26

Apr

The IPL Gains Momentum…and cricket loses Speed

Posted on April 26th, 2008 by Harsh

So much has happened in cricket in the past few days, that it is impossible to put it all in one single piece. Anyhow, let me begin with the match between the Deccan Chargers and Rajasthan Royals. I have not been able to figure out what is wrong with the Deccan Chargers. It is one team that got me excited before the tournament began (I have already praised their batting line-up profusely in my earlier pieces). For me, DC vs RR is the match of tournament so far, and may well just qualify to be the most exciting match. Two teams scoring over 400 runs in 40 overs – what else does the crowd want.

It was a strange day for Andrew Symonds who almost won the match for the Deccan Chargers with a scintillating 100, also the fastest of the tournament, and then lost it for his team thru his bowling. But here I find Laxman at fault (can’t we have Davis Cup type system here to have a non-playing captain) who threw the ball to Symonds with RR needing 17 runs off the last 6 balls. Symonds, in an earlier match against Delhi Daredevils, had leaked 30 runs in an over. Isn’t that an indication enough for a captain? Perhaps, not for Laxman, the fool who thought he had won the match before the last ball. Well, that’s the way it is at times.

But what a day for Shane Warne, who I guess would have made a brilliant test captain, but always had Steve Waugh at helm in his heydays. Shane Warne was just perfect in about everything he did, and he is making a very average team do very well. Yousuf Pathan is not the man you would put your money on to score a scorching half-century with a required rate of 10/over, neither would you think Kaif to be the guy to pull his team out of the hole (gosh! He hit three sixes in an over). Shane Warne put the icing on the cake, by carving Symonds for two critical and stupendous sixes. Warne is unlucky not have a Test 100 to his name, having scored 99 twice in his career.

All in all, a perfect day for T20 enthusiasts it was. 

And Harbhajan does a Monkey Act…

I don’t understand this one. It is a googly for me. Is Harbhajan a kid playing in the streets of Jalandhar, or a pro who has played 10 years of international cricket? You know the answer, but his attitude does not suggest that.

I was watching Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab match with my friends, and they had said that Harbhajan has done the wrong thing by representing Mumbai; he should have been in Punjab. Though I brought to their notice that players were auctioned and it was not upto them to choose their teams (except the captains), I think Harbhajan has lost some respect in Punjab. Some people may defend by saying that Harbhajan was instigated by Sreesanth, which is a possibility, but getting physically violent is not the way out. I am sure Harbhajan wouldn’t be short of abuses and bad words, and he could have used them effectively instead of slapping poor Sreesanth, who cried so bitterly on the field that it seemed he was a kid who has been hit by friends. I personally feel that Sreesanth weeping in front of the camera was more drama than reality. He is not “sant”, this Sree. Anyhow, this gives the IPL a new twist and just makes it more interesting.

Speed Makes a Speedy Exit

Now, what’s happening in the ICC (that’s International Cricket Council, the game’s governing body, before you think that’s some rival tournament)? I read CEO Malcolm Speed has been sent on a paid leave till July because has failed to get along with a few of his colleagues. Interesting! Very interesting! I have never liked Speed, to be honest. He seems to be a strict professor, who likes to issue strict statements and governs the body as if he is the chief of World Bank!

1482 days ago Short URL 1 Comment

Cricket/Indian Premier League

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21

Apr

The Sunday Thrillers

Posted on April 21st, 2008 by Harsh

What else can one do on a Sunday but watch IPL if you have SRK, Karan Johar, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi et al watching a game of cricket along with a crowd of 70,000 people in the Eden Gardens.

Well, as most of you can see, the euphoria of IPL has reached new levels. Kolkata has always been a home to cricket mania, and with Dada leading the side (Kolkata Knightriders for those who are still oblivious of it) it was like watching the World Cup Final. The first match, between Knightriders and Deccan Chargers, was the arguably first match between the equals. I have already spoken huge volumes about Kolkata Knighriders and their prowess, but Deccan Chargers (the Hyderabad team owned by Media Group Deccan Chronicle) is a team to look out for. The batting line-up is unarguably the most explosive – Gilchirst, Symonds, Afridi, Gibbs, Styris, Sharma, Bangar – what do you make of that. This makes it a brilliant fielding outfit as well and full of useful all-rounders. Don’t be surprised to see a few brilliant catches being taken by this team.

