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Saturday, April 19, 2008
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Friday, April 18, 2008
Kings Punjab
Yuvraj Singh (Captain)Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Slow left-arm orthodoxAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Irfan Pathan
Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Left-arm fast mediumAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Brett Lee
Specialisation: Right arm fast bowler, Right hand batsmanAvailability: Not in 2008 Nationality: Australian
Kumar Sangakkara
Specialisation: Left-hand batsman, wicketkeeperAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Sri Lankan
S Sreesanth
Specialisation: Right arm fast medium, Right hand batsmanAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Mahela Jayawardene
Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Right arm mediumAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Sri Lankan
Piyush Chawla
Specialisation: Left hand batsman, Leg break googlyAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Ramesh Powar
Specialisation: Right hand batsman, Off breakAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Specialisation: Right hand batsmanAvailability: Until May 16Nationality: West Indian
Simon Katich
Specialisation: Left hand batsmanAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Australian
James Hopes
Specialisation: Right arm fast medium, Right hand batsman Availability: Whole TournamentNationality: Australian
Kyle Mills
Specialisation: Right arm fast mediumAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: New Zealander
Tanmay Srivastava
Specialisation: Left hand batsmanAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Ajitesh Argal
Specialisation: Right arm fast mediumAvailability: Whole TournamentNationality: Indian
Sahil Kukreja
Speciality: Right hand batsman Availability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Wilkin Mota
Speciality: Right hand batsman, Right arm mediumAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Yash Gandhi
Availability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
V R V Singh
Speciality: Right hand batsman, Right arm fastAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Karan Goel
Speciality: Left hand batsman, Left arm offbreakAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Uday Kaul
Speciality: Left hand batsman, WicketkeeperAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
P Dharmani
Speciality: Right hand batsman, WicketkeeperAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Sunny Sohal
Speciality: Right hand batsman, Leg breakAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Rishi Dhawan
Speciality: Right hand batsman, Right arm medium fastAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Mohd Mudasir
Availability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Nitin Saini
Speciality: Right hand batsman, WicketkeeperAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Indian
Luke Pomersbash
Speciality:Left hand batsman, Right arm offbreakAvailability: Whole tournamentNationality: Australian
Tom Moody
CoachNationality: Australia
Delhi Daredevils
Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar was on Monday roped in as brand ambassador of the Indian Premier League's 'Delhi Daredevils' team.Akshay, born and brought up in the capital's Chandni Chowk area, surprised a packed room at a five star hotel when he emerged in dim light making a batting gesture with helmets and a willow in Daredevils' red and black shirt.
Comment: Sehwag, the saving grace at Chepauk Special: South Africa in India 2008
"My heart beats for Delhi. I consider myself a pucca Dilliwalah. I would like to thank the GMR Group (team owners) for choosing me as the first fan of Delhi Daredevils. I hope I become a lucky mascot for the team," the actor said with his trademark mischievous smile.
The actor, who gave two big hits recently, advised probing journalists not to think of his involvement in IPL as taking on fellow actor Shah Rukh Khan and think of him as a Delhiite, who wish to bring success to the team.
"Please keep such things aside. Why do you think of such things? I am sportsman also. Let us talk about cricket. I want to commit myself on some things which are very dear to me, that is why I am here."
"I have endorsed very few products in my 18-year film career - Coca Cola and Grasim. This (becoming brand ambassador of Delhi IPL team) is very dear to me since I am Delhiite in my heart," Akshay said.
McLaren go to back of Bahrain pit lane Formula One 2008
He laughed at a suggestion that actors are involving in cricket because of Bollywood's diminishing entertaining value to the people. "When we are invited in many cricket functions, do they mean that cricket is reaching out to Bollywood to attract people," he countered.
Akhsay praised Daredevils captain Virender Sehwag for scoring a triple century in India's first Test against South Africa in Chennai and also welcomed Pakistani stars Shoaib Malik and Mohammad Asif to the team.
Bangalore Chanllengers
With proven Twenty20 performers like Mark Boucher, Dale Steyn, Nathan Bracken and Misbah-ul-Haq in its ranks, Bangalore Royal Challengers are confident they can take on all other teams in the inaugural Indian Premier League (IPL) starting April 18.The tourney kicks off with a home game for them against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Vijay Mallya paid $111.6 million to own the team for 10 years, but then spent a relatively meagre $3.6 million in the players' auctions.
