Kolkata Knight Riders coach Dav Whatmore eyeing IPL playoffs
The coach of Kolkata Knight Riders, Dav Whatmore has said that his aim at the moment is to earn the side a berth in the knockout stages of the ongoing season four of the Indian Premier League.
King Khan’s Knight Riders will be desperate for a win when they face Delhi Daredevils at the Feroz Shah Kotla stadium in Delhi on Thursday, April 28. The win against Delhi will surely get their IPL campaign back on track.
The Kolkata side would be coming into the game at the back of two back-to-back defeats against Kochi Tuskers Kerala and Royal Challengers Bangalore, but Whatmore was not worried about the lead-up to the match.
“We do not want to read too much into the situation right now,” said the KKR coach while talking to the media reporters ahead of the game against Daredevils. “This is such a format where you win a couple and lose a couple. At the end of it, making it to the top four will matter,” he added further.
Different people have different opinions about the pitch at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Whilst the Delhi skipper, Virender Sehwag, declared that the Kotla wicket was not to his liking, the RCB batsman Virat Kohli termed the track as the best he has ever played on.
However, Whatmore said that the Delhi deck looks good and reckoned it would assist fast bowlers.
The IPL contest between Delhi and Kolkata would in fact be a clash of two India openers - Virender Sehwag, leading the Daredevils and Gautam Gambhir, the Kolkata skipper. The former Australia cricketer, Whatmore is excited about the game and said some "good contest is on cards".
“They (Sehwag and Gambhir) know each other's game very well,” said the Sri Lanka born former Aussie batsman. “They will share the secrets with their respective teams to their advantage. Viru is a very respected player, Gautam is also very good. There is good contest on cards,” he added further.
With six points from three wins in six games, Kolkata Knight Riders stand fifth on the points table, but Whatmore insisted not to look at the points table just yet. He said that all the IPL teams, except for Mumbai Indians, have been inconsistent in the latest edition of the lucrative league.
He further added that at the moment, their aim is to win as many games as possible to earn a berth in the IPL playoffs.
When asked about batting all-rounder, Rajat Bhatia’s poor performances in the tournament so far, the KKR coach said it would be unfair to single someone out.
“I believe it is unfair to single out Rajat because I don't think he has got decent enough opportunities where he could have made a difference. He is as valuable a player as others,” he explained.
IPL 4 Teams, Squad - All 10 Teams Players List for 2011 IPL, IPL4 Squads
IPL 4 | Indian Premier League 2011 | Indian Premier League 4
Saturday 30 April 2011
IPL-4: Good Fielding, bowling helped Bangalore win against Pune, says Virat Kohli
Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) batsman Virat Kohlihas hailed his squad's fielding and bowling for the 26 runs victory against Pune Warriors India (PWI).
Kohli, who was also the man of the match for his half-century, said it was indeed his team's best fielding performance so far.
"Everybody was really geared up to field well and to bowl well and bowl in the right areas, obviously we are going for runs in Twenty-20, just can't keep giving six runs an over throughout 20 overs. So, we had a few scary moments, but we believed in ourselves and fielded really well. Probably our best fielding effort so far," said Kohli.
RCB is in second place in the points-table after crushing PWI at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Kohli expressed happiness on being the only player retained in the team but said the constant pressure of delivering good performances also works for him.
"See for the last three years I wanted to be someone whom the team could look up to, so I didn't see any point of taking pressure and being retained as the only player because it is an honour for me, it is a privilege that some team only wants you in the team.
"So that gives them more confidence, obviously there is a bit of pressure because they retained you and you are the only player retained, so they look up to you to perform but I take it as a challenge. And a bit of pressure is nice actually for a batsman to go in. A little bit of pressure I think, (I) really like it," added Kohli.
The loosing captain Yuvraj Singh blamed the slow batting performance as the main reasons behind the defeat of his team.
"We stand a chance only if we win all the next six matches, but we will still give our best. Today I wanted to lose the toss as I have lost all the last five tosses and lost their matches. So I don't know what to say. I think the target was chaseable as the wicket was good for batting.
"We didn't lose many wickets amongst first six but sufficient runs were not made during Manish (Manish Pandey) and Jesse's (Jesse Ryder) partnership. Had we made runs back there then Robin (Robin Uthappa) and I could have given a better finish. I think that we have to look at ourselves and learn about what all areas need improvement," said Singh.
The Pune captain added that he was happy that a lot of new talents are getting chance to perform.
RCB, batting first set a target of 181 runs for the PWI in the stipulated 20 overs but could manage to restrict Pune to only 151 runs.
Kohli, who was also the man of the match for his half-century, said it was indeed his team's best fielding performance so far.
"Everybody was really geared up to field well and to bowl well and bowl in the right areas, obviously we are going for runs in Twenty-20, just can't keep giving six runs an over throughout 20 overs. So, we had a few scary moments, but we believed in ourselves and fielded really well. Probably our best fielding effort so far," said Kohli.
RCB is in second place in the points-table after crushing PWI at the M Chinnaswamy stadium.
Kohli expressed happiness on being the only player retained in the team but said the constant pressure of delivering good performances also works for him.
"See for the last three years I wanted to be someone whom the team could look up to, so I didn't see any point of taking pressure and being retained as the only player because it is an honour for me, it is a privilege that some team only wants you in the team.
"So that gives them more confidence, obviously there is a bit of pressure because they retained you and you are the only player retained, so they look up to you to perform but I take it as a challenge. And a bit of pressure is nice actually for a batsman to go in. A little bit of pressure I think, (I) really like it," added Kohli.
The loosing captain Yuvraj Singh blamed the slow batting performance as the main reasons behind the defeat of his team.
"We stand a chance only if we win all the next six matches, but we will still give our best. Today I wanted to lose the toss as I have lost all the last five tosses and lost their matches. So I don't know what to say. I think the target was chaseable as the wicket was good for batting.
"We didn't lose many wickets amongst first six but sufficient runs were not made during Manish (Manish Pandey) and Jesse's (Jesse Ryder) partnership. Had we made runs back there then Robin (Robin Uthappa) and I could have given a better finish. I think that we have to look at ourselves and learn about what all areas need improvement," said Singh.
The Pune captain added that he was happy that a lot of new talents are getting chance to perform.
RCB, batting first set a target of 181 runs for the PWI in the stipulated 20 overs but could manage to restrict Pune to only 151 runs.
Adam Gilchrist satisfied with Kings XI Punjab's performance in IPL-4
Kings XI Punjab skipper Adam Gilchrist has said that his team is trying to play the best cricket possible.
Talking about his team's performance in this edition of Indian Premier League, Gilchrist said that his team has performed well so far except few matches.
"It is unpredictable, we always try to play as well as we can, we played very well in three games and not so well in one and a half other games," said Gilchrist.