I am strongly backing Hyderabad team for the finals, but I feel they’d do well to get rid of Laxman from their batting line up. May be Vijay Mallya can have him inducted in his small T20 Test Squad. Anyhow, the match between Kinghtriders and Chargers was more than exciting, with pitch being the real devil. It spat like a dancing cobra, as Ravi Shastri said, and Ishant Sharma was certainly a deadly cobra. The innings never took for Chargers and they folded for a paltry 110, a pitiable score in T20. On any other pitch, it would have been a walk in the park for Knighriders to overhaul the target, but it took a brilliant and composed innings of 35 from David Hussey (not Mike) to reach then target.

The lights go off…and the debris falls

The “Indian Premier League” has a very important word in it – Indian. So, you can expect the unexpected. I was not a bit surprised when lights went off during Kinghtriders’ innings with them needing 22 off 20 balls. What surprised me the time it took to repair the damage – 31 minutes to be precise. I read in the morning newspaper that it was a grid failure but the Electricity Board blamed the Stadium authorities for the chaos. The blame game has begun, ladies and gentlemen. The most sorry figure, however, was the Bollywood squad. Gauri Khan could be seen with her hands on the cheek, and SRK looked as listless as Mr Bean. Poor guyz, they could not even stand up and leave like the others in the stadium. What does half hour cost you Mr Khan? A few loose lakhs perhaps!

If the light fiasco was not enuf, the Mumbai authorities chipped in with their share of chaos. The firecrackers went up… as the team of Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers came out… down came the debris in huge volumes. The ball boys and game authorities took ages to hand-pick it. The players also grew impatient and started to pick up. The match scheduled to begin at 8:30 finally got to see the light of the day at 8:45. That was yawing, especially for VIP brigade that comprised Mukesh Ambani (man, he looked pregnant with that belly), pretty Katrina Kaif, happening Kareena and her latest beau Saif. Anil Kapoor and a few others added to the glam.

Boucher Blasts Bombay Boys

I can safely conclude from the match between the RCB (Royal Challengers Bangalore) and MI (Mumbai Indians) that the RCB are better than the RR (Rajasthan Royals). I am glad they got rid of Wasim Jaffer, and brought in Chanderpaul and Ross Taylor. Taylor is a magnificent player and his presence did add zing to the side. I must say that the team looks far better now. With Misbah about to join, they can look at finishing 3rd or 4th. But it was Bombastic Boucher who made the difference to the match. His hurricane knock at the end…39 off 19 balls…took the match away from Mumbai Indians. His two sixes were the longest I have ever seen. Totally breathtaking! 165 was a good total I think, but RCB were up to it, and deserved to win, after a clinical display in the field.

My Player of the Day…Virat Kohli

I am eating my own words here. RCB looked far better last night. Virat Kohli, India’s u-19 captain was simply outstanding when he took a low-diving catch of Ronchi, who has a career strike rate of 170. It was a catch that pumped up the RCB fielding side. Diving to his right, he held the catch with both hands, and it was one of the catches, which can you watch over and over again and never stop admiring. I think his batting also looked more confident as a result of that, and he seems to be a good promising player for both the IPL and India.

1487 days ago Short URL Comments

Cricket/Indian Premier League

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20

Apr

The Excitement Never Stops! The Indian Premier League in Delhi

Posted on April 20th, 2008 by Harsh

Am I a classical case of a purist getting the IPL Hangover? Perhaps, yes, but I would like to clarify that I admire Tests, and even if some crazy willow-holder goes on to make a double hundred in T20, for me a double in Tests will always be more admirable.