The team management thinks it has got a good deal and has its strategies all worked out.
Bracken, Steyn and Zaheer Khan can bowl well in the death overs and that's ideal for the shortest version of the game. Though Bracken's injury has made him unavailable for the first part of the league, the team's chief executive Charu Sharma said the Aussie speedster would be available midway through the league.
'As of now the injury will keep him out till May. We will speak to his doctor and we are hopeful that he will be fit by then,' Sharma told IANS.
Sharma was happy with the current form of the team's overseas players.
'It is great news that all our foreign players are in good touch, but we don't want them overstressed when they turn out for Royal Challengers. We want them to enjoy the game and we know they are all match winners.'
As for the availability of the overseas players, Sharma said: 'We were aware of the fact that all players won't be available right through the tournament. Some would be available at the start of the season, some in the middle and some others at the end of the season. So we are not worrying about it.'
Strengths: The mix of youth and experience is the strength of the team that has concentrated more on its batsmen than its bowlers. Young players like Goswami, Kohli, Ross Taylor and Cameron White can score runs quickly to complement the solid, experienced hands like Kallis and Dravid. The presence of young players makes the team an exuberant fielding side.
Weaknesses: Despite some big names, bowling seems to be the weak link. Bracken is recovering from a foot injury and the availability of Steyn and Kallis for the full league is not guaranteed. Zaheer is also making a comeback from injury, which forced him to miss the home series against South Africa. Anil Kumble and swing bowler Parveen Kumar, a sensation in the recent Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, have to shoulder the responsibilities.
Overseas players to watch out for:
Mark Boucher: He has a bagful of records. Last October he broke Australian Ian Healy's record for most Test dismissals in his 103rd match against Pakistan. At the age of 31, he is an asset for South Africa in every form of the game.
Dale Steyn: His rise in international cricket was as fast as his bowling speed. Steyn is leading the renaissance of genuine fast bowlers in South Africa, which was on the decline after the retirement of Allan Donald and Fannie De Villiers. Steyn has gone past Allan Donald's record of the quickest South African to 100 Test wickets.
Misbah-ul-Haq: He made his debut for Pakistan in 2001 but went into oblivion after a string of dismal scores. Four years later he caught the selectors' eye after a run-filled domestic season. He was surprisingly selected in place of Mohammed Yousuf in the Twenty20 World Championship and nearly won the title for Pakistan in South Africa.
Indian players to watch out for:
Zaheer Khan: After Srinath's retirement Zaheer took over as spearhead of India's pace battery and performed with distinction. Though his career has been dogged by injuries, his never-say-die-attitude is what helped him make a comeback to the national side in 2006. Zaheer's yorkers are accurate and his ability to bowl in the death overs will come in handy.
Virat Kohli: The captain of the under-19 World Cup winning team has proved that he is ready to join the seniors. His attacking flair, clubbed with a cool head, has made him a mature cricketer. Being an athletic fielder gives him another advantage.
Sreevats Goswami: A key member of the under-19 World Cup-winning squad, this Kolkata opening batsman and good wicketkeeper brings a lot of exuberance to the side.
Team jersey: Red and golden yellow.
Captain: Rahul Dravid
Indian players: Anil Kumble ($500,000), Zaheer Khan ($400,000), Wasim Jaffer ($150,000), Praveen Kumar, Sunil Joshi, B. Akhil, Vinay Kumar, Devraj Patil, Bharat Chipli, K.P. Appanna, B. Arun Kumar, Virat Kohli, Sreevats Goswami
Overseas players: Jacques Kallis (South Africa, $900,000), Mark Boucher (South Africa, $450,000), Dale Steyn (South Africa, $325,000), Nathan Bracken (Australia, $325,000), Cameron White (Australia, $500,000), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies, $200,000), Misbah-ul Haq (Pakistan, $180,000), Abdur Razzak (Bangladesh, $50,000), Ross Taylor (New Zealand, $100,000)
Kolkata Knight Riders
Kolkata: Even as the second auction was on, one team unveiled its name - Shah Rukh Khan's Kolkata team will be called the Kolkata Knight Riders and the star was in his element at the launch."Iss team mein do gundey hain - ek lamba gundey hai aur ek 'Dada' hai - hum Delhi mein gundey ko dada bolte hai (We have two bad guys in our team)," said Shah Rukh Khan.