Ahead of their match against Kolkata Knight Riders, players of Kings XI Punjab were seen sweating it out at the nets on Friday (April 29) in eastern Kolkata city of India.
He also added that his team always tries to play better cricket.
"We played half a bad game, last game, we batted very well, every time we scored 200 in twenty overs means you played well, so which gave too many runs but that is the nature of Twenty20 cricket.
"You can't sit down and get too disappointed with losses and too care about wins because you cannot change it in instant, so we look to try and play some of the better cricket and hopefully we can," said the Kings XI Punjab skipper.
They will be facing Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday (April 30) in Eden Gardens in Kolkata city of India's eastern West Bengal state.
Talking about his team's performance in this edition of Indian Premier League, Gilchrist said that his team has performed well so far except few matches.
"It is unpredictable, we always try to play as well as we can, we played very well in three games and not so well in one and a half other games," said Gilchrist.
Ahead of their match against Kolkata Knight Riders, players of Kings XI Punjab were seen sweating it out at the nets on Friday (April 29) in eastern Kolkata city of India.
He also added that his team always tries to play better cricket.
"We played half a bad game, last game, we batted very well, every time we scored 200 in twenty overs means you played well, so which gave too many runs but that is the nature of Twenty20 cricket.
"You can't sit down and get too disappointed with losses and too care about wins because you cannot change it in instant, so we look to try and play some of the better cricket and hopefully we can," said the Kings XI Punjab skipper.
They will be facing Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday (April 30) in Eden Gardens in Kolkata city of India's eastern West Bengal state.
Delhi Daredevils v Kochi Tuskers 36th Match of IPL 4 Photos - Sehwag Man of the Match
Virender sehwag hit 47 balls 80 runs and took Delhi out of the bottom spot as they beat Kochi by 38 runs.
Friday 29 April 2011
DREAM run continues for IPL
Despite too much of cricket and viewers’ interest peaking after India’s triumph in the World Cup, IPL 4 has started on a sound footing and the momentum is likely to continue.
Even before the three-month long cricket season began on February 19 with two big events — ICC World Cup and Indian Premier League — taking place in quick succession this year, industry analysts were of the view that IPL 4 would garner more viewership and rake in more revenue. However, with Indian team’s dream run resulting in a thumping victory in the World Cup final, some experts believed that cricket fans have had enough and viewers’ interest in IPL would not be as strong as the previous three seasons. But they were wrong.
At the end of 10 matches, average viewership for World Cup stood at around 3 TVR (TG: CS M 15+ ABC). For the same market, at the end of 46 matches the World Cup generated 3.3 TVR (ESS+DD). Of these, the 39 non-India matches delivered an average of 1.8 TVR while the seven India matches averaged 12.7(ESS+DD). The first World Cup semi-final between New Zealand and Sri Lanka rated at 4.6 while the second semi-final between India and Pakistan rated at 22.8 and the final generated 24.9 TVR. Obviously India played huge role in generating TVR in 2011 and the last two matches, which delivered huge numbers, made a big difference to overall ratings. In comparison, the 2007 World Cup, which saw India performing disastrously and exiting at the group stage, had delivered average rating of 2.6 (Set Max + DD) at the end of 40 matches. Says Star India’s head of marketing Anupam Vasudev, “In the World Cup, real good ratings came from only the last couple of matches.”
IPL-4: The outsiders at home
Pune Warriors and Royal Challengers Bangalore meet in one of the most intriguing matches here on Friday. Interesting because, RCB stars will take on a Pune side that is flush with their former teammates. It will be a sort of home coming for Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey, who had previously played for the Bangalore side.
Both are best suited for the shorter version of the game and going by their unpredictability, one can expect a cracker of a contest. Pandey, who was forced to watch the IPL action from the sidelines for the first four matches because of a four-match ban, will certainly be looking at redemption against the RCB. Pandey is the first Indian to score a century in the IPL (in 2009).
Uthappa, on the other hand, has not justified his worth in the tournament yet. With scores reading 22 (off 14 balls against Kings XI Punjab), 31 (off 13 balls against Kochi Tuskers), 4 (off 10 balls against Delhi Daredevils), 45 (off 37 balls against Mumbai Indians) and a duck (off four balls against CSK), the India aspirant should be looking to make a more substantial contribution.
RCB will hope to continue their winning streak. With Gayle bringing a refreshing change in the batting line-up, the home team will eye their first home win of the season.
Meanwhile, Pune Warriors, currently placed second from the bottom with two wins and three losses, will be desperate to climb up the points table.
IPL-4: Security lapses in Kochi
Team Kochi continues to be in the news. This time, the owners have alleged serious breach of security protocols during their home matches. Even the Indian Premier League (IPL) authorities have pointed out security lapses during the home matches of Kochi Tuskers India.
At the working committee meeting here on Wednesday, a report was presented to the members, where the inadequacies in security in Kochi were discussed. The members are believed to havetaken a serious view of the situations in the southern IPL centre. According to a report prepared by IPL COO Sundar Raman, security breaches had occurred at about four stages. Raman was particularly serious about the free public access to the team buses outside the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium. He has pointed out that that the members of public had an easy access to the busses, which remained unattended during the matches.
Besides, it was also said that the team and match officials have not been given escorts. One concern, in particular, was the absence of security escorts from the airport to the hotels for the players. The report also castigates the security system in and outside the stadium. The Board, however, has not taken a decision on the matter.
Franchise owners, too, have written to the Board of Control for Cricket in India and IPL authorities pointing out ill-treatment by the state police. One owner even went to the extent of saying that the people without tickets were being let inside the stadium. They even alleged that the police have resorted to intimidating tactics.
However, the Kerala Cricket Association rubbished the claims. “Wednesday’s match was conducted smoothly. But we cannot be faulted for security because it is a franchise concern,” KC Matthews, KCA secretary, told DNA.
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the Kochi and Pune Warriors will seek arbitration on the rejection of their demand for discount on their annual franchise fee.
With BCCI giving them only three days to clear the dues, the teams might make the needed payment as the Board threatened to invoke the bank guarantee but they might do so under protest.
KKR v DD 2011 IPL 33rd Match Result - Iqbal Abdullah stars in Kolkata's 17 runs win
In the 33rd match of 2011 IPL4, Kolkata Knight Riders beat Delhi Daredevils by 17 runs and move to the 2nd place in points table on Thursday, 28th April, 2011 at Delhi. KKR made 148/7 in 20 overs and DD made 131/9 in 20 overs.
Kolkata Knight Riders got a steady start and they managed 148 runs on tough wickets thanks to Manoj Tiwary's 61 runs off 47 balls as Umaeh Yadav took 2 wickets. Delhi Daredevils then lost Warner early but Sehwag 35 runs and Hopes 25 runs put some fight but regular wickets and tight bowling by bowlers as Iqbal Abdullah took 3 wickets for 25 runs. Nagar tried some big hit in the end with 2 sixes.