In true sense, I would however, confess that I have been glued to my TV ever since the IPL has begun. I tried to follow the ICL but it did not match the hype and stardom of the BCCI-backed event. If you watched last night’s match between Delhi Daredevils and Rajasthan Royals, Sehwag’s short innings really summed up the excitement of the IPL. The first three balls he faced were shot to the fence with extreme power. Shane Watson, on the receiving end, produced an in-swinging delivery thereafter and had Sehwag bowled. The volume levels of the crowd were also noticeable. Unfortunately, that was the only wicket Royals could have, and the Daredevils went on to win the match.

The Rajasthan is owned by a media company called Emerging Media. They are the second worst cricket brains after Dr. Vijay Mallya. What a team? A 40-year-old leading a team, only because of his greed to earn more! A bowling attack that can’t even succeed against Kenya. A batting line-up that yearns for a batsman. It is one of the teams that will play to lose, and giving us some extremely one-sided contests to watch.

On the other hand, Delhi Daredevils has a lot of tooth in their bowling attack as we discovered yesterday. Their batting looked thinner to me in comparison to other teams, but with Shikhar Dhawan coming good, I guess the top order offers excitement. Gambhir is a proven player in T20, being MoM in the world cup. Sehwag is as unpredictable as Harbhajan’s batting style. With a sharp bowling attack, they can however, always look at restricting opposition to low totals. McGrath, Mahroof, Vettori – sounds very good. All three are very smart bowlers, and Mahroof is also a bit under-rated.

Hussey Scores without any Fuss

Chennai Superstars have a devastating batting line up and I don’t have any doubts about that. If I were a bowler, I would have been hesitant bowling to them. Hayden, Hussey, Dhoni – the triumvirate is scary. Hussey, nicknamed Mr Cricket (I wonder why it took 150 years of cricket to manufacture that nick name…it came after “Pigeon” and “Jammy”), was not just prolific but strategic. He was not violent, but elegant. That’s what Hussey’s knock was, and not to forget, extremely fast.

The first game of the tournament made history when Royal Challengers made the highest score in the history of the game, and the record stood barely for 20 hours, as Chennai overhauled it easily, courtesy Mr Cricket. Mohali made a brave chase but it always required one extraordinary innings, which never came along.

And, now one more thing. What sin has Yuvraj Singh done by hitting six sixes in one over. I feel bad for the guy. The commentators mentioned this already over-hyped fact about a dozen times, and hoped for a repeat. C’mon he has done it once and let it be. You are being harsh on him.

1488 days ago Short URL Comments

Cricket/Delhi/Indian Premier League

20

Apr

The long and short of it!

Posted on April 20th, 2008 by Harsh

Couldn’t help posting this!

1488 days ago Short URL Comments

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19

Apr

The Indian Premier League…Again…and some good-bad news

Posted on April 19th, 2008 by Harsh

What is it with the IPL after all? The first day (or night), you get the highest score ever in T20, and the highest individual score. Brendon McCullum was devastating to say the least. His one and half hundred had 13 gigantic sixes, all of them lusty blows, depositing the ball well into the stands. I just can’t get over the last one which was just a tap of the bat and the ball went flying over the long-on. And SRK and Arjun Rampal (unrecognizable on the first look) going crazy with every shot!

Since I was home early last evening, I also got to listen to (and see) Vijay Mallaya on TV. He was justifying the composition of his team. I had written in my earlier post on the IPL that Vijay Mallya had created a team of test match players in a T20 competition. Go and sell alcohol Dr Mallya, cricket is not your game. You can just have the most attractive looking and skimpily clad women dance on the pitch; it takes more to create a team that can win. Do you think Jaffer, Dravid and Kallis will hit sixes and win you a match? Dravid must have hit a total of dozen sixes in more than 200 ODIs that he has played. I have never seen Jaffer hit a six (Harbhajan is better than him as a pure T20 batsman), and Kallis is more of an accumulator even if he has the ability hit the big ones.