Shahrukh Khan's tongue-in-cheek humour had the media rolling over as he touched down in the City of Joy to launch the Kolkata Knight-Riders, the city's IPL team and with the famed Aussie coach John Buchanan and team skipper Sourav Ganguly in town, Khan said it was a matter of time before things would fall in place for the Knight-Riders.
We have mashalla really really good players in our team already. Now how they gel together is a thing. Once that works, we are really happy with what we have at this point of time," said King Khan.
"We have a series against South Africa - three Test matches which finishes two days before the first IPL game. So, we need to sit with John (Buchanan) and work it out because other than the Indian players, others would be available. We will work something out - to train them and get used to the conditions," said Ganguly.
Shahrukh also released the team's official song and playing shirts. The colours of the team are black and gold. And the team's mascot will be a tiger called "Hoog Lee".
"I have already requested Sourav and John to dance at the beginning of every game. So, they have relented and we all are learning the Bollywood steps. John is doing very well," said Shah Rukh.
Now that's a clever one if you are want to draw the average Bengali to the stadium.
"Whenever the Kolkatans scream very loud for me to dance, I will dance for you guys. I will be there for every match," assured the Bollywood's superstar.
By the body-language of Shah Rukh Khan, it seems that his Tigers are just waiting to roll.
Deccan Chargers
Deccan Chargers Squad.profile-full-team .rightlistteam {
padding-left : 10px;
}
VVS Laxman
Captain
Age: 33 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm offbreak
Adam Gilchrist
Wicketkeeper
Age: 36 years
Playing role: Wicketkeeper batsmanBatting: Left-hand batBowling: Right-arm offbreak
Andrew Symonds
Age: 32 years
Playing role: All-rounderBatting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium, Right-arm offbreak
Hershelle Gibbs
Age: 34 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm bowler
RP Singh
Age: 22 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Left-arm fast-medium
Shahid Afridi
Age: 28 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium, Legbreak googly
Chaminda Vaas
Age: 34 years
Batting: Left-hand batBowling: Left-arm fast-medium
Chamara Silva
Age: 28 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium, Legbreak googly
Scott Styris
Age: 32 years
Playing role: All-rounderBatting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium
Rohit Sharma
Age: 20 years
Playing role: All-rounderBatting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm offbreak
Venugopala Rao
Age: 26 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm offbreak
Pragyan Ojha
Age: 21 years
Playing role: BowlerBatting: Left-hand batBowling: Left-arm slow
Halhadar Das
Wicketkeeper
Age: 21 years
Batting: Right-hand bat
Dwaraka Ravi Teja
Age: 20 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Legbreak googly
Arjun Yadav
Age: 26 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm offbreak
Nuwan Zoysa
Age: 29 years
Batting: Left-hand batBowling: Left-arm fast-medium
Paidikalva Vijay Kumar
Age: 21 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium
Kalyan Krishna
Age: 24 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium-fast
Sarveesh Kumar
Age: 18 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium
Sanjay Bangar
Age: 35 years
Batting: Right-hand batBowling: Right-arm medium-fast
Rajasthan Royals will go into the Indian Premier League with a big support staff, which inc-ludes a psychologist and a director of coaching. Former Leicestershire captain Jeremy Snape, who also played 10 one-day internationals for England has been roped in as psychologist of the team, while Australian Darren Berry will be the director of coaching, Fraser Castellino, CEO of Emerging Media, said here on Tuesday.Chennai Kings
India Cements Limited, a franchisee of the Indian Premier League, on Monday christened its team 'Chennai Super Kings' and unveiled its logo at a glittering function in Chennai.
Former opener Krish Shrikkanth has been roped in as the team's brand ambassador, while his contemporary and state mate V B Chandrasekar, a former national selector, would be in-charge of picking the players.
Company vice-chairman and Managing Director N Srinivasan uveiled the team logo and said it is a red letter day for Tamil Nadu cricket.
"It is a red letter day in the annals of Tamil Nadu cricket. I am thrilled to announce the team name and unveil its logo in the midst of luminaries of the state who have played cricket with distinction," he said.
Srinivasan said there would be eight foreign players in the team with four of them in the playing eleven for a match.
"Like other franchisee holders, the Chennai team has to wait for the auction on Wednesday [to bid for foreign players] to be over to know the names of players," he said.
