Kolkata Knight Riders owner Shah Rukh Khan said the captain of his team for the Twenty20 event’s second season in South Africa will be named on April 16, two days before the tournament kicks off.

“We will decide first and announce (the captain) on April 16,” he told television channels.

Shah Rukh, who left for South Africa last night, said that he will return on April 28, to cast his vote on April 30.

“I will go back in the first week of May,” he said.
Source – espnstar.com

For close to a year now, Sharma has been hailed as one of the most talented youngsters in Indian cricket. Stylish and elegant to watch, the right handed batsman was one of the few bright sparks for the Hyderabad IPL team last year in the first edition when his more distinguished colleagues failed to get going.

However, Sharma does not think there would be any pressure on him to shine bright again: “There is no pressure on me. Yes, it was a challenge for me last year but I would be focussing on the IPL in South Africa.

“A different venue would mean some adjustments but I am confident.”

In fact, Sharma said last year’s experience in the IPL would help him continue with the good show.

Gritty and determined batting ensured some good runs for him on the IPL scoreboard last year.

The young batsman would remember South Africa for more reasons than one. It was there, during India’s Twenty20 World Championship triumph in 2007 that Sharma announced his arrival in world cricket with a bang.

Not many Indian cricket fans would forget his scintillating fifty against South Africa in a league game and his breezy partnership with Indian skipper MS Dhoni that eventually helped the team win.

“Yes, I played the T20 World Cup in South Africa and that experience would help me. Some of my colleaugues have also given me an update of the wickets in South Africa.”

Sharma believes Adam Gilchrist, who stepped into lead the side after local hero VVS Laxman was sidelined with an injury, did not get enough support.

The likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Scott Styris, Shahid Afridi were huge disappointments with the bat and the Deccan Chargers despite a star studded line up finishes bottom of the pile.

After the first edition of the IPL, Gilchrist was officially appointed the captain of the Deccan Chargers, replacing their icon player, V V S Laxman.

However, Sharma said the change in captaincy does not bother him at all.

“Gilly has done well for Australia and he has had a great record as player. The captaincy does not bother me at all. It is all about performing in the middle.”
Source – espnstar.com

The young leg spinner said that he is not thinking about the Twenty20 World Championship now. He said he would rather focus on the job at hand and that is the IPL.

“IPL starts very soon. There is no point in thinking about the T20 World Cup which is still a couple of months away. I am working really hard for the IPL and would like to prove my worth as a player there.

“If I do well in the IPL that would surely put me in the good books of the selectors. Since the IPL is so close to the T20 World Cup it gives everyone a golden chance to prove their worth, and I would be trying to do the same,” Chawla said.

Chawla who had a decent IPL stint last year both with the bat and the ball was well aware of the increased responsibilities this year, since the team would be missing the services of both their new ball bowlers, Brett Lee and S. Sreesanth.

“Yes, those guys won’t be there and that would surely impact the team this time. But then we have a good batting line-up and they would surely come up with good performances.

“Then we have other new ball bowlers like Irfan Pathan who has done well in South Africa and he alongside the others will surely come up with good performances.

“I know my responsibility would increase this time and I would try to live upto expectations,” said the leggie who picked up 17 wickets in the tournament’s first season giving away runs at an economy rate of 8.37.

Chawla has been in and out of the Indian side since the last two years. And now with Amit Mishra having made a decent name in the Indian side, it has become increasingly difficult for the young leggie to mark his place. But the 20-year-old, who has not had a very good Test and ODI stint so far in his career is very confident that he would make it sometime sooner.

“I am working hard on my bowling. I have been trying to do a few different things. Right now its a tad difficult since the team is doing really well and everyone is performing really good in the side. But then my job is to bowl well in the opportunities provided to me. I am doing that and waiting for my opportunity,” said the leg-spinner who was once hailed as the leg-spinner who would replace Anil Kumble in the Indian side.
Source – espnstar.com

Seven IPL-contracted stars, including crowd-pleasers, Brett Lee, 2008 IPL player of the tournament Shane Watson and Andrew Symonds, will be playing for Australia in the one-day series against Pakistan, starting in Dubai next week.

Australia’s captain Ricky Ponting and senior batsman Mike Hussey also won’t be backing up for a second IPL season in an effort to freshen up after an arduous season ahead of the Ashes series in England later this year.