Match Summary:
Kolkata Knight Riders - 148/7 in 20 overs (Tiwary 61, Umesh 2-29)
Delhi Daredevils - 131/9 in 20 overs (Sehwag 34, Iqbal 3-25)
Toss - Delhi Daredevils, who chose to field first.
Man of the Match - Manoj Tiwary (Kolkata Knight Riders)
Result - Kolkata Knight Riders won by 17 runs
Points - Kolkata Knight Riders 2, Delhi Daredevils 0
RCB v PW 2011 IPL 35th Match Live Score - Pune Warriors v Royal Bangalore IPL 4 Live Commentary, Teams
RCB v PW 2011 IPL 35th Match Live Score - Pune Warriors v Royal Bangalore IPL 4 Live Commentary, Teams
In the 35th match of 2011 Indian Premier League - IPL4, Royal Challengers Bangalore will take bottom team Pune Warriors Indians in the 2nd game of Friday, 29th April, 2011 at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore, in a night game starting from 14.30 GMT, 20.00 IST.Royal Challengers Bangalore is currently at 4th place in points table and after the arrival of Chris Gayle they won their both the matches. Dilshan is not performing at the top but and if de Villiers and Saurabh Tiwary performed well they can put a big score.
Pune Warriors Indians on the other hand after a good start of the tournament lying at the bottom and now they are in a must win situation to stay alive in the series. Ryder need to give explosive start and Uthappa also not playing to his expectations as Yuvraj has to finish the game for them.
Royal Challengers Bangalore Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 35th Match:
AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Virat Kohli, Saurabh Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, Asad Pathan, Abhimanyu Mithun, Daniel Vettori (cap), Zaheer Khan, Jamaluddin Syed Mohammad.
Pune Warriors Indians Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 35th Match:
Yuvraj Singh (cap), Robin Uthappa (wk), Jesse Ryder, Graeme Smith, Mithun Manhas, Mohnish Mishra, Ashish Nehra, Rahul Sharma, Wayne Parnell, Shrikanth Wagh, Murali Kartik, Alfonso Thomas
Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians 2011 IPL 34th Match Live Score Card - MI v RR IPL4 Live Commentary
Rajasthan Royals v Mumbai Indians 2011 IPL 34th Match Live Score Card - MI v RR IPL4 Live Commentary
2011 IPL 4 Points table leader Mumbai Indians will take 4th placedRajasthan Royals in the 34th match, on Friday, 29th April, 2011 at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, in a day-night game starting from 10.30 GMT, 4.00 PM IST.Mumbai Indians are in good form as after top order, Rohit Sharma and Andrew Symonds scored runs when they got chance in the last match. Lasith Malinga is bowling well as usual and Munaf Patel is supporting him well.
Rajasthan Royals also won their last match after 2 successive defeat against KKR as Shane Warne leading from the front in the field as getting support from Liz Hurley in the stand. Dravid and Watson giving good start but now the they have toughest opponent to face.
Mumbai Indians Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 34th Match:
Sachin Tendulkar (cap), Rohit Sharma, Kieron Pollard, Andrew Symonds, Ambati Rayudu, Davy Jacobs (wk), Abu Nachim, Ali Murtaza, Harbhajan Singh, Lasith Malinga, Munaf Patel.
Rajasthan Royals Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 34th Match:
Shane Warne (cap), Shane Watson, Ross Taylor, Rahul Dravid, Abhishek Raut, Johan Botha, Amit Gajanan Paunikar, Siddharth Trivedi, Ashok Menaria, Amit Singh, Ajinkiya Rahane.
Wednesday 27 April 2011
Fast Trax ties up with Delhi Daredevils team for IPL
After a successful association with reputed events like Common wealth Games & Hockey World cup, FastTrax Food Pvt. Ltd. ties up with Delhi Dare Devil team for IPL season 4. Fast Trax is Official Food and Restaurant Partner.
“The Organization is extremely proud and happy to be the only Fast Food Chain in the world to enter the League of IPL and only chain to be number one in sports catering,” said Samar Qureshi, Director, Fast Trax Food Pvt. Ltd.
All the Fast Trax outlets are dipped into IPL mood “Meri dilli Meri jaan wherein Fast Trax and Delhi Dare Devils association is shared every corner of the outlet. Fast Trax has become Delhi’s Favorite Joint within no time. Idea was to connect Delhi’s product with Delhi’s people. Earlier people were bound to go to bar and Lounge to enjoy the IPL Matches but this time Fast Trax has created the platform for all age groups to enjoy and cheer for their favorite team at all Fast Trax Outlet.
The Outlets have been given a Brand new look and Feel. Starting from the packaging material to carry bags to posters, dug outs to table stickers everything is defining this afresh association. Furthermore for all Daredevils Lovers special Delhi Daredevils Burger Combos have been launched which ensure prize on every scratch card with the combo like IPL tickets, merchandise and discount vouchers. Special Kids play meal has been launched with toy of the month as miniature bat signed by Daredevils Team
Fast Trax is selling tickets of all Matches from selected outlets covering all four zones of Delhi (North, east, West and south): Select City walk mall- Saket, V3S Mall-laxmi nagar, New Friends Colony, BPCL-IGI Aiprort; ISBT Kashmere Gate; and Metrowalk mall-Rohini.
IPL special menu at the stadium offers Burger, Wraps, Curry Boxes, Chicken Biryani, Choley Rice and Crunchy French Fries which would be served through 25 stalls across the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Reprising the role as official caterers for sports event in India, for the third time, after catering the Commonwealth Games, October 2010 & Hockey World Cup in March 2010; Fast Trax is all geared up for IPL. All ready the number one sports catering Fast food has outsell the expectations by selling over a one million burgers in just one year.
All the Fast Trax outlets are dipped into IPL mood “Meri dilli Meri jaan wherein Fast Trax and Delhi Dare Devils association is shared every corner of the outlet. Fast Trax has become Delhi’s Favorite Joint within no time. Idea was to connect Delhi’s product with Delhi’s people. Earlier people were bound to go to bar and Lounge to enjoy the IPL Matches but this time Fast Trax has created the platform for all age groups to enjoy and cheer for their favorite team at all Fast Trax Outlet.
The Outlets have been given a Brand new look and Feel. Starting from the packaging material to carry bags to posters, dug outs to table stickers everything is defining this afresh association. Furthermore for all Daredevils Lovers special Delhi Daredevils Burger Combos have been launched which ensure prize on every scratch card with the combo like IPL tickets, merchandise and discount vouchers. Special Kids play meal has been launched with toy of the month as miniature bat signed by Daredevils Team
Fast Trax is selling tickets of all Matches from selected outlets covering all four zones of Delhi (North, east, West and south): Select City walk mall- Saket, V3S Mall-laxmi nagar, New Friends Colony, BPCL-IGI Aiprort; ISBT Kashmere Gate; and Metrowalk mall-Rohini.