Since the IPL has made it mandatory for a team to have a minimum of 16 players and the maximum to be left to the team,
"We plan to have 23 players in 'Super Kings'," said Srinivasan, who is also the treasurer of the Cricket Board.
He said all seven home matches would be played at the MA Chidambaram stadium.
Former opener Krish Shrikkanth has been roped in as the team's brand ambassador, while his contemporary and state mate V B Chandrasekar, a former national selector, would be in-charge of picking the players.
Company vice-chairman and Managing Director N Srinivasan uveiled the team logo and said it is a red letter day for Tamil Nadu cricket.
"It is a red letter day in the annals of Tamil Nadu cricket. I am thrilled to announce the team name and unveil its logo in the midst of luminaries of the state who have played cricket with distinction," he said.
Srinivasan said there would be eight foreign players in the team with four of them in the playing eleven for a match.
"Like other franchisee holders, the Chennai team has to wait for the auction on Wednesday [to bid for foreign players] to be over to know the names of players," he said.
Since the IPL has made it mandatory for a team to have a minimum of 16 players and the maximum to be left to the team,
"We plan to have 23 players in 'Super Kings'," said Srinivasan, who is also the treasurer of the Cricket Board.
He said all seven home matches would be played at the MA Chidambaram stadium.
McCullum's banged Banglore
Inauguration of IPL match between Bangalore Royal Challengers v/s Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Inauguration of IPL match between Bangalore Royal Challengers v/s Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday.
Shilpa Shetty with Zayaed Khan during the opening ceremony of IPL between Bangalore Royal Challengers v/s Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Actor Shah Rukh Khan with Arjun Rampal during the opening ceremony of IPL between Bangalore Royal Challengers v/s Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday.
Crackers bursting during the opening ceremony of IPL between Bangalore Royal Challengers v/s Kolkata Knight Riders at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday.
Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Shane Warne, Yuvraj Singh and VVS Laxman during the inauguration of IPL T20 Championship at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday.
Kolkata Knight Riders' Brendon McCullam raises his bat after his century against Bangalore Royal Challengers during the inaugural IPL T20 Championship match at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Vijay Mallya waves at the crowd during the inauguration of IPL match at M Chinaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Brendon McCullum of Kolkatta Knight Riders on his way to 150 runs against Bangalore Royal Challengers of IPL cricket match at M Chinaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday.
Rahul Dravid of Bangalore Royal Challengers bowled out by Ishant Sharma of Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL match at M Chinaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Kolkata Knight Riders' Captain Sourav Ganguly celebrates after the wicket of Bangalore Royal Challengers player Mark Boucher during the inaugural IPL T20 Championship match at M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Kolkata Knight Riders' Ashok Dinda celebrates the wicket of Bangalore Royal Challengers player Wasim Jaffer during the inaugural IPL T20 Championship match at M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday
Kolkata Knight Riders celebrate Rahul Dravid's wicket in IPL match at M Chinaswamy Stadium in Bangalore on Friday.
Bangalore: New Zealander Brendon McCullum hammered Twenty20 cricket's highest ever score, an unbeaten 158, as Kolkata Knight Riders thrashed Bangalore Royal Challengers by 140 runs in the opening Indian Premier League (IPL) match here on Friday night.
Click here for scores
McCullum was adjudged the Man of the Match for his breathtaking innings, during which he cracked 10 boundaries and 13 sixes in front of a boisterous crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Also present to cheer teams were their owners - Vijay Mallya of the United Breweries group for the home team and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for the Koklata squad.
Special: Indian Premier League Comment: IPL – journey into the unknown
After being put into bat by Bangalore captain Rahul Dravid, Kolkata Knight Riders posted 222 for three wickets in 20 overs and then bowled out the hosts for 82 in just 15.1 overs.
It was a lucky day for McCullum, who also keeps wickets for New Zealand. He might not have opened the innings had the hard-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle arrived for the lung opener. But the 26-year-old right-hander grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he opened the innings with Ganguly (10) and raised 61.
McCullum was, in fact, involved in four successive 50-plus partnerships. He also added 51 for the second wicket with Australia captain Ricky Ponting (20), 60 for the third with David Hussey (12), also an Australian, and an unbeaten 50 for the fourth with Pakistani Mohammed Hafeez (5 not out).
