While the Kolkata Knight Riders have managed to rope in some big names in cricket like Chris Gayle and Brendon McCullum, Punjab’s Kings XI haven’t been quite so fortunate. But nevertheless it will be foolish to consider them any less formidable than the former; as last year’s semi-finalists, the Kings XI are still a daunting challenge.

Their biggest and priciest buy for this year’s second season has been England’s batsman Ravi Bopara, at $450,000. But the key for the Kings XI still lies in the hands of last year’s players: In Season 1, Australian opener Shaun Marsh worked wonders for the team. If he can keep up that level of performance this year too, the Kings XI will have little left to worry about. In addition, the team can boast of Kumara Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene. This Sri Lankan duo has been indispensable to the Sri Lankan team for years, and through the first season of the IPL has proved indispensable for the Kings XI as well. All of them along with Australian Luke Pomersbach have put together a strong batting line up. The team will however have to do without Ramnaresh Sarwan who did not extend his contract.Perhaps the most crucial player for this Preity Zinta, Ness Wadia owned team will be Yuvraj Singh, who also leads the team. His eye catching performances last year were what took his team so far. This year too it is hoped that Yuvraj, who loves batting in South Africa, will continue pillaring his team the same way.

If there is anything that could render the team weak, it is their bowling attack which somehow does not have the same blaze that the batting line up can boast of: especially since West Indian speedster Jerome Taylor had to be counted out because of an injury, and Sreesanth had to drop out after a stress fracture in his lower back. But the management has included a South African Bowler, Yusuf Abdullah, who could prove very useful to the team, considering that he is based here in South Africa.

Another vital aid inclusion to the team is David Nosworthy who is the head coach of the South African team, The Lions. His in-depth knowledge of the pitches and South African conditions will only help the Kings XI prepare better.
Source – cricket360.com

It is a nightmare that rattles the bowlers these days. For fans, they conjure visions of some exciting batsmanship in all forms of the game. The most destructive opening pair in today’s cricket leads Delhi Daredevils’ challenge as a domestic competition travels overseas.

Sehwag and Gambhir have often traversed successfully when the terrain has been most treacherous and the duo has pledged a run feast in the second edition of the Indian Premier League. They have set goals that can be attained only by outshining each other at the crease.
Flattering to deceive

Much was expected in IPL-1 when Daredevils swept four of its first five matches, including three away encounters. And then it slipped. Four defeats in a row, including one at home, was a setback to a side that had come to believe it had the arsenal to win the war. The failure of Mohammad Asif and Shoaib Malik proved a severe handicap.

But Daredevils clawed back into the reckoning and qualified to meet Rajasthan Royals in the semifinals where it was blasted by Shane Watson, who made runs and took wickets too. Daredevils, a favourite to become champion, finished fourth.

An inconsistent middle order, comprising Manoj Tiwary, Dinesh Karthik, Abraham de Villiers and T. Dilshan was a worry in the first IPL, but not this time. They are in fine form now. The presence of Owais Shah, Paul Collingwood and David Warner improves the options. The flexibility factor in the batting line-up is Daredevils’ strength.
Lethal attack

With the crafty Glenn McGrath, who can still bowl the best four overs against any opposition, and the world’s finest left-arm spinner in Daniel Vettori, Daredevils can boast of a lethal attack, what with Ashish Nehra bolstering it, shifting from Mumbai Indians.

Leg-spinner Amit Mishra brings a refreshing variety even as seamers Farveez Maharoof, Pradeep Sangwan, Avishkar Salvi and V. Yomahesh wait in the wings.

Coach T.A. Sekar reminds you of the presence of Umesh Yadav, a young fast bowler from Nagpur, not to forget crisis man Rajat Bhatia. Delhi veteran Mithun Manhas too “can be trusted to excel.”
Compact combination

A compact combination with some explosive talent, Daredevils, for many reasons, would be the team to beat in this edition. There are some acknowledged performers with a reputation to swing the matches with their individual brilliance but as Sehwag observed, Daredevils will rely on its “collective strength.”