IPL special menu at the stadium offers Burger, Wraps, Curry Boxes, Chicken Biryani, Choley Rice and Crunchy French Fries which would be served through 25 stalls across the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. Reprising the role as official caterers for sports event in India, for the third time, after catering the Commonwealth Games, October 2010 & Hockey World Cup in March 2010; Fast Trax is all geared up for IPL. All ready the number one sports catering Fast food has outsell the expectations by selling over a one million burgers in just one year.
IPL 4: After Dilshan, Mahela and Sanga to leave early
Former Sri Lankan captains Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene on Tuesday confirmed that they would join their national squad on May 16, two weeks before the IPL final.
Deccan Chargers captain Sangakkara said it was painful to leave the team in the middle of the tournament but this was an issue that the IPL and the International Cricket Council needed to sort out in future.
"It is important that ICC and IPL work together and find a window for all matches (and tournaments) so that a player does not have the predicament of choosing between his country and the club," said Sangakkara at the pre-match media briefing. He felt that Test cricket is the most important part of the game and it needed more attention.
"A player earns the cap for his country through the Test and he values it much more than everything else. In future, T20 and ODIs are going to be franchise-driven and Tests will stand the test of time in a country's cricket priorities," he said.
Mahela Jayawardene seconded his opposite number on the issue and said he would get enough time to get a practice match for Sri Lanka in England. "Kochi's league matches will be over on May 15 and I will be there with the team on May 18," he said. Deccan Chargers have one more match on May 21, which Sangakkara will miss.
Jayawardene said friendship between him and Sanga won't extend to the field on Wednesday. "I am not just playing against Sanga; we are playing against a franchise and all their players," he explained.
Sri Lanka's first Test against England starts on May 26 in Cardiff, Both Sanga and Mahela will be in Colombo on May 16 and leave the island the next day to join the squad for the second warm-up game scheduled for May 19 against England Lions at Derby.
Deccan Chargers captain Sangakkara said it was painful to leave the team in the middle of the tournament but this was an issue that the IPL and the International Cricket Council needed to sort out in future.
"It is important that ICC and IPL work together and find a window for all matches (and tournaments) so that a player does not have the predicament of choosing between his country and the club," said Sangakkara at the pre-match media briefing. He felt that Test cricket is the most important part of the game and it needed more attention.
"A player earns the cap for his country through the Test and he values it much more than everything else. In future, T20 and ODIs are going to be franchise-driven and Tests will stand the test of time in a country's cricket priorities," he said.
Mahela Jayawardene seconded his opposite number on the issue and said he would get enough time to get a practice match for Sri Lanka in England. "Kochi's league matches will be over on May 15 and I will be there with the team on May 18," he said. Deccan Chargers have one more match on May 21, which Sangakkara will miss.
Jayawardene said friendship between him and Sanga won't extend to the field on Wednesday. "I am not just playing against Sanga; we are playing against a franchise and all their players," he explained.
Sri Lanka's first Test against England starts on May 26 in Cardiff, Both Sanga and Mahela will be in Colombo on May 16 and leave the island the next day to join the squad for the second warm-up game scheduled for May 19 against England Lions at Derby.
Kochi Tuskers v Deccan Chargers 2011 IPL 32nd Match Live Score - KTK v DC IPL4 Teams, Commentary
Kochi Tuskers v Deccan Chargers 2011 IPL 32nd Match Live Score - KTK v DC IPL4 Teams, Commentary
7th placed Kochi Tuskers Kerala will meet bottom team Deccan Chargers in the 32nd game of 2011 Indian Premier League - IPL4, on Wednesday, 27th April, 2011 at Nehru Stadium, Kochi, in a night game and timing will be 14.30 GMT, 8.00 PM IST.Kochi Tuskers Kerala became giant killer as they beat Mumbai, Cennai and Kolkata in a row but lost their last game against Rajasthan. They bowled out on 109 runs as they didn't pick Brandon McCullum and now they need him to give good start against good bowling line up.
Deccan Chargers is lying at the bottom with just 2 wins out of 6 games and they must win this game to stay alive in the tournament. The good thing is that they are playing away from home and Sangakkara have to lead from the front and need good support from Duminy & Dhawan. They have good bowling attack in the form of Ishant, Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra and Ojha.
Kochi Tuskers Kerala Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 32nd Match:
Mahela Jayawardene (cap), Brendon McCullum, VVS Laxman, Brad Hodge, Ravindra Jadeja, Raiphi Gomez, Parthiv Patel (wk), Vinay Kumar, Sreesanth, RP Singh.
Deccan Chargers Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 32nd Match:
Kumar Sangakkara (cap/wk), Jean-Paul Duminy, Shikhar Dhawan, Daniel Christian, Bharat Chipli, Dwaraka Ravi Teja, Ishank Jaggi, Ishant Sharma, Dale Steyn, Amit Mishra , Pragyan Ojha.
CSK vs PWI
Reverse match between Chennai Super Kings and Pune Warriors Indianswill be played within 2 days in the first game of Wednesday, 27th April, 2011 at DR DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai, in a day-night game starting from 10.30 GMT, 16.00 IST.
Chennai Super Kings won the last low scoring game easily thanks to Michael Hussey and R Ashwin. But now they are playing away from home and need contributions from Raina, Vijay and Dhoni. Shadab Jakati has not clicked so far in this season and they can try other options.
Pune Warriors Indians has a good chance to take revenge of their last defeat as they have advantage of playing at home bu the way they collapsed in the last match is a worrying factor. Ryder's good start will be crucial along with Yuvraj and Uthappa's form.
Chennai Super Kings Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 31st Match:
MS Dhoni (Cap), Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Michael Hussey, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Albie Morkel, Tim Southee, Subramaniam Badrinath, Faf du Plessis, Shadab Jakati.
Pune Warriors Indians Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 31st Match:
Yuvraj Singh (cap), Robin Uthappa (wk), Jesse Ryder, Graeme Smith, Mithun Manhas, Mohnish Mishra, Ashish Nehra, Rahul Sharma, Wayne Parnell, Shrikanth Wagh, Murali Kartik, Alfonso Thomas
Monday 25 April 2011
IPL's number check after week 3
After 28 matches in IPL 2011, only Mumbai Indians have been dominant, winning five of their six games. All the other teams have been more or less evenly balanced and the top four spots could eventually be decided based on the net run-rate. As IPL 2011 moves into its third week, here is a look at a few interesting numbers and stats from this edition and previous seasons.