All six Bangalore Royal Challengers bowlers got hammered badly by a rampaging McCullum.
And when the host batted, Kolkata Knight Riders simply pinned their batsmen down with their sharp bowling and sharp fielding. The Kolkata side took almost all the catches offered, except for the one dropped by Ponting.
Bangalore's miserable performance was evident from the fact that pacer Praveen Kumar, who had earlier in the evening bowled the first ball of the lucrative tournament, was the only batsman to reach double figures. He remained unbeaten on 18 (15 balls, 1x4, 2x6s). 'Extras' was the highest contributor with 19.
India discard Ajit Agarkar bagged three wickets for 25 while debutant pacer Ashok Dinda and Ganguly captured two wickets apiece.
The IPL has brought together some of the fiercest players from the world over. It was, for instance, unimaginable to have Ganguly and Ponting, who have contested many a battle for their countries and also the 2003 World Cup final, hug and embrace each other when Bangalore batted.
When Ganguly bowled Zaheer Khan, Ponting ran in and gave the former India captain a warm hug, sporting a big smile, while Shah Rukh Khan danced in the stands.
The match was preceded by a glamorous opening ceremony that contained fabulous fireworks.
The 45-day tournament will have 59 matches, with the final slated for June 1 in Mumbai
Click here for scores
McCullum was adjudged the Man of the Match for his breathtaking innings, during which he cracked 10 boundaries and 13 sixes in front of a boisterous crowd at the Chinnaswamy Stadium. Also present to cheer teams were their owners - Vijay Mallya of the United Breweries group for the home team and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan for the Koklata squad.
Special: Indian Premier League Comment: IPL – journey into the unknown
After being put into bat by Bangalore captain Rahul Dravid, Kolkata Knight Riders posted 222 for three wickets in 20 overs and then bowled out the hosts for 82 in just 15.1 overs.
It was a lucky day for McCullum, who also keeps wickets for New Zealand. He might not have opened the innings had the hard-hitting West Indian Chris Gayle arrived for the lung opener. But the 26-year-old right-hander grabbed the opportunity with both hands as he opened the innings with Ganguly (10) and raised 61.
McCullum was, in fact, involved in four successive 50-plus partnerships. He also added 51 for the second wicket with Australia captain Ricky Ponting (20), 60 for the third with David Hussey (12), also an Australian, and an unbeaten 50 for the fourth with Pakistani Mohammed Hafeez (5 not out).
All six Bangalore Royal Challengers bowlers got hammered badly by a rampaging McCullum.
And when the host batted, Kolkata Knight Riders simply pinned their batsmen down with their sharp bowling and sharp fielding. The Kolkata side took almost all the catches offered, except for the one dropped by Ponting.
Bangalore's miserable performance was evident from the fact that pacer Praveen Kumar, who had earlier in the evening bowled the first ball of the lucrative tournament, was the only batsman to reach double figures. He remained unbeaten on 18 (15 balls, 1x4, 2x6s). 'Extras' was the highest contributor with 19.
India discard Ajit Agarkar bagged three wickets for 25 while debutant pacer Ashok Dinda and Ganguly captured two wickets apiece.
The IPL has brought together some of the fiercest players from the world over. It was, for instance, unimaginable to have Ganguly and Ponting, who have contested many a battle for their countries and also the 2003 World Cup final, hug and embrace each other when Bangalore batted.
When Ganguly bowled Zaheer Khan, Ponting ran in and gave the former India captain a warm hug, sporting a big smile, while Shah Rukh Khan danced in the stands.
The match was preceded by a glamorous opening ceremony that contained fabulous fireworks.
The 45-day tournament will have 59 matches, with the final slated for June 1 in Mumbai
INDIAN PREMIER LEAGUE 2008
Hyderabad stitches in the best team. Chennai comes a close second even as Kolkata squanders a good opportunity to rival the best. At the end of nine rounds of bidding for the 75 players, here is how the teams in the Indian Premier League stand, in order of the moey spent.
Hyderabad:
Hyderabad, which ended up as the highest spenders has the most balanced and dangerous looking team. At least on paper. The move to forgo the so-called iconic status to VVS Laxman seems to have paid off. It enabled the Deccan Chronicle-owned team to go ahead and invest big.
The team went ahead and secured what is easily the most destructive top order by rounding off Adam Gilchrist [Images], Herschelle Gibbs [Images] and Shahid Afridi. It also has some mean hands in VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma and Chamara Silva, making it the best batting line up in the league.
