indian Premier League matches will now be available on Vodafone live! — a service the teleco offers to customers. Vodafone customers will also be able to participate in the ‘Predict the Man of the Match’ contest and the winner will be announced as the Vodafone Winner of the contest after match.
Vodafone Essar director-marketing and new business Harit Nagpal said: “We are now cementing our relationship with DLF Indian Premier League with this natural next step and we hope to create added value propositions for our customers through this association.”
The inaugural season of the DLF Indian Premier League kicked off on April 18, with some high voltage action between Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders and Vijay Mallya’s Bangalore Royal Challengers. The opening game itself saw Kiwi & Kolkata Knight Riders stumper Brendon McCullum set the stage alight with a world record 158 runs, the highest ever individual score in a Twenty20 game.
As of May 6, the Rajasthan Royals lead the league table standings with 10 points from six games and are followed in second place by the Kings XI Punjab who also have 10 points albeit from seven games. Early leaders the Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings are in third and fourth position, respectively.
The deal is estimated to be valued at nearly $25 million.
“Vodafone has a long standing association with sports globally, ranging from Formula 1 with the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes to the UEFA Champions League. I am certain the company’s association with the DLF Indian Premier League as its official partner will prove to be mutually beneficial. This association with Vodafone bears testimony to the success of the DLF Indian Premier League as has been witnessed in the last fortnight of fantastic cricket and further reiterates the fact the league is set to carve out a distinct niche for itself in the international cricketing calendar,” said Mr Modi.
With this, tickets for the DLF Indian Premier League matches will now be available on Vodafone live! — a service the teleco offers to customers. Vodafone customers will also be able to participate in the ‘Predict the Man of the Match’ contest and the winner will be announced as the Vodafone Winner of the contest after match.
Vodafone Essar director-marketing and new business Harit Nagpal said: “We are now cementing our relationship with DLF Indian Premier League with this natural next step and we hope to create added value propositions for our customers through this association.”
The inaugural season of the DLF Indian Premier League kicked off on April 18, with some high voltage action between Shah Rukh Khan’s Kolkata Knight Riders and Vijay Mallya’s Bangalore Royal Challengers. The opening game itself saw Kiwi & Kolkata Knight Riders stumper Brendon McCullum set the stage alight with a world record 158 runs, the highest ever individual score in a Twenty20 game.
As of May 6, the Rajasthan Royals lead the league table standings with 10 points from six games and are followed in second place by the Kings XI Punjab who also have 10 points albeit from seven games. Early leaders the Delhi Daredevils and Chennai Super Kings are in third and fourth position, respectively.
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