1.25 - The win-loss ratio of teams winning the toss. This is second only to the win-loss ratio of 1.43 in IPL 2009. IPL 2008 was not so lucky for teams winning the toss. They won 28 and lost 30 games (W/L ratio 0.93). The overall W/L ratio for teams winning the toss across all seasons is 1.15.
2 - Paul Valthaty and Yuvraj Singh are the only players to achieve the feat of making a fifty-plus score and picking up four or more wickets in the same match. Both instances came in this edition of the IPL. Valthaty scored 75 and picked up 4 for 29 against Deccan while Yuvraj scored an unbeaten 66 and picked up 4 for 29 against Delhi.
2.25 - Lasith Malinga's economy rate during his spell of 3 for 9 is the best for any bowler in a completed spell in this IPL. Overall, the best economy rate is 1.50, for Fidel Edwards (Deccan) against Kolkata in 2009 and Ashish Nehra (Delhi) against Punjab in 2009.
4 - Number of maidens Irfan Pathan has bowled across all seasons of the IPL, the most by any bowler. Manpreet Gony, Praveen Kumar, Malinga and Albie Morkel are next, with three each.
6 - The number of ducks made by Shane Warne in IPL, the most by any player. He is followed by Piyush Chawla, Jacques Kallis and Pragyan Ojha, who have five ducks each.
8.71 - The scoring rate at Mohali, the highest among grounds that have hosted a minimum of ten matches. Hyderabad is next, with a run-rate of 8.50. Eden Gardens has the lowest scoring rate of 7.62.
13 - Number of scores over fifty by Kallis, the most by any player in the IPL. Shaun Marsh, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma have ten each.
26 - The most runs conceded in an over in 2011, by Ashok Dinda in his last over against Mumbai in 2011. Mashrafe Mortaza was also taken for 26 runs off the final over against Deccan in 2009.
28 - Number of matches won by Chennai and Mumbai, the most for any team. Rajasthan are next, with 27 wins in 49 matches.
28.70 - The runs per wicket in IPL 2011 is the highest among all seasons. In contrast, the runs per wicket is lowest in IPL 2009 (23.41). The run-rate is highest in 2008 (8.30) and lowest in 2009 (7.48).
41 - Adam Gilchrist, with 27 catches and 14 stumpings, has the most dismissals for a wicketkeeper in the IPL. He is followed by Dinesh Karthik (37) and Kumar Sangakkara (31). Sangakkara leads the tally in IPL 2011 with eight dismissals.
54 - The number of sixes conceded by Warne across all seasons of the IPL, the most by any bowler. Chawla (49) and Praveen (48) are next.
59 - The highest number of runs given away by a bowler in an IPL game, by Rajasthan's Siddharth Trivedi against Punjab in 2011. RP Singh, playing for Deccan, also leaked 59 against Kolkata in 2008.
69 - The number of sixes hit by Gilchrist, the most by any player in the IPL. Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina have hit 66 and 63 sixes. Valthaty heads the list in IPL 2011 with 12 sixes.
72.25 - The average of Marsh in wins, the highest among players who have scored at least 500 runs in victories. AB de Villiers is next, with an average of 64.75 in wins. Tendulkar has the most runs in wins (917).
152 - The stand between Gautam Gambhir and Kallis against Rajasthan is the highest in IPL 2011 and the second highest overall across all seasons. The highest remains the 155-run opening stand between Gilchrist and VVS Laxman against Mumbai in 2008.
200 - The number of runs scored in boundaries by Valthaty, the highest among batsmen who have scored more than 150 runs in IPL 2011. He is followed by David Warner, who has 144 runs in fours and sixes.
222.22 - The strike-rate of Jesse Ryder during his knock of 60 off 27 balls against Delhi, the highest in a 50-plus innings in IPL 2011. Yusuf, during his innings of 100 off 37 balls against Mumbai in 2010, had a strike rate of 270.27, the highest for a fifty-plus score in the IPL.
433 - The number of runs scored in the match between Delhi and Punjab in Delhi, the highest in IPL 2011 and the third highest overall across all seasons. The highest is 469 in the match between Chennai and Rajasthan in Chennai in 2010 followed by 447 in the game between Punjab and Chennai in Mohali in 2008.
579 - The number of runs put on by Rohit and Symonds in 22 innings, the most for any non-opening batting pair. MS Dhoni and Raina are next, with 566 runs in 17 innings.
1.25 - The win-loss ratio of teams winning the toss. This is second only to the win-loss ratio of 1.43 in IPL 2009. IPL 2008 was not so lucky for teams winning the toss. They won 28 and lost 30 games (W/L ratio 0.93). The overall W/L ratio for teams winning the toss across all seasons is 1.15.
2 - Paul Valthaty and Yuvraj Singh are the only players to achieve the feat of making a fifty-plus score and picking up four or more wickets in the same match. Both instances came in this edition of the IPL. Valthaty scored 75 and picked up 4 for 29 against Deccan while Yuvraj scored an unbeaten 66 and picked up 4 for 29 against Delhi.
2.25 - Lasith Malinga's economy rate during his spell of 3 for 9 is the best for any bowler in a completed spell in this IPL. Overall, the best economy rate is 1.50, for Fidel Edwards (Deccan) against Kolkata in 2009 and Ashish Nehra (Delhi) against Punjab in 2009.
4 - Number of maidens Irfan Pathan has bowled across all seasons of the IPL, the most by any bowler. Manpreet Gony, Praveen Kumar, Malinga and Albie Morkel are next, with three each.
6 - The number of ducks made by Shane Warne in IPL, the most by any player. He is followed by Piyush Chawla, Jacques Kallis and Pragyan Ojha, who have five ducks each.
8.71 - The scoring rate at Mohali, the highest among grounds that have hosted a minimum of ten matches. Hyderabad is next, with a run-rate of 8.50. Eden Gardens has the lowest scoring rate of 7.62.
13 - Number of scores over fifty by Kallis, the most by any player in the IPL. Shaun Marsh, Sachin Tendulkar, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma have ten each.
26 - The most runs conceded in an over in 2011, by Ashok Dinda in his last over against Mumbai in 2011. Mashrafe Mortaza was also taken for 26 runs off the final over against Deccan in 2009.
28 - Number of matches won by Chennai and Mumbai, the most for any team. Rajasthan are next, with 27 wins in 49 matches.
28.70 - The runs per wicket in IPL 2011 is the highest among all seasons. In contrast, the runs per wicket is lowest in IPL 2009 (23.41). The run-rate is highest in 2008 (8.30) and lowest in 2009 (7.48).
41 - Adam Gilchrist, with 27 catches and 14 stumpings, has the most dismissals for a wicketkeeper in the IPL. He is followed by Dinesh Karthik (37) and Kumar Sangakkara (31). Sangakkara leads the tally in IPL 2011 with eight dismissals.