Dr. Vijay Mallya, Sir, you have money enuf to buy a small town in India. I ask you, why you couldn’t hire one sensible man when you were bidding for your team – I would have been available. You are amongst the 1000 richest men on Earth. What have you done sir, created the most lousy team in the competition. You can only fancy your chances against Rajasthan, and they must be fancying their chances against you.

Thanks for the glamour, btw. The Redskins Cheerleading team was the next best thing after the McCullum’s onslaught.

SRK is 42?

I have never seen Shah Rukh Khan get so animated off screen. He is marketing himself and his team well now. Those who saw yesterday’s match could see him almost jumping over the fence. He didn’t look a bit like a 42-year-old to me. He looks 30. True, he eats a healthy diet, exercises regularly, applies all those scientific creams on his skin, and I don’t know what all. But the guy looks amazing fit. He is capable and agile enuf to be a fielder in Royal Challenger’s team. You listening, Dr Mallya.

Good Going….

Car Prices go uphill

I read a piece of news on the front page (I think it was the HT), which said that the car prices may rise by 2-3% because of the surge of prices in steel, copper and whatever other metals they use (plastic is not there) to make cars. That means the Santro or Wagon R may cost another 9000 INR.

I really have no idea how it’s going to affect the buyers. There can be two plausible effects:

  1. Less people buy car. Highly unlikely, but a blessing for the Indian roads.

b. The no. of cars sold remains the same or go up. Likely to happen, because the no. of cars are just increasing everyday. Most people who buy cars go for auto loans and in the end another 2% means they pay EMI for another month. That doesn’t really make difference to anyone. I read interest rates may also go up. The Indian mindset does not absorb that, so that may just prevent a few cars from being sold.

I suggest that if you have to control the car sales, just double the prices. Also, before I leave, increase the public transport vehicles, and see the effect. Make it mandatory for every person between the age of 20 and 40 to work from home for at least two years. The traffic may get in control.

Signing off!

1489 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

Cricket/India/Indian Premier League

18

Apr

The Indian Premier League – Who cares?

Posted on April 18th, 2008 by Harsh

Well, finally the day has come. After all the hoopla, over-hype, millions of dollars, Bollywood Superstars, and dancing on the street, the IPL will finally come into action – finally, what it was meant for.

The IPL is unarguably the most hyped cricket event ever held. Even more than the World Cup! Players from all nations excluding England and Zimbabwe are here to make their bank balances heavy and keep their accountants more occupied. But, honestly, I have my concerns about this IPL.

The Burnout Factor

The last thing cricketers need is more cricket. The Indian team plays more cricket than any other team, and Australians have to retire early to spend time with their family. Some English cricketers skip international series to focus more on their families. Also, injuries are a way of life. Look at poor Andrew Flintoff. He has not been able to play after England’s loss to Australia two years back, and has had multiple operations on his ankle. He would have done far better being a commentator. Dhoni has virtually had a world tour in past two years and has hardly had anytime to rest. More so, he has even failed to take off on a steady love affair. I feel bad for the guy. He was supposed to be going around with Deepika Padukone, who was conveniently shifted to his deputy Yuvraj, who also lost her due no-one-know-why reason.

With such punishing schedules, you squeeze in the IPL which is mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. Plus the travel one has to do.

The Heat

Mr Modi’s demeanor suggests that he is the next intellectual man after Einstein. But I have to question his sensibility here. He has chosen the worst months for staging the IPL. April, May and June are the hottest months, when we don’t even care to get out of our homes, offices and cars. Perhaps, the international calendar is so busy that there was no other time to have the IPL.

I agree that most matches are eight in the evening, but can you imagine going out for a stroll at that time in summers. If you are in Delhi, like me, you will say NO. I won’t be surprised if a player or two seriously fall ill during the series. I remember years back Kenya played a few matched against India in May-June and every batsman or bowler had cramps and suffered due to the heat.