Oppositions better watch out. Sehwag and Gambhir are coming!
Source – hindu.com

The opening game of the IPL 2009 will see Sachin Tendulkar’s Mumbai Indians, take on IPL 2008 finalists, the Chennai Super Kings, at Newlands in Cape Town.
The Chennai Super Kings, under the leadership of wicketkeeper/batsman MS Dhoni, are entering this year’s IPL as one of the bookmaker’s favourite.
Big hitting all-rounders Andrew Flintoff and Albie Morkel will be at the forefront of the Super Kings attack this coming Saturday.
They will try to be tamed by the Mumbai Indian’s bowlers, consisting of Zaheer Khan, Lasith ‘Slinga’ Malinga and Harbhajan Singh, who have the knowledge of Shaun Pollock (the Mumbai Indians’ mentor) on their side, when taking on the often tricky Newlands pitch.
All eyes will be on Mumbai’s Sanath Jayasuria, to see if he can entertain the sold-out Newlands crowd, as he tries follow up his record as IPL’s greatest six hitter (31 sixes in IPL 2008).
Other Mumbai batsmen to watch will be the “Maestro” Sachin Tendulkar, “Million-Dollar Kid” JP Duminy (on his home ground), and West Indian Dwayne Bravo.
They’ll try to be unsettled by Chennai’s Makhaya Ntini, Muttiah Muralitharan, and Lakshmipathy Balaji.
Source – bleacherreport.com

Bangalore Royal Challengers would bank on their switch-hitting star Kevin Pietersen to switch the fortunes of the team in the second edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) as they line up against Rajasthan Royals here on Saturday.

Royal Challengers finished seventh, one above the bottom-placed Deccan Chargers, among eight teams in the inaugural edition. With some of the accomplished Test cricketers –Rahul Dravid, Jacques Kallis, Mark Boucher, Wasim Jaffer — in their ranks, Royal Challengers got the tag T20s Test side.

The poor finish saw Royal Challengers CEO Charu Sharma getting the marching orders even as doubts were raised over Rahul Dravid’s captaincy in the shortest format.
Source – cricketnext.in.com

England star Kevin Pietersen will have a bunch of “naughty’ and “hottie” cheerleaders rooting from the sidelines when he makes his Indian Premier League debut on Saturday.

Pietersen, bought by the Bangalore Royal Challengers for a record 1.55 million dollars, will clash with good friend Shane Warne’s Rajasthan Royals on the opening night in Cape Town, South Africa.

The Royal Challengers, owned by flamboyant liquor and airline tycoon Vijay Mallya, had hired the Washington Redskins cheerleaders for the inaugural IPL season last year in India.

The scantily-clad girls obviously failed to inspire as the Royal Challengers finished seventh out of eight teams in the glitzy Twenty20 tournament.

So Mallya dropped the Redskins and hired 24 members of the US-based Varsity cheerleader group for the second season, renaming them the “White Mischief Gals”.

“A little bit naughty, a little more hottie and a lot more mischievous,” a Mallya company release said of the group, named after his ‘White Mischief’ brand of vodka.

“Necklines plunging, hemlines rising, they are all set to let the mercury soar, higher than any of the sixes that come from the blades of Kevin Pietersen.”

The cheerleaders, the release added, have been “specially trained in flirty acrobatic skills for a scintillating on-field performance.”

The use of cheerleading squads last year provoked complaints from some conservative quarters in India.

The Mumbai Indians forced their cheerleaders to don pants instead of skirts after protests from political parties.

The White Mischief Gals will travel across South Africa for all Royal Challenger matches during the five-week tournament, offering fans “flirtatious messages and tips,” the statement said.

Pietersen will only enjoy their support for the first two weeks, as he is due to return to England in early May to prepare for the Test series against the West Indies.
Source – google.com