54 - The number of sixes conceded by Warne across all seasons of the IPL, the most by any bowler. Chawla (49) and Praveen (48) are next.
59 - The highest number of runs given away by a bowler in an IPL game, by Rajasthan's Siddharth Trivedi against Punjab in 2011. RP Singh, playing for Deccan, also leaked 59 against Kolkata in 2008.
69 - The number of sixes hit by Gilchrist, the most by any player in the IPL. Yusuf Pathan and Suresh Raina have hit 66 and 63 sixes. Valthaty heads the list in IPL 2011 with 12 sixes.
72.25 - The average of Marsh in wins, the highest among players who have scored at least 500 runs in victories. AB de Villiers is next, with an average of 64.75 in wins. Tendulkar has the most runs in wins (917).
152 - The stand between Gautam Gambhir and Kallis against Rajasthan is the highest in IPL 2011 and the second highest overall across all seasons. The highest remains the 155-run opening stand between Gilchrist and VVS Laxman against Mumbai in 2008.
200 - The number of runs scored in boundaries by Valthaty, the highest among batsmen who have scored more than 150 runs in IPL 2011. He is followed by David Warner, who has 144 runs in fours and sixes.
222.22 - The strike-rate of Jesse Ryder during his knock of 60 off 27 balls against Delhi, the highest in a 50-plus innings in IPL 2011. Yusuf, during his innings of 100 off 37 balls against Mumbai in 2010, had a strike rate of 270.27, the highest for a fifty-plus score in the IPL.
433 - The number of runs scored in the match between Delhi and Punjab in Delhi, the highest in IPL 2011 and the third highest overall across all seasons. The highest is 469 in the match between Chennai and Rajasthan in Chennai in 2010 followed by 447 in the game between Punjab and Chennai in Mohali in 2008.
579 - The number of runs put on by Rohit and Symonds in 22 innings, the most for any non-opening batting pair. MS Dhoni and Raina are next, with 566 runs in 17 innings.
IPL-4 opens to lowest TV viewership ratings
The ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) T-20 tournament has opened to the lowest average television viewership ratings (TVRs) in its four-year history, worrying media buying firms and advertisers who have spent Rs 800-900 crore for on-air advertising.
Data released by TAM Sports , the industry benchmark agency that measures television viewership, say the first 15 IPL matches recorded a TVR of 4.36, almost 18% lower than last season. The ratings are for six metros. This is also a tad lower than the second season when the tournament was shifted to South Africa.
Punitha Arumugam, CEO of Madison Media Group , which buys ad spots for brands like Cadbury, Bharti Airtel and ITC, said: "It is a little worrying as the average TVR is lower than the previous seasons. It could be because of too many teams and too many matches. But we are hoping the ratings will pick up as the tournament progresses." She added that if the TVRs remain lower, it could impact official broadcaster SET MAX's ability to charge a premium for the remaining inventory as well as the next season.
Drop in viewership ratings was contributed by both male and female viewers. Viewership among males above the age of 15 is down 11% while viewership ratings among women and kids has fallen by a little over 11% over the previous season.
Dentsu Media CEO Sanjoy Chakrabarty said he expected IPL viewership ratings to be similar to the last season at best. It was highly unlikely that they would be higher, Chakrabarty added. Dentsu Media is the media buyer for Aircel , Honda and Toyota .
SET MAX attributes the drop in rating to higher number of afternoon matches. "In the month of April, there have been more afternoon matches, which has led to a slight drop. The evening games are doing very well. In May, there are more evening matches and the ratings will even out," said Rohit Gupta, president-network sales, SET MAX.
Gupta added that the absolute reach of IPL has grown by 15% as 125 million viewers had tuned in to watch the first fifteen matches across the country, he said.
The channel has roped in advertisers at a significant premium over last season, riding on the tournament's high viewership ratings during the past seasons.
Television spots have been sold at Rs 5-6 lakh per ten seconds to large sponsors. Vodafone is the presenting sponsor for the fourth season and has been a key advertiser for several seasons. "The viewership is subdued since IPL is coming after World Cup. Cricket buffs have already spent their emotional energy cheering for the Indian team," said Anuradha Aggarwal, vice-president - marketing, brand communication and consumer insights, Vodafone. She added that the school exams also lead to restricted television viewing in homes and hopes the momentum will pick up once school vacations begin.
"We bought IPL before the World Cup. We knew unlike previous years, IPL was not the first major cricket tournament in the year and it could have an impact on viewership," she added.
Data released by TAM Sports , the industry benchmark agency that measures television viewership, say the first 15 IPL matches recorded a TVR of 4.36, almost 18% lower than last season. The ratings are for six metros. This is also a tad lower than the second season when the tournament was shifted to South Africa.
Punitha Arumugam, CEO of Madison Media Group , which buys ad spots for brands like Cadbury, Bharti Airtel and ITC, said: "It is a little worrying as the average TVR is lower than the previous seasons. It could be because of too many teams and too many matches. But we are hoping the ratings will pick up as the tournament progresses." She added that if the TVRs remain lower, it could impact official broadcaster SET MAX's ability to charge a premium for the remaining inventory as well as the next season.
Drop in viewership ratings was contributed by both male and female viewers. Viewership among males above the age of 15 is down 11% while viewership ratings among women and kids has fallen by a little over 11% over the previous season.
Dentsu Media CEO Sanjoy Chakrabarty said he expected IPL viewership ratings to be similar to the last season at best. It was highly unlikely that they would be higher, Chakrabarty added. Dentsu Media is the media buyer for Aircel , Honda and Toyota .
SET MAX attributes the drop in rating to higher number of afternoon matches. "In the month of April, there have been more afternoon matches, which has led to a slight drop. The evening games are doing very well. In May, there are more evening matches and the ratings will even out," said Rohit Gupta, president-network sales, SET MAX.
Gupta added that the absolute reach of IPL has grown by 15% as 125 million viewers had tuned in to watch the first fifteen matches across the country, he said.
The channel has roped in advertisers at a significant premium over last season, riding on the tournament's high viewership ratings during the past seasons.
Television spots have been sold at Rs 5-6 lakh per ten seconds to large sponsors. Vodafone is the presenting sponsor for the fourth season and has been a key advertiser for several seasons. "The viewership is subdued since IPL is coming after World Cup. Cricket buffs have already spent their emotional energy cheering for the Indian team," said Anuradha Aggarwal, vice-president - marketing, brand communication and consumer insights, Vodafone. She added that the school exams also lead to restricted television viewing in homes and hopes the momentum will pick up once school vacations begin.
"We bought IPL before the World Cup. We knew unlike previous years, IPL was not the first major cricket tournament in the year and it could have an impact on viewership," she added.