Testing Times for Test Cricket

I have friends who no longer have any kind of charm left for ODI, leave alone Test Cricket. For the purists like me, Test Cricket is the ultimate test of any batsmen or bowler, but I am afraid the gen-next will not be thinking on the same lines. I can envisage a stadium years from now where youngsters come only to watch the fast-paced T20 and guzzle pints of beer while having one eye on the Redskins (I think they are soon going to have an office in India). For years, we have had cars and babes as a deadly combination. The IPL has gone the F1 way by having team owners, and don’t be surprised to have skimpy clad babes with bats dancing on the dais.

Test Cricket may soon become a part of the folklore and Bradman a great who could not ever play the great Indian Premiere League.

Making Money all the Time

Nothing sounds bigger than a billion dollars and that too in Indian Cricket. The BCCI has earned enough to run all sporting bodies in India. The innovation and crazy selling rights and sponsorship rates have meant that BCCI treasure trove needs more real estate space.

The players are not going to lose either. Stephan Fleming said on the record that the money is the most attractive prize of the IPL. McGrath, who retired because he wanted to spend more time with his wife who is suffering from cancer, is back! He looks too old actually now, old enuf to coach a team. I saw him on the newspaper front page yesterday. His face looked like a shabby and over-bloated balloon and he was doing bhangra in East Patel Nagar!

All said and done, I unabashedly proclaim that I am going to catch IPL tonight at eight. Kolkata Vs Bangalore, and Knightriders are my favorites. Who do you bet on?

1490 days ago Short URL 3 Comments

Cricket/Indian Premier League

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29

Feb

The good and the bad of the IPL – Teams at the Indian Premier League

Posted on February 29th, 2008 by Harsh

For the past fortnight or so, every news channel has taken a lot of air time, and every newspaper and magazine considerable print space to telecast and write their take on the Indian Premier League. The IPL is perhaps the most glamorous and talked-about event of 2008 in India. The marriage of Bollywood and cricket, the two most crowd-pulling entities in the sub-continent, has created waves and made every cricket enthusiast and non-enthusiast sit and take notice.

Now that the much publicized auction and bidding process is over, everyone is looking forward to the real action – that is on the field. I must admit that the clashes really excite me. The pattern and format is akin to that exists in the western countries. The EPL, NFL and NBA are very similar. The club culture is not new to India; it has existed for decades in football and every club has its own set of loyal fans. I don’t see that kind of culture coming up instantly in India, but I won’t be surprised to see it emerge in a few years from now. I am sure many of my local friends will be rooting for Delhi. Isn’t it tempting to see Shoaib and Sharma ball in tandem, and Jayasurya and Tendulkar open batting for Mumbai?

All said and done, now I am keener on analyzing the teams. I have seen very little common sense from the bidders, especially seeing Ricky Ponting going for a paltry USD 215,000 to Kolkata. I consider that a steal, since I see Ponting as the most valuable player in the last five years or so. He deserved more money and respect. Shane Wane for USD 450 K? For what? What will a 38-year-old ageing leg spinner add to the team, and that too on a soil where most players don’t even care for his reputation. If you look at someone like Gilchrist at USD 700K, it still makes sense because he is still one of the most dreaded batsmen in the world, and an A-list wicketkeeper. Dhoni, on the other hand, adds more value than Gilchrest because he is younger and also has shrewd captaincy skills.

I don’t quite understand the logic of having Dada, Tendulkar and Dravid in the IPL. If two of them are not good enuf to play to the ODIs, and too old to play T20, then why the hell do we have them here? For the moolah, I believe, and also considering the fact that they still guarantee crowd. With dada in Kolkata team, I am sure no seat will be vacant in Kolkata.

The Teams

Kolkata

Looking at the teams, I think SRK, the badshah of Bollywood, has got a steal here. He has an excellent team in Kolkata, which is balanced and has all the elements to win the tournament. Ishant and Shoaib, leading the attack are fast and furious, and you need pace in these slow sub-continent wickets to keep the batsmen on their toes. They also have an excellent wicketkeeper-batsman in McCullum. I am a big fan of McCullum and I think he is very close to Dhoni and Gilchrist when it comes to playing swashbuckling shots. To have a balance between spin and pace, they have Murali Karthik. The batting does not look bad either. Chris Gayle, Ricky Ponting and Ganguly have the reputation of being the big hitters and can take the game away. Don’t forget what Gayle did in the opening match of T20 world cup, hitting 10 sixes against SA.