That doesn't mean it neglected the bowling department. It got for itself the left-arm seam trio of Chaminda Vaas [Images], RP Singh and Nuwan Zoysa. All-rounders Scott Styris and star buy Andrew Symonds [Images] perfectly round it off for the team, lending a much wanted balance.
The fact that this was the only team that did not dip its fingers in the reserve pie, speaks volumes about the planning and timing that had gone behind assembling the best mix. If we are to stick our neck out and guess the champion, we would put our money on Hyderabad.
Spent: $5.885 milllionOn: 11 playersAdam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, Shahid Afridi [Images], Scott Styris, Rohit Sharma, VVS Laxman, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Zoysa, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh.
Chennai:
Chennai, which spent only a few hundred thousand dollars less than Hyderabad, also has a very strong line-up.
Though nowhere close to the Hyderabad line-up, Stephen Fleming [Images], Matthew Hayden [Images] and Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] can nevertheless destroy any attack on their given day. Suresh Raina's potential and the all-rounder duo of Jacob Oram [Images] and Albie Morkel, who can turn a match on its head with either bat or ball, lend stability to the team.
Makhaya Ntini [Images] and Muttiah Muralitharan can be a handful for any batting line up and Joginder Singh brings in all his luck, charm and guile that were instrumental in India's Twenty20 World Cup win.
They also managed to poach Mike Hussey, who surprisingly no one wanted in the initial round.
Spent: $5.825 millionFor: 11 playersMS Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan, Matthew Hayden, Jacob Oram, Stephen Fleming, Mike Hussey, Parthiv Patel, Albie Morkel, Joginder Singh, Suresh Raina, Makhaya Ntini
Kolkata:
All was going well for Kolkata and SRK [Images].
And then he went and bought Ajit Agarkar [Images]. His subsequent buys -- Umar Gul, David Hussey and Murali Kartik [Images] � somehow seem to have skewed his side's balance. And add to it, the erratic Shoaib Akthar and things do not look well at all for the team.
However, a line up reading Saurav Ganguly [Images], Chris Gayle, Ricky Ponting [Images], Brendon McCullum can leave even the deadliest bowling attacks licking their wounds. And then there is the latest kid on the block Ishant Sharma. But what will he be able to do on a day when Akthar decides to wander off?
Spent: $5.05 millionFor: 11 players (Saurav Ganguly not counted)Shoaib Akthar, Ricky Ponting, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Ajit Agarkar, David Hussey, Ishant Sharma, Umar Gul, Murali Kartik, Ramnaresh Sarwan [Images], Tatenda Taibu
Delhi:
Delhi, who seemed to be taking increasingly long toilet breaks as each round of bidding went past them, are left with a team that is neither here nor there.
Yes, Gautam Gambhir [Images] is a proven Twenty20 match winner. Yes, they have the maverick Virender Sehwag [Images] and the classy AB de Villiers. But beyond that and the presence of Daniel Vettori [Images] and Glenn McGrath, there is nothing to show for a core assembled at $4.8 million.
Spent: 4.825For: 9 (minus Virender Sehwag)Daniel Vettori, Shoaib Malik [Images], Mohammad Asif [Images], Dinesh Karthik [Images], AB de Villiers, Ferveez Maharoof, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tiwary, Glenn McGrath.
Mohali:
There was something about the way Mohali went about selecting their team.
They had Yuvraj Singh [Images] to start with. Then they picked Mahela Jayawardene [Images] and Kumara Sangakkara. They spiced it up with S Sreesanth [Images] and Brett Lee [Images]. They brought in balance with Irfan Pathan [Images], though it will remain to be seen if he is worth almost a million.
But after that, they put their feet up and went to sleep as the rest of the teams went berserk in the bowlers round. They could have picked better support bowlers instead of Piyush Chawla and Romesh Powar. One positive though. This might be the best-looking team of them all.
Spent: 4.62For: 9 players (Yuvraj not included)Mahela Jayawardene, Kumara Sangakkara, Brett Lee, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Romesh Powar, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Simon Katich.
Mumbai:
The most expensive franchise to lay hands on also happens to be the most insipid among the heavyweights. An opening combination reading Sachin Tendulkar [Images] - Sanath Jayasuriya is sure mouthwatering. But what after that.