Chennai Kings v Pune warriors 2011 IPL 29th Match Live Score - CSK v PW IPL 4 Commentary, Teams
Chennai Kings v Pune warriors 2011 IPL 29th Match Live Score - CSK v PW IPL 4 Commentary, Teams
In the 29th match of 2011 Indian Premier League - IPL4, 2 bottom teams of the points table, defending champions Chennai Super Kings and new team Pune Warriors Indians will meet in the only game of Monday, 25th April, 2011 at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk, Chennai, in a night game starting from 14.30 GMT, 8.00 PM IST.Both the teams started well with 2 wins in a row and Chennai Super Kingsthen lost 3 matches in a row while Pune Warriors Indians lost 2 matches in a row and both teams must win this game to stay in the race.
Chennai Super Kings not finding the right combination between their foreign players and they are in more need of a win as they played 1 more match and if they lost they need to win 5 matches out of remaining 8 games. Pune Warriors Indians on the other hand if win this match they will come back on track but if they lost, they will be at Chennai's place.
Chennai Super Kings Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 29th Match:
MS Dhoni (Cap), Suresh Raina, Murali Vijay, Michael Hussey, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravichandran Ashwin, Albie Morkel, Tim Southee, Subramaniam Badrinath, Faf du Plessis, Shadab Jakati.
Pune Warriors Indians Playing 11, Team, Squad for IPL4 29th Match:
Yuvraj Singh (cap), Robin Uthappa (wk), Jesse Ryder, Graeme Smith, Mithun Manhas, Mohnish Mishra, Ashish Nehra, Rahul Sharma, Wayne Parnell, Shrikanth Wagh, Murali Kartik, Alfonso Thomas
Friday 22 April 2011
IPL betting racket busted, two held
Two men were arrested for allegedly running a betting racket on the matches of the Indian Premier League, police said on Thursday.Ashok Kumar, 46, and Lalit Goyal, 38, were arrested Tuesday from a resort on GT-Karnal Road.
"They were operating the betting racket from a room in the resort during the IPL cricket matchh between Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils," Deputy Commissioner of police Ashok Chand said.
According to the police, they had received bets of Rs. 70 lakhs on the match by the time of the raid.
"In the IPL cricket matches so far, total bets accepted by them amount to more than Rs.3.5 crore," Chand said.
Can newbie Kochi win IPL 4?
From being absolute no-hopers to giant-killers, the journey of the Kochi Tuskers Kerala has riveted the small but fanatical cricket loving public in Kerala.Many of us shook our heads in despair when, from a seemingly unassailable position, the Tuskers contrived to lose their first match against RCB at home. There was a sense of inevitability that Mahela was fighting a losing battle when they stumbled against co-debutants Pune Warriors at the DY Patil stadium at Navi Mumbai.
So when the Orange-and-Purple went out to play the mighty Blue Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede, people wondered if the Tuskers were about be hunted to extinction by a team playing at home and in flawless form. Would the elephant soon be another pelt on the belt of the likes of Rayudu, Rohit Sharma, Malinga and Pollard?
It didn't help Kochi's cause much when Sachin blasted his maiden ton in the T20 format that day. At the end of the first innings, a decidedly big-looking 182 stared Kochi in the face. All looked lost and some of us watched the match only hoping to see Malinga fling his toe crushers at the hapless Kochi batsmen.
What transpired next was pure magic? Brendon McCullum, playing fearless cricket in the company of his captain and batsman-extraordinaire Mahela Jayewardene, made mockery of the stiff target that the Mumbai Indians had put up.
Brad Hodge and Ravindra Jadeja knocked off the balance in style. Flash in the pan, was my first thought.
Come Monday, April 18 and another battle at home loomed. Chennai Super Kings, the reigning IPL and ICC champions in this format of the game, were visiting. The memory of the first home match loss against RCB was yet to fade.
In a rain-curtailed match, Mahela's team polished off a below par score of CSK with an over to spare and 7 wickets standing. There was some whirlwind hitting by Brendon, Jadeja and Hodge again and a silken though short innings of substance by Mahela at the top.
Suddenly, Kochi, the team and the town, was buzzing with excitement. Fans exuded cautious optimism of being part of a winning team.
This cautious optimism turned into a sense of disbelief and then downright joy when defending a modest 130-odd runs, Kochi upstaged a red-hot Kolkata Knight Riders at the Eden Gardens. Eden was silent when Vinay Kumar trundled up from a short run up to bowl and close off the match. Laxmipathy Balaji played the ball to long off for two runs and KTK had beaten KKR by 6 runs!
Amid all the euphoria and excitement of winning the third match in a row, Mahela sounded a word of caution when he said that Kochi had a long way to go and needed to be more consistent. This actually set me thinking about the main players in the Kochi cast and it did make some interesting reading.
Brendon McCullum holds the record for the highest score in IPL history.
Mahela, the Captain with the Midas touch.
Brad Hodge is the highest run-getter in T20 history.
Ravindra Jadeja is all beefed up and is biffing the cricket ball farther and higher than ever before.
RP Singh is the highest wicket taker in IPL history.
Murali is the highest wicket taker in any form of cricket
The Very Very Special Laxman, ah well.
And as I am writing this it is rumored that Souravda one of my favourite cricketers is all ready and signed up to join KTK if archaic rules would permit.
I appreciate and understand that translating figures on paper to form on the field will take character, perseverance and a whole lot of luck. But the turn of events over the past two weeks I daresay augurs well for the Tuskers. I have a sneaky feeling that consistent, KTK will be.
Mahela is scheduled to prematurely leave the Tuskers to don national colours for the Sri Lankan tour of England and will surely be missed by them. His calm and composed demeanor, form with the bat and his amazing luck with the toss will have to be replicated by the captain who takes over from him.
I am keeping my fingers crossed that one of India's finest captains will fill his boots and continue to take us, the fans, on the back of the powerful yet graceful animal that is the Tusker, to savor many more moments of happiness and delight that Team Kochi is capable of giving us. Any wagers on Kochi doing the distance?
Thursday 21 April 2011
We have saved 100 crore in IPL 4: Chirayu Amin
VADODARA: He took over as the chairman of IPL after Lalit Modi's controversial exit.
One year into his job and Chirayu Amin says he is happy about his performance. Excerpts from an interview:
You took over as chairman of IPL when it was surrounded by controversies last year. How has been your one-year stint?
It has been a good stint as we have been running the league professionally. The governing council is being run like a professional company with complete transparency. Now, every decision is taken jointly after discussion which was not the case earlier. Each and every tender is opened in presence of lawyers and bidders.
What were the important steps taken in last one year and how did IPL benefit from it?
Apart from bringing in transparency, we made it a point to stop unnecessary expenditure and spent money more judiciously. These measures alone have helped us save Rs 100 crore in IPL-4.
The late-night parties during IPL have been discontinued. Did the franchises object to it?