Sourav Ganguly (capt)
Ishant Sharma (Ind): US$950,000
Chris Gayle (WI): $800,000
Brendon McCullum (NZ): $700,000
David Hussey (Aus): $625,000
Murali Karthik (Ind): $425,000
Shoaib Akhtar (Pak): $425,000
Ricky Ponting (Aus): $400,000
Ajit Agarkar (Ind): $350,000
Umar Gul (Pak) $150,000
Tatenda Taibu (Zim) $125,000

Mohali

Next up, I think Mohali, owned by Preity Zinta and industrialist Ness Wadia, makes an interesting squad. Yuvraj is the real cog in the wheel there. He is a proven T20 specialist, and his histrionics will be one to watch out for. Two of the most valuable ODI players in Brett Lee and Irfan Pathan lend balance to the team. Sangakkara gives solidity to the top order and is a safe bet behind the stumps – he is worth every bit of USD 700,000. Except Yuvraj and Sanga the batting seems very fragile to me. Sarwan and Jayawardene are inconsistent, and Katich does not really seem to be a complete batsman.

Yuvraj Singh (capt)
Irfan Pathan (Ind): $925,000
Brett Lee (Aus): $900,000
Kumar Sangakkara (SL): $700,000
Sree Santh (Ind): $625,000
Mahela Jayawardene (SL): $475,000
Piyush Chawla (Ind): $400,000
Ramnaresh Sarwan (WI) $225,000
Simon Katich (Aus) $200,000
Romesh Powar (Ind): $170,000

Chennai

Chennai are the dark horses. It is a blend of experience and youth. Dhoni is a safe bet behind the stumps and a solid middle order bat who can play with the top order and manage the tail. He also has tons of experience of the shortest format of the game. Batting looks strong and exciting – Hussey, Raina, Hayden, Fleming, Oram are devastating and reliable. It is the bowling which I think can go for runs. Muralitharan, okay is with them, but he can go for runs. Ntini, Joginder and Morkel can be taken apart, we know that. But their bat battery can win games for them.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Ind): $1.5 million
Jacob Oram (NZ): $675,000
Albie Morkel (SA): $675,000
Suresh Raina (Ind) $650,000
Muttiah Muralitharan (SL): $600,000
Matthew Hayden (Aus): $375,000
Stephen Fleming (NZ) $350,000
Mike Hussey (Aus) $350,000
Parthiv Patel (Ind) $325,000
Joginder Sharma (Ind) $225,000
Makhaya Ntini (SA) $200,000

Bangalore

Dr. Vijaty Mallya is unarguably the most flamboyant industrialist in India, and is also known to be a shrewd strategist. He has clearly gone for experience and some cheap players who will either fire or be smoked away. Kallis, Dravid, Jaffer, Chanderpaul – who wants to see them in T20? I don’t, at least. Bowling is reliable still – Zaheer Khan, Kumble and Steyn can bowl well when in rhythm, but not consistent all the time. When chasing low totals, Bangalore can be winners, but T20 is fast-paced. You don’t have to play out 10 days, Mr Mallya. I won’t bet on them, unless I want to find out the quickest way of losing whatever money I have.

Jacques Kallis (SA): $ 900,000
Anil Kumble (Ind): $500,000
Cameron White (Aus): $500,000
Zaheer Khan (Ind): $450,000
Mark Boucher (SA): $450,000
Nathan Bracken (Aus): $325,000
Dale Steyn (SA): $325,000
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI) $200,000
Wasim Jaffer (Ind): $150,000


Delhi

Sadi Dilli makes a good semi-finalist but is a notch below Kolkata and Mohali. The bowling attack’s tight. Mohammed Asif and McGrath won’t even give an inch away. Maharoof bowls a tight line as well. Vettori is very clever too. I see that as perhaps the strongest attack in the IPL. But the batting lacks the same sharpness. Gambhir has proved his mettle in Australia and will be good on his home soil. Dinesh Karthik ain’t too exciting and did not deserve a bit of USD 525K. Shoaib Malik and de Villiers are decent bats but not threatening. A good semi-finalists, as I said, but will need to play out of their skins, if they are to go beyond the knockout stage.