Pace spearhead Mitchell Johnson and team vice-captain Michael Clarke did not nominate for the 2009 IPL auction, instead placing a priority on their international commitments.

Last year’s leading run-scorer Shaun Marsh, Nathan Bracken, James Hopes and David Hussey will all be playing for Australia in Dubai.

Lee and Symonds will be the big losers financially.

Symonds will lose around $1.6 million for missing the bulk of the Deccan Chargers campaign, while Lee could forgo around $1.3.

Lee’s manager, Neil Maxwell, said his client’s focus was solely on breaking back into the Australia side and the paceman was prepared to miss the IPL to follow the wishes of national medical staff after ankle and foot surgery.

“It is a matter of the Australian medical team having a look at him while he is in front of them,” Maxwell said.

“The plan for him is to come back and be 100 percent for the Ashes (starting in July).”

Retired Australian cricket greats Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist, Matt Hayden and Glenn McGrath, will be back for the IPL along with batsmen Brad Hodge and David Warner.

Warne led the Rajasthan Royals to the inaugural title and the 39-year-old leg-spin great is hoping to win over the South African fans with Proteas captain Graeme Smith playing under him.

“The (South African) public have booed me most of the time, but hopefully playing with the Rajasthan Royals they’ll get behind me,” Warne said.

“Hopefully when I come on to bowl I’ll get a clap, or a cheer or whistle. They’re pretty vocal. They love their cricket. Having Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel in the side will help.”

McGrath, who retired from Test cricket at the same time as Warne in 2007, says the IPL had changed the nature of world cricket.

“I think it probably has, hopefully for the better,” he said. “As a player, it’s good to go over there.

“Twenty20 is quite a fast, exciting game and also I think the big selling point for me as well was that I get to play with guys that I don’t (normally) get to play with.

“And you get to see how they play, how they prepare.

“We become pretty good friends when we play against each other, but then we play with each other, it’s different again and that’s what I like about the IPL.”
Source – foxsports.com.au

The world of cricket was given a major shake-up when many players become mega-rich overnight after the Indian Premier League tournament was introduced for the first time last year.

The IPL is now heading into its second series with the 2009 tournament starting in South Africa on Saturday.

BANGALORE

Royal Challengers

Team Salary: US$111 million

Marquee player: Kevin Pietersen

Other key players: Nathan Bracken, Dale Steyn, Jacques Kallis

Kiwis: Ross Taylor, Jesse RyderCoach: Ray Jennings (South Africa)

Last year: 7th

TAB odds: $6

The lowdown: The Royal Challengers finished a disappointing second last during the 2008 tournament but don’t expect a similar result this year. Any team with the world’s best limited-overs bowler Nathan Bracken should be respected.

But added to that they have a solid batting unit headlined by English star Kevin Pietersen.

For New Zealand cricket followers there is also the added interest of watching two of our premier batsmen in Ross Taylor and Jesse Ryder trying to shine on the world stage.

Predicted finish: 2009 IPL winners

Kolkata Knight Riders

Team salary: US$75.09m

Marque player: Sourav Ganguly

Other key players: Brendon McCullum, Chris Gayle, Ishant Sharma

Kiwis: Brendon McCullum

Coach: John Buchanan (Australia)

Last year: 6th

TAB odds: $6

The lowdown: This team will be worth watching for its dynamic opening batting partnership alone. What McCullum and West Indies captain Chris Gayle could do to opposition bowling attacks is likely to be mindblowing.

If the Knight Riders are to better their sixth-place effort last year they will need good performances from those two players.

McCullum set the competition alight last year when he scored an unbeaten 158 from 73 balls against the Bangalore side.

Predicted finish: 2009 IPL runners-up

Chennai Super Kings

Team salary: US$91m Marquee player: MS Dhoni

Other key players: Albie Morkel, Muttiah Muralitharan, Andrew Flintoff

Kiwis: Stephen Fleming, Jacob Oram

Coach: Stephen Fleming (New Zealand)

Last year: 3rd

TAB odds: $6.50

The lowdown: The Super Kings have two of the best all-rounders in the world in Albie Morkel and Andrew Flintoff and expect Morkel to dominate in his home country.

On top of that they have the world’s premier spinner Muttiah Muralitharan so bowling shouldn’t be a problem for the Chennai side.

Mike Hussey, Matthew Hayden, MS Dhoni and Stephen Fleming will need to step up with the bat if the Super Kings are to get up.