Robin Uthappa is the only exciting prospect. And, with all due respect to Shaun Pollock [Images], this bowling attack is not going to skittle out a bully batting line up like Hyderabad's or Chennai's. Though Lasith Malinga is definitely one player to watch out for.
Spent: 3.825For: 7 players + (Sachin not included)Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh [Images], Sanath Jayasurya, Lasith Malinga [Images], Dilhara Fernando, Loots Bosman.
Bangalore:
For a meager 3.6 million, this is a real good deal in terms of value for money. Dr Vijay Mallya [Images] has lined up a bowling attack best suited for Twenty20.
And then there is the exciting Mark Boucher [Images]. But there is just one glitch here. A very serious one. If a few early wickets fall, the last pair of names we want to see flashing on the giant electronic scoreboard in a Twenty20 match is Rahul Dravid [Images] - Jacques Kallis [Images].
And then, in a cunning move, the team went ahead and bought Aussie discard Cameron White for five times his base price.
Spent: 3.8 For: 9 (Dravid not included)Anil Kumble [Images], Jacques Kallis, Zaheer Khan [Images], Shivnarine Chanderpaul [Images], Mark Boucher, Cameron White, Wasim Jaffer [Images], Nathan Bracken [Images], Dale Steyn.
Jaipur:
Before bidding began, this was the least of the teams. Eight labourious hours and $2.5 million later, it still is the least of the teams.
Shane Warne [Images], past his prime, was pouched for his base price in the very first round. But that was about it. And oh, just what must have went through the mind of the person who bid for kaif at $675,000 (base price: $175,000) when the hammer fell!
2.7 million7 playersShane Warne, Graeme Smith [Images], Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Kaif, Munaf Patel [Images], Justin Langer
Hyderabad:
Hyderabad, which ended up as the highest spenders has the most balanced and dangerous looking team. At least on paper. The move to forgo the so-called iconic status to VVS Laxman seems to have paid off. It enabled the Deccan Chronicle-owned team to go ahead and invest big.
The team went ahead and secured what is easily the most destructive top order by rounding off Adam Gilchrist [Images], Herschelle Gibbs [Images] and Shahid Afridi. It also has some mean hands in VVS Laxman, Rohit Sharma and Chamara Silva, making it the best batting line up in the league.
That doesn't mean it neglected the bowling department. It got for itself the left-arm seam trio of Chaminda Vaas [Images], RP Singh and Nuwan Zoysa. All-rounders Scott Styris and star buy Andrew Symonds [Images] perfectly round it off for the team, lending a much wanted balance.
The fact that this was the only team that did not dip its fingers in the reserve pie, speaks volumes about the planning and timing that had gone behind assembling the best mix. If we are to stick our neck out and guess the champion, we would put our money on Hyderabad.
Spent: $5.885 milllionOn: 11 playersAdam Gilchrist, Andrew Symonds, Herschelle Gibbs, Shahid Afridi [Images], Scott Styris, Rohit Sharma, VVS Laxman, Chamara Silva, Nuwan Zoysa, Chaminda Vaas, RP Singh.
Chennai:
Chennai, which spent only a few hundred thousand dollars less than Hyderabad, also has a very strong line-up.
Though nowhere close to the Hyderabad line-up, Stephen Fleming [Images], Matthew Hayden [Images] and Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images] can nevertheless destroy any attack on their given day. Suresh Raina's potential and the all-rounder duo of Jacob Oram [Images] and Albie Morkel, who can turn a match on its head with either bat or ball, lend stability to the team.
Makhaya Ntini [Images] and Muttiah Muralitharan can be a handful for any batting line up and Joginder Singh brings in all his luck, charm and guile that were instrumental in India's Twenty20 World Cup win.
They also managed to poach Mike Hussey, who surprisingly no one wanted in the initial round.
Spent: $5.825 millionFor: 11 playersMS Dhoni, Muttiah Muralitharan, Matthew Hayden, Jacob Oram, Stephen Fleming, Mike Hussey, Parthiv Patel, Albie Morkel, Joginder Singh, Suresh Raina, Makhaya Ntini
Kolkata:
All was going well for Kolkata and SRK [Images].
And then he went and bought Ajit Agarkar [Images]. His subsequent buys -- Umar Gul, David Hussey and Murali Kartik [Images] � somehow seem to have skewed his side's balance. And add to it, the erratic Shoaib Akthar and things do not look well at all for the team.