Virender Sehwag (capt)
Gautam Gambhir (Ind) $725,000
Manoj Tiwary (Ind): $675,000
Mohammad Asif (Pak): $650,000
Daniel Vettori (NZ): $625,000
Dinesh Karthik (Ind): $525,000
Shoaib Malik (Pak): $500,000
Glenn McGrath (Aus): $350,000
AB de Villiers (SA): $300,000
Tillekeratne Dilshan (SL): $250,000
Farveez Maharoof (SL): $225,000


Hyderabad

The Land of Nizams has the player Indians love to hate the most – Andrew Symonds. But he is worth every cent. The batting line-up of Hyderabad is most exciting of the league – Symonds, Gibbs, Gilchrist, Sharma, Afridi, Styris. And if they fire together, boy! Then we have a game that will be worth watching for the next ten years! Don’t take the bowling lightly. Zoysa, RP Singh, Styris are nippy, and Symonds and Afridi can sneak in useful overs as well. It is a team to watch out for and one of the favorite finalists. It is a good fielding side as well – Symonds and Gibbs are two of the best five in the world.

Andrew Symonds (Aus): $1.35m
RP Singh (Ind): $875,000
Rohit Sharma (Ind) $750,000
Adam Gilchrist (Aus): $700,000
Shahid Afridi (Pak): $675,000
Herschelle Gibbs (SA): $575,000
VVS Laxman (Ind): $375,000
Chaminda Vaas (SL) $200,000
Scott Styris (NZ): $175,000
Nuwan Zoysa (SL): $110,000
Chamara Silva (SL): US$100,000

Jaipur

The Jaipur squad is as boring as the city is exciting. I don’t even feel like writing about them. What’s Warne doing there? I heard he is also their coach. Kaif, Smith, Yusuf, Patel, Khan, Langer – I wud rather watch a bear dance on the streets outside the City Palace! One of the poorest teams. I can only see them being bashed by other squads.

Mohammad Kaif (Ind) $675,000
Graeme Smith (SA): $475,000
Yusuf Pathan (Ind): $475,000
Shane Warne (Aus): $450,000
Munaf Patel (Ind): $275,000
Younis Khan (Pak): $225,000
Justin Langer (Aus) $200,000
Kamran Akmal (Pak): $150,000

Mumbai

Aamchi Mumbai has India’s greatest jewel, Tendulkar. He hasn’t played a T20 till date, but can be as dangerous as anyone. He and his opening partner Jayasurya can take a game away in the first five overs. Uthappa, Pollock, Bosman are to follow and can do a good job. But the problem for Mumbai will be when the top crumbles. Bowling doesn’t look too exciting too – Pollock is not the best of T20 bowlers, and Malinga is erratic too often. Harbhajan may be good in some games but lacks the sharpness. I don’t see them making it to the semis. Let me tell you, Mumbai is the most expensive team in the IPL at USD 111.9 m and is owned by RIL – Mukesth, I expected you to do better!

Sachin Tendulkar (capt)
Sanath Jayasuriya (SL): $975,000
Harbhajan Singh (Ind): $850,000
Robin Uthappa (Ind): $800,000
Shaun Pollock (SA): $550,000
Lasith Malinga (SL) $350,000
Dilhara Fernando (SL) $150,000
Loots Bosman (SA) $150,000

P.S: I read somewhere that there are rumors of Misbah joining Kolkata. If that’s true, then they are my second finalists, and also favorites to win the INR 3 Cr Trophy.

1540 days ago Short URL 5 Comments

Cricket/Indian Premier League

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