Predicted finish: 3rd

Mumbai Indians

Team Salary: $111m

Marquee player: Sachin Tendulkar

Other key players: JP Duminy, Sanath Jayasuriya, Harbhajan Singh

Kiwis: Kyle Mills.Coach: Shaun Pollock (South Africa)

Last year: 5thTAB odds: $7

The lowdown: Sachin Tendulkar is Mumbai’s marquee player but if the Indians are to impress in the 2009 tournament it might come from a startling display or two from JP Duminy.

Duminy was South Africa’s find of the summer when they toured Australia recently.

Spinner Harbhajan Singh will headline Mumbai’s bowling attack.

New Zealanders will monitor the progress of paceman Kyle Mills as well as Graham Napier.

Napier is an Englishman but played for Wellington during the 2008-09 domestic season.

Predicted finish: 4th

Delhi Daredevils

Team salary: $84m

Marque player: Virender Sehwag

Other key players: David Warner, AB de Villers, Gaitim Gambir.

Kiwis: Daniel Vettori

Coach: Greg Shipperd (Australia)

Last year: 4th

TAB odds: $6The lowdown: Any team that possesses one of the world’s best in Virender Sehwag has the ability to tip over anyone.

If the hard-hitting Indian batsman has a good tournament the Daredevils would have to rate themselves a chance.

In the bowling department a lot will centre around New Zealand skipper Daniel Vettori.

If veteran Glenn McGrath still has what it takes to foot it with the best the Australian legend also will be a useful asset with the ball.

Predicted finish: 5th

Deccan Chargers

Team salary: $107m

Marquee player: Andrew Symonds

Other key players: Adam Gilchrist, Herschelle Gibbs, Chamina Vaas

Kiwis: Scott Styris

Coach: Darren Lehman (Australia)

Last year: last

TAB odds: $9

The lowdown: The Chargers last year picked up the wooden spoon and while its hard to see the Darren Lehman-coached side reversing it and winning the tournament they could still push teams in 2009.

A lot will depend on if Australian great Adam Gilchrist can still dominate and what headspace marquee player Andrew Symonds is in.

A strong IPL tournament could be the ideal way for Scott Styris to wave his name in front of the New Zealand selectors heading into the twenty20 World Cup in June.

Predicted finish: 6th

Kings 11 Punjab

Team salary: $76m

Marquee player: Yuvraj SinghOther key players: Kumar Sangakkara, Brett Lee, Ramnaresh Sarwan

Kiwis: None

Coach: Tom Moody (Australia)

Last year: IPL runners-up

TAB odds: $7

The lowdown: Kings 11 Punjab have a touch of batting power in the form of Yuvraj Singh, Kumar Sangakkara, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Mehela Jayawardene and Shaun Marsh. They haven’t, however, got the same firepower with the ball. A lot will depend on Brett Lee getting it right if they are to restrict teams.

Predicted finish: 7th

Rajasthan Royals

Team salary: US$61m

Marquee player: Mohammad Kaif

Other key players: Shane Warne, Graeme Smith, Dimitri Mascarenas

Kiwis: NoneCoach: Shane Warne (Australia)

Last year: IPL winners

TAB odds: $8

The lowdown: Predicting a team to go from competition winners to wooden spooners is a bold one but on paper the Royals shouldn’t foot it with some of the other teams.

At $61m they have spent the least on recruiting players although they did carry that same tag when they won the tournament last year.

Graeme Smith will need to prosper with the bat and player-coach Shane Warne needs to spin some magic with the ball for the Royals to have any chance of defending their title.

While no New Zealand players have been picked up by the Rajasthan organisation there will be interest in how Englishman Dimitri Mascarenas performs.

Mascarenas played for Otago this year in its State Shield limited-overs campaign.

IPL FACTS

The tournament starts on Saturday and will run through to May 24. Sky TV will carry live coverage of the tournament for New Zealanders. The IPL is being held in South Africa because security cannot be guaranteed in India during that country’s general elections. Eight New Zealanders will take part in the 2009 IPL tournament, with Jesse Ryder picking up a contract for the first time. IPL team owners range from infrastructure and private equity firms to film stars. IPL has contracted the world’s top 77 cricketers, according to ICC rankings. MS Dhoni and Andrew Symonds fetched the highest prices in IPL bidding with $1.5 million and $1.35 million respectively.
Source – stuff.co.nz