However, a line up reading Saurav Ganguly [Images], Chris Gayle, Ricky Ponting [Images], Brendon McCullum can leave even the deadliest bowling attacks licking their wounds. And then there is the latest kid on the block Ishant Sharma. But what will he be able to do on a day when Akthar decides to wander off?
Spent: $5.05 millionFor: 11 players (Saurav Ganguly not counted)Shoaib Akthar, Ricky Ponting, Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Ajit Agarkar, David Hussey, Ishant Sharma, Umar Gul, Murali Kartik, Ramnaresh Sarwan [Images], Tatenda Taibu
Delhi:
Delhi, who seemed to be taking increasingly long toilet breaks as each round of bidding went past them, are left with a team that is neither here nor there.
Yes, Gautam Gambhir [Images] is a proven Twenty20 match winner. Yes, they have the maverick Virender Sehwag [Images] and the classy AB de Villiers. But beyond that and the presence of Daniel Vettori [Images] and Glenn McGrath, there is nothing to show for a core assembled at $4.8 million.
Spent: 4.825For: 9 (minus Virender Sehwag)Daniel Vettori, Shoaib Malik [Images], Mohammad Asif [Images], Dinesh Karthik [Images], AB de Villiers, Ferveez Maharoof, Tillekeratne Dilshan, Gautam Gambhir, Manoj Tiwary, Glenn McGrath.
Mohali:
There was something about the way Mohali went about selecting their team.
They had Yuvraj Singh [Images] to start with. Then they picked Mahela Jayawardene [Images] and Kumara Sangakkara. They spiced it up with S Sreesanth [Images] and Brett Lee [Images]. They brought in balance with Irfan Pathan [Images], though it will remain to be seen if he is worth almost a million.
But after that, they put their feet up and went to sleep as the rest of the teams went berserk in the bowlers round. They could have picked better support bowlers instead of Piyush Chawla and Romesh Powar. One positive though. This might be the best-looking team of them all.
Spent: 4.62For: 9 players (Yuvraj not included)Mahela Jayawardene, Kumara Sangakkara, Brett Lee, S Sreesanth, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla, Romesh Powar, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Simon Katich.
Mumbai:
The most expensive franchise to lay hands on also happens to be the most insipid among the heavyweights. An opening combination reading Sachin Tendulkar [Images] - Sanath Jayasuriya is sure mouthwatering. But what after that.
Robin Uthappa is the only exciting prospect. And, with all due respect to Shaun Pollock [Images], this bowling attack is not going to skittle out a bully batting line up like Hyderabad's or Chennai's. Though Lasith Malinga is definitely one player to watch out for.
Spent: 3.825For: 7 players + (Sachin not included)Robin Uthappa, Shaun Pollock, Harbhajan Singh [Images], Sanath Jayasurya, Lasith Malinga [Images], Dilhara Fernando, Loots Bosman.
Bangalore:
For a meager 3.6 million, this is a real good deal in terms of value for money. Dr Vijay Mallya [Images] has lined up a bowling attack best suited for Twenty20.
And then there is the exciting Mark Boucher [Images]. But there is just one glitch here. A very serious one. If a few early wickets fall, the last pair of names we want to see flashing on the giant electronic scoreboard in a Twenty20 match is Rahul Dravid [Images] - Jacques Kallis [Images].
And then, in a cunning move, the team went ahead and bought Aussie discard Cameron White for five times his base price.
Spent: 3.8 For: 9 (Dravid not included)Anil Kumble [Images], Jacques Kallis, Zaheer Khan [Images], Shivnarine Chanderpaul [Images], Mark Boucher, Cameron White, Wasim Jaffer [Images], Nathan Bracken [Images], Dale Steyn.
Jaipur:
Before bidding began, this was the least of the teams. Eight labourious hours and $2.5 million later, it still is the least of the teams.
Shane Warne [Images], past his prime, was pouched for his base price in the very first round. But that was about it. And oh, just what must have went through the mind of the person who bid for kaif at $675,000 (base price: $175,000) when the hammer fell!
2.7 million7 playersShane Warne, Graeme Smith [Images], Younis Khan, Kamran Akmal, Yusuf Pathan, Mohammad Kaif, Munaf Patel [Images], Justin Langer
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