Not at all. In fact, the franchise owners are happy that we stopped the parties. They feel that the players will now be able to maintain their focus more on cricket. IPL is more about cricket.
After all the controversies that hit IPL last year, how has been the response from the fans?
The opening ceremony of IPL-4 received maximum TRPs and the games have received more viewership than last year. Also, Volkswagen joined in as additional sponsor for IPL-4 and we hope our revenues to be higher this year which means more money for state associations.
Two teams were added in IPL-4. Any plan to add more teams in future?
There is no chance of having additional teams in IPL now. The schedule window does not allow us to have more teams and matches.
You had a long stint with Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) as president and also vice-president of BCCI. Did it help you in running IPL better?
Well, I have been at handling cricketing affairs since long so it did help. But, my experience of running Alembic Ltd helped me more in running IPL as we have to apply same principles of management used in corporate sector.
One year into his job and Chirayu Amin says he is happy about his performance. Excerpts from an interview:
You took over as chairman of IPL when it was surrounded by controversies last year. How has been your one-year stint?
It has been a good stint as we have been running the league professionally. The governing council is being run like a professional company with complete transparency. Now, every decision is taken jointly after discussion which was not the case earlier. Each and every tender is opened in presence of lawyers and bidders.
What were the important steps taken in last one year and how did IPL benefit from it?
Apart from bringing in transparency, we made it a point to stop unnecessary expenditure and spent money more judiciously. These measures alone have helped us save Rs 100 crore in IPL-4.
The late-night parties during IPL have been discontinued. Did the franchises object to it?
Not at all. In fact, the franchise owners are happy that we stopped the parties. They feel that the players will now be able to maintain their focus more on cricket. IPL is more about cricket.
After all the controversies that hit IPL last year, how has been the response from the fans?
The opening ceremony of IPL-4 received maximum TRPs and the games have received more viewership than last year. Also, Volkswagen joined in as additional sponsor for IPL-4 and we hope our revenues to be higher this year which means more money for state associations.
Two teams were added in IPL-4. Any plan to add more teams in future?
There is no chance of having additional teams in IPL now. The schedule window does not allow us to have more teams and matches.
You had a long stint with Baroda Cricket Association (BCA) as president and also vice-president of BCCI. Did it help you in running IPL better?
Well, I have been at handling cricketing affairs since long so it did help. But, my experience of running Alembic Ltd helped me more in running IPL as we have to apply same principles of management used in corporate sector.
Gayle's decision to opt out of Pak series for IPL angers WICB
ST JOHN'S (Antigua): Former captain Chris Gayle's decision to give the entire home series against Pakistan a miss for the lucrative IPL has angered the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), which described the opener's move as "unacceptable and disappointing ".
In a statement, the WICB today confirmed that it had granted No Objection Certificate to Gayle to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL after "he had officially notified the board of his decision not to make himself available for selection for the Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series."
"Gayle informed the WICB that he had received an offer to participate in the IPL and applied to the WICB for a No Objection Certificate to cover the entire duration of the IPL which clashes with the Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series," the statement read.
"The WICB does not accept Gayle's reason for making himself unavailable but as he has already clearly made his choice and has travelled to India, the WICB does not wish to stand in his way.
"The WICB is most disappointed in the manner in which Gayle has handled the entire situation, especially given the mature and cooperative manner in which two other players who refused contracts -- Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard -- made themselves available for selection and agreed to an understanding in the best interest of West Indies cricket," it added.
Gayle, who remained unsold in the IPL 4 auctions earlier this year after attracting a base price of $400,000 was on Tuesday roped in by Bangalore as a replacement for injured Australian left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes.
The WICB said that it was taken by surprise by Gayle's decision as it was under 4 the impression that the opener, who was rehabilitating an abdominal strain he suffered during the World Cup, was preparing for the Pakistan series under the supervision of a medical team in Jamaica.
"At the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup, Gayle underwent a medical examination in the UK. Following Gayle's consultation with a UK doctor it was determined that he would require at least 2 to 3 weeks of rest before returning to training.
"The WICB was surprised to learn that Gayle had been making arrangements to play cricket inIndia when the WICB was under the clear impression that he was recovering from injury and was undergoing rehabilitation work and about to resume training," the statement said.
The West Indies board also made it clear that because of the injury Gayle was not considered for the first two ODIs against Pakistan.
"After the resumption of training the WICB team management would have organised a fitness test to assess Gayle's fitness and decisions would have then been taken about his selection to the West Indies team to face Pakistan.
"The squads for the third, fourth and fifth Digicel ODIs and the Digicel Tests have not yet been selected. It is therefore not accurate, as has been insinuated in some quarters, that Gayle was not selected for the entire Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series," the WICB stressed.
Gayle had played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three editions of the IPL.
In a statement, the WICB today confirmed that it had granted No Objection Certificate to Gayle to play for Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL after "he had officially notified the board of his decision not to make himself available for selection for the Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series."
"Gayle informed the WICB that he had received an offer to participate in the IPL and applied to the WICB for a No Objection Certificate to cover the entire duration of the IPL which clashes with the Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series," the statement read.
"The WICB does not accept Gayle's reason for making himself unavailable but as he has already clearly made his choice and has travelled to India, the WICB does not wish to stand in his way.
"The WICB is most disappointed in the manner in which Gayle has handled the entire situation, especially given the mature and cooperative manner in which two other players who refused contracts -- Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard -- made themselves available for selection and agreed to an understanding in the best interest of West Indies cricket," it added.
Gayle, who remained unsold in the IPL 4 auctions earlier this year after attracting a base price of $400,000 was on Tuesday roped in by Bangalore as a replacement for injured Australian left-arm pacer Dirk Nannes.
The WICB said that it was taken by surprise by Gayle's decision as it was under 4 the impression that the opener, who was rehabilitating an abdominal strain he suffered during the World Cup, was preparing for the Pakistan series under the supervision of a medical team in Jamaica.
"At the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup, Gayle underwent a medical examination in the UK. Following Gayle's consultation with a UK doctor it was determined that he would require at least 2 to 3 weeks of rest before returning to training.
"The WICB was surprised to learn that Gayle had been making arrangements to play cricket inIndia when the WICB was under the clear impression that he was recovering from injury and was undergoing rehabilitation work and about to resume training," the statement said.
The West Indies board also made it clear that because of the injury Gayle was not considered for the first two ODIs against Pakistan.
"After the resumption of training the WICB team management would have organised a fitness test to assess Gayle's fitness and decisions would have then been taken about his selection to the West Indies team to face Pakistan.
"The squads for the third, fourth and fifth Digicel ODIs and the Digicel Tests have not yet been selected. It is therefore not accurate, as has been insinuated in some quarters, that Gayle was not selected for the entire Pakistan leg of the Digicel Series," the WICB stressed.
Gayle had played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the first three editions of the IPL.
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